Prominent anti-circumcision activist Paul the Apostle is coming under fire for allegedly lying about key biographical details in his Apostolic campaign.
Paul, a Tarsus native, told the Philippians during his campaign that he was Jewish, “a Hebrew born of Hebrews.” But now Judaizers are insisting he misrepresented himself and is not truly Jewish. They are calling for his immediate resignation.
Paul originally claimed that he was “of the people of Israel” and “of the tribe of Benjamin,” saying he himself was circumcised on the eighth day. Many converts believed from this that Paul was Jewish, but he now admits that he is not.
“No, I’m Catholic,” Paul came clean to The Daily Inquisition. “I only meant to say that I had Jewish heritage, not that I myself believed in Judaism. In fact, circumcision of the flesh means nothing.”
But his supposed Jewish belief is not the only thing Paul is accused of falsifying. In the past he claimed to have graduated from Gamaliel’s College of Pharisaic Divinity, and often professed himself a licensed Pharisee. However, the Pharisaic community has rejected these claims, saying that Paul’s teachings are not authorized by them nor Gamaliel himself.
“Paul repeatedly claimed that he was a Pharisee,” Rabbi Shmuel, a prominent Judaizer, told us. “Many people accepted his teaching on that basis.” Shmuel added a call for Paul’s immediate resignation as an Apostle and a recall circumcision on all his conversions.
“But he is most certainly not a Pharisee—he is a Christian! A fact which now, finally, he himself admits.”
Paul has indeed started to own up to his Christianity, admitting that he counts all his alleged training “as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus,” even calling him his “Lord.” However, he maintains that he will not step down and plans on moving forward with his Apostleship.
“If anything, I’m more eager to take up my office as Apostle to the Gentiles now,” Paul said—adding that he was “straining forward to what lies ahead” with renewed vigor in spite of the controversy.
