Did Jesus and Paul teach the same concepts and themes?
Today my answer is "I'm working on it." Meanwhile I've learned a lot about the themes Jesus did teach, and they are important for us to know. This blog is how I initially plan to share what I have discovered over the 7 or so years I've been working on the question.
My investigation started, when I was first asked the above question. At that time, my response was, "Of course Jesus and Paul taught the same themes." But that was just my knee jerk answer to a surprise question. As I pondered the question in the days that followed, I realized I did not know the answer. This lack of knowledge started me on a multiple year review and comparison of the gospels of the New Testament for common and differing concepts and themes.
Over the last 15 years I have worked as a software analyst and quality assurance tester for several financial institutions. Why not use the professional skills and techniques I've learned as a result to review and compare Jesus words in the various gospels? I was delighted when the techniques worked wonderfully.
Main Method of Analysis: Affinity Grouping
I pondered on the best way to investigate and analyze the ideas and concepts to draw conclusions.
Some considerations and decisions:
- First of all, I did not want second hand conclusions from other scholars. I would read the words of Jesus and Paul myself.
- The source text were not written in English, and I am limited to it. Which translation should I use? Decision: www.BibleGateway.com has many English translations which can be read in parallel columns. I selected Easy to Read, NIV, Amplified, and King James. I've referred to other versions to clarify the original intended meaning of the gospel authors as needed.
- I would read Jesus teachings first then Paul's.
- Which gospel should I start with? If I started with the oldest one, I could tell what ideas, if any, of the later authors had been added. By age, the oldest gospel is Mark. Luke and Mathew are newer and about the same age. So their reading order does not matter. The newest gospel is John. Decision: read Mark first.
- As of today, I have read and analyzed: Mark, Luke, and Matthew. I'm reading John currently, and I'm up to chapter 13.
- As I read, I would list in an MS Excel spreadsheet Jesus ideas and themes and group them using a business analysis technique called affinity grouping.
- Very quickly common concepts began to group together. As they did, I put them into separate tabs and sub-groups.If a verse fit in several groups, I would list it in those groups.
- The more often similar verses are listed in a particular group, could be an indication of that group's importance. Perhaps Jesus said the idea at most of the places he went. Decision: keep an open mind and see what develops.
What are some of the themes of Jesus I've found?
Next time, I will begin to share some of the results.
As of this month I've completed reading the Gospel of John. As of today, have completed grouping like verses in the Excel spreadsheet.
ReplyDeleteThis month, June 2016 I've completed reading James and Galatians. They are the oldest scripture we have. The Gospels were written many years after the letters of Paul.
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