Theos-Talk Archives (August 1996 Message tl00425)

Alan wrote:
>In any event, if we are to take Paul's account, he got his gnosis from
>Gamaliel ...

I think that this argument, contradicts even HPB...

Yes, Acts states that Paul was a farisee and learned judaism from Gamaliel (Acts 22:3)
Paul describes his revelation come from visions and not from Gamaliel (Gl 1:16). His
first vision at Damascus comes from heaven (Acts 9:3, 1Cor15:8, Acts 22:6, Acts 26:13). This
was not the only vision. Paul also refers to others visions such at Jerusalem temple, where
Jesus instructs Paul to preach the gospel beteween gentiles (Acts 22:21, Gl 2:7). At 2Cor12:3
Paul indirectly refers to some <gnosis> that received from his personal contact with Jesus at
<third heaven>. HPB also refers to this passage (Unveiled Isis chap III (116-145), page 132) and
recogniced its authenticity. She think at at this moment Paul received gnosis from Jesus and
not from Gamaliel.

We can not conclude that Gamaliel was a christian. At Acts 5:34 Gamaliel protected christians.
Daniel Rops (LEglise des apotres et des martyrs I,29) cites three hypothesis to such protection:
a question of justice, the secret sympathy of Gamaliel towards christians, a desire of Gamaliel
to to provoke embarass to saducees.

Are you rejecting that Paul received his gnosis from Jesus himself (through visions) ?
Are you saying that Gamaliel was a christian and taught to Paul that Jesus was the Messiah,
the Christ ?

Abrantes