@doctorsex @Terry @matty @PeterPower @Wolffkran THE PHARISEES ARE ALREADY SCEPTICAL OF THE TEMPLE
FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW THEY'RE STILL IN EXILE BECAUSE OF VIOLATING GOD'S COMMANDMENTS
IF THEY CAN GET EVERYONE TO ABIDE BY THE PURITY CODE FOR ONE DAY -- GOD WILL COME BACK
UNTIL THEN, HERODS TEMPLE IS MAYBE NOT AN ENEMY OUTPOST BUT IS LARGELY USELESS

AND EVERYONE WHO IS NOT CONTRIBUTING TO THE GOAL OF UPHOLDING THE PURITY CODE IS THE ENEMY, KEEPING THEM IN EXILE
THAT OF COURSE INCLUDES FOREIGNERS AND COLLABORATORS

NOW AS A CHRISTIAN ASIDE
IF YOU REMEMBER, THE PURITY LAW WAS NOT GIVEN BY GOD AS A MEANS TO SALVATION, BUT TO ALLOW GOD TO DWELL IN THE MIDST OF THE CAMP AND PREVENT HIM FROM BREAKING OUT AS A WILDFIRE AND KILLING EVERYONE LIKE SOAP KILLS GERMS

INCLUDING PARTS OF IT THAT MARK THE HEBREW TRIBES AS SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM SURROUNDING TRIBES
SO THIS CONCERN IS REALLY A SECOND ORDER CONCERN COMPARED TO ACTUALLY DRAWING NEAR TO GOD
AND THIS COMES TO A HEAD WHEN PAUL HAS TO DEAL WITH JUDAIZERS WHO WANT GENTILE CHRISTIANS TO DO WORKS OF THE LAW AND MARK THEMSELVES OUT AS HEBREWS AND PAUL GOES "WELL WHOOPTIE DO, I FOLLOWED THE LAW PERFECTLY, I WAS SUPER ZEALOUS, I WAS THE FUCKIN JEW OF JEWS, AND THAT LED ME TO PERSECUTING AND MURDERING GOD'S PEOPLE, AND GENERALLY DID NOTHING TO MAKE MY CHARACTER MORE GODLY OTHER THAN POINT OUT THAT IM FALLING SHORT OF THE STANDARD, SO HOW MUCH IS THAT WORTH WHEN WE HAVE AN EVEN BETTER WAY TO DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND PERFECT ONESELF"
THAT ASIDE WILL COME BACK LATER

PHARISEES THEN DO WHAT WE'VE READ THEM AND SADUCCEES AND CIVIL LEADERS AND ROMAN EMPIRE ENVOYS DO IN THE GOSPEL NARRATIVE

THEN AROUND 40-50 AD THEY DRAW THE HARD DISTINCTION AWAY FROM CHRISTIANS, BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION DESCRIBED IN ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
THE GRECO-ROMAN VIRTUE OF PUBLIC MAGNANIMITY NATURALLY EXTENDED TO FUNDING NOT ONLY ROADS BRIDGES AND BATHS, BUT ALSO LOCAL TEMPLES
FOR THE HEBREWS THE SYNAGOGUE WAS CONSIDERED A REASONABLY CLOSE ENOUGH EQUIVALENT
WANTING TO SEE THE FRUITS OF THEIR CHARITABLE INVESTMENT, AND THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ROMAN GENERAL PROPAGATING THE IDEA THAT THE HEBREWS WORSHIP "SOLA MENTIS" LIKE PHILOSOPHERS, CREATED A BRIEF FAD OF INTEREST IN THE RELIGION WHERE WELL OFF ROMAN CITIZENS WOULD BECOME KIND OF LIKE PERPETUAL CATECHUMENS SITTING IN ON SYNAGOGUE READINGS AND LEARNING ABOUT THE RELIGION BUT NEVER BECOMING HEBREWS

PAUL SHOWING UP AND TELLING THEM "ITS TIME, IT'S HAPPENING, THE MESSIANIC AGE IS HERE, ALL THE NATIONS ARE NOW BEING CALLED BACK TO THE WELLSPRING TO THE ORIGINAL GOD OF GODS" CAUSED THESE PEOPLE TO BECOME CHRISTIAN AND STOP FINDING THE PHARISEES SYNAGOGUES
THIS LED TO A LOT OF BUTTHURT AND PAUL WAS FREQUENTLY BEAT TO DEATH OR IMPRISONED


NOW, THE HEBREW FAITH WAS ALLOWED TO BE PRACTICED IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE ON ACCOUNT OF ITS ANTIQUITY AND THE HEBREWS BEING A SUBJECT PEOPLE.
THEY WERE ESSENTIALLY "GRANDFATHERED IN", SO TO SPEAK.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE WAS FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE
SO JEWS STARTED PETITIONING LOCAL GOVERNMENT SAYING "THESE GUYS ARE NOT A SECT OF THE SAME RELIGION WE ARE, THEY ARE A NEW DIFFERENT THING AND THEYRE FOMENTING REBELLION AGAINST CAESAR"
THIS LED TO THE START OF THE PERSECUTIONS

SO, IRONICALLY, THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY CHURCH IS JUST THE GOSPEL NARRATIVE AGAIN
REALLY REMINDS ME OF HOW THE OLD TESTAMENT IS REALLY JUST THE GOSPEL NARRATIVE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN