I’m excited to share that I will be reporting for The Secular Web/Internet Infidels on Bart Ehrman’s conference this weekend on the apostle Paul. My hope is to share a few gems from each presenter that will encourage my reader to sign up for the conference themself and watch a replay.

The apostle Paul is one of the most influential writers in history and so is important to study, even if you are a secularism activist like me.

Paul was an apocalyptic thinker who believed the end of the age had begun and would be realized in his lifetime. He called the resurrected Jesus the “first fruits (1 Cor 15:23)” of the general end-time harvest of souls that was underway.

He was also an apostle of the cross, saying he resolved to know nothing among his readers but Christ and him crucified, and quoted the creed/poetry that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. Why, then, does Paul say if the resurrection is not true then the cross is of no effect? (“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins – 1 Cor 15:17”). If the cross dealt with sin, why does Paul say you are still in your sin without the resurrection?

This should be an interesting conference with 10 expert presenters, so please follow along as I share some tidbits!