Christianity Before Paul

The earliest recoverable teachings of Jesus and John the Baptizer

Why calling them “Christians” is historically misleading

How James the Just led the original Jerusalem community

How early groups preserved Jesus’ message well after Paul

How Pauline theology eventually overshadowed, but never erased, these traditions

What the Church Fathers labeled heretical was actually part of the original message

How the first-generation movement functioned within late Second Temple Judaism

How later texts reframed or preserved parts of this early teaching

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In-Person, High-Quality Video Recordings of Ten Core Lectures

Lectures Eleven through Sixteen Will Be Held Live through Zoom Once a Month for the Next Six Months, and Each One Will Include a Live Question & Answer Session at the End

An Additional Bonus Lecture on The Archaeology of Jewish Christianity

Nearly 300 Pages of Handouts [To Include: Detailed Notes, Sources, Timelines, Charts, and Lecture Guides]

Several Complete Books in PDF Format, Hand-Selected by Dr. Tabor to Deepen Your Understanding

Additional Scholarly Articles & Primary Sources

Lifetime Access to the Course and All Course Materials

Direct Access to Dr. Tabor: Enjoy Instructor Interaction, Q&A Opportunities, and Ongoing Guidance

High-Quality Replays of the Live Zoom Recordings for Lectures & Q&As Eleven-Sixteen for Those Students Who Were Unable to Participate During the Lives.

Course & Lecture Overviews and Objections, Additional Course Details, and Fundamental FAQs to Deliberate

Meet Your Instructor Page to Introduce You to Dr. James Tabor and His Work

Printable and/or Downloadable Video Chat Transcripts in Both PDF and TXT formats

Bibliography and Reading Recommendations [Includes direct links to books for convenient access.]

Additional Resources Page with Various Resources to Improve Your Learning Experience [The additional resources provided vary depending on the scholar and the topic of the course.]

MP3 Audio File Downloads for Listening On-the-Go

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Lifetime Access: Gain lifetime access to course materials, giving you the ability to revisit essential concepts whenever needed.

Immediate Access: Begin right away with no waiting periods — start immediately upon purchase.

Self-Pace Learning: Take the course at your preferred speed and convenience, with no set schedule or deadlines.

Comfortable and Convenient Learning: Acquire knowledge from the convenience and comfort of your own home.

Affordable Cost: Benefit from direct learning with a top industry expert at an affordable price, with a single payment.

Online Flexibility: Our course is available online, enabling you to access the material from anywhere in the world.

Join our MVP Courses' Community: Connect and engage with like-minded learners who are passionate about delving into history, mythology, religious and cultural studies, and exploring the origins of life.

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Dr. James Tabor is a retired Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte where he taught Christian origins and ancient Judaism for thirty-three years, serving as Chair of the Department for a decade. His Ph.D. is from the University of Chicago (1981). He previously taught at the University of Notre Dame and at the College of William and Mary.

Dr. Tabor now devotes himself full-time to research, archaeological field work, and publishing. Over the past three decades he has combined his work on ancient texts with extensive field work in archaeology in Israel and Jordan. Since 2008 he has been co-director, along with Shimon Gibson, of the acclaimed Mt. Zion excavation in Jerusalem and been involved in a half dozen other archaeological projects in the Holy Land over the past thirty years.

Dr. Tabor has worked at several sites in Israel and Jordan including Qumran, site of the Dead Sea Scrolls (1991, 1996), Wadi el-Yabis in Jordan (1992, 1996), Masada (1994), and Sepphoris (1996, 1999, 2000). In 2000 he teamed up with Dr. Shimon Gibson to excavate a newly discovered cave at Suba, west of Jerusalem that dates back to the Iron Age but was used for ritual rites in the early Roman period (2000-2006). Tabor and Gibson were also the principals involved in the discovery a 1st century Jewish burial shroud in a looted tomb at Akeldama. Their latest project is an ongoing excavation in Jerusalem on Mt Zion (Southwestern Hill) just outside Mt Zion Gate along the Turkish city wall (2006-2022).

In the early 1990s he was involved in the release of the unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls and was one of the first scholars to examine and publish several very important ones. He has also published extensive studies on several Jerusalem tombs related to Mary and her family, as well as research on the skeletal remains at Masada, the last stand of Jewish refugees in the first century revolt against Rome. Dr. Tabor combines his work on biblical texts with newly discovered manuscripts and archaeological findings to get at the social and historical contexts that make Mary’s life and world come alive.

In 1995, he testified before the US Congress on the Waco tragedy, drawing upon his expertise in understanding ancient Biblical apocalyptic ideas.

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A Clear Understanding of Early Christian Writings Beyond Paul: Learn how later Christian texts, including the Pseudo-Pauline writings, reflect evolving theological agendas and why recovering pre-Pauline traditions is essential for reconstructing the earliest Jesus movement.

Contextualize the Earliest Jesus Movement in History: Explore the social, political, and religious landscape of 1st-century Judea that shaped Jesus, John the Baptist, James, and the original Jerusalem community, long before Paul’s mission and letters.

Explore Early Jewish Apocalyptic and Prophetic Traditions: Gain insight into the visionary experiences and theological expectations of Jesus’ first followers, including their beliefs about the Kingdom of God, resurrection, and the coming messiah.

Uncover the Origins of the Jesus Movement: Trace the beginnings of the faith from John the Baptist to Jesus and his immediate disciples, exploring how a Jewish renewal movement became the foundation of what would later be called Christianity.

Analyze the Earliest Christian Texts and Traditions: Dive into sources such as Q, the Didache, early Jesus sayings, and the teachings preserved by James and the Jerusalem apostles, materials that reflect Christianity before Pauline interpretation.

Deconstruct the Idealized Harmony of Acts: Learn how Acts blends, smooths over, or reshapes early Christian history to present a unified story, and how historical analysis exposes the tensions between the Jerusalem apostles and Paul.

Discover the Multiple Christianities That Preceded Paul: Examine the distinct streams of early Jesus-following groups, James’s community, the Q movement, John the Baptist’s followers, the Hellenistic apostles, and others, each with its own beliefs and practices.

Trace the Spread of the Pre-Pauline Movement: Follow the earliest missions through historical and textual evidence, identifying how the message of Jesus spread before and alongside Paul’s later activity.

Debate Paul’s Place in Christian Origins: Engage with the scholarly question of whether Paul continued, transformed, or diverged from the message and practices of Jesus’ original followers in Jerusalem.

Develop Critical Historical Skills: Learn how to evaluate ancient sources, distinguish early traditions from later theological overlay, and apply rigorous historical methods to reconstruct the Christian movement before Paul.

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Christianity Before Paul: Rediscovering the Jewish Movement of Jesus$49.95

Christianity Before Paul: Rediscovering the Jewish Movement of Jesus$49.95

Christianity Before Paul: Rediscovering the Jewish Movement of Jesus$49.95

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