The labors and accomplishments of Paul are exciting and dramatic. Many non Christians (and some Christians, too) feel that Paul "took over" and that the original Jewish nature of the early believers was changed to accommodate the Gentiles. Similar statements were made about President Spencer W. Kimball when that prophet announced the inclusion of all worthy people in priesthood blessings.

The factor that is missing in these assumptions is the spirit. The spirit reveals things as they were, as they are and as they will be.

"And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;" (Doctrine & Covenants 93:24)

At a recent conference of scholars dealing with "The Bible Code," one orthodox Jew stated simply, "Judaism does not have the Holy Spirit." You can refer to previous statements and quotes in these supplements about the Holy Spirit. A repetition and other Jewish comments about the spirit are included for your comparison.

"The rabbis regarded Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi as the last of the prophets, the "divine spirit" having ceased in Israel with their deaths."

"Ruah ha-Kodesh (holy spirit) is often used as a synonym for prophecy. However, according to some rabbis, unlike prophecy, there are some types of ruah ha-kodesh  which also can be attained by doing good deeds."

"The first mention of the Urim and Thummim  appears in the passage in Numbers which describes Moses' transfer of his authority to Joshua prior to his death. Joshua is told by God, through Moses, that in his capacity as leader of the Israelites, "he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim  before the Lord." Much later, in the Book of Samuel, King Saul unsuccessfully sought information from the Urim  and Thummim  about the outcome of an impending battle with the Philistines, and his failure to receive any response led him to seek advice from the witch of En-Dor who conjured up for him the spirit of the dead prophet Samuel."

"It is not known exactly when the Urim  and  Thummim  ceased to function, but the latest period for which there is evidence of their use is that of King David. Subsequently, oracles and predictions about future events were conveyed exclusively by the prophets."

The exact meaning of the words "Urim"  and "Thummim"  have puzzled scholars over the generations. Both in the Greek and Latin translations of the Bible they were rendered as "revelation and truth" or "teaching and truth" and this understanding gave rise to the incorporation of the Hebrew words Urim ve- Thummim  on the official seal of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

One of the necessary requirements to get the true spirit is to have true faith in the Lord. It is a true test with true results. Misinformation usually results in closing the mind and "the heart." It requires an "open heart," and an open mind to exercise true faith. Jewish thinkers have described Christian faith as follows.

"Christianity is the religion which derives from the original followers of Jesus of Nazareth, and which became a major religion in the Western world during the common era. While the history of Christianity has much detailed information, this article does not attempt to treat the subject in full, but rather will deal with Christianity in the light of its relationship to Judaism, and as it is seen from the Jewish point of view."

"Strictly speaking, the ministry of Jesus himself does not come under the heading of "Christianity," but rather is part of the history of different Jewish-Christian sects which developed at the beginning of the common era. The first Jewish sects which followed Jesus' teachings still observed much of the Torah but added the belief that Jesus was the messiah. The Greek translation of the word messiah  is Christos , and thus Jesus' followers deemed him Jesus Christ. After his death, these followers came to be known as Christians."

"At this point, the nature of Christianity began to change from being a Jewish-Christian sect with partial observance of mitzvot  to a sect embracing gentile followers. This development took place largely under the influence of Paul of Tarsus who attracted a gentile following by teaching that the observance of the commandments was no longer necessary. Faith in Jesus could take the place of the commandments and the "Church" could take the place of the Jewish people."

"A Christian community began to emerge whose traditions and beliefs concerning Jesus were shaped by the New Testament. The writings included in the New Testament were written between 66 C.E. and 200 C.E., a period in which relations between Jews and Christians had already begun to deteriorate. Thus, the New Testament portrays Jesus as engaged in violent debates with Jewish scribes, and tends to describe "the Jews" as being responsible for Jesus' death. As the scriptural authority of Christianity, the New Testament has served as a basis for Christian anti-Semitism throughout the ages."

"Accordingly, Jewish history in the Christian world has been marked by persecutions, expulsions, and at the very least, restrictive laws and discrimination. As Christianity spread throughout Europe and the Byzantine Empire, the Christians viewed the Jews as a "detestable people;" they were no longer God's chosen people since they had rejected Jesus, and the Jewish religion was dead. Believing that they were the new "chosen people," the Christians often challenged the Jews to publicly defend their beliefs in disputations."

Surrounding cultures and religions also added their contrasts and created disputations. A popular worship culture included gods of earth, wind, rain and sun. Anciently, the religion of Baal featured different gods. Female gods became popular, such as goddesses of victory, a fish goddess (mermaid) and one connected with fertility, Astarte, later know as Ashteroth (the word Easter seems to have been derived from Astarte. A very popular goddess was Diana.

"Archaeological finds have included hieroglyphic writings, columns of ancient synagogues, and a statue of the Greek goddess of victory standing on a globe of the world supported by Atlas."

"Talmudic sources also mention Ashkelon's orchards and a fair held there. In the Byzantine period the city was a center of paganism, whose population worshiped a fish-goddess, Derceto, whose image was a mermaid."

Ecclesia Et Synagoga is the name given to the symbolic representations in Christian art of the Middle Ages of the victorious Church and defeated Synagogue, symbolizing the triumph of Christianity. The representation is often found in medieval Christian manuscript art. It also became a conventional decoration in very many medieval churches, especially in France, England, and Germany, and took the form of two graceful female figures, usually on the outside of the building. The Church is shown erect and triumphant, bearing a cross; the Synagogue is usually blindfold and dejected, bearing a broken staff and sometimes decorated with the Tables of the Ten Commandments symbolizing the Old Testament. The best-known statues of this type are on the exterior of the cathedrals of Strasbourg and Bamberg. They are also found in Rheims, Paris, and Bordeaux. In England, they figure generally in a mutilated condition, as in Rochester, Lincoln, Salisbury, and Winchester."

"The foreign queens Maacah, Jezebel and Athaliah brought in the influence of idolatry, particularly the Canaanite idol Baal, its many names and forms of worship. During this period, it was the mission of the prophets to rebuke the people for their idol worship. The prophets attacked idol worship not only on the grounds that it violates God's covenant with Israel, but also because it was useless. While the pagans believed that the natural phenomena rain, fertility, health etc. were controlled by idols, the prophets taught that God is in control of nature." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

It is interesting to note that Ephesus had a large business surrounding the goddess Diana. Subsequently, the tradition of the burial of Mary the mother of Jesus and subsequently the veneration of Mary beginning in Ephesus became a counterfeit substitute for a counterfeit religion. The "business" of religion eclipsed the essence of religion. Jesus taught that the first aspect of true religion is to love God and the second is to love your neighbor. That likens the holiness of all people with the holiness of God.

". . . holiness . . . applies to the ordinary Jew as much as to the priests. Indeed, one memorable verse reads: "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 'Speak to the whole Israelite community and say unto them: You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy,'" and among the laws immediately following this statement comes the commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Clearly, the holiness is not just that of the Tabernacle and the sacrifice, but that of everyday life."

"Friendship is a relationship between people arising from mutual respect and affection. The ideal of friendship in the western world is derived from classical Greece, which exalted friendship as one of the great human achievements and prime goals of life. The significance of friendship is recognized in the Bible, but is never raised to such an important place. A friend is defined as "one who is like your very self" (Deuteronomy 13:7) and as one "who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). Of the few depictions of close friendship in the Bible, perhaps the most famous is that of David and Jonathan. The Bible appears to be more concerned with social and family relations than with individual ones, and thus puts more emphasis on being a good neighbor than it does on friendship. The Bible also warns against false friendship, saying that people might be attracted to a person solely because of his wealth, and not out of motives of respect."

"Hillel was a great teacher who emphasized the qualities of humility, patience, tolerance, and devotion, and who was responsible for a renewed spiritualism in Jewish life. He is perhaps best remembered for his authorship of what has become the Jewish version of the golden rule: when a heathen came to him and said he would convert to Judaism if Hillel could teach him the whole of Torah while he stood on one leg, Hillel replied, "What is hateful to you, do not do unto your neighbor; this is the entire Torah, all the rest is commentary. Go and study." This basic law, far different from the Christian conception that a person should do to others what he would have them do to him, has become a fundamental tenet of the Jewish faith." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

The chastisement that Paul gave to the Saints spread out in various communities was to help them abandon counterfeit religion and get back to the basics.

" The Torah very clearly requires the Jew to rebuke his fellow when he sees him acting wrongly. "You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor and not bear sin because of him" (Leviticus 19:17). The most obvious reason is, of course, to restrain him from evildoing and to correct his past misbehavior. Thus a Jew is not only commanded to watch over his own deeds and behavior; he is also responsible for ensuring that his fellow men act righteously." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

The new Saints were constantly challenged by the "glitz" of the religions around them. Assimilation was a great challenge. The Apostles were teaching to be "in the world" yet not of it.

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;" (Philippians 2:15)

"Assimilation is the process in which one cultural or national group loses its identity and becomes part of another group. Referred to Jews, assimilation means losing Jewish identity and becoming absorbed in gentile society. Throughout Jewish history assimilation of Jews has taken place and has been motivated by many factors. In some cases Jews viewed gentile culture as superior and wished to join it. As early as 175 B.C.E., during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, there were Jews who wished to accept the mode of life and culture of Hellenism. Later, in the years of early Christianity, there were Jews who gradually assimilated into the Christian way of life. In other cases, the lure of a better social or economic position led Jews to assimilate. During the Middle Ages this was sometimes the cause of apostasy (conversion out of Judaism). At other times, persecution and anti-Semitism compelled Jews to convert, but often only on the surface while secretly they remained Jews." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

The lesson title can be understood to be that we must live in the world - yet we can live in the spirit - in the world. That will guide our life in the society of the world community.