1. The Old Testament background to the New Testament demonstrates that the coming of Jesus Christ and the Spirit can be understood only in light of the framework of the divine promises given to Israel. 2. Emerging Jewish scholarship identifies Paul as a “prodigal son” who is a challenge to the Jewish faith, but he remains nonetheless an authentic Jewish figure. 3. Recent scholarly works have shown just how enmeshed Paul was in the Jewish world, and the so-called anti-Judaism of Paul is blatant fiction.