In the 1994 movie, Forrest Gump says, “My momma always said, Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” A reading of the New Testament is very much in that same genre. In one place it says that A is A and in another A is B! Why isn’t there more clarity, other than giving me the answer that God doesn’t cast his pearls before swine?
Be more polite please. 
Let me suggest that why there is so much confusion and contradiction in the twenty seven books of the New Testament is because there were so many “competing groups” vying for having their point of view dominate. Let me be brief and list just a few as follows.
1-James the Just, the brother of Jesus was trying to keep Jesus as the Jew that he was without following some of the “non-Jewish” customs that Jesus broke such as not washing their hands before eating, healing on Sunday, etc.
2-Paul didn’t really know Jesus nor was he into the idea of Jesus being any more divine than any of us; rather, it was the universal Christos that Paul was attracted to which is why his more prominent phrase was about the Christos and not any historical Jesus.
3-There was the mythos that developed over the decades and centuries that was felt needed to elevate th historical Jesus to a level of divinity at least on par with the pagans and mystery religions: thus the virgin birth on December 25th, twelve disciples, buried for three days, and other ancient stories.
4-There was the Petrine (Peter the first bishop of Rome) segment who through the edicts of Constantine prevailed over all others (313CE) and developed Christianity into the mold that it largely is seen today.
As numerous scholars have admitted, Paul preached the gospel of immanent Christ- Peter stood for the fact and the message of a personal Jesus. Being a non-dualistic as I think I am from time to time, I believe I have come to a reconciliation of those two views. The Christos, divinity of the universal God dwells within me and I also embrace the LOVE of a personal Jesus and Abba Father.
Where are you?
These are fascinating ideas. If I read you right, because of the fact that Paul came along after the death of Jesus, he saw the (to echo Borg)post-easter version of Jesus, the Christos, as much more relevant than Jesus, the man. Whereas, Peter concentrated on the Man whom he personally knew. James was still stuck in the Judaism mode. Am I about right?
Good
Don- James- Peter- Paul- and Jesus are the four symbols of a deck of cards that make reading the New Testament complicated. Each one represented a differing approach. I am sharing that (revelation?) this Friday evening.
>James (10 of clubs) >Peter (Jack of spades) >Paul (Queen of diamonds) >Jesus (King of hearts) The supporting NT verses Friday night and Podcast available this weekend.
Thanks Ernie! I look forward to hearing the podcast