But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
//I’ve been accused many times of reading the Bible superficially; particularly when I point out a discrepancy between the teachings of two Bible writers. Sometimes a supposed “contradiction” in scripture can be from a superficial reading, but sometimes a “superficial” reading highlights a different flavor. My question over the next series of posts is this: Did Paul properly preserve the atmosphere Jesus left behind?
Paul never met Jesus. He never took instruction from anyone who did meet Jesus. The only thing Paul knows of Jesus’ teachings is what was presented to him in visions by Christ. That is what we should understand from today’s passage, written by Paul himself. Do you find that just a little too convenient?
So to kick off this series, let me start with a number of “contradictions” that relate to Paul’s assumed authority. This first batch have to do with an authority figure. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether Paul properly represented Jesus’ teachings:
Paul: for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.. –1 Corinthians 4:15
Jesus: And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. –Matthew 23:9
Paul: And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers –1 Corinthians 12:28
Jesus: But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. –Matthew 23:8
Paul: So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors [shepherds] and teachers –Ephesians 4:11
Jesus: and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.. –John 10:16
Paul: For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ … –1 Corinthians 4:15
Jesus: Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. –Matthew 23:10
Paul: If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? –1 Corinthians 9:11
Jesus: Freely you have received, freely give. –Matthew 10:8
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Good find! Thanks for posting. I have always suspected Paul of being a con. I remember reading
2 Corinthians 12:16 when I was 12 years old. Even as a child I smelled a RAT.
Since then I’ve been cautious of Saul, to the extent of being called an apostate.
Yea I have often pondered these contradictory elements as well; it has caused me to be confused and question what Jesus said. Then I remembered that Jesus is GOD as a man. So I will listen to him, before I listen to a man, who was an expert in LAW; Yes Paul heard Jesus from heaven on the way to Damascus, but He does indeed say some directly contradictory things to what the Saviour Christ said…
I think the teachings of St.Paul require a lot of patient contemplation as he seems to circle the wagons in his writings which often can seem to create a double meaning. He clearly is of God
Paul missed the resurrection, hence 2Timothy 2:18.
Check Romans 1:8 For the “whole world “, it’s the political domain
Paul missed the resurrection. 2Timothy 2:18 as such he did not want anyone to even listen to people mentioning the fact that the resurrection had taken place
I also would like to point out. Jesus NEVER mentioned the word “Grace”
Also,
Matt.5.13-16
Says we should boast about our works so ppl can “glorify the father”
We are the salt/truth
We are the light/truth
You don’t hide the light you let it shine on everyone.
We are to let the truth be known to all, so that everyone “can see your works.”
Tack on 1 Peter 3.15
And when I ask you what proves your faith. You are obligated to give me proof.
Heb.6.12
Has the word “patience” used in the sense of law and extending a payment til the end of terms.after he just got done explaining. The Sabbath heb.4
Patience here means us having time to build works to qualify… You are not saved by grace. Jesus does not teach that.
Rev.20.11-15
If you buy or sell on the Sabbath you have the mark of the Beast
Gen.2.2-3
Deut.5 & 6.8
(only command about buy or sell if 4th)
Neh.13.15-22
John 14.15
Like we should not mention terms like omnipresence, omnipresent or omniscient because the Bible doesn’t mention it right?
The entire Bible is full of contracting information, but amazingly, when you take the words of Jesus and relate them to the words of the other prophets lime Moses or Muhammed of Muslims, they rhyme perfectly, but the words of Paul in my entire researches have never rhymed with any past prophet’s words not even the prophet’s in the Bible.
I agree. I have been reading through 1 Corinthians in detail and it doesn’t seem to fit with Christ’s messages at all. It seems that Paul seems to see himself and Christianity as a set of rules, with him as the self-appointed judge and rule maker. Jesus came to free us from sin and the law. For me, I first have to look at who the Bible tells us God is.
God is love. That is the literal definition of God(John 4:16). Agape Love. Love requires action. The question is “who defines what agape love is?”
1 Corinthians 4-8 gives us the biblical description of what agape love is;
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
The question then becomes, is passing judgment on a fellow sinner biblical and acting out of love? And does it require an act of judgment to follow Paul’s instruction?
Jesus is very clear about this in Matthew 7:1-3
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure, you use it will be measured to you.”
And in Luke 6:37
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned, forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
While I find some historical and biblical value in Paul’s writings, I do not believe that his writings are consistent with Jesus’s words and I don’t believe his writings are consistent with the teachings of the Apostles. I see a lot of power positioning, anger, judgment, and self-exaltation, in Paul. All things, as a follower of Christ, I try to flee from. Is excommunicating people seeking Christ, but still in sin (aren’t we all), an act of love? Is dictating how believers must cover their heads, or eat… love?
wrong hermeneutics.
You sound ridiculous you don’t get free from a law. You live by a law. The law was given to THE ISRAELITES NOT THE WORLD. Most of you don’t even read The Most High words because your jc contradicts him just like ol busty Paul.
Your leaning to your own understanding and that is not of God
Who are we to question who God has ordained that’s the sad part of Christians today they lean to their own understanding what God has ordained no man can question so by you saying you question Paul is a issue and u biblical
My independent reading of the Bible first and apart from other things made me question Paul. This article reinforces it.
That’s why I stopped calling my father “father” and my teacher “teacher”. I just address them ay “yo”.
Also, I told our pastors to stop and church workers to stop claiming anything from the church coffers. They should work for free even if they are working full-time in their ministries.
Right gentlemen here?
There are some texts to examine here, to delve into the original languages but first to look at the contexts. Interestingly enough, most of these texts point to Jesus as unique, some might even say divine. Why have you concerned yourself with “contradictory” statements regarding Christ’s supremacy when you don’t believe Jesus’ own descriptions of himself?
The focus should be hearing and obeying exactly what Jesus said, and especially the Law of Love that he commanded. (Not an option). With that being said, it is obvious that Paul has written his own Gospel, by his own admission. The entire foundation of Gentile Christianity, as recorded in Acts 15, is completely void of the words of our Savior. Unfortunately Peter inadvertently fed the fire also when he mentioned, (speaking of the message that was intended towards the Gentiles), that “neither our fathers nor we were able to bear.” This contradicts what Jesus said that his yoke was easy and his burden was light, in Matthew 11:30. From there, Paul runs his own direction at full-speed ahead, and it goes downhill at a rapid pace. Paul even sanctions idol worship when he said that eating meat offered to idols is just a matter of conscience. Jesus himself had to straighten that out in Revelation 2. Remember also that the (Gentile) disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Antioch is the home of the original antichrist (named after Antiochus), by the way. We just don’t get that. The Apostle John understood all this. We need to get away from all the foolishness, arrogance, and clear contradictions of Paul’s writings. Unfortunately this is the foundation of Gentile Christianity. The Apostle John has the message of the hour that true Jews need to hear and understand. His message exactly parallels our Good Saviour in every aspect. He heard him directly and is very careful to note: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you…” Read 1John 1:1-3. Forget about what Paul has said. It won’t get anywhere and it will be under more and more scrutiny as the age of the Gentiles winds to a close. P.S. Paul has also intercepted the Book of Hebrews from chapter 4, verse 13 and onwards. It obviously closes with Paul’s writings. Hebrews chapters 1-4, up until verse 13 clearly are at odds with Paul’s tenets, and these chapters are extremely important in our day and age. “Today if you will hear his voice, (voice of Yeshua), harden not your hearts.” Thanks. Bob
Your leaning to your own understanding and that is not of God who are we to question who God himself has ordained and gave his word to that’s the problem with modern Christianity and Christians they believe they smarter and know more than the people who are in the Bible when these same people are not healing the sick, raising the dead, barley even bringing others to christ