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THE CONTRADICTIONS OF PAUL
Part
2
With
Responses to Arguments
As
stated in part 1 of the Contradictions of Paul; in
2010 my eyes were opened regarding Paul, the
supposed “apostle to the Gentiles.” At that time, I
began to see how Paul’s words do not agree with the
teachings of Jesus Christ. And the revelations did
not stop there. Now, it is clear to me that the
teachings of Paul are responsible for the vast
majority of variances in the Christian religious
system.
I must admit, since there are
excellent websites that address the various
discrepancies and contradictions in Paul’s writings;
I put part 2 of the Contradictions of Paul on the
backburner. However, after being lambasted for my
position on Paul and presented with a list of
judgments why my views on Paul are from the enemy,
who has turned me from the truth; I now believe it
is important, and hopefully beneficial, that I
respond to their arguments.
In addition, this study will
also include a few additional contradictions.
However, this doesn’t come close to being an
exhaustive list.
If
you have not read The Contradictions of Paul - Part
1, the study addresses the following:
Paul and
Obvious Discrepancies on His Damascus Road
Experience
Was Paul
chosen, by Christ, to be His Apostle?
Did Paul
proclaim the same gospel as Christ?
Paul and
the Cross
Paul and
Circumcision
Paul’s
teachings on things sacrificed to idols.
Before you begin Part
2, please pray and ask the Lord to guide you and
reveal His truth to you. It might also
be helpful if you grab your favorite Bible
translation and compare what is written in your own
Bible against what is presented here.
Finally,
as I present The Contradictions of Paul - Part 2, I
ask that you consider (without prejudice,
preconceived opinions, or what you’ve been taught
over the years) the following:
Could
the contradictory passages in Paul’s epistles be a
result of
-
Individuals taking
verses out of context?
-
Paul’s writing
style causing many to misconstrue his words?
-
Biblical
translation errors (words added or deleted)?
-
Paul dismissing
the teachings of the chosen Apostles of Christ?
-
Paul relying on
his pharisaical knowledge to make up for his
lack of knowledge concerning Christ?
-
Paul being
deceived by a false Jesus (Satan, the prince of
the power of the air) resulting in unreliable
teachings?
-
Paul willfully or
knowingly being deceptive?
It’s
worth considering that if just one of the above
seven is true, an individual who is earnestly
seeking to follow Christ, by way of Paul, may end up
on the wrong path.
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is
the gate and broad is the way that leads to
destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14 Because narrow is
the gate and difficult is the way which leads
to life, and there are few who find it.”
(Matthew
7:13-14, NKJV)
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‘COME,
FOLLOW ME’
In
American, and I will venture to say in other
cultures as well, there are souls who attend church
to seek the Lord, to search for truth and find their
purpose. On the other hand, there are those who go
to church just to get out of the house; some who
“joined the church” for the music or the sermons,
some for fellowship, and others to look for a spouse
or casual relationship. Still others because they
were told it’s the right thing to do.
Of
course there are also some “church members,” who
having proved faithful to “church leadership” – by
supporting the church in tithes and offerings, and
working tirelessly in various “church ministries” –
are elevated to coveted positions like deacon,
elder, or a seat on the board of trustees. Others
continue to forge ahead as Sunday school teachers,
ushers, or singers in the church choir.
There are families who have attended the same
church, week after week, for multiple generations.
They have been sitting in the same pews for years
and everyone knows them. In contrast, there are the
Easter/Christmas church goers - that’s the only time
they attend. There are also those whose morals and
ethics match lockstep with our society’s decaying
values – however they faithfully attend church
services.
There are folks who turn to the church for refuge
and others who found they need refuge from the
church. The latter group leaves, crushed and
dismayed, and are often soon forgotten.
There are individuals whose only affiliation with a
church was on the day they were “christened” as an
infant or baptized as a young child. There are also
those who came up during altar call, “joined the
church” and were never heard from again. Still
others who have never set foot in a church but have
said the sinner’s prayer or asked Jesus into their
hearts. Many of them have never opened a Bible and
really have no desire to do so.
Oh, and let us not forget the multitude of church
leaders who range from those who sincerely believe
they have been called to their vocation to those who
are just in it for the money.
Chances are, some of the above mentioned
individuals may not really believe in the God of the
Holy Bible, but they hedge their bet just in case He
exists and the Holy Bible proves to be true -
especially the scary stuff like the lake of fire.
By ever changing church standards, all of the above
are considered “Christians” – but are they? From the
above descriptions, can we easily define what it
means to be a “Christian”? Can we honestly conclude
that someone is a “Christian” based on church
titles, positions, contributions and attendance? If
not, what standard should we use?
I
believe there are extremely troubling and perilous
days ahead for those in western cultures who say
they are “Christians.” Many Middle Eastern followers
of Christ have already laid down their lives for
their beliefs. And now in the United States of
America – the land of the free and the home of the
brave – persecution against Christians is starting
to intensify. If we are to stand as Christians, in
this hour, it is important that we understand what
it truly means to be a Christian. Of course, there
are some who do. However, it is important for each
of us to prayerfully and honestly gauge our
allegiance and commitment to our Heavenly Father and
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ based on the
standard proclaimed in the Word of God and by the
Word of God – the Holy Bible and Jesus Christ.
Everything, and everyone else, may prove to be
sinking sand.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR
LIFE
I suspect that in many congregations today the word
"repent" is seldom heard. I also suspect that in
these congregations vital Biblical instructions have
been rendered void. Chances are, denominational
ethics have supplanted them. I suppose many have
concluded that it does not take all that to be
"saved". After all, God loves us. He sent Jesus to
save us from our sins. Now we are free to do pretty
much as we please. After all, all we need is a
sinner's prayer; a march down to the front of the
church during altar call or maybe just an ask Jesus
into your heart, find a good church home to attend
and then you are good to go. Sound about right?
However, just saying you believe in Jesus is not
some magic pill that will get you an automatic
ticket to heaven. Do we honestly think our Holy God
wants a horde of disobedient, have it our way
“Christians” trashing and defiling His kingdom? Do
we really think this type of individual could live
in the presence of our Holy God who is said to be a
“consuming fire (Exodus
24:17;
Deuteronomy 4:24;
Hebrews 12:29)?
Yes, in this day of supposed enlightenment, there
are still congregational leaders that preach
holiness and adherence to the Word of God. However,
when it comes to the congregants and a few of these
same leaders; morality is faltering and many are
falling away from the faith once delivered.
What in the world is going on!
Do you suppose it is one thing to put on our church
face and attend services every week and quite
another to obey the teachings of Jesus Christ.
However, even if they wanted to, many claim it’s
just too hard. In fact, it’s just not doable. “After
all,” I have heard many say, “God knows I’m not
perfect.” Therefore, it seems only reasonable that
we hold to the claim that Jesus did it all for us.
This way we are free and clear of all liability.
However, it is written that Jesus said the
following:
Matthew
5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall love your neighbor and hate
your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love
your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to
those who hate you, and pray for those who
spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that
you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He
makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For
if you love those who love you, what reward have
you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet your brethren only,
what do you do more than others? Do not even
the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore
you shall be
perfect,
just as your Father in heaven is
perfect.”
Why would Jesus instruct us to be “perfect” if it is
impossible for us to do so?
Have we overlooked something? Are there Biblical
instructions that will truly result in a new you?
Instructions, that if adhered to, will transform you
into one who “wills to do His will” (John
7:16-17)?
Moreover, if Christ and His apostles did leave us
important instructions, would you be willing to
follow them – if you have not already done so?
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IS JESUS
CHRIST GOD
It
is my opinion that one of the most conflicting
Christian creeds involves the deity of Jesus Christ.
Some denominations teach Jesus Christ as the Son of
God. Others teach that Jesus Christ is the one and
only God. Still others seem to teach a little bit of
both. I have even heard Jesus referred to as an
“avatar.”
There
are also those, like the Muslims, who believe God
could not possibly have a son. In their
opinion, Jesus Christ was simply a good man who is
accepted as a prophet and teacher.
So,
what does the Bible have to say on this extremely
important subject?
This
study will attempt to address the following
questions:
1.
Is Jesus Christ God?
2.
Did Jesus claim to be the Most High God?
3.
Is Jesus the Son of God?
4.
What did Jesus mean by “I and My
Father are one?”
5.
Is Jesus both the Father and the Son?
For
those of us who are searching for answers, this
study is only a beginning. It is far from
exhaustive. Without a doubt, there is much more
awaiting the individual who is willing to pray,
study and wait on the Lord for answers.
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