[AlbionGirl]

head of perhaps the greatest Apostle God created.

Thankfully, he surmounted worse insults in preaching the word of God.

Hey all...

I believe Paul to be the greatest Apostle too, without a doubt. With the help of Our Lord, it seems to me he saved Christianity from oblivion. In Paul Johnson's History of Christianity he posits that St. Paul, at times was at odds with the Apostles operating out of Jerusalem, the 'center' party. He also posited that this 'center' party would have probably anathematized him if they could, as they tried to get him declared a heretic.

Politics is politics is politics. But St. Paul certainly seems to have been a maverick, and preached in a manner more similar to Christ's than the other Apostles.

James' works/faith Gospel does not really seem at odds to me with St. Paul's Letters, as the works that James mentions as an illustration of his point seem to me to be more 'acts' of Faith, and not works, as I understand them.

Abraham's willingness to slay his beloved Isaac was not a 'work', it was an act of Faith, and that's the message I think St. James is really getting at. It's always puzzled me that his Gospel is used as some kind of 'ace in the whole' for the line of thought that professes works to be kept track of by God, so that you can get to be with God.

Christ declared that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church, and they haven't and they won't. I've never fully understood though what the gates of hell prevailing would actually entail, and everybody I've asked hasn't given me an answer that's worth very much. I think it means that no matter what fate befalls the Church, a small segment will always remain, who will unabashedly and passionately confess, as St. Paul confessed, Jesus Christ crucified.

Hope all of you are well, and sorry if my post is a bunch of scattered thoughts.

AG

[blue-duncan]

" But St. Paul certainly seems to have been a maverick, and preached in a manner more similar to Christ's than the other Apostles."

Maybe God raised up Paul for the ministry because Peter could not get the job done?

[Full Court]

He also posited that this 'center' party would have probably anathematized him if they could, as they tried to get him declared a heretic.

Galatians 2:9  And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars,
perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship;
that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

10  Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

[D-fendr]

Hi AG,

Thanks for your post and welcome to the thread...