[Dr. Eckleburg]

LEGATUS: St. Paul doesn't explain Christ, Christ explains St. Paul.

Gamecock, we've got another one for you.

The very reason for Paul's life was to "explain Christ" to Jews, Gentiles, you, me and the world.

"We preach Christ crucified...Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." -- 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

Have RCs even read the Bible? Or do they just take the word of their church what the Bible says? What do they think the meaning of "preaching" is? "Preaching" is "explaining Christ."

Rome doesn't much care for preaching. Rome prefers its anti-Scriptural rites and superstitions.

But that is not how God tells us men are saved. Men are saved by hearing the Gospel with new ears and understanding it for the first time so they are brought to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

And what is the explanation of the Gospel?

As Paul explained to all who could hear...

"And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." -- Phil. 2:11

So here Paul explains to us that Jesus Christ is God.

" For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." -- Romans 3:23-26

Here Paul explains that Christ died to pay for our sins, wherein His righteousness would cover those who believe in His name as Lord and Savior.

Paul lived and died to "explain Christ." That is the same job you and I are supposed to be doing on this forum.

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." -- Mark 16:15-16

(Note that Christ says all men are to believe and be baptized in His name, but only disbelief will damn a person.)

[metmom]

But that is not how God tells us men are saved. Men are saved by hearing the Gospel with new ears and understanding it for the first time so they are brought to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Indeed. A case for Sola Scriptura if there ever was one. It doesn't include tradition or word of MOUTH. It's the Word of God.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

[Legatus]

If Pauline theology is not grounded in Christ it’s pointless, and yet you don’t seem to be saying that, you just seem to be arguing for no actual reason. Are you REALLY saying that St. Paul can be understood without the Gospels or are you just being needlessly argumentative? Or is there some third reason?

Jesus Christ is the center of everything, Christ is not dependent upon St. Paul, St. Paul depends upon Christ. How is that strange? Paul “lived and died to explain Christ” but he was not necessary, Christ is necessary. It is ONLY by hearing St. Paul in relation to what Our Lord said and did that St. Paul makes ANY sense. Do you deny that? I don’t think you do, but good grief...