Posted on 06/24/2014 2:13:28 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Recently, a friend emailed me with a very common claim, namely, that, “Paul hijacked Christianity with no personal connection with Jesus and filled his letters with personal opinions.” This could be rephrased in the more common claim: Paul invented Christianity.
This claim is especially common among Muslim apologists who use it in an attempt to explain why the Qur’an simultaneously affirms Jesus as a true prophet while also contradicting the Bible at every major point. However, since my friend is not a Muslim and is not coming at the issue from that angle, I will just deal with the question more broadly.
My friend alleges that some of the “personal opinions” of Paul that were interjected into the New Testament include: “slaves obey your masters; women not to have leadership roles in churches; homosexuality is a sin (though there is Old Testament authority for this last, Paul doesn’t seem to base his opinion on it).”
“None of [of the above] were said by Jesus and would perhaps be foreign to his teaching,” he wrote. “I think Paul has created a lot of mischief in Christianity, simply because he wrote a lot and his letters have survived.”
Let’s deal with this point-by-point.
No personal connection to Jesus
Paul, in fact, did have a personal connection to Jesus. This is revealed in the famous “Damascus road” accounts in Acts 9:3-9, Acts 22:6–11 and Acts 26:12–18. Paul refers back to this experience elsewhere in his letters, though it is only laid with this level of detail in Acts, written by Paul’s traveling companion Luke.
The only way one can maintain that Paul had no connection to Jesus is to rule out the conversion experience of Paul a priori based on a presupposition. Of course, I can argue that such a presupposition is untenable, but that would take an entire post to itself. For the sake of brevity, I would just point out that it is illogical to employ such reasoning. It would go something like, “It didn’t happen because it couldn’t happen because it can’t happen therefore it didn’t happen therefore Paul had no personal connection to Jesus.”
Personal opinions
Yes, Paul does interject his personal opinions into his writing! However, when he does, he clearly delineates what he is saying as his personal opinion as an Apostle.
For instance, in dealing with the issue of marriage in 1 Corinthians 7, Paul clearly distinguishes between his own statements and the Lord’s.
In 1 Corinthians 7:10, Paul says, “To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord)…” and in 1 Corinthians 7:12, Paul says, “To the rest I say, (I, not the Lord)…” This example shows that Paul was not in the business of putting words in the mouth of Jesus. Paul had no problem showing when he was giving his own charge and when it was a statement made by the Lord Jesus, as it was in this case (Matthew 5:32).
Yet it is important to note that other Apostles recognized Paul’s writings as Scripture from the earliest days of Christianity, as seen the case of Peter (2 Peter 3:15–16).
Paul’s “personal opinions” and the Law
Out of the three examples, two are directly from the Mosaic Law. Obviously the Mosaic Law couldn’t have stated that women should not preach in the church because the Church did not yet exist and wouldn’t for over 1,000 years.
The claim that there is only Old Testament authority for the last of the examples is false. The same goes for the claim that Paul does not base his statements on the Law.
It is abundantly clear that Paul actually does derive his statements on homosexual activity from the Law.
For instance, in 1 Timothy 1, Paul mentions homosexuality in the context of the type of people the Law was laid down for (1 Timothy 1:9-11). This short list indicts all people, just as Paul does elsewhere (Romans 3:23), showing that all people require the forgiveness that can only be found through faith in Jesus Christ.
When Paul deals with it elsewhere, he mentions it in the context of other activities explicitly prohibited by the Law (1 Corinthians 6:9-11), again going back to the idea that the Lord Jesus Christ sets apart (sanctifies) His people and justifies them.
As for the command for slaves to obey their masters, this is regularly claimed to be objectionable by critics. By way of introduction, is important to distinguish between what we have in our mind about the institution of slavery as Americans and the institution of slavery as it existed in Paul’s day. After all, Paul explicitly listed “enslaverers” (or man-stealers) in the same list mentioned above (1 Tim 1:10). Since the entire institution of slavery in the United States was built upon the kidnapping of people, it is clearly radically different from what Paul spoke of. Furthermore, the stealing of a man was punishable by death under the Mosaic Law (Exodus 21:16). The practice of slavery in America would never have existed if the Bible was actually being followed.
Paul also exhorted his readers to buy their freedom if they could (1 Corinthians 7:21) and instructing the master of a runaway slave to treat him as “no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother” (Philemon 11). Paul grounded his statements in the defense of “the name of God and the teaching.” Paul said that bondservants should “regard their masters as worthy of all honor,” not just for the sake of doing so, but so there might be no chance to slander the name of God and the gospel.
The fact is that Paul knew the Law quite well (Philippians 3:5-6) and the Law does deal with slavery.
Ultimately, the claim made by my friend requires more fleshing out on his end and some evidence on his part in order to be more fully dealt with.
Paul’s teachings foreign to Jesus’ teachings?
This is another common claim. First off, one must ask if this statement implies that Jesus would simply have to repeat everything Paul said and vice-versa or else they would remain foreign.
The fact is that there is nothing contradictory between Paul’s writings and Jesus’ teaching. One must wonder why Luke – a traveling companion of Paul and the author of Luke-Acts – would have no problem writing the gospel that bears his name if he perceived such a contradiction. Furthermore, one must wonder why this apparent conflict was lost on the earliest Christians, including the Apostle Peter, who viewed Paul’s letters as Scripture (see above).
In affirming the Law (Matthew 5:17), Jesus affirmed all that Paul that was clearly grounded in the Law. Furthermore, if there was a real contradiction between Paul’s writings and the teachings of Jesus, Paul would have been rejected, instead of accepted as he has always been.
The Christian community existed before Paul became a Christian, as is clearly seen by the fact that he was persecuting Christians (Acts 8:1,3), and he even met with the leaders of the early church. They did not reject Paul, but instead affirmed what he had been teaching (Galatians 2:2,9). This makes it even clearer that Paul could not have invented or hijacked Christianity.
As for the claim that Paul has had such a large impact “simply because he wrote a lot and his letters have survived,” all one has to do is look at the other early Christian writings that survived in order to see that is not a valid metric.
We have seen that the claim that “Paul hijacked Christianity” is without evidence. While I have taken the burden of proof upon myself in responding to this claim, in reality the burden of proof would be on the one making the claim in the first place. No such evidence has been presented and no substantive evidence can be presented since Paul did not invent Christianity or hijack Christianity or anything similar to it. Instead, Paul was an Apostle of Jesus Christ commissioned to spread the gospel, something that he clearly did by establishing churches and penning many letters under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we can still read today.
When one reads the gospels and the other writings contained in the New Testament, the message is cohesive and clear: all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Ro 3:23), God demands complete perfection (Mt 5:48) and all we have earned through our sin is death (Ro 6:23) and hell. Yet God offers the free gift of eternal life to all who repent and believe (Mk 1:15, Ro 10:9–11) in Jesus Christ, who died as a propitiation (Ro 3:25, Heb 2:17, 1 Jn 4:10) for all who would ever believe in Him (Jn 6:44) and rose from the grave three days later, forever defeating sin and death. Those who believe in Him can know (1 John 5:13) that they have passed from death to life (Jn 5:24) and will not be condemned (Jn 3:18), but will be given eternal life by Jesus Christ (Jn 6:39-40). Paul and Jesus in no way contradict each other on what the gospel is, in fact the four gospels and Paul’s letters (along with the rest of the New Testament) form one beautiful, cohesive truth.
>> “You’re putting the emphasis on following the wrong thing.
It’s JESUS we’re supposed to follow. Put on Christ.” <<
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Your confusion is deep.
Following Yeshua is specifically following his commandments. That is what believing on him means; the belief of a disciple.
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Most certainly from you. One need only look at a very recent post (#742 which is after this post to me) to understand that you indeed put forth the intent at least that following Torah is a requirement for salvation. Your entire post #742 is about the requirement to follow Torah. Your double speak is very troubling.
>>If that is what you are getting, then I am not explaining myself well enough, I guess.<<
Oh, I think you are explaining yourself rather well. I would however suggest that you fail to see the duplicity in your words.
Once again, well done daniel1212! Of course they are claiming salvation by keeping Torah. The emphasis they put on following laws compared to their emphasis on faith in Christ tells the whole story just as it does with Catholics placing their emphasis on what man does rather than faith in what Christ did.
Paul praised the Thessalonians, and the Colossians for their keeping of the times and Sabbath,
and told the Thessalonians that Yeshua would not come unto them as a thief because they kept them
You have now come to the place where you are like a RC extrapolating support for something that is not there. Please show chapter and verse for each of the above being clearly taught along with the dietary laws, and where "times" and the "seasons" refers to keeping the OT feasts and 7th day sabbath.
Christianity isn't about the unity and love of the apostles and Mary. It's about Jesus.
That's not our Christianity...That's not the Christianity of the bible...Ours of course is the Christianity of the bible alone...The words of God alone...
One need only look at the visuals to understand Jesus place in Catholicism. He’s still hanging dead on that cross. It’s Mary and their so called saints where the action and victory is. Listen to their words and you will hear how Jesus death gave an opening to salvation but Mary and their so called saints is where the power is.
Jesus saves people, as individuals. What other kind of Savior would He be?
They rebel against apostolic authority whether written or by succession. For example, do all obey the first Jerusalem Council, Paul's writing for how women are to behave, other apostolic teaching on contraception and abortion, etc. ?
The don't rebel against legitimate God ordained authority. But the claims of authority that the Catholic church makes are not well supported, so if someone doesn't believe that they have legitimate authority, why should they listen to the RCC?
And just where did the apostles teach about contraception and abortion? Chapter and verse?
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Its there alright, and you are trying to read it out!
>> “Please show chapter and verse for each of the above being clearly taught along with the dietary laws, and where “times” and the “seasons” refers to keeping the OT feasts and 7th day sabbath.” <<
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Get real! - What else could “times and seasons” possibly mean? What other times are there but the appointed times? You cannot be serious. Paul speaks of shaping his scheduled travel to accommodate the appointed feasts in several places. (1Cor 16:8 "...But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost) The keeping of the Sabbath is understood in their everyday lives, and what of the traditional “coming together on the first day of the week” immediately after the sun sets for Havdalah? Paul even had to raise one of his followers from the dead when he fell out of a window late on a “saturday night” during one of his services.
How can you disregard the discussion in all the epistles? Where does it indicate that they ever did anything else?
1Thes.5
[1] But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
[2] For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
[3] For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
[4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Rev.3
[1] And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
[2] Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
[3] Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Get it? If you keep the times (watch) he will not come as a thief, but if you will not watch he will come as a thief.
Do you think all those words in the epistles about the feasts are just chaff?Did Paul mention them but then ignore them?
I wish I could utilize this schizophrenic hallucination approach to scriptural exegesis. It wouldn't convince anybody, but I'd probably feel pretty good about myself and how much I believed I was accomplishing all the time.
Its the word of God in the open, with no twisting or turning.
Just the exact message he gave us, and the message that makes your knees knock. There is no other way to take it, or you would have been able to make up a story for us.
If you watch as he has commanded us to do, you will know, and if you don’t watch, the son of God will break up your house on the sand.
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Really, do you think there were a hundred flocks of one sheep each all doing their own thing ? Do you think Jesus failed in this prayer ? Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
We are certainly not judged collectively...we are all judged individually!
We are judged individually and collectively according to our works. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
And what is the Holy Spirit? Chopped Liver?! You don’t think that “He that has begun a good work in each of us will complete it in the day of the Resurrection?”
Ask the five foolish virgins.
Paul acknowledged that there would be disagreements as to foods, days of worship, etc but we were not to forget the Christ who loved and died for us. No Christian will deny that the 10 commandments aren’t important to follow.
Sure they will; they will do only what they personally want to do, or what they are collectively taught to do. The Gentiles who believe don't keep the Sabbath (unless they are Adventists or Roots denominations/sects). And then there is taking the LORD's name in vain, which some denominations/sects seem to do as a matter of custom.
.but they might disagree on what constitutes a Sabbath. As for the Sabbath...it was made for man not man for the Sabbath. If the Lord be truly with us, then it is always Sabbath time anyway!
Sabbath is the sixth day of the week.
Perhaps this will help you to understand. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
I understand that. "Christianity" has been re-formed and reinvented thousands of times. How old is your denomination/sect ? Two hundred years ? One hundred years ? Less ?
Evasion duly noted.
Hey, Elsie, isn't that some kind of argument fail like you've posted before?
Just how is someone judged collectively for a work he does as an individual?
Or does Catholicism teach group punishment and reward? That we're held accountable for another persons actions?
Sabbath is the sixth day of the week.
Sabbath is the SEVENTH day of the week.
One who unifies them in one holy catholic apostolic faith.
The don't rebel against legitimate God ordained authority. But the claims of authority that the Catholic church makes are not well supported, so if someone doesn't believe that they have legitimate authority, why should they listen to the RCC?
Of course they do; they reject authority and create new denominations, sects, cults, and even religions. This is the history of centuries. All you have to do is say they don't have legitimate authority and the cycle starts anew. Rebellion breeds more rebels. Is there an alternative holy catholic apostolic church that is grounded in history going back to the Apostles ?
And just where did the apostles teach about contraception and abortion? Chapter and verse?
Didache 2:2; the Jews didn't need that teaching but the Gentiles did, and now both Jews and Gentiles need it; not that those who practice it are going to accept it as legitimate authority; I predict they will reject it still; got to have that jagged little pill, the spice must flow
Didache 2:2 proscribes birth control by potion, using the Greek word pharmakea. I've not seen it in the Scriptures before associated with contraception, but here it is in a very early and very Orthodox teaching. Similarly it proscribes abortion in the same group of teaching dealing with sexual sin, calling it directly murder. I hope you don't imagine the Jewish Apostles condoning women taking drugs to preempt God creating life in their wombs. The Scripture references proscribing pharmakea are Galatians 5.20, Revelation 9.21 and 18:23, where the KJV translates pharmakea as witchcraft or sorcery. The verses are severe.
Nations are judged, churches are judged, cities are judged, and individuals are judged. Do you need to understand how or just accept it on faith ?
Or does Catholicism teach group punishment and reward? That we're held accountable for another persons actions?
You are Catholic. I assume you were catechized and confirmed. Why do you ask me what Catholicism teaches ?
Correct, my mistake for thinking in English; yom rishon, yom sheni, yom shlishi, yom revi'i, yom hameshi, yom shishi, yom shabbat. Yep, seventh day.
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