Paul Contradicts Jesus in the Bible

The most important author in the Christian Bible is a man named Paul, or Saul, of Tarsus who started his career as a persecutor of early Christians. Paul wasn’t a disciple of Jesus, so they never even met during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Paul claims to have seen Jesus in a vision, after which Paul spent no more than a few weeks with the 12 apostles over his 20 year ministry. This explains why Paul only quotes Jesus a couple of times.[i]

Despite all this, Paul wrote almost half of the New Testament, which is 13 of its 27 books. As a result, both the Catholics and Protestants base their theology on the teachings of Paul rather than the teachings of Jesus. Paul’s beliefs are identical to the false claims against Jesus, that he is divine and does not follow the laws of Moses, which Jesus denies throughout the Gospels. Paul’s teachings contradict Jesus’ teachings and message at every turn.

In this presentation, we will be discussing the following points:

PART 1 – WHO CHRISTIANS SHOULD IMITATE

PART 2 – PAUL’S MAIN TEACHINGS COMPARED TO JESUS

PART 3 – DID PAUL IMITATE JESUS

PART 4 – THE RELIABILITY OF PAUL’S VISION

PART 5 – ANOTHER PROPHECY FROM PAUL

PART 6 – PAUL VERSUS THE APOSTLES

PART 7 – CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN PAUL AND ACTS

PART 8 – PAUL’S OTHER CONTRADICTIONS

PART 9 – PAUL’S LOGIC ABOUT THE LAW

PART 10 – PAUL’S NEW COMMANDMENTS

PART 11 – PAUL’S METHODOLOGY

PART 1 – WHO CHRISTIANS SHOULD IMITATE

We need to address the question of who should Christians imitate in their lives.

Paul “urges” and “entreats” Christians to imitate him. However, according to Jesus, you should follow and imitate Jesus himself. As we explore the many differences between the life of Paul and the life of Jesus, the decision of who to imitate will become paramount.

Imitate Paul or Imitate Jesus

According to Paul, everyone should imitate Paul’s example:

Philippians 3:17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
Philippians 4:9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, …
2 Thes 3:7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, … 3:9 … but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.
1 Cor 4:16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
Gal 4:12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, …

So Paul “urges” and “entreats” Christians to imitate him. However, according to Jesus, you should follow and imitate Jesus himself:

Matt 10:38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Mark 8:34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
John 12:26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me …
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
John 15:10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

The letter 1 John says the same thing:

1 John 2:6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

And the apostle Peter also says the same thing:

1 Peter 2:21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

This is a major contradiction. On one hand, Paul clearly urges you to imitate him, whereas Jesus and the apostles urge you to imitate Jesus. As we explore the many differences between the life of Paul and the life of Jesus, the decision of who to imitate will become paramount.

CONCLUSION

According to Jesus and his direct disciples, Christians ought to imitate and follow the teachings of Jesus himself, whereas Paul thinks you should imitate Paul.

PART 2 – PAUL’S MAIN TEACHINGS COMPARED TO JESUS

We will be reviewing the main teachings of Paul to see how much they contradict with the teachings of Jesus regarding: subservience of Jesus to God, God’s forgiveness through repentance, following the Law of Moses, and salvation through faith and works.

Is Jesus Subservient to God

The most important difference between the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of Paul is whether or not Jesus is equal to God.

Paul and the Christian Church teach that Jesus came into the world of his own accord:

Philippians 2:5 … Christ Jesus 2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 2:7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, …

On the other hand, Jesus tells us explicitly that he did not come into the world of his own accord, but that he was sent by God:

John 7:28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.
John 8:42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

This is extremely important because Jesus professes his subservience to God since God is the one who sent him:

John 13:16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. … 13:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Similarly, Jesus says:

John 14:28 … because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

In no less than 44 verses, including these, Jesus proclaims that he has been sent by God, and never once that Jesus decided to send himself:

Matt 10:40,[ii] Matt 15:24,[iii] Mark 9:37,[iv] Luke 4:43,[v] Luke 9:48,[vi] John 4:34,[vii] John 5:23,[viii] John 5:30,[ix] John 5:36,[x] John 6:29,[xi] John 6:38,[xii] John 6:44,[xiii] John 7:18,[xiv] John 7:29,[xv] John 7:33,[xvi] John 8:16,[xvii] John 8:18,[xviii] John 9:4,[xix] John 10:36,[xx] John 15:21,[xxi] John 16:5,[xxii] John 17:18.[xxiii]

Indeed, Jesus cannot be divine because Jesus says that he lives “because of” the Father:

John 6:57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, …

Quoting from Isaiah 61:1, Jesus says:

Luke 4:18 … He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives …

And also:

John 12:44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 12:45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.

John the Baptist says the same thing:

John 3:34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

The resurrection of Lazarus is another important example, because Jesus addresses everyone who believes in his miracles:

John 11:41 … “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 11:42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Jesus there makes it very clear to all the witnesses, including us, that God is the one who has sent Jesus and that God alone has worked these miracles through Jesus. Peter fully understood this message:

Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

Even after the supposed resurrection, Jesus says:

John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

The apostle Peter says the same thing to the Jews after Jesus ascends into heaven:

Acts 3:26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

In 5 verses, Jesus also tells us that his very message is not his own, rather, it is from God:

John 8:26,[xxiv] John 8:28,[xxv] John 12:49,[xxvi] John 14:24.[xxvii]
John 7:16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.

And according to Jesus, believing that he is sent and therefore subservient to God is an ARTICLE OF FAITH:

John 17:7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 17:8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.
John 17:21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
John 17:22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 17:23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
John 17:25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.

And the following statement of faith is almost identical to the Islamic statement of faith, that “there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger”:

John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

So according Islam, John the Baptist, Jesus’ quote of the Old Testament, other statements by Jesus, and Peter, Jesus is completely subservient to God, even after his resurrection. This is in stark contrast with the teachings of Paul and the Christian Church, that Jesus is divine.

Forgiveness

Another major contradiction between the teachings of Paul and the teachings of Jesus is how someone can attain forgiveness of sins.

Paul’s teaches that God can only forgive people’s sins through believing in God’s sacrifice of Jesus:

1 Cor 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
Rom 3:24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 3:25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. …

However, the Old Testament teaches that believers can obtain FORGIVENESS of sins through REPENTANCE:

Psalm 7:12 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; …
Isaiah 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
Ezekiel 14:6 … Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, …
Ezekiel 18:30 … Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.

John the Baptist had the exact same message:

Matt 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 3:2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Luke 3:3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

And of course, Jesus also has the exact same message:

Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matt 11:20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.
Mark 1:14 … Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Luke 13:3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. … 13:5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Similarly, this is how Jesus sends out the 12 apostles:

Mark 6:12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.

Quite simply, Jesus tell us that God will forgive those who repent, with no sacrifice needed whatsoever.

Also, let’s look at the famous “Lord’s Prayer”, where Jesus is teaching his disciples how to pray to God in worship:

Matt 6:9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. … 6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. …” 6:14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 6:15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Luke 11:2 … “Father, hallowed be your name. … 11:4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. …”

So in the Lord’s Prayer, we should be forgiving others so that God will also forgive us, without any type of sacrifice. You will find the same theme throughout the words of Jesus:

Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Luke 6:37 … forgive, and you will be forgiven

Jesus also tells people how to forgive your brothers:

Matt 18:34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Luke 17:3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 17:4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Matt 18:21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 18:22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Since people can forgive each other through repentance, then God is also able to forgive us through repentance. Even in Islam, one of God’s names is “Tawwab”, which means repeatedly-forgiving.

Importantly, Jesus even forgives his persecutors:

Luke 23:34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” …

Can we really consider Jesus to be more merciful than the Father? Jesus can ask forgiveness for those who are about to kill him even though they DID NOT REPENT, but the Father cannot forgive us EVEN IF WE DO REPENT?

Now let’s see the contradiction in the ideas of Paul:

Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Col 3:13 … if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Obviously, the two types of forgiveness being described here by Paul are contradictory. Paul says we can simply forgive each other, but that God supposedly needed to kill his own innocent son to forgive us.

And even AFTER the supposed resurrection, Jesus says:

Luke 24:47 … repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, …

Why would Jesus tell everyone to repent, if according to Paul, his death has already justified everyone? Quite clearly, Jesus disagrees with Paul. Also, after the ascension, Peter’s message is identical to Jesus:

Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, …
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

Again, why would Peter tell everyone to repent, if according to Paul, Jesus’ death has already justified everyone? Quite clearly, Peter also disagrees with Paul.

In summary, Paul claims that God’s forgiveness can only be attained by believing in the sacrifice of Jesus, whereas you simply have to repent sincerely according to the Old Testament, John the Baptist, Islam, Jesus, and Peter even AFTER the supposed resurrection.

Following The Law of Moses

Another important contradiction between the teachings of Paul and the teachings of Jesus is about following the Law of Moses.

Paul is very explicit that the Law of Moses should no longer be followed:

Rom 6:14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Rom 7:4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, …
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Eph 2:14 For he himself is our peace, … 2:15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, …

Whereas Paul claimed that Jesus abolished the law, Jesus explicitly says that he did not come to abolish the law:

Matt 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

In the very next verses, Jesus tells his followers to adhere, and teach others to adhere, to even the smallest iota and dot of the law:

Matt 5:18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 5:19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Next, Jesus emphasizes that his followers should obey the Law of Moses as taught by the scribes and the Pharisees:

Matt 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 23:2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 23:3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

So Jesus commands his followers to “do and observe” everything that is taught from the Law of Moses. The importance of the law is clear throughout Jesus’ teachings:

Matt 5:23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 5:24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Matt 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 13:42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. …
Matt 19:17 … If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
Mark 1:44 … “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
Luke 16: 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.

Even AFTER the supposed resurrection, Jesus tells his disciples to follow the law, as he previously commanded:

Matt 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. …

And James the brother of Jesus, leader of the Jerusalem Church, also emphasized that the Law of Moses is still read years AFTER Jesus’ ascension:

Acts 15:21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

So on one hand, Paul says that the law is abolished through Jesus’ death, whereas Jesus and his true disciples teach the Law of Moses even AFTER the resurrection.

Faith Alone Or Faith And Works

The last contradiction between the main teachings of Paul and Jesus is about whether faith alone or faith and works are required for salvation.

Paul believes that faith alone is required, without works of the law:

Rom 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, … 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, …
Rom 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
Gal 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, … because by works of the law no one will be justified
Gal 3:11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Gal 5:4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

Paul’s view contradicts the Old Testament, where doing good works are required along with belief in the One True God:

Job 34:11 For according to the work of a man he will repay him, and according to his ways he will make it befall him.
2 Samuel 22:21 “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
Psalm 62:12 … For you will render to a man according to his work.
Proverbs 24:12 … and will he not repay man according to his work?
Jeremiah 17:10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
Jeremiah 32:19 … whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.

Jesus agrees with the Old Testament and disagrees with Paul.

Matt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matt 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus states that faith is not enough for salvation, which he confirms is for whoever “does the will” of God. Righteousness through one’s works can be seen from many of the sayings of Jesus:

Matt 5:16 let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matt 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

The author of the gospel of Luke agrees that righteousness comes from following the Law of Moses:

Luke 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.

This view is echoed by James as well:

James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 2:20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

And before the next verse from James, keep in mind that the entire 4^th chapter of Romans is used by Paul to claim that Abraham was justified by faith alone:

James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 2:22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 2:25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Islam also maintains that works are required along with faith for salvation, (REFERENCE: AMANOO WA AMILA AL SALIHAT), and that we need the grace of God even with BOTH.

So the Old Testament, Luke, Jesus, James and Islam agree that both faith and works give spiritual “life”, whereas Paul contradicts them all, claiming that faith alone is required for salvation.

CONCLUSION

The main teachings of Paul contradict the teachings of Jesus regarding the subservience of Jesus to God, God’s forgiveness through repentance, following the Law of Moses, and salvation through faith and works. In fact, these Church beliefs derived from Paul are the accusations against Jesus (that he claimed to be God, that he broke the law of Moses, etc) which he denies all the way through the Gospels.

PART 3 – DID PAUL IMITATE JESUS

We will be citing a few additional examples where Paul’s behavior directly contradicts the behavior and teachings of Jesus.

Paul Claims To Imitate Jesus

Previously, we demonstrated that Jesus tells us to imitate no one but Jesus, and that the main teachings of Jesus and Paul are very different. But elsewhere, Paul does CLAIM that he imitates Jesus:

1 Cor 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
1 Thes 1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, …

So aside from their main teachings being different, we will be reviewing some of Paul’s behavior to see if this claim is true.

How To Treat Your Enemies

The first question is whether or not Paul imitates Jesus in terms of how to treat your enemies.

Jesus tells us to forgive and love our enemies:

Matt 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Also, as we mentioned earlier, Jesus does indeed pray for forgiveness for his persecutors:

Luke 23:34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” …

Paul, on the other hand, hopes for God’s vengeance against his enemies:

2 Tim 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
1 Thes 2:16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!
1 Tim 1:19 … By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 1:20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

What an unusual statement. Since when do “saints” have any reason or authority to hand people over to Satan. In another passage, Paul uses Satan to purify people committing sins:

1 Cor 5:5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

Paul even curses other Christians who don’t agree with his message:

Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Paul wishes these other Christians to castrate themselves:

Gal 5:12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

Indeed, Paul is quite hateful towards his enemies:

Tit 1:16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
Philippians 3:2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh (i.e., the circumcised)

So Paul treats his enemies with vengeance, hatred and curses them, which is in no way imitating Jesus, who loved and prayed for his enemies.

Taking An Oath

The second question about whether Paul imitates Jesus or not has to do with taking an oath. Jesus discourages his followers from swearing any oath whatsoever:

Matt 5:33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 5:34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, … 5:37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

James echoes the teachings of the Jesus:

James 5:12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Paul, on the other hand, does not follow the teachings of Jesus, and frequently takes oaths:

Rom 9:1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—
2 Cor 1:23 But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth.
Gal 1:20 In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!

So according to Paul taking an oath is fine, which is in no way imitating Jesus, who said that anything more than “yes or no … comes from evil”.

“You Have One Father, Who Is In Heaven”

The third question about whether Paul imitates Jesus or not has to do with calling any man your father. Let’s see what Jesus has to say about this:

Matt 23:9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

Jesus specifically commands his followers to “call no man your father” except God in heaven. On the other hand, Paul encourages his followers to call Paul their father:

1 Cor 4:15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

This is very disturbing in how Paul directly goes against the explicit command of Jesus. The Catholic Church also ignores Jesus’ explicit command to “call no man your father”, when they call their priests as “father”. And while most Protestant Christians do not call priests “father” because of Matthew 23:9, they still don’t realize the negative ramifications against Paul.

In any case, Paul’s use of the child to father relationship wasn’t a one-time mistake:

1 Cor 4:14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
1 Cor 4:17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, …
1 Thes 2:11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 2:12 we exhorted each one of you …
Gal 4:18 … and not only when I am present with you, 4:19 my little children, …
Philippians 2:22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.
1 Tim 1:2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: …
2 Tim 2:1 You then, my child, …
Titus 1:4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Philemon 1:10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment.

So, Paul says that he “became your father”, which is in no way imitating Jesus, who said to “call no man your father on earth”.

Humility Vs. Boasting

The fourth question about whether Paul imitates Jesus or not has to do with humility.

To demonstrate the humility of Jesus, let’s recount the story of a young man who comes up to Jesus and asks:

Mark 10:17 … “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 10:18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

So far from boasting about anything, Jesus tells the young man that “no one is good except God alone”. Jesus also tells his disciples:

Luke 22:27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

So even to his disciples, Jesus states that he is their SERVANT, showing his extreme humility. Paul, on the other hand, is well known for his boasting throughout his letters:

Rom 15:17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.
1 Cor 9:15 … For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting.
2 Cor 6:4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 6:5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6:6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 6:7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;
2 Cor 11:21 … But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 11:22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 11:24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 11:26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 11:27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Philippians 3:4 … If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 3:5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 3:6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Notice in verse 6, Paul even boasted about his persecution of the Church! Paul also boasts over the true apostles of Jesus:

Gal 2:6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.

In the next example, Paul is even boasting over the prophet Moses:

2 Cor 3:12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 3:13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end.

And even when trying to show humility, Paul ends up boasting:

1 Cor 3:10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, …
2 Cor 4:8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 4:9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
2 Cor 6:8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 6:9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 6:10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
2 Cor 11:5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 11:6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
2 Cor 11:30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
2 Cor 12:1 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, … 12:9 … Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 12:10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 12:11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing.
Philippians 4:11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 4:12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Church leaders try to give many explanations for Paul’s boasting, but the fact remains that Paul is extremely boastful, which is in no way imitating Jesus, who was extremely humble.

Should Christians Baptize

The fifth question about whether Paul imitates Jesus or not has to do with whether Christians should baptize or not.

Let’s see what Jesus has to say about baptism:

Matt 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

Jesus told his apostles to preach and baptize people from all nations. Paul on the other hand does not want to baptize, but only to preach:

1 Cor 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 1:15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 1:16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, …

So Paul wants merely to preach, which is in no way imitating Jesus, who taught his followers both to preach and to baptize.

CONCLUSION

Contrary to Paul’s claim, Paul did not imitate Jesus in numerous aspects of behavior, such as love and forgiveness for enemies, taking an oath, whether God alone or Paul should be called father, that one should be humble and the importance of baptism.

PART 4 – THE RELIABILITY OF PAUL’S VISION

Since Paul’s only claim to authority is based on a vision of Jesus, we will be reviewing this vision to see if it can be trusted as factual.

Qualifications To Be An Apostle

The apostle Peter gives us very specific criteria for being an apostle:

Acts 1:21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 1:22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us —one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”

Of course, Paul does not fit this requirement. Paul’s claim to apostleship is based on a vision of Jesus,

so we must examine Paul’s vision in detail.

Even Paul Warns About Visions

Another clue we have that we should indeed question Paul’s vision is a statement from Paul himself:

2 Cor 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

And that’s pretty much what Paul claims to have seen in the 3 accounts of his supposed vision:

Acts 9:3 … and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.
Acts 22:6 … a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.
Acts 26:13 I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, …

Now when Jesus saw a light from heaven, he knew that it was Satan:

Luke 10:18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

So just because someone sees a bright light, Paul himself warns that this could be Satan in disguise.

What Paul’s Companions Did

Let’s also consider the accounts of what happened to Paul’s companions when the voice spoke in the vision.

In Acts chapter 9 they were standing:

Acts 9:7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice …

However, in Acts chapter 26 they had fallen to the ground:

Acts 26:14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, …

This is a contradiction. In one version of the vision, Paul’s companions were standing when they heard the voice, whereas in another version they had “all fallen to the ground”.

What Paul’s Companions Heard

Also, there is a question about whether Paul’s companions heard the voice or not.

In Acts chapter 9, they heard the voice:

Acts 9:7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice …

However, in Acts 22:9, according to the KJV and many other translations, Paul’s companions “heard not the voice”[xxviii].

This is another contradiction. In one version of the vision, Paul’s companions hear the voice, whereas in another version they hear nothing.

When Was Paul Told About Mission to Gentiles

There are also conflicting accounts about when Paul was told about his mission to the gentiles, or non-Jews.

In Acts chapter 9, Paul is told to go to Damascus where he will be “told” what to do:

Acts 9:5 … I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 9:6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

A few verses later, Jesus appears to Ananias and tells Ananias what Paul’s mission is:

Acts 9:15 “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

However, a different story is given in Acts chapter 26. Not that he should go to Damascus where Paul would be “told what you are to do”, rather, he is told immediately by Jesus what his mission is:

Acts 26:15 ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 26:16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 26:17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you

So here we have another contradiction about Paul’s vision. One version has Jesus telling Paul that he will be told what to do in Damascus, whereas the other version has Jesus giving Paul these instructions right away.

Paul Claims His Vision Is A Secret Message

Paul also claims that his vision is a secret message from God hidden from mankind:

1 Cor 2:7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
Eph 3:3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, … 3:6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. … 3:9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages …

Paul is very clear that God chose him to reveal a mystery hidden from humanity for ages.

However, the Old Testament contradicts this claim of a “secret” mysterious message:

Isaiah 45:19 I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; … I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right.
Isaiah 48:16 … from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, …
Amos 3:7 “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

So contrary to Paul’s claim, the Old Testament makes it very clear that God doesn’t keep his religion a secret, and especially not from his prophets whose entire function was to act as messengers with the people.

Similarly, Jesus’ message was not a secret at all:

Mark 1:14 … Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

To the Samaritan woman, Jesus says:

John 4:22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

Jesus proclaimed “the gospel of God” of repentance and belief in the Jewish religion. This directly contradicts Paul’s claim that he had a hidden mysterious secret.

Even at Jesus’ trial, he denies having any secret teachings:

John 18:19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 18:20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret.

In fact, Jesus proclaims that he taught his 12 apostles everything:

Mark 4:11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,

Similarly, in the gospel of Luke, during the last conversation that Jesus has with his disciples, Jesus says:

Luke 24:44 … that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 24:45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

This proves that if there was any secret message about Jesus from the Old Testament, then Jesus made it known to his direct apostles.

Furthermore, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come to the 12 apostles and remind them of Jesus’ teachings, and says nothing about Paul:

John 14:26 …the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

According to John, Jesus tells his direct apostles that the Holy Spirit would come to them, and not that they should be expecting another man to come along to teach them anything new. Furthermore, Jesus tells his apostles that they will be reminded of ALL that Jesus said to them, while Paul rarely quotes Jesus at all.

And a final passage we can quote is:

John 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Jesus is explicitly telling his apostles that they are now his “friends”, since they have received the message that God gave to Jesus, and contrary to Paul’s claim, there is no secret message remaining whatsoever.

Is Preaching to the Gentiles Exclusive To Paul

Paul claims about this secret mystery that he was alone appointed by God to preach to the gentiles:

Eph 3:8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles …
Gal 2:7 … when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised
Rom 15:15 … because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles …
1 Tim 2:7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

However, this stands at odds with the end of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, where Jesus commands his direct disciples to preach to the whole world:

Matt 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, …
Luke 24:47 … repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, …

And right before Jesus ascends into heaven, in the book of Acts, Jesus tells his apostles:

Acts 1:8 … and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

So this is another contradiction regarding Paul’s vision. On one hand, Paul claims that he alone was “entrusted” to preach to the gentiles, whereas Jesus commands his direct apostles to “make disciples of all nations” and go “to all nations” and to be Jesus’ witnesses “to the end of the earth”.

But in fact, according to Peter, Peter was the one chosen to be the apostle to the Gentiles:

Acts 15:7 … Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

Furthermore, Acts takes 2 chapters to discuss the conversion of the first gentiles by Peter:

Acts 10:34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 10:35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

And after Peter tells this story to the other apostles, they all share Peter’s mission:

Acts 11:18 … And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

This fact is attested by James as well:

Acts 15:13 … James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 15:14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.

So contrary to Paul’s claim, it is Peter who is chosen by God to be the first apostle to the gentiles, and the other apostles accept and join in this mission long before Paul preaches to a single gentile.

Paul’s Vision is Proven Wrong

Another way to verify if Paul’s vision is trustworthy is to check if it contains any prophesy that is proven true or false.

Christian tradition holds that Paul was beheaded by the Romans, which stems from Ignatius writing in 110 CE that Paul was martyred.[xxix] However, Paul claims that in his vision, Jesus supposedly tells Paul that Paul will be saved or “delivered” from the Gentiles:

Acts 26:15 … ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. … 26:17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles

Since Paul was not saved from the Roman gentiles, Paul’s vision could not be divinely inspired. Quite clearly, Paul’s supposed vision was proven wrong.

CONCLUSION

Paul’s sole claim to authority, which is his vision of Jesus, cannot be treated as factual due to the many contradictions, such as: what Paul’s companions did when the voice spoke, whether they heard the voice or not, when Paul was told about his secret mission, whether God keeps secrets from his prophets, whether Paul or the true apostles were appointed to the gentiles, and because Paul’s prophesy was disproven about being saved from the Gentiles.

PART 5 – ANOTHER PROPHECY FROM PAUL

We will be reviewing another prophecy by Paul to see if his words are divinely inspired.

The Old Testament Test

This is extremely important, because the Old Testament gives us a test to see whether someone is truly speaking on behalf of God:

Deut 18:21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 18:22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; …

So without a doubt, the previous prophesy from Paul, that he would be delivered or saved from the Gentiles, did not come true, so we realize that he was not speaking on behalf of God.

Paul Prophecies The Imminent Return of Jesus

Another prophecy given by Paul that was proven wrong is that Jesus would return in the lifetime of Paul or his direct followers:

1 Thes 4:15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 4:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Twice here Paul emphasizes that Jesus returns at a time that his followers would still be alive: “we who are alive, who are left”, and as we know Jesus did not return in their lifetime. Paul is so sure that the end is near that he tells his followers this:

1 Cor 7:26 I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. 7:27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. … 7:29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. … 7:31 … For the present form of this world is passing away.
Rom 13:11 … that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

So quite clearly, Paul’s prophecy of the imminent return of Jesus and the resurrection is disproven, showing that his words are not from God.

CONCLUSION

Paul’s claim that the return of Jesus would happen during their lifetime is the second prophesy by Paul that is proven wrong, showing that his words were not divinely inspired.

PART 6 – PAUL VERSUS THE APOSTLES

We will investigate who were the true leaders of the Church after Jesus to see who should be followed when there is a disagreement about the core teachings of Christianity.

Primacy Of The Apostles

First of all, Jesus’ words show the primacy of the apostles:

Matt 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

And this is what Jesus says to his 12 apostles:

Matt 18:19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

Here are a few other verses we already quoted where Jesus praises his true apostles:

Mark 4:11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,
Luke 24:45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
John 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

This praise of the 12 apostles cannot be taken lightly, especially if someone disagrees with the apostles. Based on Jesus’ statements, we cannot accept anyone in the time of the 12 apostles claiming supremacy over them, as Paul does.

Paul’s Early Ministry

The first important question regarding Paul’s ministry is about when did Paul supposedly met the apostles. The book of Acts tells us that Paul met the apostles immediately after his conversion on the road to Damascus:

Acts 9:19 For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. … 9:26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 9:27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles …

In contrast, by Paul’s own admission, Paul never met the apostles until 3 years after his conversion:

Gal 1:15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 1:16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 1:17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.

The significance of this contradiction is that the book of Acts wants to portray Paul as having complete acceptance and support from the 12 apostles, whereas Paul is actually claiming complete supremacy over the 12 apostles.

Then a meeting took place between the apostles and Paul, called the Council of Jerusalem, which is described by Paul in Galatians chapter 2:1-10 and by Acts chapter 15.[xxx] Importantly, Paul’s ideology of abandoning the Law of Moses has clearly ignored the specific instructions given by James:

Acts 15:1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” … 15:13 After they finished speaking, James replied, … 15:19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 15:20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 15:21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

James does ease the entry requirements by excluding circumcision, but in no way is James canceling the Law of Moses. James is clearly giving the PRIORITIES for new Gentile believers: dietary and sexual purity, and the importance of the Law of Moses which “is read every Sabbath in the synagogues”. Why would James mention Moses, who “is read every Sabbath in the synagogues” if new gentile converts “who turn to God” are just to ignore everything that the Law of Moses teaches? Quite simply, James is easing the entry requirements into the synagogues so new converts can gradually implement the Law of Moses as they get more exposure to it over time.

Furthermore, Paul completely ignores the directive from James for people to “abstain from the things polluted by idols”. Paul writes:

1 Cor 8:4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, … 8:8 We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.
1 Cor 10:25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

At this point, in the book of Acts, a letter is given to Judas and Silas, with the decree of the Council (Acts 15:22-23),[xxxi] who join Barnabas and Paul in their journey to Antioch. Then, Acts tells us that Paul and Barnabas have a “sharp disagreement” over whether or not to bring Mark along with them, after which they “separated from each other” (Acts 15:37-40)[xxxii] and Barnabas is never mentioned again.

On the other hand, Paul mentions a different reason for his split with Barnabas, which is called the Incident at Antioch:

Gal 2:11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 2:12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 2:13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Now the reasons for the split with Barnabas are different between Acts and Galatians, and Acts never even mentions an argument with Peter. However, when Paul says that “Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy” (Gal 2:13) it is quite obvious that this is indeed the time that they split up.[xxxiii]

So, in Antioch “men came from James” who Paul calls “the circumcision party”. Paul opposes Peter “to his face”, and then Peter, Barnabas and the Jews “acted hypocritically” for joining Paul’s opposition in this major confrontation.

At this point, Acts tells us that after Barnabas and Paul split up, Silas who has the letter from the Council of Jerusalem does travel with Paul (Acts 15:39-40).[xxxiv] Despite Silas having this letter, Paul circumcises his own companion Timothy:

Acts 16:3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

If the letter with Silas from the Council of Jerusalem truly said that circumcision of Gentiles is completely unnecessary, couldn’t Paul have simply showed the Jews this letter to avoid circumcising his own friend Timothy? A more logical explanation is that Silas was there to make sure that Paul was following the Law of Moses.

Silas is then mentioned in the heading of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians [xxxv] [xxxvi] (during Paul’s 2^nd missionary journey), but Silas soon leaves Paul, and Silas is never again included in the headings of Paul’s letters.

In summary of Paul’s early ministry, Paul deviates from the instructions given by James at the Council of Jerusalem. Then after Paul’s fight with Peter and the “men from James”, Barnabas also has a “sharp disagreement” with Paul, and finally Silas leaves Paul soon afterwards as well.

Paul’s Later Ministry And Opponents

Following these incidents, Paul specifically refers to his opponents and their beliefs in many of his later letters. This is important because it shows that his opponents do follow the teachings of Jesus whereas Paul does not.

1^st, Paul’s opponents accuse him of being a false apostle:

1 Cor 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 9:2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
2 Cor 6:8 … We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;
2 Cor 7:2 … We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.
2 Cor 13:3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me.
Phil 1:7 … in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. … 1:16 … knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. … 1:28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents.

2^nd, we know that Paul’s opposition want to follow the Law of Moses:

Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? … 3:2 Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3:3 Are you so foolish? … 3:5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith …

This is also demonstrated by the following passages:

Gal 3-5, 2 Cor 3:14-16,[xxxvii] 2 Cor 10:2,[xxxviii] Philippians 3:9,[xxxix] Col 2:16,[xl] 1 Tim 1:6-7.[xli]

It is important to point out that James and the true apostles did continue to follow and teach the Law of Moses. Even the Catholic Encyclopedia admits that:

The converts, and the Apostles with them, continued to conform to Jewish customs [xlii]

3^rd, we know that Paul’s opposition are also followers of Jesus, because they teach a different “gospel” and claim to be “apostles” of Jesus:

Gal 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—1:7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
2 Cor 11:4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 11:5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.
2 Cor 11:12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 11:15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
2 Cor 11:22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one
2 Cor 12:11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing.
Phil 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, … 1:17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

And let’s not forget that Paul twice curses those Christians with a different gospel (Gal 1:8-9)[xliii] and hopes that they castrate themselves (Gal 5:12).[xliv]

4^th, Paul’s opponents do have a letter of recommendation while Paul does not:

2 Cor 3:1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 3:2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all.

Here it is quite apparent that Paul has been attacked for not having “letters of recommendation”, and Paul belittles his opponents as being inferior because they “need” such letters. Of course, the only body that could give a meaningful letter of recommendation would be the Jerusalem Church itself, such as the case in Acts, where Silas is given this letter. Had the letter been given to Paul, he wouldn’t be having a problem with the Corinthians.

The important thing to point out is that Silas, or Silvanus, is mentioned in 2 Cor 1:19, but no mention is made of the letter given to Silas by the apostles. If Silas had separated from Paul on good terms, this would have been the time for Paul to mention the letter given to Silas.

So now back to the 2^nd letter to the Corinthians, Paul was trying to say that such letters are not important, but Paul himself recognizes the importance of such letters to the same Corinthians in his first letter to them:

1 Cor 16:3 … I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.

Such letters were also given to Paul when he was persecuting the early Christians.

Acts 9:1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 9:2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,

So clearly, letters of recommendation were extremely important at that time, and Paul didn’t have one from the Council of Jerusalem to show to the Corinthians:

2 Cor 3:3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, … 3:5 … our sufficiency is from God, 3:6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

5^th, Paul identifies his opponents as followers of the true apostles:

1 Cor 1:11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 1:12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”

Now we know from this same letter that Apollos is Paul’s trusted follower, so the only real opposition that Paul admits to are followers of Peter. The idea that the opponents mentioned here are indeed the party or faction of Cephas, aka Peter, is supported by the Catholic Encyclopedia.[xlv]

And then Paul goes on in his defense to contrast James and Peter and the apostles on one hand, to himself and Barnabas on the other. This shows that Paul’s opponents were on the side of the apostles:

1 Cor 9:3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. … 9:5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 9:6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?

6^th, Paul describes the men “from James” as “the circumcision party”:

Gal 2:11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 2:12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.

Paul refers to the circumcision party again:

Tit 1:10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. … 1:13 … Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 1:14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths

In fact, Paul describes those who adhere to circumcision as those who want to “boast in your flesh”, a theme which he repeats throughout his letters.

Gal 6:12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, 6:13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.
2 Cor 5:12 … so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.
Philippians 3:2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh 3:4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 3:5 circumcised on the eighth day, …
Col 4: 11 … These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God,

Paul is forced to state that he has only a few “men of circumcision” who work with him. Paul is therefore admitting that his true opponents are the followers of James, since he called them the “circumcision party”.

Also providing strong evidence that Paul’s opponents were the true apostles is the way that Paul defends himself. For example, repeatedly demeans the true apostles:

Gal 2:2 … those who seemed influential … 2:6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. … 2:9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, … 2:11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. … 2:13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

And Paul claims autonomy from the true apostles by insisting that he never even met them directly after his conversion:

Gal 1:15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 1:16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 1:17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 1:19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 1:20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)

Next, Paul has to repeatedly claim superiority over all other apostles since Paul was supposedly appointed by God. This is strong evidence that Paul’s opponents were indeed sent by the true apostles:

Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father,
Gal 1:11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 1:12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 1:1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus,
1 Cor 2:13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit,
2 Cor 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
2 Cor 1:21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,
1 Thes 2:4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak

In summary, Paul’s opposition accuse him of being a false apostle, they follow the Law of Moses just like the true apostles, they are followers of Jesus because they teach a different “gospel” and claim to be “apostles”, they have a letter of recommendation, they are identified by Paul as followers of Peter and James.

And the way the Paul defends himself also shows direct evidence that his true opponents were indeed the apostles: by demeaning the true apostles and by emphasizing that his gospel comes directly from God and not from men.

Paul’s Last Conversation With James

And finally, when we look at the last conversation that Paul has with James, it is clear that Paul was not supposed to be teaching the abrogation of the Law of Moses to Jews. James says to Paul:

Acts 21:20 … “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law,

Just to point out, James here is in no way attacking the believing Jews who follow the law…let’s continue:

Acts 21:21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. … 21:24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.

Apparently, Paul has denied to James that Paul is teaching Jews against the law. And from James’ statement, the true apostles are completely against the actual abrogation of the Law of Moses. Now this makes perfect sense when we look back at what was quoted in Acts 15 from James about “Gentiles who turn to God” having only a few requirements at first but would learn more soon since “Moses … is read every Sabbath in the synagogues”.

How could James have been misled about Paul’s behavior? Well, Paul tells us that he pretends to follow the Law when he is with Jews:

1 Cor 9:20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.

In no uncertain terms, James and Jesus’ true apostles were indeed teaching the Law of Moses. This disproves the claim of the Christian Church that all of Paul’s opponents were unorganized groups of Jewish Christians with no support from the teachings of the true apostles.

Other Points

It is clear that while the apostles had one message or gospel, Paul has his own gospel:

Rom 2:16 … according to my gospel …
Rom 16:25 … according to my gospel …
2 Tim 2:8 … as preached in my gospel …

Even Jesus doesn’t refer to the gospel as his own, or my gospel:

John 7:16 “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.
John 14:24 And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

And what about the fact that Paul lost all the churches in Asia:

2 Tim 1:15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me,

Remember that there are 7 churches in Asia, and Paul could only have lost all of them if there was indeed a concerted and organized effort against Paul’s teachings, and not by the objections of random Judaizers , as the Church claims.

Finally, two other important questions that the Church has to ask itself is if the true apostles supported Paul’s mission, then:

– why was Paul worried that his offering would be rejected by the Jerusalem Church (Rom 15:30)[xlvi]

– and why were the true apostles completely absent from defending him during his trials?

CONCLUSION

From Paul’s own letters, it is clear that Paul’s opponents were none other than followers of the true apostles of Jesus, who obeyed and taught the Law of Moses.

PART 7 – CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN PAUL AND ACTS

We will discuss the significance of the contradictions between the book of Acts and the letters of Paul.

We must remember that the book of Acts is attributed to the same author as the Gospel of Luke, the physician who was a follower of Paul. Luke likes Paul a lot, because half of the book of Acts is in fact about Paul and Paul’s miracles. Interestingly, Paul never mentions a single miracle that he performs in his own letters although we know that he was quite boastful.

In any case, one of the contradictions is about how Paul claimed he didn’t meet the apostles until 3 years after his conversion, whereas Acts says that he met the apostles immediately after his conversion.

Also there is a contradiction where Paul says he travelled to Athens with Timothy (1 Thessalonians, 3:1-2), whereas Acts says Paul traveled to Athens alone (Acts 17:15, 18:15).

Another contradiction is the number of times that Paul meets with the apostles. Paul only mentions 2 and we assume his 3^rd and final visit where he is arrested, whereas Acts says that Paul met the apostles 5 times.

In these accounts, Paul declares his independence from the apostles, whereas Acts portrays them as being in harmony.

The book of Acts says nothing about the Incident at Antioch and the fight with Peter, Barnabas and the men from James. This seems like an extremely important incident that Luke completely leaves out.

Also, Paul declares that he is the only one appointed by God directly to preach to the gentiles and that he had to fight Peter about this, whereas Acts says that Peter was the first to preach to the gentiles (Acts 10-11) and that Peter was the one that stood up in defense of preaching to the gentiles in the council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:7-11).[xlvii]

The only way to understand the contradictions between the book of Acts and the letters of Paul is as an attempt by Luke to show a reconciliation between Paul and the Jerusalem Church. If Luke was willing to change a few points of the story, to portray Paul in a better light, how do we know how much of his gospel and the book of Acts can truly be inspired by God? After all, Luke says in the beginning of his gospel:

Luke 1:3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

Luke doesn’t say he is divinely inspired at all. Luke says that it “seemed good” to him, and clearly Luke’s “orderly account” includes numerous irreconcilable differences with Paul’s letters.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the numerous contradictions between the Book of Acts and the letters of Paul not only question the authenticity of their contents, but also further demonstrate that Paul’s message was greatly different than the message of the true apostles.

PART 8 – PAUL’S OTHER CONTRADICTIONS

We will review additional contradictions by Paul against his own claims, against the teachings of Jesus, and against the teachings of the Christian Church.

Why Was Paul Arrested

When Paul returns to Jerusalem, he is arrested:

Acts 21:27 the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 21:28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”

So very clearly, the accusation against Paul is that he is teaching people “against the people” meaning the Jewish people, against the Law of Moses and against the temple. However, Paul gives a different story when he defends himself to the council a bit later:

Acts 23:6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 23:7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

The Pharisees believed in resurrection of the dead while the Sadducees did not. Paul capitalized on this theological disagreement to confuse the issue:

Acts 24:21 ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’”
Acts 26:8 Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

So rather than confess his true beliefs during his trial, Paul makes up a story to “divide and conquer” in an attempt to save himself.

Paul’s Willingness To Die For His Beliefs

At first, Paul claims that he is ready to die in Jerusalem for his beliefs:

Acts 21:12 ..we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 21:13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

But when the real test arrived in Jerusalem, Paul changes his mind:

Acts 25:9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 25:10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 25:11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.”

So despite Paul’s boasting that he was “ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem”, Paul quickly changed his posture and appealed to Caesar.

Is Jesus Co-Eternal With God

The Christian Church believes that Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Father are co-equal and co-eternal. However, that is not what Paul believes about Jesus:

Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 1:16 For by him all things were created,

According to Paul, Jesus cannot be co-eternal with God because Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation” and therefore a creation of God. This is a major contradiction between the belief of Paul and the belief of the Christian Church.

Another important passage also shows how Paul’s beliefs on this issue are different than that of the Christian Church, where the book of Acts quotes Paul:

Acts 13:33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’

So according to Paul, since Jesus was “begotten” on a specific day, then Jesus could not have existed eternally as the Christian creeds claim.

This is no small contradiction, because according to both the Catholic and Protestant creeds, the very founder and basis of their religion comes out to be a heretic.

Is The Resurrection Physical Or Spiritual

There are conflicting accounts in the New Testament about whether the final resurrection will be physical in nature or spiritual in nature.

According to Paul and the Christian Church, the resurrection (of Jesus and the final resurrection) is a completely physical resurrection into an imperishable or invincible body:

1 Cor 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. … 15:53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
Rom 8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

In contrast, Jesus refers to resurrected bodies like angels, which are spiritual beings:

Mark 12:25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
Matt 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
Luke 20:35 … the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage,20:36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God,

Of course, the Church will say this ONLY applies to marriage as the context of these verses, but from Luke we see that the equality to angels ALSO applies to not dying any more. As further evidence of a spiritual resurrection, examine what Jesus’ disciples expect to see after they hear about Jesus’ death:

Luke 24:26 Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 24:37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 24:38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 24:39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

Jesus reassures them that he was in fact still alive, because based on Jesus’ previous teachings, since they assumed that he died, so they expected his resurrected body to be SPIRITIAL IN NATURE. By the way, taken altogether, this proves that Jesus never really died.

So Paul and the Church view Jesus’ physical appearance as proof that resurrected bodies are physical, whereas Jesus teaches his disciples that resurrected bodies are spiritual.

Who Ascended Into Heaven

According to the gospel of John, written decades after Paul’s death, no one has ascended into heaven except Jesus or someone who “descended from heaven”:

John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

However, Paul claims that someone else did also ascend into heaven:

2 Cor 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 12:3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise

Whether Paul is speaking of himself or someone else is unclear, but what is clear is the fact that Paul has just contradicted what is written in the Gospel of John, that “no one has ascended into heaven” except Jesus. It’s important to remember that the gospel of John was written long after the death of Paul, so this CONTRADICTION can’t easily be overlooked.

Food Sacrificed To Idols

Paul teaches his followers that it is permissible to eat food offered to idols:

1 Cor 8:4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, … 8:8 We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.
Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

However, written decades after the death of Paul, we have the Book of Revelation, where Jesus supposedly says in a vision:

Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols

Of course, like Jesus, James also teaches that it is not permissible to eat food sacrificed to idols (Acts 15:20),[xlviii] whereas we just saw that Paul teaches the opposite.

Can God Be Tempted

Some Christians, although a minority, believe that Paul was the author of Epistle to the Hebrews. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, it states that Jesus was tempted:

Hebrews 2:18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

On the other hand, James states that God cannot be tempted by evil:

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil,

As a result, since “God cannot be tempted with evil”, then James believes that Jesus cannot be God and the divinity of Jesus is disproven once again based on the Bible itself.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the numerous contradictions by Paul against his own claims, against other teachings of Jesus, against the teachings of James, and against the teachings of the Christian Church cannot be overlooked.

PART 9 – PAUL’S LOGIC ABOUT THE LAW

We will example a few points of Paul’s arguments to see that they contradict both logic as well as the Old Testament.

The Curse

Paul’s logic about why the Law of Moses should no longer be followed is stated in Galatians 3:10-13:

Gal 3:10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” [xlix]

So Paul is saying that whoever relies “on works of the law” is cursed because the Old Testament curses anyone “who does not abide” by works of the law. This directly contradicts the explicit meaning stated by Deuteronomy 27:26, which is “cursed be everyone who does NOT abide” by the Law.

The next verses talks about righteousness, and according to the Old Testament passages that Paul himself cites, spiritual life requires faith AND works:

Gal 3:11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall LIVE by faith.”[l] 3:12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall LIVE by them.” [li]

Paul misrepresents the Old Testament as contradicting itself, and he doesn’t realize that verse he quoted, Leviticus 18:5, proves him wrong:

Lev 18:5 “the one who does them shall LIVE by them”.

This means doing good works will give you spiritual LIFE. So in the Old Testament, you have spiritual “life” through BOTH faith AND through works of the law.

Finally, Paul’s logic ends with this:

Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”[lii]

So now Paul projects the curse onto the law itself, and then he makes the ridiculous statement that Jesus became a curse. This is a paradox because you can’t be a divine being and accursed by God at the same time.

Furthermore, it is important to point out that Deuteronomy 21:23 says that anyone who is “hanged”, such as in crucifixion “is cursed by God”. Essentially, God is promising that he won’t let his true prophets be proven false by becoming accursed.

Finally, about Paul’s claim that Christ became a curse, we will cite something else that Paul said:

1 Cor 12:3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!”

So according to Paul, anyone saying “Jesus is accursed” cannot be speaking with the authority of God, and that clearly includes Paul himself when he said that “Christ … becoming a curse”. To claim that “cursing Jesus” or saying that “Jesus became a curse” are different is merely semantics, because at the end of the day, it is the same thing.

What The Law Makes You Do

Paul also makes some extremely strange statements about the Law of Moses and its effects on society:

Rom 5:20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass,

Incredibly, Paul believes that the Law of Moses “came to increase the trespass”. Quite the contrary, when we know what is right and wrong we should be more able to avoid the wrong.

Paul also says about the law:

Rom 7:5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.

So here Paul claims that “our sinful passions” are “aroused by the law”. As if without the law, we would not have any sinful passions. This concept not only defies logic, but also contradicts the Bible itself, such as Sodom and Gomorrah who “indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire” (Jude 1:7) long before the Law of Moses.

Paul also says that he wouldn’t even covet if it wasn’t for the law:

Rom 7:7 Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 7:8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.

So Paul is blaming covetousness on the EXISTENCE of the law which God gave you. Paul isn’t blaming Satan or even human weakness, rather, Paul is blaming all sin on the Law of Moses given by God ! You just have to pay attention to Paul’s writings to see how strange and hard to believe his ideas are.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Paul misrepresents the Old Testament and demonstrates severe contradictions to logic when discussing the Law of Moses.

PART 10 – PAUL’S NEW COMMANDMENTS

We will discuss some new commandments and laws that Paul teaches.

While Paul believes that the Law of Moses should not be followed any more, Paul had no problems with giving new laws for his followers. This is odd when we remember Paul’s claim that the law is what makes us covet, so by Paul’s logic any new laws he gives would instantly make us desire to break them as well.

General Conduct

Paul gives some general rules for conduct, such as this one:

2 Thes 3:10 If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

Here’s an interesting one, which says that men should worship with uncovered heads and women should worship with covered heads

1 Cor 11:4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 11:5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head,

Another interesting teaching from Paul is that in terms of marriage, it’s better to remain as you are, but Paul recommends people to refrain from marriage:

1 Cor 7:26 I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. 7:27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. … 7:29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. … 7:31 … For the present form of this world is passing away. … 7:38 So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

So celibacy is highly recommended by Paul.

Furthermore, Paul commands his followers not to associate or even eat with people who have certain immoral behavior:

1 Cor 5:11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

But I have to say, one of my favorites is that men shouldn’t have long hair:

1 Cor 11:14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him,

From the paintings of Jesus, I always thought he had long hair, so how is that “a disgrace for him”?

Role Of Women

Paul’s view of women is quite interesting. In the next passage, Paul blames Eve for getting Adam kicked out of heaven, and then gives women a way to be saved:

1 Tim 2:14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 2:15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

So remember women, you “will be saved through childbearing”. If you don’t have children, that’s a big problem according to Paul.

Now, let’s see how Paul wants women to behave in the church:

1 Cor 14:33 … As in all the churches of the saints, 14:34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 14:35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

So “women should keep silent” are “not permitted to speak” and “should be in submission” because “it is shameful for a woman to speak in church”. The same theme is seen here:

1 Tim 2:11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 2:12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

So again, Paul wants women to be submissive and quiet, and Paul does “not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man”.

Now of course, Paul’s teachings about women are in stark contrast with the Old Testament. Peter quotes the prophet Joel:

Acts 2:17 God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Not Going To Heaven

Some of Paul’s more serious rules prevented people from going to heaven:

1 Cor 6:9 …Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 6:10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul is very specific that Christians should not get drunk:

1 Thes 5:6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 5:7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober,
Eph 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery,

Some of the requirements that Paul has for entering into heaven are extremely stringent:

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 5:21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Let’s consider which Christians hasn’t been “jealous” or had a “fit of anger” or “rivalries” or “dissensions” or “envy” or “drunkenness”? It seems Paul doesn’t think most Christians will “inherit the kingdom of God”.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, while Paul doesn’t think the Law of Moses should be followed, Paul has no problem giving people new laws for salvation, even if, by Paul’s logic, these new laws will make us covet to break them.

PART 11 – PAUL’S METHODOLOGY

We will review some of Paul’s methodology when it comes to his overall preaching strategy.

Let’s take a quick example, where Paul teaches that all food is clean, but wants you follow dietary law in front of those that are “weak” like the practicing Jews:

1 Cor 8:8 … We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 8:9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

Here is another extremely unusual situation where Paul uses some crafty tactics to pretend that his followers are sending him money:

2 Cor 9:3 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 9:4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. 9:5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.

So to avoid humiliation, Paul wants to send people in advance to give a gift to the Corinthians, so that the Corinthians can pretend that they are actually giving this gift to Paul.

Perhaps this statement from Paul can shed some light on these paradoxes:

Rom 3:7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 3:8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

We find this same thinking here:

1 Cor 9:20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 9:21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 9:22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

Paul’s methodology is to hide his true beliefs with the hidden agenda of gaining more followers. On the other hand, Jesus is explicit that people should not be dishonest regardless of the goal:

Luke 16:10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

To summarize Paul’s attitude, let us read from Dr. Jerald Dirks book entitled “What You Weren’t Taught in Sunday School” (p.117):

There is a word that describes a person who lies to achieve a goal, however admirable he may believe that goal may be. There is a word that describes a person who attempts to be all things to all people, conforming his actions and statements to what is wanted from him, in order to lead those people to one’s own version of the gospel. There is a word that describes a person who denies Mosaic Law, yet attempts by the rites of being a Nazirite to confirm his zealousness for the Law of Moses. There is a word that describes a person who denies the religious requirement of male circumcision and then turns around and circumcises someone because of pressure from others. The word is not “saint”, and it is not “apostle”. The correct word is “hypocrite”.

This can also be called a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”, something that Jesus specifically warns people about:

Matt 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruits.

So let’s continue with Jesus’ warning a few verses later to see how else Paul fits:

Matt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 7:22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 7:23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

So according to Jesus, just because someone preaches “in the name” of Jesus, it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t do “the will” of the Father. And the next verse tells us that “workers of lawlessness” is specifically talking about people who don’t follow and imitate Jesus in the way he lived, including following the Law of Moses:

Matt 7:24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 7:25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 7:26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

So very clearly, Jesus teaches us to follow the Law of Moses, and Jesus warns you not to follow “false prophets” and “workers of lawlessness” who hear Jesus’ words but “does not do them”. Jesus also mentions these false prophets at the end of his ministry:

Matt 24:11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 24:12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Remember, Paul teaches not to follow the Law, whereas Jesus says:

Matt 5:18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 5:19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Now Jesus also told us that we would recognize the “false prophets … by their fruits”, so let’s what are some of Paul’s fruits:

Paul’s vision is untrustworthy due to numerous contradictions
2 of Paul’s prophecies are proven wrong
Sexual immorality repeatedly practiced by Paul’s new converts when they are told that the Law of Moses is abolished (1 Cor 5, 2 Cor 12:21)
Contradictions with the teachings of Jesus and the Old Testament and the true apostles
Paul hiding his true beliefs depending on the situation to get more followers
30,000 – 40,000 different denominations of Christianity, each accusing the others of some level of heresy or apostasy [liii]
Muslims also have denominations and takfiris

Even Paul tells you not to be surprised if servants of Satan “disguise themselves as servants of righteousness”:

2 Cor 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 11:15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.

And the Bible tells us about people like Paul who claim to know Jesus, but do not follow his teachings:

1 John 2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 2:4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

And what does James tell us about people like Paul who have judged the law:

James 4:11 … But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge,

Conclusion

In conclusion, Paul’s methodology is to hide his true beliefs depending on the situation in order to gain more followers, whereas Jesus warns about false prophets who claim to be followers of Jesus, yet do not imitate Jesus’ teachings by following the Law of Moses.

SUMMARY

PART 1 – THE RELIABILITY OF PAUL’S VISION

Paul’s vision cannot be treated as factual due to the many contradictions within its accounts, such as what Paul’s companions did when the voice spoke, whether they heard the voice or not, when Paul was told about his secret mission, whether God keeps secrets from his prophets, whether Paul or the true apostles were appointed to the gentiles, and because Paul’s prophesy was disproven about being saved from the Gentiles.

PART 2 – ANOTHER PROPHECY FROM PAUL

Paul’s claim that the return of Jesus would happen during their lifetime is the second prophesy by Paul that is proven wrong, showing that his words were not divinely inspired.

PART 3 – WHO CHRISTIANS SHOULD IMITATE

According to Jesus, Christians ought to imitate and follow the teachings of Jesus himself, which is contrary to the message of Paul.

PART 4 – PAUL’S MAIN TEACHINGS COMPARED JESUS

PART 5 – DID PAUL IMITATE JESUS

Paul did not imitate Jesus in numerous aspects of behavior, such as love and forgiveness for enemies, taking an oath, whether God alone or also Paul is the father, how to express one’s humility and the importance of baptism.

PART 6 – PAUL VERSUS THE APOSTLES

From Paul’s own letters, it is clear that Paul’s opponents were none other than followers of the true apostles of Jesus, who obeyed and taught the Law of Moses.

PART 7 – CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN PAUL AND ACTS

The numerous contradictions between the Book of Acts and the letters of Paul not only question the authenticity of their contents, but also further demonstrate that Paul’s message was greatly different than the message of the true apostles.

PART 8 – PAUL’S OTHER CONTRADICTIONS

The numerous contradictions by Paul against his own claims, against other teachings of Jesus, against the teachings of James, and against the teachings of the Christian Church cannot be overlooked.

PART 9 – PAUL’S LOGIC ABOUT THE LAW

Paul misrepresents the Old Testament and demonstrates severe contradictions to logic and when discussing the Law of Moses.

PART 10 – PAUL’S NEW COMMANDMENTS

While Paul doesn’t think the Law of Moses should be followed, Paul has no problem giving people new laws to follow, even if by Paul’s logic, these new laws will make us covet to break them.

PART 11 – PAUL’S METHODOLOGY

Paul’s methodology is to hide his true beliefs depending on the situation in order to gain more followers, whereas Jesus warns about false prophets who claim to be followers of Jesus, yet do not imitate Jesus’ teachings by following the Law of Moses.

CONCLUSION

Paul stands against the most fundamental teachings of the Old Testament, Jesus and the true apostles. Along with his many contradictions and subversive methods, this disqualifies him as an author of any type of Holy Scripture whatsoever, let alone half of the New Testament.

Please do read the Quran and confirm for yourselves which teachings are closer to those of Jesus and the Old Testament.

[i] http://irrco.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/paul-on-jesus/

[ii] Matt 10:40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

[iii] Matt 15:24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

[iv] Mark 9:37 … whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

[v] Luke 4:43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

[vi] Luke 9:48 … whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

[vii] John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

[viii] John 5:23 Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.

[ix] John 5:30 I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

[x] John 5:36 the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 5:37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. … 5:38 … for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.

[xi] John 6:29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

[xii] John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 6:39 And this is the will of him who sent me,

[xiii] John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.

[xiv] John 7:18 but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true,

[xv] John 7:29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”

[xvi] John 7:33 and then I am going to him who sent me.

[xvii] John 8:16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.

[xviii] John 8:18 and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”

[xix] John 9:4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day;

[xx] John 10:36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, …

[xxi] John 15:21 because they do not know him who sent me.

[xxii] John 16:5 But now I am going to him who sent me,

[xxiii] John 17:18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

[xxiv] John 8:26 but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”

[xxv] John 8:28 … and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 8:29 And he who sent me is with me.

[xxvi] John 12:49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.

[xxvii] John 14:24 And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

[xxviii] since the Greek literally says “they did not hear the sound”

[xxix] Ye are initiated into the mysteries of the Gospel with Paul, the holy, the martyred, the deservedly most happy
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.v.ii.xii.html

[xxx] Some Church leaders will claim that these are not the same incident, but we can see clearly that both Galatians 2:3,9 and Acts 15:1 have to do with the question of circumcision of new converts, so we know we are dealing with the same incident. Acts 15 would have been completely redundant if Gal 2:3,9 had preceded it.

[xxxi] Acts 15:22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 15:23 with the following letter: …

[xxxii] Acts 15:37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 15:38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 15:39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 15:40 but Paul chose Silas and departed,

[xxxiii] To show Paul in a better light, some Church leaders will claim that the Incident at Antioch could have happened before the Council of Jerusalem, but that is NOT the order that Paul gives in his version of the story: first he is converted (Gal 1:15), then 3 years later he travels to Jerusalem (Gal 1:18), then 14 years after the conversion he goes with Barnabas to the Council of Jerusalem (Gal 2:1-10), and then he describes the Incident at Antioch (Gal 2:11-13)

[xxxiv] Acts 15:39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 15:40 but Paul chose Silas and departed,

[xxxv] 1 Thess 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

[xxxvi] 2 Thess 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

[xxxvii] 2 Cor 3:14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 3:15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 3:16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

[xxxviii] 2 Cor 10:2 some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh.

[xxxix] Philippians 3:9 … not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

[xl] Col 2:16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.

[xli] 1 Tim 1:6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 1:7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

[xlii] http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08537a.htm

[xliii] Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

[xliv] Gal 5:12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

[xlv] The party or rather faction of Cephas (1 Corinthians 1:12) very probably consisted of Judaizers.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08537a.htm

[xlvi] Rom 15:30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 15:31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

[xlvii] And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

[xlviii] Acts 15:20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.

[xlix] Deut 27:26 Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.

[l] Heb 10:38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,

[li] Lev 18:5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord

[lii] Deut 21:23 for a hanged man is cursed by God.

[liii] 41,000 Christian denominations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations
“formal heresy” and “material heresy”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heresy_in_Christianity

Paul Contradicts Jesus in the Bible

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Paul Contradicts Jesus’ Teachings in the Christian Bible.