The Cult of Paul

A Few of the Bible's "Smaller Hints" ^{Back to Top ↑}

... several of the seemingly minor, yet still intriguing scriptural nuggets that show Paul to be an actual opponent of Jesus, rather than an oracle thereof...

^{"The triumph of Paul's Gospel is all the more remarkable in view of the Jesus' repeated warnings that false teachers would arise after his 'going away'. Thus we read in Matthew: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them... Not every one who saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven; but only he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. This warning fits Paul snugly - Paul, who taught that entry into the Kingdom of Heaven depends upon faith instead of loving deeds; Paul, who repeatedly called Jesus 'Lord, Lord', and yet did not teach the pure way of living alone by which man could enter the Kingdom. And if we apply to Paul Jesus' test, By their fruits ye shall know them, it becomes abundantly clear that Paul was a false prophet. We have seen that it was he who founded the Pauline Church in spite of the true Apostles' opposition thereto, and that it was he who formulated its current-day doctrines. In truth the Christianity which nations currently claim to follow is nothing more than the religion of Paul, essentially the only theologian the Church recognizes. And because of his open betrayal of Jesus' teachings, the vision of true Christianity has been so dimmed that men have been able to defend war and champion slavery and uphold a host of other evils(Such as sexism and flesh eating and bigotry.) all on the supposed authority of the Bible. Had the teachings of Christ maintained their proper place at the pinnacle of our practiced spirituality, such misinterpretations would have been unthinkable. As such we would all do well to awaken and grieve that Christians have failed to give more heed to the Savior's warnings against such false messengers." - via Vincent Holmes-Gore}

• * Paul preaches "in his own name"...

  Jesus ostensibly warns his followers of a false prophet coming in his own name.^{John 5:43, NRSV(?)} Later, in the book of Acts, we see Paul doing just that - preaching under his taken name Paul instead of his given name Saul.^{(Starting with Acts 13:9.)} To be fair, Christian apologists have correctly pointed out that it was not uncommon for Jews of this region to have two names - one their Hebrew name (Saul) and another its Greek equivalent (Paul). They also note that the book of Acts was written by Luke, not Paul himself, and that Acts simply states that Saul was also known as Paul,^{Acts 13:9, NRSV(?)} not that Paul himself actively changed his name from one to the other. That having been said, critical here is the fact that Jesus did not warn of a false prophet who changes his own name, but rather one who comes in his own name - or rather, a prophet who preaches under his own authority; something Paul does repeatedly throughout his ministry. Paul instructs the Corinthians to be imitators of me,^{1 Corinthians 4:16, NRSV(?)} he compliments the Thessalonians for becoming imitators of us,^{1 Thessalonians 1:6, NRSV(?)} he tells the Galatians that many others were glorifying God in me,^{Galatians 1:24, NRSV(?)} he informs the Romans both that God will judge others and that God is able to strengthen others according to my gospel,^{Romans 2:16, 16:25, NRSV(?)} and he compliments the Philippians in significant part because you hold me in your heart.^{Philippians 1:7} Paul even has the gall to announce himself as an authentic apostle of Christ - doing so explicitly in 9 of the 13 biblical letters attributed to his pen. In his second letter to the Corinthians he even goes so far as to place himself on equal footing with the most eminent apostles^{(See 2 Corinthians 11:5-10.)} - that is to say, the disciples who actually lived and served with Jesus Christ and who were actually appointed to their apostleship by Jesus himself. He even had the audacity in his letter to the Galatians to openly curse anyone professing a gospel contrary to the one we proclaimed^{Galatians 1:8} - a direct reference to Peter, James, and John; true disciples of Christ who were in direct theological conflict with Paul at the time.^{(See Galatians 2.)} Fittingly, of the 22 times in the Bible where Paul is referred to as an apostle, only twice are those referrals made by anyone other than himself - and both of those times the one doing the referring is Luke, the author of Acts and Paul's traveling companion and personal press secretary^{(See Acts 14:4-14.)} Indeed, Paul is quite clearly far more focused on establishing his own honor and his own popularity than any of the other New Testament contributors, using the personal pronouns I, me, my, and mine over three times more than any of his scriptural rivals. Of course, as Jesus mentions in John 5:43, no true disciple or prophet would ever have to go to such lengths to convince others of their legitimacy In truth, Jesus himself noted that even if he alone bore witness to himself, then even his witness should be considered invalid as well.^{(John 5:31.)}

• * Paul claims the title of spiritual "Father"...

  Jesus makes it quite clear that his followers were to call no one your father on earth, for you have but one Father - the one in Heaven,^{Matthew 23:9, NRSV(?)} and yet we see Paul doing just that, stating, For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. I appeal to you, then - be imitators of me.^{1 Corinthians 4:15-16, NRSV(?)}

• * Paul was blinded by his spiritual "awakening"...

  In dramatic contrast to Jesus Christ, who received a noted enhancement of clarity after his baptism, And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him.^{Matthew 3:16 cf. Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22 et al.} Paul was blinded for three days after his own "awakening." Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.^{Acts 22:11, NRSV(?). See also Acts 9:8}
  3 There are actually a number of verses in the New Testament proclaiming that Jesus was a champion of sight.^{(Matthew 5:8, 7:4-5, 11:2-5, 13:10-17, Mark 8:17-18, Luke 4:18, 10:22-24, John 9:39, 17:24.)} and/or a direct provider thereof^{(Matthew 9:30, 20:32-34, Mark 8:22-25, Luke 24:31, John 9:7.)} In profound contrast, along with being himself blinded after supposedly encountering the Spirit of Jesus Christ on the Road to Damascus,^{(as described in Acts 9)} Paul's subsequent ministry contained several references to sight itself being over-rated, if not a direct hindrance to faith,^{(See Romans 8:24, 1 Corinthians 2:9, 2 Corinthians 4:18, 5:7.)} and he was even known to have at least once intentionally blinded one of his opponents, But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, 'You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now listen: the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a time, unable to see the sun.' immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he went about groping for someone to lead him by the hand.^{Acts 13:9-11}

• * Paul downplays the innate holiness of "little children"...

  Jesus makes it clear that children^{(more accurately read as "very young children" or "toddlers" in the ancient texts)} are to be considered role models for our behavior - especially the unconditional Love they exhibit in their interactions with others and the innocent Wonderment they exude in their interactions with their surroundings. Jesus said, Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like very young children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Indeed, whoever becomes humble like this very young child is the greatest in the Kingdom.^{Matthew 18:3-4, NRSV(?) See also Matthew 18:6-7, Mark 10:13-16}... In marked contrast, Paul's reverence for the very young is nowhere to be seen in the Bible, and indeed= he seems to at least once intimate exactly the opposite: When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I reasoned like a child. And yet once I became a man, I did away with childish things.^{1 Corinthians 13:11}

• * Paul is without doubt a man "of the world"...

  While Jesus made it repeatedly clear that my Kingdom is not of this world,^{Acts 18:36, NRSV(?)}, that the ruler of this world has been condemned,^{John 16:11, NRSV(?)} and that I have conquered the world,^{John 16:33. See also John 17:16} Paul not only repeatedly coddled to^{(and even brazenly called upon)} worldly authorities,^{(A reference to the many times that Paul worked for and/or availed himself to the "mercy" of human religious leaders and/or human political authorities. See Acts 8:1-3, 9:1-2, 16:38-40, 25:10-11, 26:5 et al.)} but he even came right out and said that the earth and its fullness are the Lord's.^{1 Corinthians 10:26, NRSV(?)}
  Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.^{Paul, Romans 13:1-2, NRSV(?)}

• * Paul affirms all within the "one body" (regardless of doctrinal differences)...

  Jesus makes it quite clear that there is only one Way to enliven the will of his all-Loving Father ^{(See John 14:6 - focusing on dia, the Greek word often translated as through, much more than the Greek word emou, oft translated as me.)} and only one very narrow gate of selfless sacrifice through which any and all must pass to attain entrance to his Kingdom of Heaven.^{(see Matthew 7:13-14, 18:3-4, 24:12-14)} He even goes so far as to say that any and all self-focused habits and/or addictions must be cut off and thrown away in order to do so. Jesus said, If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; for it is better for you to lose it than for your whole body to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away as well; for it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into Gehenna.^{Matthew 5:29-30,NRSV(?)} Paul, on the other hand,^{(pun intended)} is embarrassingly lax when it comes to sinful violators of the Law; establishing a new codex grounded in a mere profession of faith, regardless of one's actual conduct,^{(see Romans 3:31, 7:4-6, 10:1-10 et al.)} even going so far as to say, As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.' on the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor. Our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it as well.^{1 Corinthian 12:20—26, NRSV(?)}

• * Some even say that the Bible shows Paul to be "the Antichrist"...

  While I personally do not subscribe to this particular argument, it is still interesting to note the following biblical tidbits:

  • A) that the numeric value of Tarsus in Hebrew (TRSV) is 666,
  • B) that the 1290 days mentioned in Daniel 12:11 match the probable length of Paul's ministry,
  • C) that Paul persecuted the saints of the early church in alignment with the "prophecy" of Daniel 7:25,^{(See also Matthew 24:15.)}
  • D) that the author of 1 John clearly states the Antichrist [is] the one who denies the Father and the Son^{1 John 2:22, NRSV(?)} - something Paul regularly does throughout his writings, regularly downplaying the importance of the former in favor of solely exalting the latter,^{(See 1 Corinthians 4:15, Romans 10:9-10, 15:1-4 - and these alongside Galatians 5:14, Romans 13:9 when contrasted with Matthew 22:37-40)}
  • E) that Paul performed "signs and wonders" that indeed "misled the elect" just as Jesus warned the Antichrist would,^{(See Acts 15:12, Matthew 24:24.)} and
  • F) that Paul's "revelation" on the Road to Damascus, where it is written, Now as [Saul] was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly alight from heaven flashed around him.,^{Acts 9:3, NRSV(?)} quite eerily hearkens back to Jesus' utterance, where he saw Satan fall like lightning from the heavens.^{Luke 10:18}

• * The book of Revelation strongly hints that Paul is a false prophet...

  Paul tells the church in Ephesus that he is an apostle of Christ Jesus.^{Ephesians 1:1} And this claim is much more than a mere Paulinist boast. Of the 7 churches noted in the book of Revelation, the one in Ephesus is the only one cited for having dealt with false apostles, were we find it written, you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false.^{Revelation 2:2, NRSV(?)} This fact is made all the more potent when we realize that the biblical record makes it equally clear that Paul had a great deal of trouble with the Ephesian congregation during his ministry.^{(Acts 19:89.)} In addition, the letter of 2 Timothy^{(admittedly probably written by a follower of Paul, not by Paul himself)} has Paul admitting that all those in Asia have turned away from me.^{2 Timothy 1:15} As such, when we remember that Paul is the only person in the Bible^{(other than the original 12 apostles)} who ever claimed to have been an apostle, what we have here is:

  • A) Paul falsely claiming to be an apostle of Christ,^{(while preaching his own unique religious doctrine to the contrary)}
  • B) the Ephesian Church vehemently rejecting the same, and
  • C) a "returned Christ" thereafter applauding the Ephesian Church for doing so!

"Paul avoids quoting the teaching of Jesus, in fact even mentioning the same. In truth, if we had to rely on Paul, we would not know that Jesus taught in parables, we would not know that Jesus had ever delivered the Sermon on the Mount, nor that he had taught his disciples the 'Our Father.' Indeed, even where they are specially relevant, Paul blatantly ignores the words of his Lord... Paul obviously did not desire to truly know Christ. And the fateful thing is that the Greek, the Catholic, and the Protestant theologies all contain the Gospel of Paul in a form which does not continue the Gospel of Jesus, but rather wholly displaces it." - Albeit Schweitzer

"Fundamentalism is nothing more than the triumph of Paul over Jesus... Paul created a theology of which none but the vaguest warrants can be found in the words of Christ; a theology about the man instead of his teachings - a man who Paul never even knew and a theology written some 50 or more years after the death of that same man... Paul replaced moral conduct with mere creed as the test of Virtue. It is in no way an understatement to say that this was quite the tragic shift. " - Will Durant