Paul – Apostle or Fraud

[Garland-Green]

Paul – Apostle or Fraud (Part 15)

Saint PaulIn our last post about Paul, we addressed a question about what Paul believed about eating meat sacrificed to idols. We showed from 1 Corinthians and Galatians that Paul opposed idol worship and did not promote eating meat sacrificed to idols.

We received another question about the same subject and will begin there.

Question

Why did Paul tell the Corinthians idol meat was okay when the New Testament Church council at Jerusalem had specifically listed this as a forbidden practice to New Testament believers in Acts 15:29?
Answer


Please read our previous answer concerning what Paul believed about idols, idol worship and meat sacrificed to idols. Here’s a quick recap.

“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly didnot mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.” 1 Corinthians 5:9-11

“No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:8-10

“Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21

Let’s look at another section in 1 Corinthians that may shed more light about what Paul believed and said about food sacrificed to idols.

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? ” 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

It is in that context that Paul wrote this to the Christians in Corinth:

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; for ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.’ If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, ‘This was offered to idols,’ do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for ‘the earth isthe Lord’s, and all its fullness.’ ‘Conscience,’ I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” 1 Corinthians 10:23-33

With that as background to what Paul believed and taught, let’s look at what the Jerusalem Council asked him to do.

“Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood … For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.” Acts 15:19-20, 28-29

The apostles and elders at the council had limited understanding of what God had revealed to Paul, but could see from what Peter said and what Paul and Barnabas shared that God was doing something different with the Gentiles. What the Hebrew believers emphasized were four things: abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. They capped it off by writing, “If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.”

Though we do not have a record of Paul instructing Gentiles about abstaining from blood and things strangled, he was quite clear about them abstaining from things offered to idols (1 Corinthians 5; 6; 8; 10; Galatians 5; Ephesians 5) and to keep themselves from sexual immorality (Romans 1; 1 Corinthians 5; 6; ; 10; 1 Thessalonians 4).

It’s also important to realize that Paul was under no compulsion to “obey” commands from the Jewish apostles. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit had called and sent Paul on a special ministry to open the door of faith to Gentiles without any Jewish apostles being involved in the calling or the sending. Paul’s concern was for the purity of the Gospel of Grace he had received from Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Here’s how Paul explained it:

“Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain. Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.” Galatians 2:1-10  

[Garland-Green]

Paul – Apostle or Fraud (Part 16)

Saint PaulThe Apostle Paul is a spiritual lightning rod. His calling and ministry were so different from the men who Jesus Christ called to be apostles before His death and resurrection that many people think Paul was a fraud.

I hear from those people on a regular basis. Some write just to tell me Paul was a fraud. Others ask questions to try to convince me Paul was a fraud. As I bring this special series to a close, we’re looking at the questions we’ve received during the past year to see if we can get to the truth of this important question.

I’m often asked why I “defend” Paul and not Christ. I wonder if they’ve read other posts on this blog and the GraceLife Blog. It should be obvious that my primary defense is for the existence of the God of the Bible and for the Life and Ministry of His Son, Jesus Christ. I defend anything Jesus did and what He did was call Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles. I also defend what God said and what He inspired men to write as communication of His Word. Paul wrote almost half of the New Testament. Defending God’s call of Paul as apostle to the Gentiles is also defending God’s Word. That’s why I “defend” Paul.


Question

Paul in Galatians 1 emphasizes his knowledge comes directly from Jesus and not from man. Jesus says in Matthew 14:5 if someone claims to see him in the secret chambers, I should not believe him. Who was telling me the truth?
Answer

Let’s look first at your Scripture references:

“Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead) … But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:1, 11-12

“And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.” Matthew 14:5

You are correct that Paul claimed his knowledge came directly “through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” However, Matthew 14:5 is about King Herod and John the Baptist, so not sure where you came up with your question.

I did find the words “secret” and ”chambers” in the 1599 Geneva Bible, though not as a connected phrase. Is this the reference? If so, please ask your question again from the context so I can address what you’re asking.

“And when thou prayest, be not as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the Synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, because they would be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou prayest, enter into thy chamber: and when thou hast shut thy door, pray unto thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Also when ye pray, use no vain repetitions as the Heathen: for they think to be heard for their much babbling.” Matthew 6:5-7

Question

If Paul appeared in Jerusalem in Acts 9:26 after his conversion, then why does he tell the Galatians in 1:18 that he waited three years to go? Why does he assure us in v.20 he is not lying?

Answer

Let’s look at the context of each of the verses you mentioned in your question.

“Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, ‘Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?’ But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket. And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.” Acts 9:20-30

Paul also references this in 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 – “In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.”

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.” Galatians 1:15-21

Luke does not record Paul’s journey to Arabia in Acts 9, but Paul refers to it in Galatians because it was important to what he was trying to help the Galatians understand. As I’m sure you are aware, Luke’s omission does not mean it didn’t happen just as Paul related in his letter to the Galatians. Luke wrote, “Now after many days were past …” The Greek reads Os de eplerounto hemerai hikanai. The words hemerai hikanai translate literally as “days considerable (many).” The word hikanai means “sufficient, considerable, much.” When referring to a number, it means “abundant, great, much.” When referring to time, it means “a long time.”

Earlier in Acts 9, Luke referred to “three days” and (vs. 9) and “some days” (vs. 19), which is the Greek words hemeras tinas (understood as an indefinite period of time). Given the use of terms like hemeras tinas and hemerai hikanai, Luke left plenty of time for Paul to travel to Arabia and return to Damascus before going to Jerusalem.

As for your question – “Why does he assure us in v.20 he is not lying?” – it’s probably because the Judaizers who were lying to the Galatians about the Gospel were also lying about Paul and his apostleship. Paul was writing to win them back to the Truth they had left by following the lies of those who opposed the Gospel message.

Question

If the “other gospel” Paul speaks of in Galatians 1:6 was not the very one taught by Peter, James and John, then why does Paul attack the character of these three men in Galatians 2 calling them “those who seemed to be pillars.”?

Answer

Let’s look at the verses you mentioned in their context.

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-9

“But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.” Galatians 2:6-10

Paul marveled that the Galatians had turned so soon from “Him” who called you in the grace of Christ? Who is that “Him?” Who calls people to Christ? It’s clear from the Gospels, Acts and the letters of the apostles that the Holy Spirit is the One who calls people to salvation in Christ. The Holy Spirit is the One Who sent Paul on his missionary journeys to open the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 13:1-4; 14:27). The Galatians had turned away from the Spirit of God to a “different gospel.” The word “different” in the Greek is heteron. W.E. Vine writes this about heteron(s) – “heteros expresses a qualitative difference and denotes another of a different sort” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, MacDonald Publishing Company, pg. 62). The word is a correlative pronoun and means “of another kind, another, different, in another form.” Paul warned the Galatians that they had turned from the Spirit of God to a gospel that was different and of another kind from the Gospel the Holy Spirit had brought them.

It’s obvious from what Paul wrote the Galatians about Peter, James, John and the others in Jerusalem that he did not view their Gospel as “of another kind” that Jewish believers should not believe. Paul said clearly that the Gospel for the circumcised had been committed to Peter and the other Jewish apostles even as God had committed the Gospel for the uncircumcised to Paul.

As for Paul’s use of the term “pillars” for “James, Cephas, and John,” it was the positive sense of their leadership positions among the believers in Jerusalem and Judea. It was not an attack on their character. The Greek reads oi dokountes stuloi einai – “the ones seeming pillars to be.” The word stuloi (pillars) was used for a column that supported the weight of a building. It was substantial and vital to the success of the building standing strong and true. Paul viewed James, Peter and John as being those “pillars” of the Jewish congregation in Judea that were substantial and vital to the success of the faith community. To think that Paul used the words in a negative attack on the Jewish apostles is incorrect. There is no negative meaning in the words, phrasing or intent of the author.  

[Garland-Green]

Paul – Apostle or Fraud (Part 17)

Saint PaulWe began this special series about whether Paul was an Apostle or a fraud last summer. It was for the purpose of answering the many questions we receive anytime we refer to one of Paul’s letters to address a point of Christian theology. Though we are usually asked why we defend Paul, that is not our purpose. We reference Paul’s letters because we believe his writings are apostolic and inspired by the Holy Spirit. They are, as Peter wrote, Scripture (2 Peter 3:14-16).

Here’s a reminder of what we wrote in the first part of this series -

“For the person who does not accept Luke, Acts, 2 Peter, Hebrews and all of Paul’s letters, I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do to help you. You’ve chosen to throw out every possible piece of evidence that would tell you anything about Paul. That’s like a trial judge who disallows every piece of evidence that would prove the defendant not guilty just because the judge does not want the defendant found not guilty. The court is stacked against the person in that case. The same is true in the way many people handle the evidence for Paul’s apostleship. If the evidence could possibly support Paul’s legitimacy as an apostle of Jesus Christ, they throw it out. That’s not reasonable, logical, ethical or legal, so there’s nothing I can do to convince you because your mind is made up and closed to the possibility of being wrong. You have come to the table of discussion with presuppositions, preconceptions and thick ear plugs. You do not want to know, so you won’t know.”

The battle about Paul’s apostleship and his writings is far from over, even though the evidence is overwhelming in favor of God’s choice of Paul to open “the door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27). We will continue to add to this series as we receive more questions about Paul’s apostleship and whether his writings should be considered Holy Scripture.  

[Christmas Spirit Faerie]

Hello. So your saying Paul wrote Luke and Acts?
Here is what I think. Can you please explain if you think I am wrong and why?

Unlike the writings of the apostle Paul, the books of Luke and Acts do not record the author’s name. So how do we know who really wrote them? Despite not having a convenient title page with a copyright date and the writer’s name, there are several reasons to be confident that Luke wrote the gospel that bears his name.
When looking at the evidence for Lukan authorship of the book of Acts it is important to understand that the author of Luke also wrote the book of Acts. Both books are addressed to Theophilus (Luke 1:3, Acts 1:1), and Acts begins by mentioning a “former book” which is very likely a reference to the Gospel of Luke. As we have mentioned before, the books of Luke and Acts are a single work, often referred to as Luke-Acts. Keeping this in mind helps us to accurately frame the discussion of authorship.

Although Luke-Acts is technically anonymous, there are several indications within the text to support the tradition that Luke is the author. Among the more helpful data found in the text is that the author was not an apostle (Acts 1:2), but he was present at many of the events he narrates (1:1). Examining the language of the text also indicates that the author was well educated, familiar with writing polished Greek, and had an excellent understanding of the politics and culture in this region during the first-century. This information matches what we know about Luke and helps cement the traditional position of Lukan authorship.

Several times the author switches from writing in the third person to using ‘we.’ This implies that he was present at several of the specific events being described (Acts 16:10–17, 20:5–15, 21:1–18, and 27:1–28:16). These passages are very important in discerning the most likely author of this work, as the ‘we’ is often in reference to the author and Paul being companions. From this we can deduce that Paul would likely make reference to this person in his epistles.

While Paul mentions several men, Aristarchus, Tychicus, Timothy, and Mark are mentioned in the third person within the text and so are ruled out as candidates for authorship of Acts. Of the remaining possibilities, the consensus of early Christian tradition points to Luke as the author of Luke-Acts. This is what was passed on by Irenaeus and Tertullian, and the earliest manuscript of this gospel has the inscription “According to Luke.” There are no early Christian traditions that attribute this gospel to anyone other than Luke.

Even though we aren’t told within the text that Luke wrote Acts and the Gospel that is attributed to him there is ample evidence that he is in fact the author.