Everything all the apostles wrote in the New Testament go hand in hand with what Paul wrote and the whole Bible. Paul doesn’t state one thing in one place and another some place else. Any Christians who think that simply don't understand Paul's writings.
You are right, most Christian's, even those who think they understand Paul, do not. That is why there is such division in the body of Christ and some many demoninations. Mopst the disagreements and contentions within the body of Christ can be traced back to interpretations of Paul's writing. Some Christian's are just humble enough to admit that we don't understand Paul's non-sensical writing and choose to focus on the words of Jesus and the disciples who learned directly from Jesus in the flesh, rather than be confused and brought to destruction by Paul's wiring as Peter warned.
Can you point me to scripture that proves that the apostles didn't see eye to eye on some things? The Bible points out the disagreement Paul had with Barnabas over John mark and tells us they parted ways in the book of Acts.
How about the incident in Antioch? (Paul's side of the story is written in Galatians 2, Peter side is not recorded in the bible, I suspect for the same reason I already pointed out....Jesus' leadership model was humility and servanthood, and Peter did not have the need to publicly rebuke his brother in Christ.) Or how about when the Jerusalem leadership (headed by James) proposed that Paul partake in a cleansing purification ritual in the temple, which was clearly contradictory to what Paul had previously written and taught? No matter your take on who was right or wrong it is clearly a incident where the Jerusalem leadership and Paul did not see eye to eye. I give credit to Paul for submitting to the proposal, even if it was just for appearance sake. However even the appearance of it, would be Paul admitting he was wrong,k even if he didn't really feel that way.
I know Peter wrote about Paul and said, "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:15-16). Here Peter admits that Paul writes on difficult things but he says the problem is not with his writings. The problem is with the readers. Unstable, untaught people that twist the writings of Paul.
Take a close look at the original greek word that is translated in most english bibles as "things hard to be understood". Dysnoetas literally means "non-sensical thoughts" or "destructive of good sense." In the Latin Vulgate from the 400's this is translated as "difficulty in intelligence". Peter then goes on to say that the readers also do share fault because of their ignorance in the things that Jesus himself taught. Most of Paul's converts knew very little what Jesus himself said and taught. This is the ignorance of Paul's readers, that Peter is refering to. How many times did Paul quote the words of Jesus? Paul never even bothered to go the disciples in Jerusalem and learn what Jesus spoke and taught in the flesh. He even makes derogatory remarks about the disciples in reference to this in Galatians 2:6. "6 And from those who were esteemed to be something -- whatever they were then, it maketh no difference to me -- the face of man God accepteth not, for -- to me those esteemed
did add nothing." Certainly doesn't come across as Paul respecting or acknowledging Peter, James and John as apostles of Christ.
Clearly Paul had a level of wisdom and we can learn much from him and his writings. However this is the issue I have "Paulianity"...when it appears that Paul words do not line up with the words that Christ spoke, instead of leaning towards and giving preference to the words that the messiah spoke, Christians twist and wrestle with Paul's words and give his words preference over the words of Jesus himself or the disciples that Jesus presonally imparted the gospel to. We do with Pau;'s words what Peter specifically warned against.
Look at the history of the institional Chruch. It is not a good record. The church has left a path of destruction behind it. If the bible itself warned that destruction would come by the misunderstanding of the writngs of Paul, why would anybody with a sane mind continue to walk in the revelation that comes from the instituional church's intrepretation of Paul?
2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that "All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that many of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." All of it not some.
First you are quoting the words of Paul to prove that Paul's words are inspired. Not logically consistent. Second, I actually agree there is some value to reading Paul's writings. It gives us a more accurate view of the formation of Christianity and highlights the differences in beliefs of those who learned the gospel directly from Christ and someone who received the gospel by ways that Christ himself told us to be suspicious of.
The whole Bible is as it is because of God including Paul's writings. Matthew 24:35 says, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." In other words God's word is eternal and Psalm 119:160 tells us that God's Word is true from the beginning. Psalm 12:6-7 tells us that God has preserved His word through the centuries: "The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."
However, Paul never claimed his writings were the "word of God". Neither did Peter, Paul and James. We can argue till the sun goes down about the canonization process and all that, but the simple fact is that Paul himself even admits that some of his writing is his own thoughts and not the command of God. Why did God allow that to be in the Bible if every word in the Bible is supposed to be the actual words of God?
As Christians we should not pick and choose what to believe in the Bible. If we don't understand it, we should strive to study the word of God and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. That is what the Holy Spirit was sent to do (
John 16:13). As we open our hearts to the Spirit's influence, God will guide us.
And that is exactly what I have done, when the words of Paul appeared to contradict the words of Jesus. I have not removed the writing of Paul from my Bible. I have simply chosen to focus more on the words of Jesus himself.
Paul never wrote the law was abolished with. This is the contentious scripture that many "Christians" quote to make the point that Paul wrote the law was abolished. Romans 6:14, 15. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” According to the law, we are all under obligation to pay the penalty. But Jesus took our place and paid the penalty for us, as long as we accept His sacrifice. We are set free from our death sentence, but it goes much deeper than that. By keeping the law, we are actually set free. How can keeping a law bring freedom?
Christ sets us free from our carnal nature, which is a nature bent toward sin, and gives us a new nature and the power of His Holy Spirit. The Spirit enables us to see the beauty of Jesus’ character and gives us a desire to emanate it. God’s law reveals His character and if we subject ourselves to this law by our obedience to it, we will truly be made free and like Him in character. We are set free from the bonds of sin. We then have the power to overcome our addictions and tendencies that we never had the power to do before. Jesus said He came to set the captives free ( Luke 4:18).
Paul asks, "What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under Grace? God forbid." In Romans 3:31 he wrote, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law” Paul asks if the law is nullified for us just because we have had faith in Christ’s saving grace. His answer is that the law is established and reinforced in the life of a grace-saved Christian.
I actually agree with most of this. However there are many other parts of Paul's writing that appear to contradict this, so instead of getting all tangled up in Paul's confusion, as Peter warned, I simply choose to trust and believe the words of Christ himself, when Paul is confusing or appears contradictory. We aren't even sure that Paul actually wrote every word that is attributed to him in the Bible, so instead of getting all turned around by the words accredited to Paul, I choose to focus more on the words of Christ himself and those who were with him in the flesh.
Why would Paul say something contrary to Jesus' words? Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). He doesn't and neither do the other apostles.
Why did Paul consciously choose to not learn what Jesus taught in the flesh from those who were with him? Paul shows little evidence that he even knew what Jesus' commandments were.
