Defending the Apostle Paul - Part 10 - Conclusion

I am sure there are still a number of arguments against the discipleship and apostleship of Paul that I have not addressed in this short book, but I hope I have shown that when the great weight of positive evidence is examined, the verdict is in favour of a high view of the Apostle Paul. 

When the positive evidence is weighed against some potentially contradictory evidence (which on more intense inspection I trust I have shown is not contradictory at all, but just misinterpreted or misunderstood), we should find that the positive evidence is significantly stronger.

That is, we find that the ‘best fit’ for the evidence available is that the Apostle Paul was indeed, not only an amazing Rabbi in his own right, but also that he was in-fact a great disciple of Yeshua and the greatest messenger of the message of the Resurrection to the Gentile World!

Clearly, there are redactions though, that is, we can also be quite sure that his works have been significantly edited in places, and intentionally so[1], to change the message towards one that argues against his Torah observant lifestyle and example.

Some of the more obvious examples being Gal 3:16[2], 1 Thess 2:14-16[3], and Romans 10:9[4].

I would also recommend a reading of my article ‘Re-evaluating Philippians 3’[5] to better appreciate the Apostle Paul’s knowledge of Hellenistic practices.

When we consider the very common interpretative errors such as:

·       reading ‘works of the law’ in Galatians as referring to the Torah; to the commandments of God;

·       the failure to appreciate his use of a number of Hebraisms, as well as some Hellenistic concepts;

·       and even his use of rhetorical adaptability,

we should see how easily these errors result in serious misunderstandings of the Apostle Paul, both his person and his message.

What can we do to combat these issues?

Should we discard his epistles because of these problems as some do?

Should we discard the rest of the New Testament because similar issues occur throughout all its books[6]?

Should we discard and disown our Creator because He did not keep these Biblical texts in pristine and perfect condition, as we might have expected Him to?

I say an emphatic NO!

The King of the Universe is a King who hides, a King who at times even hides that He hides[7]! 

Seeking His Truth and a relationship with Him was not meant to be too easy! Nothing of true worth ever is. He is the great pearl in the field for which we should sell everything else we possess.

To truly know Him is to love Him.

To love Him, is to seek Him with all our heart, our mind and our strength.

We should not be put off by the obstacles that others have placed in our path; we should not leave those stones on the path so that others more blind than us may trip over them; and if they already have, we need to help them get back up and begin again walking the narrow Way, the Way to the true Centre of our World, the Way that Yeshua tread before us; the Way that he opened up for Gentiles.

Is it my more earnest hope that I have helped you to appreciate the message that the Torah observant Apostle Paul shared; the message that directs us all towards the Creator and King of the Universe. I also expect though that some may still have important or troublesome questions and still feel some unease or perhaps are as yet, still not fully convinced.

If so, I pray that you will find the time to read the many articles referred to here and in particular the books of Prof. Mark Nanos. Please also feel free to submit any questions you feel I have not addressed.

Finally, if you have not yet read the Appendix on 'Works of the Law' I strongly recommend you do so now - a correct appreciation of what this central phrase means is most vital to understanding the whole message of the Apostle Paul - the appendix is also available on my website here.

Shalom! 

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[1] The historical evidence that the very anti-Semitic, Marcion was the first to try and compile all of the epistles of the Apostle Paul into a coherent collection, should alone give pause for caution.

[2] I strongly recommend a careful reading of Frank Selch’s article on ‘The Seed of Abraham’ which specifically addresses this redaction – see The Seed of Abraham

[3] See ‘Some thoughts on 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 at http://www.charismacomputers.com.au/1%20Thess%202.pdf

[4] See my article ‘Romans 10- toward the autograph’ at http://luke443.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/romans-10-toward-autograph.html

[5] http://www.charismacomputers.com.au/Re-evaluating%20Philipians%203.pdf

[6] See my article on the Greek NT and the LXX at http://www.charismacomputers.com.au/The%20Greek%20NT%20%20and%20the%20LXX%20dec11.pdf

[7] See some short posts on this intriguing aspect of the Almighty at http://globaltruthinternational.com/ and at http://luke443.blogspot.com.au/