Source: https://steemit.com/spirituality/@easteagle13/why-is-paul-an-anti-christ

Why Is Paul An Anti-Christ?

By easteagle13

When someone you don't know, suddenly shows up in front of your door and claims he is a representative of an important man, will a laminated ID suffice to ascertain if he is really WHO HE CLAIMS, HE IS?

Let us just say, that this man claims, that he was sent by the Roman Catholic Pope, and that you (for the sake of argument) is a pious Catholic. Maybe he is even dressed like a priest, talks calmly and even moves like one.

If what this man is asking you to do will mean you have to entrust your life into his hand, would you just do it as he asks? Would you entrust your future to this man because of the above?

What if he keeps on repeating that the "Pope" sent him? Or what if he makes "better" promises than what you usually hear from the pulpit? Will that make you trust him completely now?

No? Not yet? Why? What would it take for you to completely trust this man?

What if he tells you an amazing story on how he became a faithful(Roman Catholic)? Still NO?

I can understand how you feel. It would take a lot more to make us trust a person with our life, our future and our family's welfare.

Sadly though, many people do EXACTLY that to an even worse situation. The person they trust with these precious things is someone, they did not even meet IN PERSON.

That man is Paul.

Simply put, these are the claims of Paul:

• That he was sent by Christ.
• That Christ revealed to him that the LAW of God has been "crucified" (nullified, abrogated, removed), hence there's no need anymore to observe them.
• Faith is enough for "salvation"
• He is equal if not better than the Apostles of Christ.
• He is an Apostle because Christ made him so.
• There's no need to observe the God ordained festivities (Sabbaths, New Moons, Passover..etc.)
• He is the "father" of those worshipper that he helped spiritually.
• That the greatest LAW is to "love your neighbor as yourself".

These constitute a very little part of a vast number of claims that paul made through his epistles. While claiming concurrently that HE IS A REPRESENTATIVE OF CHRIST.

Now, do we just trust Paul because he said things as so?

What manner of verification can we do?

A failsafe method to check if Paul's claims are true is to compare Paul's words, to Christ's words. Would you agree?
Would it suffice for you to prove or disprove Paul's teachings according to HOW IT MEASURE UP TO CHRIST'S?? I sure hope so.

It will be similar to the man on our example above, and then being able to talk to the R.C. Pope and ask him directly about the man's credentials!

This is one of Paul's conversion narrative.

3 As Saul was coming near the city of Damascus, suddenly a light from the sky flashed around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?"
5 "Who are you, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you persecute," the voice said.
6 "But get up and go into the city, where you will be told what you must do."
7 The men who were traveling with Saul had stopped, not saying a word; they heard the voice but could not see anyone.
8 Saul got up from the ground and opened his eyes, but could not see a thing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.
9 For three days he was not able to see, and during that time he did not eat or drink anything.

Please note that, Paul never met Christ in person, while Christ was physically alive, although they were contemporaries. Meaning, if someone suddenly talks to him without showing his face to Paul, Paul would have no idea, if that man is, INDEED Christ or not.

This fact of not KNOWING CHRIST, put Paul in a very vulnerable situation. ANY EVIL SPIRIT CAN MAKE PAUL BELIEVE HE IS TALKING TO CHRIST! And this is what actually happened above. Why can we be sure that this is the case of Paul's "miraculous" conversion?

You have to understand how DIFFERENT the person and the teachings of this "invisible one" who talked to Paul compared to Christ. What are the differences?

• When the real Christ was still alive, he does not directly announce his identity to people, even when ASKED or investigated. Christ's answers varies from "it is he you are talking to" to "the son of man will be revealed" kind of replies, but never I AM JESUS/CHRIST. (frequently fraudters are eager to be acknowledged to be who they pretend to be).
• Christ has all the time to choose his apostles when he was still physically alive. In fact he did and taught them all they need to learn. Christ made those apostles as EYEWITNESSES to the things he did. Especially Christ's resurrection. It is the reason why, even after Judas Iscariot failed to faithfully fill his office, Paul was not even considered to replace him, nor any other man who does not measure up to being an eyewitness to Christ's life and ministry to be "sent out". We all know Christ has ascended to heaven and if he planned to make Paul an important part of his earthly ministry, the voting for Judas replacement time will be the best opportunity to acknowledge Paul into his legitimate church. Making Paul to be NOT CHOSEN WHEN CHRIST WAS PHYSICALLY ALIVE and STILL NOT CHOSEN WHEN CHRIST WAS SPIRITUALLY ALIVE. Only Christ's enemy will choose Paul to serve another purpose.
• Christ's Apostles are still alive that time, they are holding Jerusalem as the center of their ministerial work. If the spirit that spoke to Paul was indeed Christ, to whom do you think he will send Paul for "further instructions"? Where? It's easy to understand that it should be to the Apostles and in Jerusalem. None of these, were done by the spirit. Why?
• Christ never inflict HARM to anyone, much less BLINDS someone, when he was still alive. He does not need to put SICKNESS to someone just to look good by HEALING them afterwards. Who do you think employ such tactics of making people sick just to be a hero figure when they heal their victims? Yup, the fraudulent "faith healers".
• After Christ's resurrection, he talked to his disciples and apostles in person BEFORE GOING UP TO HEAVEN. Then he promised that after he went to heaven, a helper will be sent that will help the faithful. Do we find any other conversations between Christ and any of his apostles after he went to heaven? No, even John whom Christ "love so much" has only "visions" of Christ after his ascension.
• The spirit told Paul to preach to the gentiles. MINUS the LAW. Which Paul diligently did. Compare that to Christ's direct words at Matthew 5:17-19 ,which goes like, whoever disobeys the LAW and teaches others to do the same will be least(smallest, the most worthless) to the kingdom of heavens. And in Matthew 10:5-6

5These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Sending the real Apostles ONLY TO THE LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL, with a deliberate command to AVOID the gentiles!

Thus this spirit's instruction to Paul is doubly adversarial to Christ's own intructions.

With all of the above details, all pointing to different TEACHINGS, METHODS, CHARACTERISTICS and DISPOSITIONS compared to Christ, We are only fooling ourselves to BELIEVE that the spirit that talked to Paul is CHRIST(if that incident even really happened(THERES NO ONE WHO CORROBORATES PAUL ABOUT THIS).

So we are left with the possibilities that the narration of Paul about his conversion is either a MADE UP STORY of Paul to give himself some credentials or it really happened but the spirit that talked to him is an EVIL SPIRIT working against Christ.

Let us consider that it really happened for the sake of the argument. What were the results of this "conversion"? Does the fruits of Paul's labors show that indeed it is of Christ?

Sure the "Christian churches" are now spread across the world and everyone of them acknowledge Paul as the source of much of their contradicting doctrines. But what about the fact that these same "Christian" churches teach many doctrines that are in direct contrast to what Christ taught?

If you claim you represent Christ and then teach the opposite things than what Christ taught, do you really REPRESENT HIM? Or you are just USING Christ's authority to subdue followers for your own TEACHINGS?

In this regard, we can actually say, Paul was not sent by Christ.

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NOW FOR PAUL'S CLAIM THAT THE LAW WAS NAILED TO THE CROSS AND THERE'S NO NEED TO OBSERVE THEM. As found in Colossians 2:14.

It is without doubt that PAUL TAUGHT that there's no need to observe the Law!

if someone will confront Paul and ask him to SHOW PROOF THAT HE FOLLOWS THE LAW, what should Paul's reaction be, if he is consistent with his words and teachings? He can say; THERE'S NO NEED TO SHOW PROOF THAT I FOLLOW THE LAW, IT IS NAILED TO THE CROSS ALREADY AND CANCELLED!

Yet, when Paul was ACTUALLY confronted regarding his teachings about the law, this is what happened:

Read Acts 21:18-26

18 The next day Paul went with us to see James; and all the church elders were present.
19 Paul greeted them and gave a complete report of everything that God had done among the Gentiles through his work.
20 After hearing him, they all praised God. Then they said, "Brother Paul, you can see how many thousands of Jews have become believers, and how devoted they all are to the Law.
21 They have been told that you have been teaching all the Jews who live in Gentile countries to abandon the Law of Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or follow the Jewish customs.
22 They are sure to hear that you have arrived. What should be done, then?
23 This is what we want you to do. There are four men here who have taken a vow.
24 Go along with them and join them in the ceremony of purification and pay their expenses; then they will be able to shave their heads. In this way everyone will know that there is no truth in any of the things that they have been told about you, but that you yourself live in accordance with the Law of Moses.
25....
26 So Paul took the men and the next day performed the ceremony of purification with them. Then he went into the Temple and gave notice of how many days it would be until the end of the period of purification, when a sacrifice would be offered for each one of them.

Maybe this is what PAUL calls as "BEING EVERYTHING TO ALL MEN!" Hypocrisy. Making people believe the things that ARE NOT TRUE is not a POSITIVE TRAIT.

While Christ emphasized the importance of OBEYING the LAW, this man Paul, emphasized the opposite and hypocritically acted BEFORE the real APOSTLES, on his stand on the matter.

Considering this point, would you still claim Paul is a representative of Christ?

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Here are Paul's smooth words regarding salvation by FAITH ALONE.

Rom. 5:1, "therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;"
Rom. 11:6, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace."

There are of course, many more passages along these lines. Proving that Paul teaches this doctrine.

Is it inline with Christ's teachings? Do the other Apostles also taught this?

I have posted an article titled "The Covenant", where I discussed the meaning of Christ's words found in Matthew 7:21-23.

Let me ask you, do you have FAITH enough to heal? Cast off demons? Or maybe do some miracles? Would you agree that these kind of POWERFUL WORKS need immense FAITH to do? YET, despite their faith, these KINDS OF PEOPLE are still NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE EVEN CALLED "GOOD" BY CHRIST! Would we expect them to be saved?? Does this answer the question if whether Paul's doctrine that having FAITH alone is enough for salvation is true or not??

NO, Paul is not a representative of Christ.

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He is equal or greater than the Apostles of Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:1-31)

So this man comes and knowing you respect the apostles, claims he is equal or greater than them, with a little mix of feigned humility. Paul even call the apostles as "super-apostles", you'll have to remember that at that time, when none of the books of the "new testament" is in circulation, the only people who are called apostles are Christ's. Only later on when Paul has stablished his own version of the churches that these terms became widespread. But those people submit to Paul's authority and therefore are not the subject of his tirade here.

He managed to insert the idea that these apostles are "evil" because they are bringing a "different Christ" to his followers. "Different gospel". Look at how insidous Paul! Because he knew very well that HE IS IN FACT TEACHING A DIFFERENT CHRIST AND GOSPEL, he charges the Apostles that are teaching the REAL CHRIST and GOSPEL to be evil. Then goes on to compare score cards with them, claiming all his hardships to spread his gospel version as proof of his supremacy over the real Apostles.

There was a church who tested Paul's claim of apostleship. It was the church in Asia. What was their verdict?

When Paul wrote Ephesians 1:1 (Ephesus is a church in Asia) He said "

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God," -Ephesians 1:1

So they examined Paul's claim. And what they found made THEM desert Paul

You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. - 2 Timothy 1:15

What did Christ say about these?

“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. -Revelations 2:2 A message to the church at Ephesus.

A church mustered the courage to examine Paul and found him lying, then Christ commended them. It only means that while Paul MAY CLAIM ALL HIS CLAIMS to be an APOSTLE, but he is not.

Nope, Paul is not even equal to a real Apostle of Christ.

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Having proven the above, all following claims of Paul loses credibility. If examined will only emphasize the fact that he carried a different Christ and a different gospel. A gospel loved by those in authority today. This is the very reason why, his epistles made its way into the canon of the Bible.

Therefore we will not be surprised if there are many "scholars" who vouched for Paul, evil has many company anyway. But truth does not lie in number or time. Even if the whole world claim something as GOOD, and only Christ says it is not. Number will not help the case.

The truth will set you free from lies, only if you are willing to accept it when you found it. -east