Paul's hypocrisy and its consequence

[Zao is life]

Arriving in Tyre during his missionary journeys, Paul stayed there seven days with disciples in Tyre, "who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should NOT go up to Jerusalem."

After leaving Tyre and staying one day at Ptolemais, Paul "came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him, and a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea, and "he came to us, took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it, and said, "The Holy Spirit says this: 'This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"

When they heard this, Paul's travelling companions and the local people "begged him not to go up to Jerusalem".

Then Paul replied, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.", and "because he could not be persuaded, we said no more except, "The Lord's will be done." -- Acts 21:3-14.

Then, while in Jerusalem, Paul was advised by James and the elders and other disciples:

"Thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers of the law. They have been informed about you - that you teach all the Jews now living among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What then should we do? They will no doubt hear that you have come.

So do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with the law." -- Acts 21:3-24

It was a number of years before this that Paul had written to the Thessalonians and Galatians, saying,

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification [Greek: hagiasmos, purification] of the Spirit and belief of the truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." -- Galatians 5:1.

Despite this, acting on the advice of James and the other elders of the church in Jerusalem, Paul "took the men the next day, and after he had purified himself along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice of the completion of the days of purification, when the sacrifice would be offered for each of them." -- Acts 21:20-26.

Paul had accused Peter of hypocrisy when Peter, after eating with the Gentiles in Antioch, withdrew from them when Jews associated with James came from Jerusalem (Galatians 2:11-21).

Now Paul, contrary to his own doctrine, acting on the advice of James and other elders did the same - he purified himself in accordance with Mosaic law in order to appease Jews who claimed to believe the gospel, yet maintained strict observance of Mosaic law.

Of the Jewish believers who insisted that Gentiles obey the law of Moses, Paul had previously told the Gentiles, "They court you eagerly, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly." -- Galatians 4:17

As a result, instead of thus appeasing the Jews when he purified himself in the temple in accordance with Mosaic law, Paul was accused by the Jews of defiling the temple, and was arrested and bound in chains. He remained under arrest until he died.

Paul listened to the advice he received from James and the elders, as well as other Jewish disciples who kept the law of Moses, and as Peter had done in Antioch, Paul did something to show the Jews that Paul still kept the law of Moses.

The fact that Paul was repeatedly warned by Christian prophets speaking by the Holy Spirit not to go to Jerusalem, implies that it was not the will of God that Paul go to Jerusalem, or that he be arrested - but Paul, "returning to the weak and beggarly elements of the law" in order to make a show to unbelieving Jews of being a Torah-observant Jew, lost his freedom for the rest of his life, effectively ending his missionary journeys.

OBVIOUSLY (before someone shouts this false accusation) it does not mean that Paul lost his salvation - but he suffered the consequence of his hypocrisy for the rest of his life - and this is why prophesying by the Holy Spirit Paul was repeatedly warned by Christians NOT TO go to Jerusalem. But he never listened.​

 

[Hepzibah]

I agree. How could it be from God that Paul would be taken out of his ministry at that point of history.

 

[Hepzibah]

Did God send Paul to Jerusalem?

Acts 21:4. God speaks to the Apostle Paul through believers, saying he should not go to Jerusalem but Paul is not listening. He has made up his mind and is hastening to Jerusalem, but the Holy Spirit is speaking to His disciples, giving His express will that Paul should not go: “and finding disciples, we tarried there seven days who said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem”.

Literally, that is, ‘not set foot in’, not as in Acts 20:23, a warning of danger, but now an imperative command. (Schofield) Perhaps they tarried the seven days due to lengthy discussions in the hopes of persuading Paul. It was not his wish that he was delayed in his intentions, the sign that he was not waiting on guidance moment by moment on the Holy Spirit, but presuming he knew the will of God, making a decision about where he was to go, rather than be content to be on the journey, in God’s will, waiting on the Lord as he did when he was stopped from going into Asia.

In Ephesus (Acts 18:20) he would not delay and said that he ‘must by all means, go to Jerusalem (Acts 18:21). He was determined but was he open to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, so that he could change his plans whenever the Holy Spirit would forbid action? It seems not for in Acts 20:16, it is recorded that Paul hasted.

Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus because he would not spend time in Asia, for he ‘hasted, if it were possible for him to be in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost’. Haste is actually the sign that the devil is at work, for to walk in the Light means that every step that we take (as had Paul previous to this) must be taken deliberately and carefully according to the minute by minute guidance we are afforded if we living in close communion with the Lord Jesus Christ and led by the Spirit. Confusion comes if we are not.

Paul has lost his way and is now driven by his own thoughts, which may not be wrong in themselves, such as wanting to get offerings to the brethren in Jerusalem, after all, his desire is still to serve Christ and those to whom he had preached the gospel. He had not turned aside from his ministry but he had ceased to hear God speaking to him and he was also refusing to hear those to whom God was having to resort to speak though and therefore playing straight into the hands of the enemy who delights in God’s children getting it slightly wrong (not to touch the fruit) with tragic results in putting oneself outside of God’s will.

More than anything else, Satan would want to end Paul’s missionary journey’s and have him out of action, and this is what happened. Paul called the elders of Ephesus to him at Miletus and said his goodbyes to them, explaining that he was ‘bound in the S(s)pirit’ (Acts 20:22) What he was meaning was the he was bound in his own spirit, whereas in 21:4 it is the Holy Spirit who tells him he should not go to Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit does not bind a man and gives him the freedom to do as he wishes.

The final warning comes in Cesarea, this time not in words, which had so far failed to get through to Paul, but by way of a physical demonstration which convinced Paul’s travelling companions (21:12) so that they and Philip the evangelist, all men of God and led by the Spirit, united in discernment that God was commanding Paul not to go to Jerusalem and ‘besought him not to go’. Not just one person note, it was a company of brethren who Paul was ignoring.

Christ has said ‘when two or more are gathered in my name’ or are in agreement ‘there I am in the midst of them’ which is sufficient warning to us whenever we decide to go it alone and step outside of the counsel of brethren who are walking in the Light. What was Paul thinking of??

His fellow disciples gave up at that point, realising that Paul’s mind was set and closed, a dangerous thing for a follower of Christ. They ceased (21:14) and there was nothing left for them to do but to put the matter in the hands of God. “The will of the Lord be done” and resigned themselves to accompanying Paul despite their understanding that it was not God’s will, and that their brother in Christ, whom they would not abandon, was in mortal danger.

It is true that God used God in ‘the prison years’ but we do not know how much was lost with the leading Apostle out of action and what the long term result in the church would be. God brings good out of our stupidity, but it does not say that everything we lost is restored. @Zao is life

 

[Episkopos]

Arriving in Tyre during his missionary journeys, Paul stayed there seven days with disciples in Tyre, "who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should NOT go up to Jerusalem."

After leaving Tyre and staying one day at Ptolemais, Paul "came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him, and a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea, and "he came to us, took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it, and said, "The Holy Spirit says this: 'This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"

When they heard this, Paul's travelling companions and the local people "begged him not to go up to Jerusalem".​

Remember how Jesus told His disciples that He was going to Jerusalem to die...and Peter said...NO...this cannot be. Even though Peter loved Jesus and thought to protect Him....such was not the will of God. Instead Jesus rebuked Peter.

So then knowing one is about to be arrested is NOT a good reason to not go up to Jerusalem. As they treated His Lord, so they would treat Paul.

Then Paul replied, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.", and "because he could not be persuaded, we said no more except, "The Lord's will be done." -- Acts 21:3-14.

Then, while in Jerusalem, Paul was advised by James and the elders and other disciples:

"Thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers of the law. They have been informed about you - that you teach all the Jews now living among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What then should we do? They will no doubt hear that you have come.

So do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with the law." -- Acts 21:3-24​

Paul remained a Jew. And he had a witness also to his fellow Jews. Remember he was to be all things to all men. In the presence of Gentiles he acted as one. In the presence of Jews...well, you get the idea. ;)

It was a number of years before this that Paul had written to the Thessalonians and Galatians, saying,

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification [Greek: hagiasmos, purification] of the Spirit and belief of the truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." -- Galatians 5:1.

Despite this, acting on the advice of James and the other elders of the church in Jerusalem, Paul "took the men the next day, and after he had purified himself along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice of the completion of the days of purification, when the sacrifice would be offered for each of them." -- Acts 21:20-26.

Paul had accused Peter of hypocrisy when Peter, after eating with the Gentiles in Antioch, withdrew from them when Jews associated with James came from Jerusalem (Galatians 2:11-21).​

Not the same thing. A person doesn't steer a boat by only turning one way. Otherwise we go in circles. There is a time to every purpose under heaven. Paul desired to be a witness for Christ for all time. And he wanted his end to show his devotion to Christ.

Now Paul, contrary to his own doctrine, acting on the advice of James and other elders did the same - he purified himself in accordance with Mosaic law in order to appease Jews who claimed to believe the gospel, yet maintained strict observance of Mosaic law.

Of the Jewish believers who insisted that Gentiles obey the law of Moses, Paul had previously told the Gentiles, "They court you eagerly, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly." -- Galatians 4:17

As a result, instead of thus appeasing the Jews when he purified himself in the temple in accordance with Mosaic law, Paul was accused by the Jews of defiling the temple, and was arrested and bound in chains. He remained under arrest until he died.

Paul listened to the advice he received from James and the elders, as well as other Jewish disciples who kept the law of Moses, and as Peter had done in Antioch, Paul did something to show the Jews that Paul still kept the law of Moses.

The fact that Paul was repeatedly warned by Christian prophets speaking by the Holy Spirit not to go to Jerusalem, implies that it was not the will of God that Paul go to Jerusalem, or that he be arrested - but Paul, "returning to the weak and beggarly elements of the law" in order to make a show to unbelieving Jews of being a Torah-observant Jew, lost his freedom for the rest of his life, effectively ending his missionary journeys.​

People want other people to live. I cited the time when Peter wanted to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem. So then the people around Paul were interpreting what the Spirit was saying. The Spirit merely conveyed what would happen if he went. And that was acceptable to Paul. Remember when the Spirit forbade Paul from going into Asia. Did Paul obey? Of course. Expressly forbidding something and prophesying what will happen are not the same.

OBVIOUSLY (before someone shouts this false accusation) it does not mean that Paul lost his salvation - but he suffered the consequence of his hypocrisy for the rest of his life - and this is why prophesying by the Holy Spirit Paul was repeatedly warned by Christians NOT TO go to Jerusalem. But he never listened.​

People warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem based on the revelation from the Spirit of what would happen. Paul accepted that he would be sacrificed for Christ. And this Paul embraced.

 

[Lambano]

I'll let Paul explain his motives and tactics:

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under Torah, as under Torah though not being myself under Torah, so that I might win those who are under Torah; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

 

[Jesusfollower]

I'll let Paul explain his motives:

yes it confirms Paul as an hypocrite as it is defined;

hypocrite /hĭp′ə-krĭt″/

noun​

1. A person given to hypocrisy.
2. One who plays a part; especially, one who, for the purpose of winning approbation of favor, puts on a fair outside seeming; one who feigns to be other and better than he is; a false pretender to virtue or piety; one who simulates virtue or piety.
3. A person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives.

trying to please everyone to gain everyone, there is only one truth how can someone please everyone without lying about it?

 

[Lambano]

Sometimes you do what God calls you to do and accept the consequences.

 

[Randy Kluth]

Arriving in Tyre during his missionary journeys, Paul stayed there seven days with disciples in Tyre, "who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should NOT go up to Jerusalem."

After leaving Tyre and staying one day at Ptolemais, Paul "came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him, and a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea, and "he came to us, took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it, and said, "The Holy Spirit says this: 'This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"

When they heard this, Paul's travelling companions and the local people "begged him not to go up to Jerusalem".

Then Paul replied, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.", and "because he could not be persuaded, we said no more except, "The Lord's will be done." -- Acts 21:3-14.

Then, while in Jerusalem, Paul was advised by James and the elders and other disciples:

"Thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers of the law. They have been informed about you - that you teach all the Jews now living among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What then should we do? They will no doubt hear that you have come.

So do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with the law." -- Acts 21:3-24

It was a number of years before this that Paul had written to the Thessalonians and Galatians, saying,

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification [Greek: hagiasmos, purification] of the Spirit and belief of the truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." -- Galatians 5:1.

Despite this, acting on the advice of James and the other elders of the church in Jerusalem, Paul "took the men the next day, and after he had purified himself along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice of the completion of the days of purification, when the sacrifice would be offered for each of them." -- Acts 21:20-26.

Paul had accused Peter of hypocrisy when Peter, after eating with the Gentiles in Antioch, withdrew from them when Jews associated with James came from Jerusalem (Galatians 2:11-21).

Now Paul, contrary to his own doctrine, acting on the advice of James and other elders did the same - he purified himself in accordance with Mosaic law in order to appease Jews who claimed to believe the gospel, yet maintained strict observance of Mosaic law.

Of the Jewish believers who insisted that Gentiles obey the law of Moses, Paul had previously told the Gentiles, "They court you eagerly, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly." -- Galatians 4:17

As a result, instead of thus appeasing the Jews when he purified himself in the temple in accordance with Mosaic law, Paul was accused by the Jews of defiling the temple, and was arrested and bound in chains. He remained under arrest until he died.

Paul listened to the advice he received from James and the elders, as well as other Jewish disciples who kept the law of Moses, and as Peter had done in Antioch, Paul did something to show the Jews that Paul still kept the law of Moses.

The fact that Paul was repeatedly warned by Christian prophets speaking by the Holy Spirit not to go to Jerusalem, implies that it was not the will of God that Paul go to Jerusalem, or that he be arrested - but Paul, "returning to the weak and beggarly elements of the law" in order to make a show to unbelieving Jews of being a Torah-observant Jew, lost his freedom for the rest of his life, effectively ending his missionary journeys.

OBVIOUSLY (before someone shouts this false accusation) it does not mean that Paul lost his salvation - but he suffered the consequence of his hypocrisy for the rest of his life - and this is why prophesying by the Holy Spirit Paul was repeatedly warned by Christians NOT TO go to Jerusalem. But he never listened.​

All good questions, but never a good thing to attack or accuse an apostle like Paul! Paul had been told his future, that his purpose was to go to Jerusalem. He was therefore unafraid. But God used the prophets, who themselves were subject to fear, to warn Paul of what he was about to go through.

Paul also knew he was among enemies when he took the vow under the Law. He was showing at the same time respect for those who believed they were still under the Law and deception for those who wished to accuse him, maliciously, of subverting a Law that Paul knew was no longer in play.

In other words, Paul knew the Law was not in effect, but knew he had to show respect for the customs of a people he was trying to reach with the Gospel. He could legitimately take a vow, in the Christian sense, letting his "yes be yes," and at the same time adorn that promise with customary trappings as a form of respect for the traditions of Judaism.

Paul had no concern for Jews who would view this as hypocrisy--they had ill intentions. His cause was to "become like a Jew to win the Jew." The legal form of taking a vow was of no consequence in the Gospel. But those under the Law would not respect a Jew who appeared to throw contempt on their ways.

It would've been hypocritical if Paul was teaching *Christians* that he followed the letter of the Law. But he was not reaching out to Christians, but to those who still were under the letter of the Law. In order to deliver the message of the Spirit he had to avoid putting obstacles of custom in the way of his witness.

 

[Zao is life]

Paul was the best man for the missions to the Gentiles, which is why He was chosen by our Lord - but like Peter and all the others, he was not Christ - he was not perfect, though some of the answers here want to assert he was.

Paul was also human, so also capable of making mistakes, and it's never good to ignore God's will when He speaks through another Christian. Paul stayed seven days with disciples in Tyre, "who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should NOT go up to Jerusalem."

After leaving Tyre and staying one day at Ptolemais, Paul "came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him, and a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea, and "he came to us, took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it, and said, "The Holy Spirit says this: 'This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"

When they heard this, Paul's travelling companions and the local people "begged him not to go up to Jerusalem".

The Holy Spirit told Paul through Christian prophets who were not his enemies NOT TO go to Jerusalem, but because Paul, great evangelist that he was, was not perfect, he failed to heed.
​

Those who assert (by the things they argue against the OP) either that it was God's will that Paul go to Jerusalem, or that Paul was right not to have heeded the warning given him by God, have obviously chosen to ignore the same words that Paul ignored, though they were spoken by God Himself (through the Spirit). The result could not have done the mission for which Paul had been chosen by Christ any good. He remained under effective house arrest in Rome for the rest of his life.

Just because we can all thank Jesus for Paul (and for all His apostles He sent us), does not mean we have to pull the blindfolds over our eyes and assume that a mistake any of them made could not have been a mistake, by exalting them to super-human status just because they were apostles. Peter made a number of mistakes. We certainly don't judge or condemn or devalue his work or his life or his epistles or his teaching because of it, but we don't exalt any human to god-like status and pretend that they were super human and not capable of making a mistake. Paul and the other apostles would have been the first to correct those who so readily do so.

The "wisdom of the wise" among Christians is often shockingly foolish, and shows in the things they say. Even Job's friends had more wisdom in their lengthy "wise" and Godly-sounding discourses about why Job was going through what he was going through, though they had none.​

 

[Zao is life]

All good questions, but never a good thing to attack or accuse an apostle like Paul!

Never a good thing to make a false accusation like the above in the pretense that you never noticed that there was no attacking of Paul going on in the OP whatsoever. Just an objective analysis of the facts as recorded by Luke in Acts. Was Luke attacking Paul too? Because if the OP was, so was Luke.

Never a good thing to turn something that is not meant in a critical way into something bad like an attack on an apostle because the fact that you are making a pretense of seeing it as an "attack" is too obvious and shows that you are attacking the poster, not the OP.

The dishonesty of some of the Christians in this board like the dishonesty your post has just exposed is something that becomes really tiring, and makes for yet more exercising of a virtue called patience.​

 

[Zao is life]

yes it confirms Paul as an hypocrite as it is defined;

hypocrite /hĭp′ə-krĭt″/

noun​

1. A person given to hypocrisy.
2. One who plays a part; especially, one who, for the purpose of winning approbation of favor, puts on a fair outside seeming; one who feigns to be other and better than he is; a false pretender to virtue or piety; one who simulates virtue or piety.
3. A person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives.

trying to please everyone to gain everyone, there is only one truth how can someone please everyone without lying about it?

I don't believe that Paul meant he obeys the law for the sake of the Jews. I think he meant he empathizes with all people, loves all people and does not judge them in terms of what they believe in order that he may win them to Christ.

He told Gentiles if they are uncircumsized then they should not become circumzised and Jews that if they are circumsized they should not become uncircumsized. Clearly he was not talking literally.

He meant if you're a Gentile you don't have to follow Jewish customs and traditions based on Jewish law (like Pesach seder and Hannukah and ..),

and if you're a Jew you don't have to abandon them (Jewish customs).

I believe we should understand that Paul did not mean everything he said to be taken up literally. There were no words like empathy in Greek or Paul did not have enough Greek vocabulary even though he was educated to know exactly how to express what he was saying every time.

 

[Dan Clarkston]

it does not mean that Paul lost his salvation - but he suffered the consequence of his hypocrisy for the rest of his life - and this is why prophesying by the Holy Spirit Paul was repeatedly warned by Christians NOT TO go to Jerusalem. But he never listened.

Paul was not perfect like Jesus so of course he made at least some decisions that were not right.

This does not mean his writings are not inspired of the Lord and should be thrown out where is where people that attack Paul usually go with stuff such as this.

 

[Dan Clarkston]

I don't believe that Paul meant he obeys the law for the sake of the Jews. I think he meant he empathizes with all people, loves all people and does not judge them in terms of what they believe in order that he may win them to Christ.

In modern times you think Paul would be dressing up as a women so he could go tell the transvestites that they can still be saved and continue in their perversion?

Many do...

 

[Jesusfollower]

I don't believe that Paul meant he obeys the law for the sake of the Jews. I think he meant he empathizes with all people, loves all people and does not judge them in terms of what they believe in order that he may win them to Christ.

He told Gentiles if they are uncircumsized then they should not become circumzised and Jews that if they are circumsized they should not become uncircumsized. Clearly he was not talking literally.

He meant if you're a Gentile you don't have to follow Jewish customs and traditions based on Jewish law (like Pesach seder and Hannukah and ..),

and if you're a Jew you don't have to abandon them (Jewish customs).

I believe we should understand that Paul did not mean everything he said to be taken up literally. There were no words like empathy in Greek or Paul did not have enough Greek vocabulary even though he was educated to know exactly how to express what he was saying every time.

Do you know why Paul was arrested in the first place? what does Acts reveal?

Paul studied with the very best scolar at that time, Gamaliel.

Greek was the lingua franca of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Roman Empire during Paul's time. As a highly educated individual with a background in Jewish law and philosophy, Paul would have been fluent in Greek, both in speaking and writing. This proficiency is evident in his epistles, which were written in Greek and reflect a sophisticated command of the language.

Paul's use of Greek allowed him to communicate effectively with a diverse audience and to articulate his theological ideas to both Jewish and Gentile communities throughout the Roman Empire.

Paul's greek was flawless he knew very well what he was writing and which style (stoic) to use to get attention.

 

[Dan Clarkston]

Paul's use of Greek allowed him to communicate effectively with a diverse audience and to articulate his theological ideas to both Jewish and Gentile communities throughout the Roman Empire.

One of the major reasons the Lord called him to ministry

 

[RedFan]

Paul studied with the very best scolar at that time, Gamaliel.

That would be the Gamaliel who told the Sanhedrin they should leave the apostles alone, Acts 5:38-39. His student Paul ignored that counsel, Acts 8:1-3, Acts 9:1.

 

[Dan Clarkston]

His student Paul ignored that counsel

Yes, before Paul got born again he did lots of evil stuff... like the rest of us.

 

[Zao is life]

Do you know why Paul was arrested in the first place? what does Acts reveal?

Paul studied with the very best scolar at that time, Gamaliel.

Greek was the lingua franca of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Roman Empire during Paul's time. As a highly educated individual with a background in Jewish law and philosophy, Paul would have been fluent in Greek, both in speaking and writing. This proficiency is evident in his epistles, which were written in Greek and reflect a sophisticated command of the language.

Paul's use of Greek allowed him to communicate effectively with a diverse audience and to articulate his theological ideas to both Jewish and Gentile communities throughout the Roman Empire.

Paul's greek was flawless he knew very well what he was writing and which style (stoic) to use to get attention.

Paul had done nothing wrong in terms of the law when he got arrested. He was arrested only because he was despised by Jews who accused him of speaking against Moses from long before he purified himself and followed the law to try and prove to them he was a Torah-observing Jew.

Yet a lot of what he wrote can be confusing. So no matter whether fluent in Greek or not he did seem to at times have difficulty in explaining exactly what he meant, IMO. The most eloquent and educated of people find it difficult to explain complicated subjects to ordinary people.

If you are yourself a Torah-observant believer in Jesus then we are not on the same page. I respect Paul. I have the utmost respect for him and I believe what he taught. But it's clear to me he made a huge error in taking the advice of Torah-observing "believers". The law and the New Covenant do not mix any more than oil and water mix.

That was Paul's second mistake. His first mistake was not to heed the disciples who told him through the Spirit NOT TO go to Jerusalem.

 

[Zao is life]

In modern times you think Paul would be dressing up as a women so he could go tell the transvestites that they can still be saved and continue in their perversion?

Many do...

To anyone who actually reads and considers the New Testament and prays for understanding (like everyone should) it's quite obvious that Paul was not one of those many today who you say think Paul would do that. He did not compromise but he did not judge and YES he would have spoken at least once with Agape love to one or a group of the above category of people - but he would not have cast pearls before the swine who refused to hear him. He would have shaken the dust off his feet and left.

The things you throw into your question about what I said should not even come into your mind when we're talking about the Bible just because of today's culture when you know perfectly well that unrighteousness has nothing to do with what I said about Paul's approach and attitude.

 

[Zao is life]

Paul was not perfect like Jesus so of course he made at least some decisions that were not right.

This does not mean his writings are not inspired of the Lord and should be thrown out where is where people that attack Paul usually go with stuff such as this.

You're falsely accusing me. Where do people usually go when they start falsely accusing someone?

If you had stopped after "this does not mean his writings are not inspired" I could have agreed with you.

What a shame you can't control yourself.