PAUL’S EPISTELS ARE FROM GOD AND IS CONFIRMED BY APOSTLE PETER

Those who reject the writings of Paul must understand that the NT scripture gives self-attestation that the writings of Paul are the commandments of God. Moreover, apostle Peter also approves the writings of Paul and warned that those who reject the writings of Paul do this for their own destruction.

APOSTLE PETER CONSIDERED THE EPISTELS OF PAUL AS INSPIRED HOLY SCRIPTURE FROM GOD AND WARND DESTRUCTION FOR CRITICS

2 PET 3:16-17 As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unsteadfast wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, knowing [these things] beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own steadfastness.

PAUL WROTE TO ALL SAINTS OF THE CHURCH AGE

1 Cor 1:1 Paul, called [to be] an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, [even] them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called [to be] saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their [Lord] and ours: 1Cor 11:16 But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. Here all churches of God, is in reference.

WHAT PAUL WROTE IS THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD

1 Cor 14:37 If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.

Here he reiterates that it is the command from God. God knew that even in these days, pseudo spirituals will emerge to mislead the people and church. 

STATEMENT THAT “PAUL IS NOT DIVINE” IS MALICIOUS

THE STATEMENT IS QUESTIONING THE WRITINGS OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT DIVINE. ONLY THE WRITINGS OF THOSE WHO ARE DIVINE CAN BE LEGITIMATE AND BE TRUSTED. IN THE BIBLE ONLY JESUS IS DIVINE AND JESUS WROTE NO BOOKS. HENCE ACCORDING TO THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE DEMONIC LOGIC OF “PAUL IS NOT DIVINE” STATEMENT, THE ENTIRE BIBLE CAN BE CONSIDERED AS INVALID AND REJECTED.

IT IS A PETTY STATEMENT. NO CHRISTIAN, FOR THAT MATTER BELIEVES THAT, PAUL, PETER ETC ARE DIVINES. Christians believe that the epistles letters of Paul in the New Testament are inspired by the HS of God, and is a perfect revelation of God.

The statement that PAUL IS NOT DIVINE, in this context, seems to imply that, the validity of the writings of the person depends solely on the divinity of the person. Hence it follows that if Paul is not divine, and because of that reason, the writings of Paul do lack divine sanction. This logic is totally wrong. The inspiration of the Holy Scriptures does not depend on the divinity of the human writer. It is the Holy Spirit who gives the inspiration and revelation to the human writer. If you extend the logic of the statement that Paul is not divine, then no human writer of the entire Bible is divine, and hence no book of the Bible can be considered as reliable.

THIS IS THE HORRIBLE CONSEQUENCE OF THE DEMON INSPIRED IRRATIONAL ILLEGITIMATE THINKING. SUCH IDEOLOGICAL POISON CAN SPREAD HAVOC IN THE SOCIETY AND CHURCH TOWARDS MUCH CONFUSION AND DESTRUCTION.

FAILURE TO RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD OF TRUTH IS THE COMMON FALLACY OF LIBERALS AND FEMINISTS

FEMINIST VIEW

“We need to compare, analyze and study the teachings of Paul and all other Biblical authors, to see whether they agree with the essence of things that Jesus Christ had taught. Anything contrary to what Jesus taught should not be accepted as part of our doctrines or practical commitments. Paul says that women must keep their mouth shut in public meetings. This command is contrary to the teachings of Jesus and the practices of Old Testament saints and New Testament churches. Follow our INFALLIBLE Lord Jesus who would never have forced women to live and breathe and pray and prophesy under a head covering”

MY RESPONSE

FAILURE TO SEE THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD FROM THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD IS DISASTROUS. THE THINKING THAT AUTHENTICITY SHOULD BE GIVEN ONLY FOR THE WORDS OF JESUS IS A VEERY DANGEROUS ARGUMENT.

JESUS NEVER SAID THAT ONLY WHAT HE SAYS IS THE WORD OF GOD. DENYING THE REVELATION WHICH JESUS GAVE TO HIS APOSTLES LATER, IS A CATASTROPHIC TREND.

TAKING ONLY WHAT JESUS SAID AND FOLLOWING THE INFALLIBLE LORD, HOW? BUT FROM WHICH BOOK, AND WRITTEN BY WHOM? BECAUSE, LORD JESUS CHRIST DID NOT PERSONALLY WRITE ANY BOOK IN THE BIBLE DIRECTLY. HENCE SUCH FAULTY LOGIC INTENDS TO ULTIMATELY LEAVE NOTHING AS JESUS SAID, AND THUS TAKE AWAY THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE ENTIRE BIBLE.

From where do you get the word of Jesus except from the NT? The four gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, are written by these four humans under the inspiration of the HS, just as Paul wrote the epistles. When understood as revelation and inspiration, the value of both these categories, is of the same level.

Nobody should say that the writings of Paul are inferior to the gospels. Even the regular Lords supper passage in the churches is from the writings of Paul, and not from the writings of any of the disciples who walked with Jesus. How about that?

THE FOUR GOSPELS PRIMARILY GIVE HISORICAL NARRATION OF THE REDEMPTIVE BIRTH, LIFE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF THE SON OF GOD. THE DETAILED DOCTRINAL STIPULATION AND LEGISLATION IS ACOMPLISHED THROUGH THE INSPIRED WRITINGS OF EPISTELS IN THE NT, MOST OF WHICH ARE DONE THOUGH APOSTLE PAUL.

BEING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS DURING HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY IS NOT AN ABSOLUTE CRITERION FOR PERFECT REVELATION

If it were so Judas would not have fallen away. Moreover all the disciples did not even write gospel or epistles. And Mark a disciple of Jesus ended up as an assistant of Apostle Paul in his ministry. Paul even reached the heights of apostolic authority that he could even rebuke Apostle Peter for his errors. Paul himself claimed that he was not inferior to the greatest of the apostles of Lord Jesus Christ.

PAUL IS PROJECTED AS A FALSE TEACHER BY ENEMIES OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

FEMINIST VIEW

“Forget about Paul who said it is better for men not to get married. That is false teaching. 
Forget about Paul who forced ladies to cover their head with a veil. That is neither Jewish nor Christian. That was Assyrian and Sumerian customs which were devised to keep women under the yoke of a veil. The Jewish men simply forced the women to imitate this pagan custom”. “Paul's words are fallible. Paul had arguments with other disciples on doctrinal issues”. 

“What we see here is that Paul got too enthusiastic and told people a few things that nobody else said. None of the disciples of Jesus wrote in the gospels or in the epistles that females should sit quietly in Church. Paul in this context was focusing on the customs of the Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Sumerian civilizations than on the will of the God in heaven”. 

“Let us understand that Paul was not a divine like Jesus Christ. Paul's word is not the final word on any topic. Paul never associated personally with Jesus Christ while Jesus walked on the earth preaching and healing. He became a Christian only after Jesus ascended to heaven. Paul had a variety of disagreements with Peter and other disciples who lived and walked with Jesus for three-and-a-half years. Such disagreements between the disciples and Paul indicate that none of those men were infallible”.

“Whether Paul says or Peter says, nobody has the right to refuse a lady’s God given right to speak, to pray, to sing, and to compose songs”.

“There are female prophets (prophetess) and singers in the Bible. There are female judges and soldiers in the Bible. There are female evangelists in the Bible”. 

“Nowhere does the Bible say that these females were singing only for females and prophesying only for females”.“Saint Paul is utterly wrong in this matter. 
All his words are not revelations from God. Whatever contradicts common sense and the loving nature of God is not from God”. “Paul himself said that he does not have any revelations from God for certain opinions. That means a few things in his epistles are his personal opinions, not divine oracles”. 

MY RESPONSE

HERE IN THE ABOVE STATEMENTS, THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE WRITINGS OF PAUL AND OTHER APOSTLES IS REJECTED. THE IDEA OF THE FALLIBILITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITINGS PAUL AND OTHER APOSTLES IS MOOTED AND TAUGHT.

INFALLIBILITY REFERS TO THE INSPIRED TEACHINGS GOD GAVE THROUGH THEM, AS WRITTEN WORD OF GOD. ONLY THOSE WORDS AND WRITINGS OF THE APOSTLES, WHICH WERE INSPIRED ARE INCLUDED IN THE BIBLE.

THIS IS CLEAR REJECTION OF GOD’S WORD THROUGH PETER AND PAUL, AND CLEARLY DISHONORS THE NEW TESTAMENT REVELATION FOR THE SAKE OF APPEASING THE PERVERTED FEMINIST IDEOLOGIES.

PLEASE LIST THOSE NON-GODLY PASSAGES. THOSE WHO CLAIM SOME OF PAUL’S WRITING IS NOT OF GOD, MUST WITHOUT DELAY, LIST AND DELINEATE THOSE ITEMS.

ALL THE ANTI-CHRISTIAN IDEOLOGICAL GROUPS OPPOSE PAULINE EPISTLES

Two major ideological groups which have manifested strong objections to the Pauline epistles include the Modern Liberal theologians, radical feminists and Islamic apologists. They have strong theological objections to the established Christian faith system.

It is a fact that God chose Paul to systematize the Christian theology in the written form and also give the norms and rules for the New Testament church. Those who disagree with are ipso facto OUTSIDE the Church of God.

THE ANTI-PAUL STAND IS A STRATEGY TO DESTROY CHURCH THROUGH DISORDER, AND THEREBY GLOBAL SOCIETIES

Paul said women cover head, and not speak in the church. These feminists say, women should not cover head and should speak in the church. The common factor and ultimate outcome of women not covering head and women speaking in the church is GROSS DISORDER AND SUBVERSION WITHIN THE CHURCH AND THE GRADUAL QUANTUM RISE IN LESBIANISM AND HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE SOCIETY OUTSIDE.This can be made clear if one makes a simple study of the global societies where the demands of the feminism had been victorious. Thus their aim is to create disorder in the church and destroy the church, and also destroy the global society at large.

THE ILLEGITIMACY AND IRONY OF ACCEPTING PAUL ON TONGUES AND REJECTING PAUL ON WOMEN’S ISSUES

Apostle is one of the few writers of the NT who got the deepest revelations from God. He was the only writer taken to the third heavens, and got even unutterable revelations.

But what he said categorically on the issues such as head covering of women and women not speaking the churches, some reject. Their complaint is that only Paul is writing such things. So he should be wrong, they reason.

But in the same way only Paul wrote on the issue of tongues in so much detail. But they believe it as of God? Moreover they even believe more than what Paul did say. That is, Paul said don’t speak tongues in the church, if there is no interpretation. But they argue that they will speak tongues even without interpretation.

IF THEY SAY THAT ONLY PAUL COMMANDS THAT WOMEN SHOULD NOT SPEAK IN THE CHURCH, THEN IT IS ALSO ONLY PAUL WHO SPEAKS ABOUT SPEAKING IN TONGUES.

IN REGARD TO THE ISSUE OF TONGUES, SUCH PEOPLE NOT ONLY AGREE WITH PAUL, BUT EVEN GO BEYOND THE RESTRICTIONS PAUL HAD GIVEN SAYING, IF THERE IS NO INTERPRETATION TONGUE SPEAKER MUST KEEP QUIET. BUT THESE PEOPLE PLAY HOLIER THAN GOD AND PAUL, AND MAKE SPEAKING THE TONGUES WITHOUT INTERPRETATION IN THE CHURCH A ROUTINE PRACTICE. THAT DOES NOT ALSO MEAN THAT ALL TONGUES SPEAKING IN THE CHURCHES IS NECESSARILY EVIL. BUT THE VIOLATION OF THE BIBLICAL NORMS CAN BE EVIL AT LEAST IN MANY CASES.

THERE IS A REASON WHY THEY DISAGREE WITH PAUL WHEN HE SAYS YOU EITHER INTERPRET THE TONGUES OR KEEP QUIET WITHOUT SPEAKING TONGUES. The thing is that the whole project of these people is to create disorder in the church. They might not be able to understand and accept this as their motive, because they are deceived and misguided by the forces which want disorder in the church, by rejecting the holy commandments given through apostle Paul.

REMEMBER EVEN PETER WAS GUIDED BY DEVIL, WHILE HE WAS STANDING VERY NEAR TO JESUS. AND JESUS SAID, GET BEHIND ME SATAN. So, should believers say. Get behind me Satan. Devil is the deceiver, the real enemy. Not any humans.

REJCTING PAUL’S RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF TONGUES IS ALREADY CREATING DISORDER IN THE CHURCHES

SOME PSEUDO PENTACOSTALS HAVE ALREADY CREATED DISORDER IN THE CHURCH BY DISOBEYING THE INSTRUCTIONS OF PAUL REGARDING THE USE OF TONGUES WITHOUT INTERPRETATION.

THOSE WHO DISOBEY GOD’S WORD IN THIS REGARD ARE DEVOID OF ANY CRITERIA TO DETERMINE WHAT THEY SPEAK IS REAL TONGUES OR NOT. Hence there is much ambiguity and confusion in the churches.

The word of God through Paul is very clear, that you should not use tongues in the Church without interpretation. But they disregard this command and speak tongues without interpretation. They claim that it gives them edification. But the fact is that no activity in violation of the Biblical injunctions can lead to spiritual edification, but can only lead to spiritual degeneration and demonization. Accordingly the visible outcome of all this is that, as the word of God rightly warned, a clear disorder in the church, dissatisfaction for the large majority of the believers, weakening of the church, and creating bad name for the churches concerned. Paul even warned that if you do things like that, strangers might even think that you are mad. And such will be a very bad witness for the Church. Because making the world to think that, the Church is mad, is not a good witness for the church, and it creates dishonor for God.

DID PAUL WRITE AGAINST THE WILL OF GOD IN MARRIAGE ISSUES?

FEMINIST POSITION

“Paul once said that it is better for all believers never to get married. Obviously, he was expressing an idea that is not the will of God. Beginning with the Garden of Eden, God’s perfect will has been for people to get married and multiply on the earth”. “A few times he has confessed in his epistles that some of his ideas are his own opinions, but not revelations from God. Obviously, Paul was absolutely wrong in his idea that it is better for every person to remain unmarried like him. In this context, he was actually trying to make everybody imitate his lifestyle. Celibacy was not a lifestyle prescribed by Jesus or his apostles”.

MY RESPONSE

SUCH WRONG CONCLUSIONS ARE ARRIVED AT BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY TO RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD OF TRUTH.

“For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” (Mk 12:25). In the age to come, there is no need to “be fruitful and multiply”. Hence humans “neither marry nor are given in marriage”. If human marriage is for this age only, then there’s wisdom in declining it for the sake of the age to come. In his letter to the Corinthians he extols remaining unmarried (and celibate) in this age for the sake of the kingdom. But he commands husband and wife to remain sexual active with each other. He commands that it is better to be married than to burn. 1 Cor 6: “All things are lawful” – but not all are helpful.

1 Cor 7:1-12

Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife her due: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be by consent for a season, that ye may give yourselves unto prayer, and may be together again, that Satan tempt you not because of your incontinency. But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment. Yet I would that all men were even as I myself. Howbeit each man hath his own gift from God, one after this manner, and another after that. But I say to the unmarried and to widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they have not continency, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. But unto the married I give charge, [yea] not I, but the Lord, That the wife depart not from her husband (but should she depart, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband); and that the husband leave not his wife. But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her.

EVEN JESUS SPOKE ABOUT NON-MARRIAGE AND CELIBACY, AND SAID THIS CALLING WAS A GIFT FROM GOD. SOME REMAINING SINGLE IS NOT AGSINT THE REVEALED WILL OF GOD

Mt 19:11-12

But he said unto them, not all men can receive this saying, but they to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs, that were so born from their mother's womb: and there are eunuchs, that were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, that made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

PAUL NEVER TAUGHT THAT NO BELIEVER SHOULD GET MARRIED. THIS IS PROVED FROM THE FACT THAT PAUL EVEN TAUGHT THE REMARRIAGE OF WIDOWS. AND HIMSELF TAUGHT THAT FORBIDDING MARRIAGE IS A DEMONIC DOCTRINE.1 TIM 4:1-3 But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth.

EVEN IN THE FORM OF PAUL’S OPINION, IT IS THE WORD OF GOD, WHICH EDIFIES AND GUIDES THE BELIEVERS. Even where Paul says that he has no clear commandment from God, it only means that issue in question is not a commandment, but a God inspired suggestion. Even the statement that it is a personal suggestion is inspired by the Holy Spirit. If it were not so, the critics would not have been particularly offended by it.

CELIBACY OR NON-MARRIAGE IS NOT AGAINST THE WILL OF GOD AND IS NOT A FALSE TEACHING.

Paul had such a high level of spirituality, that he said he does not know even Christ according to the flesh. That is the reason why God gave Paul such an abundance of revelation which other apostles, who were with Jesus in the flesh, did not get. SUCH A FOCUSED LIFE AND SINGLE MINDEDNESS IN SPIRITUALITY IS POSSIBLE ONLY IN CELIBATE UNMARRIED STATE OF LIFE.

But this kind of life and success of it is a gift from god, and the rewards of it are great. But the price to be paid is also great. The single mindedness and high level of concentration and commitment required for this kind of spiritual life and ministry is possible only in an unmarried state of life. This is the honest truth. That is why God inspired this truth through Paul. Here Paul is not saying that unmarried status is the best. He is not comparing the marital status to push celibacy of the RC model etc.

IN SHORT SAYING THAT PAUL IS TEACHING FALSE DOCTRINE IN MEN NOT MARRYING IS BEST, IS A DELIBERATE AND BLATANT MISINTERPRETATION OF THE SCRIPTURE, INTENDED ONLY TO MALIGN THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES.