9-29-22 Muslims claim Paul is a false apostle Part 5
Note: In my reproduction of the following discussion thread, I have retained the dates I inserted in my original notes. Some of the Muslim reasoning may appear to be unclear, especially when the responder made use of an indecipherable (to ordinary readers) Bible translation. But read on carefully and you will learn some valuable things about Bible reading and Bible study as well as Apologetics.
TF further asserted against Paul (Thursday, July 1, 2022):
“I persecuted and pursued the followers of this Way to the death, binding them with chains and putting [followers of Jesus] both men and women into prisons, as the high priest and all the Council of the elders (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) can testify; because from them I received letters to the brothers, and I was on my way to Damascus in order to bring those [believers] who were there to Jerusalem in chains to be punished.” (Acts 22:4-5 AMP)
7– Says (Deuter 18:18 and Isaiah 42:1) belongs to him based on the Seal that proves his prophethood:
Jesus Christ said:
“Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach gives solemn edut (testimony) to that which he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his eidus. The one who is mekabel Moshiach’s eidus has thereby set his chotam of attestation that Hashem is Emes. For he whom Hashem sent speaks the Divrei Hashem, for He gives the Ruach Hakodesh without measure. [Isaiah 42:1]” (John 3:32-34 OJB)
“Whoever receives His testimony has set his seal of approval to this: God is true. [That man has definitely certified, acknowledged, declared once and for all, and is himself assured that it is divine truth that God cannot lie]. For since He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaims God’s own message], God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit! [Deut. 18:18.]” (John 3:33-34 AMPC)
But Paul said:
“From now on let no person trouble me [by making it necessary for me to vindicate my apostolic authority and the divine truth of my Gospel], for I bear on my body the [brand] marks of the Lord Jesus [the wounds, scars, and other outward evidence of persecutions–these testify to His ownership of me]!” (Galatians 6:17 AMPC)
I responded to TF (Thursday, July 7, 2022):
As for “Evidences that Paul was a False Prophet,” you claim as such evidence:
7- Says (Deuter 18:18 and Isaiah 42:1) belongs to him based on the Seal that proves his prophethood:
Jesus Christ said:
“Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach gives solemn edut (testimony) to that which he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his eidus. The one who is mekabel Moshiach’s eidus has thereby set his chotam of attestation that Hashem is Emes. For he whom Hashem sent speaks the Divrei Hashem, for He gives the Ruach Hakodesh without measure. [Isaiah 42:1]” (John 3:32-34 OJB)
“Whoever receives His testimony has set his seal of approval to this: God is true. [That man has definitely certified, acknowledged, declared once and for all, and is himself assured that it is divine truth that God cannot lie]. For since He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaims God’s own message], God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit! [Deut. 18:18.]” (John 3:33-34 AMPC)
But Paul said:
“From now on let no person trouble me [by making it necessary for me to vindicate my apostolic authority and the divine truth of my Gospel], for I bear on my body the [brand] marks of the Lord Jesus [the wounds, scars, and other outward evidence of persecutions–these testify to His ownership of me]!” (Galatians 6:17 AMPC)
My Answer:
Once again, you are misreading and misapplying what Paul has said.
Paul, in Galatians 6:17, is declaring now that (in the book of Galatians) he has answered their heresy, the Apostle now forbids the Judaizers to distract or disturb him further by their preaching of a false gospel and by their malicious attacks upon himself.
That sounds to me exactly like what some Muslims are still doing today: failing to read Paul’s writings accurately and speaking against Paul himself, while promoting a false and very mistaken message that is totally contrary to the teaching of the Bible.
TK replied to me (Thursday, July 7, 2022):
Paul is confusing. That reflects on his confused mind. Or perhaps it’s some writers who wrote in his name
I responded to TK (Friday, July 8, 2022):
The Apostle Peter wrote in his last letter and final chapter that for some people Paul’s letters are hard for them to understand:
2Pe 3:15 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;
2Pe 3:16 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. (KJV)
2Pe 3:15 Think of our Lord’s patience as an opportunity for us to be saved. This is what our dear brother Paul wrote to you about, using the wisdom God gave him.
2Pe 3:16 He talks about this subject in all his letters. Some things in his letters are hard to understand. Ignorant people and people who aren’t sure of what they believe distort what Paul says in his letters the same way they distort the rest of the Scriptures. These people will be destroyed. (CEV)
This is not to say that Paul has a confused mind. The problem resides in those who read Paul’s letters. As a reading specialist I know well the problem and how to solve it. Patient reading and re-reading is what is required.
For honest readers my suggestion is to read one short book or letter over again repeatedly for a whole month. You will notice you have made good progress when you find that you can think through the content of each chapter without looking back at the text. Then choose another short book and do the same for the following month. I have done this myself and have found this method of Bible study to be very effective at increasing my understanding of the text.
TF concluded her comment of July 2, 2022:
8– He introduced a new Gospel that attacks the Original Gospel:
Jesus Christ said:
“They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.” (John 16:2 ESV)
But Paul said:
“For [you seem willing to allow it] if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted. You tolerate all this beautifully [welcoming the deception].” (2 Corinthians 11:4 AMP)
“I am astonished and extremely irritated that you are so quickly shifting your allegiance and deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different [even contrary] gospel; which is really not another [gospel]; but there are [obviously] some [people masquerading as teachers] who are disturbing and confusing you [with a misleading, counterfeit teaching] and want to distort the gospel of Christ [twisting it into something which it absolutely is not]. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we [originally] preached to you, let him be condemned to destruction! As we have said before, so I now say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from that which you received [from us], let him be condemned to destruction!” (Galatians 1:6-9 AMP)
I responded to TF (July 9, 2022):
As for “Evidences that Paul was a False Prophet,” you claim as such evidence:
8- He introduced a new Gospel that attacks the Original Gospel:
Jesus Christ said:
“They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.” (John 16:2 ESV)
But Paul said:
“For [you seem willing to allow it] if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted. You tolerate all this beautifully [welcoming the deception].” (2 Corinthians 11:4 AMP)
“I am astonished and extremely irritated that you are so quickly shifting your allegiance and deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different [even contrary] gospel; which is really not another [gospel]; but there are [obviously] some [people masquerading as teachers] who are disturbing and confusing you [with a misleading, counterfeit teaching] and want to distort the gospel of Christ [twisting it into something which it absolutely is not]. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we [originally] preached to you, let him be condemned to destruction! As we have said before, so I now say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from that which you received [from us], let him be condemned to destruction!” (Galatians 1:6-9 AMP)
My Answer:
Paul is criticizing the Corinthians who questioned his divine appointment to be an Apostle to the Gentiles as directly commissioned by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul criticizes their lack of discernment, their failure to distinguish truth from error. They were all too willing to receive and believe a false gospel, the mistaken message of the Judaizers, who preached and taught “another gospel,” a different gospel that was not in accordance with the true gospel he had preached and taught to them and by which they had become saved.
Paul wrote the whole book of Galatians to counter this same system of error promoted by the Judaizers who had come with a different and therefore false gospel:
Gal 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (KJV)
Gal 1:6 I’m surprised that you’re so quickly deserting Christ, who called you in his kindness, to follow a different kind of good news. (GW)
Paul is severely criticizing those in the Galatian churches who lacked the discernment to distinguish his true gospel from the false gospel of the Judaizers who had come among them teaching a false gospel.
Gal 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (KJV)
Gal 1:7 But what some people are calling good news is not really good news at all. They are confusing you. They want to distort the Good News about Christ. (GW)
The Judaizers were not proclaiming the original gospel taught by Christ Himself but a distorted or perverted imitation designed to deceive the hearers into believing falsehood.
Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (KJV)
Gal 1:8 Whoever tells you good news that is different from the Good News we gave you should be condemned to hell, even if he is one of us or an angel from heaven. (GW)
Paul alerts his original readers and all of us today to the principle that the message of the Gospel of Christ never changes. Anyone who teaches a different gospel from that taught by Paul and our Lord Jesus Christ is teaching a false gospel.
Based upon what Paul teaches us by this statement, individual Christian believers are deemed competent to judge the doctrinal correctness of the preaching of an inspired apostle or even an angel from heaven. This pointedly teaches that the Bible is clear enough and understandable upon careful study to even the humblest believer.
There is nothing in these Bible texts which even remotely suggests that Paul was a false apostle! The very opposite is true. Those who refuse to accept the Gospel as taught by Paul condemn themselves as among those Paul severely anathematizes as false teachers.