Saint Paul was not a Christian
Saint Paul was not a Christian
Paul was almost entirely disinterested in what Jesus actually said and did
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
I Corinthians 15:28
If you have to believe in the doctrine of the Trinity to be a Christian (as we are told by the Nicene Creed), then Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was not a Christian.
The above quote is just one of many which clearly puts Jesus/Christ in a subordinate position to God, which is not possible if Jesus/Christ is himself God.
I'm writing Jesus/Christ here when referencing Paul because a reading of Paul's letters indicates that Paul was way more interested in the concept of “Christ” than in the personage of Jesus of Nazareth. A close reading of Paul, along with Acts, indicates that Paul was a Greek-trained Jew who had either a mystical experience or a psychotic breakdown. In either case, he was almost entirely disinterested in what Jesus actually said and did, and was only using the nascent Jesus movement to promulgate his newfound worldview.
Jesus of Nazareth was a convenient vehicle for Paul to utilize to spread his doctrine, much of which had little to nothing to do with Jesus himself. It's a way easier “sell” to claim that someone else is divine than to claim that you yourself are. So, he inserted into the mouth of Jesus/Christ those ideas that he had decided on anyway.
I mention that Paul was “Greek trained” because at the time any Greek educated person would automatically have been steeped in Greek philosophy – especially Plato and the Stoics. This reading makes way more sense than the tortured and convoluted interpretation one has to bear in order to get the Christianity of the Nicene Creed out of the writings of Paul. This also explains why Paul was more comfortable preaching to the “pagans” than to the Jews.
Paul won the “marketing battle” for early Christianity, which is why his writings dominate the New Testament, but he never met Jesus (at least in Jesus's earthly life) and he clearly was at odds with the actual disciples of Jesus (see Acts 15 and Galatians 2).
Try to read the Gospels without wearing “Paul colored glasses” — you may find a revelation.
Hi Steven - Thank you. I respect your view. It is important to celebrate free speech and thought. I can't say I agree with your understanding but then, I don't know everything either.
Thank you for your take on Paul. Can I say this situation a perfect example of not cross-referencing your Scripture. There are so many things wrong here, it's difficult to know where to begin. Perhaps 1 John Chapter 1 as well as Christ saying 'I only do what I see the Father doing. He was showing his submissiveness to model what we should do. Paul spent his whole life submitting after his conversion. Scripture can be difficult to interpret but must be cross-referenced to complete the jigsaw puzzle.