Who did the Pharisees claim to be?
What did they claim to believe in?
What did they claim to practice?
What did they claim were their goals?
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Who were they really?
What did they really believe in?
What did they really practice?
What were their real goals?
.
What happened to them after Jesus died?
Did they stay in Jerusalem only?
Where else did they go?
Are they still around today?
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Who was Saul of Tarsus?
What group did he belong to?
What group did he attack?
Why?
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Who did Saul say appeared to him?
Do you believe him? (Uncomfortable thought)
Where did Jesus say false prophets would claim to see Him?
Where did Saul say he saw Jesus?
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What is circular logic?
"Paul is a prophet, therefore whatever Paul says is right because Paul is a prophet."
"How do you know he’s a prophet?"
"Because the Bible says so."
"Who wrote the part of the Bible that says that?"
"Paul."
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What is an appeal to authority?
"The Bible says X, therefore you are wrong."
Do you ever use the Bible to shut down conversation and critical thought?
What function do the scriptures serve?
What weaknesses do they possess?
How does God account for that?
How do you?
Who did Jesus say would guide his disciples when he left?
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If you say you are a Christian, are you?
The Pharisees claimed to be Jews. Were they?
Saul the Pharisee once claimed to be a Jew.
He then claimed to be a Christian.
(Uncomfortable thought)
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Where does this leave us?
Should we reject the Bible if it contains falsehoods?
Or just reject the falsehoods?
Who will make clear the truth from the error?
What is said in the Epistle of James?
Do you ask of God?
Does He give unto you liberally?
Why do so many modern Christians struggle with James?
Why do so many quote liberally from Paul's writings, yet so little from James, or the Sermon on the Mount?
Who do so few work miracles?
Was this Saul's goal?
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Who walked on water?
Who also walked on water--even though he had a boat?
Who healed the sick with nothing but a word, a touch, or a seemingly unrelated instruction?
Who also healed the sick with a word, a touch, or a seemingly unrelated instruction--even though he knew physicians?
What did Paul say of your works?
Dirty rags?
What did Jesus and James say of your works?
"Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' shall enter into my kingdom, but those who do the works of my father."
"Faith without works is dead."
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What is idolatry?
What is blame shifting?
What is false humility?
Who pushes idolatry, blame shifting, and false humility today?
Who said that we are helpless, completely dependent on grace?
Who said we are Gods, limited only by our faith?
What is blasphemy and who loved to accuse others of it?
What spirit did they obey?
Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge--what does this mean?
What does it really mean?
What is the effect of this doctrine?
What has been the effect of this doctrine on you?
Humility?
Or faithlessness masquerading as humility?
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Who is Q?
Who cares?
Is the messenger more important or the message?
What has been the effect of Q on your faith in God, and in yourself?
What has been its effect on the world?
Light to dark or dark to light?
Truth is truth.
Onward Christian soldiers.
We are all waking up together.
Well, it WAS confusing at best. I really get bogged down when people go on and on rather than presenting one issue to discuss..ie. the Catholic Church/pope. There are many great deceptions out there but there is only one God and only one truth...Jesus. It really is pretty clear.
He also gave us the Rock Peter and the Church, but we hosed that up pretty good, we must cleanse and rebuild it all the way back to the center.
You want something clear and direct? Paul was a Satanic Pharisee who murdered Christians and then claimed to see Jesus in the desert on the road to Damascus, just as Jesus said false prophets and anti-Christs would do as soon as he left his apostles. Saul then changed his name and used that little story to spread a different version of the Gospel than the one that Jesus taught. The Catholics made his writings half the New Testament and altered other scriptures to give his idolatrous Gospel where Christ is a golden calf to worship rather than an example to follow more credibility.
The point here is not to destroy or even weaken Christianity. The point is to draw a line between Christ-taught and Paul-taught Christianity. Christ would have you follow Christ ("Come, and follow me."). Paul would have you debase yourself into worthlessness, excuse yourself of your sins, and worship Christ as the golden calf in the desert.
I don't believe a baby eating Pharisee who murdered Christians saw Christ in the desert. I see a charlatan who saw a way to destroy Christianity, by changing the gospel into something it never was.
I'm aware that this is not a popular take. I don't care.
Well, you said your piece...and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. So I guess the choice is truth and falsehood. You are certainly free to believe whatever you want and I have no desire to argue your beliefs. If you believe all that about Paul, you have essentially eliminated any hope of redemption. I do not find any theological arguments from Paul that contradict Christ's own message. I take the truth of the Bible at face value. I don't understand your diatribe against Paul, but I find him to be an ardent follower of Christ and his teaching with a unique ministry to the Gentiles. So we agree to disagree and I am okay with that.
I rest my case.
But from Genesis to Revelation is all about redemption so I don't understand your comment.