Questioning Paul
Volume 1: The Great Galatians Debate
Chapter 12 part 7
You don’t need me to tell you that Paul, to the exclusion of all other individuals, became the living embodiment of what Yahowsha’ warned Shim’own Kephas about just before He ascended into Heaven…
"This was already the third time Yahowsha’ was revealed and seen with the Disciples who were Learners, having been aroused, restored, and equipped to stand up out of lifeless separation. (21:14)
As a result, while they ate breakfast, Yahowsha’ said to Shim’own Kephas, ‘Shim’own of Yahowchanan [He who listens to Yahowah’s Mercy], do you demonstrate your love for Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Yahowah, You are aware that I am engaged in a loving and familial relationship with You.’ He said to him, ‘Nourish My sheep.’ (21:15)
He said to him again, a second time, ‘Shim’own of Yahowchanan, do you respect and love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Yahowah, You are aware that I am engaged in a loving and familial relationship with You.’ He said to him, ‘Shepherd My sheep.’ (21:16)
He said to him a third time, ‘Shim’own of Yahowchanan, are you engaged in a loving, family-oriented relationship with Me?’ The Rock was saddened because He said to him a third time ‘Are you engaged in a covenant relationship with Me?’ So he said to Him, ‘Yahowah, Upright One, You are aware of everything. You know and understand that I am engaged in the loving, family-oriented, covenant relationship with You.’ Yahowsha’ said to him, ‘Feed, tend to, guide, and care for My sheep." (Yahowchanan / Yahowah is Merciful / John 21:14-17LEB)
Yahowsha’, whom it appears Shim’own Kephas of Yahowchanan thoughtfully and appropriately addressed as "Yahowah" in His post Bikuwrym state based upon the Divine Placeholder, wasn’t talking to His pupil about grazing, about sheep, or about animal husbandry. The "sheep" were a reference to Yahowah’s "Covenant children." It is why Yahowah is called "My Shepherd" in the 24th Psalm, and is credited with guiding, nurturing, and protecting His flock. Their "food" is "the Towrah." As a "shepherd," Yahowah through Yahowsha’ was asking His Disciple "to guide and protect" His flock, keeping His sheep out of harm’s way, while keeping the wolves at bay. And never forget, they were and remain "His" sheep, not "Peter’s," and especially not Paul’s, not a pope’s or a pastor’s.
"Tending" to Yahowah’s Covenant children requires a shepherd to be "properly prepared," which means Shim’own would have to diligently study Yahowah’s Towrah while comparing Yahowsha’s words and deeds to it, so that he would be able to teach our Heavenly Father’s children what they need to know to survive and grow, and to be properly nourished and guided.
To tend the most highly valued sheep in the universe, "the Rock" would have to remain "observant," which is to say that he must be vigilant, never letting his guard down, lest a diseased or vicious predator, unfit food, improper guidance, or an unauthorized shepherd mislead God’s flock. And the best way to do that would be to nurture Yah’s children on the merits of the Torah, so that they would be equipped to care for their children for generations to come, keeping all of His sheep out of harm’s way by keeping the wolves at bay.
"‘Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and you walked whenever you intended and wherever you desired. But when you grow older, you will extend your hands and another will gird you, placing a yoke on you to control you, and he will move you to a place where you do not presently intend or desire.’ …He said to him, ‘You should follow My path.’ (21:18)
And then this, He said making the future clear, signifying what kind of deadly plague (thanatos – pandemic death and physical demise, judgment separating diseased souls) he [speaking of the wolf in sheep’s clothing] will attribute to Yahowah (doxasei ton ΘN – he will impart and extol as being supposedly worthy regarding his opinion on how to properly judge, value, and view God). And this having been conveyed, He said to him, ‘You should choose to follow Me (akoloutheo moi – you should decide to actively accompany Me and engage as My Disciple, learning from Me and electing to side with Me on My path; from "a – to be unified and one with" "keleuthos – the Way").’" (Yahowchanan / Yahowah is Merciful / John 21:18-19LEB)
Yahowsha’ was asking Shim’own to feed and protect His flock even in the face of someone attempting to tie him up and drive him away, taking him to a place he did not intend to go. One individual in Shim’own’s future dedicated himself to dragging "the Rock" away from his God-given responsibilities. Sha’uwl forced Shim’own out of Antioch in the midst of feeding and protecting God’s children, and then drove him back to Yaruwshalaim. Sha’uwl’s rhetoric and force of personality caused Shim’own to cower as he had before, and even retreat, leaving Yahowsha’s flock to be devoured by a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Even Shim’own’s comments regarding Paul’s epistles have been used in a way he never intended. Rather than being seen as an overt warning to God’s sheep to be on their guard lest Paul lead them to their own demise, Christendom twisted what the Rock wrote to infer that Paul’s letters were Scripture. Shim’own had indeed been taken to a place he did not intend to go.
You don’t need me to tell you that the second most indicting statement God made against Paulos was delivered during Yahowsha’s Sermon on the Mount… In light of what we have read, God’s every word specifically and comprehensively undermines, utterly destroying, Paul’s credibility and with it the foundation of Pauline Doctrine—and thus the religion of Christianity.
In that we considered Yahowsha’s first and most comprehensive public proclamation in the first chapter of Questioning Paul, I’ve once again elected to remove most of the Greek nomenclature from this summary review.
"You should not think or assume that I actually came to tear down, invalidate, put an end to, or discard, subvert, abrogate, weaken, dismantle, or abolish, any of the implications, influence, or validity of the Towrah or the Prophets. I actually came not to create a division, to dismiss, to invalidate, or to discard to abrogate, to weaken, or to abolish, dismissing any implication or its influence, but instead and to the contrary, to completely fulfill, proclaim, and complete, conveying the true meaning and thinking, to liberally supply, accomplishing, and rendering it totally and perfectly. (5:17)
Because in deed and in truth, I say to you, up to the point that with absolute certainty the heaven and the earth cease to exist, not ever under any circumstance shall one aspect of the smallest letter, the Yowd, nor so much as a single stroke of the pen distinguishing any aspect of any Hebrew letter cease to be relevant, be averted or neglected, having any chance of being ignored or disregarded from the Towrah until with absolute certainty everything might take place, becoming a reality. (5:18)
Therefore, and as a result, whoever may at any time dismiss or attempt to do away with, seeking to toss aside, invalidate, or abolish, tearing asunder one of the smallest and least important of these prescriptions and instructions which are enjoined, these authorized directions, precepts, and teachings, and he might instruct or indoctrinate, expounding or explaining so as to enjoin people in this manner, he will actually be provided the name and will be judicially and legally summoned as "Little and Lowly (elachistos – Paulos in Latin, meaning: small and inadequate, insignificant and insufficient, irrelevant and unimportant, immaterial and inconsequential (with Paulos representing the Latin name Sha’uwl adopted as his own))" by the kingdom of heaven.
But by contrast, whosoever may act upon it, engaging through it, making the most of it, while teaching it and sharing its instructions while expounding upon it, this will properly be referred to, named, and called "Great and Important (megas – astonishingly valuable, splendid and sensible, albeit surprisingly uncommon)" among those who reign within the heavens." (Mattanyah / Yahowah’s Gift / Matthew 5:17-19LEB)
That was as unequivocal as it was opposed to the Christian traditions Paulos contrived. To discount or discard any aspect of the Towrah, an individual such as Paulos has to contradict Yahowsha’. And it is irrational for anyone to claim to have been granted authorization to speak on behalf of God when their message contradicts His.
The notion of a "New Testament" is torn asunder because God’s original testimony remains valid. So based upon this statement, Paul’s letters which seek to invalidate the Towrah must be discarded.
A Christian cannot discount this testimony without simultaneously discounting Yahowsha’s credibility. And the moment that is done, everything crumbles. But on the other hand, to believe God, you have to reject Christianity.
Equally telling, especially since the Prophets were included, the majority of Yahowah’s prophecies, including His return and His ultimate renewal and restoration of the Covenant with Yisra’el and Yahuwdah, have not yet occured, and the heavens and earth remain. Therefore, the Torah still stands. Now that’s something for Christians to think about, especially considering the subject and speaker. Therefore, as a Christian reading this, since you are no longer ignorant of this proclamation, your only options are to reject Christianity or be irrational. And what do you suppose the merits might be of believing in something which is invalid?
Since we are now undeniably aware of Yahowsha’s assessment of those who attempt to dismiss and discard any portion of the Torah, and that He referred to such attempts as "Paulos," it is now impossible to consider Paul’s purpose for writing Galatians, which was to demean and devalue the Towrah, favorably. So how is it that Sha’uwl convinced the world that God had authorized him to do precisely what Yahowsha’s just testified should not, and could not, be done? Said another way, is there any chance whatsoever that God inspired, even condoned or endorsed, the writings of a man who invalidated His Torah in view of this statement by Yahowsha’? Do Christians honestly believe that Paul can contradict God and still be trusted?
Indirectly incriminating Sha’uwl, a man who not only dismissed the Towrah, but who also claimed to be a Rabbi and Pharisee, in addition to being a religious expert, scholar, and writer, please consider what Yahowsha’ said next:
"For indeed, I say to you all, that unless conditionally your righteousness, integrity, and standing in the relationship is abundantly superior to and immanently more appropriate than the religious teachers, experts, scribes, and scholars (ton Grammateus – government officials, politicians, public servants, reporters, writers, clerks, lawyers, and judges), and Pharisees (Pharisaios – members of a fundamentalist religious party comprised of hypocritical Jews who coveted authority, were overtly religious, set rules which others had to abide by, established religious rituals and traditions, and interpreted Scripture to their liking), you will absolutely never move into nor experience the realm of the heavens." (Mattanyah / Yah’s Gift / Matthew 5:20LEB)
While the mythos of Christendom has been rendered moot by Yahowsha’, God had a lot more to say during His Instruction on the Mount that is germane to our evaluation of Paul. Speaking to those who are willing to invest the time required to actually know Yahowah, to those who actively seek to learn the truth, to those willing to engage in the process which leads to admission into God’s home, Yahowsha’ provided a set of instructions which completely undermines the ignorance of blind faith...
"You should ask (aiteo – at the present time it is desirable for everyone act on their own initiative to earnestly request information, knowledge, and answers) and it will be given (didomi – in the future this will reliably produce the desired result) to you. You should seek (zeteo – currently it is desirable for everyone act on their own initiative to attempt to find information, searching for knowledge and answers) and you will actually receive an education. You should knock (krouo – everyone should act on their own initiative to physically demonstrate and announce their presence at the door desiring acceptance and admittance) and it will be opened to you. (7:7) For then the one asking receives, the one seeking, earnestly trying to obtain information though personal interaction, actually finds by participating in the discovery, and the one knocking, announcing his or her presence at the door desiring acceptance, it will be opened. (Mattanyah / Yah’s Gift / Matthew 7:7-8LEB)
Yahowsha’s statement is wholly consistent with Yahowah’s Towrah guidance. God encourages us to be observant, which is to closely examine and carefully consider His instructions, especially the provisions associated with the Covenant. He encourages us to listen to His prescriptions for living so that we can act upon what we discover and thereby come to be invited into His Home. This, however, is the antithesis of Paul’s proposition which is salvation through faith. God’s method requires us to learn and then engage. But with faith, both the process and response would be unnecessary, even counterproductive.
Yahowsha’s next statement further undermines Christianity because Yahowsha’ is directing our attention not to Himself, but instead to Yahowah, to our Heavenly Father, and to the Father’s gift – something which is found in the Towrah. But beyond this, by juxtaposing these thoughts, Yahowsha’ is also revealing where we should look to find the door to seek acceptance. He is even contrasting the merits of Yahowah’s offer and promises with the statements and promises of a man.
Should you be considering an alternative, what man currently exists from among you whom when his son will ask for a loaf of bread will give him a stone? (7:9) Or should you be considering a logical contrast between opposites, when he asks for a fish, will he hand him a snake? (7:10) If, therefore, you all presently and actively being troublesome and morally corrupt (poneros – seriously flawed, evil and annoying, blind and diseased) have in the past been familiar with and have actually known how to give good and beneficial gifts to your children, how much more by contrast will your Father, the One in the Heavens, actually give, personally responding to reliably produce, grant, and bestow something good, moral, generous, and beneficial to those asking Him?" (Mattanyah / Yah’s Gift / Matthew 7:9-11LEB)
Paulos is offering the gift of faith and Yahowah is offering the gift of the Covenant. Which offer do you suppose might be more beneficial? And since this follows a presentation on asking and seeking, do you suspect that Yahowsha’ is indicating where we ought to look to find something which is reliably good, valuable, and kind? And since the answers to these questions are obvious, why do Christians, who claim that their religion is based upon Yahowsha’, ignore this and turn to Paul instead? In light of this, how did Sha’uwl manage to convince them that the Towrah was anything but good, generous, capable, or beneficial?
The moral of the story is that since we don’t want a millstone, a premature burial, a poisonous snake, or a serpent representing Satan given to us by men or by their institutions, and would be vastly better served with Yahowah’s good, generous, and beneficial gift, we ought to offer our fellow man access to God’s gift – providing them with the valuable and kind offer found in our Heavenly Father’s Towrah and Prophets.
"Anything, therefore, to whatever to the degree or extent you might want or may enjoy as a result of men being human doing so to you, also in this way, you should choose to actively do to them.
This then actually and presently is the Torah (o nomos – becomes the means to being nourished by that which is bestowed to become heirs, existing as the precepts which were apportioned, established, and received as a means to prosper and to be approved, and prescriptions for an inheritance) and the Prophets: (7:12) under the auspices of freewill, you all should choose at some point in time to enter, personally engaging by moving through the narrow, specific, seldom-tread, and exacting door (tes stenos pule – the doorway with strict requirements, the passageway which is unpopular and seldom walked, an infrequently-trodden gateway whereby a stand will be taken to enable others to stand, to be firmly established, and to be upheld).
Because broad, man-made, and crafted to be wide open (platys – molded, malleable, plastic, and easily crafted and plied, a wide and artificial thoroughfare; from "plasso – formed and molded by man") is the door and spacious (eurychoros – as encompassing as nations, widely regional, and broadly societal; sharing a base with "eusebeia – especially religious, speaking of belief systems and their devout and pious practices") is the way which misleads and separates (e apago – that takes away, leading through deception; from "ago – directs, leads, and guides" to "apo – separation") onto utter destruction (apoleia – needlessly squandering and ruining the valuable resource of one’s existence, causing it to perish; from "apollumi – to be put entirely out of the way, to be rendered useless and to be abolished, coming to an end and ceasing to exist"). And a great many (kai polys – the vast preponderance, an enormous number) are those who are influenced into moving while suffering the consequences of entering (oi eiserchomai – who as a result of being acted upon are affected by taking the first step toward and then going in, manipulated in the process of beginning a journey while experiencing the effect of going out) through it. (7:13)
Certainly, the specific doorway has strict requirements, it is narrow, seldom-tread, and it is an exacting passageway (e stenos pule – the doorway is highly restrictive, the passageway is unpopular and infrequently walked), and it completely goes against the crowd to the point of persecution (kai thlibomai – it is so totally unpopular the past act influences the future to the point of hardship and harassment, even to oppression and affliction), the one way which leads, separating those guided unto life (zoe – vigorous and flourishing living, the fullness of a restored and active existence), but very few (oligos – an extremely small quantity over a very short time) are those finding it (heuriskomai autos – presently learning and actively discovering the location of it, themselves experiencing it)." (Mattanyah / Yah’s Gift / Matthew 7:12-14LEB)
This may be the single most devastating declaration ever made against religion, because the one thing religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Socialist Secular Humanism have in common is that they are very popular. A great many people have placed their faith in them, ranging from tens of millions to many billions. But Yahowsha’, the diminished manifestation of God, just said that the popular ways are not only artificial and manmade, they lead to destruction, needlessly squandering countless souls.
So while this statement is catastrophic to Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Socialist Secular Humanism, when Yahowsha’s divine credentials are established, there is no out for Christianity. Based upon this declaration alone in the midst of the Proclamation on the Mount, the moment Constantine made the Christian religion the official faith of the Roman Empire, there was no longer any hope that it could be the path to life. It must, therefore, be one of the many ways which lead to destruction.
Yahowsha’ did not say that Christianity was destructive because it’s popular, but only that the path to life is unpopular. Christianity is deadly because it is based upon Sha’uwl’s man-made and artificial path.
I am not trying to rub salt into an open wound, but I would be remiss if I didn’t remind Christians that in Habakkuk, Yahowah specifically revealed that there would be a "broad path," a "duplicitous and improper way, associated with Sha’uwl that would be the plague of death."
You do not need me to tell you that Yahowsha’ popped Paul’s balloon twenty years before the Devil’s Advocate began spewing hot air because Yahowsha’ was not yet finished warning Christians about the consequence of disregarding the Torah. With these words, He would tell everyone willing to listen to Him not to trust Paul…
"At the present time, you all should be especially alert, being on guard by closely examining and carefully considering, thereby turning away from the false prophets, those pretending to be divinely inspired spokesmen, who come to you, currently appearing before you from within, as an insider and thus from the same race and place, by dressing up in sheep’s clothing, yet they actually are exceptionally self-promoting, self-serving, and swindling (harpax – vicious, carnivorous, and thieving, robbing, extorting, and destructive, ferocious, rapacious, and snatching; extracting and compelling under duress; from harpazo: to violently, forcibly, and eagerly claim and then seize for oneself so as to pluck and carry away as) wolves." (Mattanyah / Yah’s Gift / Matthew 7:15LEB)
While the combination of God’s warnings and Paul’s admissions are devastating, leaving Sha’uwl and his associates as the only viable and known potential culprits, there was a subtlety in Yahowsha’s depiction of the wolf. He described the predator using a derivative of the same term Paulos selected to present his "harpazo – rapture." It was such an odd choice for Paul, especially considering its negative connotations that by being translated using it in His public declaration, God gave us yet another clue regarding the identity of this wolf in sheep’s clothing.
And yes, God is into the details. In His Towrah, He revealed: "Benjamin is a wolf viciously tearing apart, continually mangling and actually killing, plucking the life out of his victims, in the early part of the day, consistently devouring his prey, and during the dark of night at the end of the day, he divides and destroys, apportioning and distributing that which has been spoiled." (Bare’syth / In the Beginning / Genesis 49:27LEB) And again, in his own confession, Sha’uwl wrote in Romans 11:1LEB: For indeed, I am an Israelite, from the seed of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin (Beniamin – a transliteration of the Hebrew Benyamyn)."
While there were many Benjamites, there is only one man known to have publicly proclaimed to have been from the tribe of Benjamin who was present in Yaruwshalaim during the time Yahowsha’ delivered His Instruction on the Mount. Beyond this, Sha’uwl, who was learning to be a rabbi at the time, also admitted to faking his true identity, which is the very essence of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Proof of Paul’s willingness to change his outward appearance to take advantage of an unsuspecting audience is found in this confession...
"And I became to the Jews like Jews in order that I might make a profit by procuring an advantage over Jews. To those under the Towrah, I appeared to be under the Towrah, myself not actually being under Towrah, but instead for the purpose that to those under the Towrah, I might procure an advantage. (1C9:20)
To those Towrahless, and thus without the Towrah, I appeared Towrahless, not being Towrahless of God, to the contrary and making a contrast, in the Torah of Christou in order that I might make a profit by procuring an advantage and winning over those without the Towrah. (1C9:21)
I came to exist to the inept and morally weak, incapacitated and inadequate, in order that of those impotent and sick, I might procure an advantage. To everyone I have become every kind of thing in order that surely by all means some I might save." (1 Corinthians 9:20-22LEB)
I don’t suppose that Yahowsha’ could have made His message any clearer for us. He told us we could rely upon the Towrah and then He warned us whom we should not trust, revealing that a self-serving insider would feign an alliance with Him so that he could more easily snatch souls away from God. He, of course, was speaking about Paul—and those who have allied themselves with him.
One would have to be naïve not to see Paul in Yahowsha’s statement telling us to "be alert and turn away from false prophets who come to us from within dressed in sheep’s clothing who are actually self-serving and self-promoting wolves." By examining Yahowah’s test, we know for certain that Paul was a "false prophet." As a Jew, he "came to" this audience "from within." We know that Paul was effective, that he was believable, because he presented himself as the ultimate "insider." And yet while he claimed to speak for the Ma’aseyah, he never quoted Him. As such, he "dressed himself up as" one of Yahowsha’s "sheep" when he appointed himself Yahowsha’s Apostle. And as we know, Paul, more than anyone who has ever claimed allegiance with the tribe of Benjamin (something which can no longer be done in that all genealogical records were destroyed in 70 CE) was the "wolf" Yahowah and Yahowsha’ predicted would savage their flock. And then when we recognize that this warning came in the midst of a discussion regarding the eternal role the Torah plays in our salvation, the very thing Paul sought to undermine, we are left with a singular conclusion: Paul of Tarsus was the false prophet, the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the insider, who led many to their death and destruction by way of his popular path.
This is especially poignant, because on another occasion Yahowsha’ spoke of the comparative influence He would have versus Paulos. God’s statement is one of the reasons that I consider Paul to be the most influential (albeit not in a positive way) man who ever lived. Yahowsha’ revealed:
"I, Myself, have come in the name of My Father, and yet you do not accept Me nor prefer Me. But when another, completely different individual, comes forth, presenting himself in his own name, that individual, that lone and specific man, you all will actually receive, accept, choose, and prefer." (Yahowchanan / Yah is Merciful / John 5:43LEB)
If you do not know Yahowsha’s name, you do not know Him – nor do you know the Father who sent Him. His name defines who He is, from whom and why He came. When it is changed or replaced, the result is no longer God. And when the object of one’s belief ceases to be credible, their faith is in vain.
Considering how often the founder of the Christian religion wrote: "but I Paulos say...", it’s a wonder more people don’t recognize him as the one who not only came in his own name, a moniker he actually chose for himself, but also as the one so many have received. Paulos even said "imitate me." He wrote: "if someone teaches in opposition to what I say let him be accursed." He was not only fixated on himself, he claimed the entire world for himself. And today, the vast preponderance of Christian bible studies, sermons, and quotations are based upon Paul’s letters rather than Yahowsha’s pronouncements – and almost never upon His Instruction on the Mount.
End of part 7