In Reply to: Re: I don't see the problem with Paul posted by susie on May 07, 2005 at 05:47:34:
Susie, you're sincerely one of those, who I really don't want to misunderstand...this is a compliment or whatever, it is heartfelt...there are enough misunderstandings in the world & I hate to be prone to it myself & sometimes my "candle" is shining a bit dim in the fog(so I get mixed up myself)...
What many critics say is the following: Jesus said & meant so and so, never intended so and so,
was a highly charismatic figure, which then somebody like Paul "exploited", by setting up
a churchfoundation after his own understanding/imagination.This scheme is quite simplified, but I think serves the purpose:
I & others as well, wish to point out, that Paul's thinking was very much in line with what Jesus intended, there was no intellectual or whatever wedge in between them.In other words, if Jesus would have lived longer on earth, He had pretty much talked the same message to the crowds...take 1Cor. 7 about marriage & divorce e.g. It took me very long to realise, that Paul
confirms all that Jesus also said on marriage, there is no loophole, a part, where you can cook your own soup as a believer.That's what I'd call
adherence to scripture: "it wasn't so (divorce)
from the beginning"....Jesus reminding the Pharisees etc. , that they didn't get the point about the real meaning of marriage...just an example of many.So Paul is very much in line & yes, you could call him smart, zealous, a clever
"salesman" etc...all that yes, but through anointing, through special calling.
He had an encounter with Jesus, like prophets had with angels or with Jesus...the list is pretty long.Just because we didn't have an encounter like that (reminds me of "poor" JoeH. ; ) ) makes us not so terrible inferior.They were called for that...and that's it...