PAUL: HERO OR VILLAIN?

Paul of Tarsus was so ambitious and so energetic that had he been a business man he could have been the Bill Gates of his day.  Although Jesus could have chosen to include Paul among the twelve men who would carry forth his work after his passing, he didn't. And what happened as soon as Jesus left the scene?  If we are to believe Paul, Jesus appears to have discovered this mistake of his and made up for it by choosing Paul as the person to deliver the message of the Gpsel to the Gentile nations. This is in spite of the fact that Jesus had previously nominated Peter for that task in front of the other disciples.

Paul declared himself an apostle, however no one else ever addressed him as one. Jesus made it very clear there would be 12 apostles, and when Judas was dropped, he was replaced by Mathias to bring the number back to 12. In the Book of Revelation, there is a reference to the 12 apostles judging the nation of Israel. But if Paul is to believed, there are in fact 13, which begs the question, "who is the imposter?"

According to Paul's version of events, he wrote more, travelled more, and worked harder than all twelve of the original apostles put together. In spite of that, Paul didn't get along with the leaders of the church in Jerusalem and even ended up being put on trial by the church at Ephesus. This resulted in all the churches of Asia rejecting Paul and his teaching, though strangely they remained faithful to Jesus and his teaching. This raises another vexing question: how could that be since the church tells us that Paul and Jesus preached the same gospel?

Despite churches doggedly defending Paul and showering uncritical adulation on him, many independent-minded analysts of Jesus' teachings have often found great cause to find fault with Paul. One of the most famous critcisms came from Thomas Jefferson, who wrote in a letter to James Smith, that "Paul was ... the first corrupter of the doctrines of Jesus." (Works, 1829 edition, vol. 4, p. 327.) The 2nd century Christian writer and historian Hippolytus said the same thing. George Bernard Shaw, the English playwright, is widely quoted as having said that: "...it would have been a better world if Paul had never been born." The biggest concern these great thinkers had with Paul is that the gospel Paul preached appears far removed from that taught by Jesus. If these critics are right, then the ramifications for the church and its followers, and for the New Testament's standing as the word of God, are absolutely mind-blowing.

For many years I never questioned Paul or his doctrines. A few years ago when I came across a website that labelled Paul as a false prophet, I vigorously defended Paul in a series of emails to the webmaster. But as I researched my responses to the website's claims, I found myself standing on increasingly shaky ground. As a result, I made an open-minded examination of Paul's life and ministry. I also looked at the warnings Jesus and the Old Testament prophets made about false prophets and wolves in sheep's clothing to prove that it was not Paul they were talking about. The pages in this study are the results of my findings.

SPECIFIC STUDIES ON ASPECTS OF PAUL'S MINISTRY, HIS LIFE, HIS WORK AND HIS BELIEFS

1. Was Paul A Liar?
In the letter to the church at Epesus in the Book of Revelation, Jesus said, "And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars." Revelation 2:2. Was this a reference to Paul? We examine the evidence.

2. Paul & The Mysteries Religions
There are remarkable similarities between the Christian doctrine and the teachings of Mithraism. Why are the terminologies he uses, many doctrinal principles he espoused regarding sin, salvation, faith, death, heaven and the very nature of God, even the names he uses for those in office within the Church lifted straight from the Greek and Mithran Mystery religions?

3. The Ravening Wolf
Jesus and two Old Testament Prophts warn of a wolf in sheep's clothing. Was it Paul?

4. The Parable of the Tares
A study on Jesus' Parable of the Wheat and Tares which warns of false doctine in the early church.

5. The Parable of the Leaven
What is leaven, where was it planted? when was it planted, and by whom?

6. Atonement For Sin
On the question of what it takes for mortal humans to enter heaven after death, the modern evangelical church teaches that Jesus Christ died for our sins in an act of atonement, a belief based primarily on the teachings of the Apostle Paul in his letters to the churches of his time that have been preserved as part of the New Testament. This study examines the ins and out of this doctrine.

7. Salvation: By Faith or Works?
Did Paul and Jesus preach the same Gospel of Salvation? The church tells us they did, but the New Testament seems to tell a different story.