Burnishing Bigotry - 3rd edition

Lucy #398: Next, you claim that, ―The sayings of Jesus are accepted as divine authority
(Matthew 24:35; Mark 8:38; John 6:63), and the letters of Paul are also considered Scripture (2
Peter 3:15-16).‖
Fair enough, my Friend, and yet you refuse to admit the additional fact that the letters of
Paul (and the message those letters preach) more often than not directly contradict the Gospel of
Jesus Christ – and that where they do so, even Paul himself says that Jesus‘ words ―win out‖ (see
1 Corinthians 3:11, 1 Corinthians 11:1 & 2 Corinthian 4:5 & Galatians 6:14) …
And yet don‘t take my mere word for this reality; The Word of God says exactly the
same thing … Please consider the following:
First, realize that Jesus himself warned us of Paul (and other preachers like him) … *He
warned us about not listening to ―the yeast of the Pharisees‖ (see Matthew 15:13-14, Mark 7:6-8,
Luke 12:1 et al) – and then Paul boldly claimed to be a Pharisee (see Acts 23:6, Acts 26:5, Galatians
1:14 & Philippians 3:4-5) … *He warned us of a false prophet who would be ―coming in his own
name‖ (see John 5:43) – and then Paul regularly shifted his own name from Saul to Paul and back
again (see Acts 13:9) … *And in Matthew 24:26, Jesus warned us all that a deceiver would come
in the wilderness (just like the false ―Jesus‖ that then came to Paul in Acts 9) and that the same would
speak personally & privately to those it encountered (just like Paul claimed his ―revelation‖ then did
to him in Galatians 1:11-12).
Secondly, Paul himself inadvertently cautioned others against his own false teachings in
2 Corinthians 11:13-15, when he warned of ―boasters‖ (which he was himself – see 2 Corinthians
11:16-33) who would ―disguise themselves as apostles of Christ‖ (which he himself repeatedly did –
see Romans 1:1 et al) and who would also ―disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness‖
(which he frequently did as well – see 1 Corinthians 3:10).
Thirdly and finally, any attentive reader of the Scriptures can clearly see that Paul‘s
theology – not surprisingly – thoroughly contradicts the teachings (and indeed the very Gospel) of
Jesus. Yes, there are a few verses here & there in Paul‘s writings that do indeed harmonize with
The Way of Christ (see Romans 2:1, Romans 2:13-15, Romans 8:5-6, Romans 8:14-16, Romans 12:10,
Romans 12:14-21, Romans 13:8-10, Romans 14:4, Romans 14:13-14, Romans 14:19, Romans 14:22, 1
Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:17, 1 Corinthians 10:24, 1 Corinthians 13:2, 1 Corinthians 13:8, 1
Corinthians 16:14, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 5:6b, Galatians 5:14, Philippians 2:4-5, Philippians 4:5a,
Colossians 2:20, Colossians 3:12-14, and 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18), and yet the foundations of their
gospels could not be any more conflicted …
Please consider the following remarkable contrasts between the two:
*While Paul says that we are all innately ―original sinners‖ (see Romans 5.12, Romans
7:14, Romans 8:21-23 et al), Jesus tells us that our Goodness is innate (see Matthew 11:30, Luke
12:32, Luke 13:18-19, John 1:5, John 13:10, John 14:4, John 14.20, John 17:5, John 17:24 et al) …
*While Paul says that we are to capitulate to man-made rulers and obey all their laws &
orders (see Romans 12:2, Romans 13:1-6, Acts 8:1-3, Acts 9:1-2, Acts 13:15, Acts 16: 38-39, Acts
25:10-11 & Acts 26:10-11), Jesus says that we are to transcend societal authorities by always first
& foremost obeying the Will of God (see Matthew 17:24-27, Matthew 22:20-21, Matthew 17:19-21,
Mark 11:24, Mark 12:17, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 20:25, John 16:23, John 16:7-8+13-14, John 14:16-17,
John 14:26, John 15:26 et al) …
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