The Problem with Paul – Part 1

I will never forget the beginning of my relationship with our heavenly Father. It was like I had begun a Quest. A quest to know Him and to be pleasing in His sight. Every night as I was reading the scriptures He would take me on a journey. It was a very exciting time in my life and the more I read the bible, and desired to know Him, the more he revealed Himself to me. The more I knew of Him… The more I wanted to know. I was on the adventure of a lifetime, and I couldn’t get enough. Some nights I would sit at my table reading the bible for eight or ten hours at a time, not wanting to walk away from the things He was revealing to me, and then goinig to work with only three or four hours sleep.

But there was one thing that I couldn’t understand… Why were the things that they were teaching in the church oftentimes contrary to the teachings of Christ? Why were they always teaching from the books written by Paul? I just couldn’t comprehend it… I mean… It was the Gospel of Jesus Christ wasn’t it…? Shouldn’t they be teaching about salvation from His words…? Wouldn’t He know more about the Heavenly Father and His will for our lives than anybody else…?

I began to question the leaders of the church, and why they taught the things they did. They told me… “Paul’s revelation is hard to understand for those that are not spiritual” or “Paul knew Christ better than anybody else”. I was even told things like, “You’re getting into it too deep” and “you don’t have enough faith”. Some people even started to avoid me and began to look down upon me, a couple of times I was even mocked. Eventually I learned just to sit in church and shut my mouth.

For fifteen years I sat there and shut my mouth.

But every time I read my bible I got this feeling of uneasiness when it came to the teachings of Paul. Every church service I would walk away feeling that something was not right.

In 2001 I decided to study the ancient texts to discover once and for all, one way or another… Are these feelings of uneasiness that I have been having (not just about Paul, but about a whole range of church doctrine) for the last twenty odd years justified? or am I deceiving myself…

These are my discoveries…

The Problem with Paul – Part 1

On the subject of investigating Paul… It seemed reasonable to me at that time that… If I am feeling this uneasiness about Paul… and it holds any weight whatsoever… Then the original disciples of Christ would have felt the same thing.

James, The Half Brother of Christ seemed to hold a lot of weight in the early Church. Thorough research led me to discover that there was no authority higher than James within the early church after the departure of Christ. Various early Christian sources have James being elected by the apostles as bishop of Jerusalem at the behest of Jesus.

About his election to succeed Jesus, and about his death, WE ARE NOT INFORMED BY CANONICAL ACTS. We must go to other sources. Eusebius of Caesarea (260-340 CE), Archbishop under Constantine, tells us in his Ecclesiastical History that James was “the lord’s brother, who had been elected by the Apostles to the episcopal throne at Jerusalem,” (E.H. 2.23).

Knowing Jesus would soon depart from them, his disciples, according to the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, asked him who would lead them, “And Jesus said to them, ‘In the place you are to go, go to James the Righteous,
for whose sake Heaven and Earth came into existence,’” (Coptic logion 12).

Palestinian Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis (315-404 CE), had access to works he said were called the Anabathmoi Jacobou (the ‘Ascents of James’) and the Gospel of the Hebrews (used by ancient Jewish Christians called
Ebionites, or the ‘Poor’), both now lost, in which we learn, “once during a drought, he [James] lifted his hands to Heaven and prayed and at once Heaven sent rain…Thus they no longer called him by his name, but his name was, rather, the Righteous One [in Hebrew, the 'Zaddik'].

“[T]o James alone, it was allowed to enter once a year into the Holy of Holies [the innermost sanctum of the Temple], because he was a Nazirite and connected to the priesthood. Hence Mary was related in two ways to
Elizabeth [John the Baptist's mother] and James was a distinguished member of the priesthood, because the two tribes alone were linked to one another, the royal tribe to the priestly,” (Panarion 30).

He tells us the ‘Ascents of James’ was about the discourses James gave from the Temple to the Jerusalem masses, and says that James was “the First to whom the lord entrusted his throne upon earth.”

Jerome (342-420 CE), basing his knowledge on Hegesippus, Clement of Alexandria, and the Jewish historian Josephus, also knows this when he says in his Lives of Illustrious Men ch. 2 that “He [James] alone enjoyed the privilege of entering the Holy of Holies, since, indeed, he did not wear woolen, but only linen clothes, and went into the Temple alone and prayed on behalf of the people, so that his knees were reputed to have acquired the callousness of a camel’s knees”, and that after Jesus died he “was immediately appointed Bishop of Jerusalem by the Apostles.”

Palestinian Jewish Christian Hegesippus (100-180 CE), portions of whose five books of early Church history only survive in passages cited by Eusebius, tells us, “There were many James’, but this one…the Lord’s brother…was Holy from his birth. Everyone from the Lord’s time till our own has called him the Righteous”, and that “[b]ecause of his unsurpassable Righteousness he was called the Righteous, and Oblias,” the latter being a strange word he describes as meaning “Bulwark of the People, and Righteousness,” (E.H. 2.23); for Epiphanius, the word means “Wall”; for Eusebius, the “Protection of the People.”

The second century Syriac Apostolic Constitutions tell us that James was “the brother of Christ according to the flesh…and one appointed Bishop of Jerusalem by the Lord Himself,” (8.35).

In another passage surviving only in Eusebius, Clement of Alexandria (150-215 CE) tells us that the ‘gift of knowledge’ was imparted by Jesus to “James the Righteous, to John, and to Peter,” and that these in turn “delivered it to the rest of the Apostles, and they to the Seventy, of whom Barnabas was one,” (E.H. 2.1).
Clement of Rome (30-97 CE), or someone purporting to be him, addresses
his letter in the non-canonical Pseudo-Clementine Homilies of Clement
to “James…the Bishop of Bishops, who rules Jerusalem, the Holy Assembly
of the Hebrews and the Assemblies everywhere,” as does Peter similarly
in his Homilies letter.

Even Josephus (37-96 CE), who was not a Christian as we understand it –but who was a contemporary of James– knows about him, and even insists that James’ death was the reason the Jewish people believed Jerusalem fell: “These things [the Uprising and consequent destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans] happened to the Jews in requital for James the Righteous, who was a brother of Jesus known as Christ, for though he was the most Righteous of men, the Jews put him to death.” This passage, remarked on also by Origen (185-254 CE), and Jerome, only exists in Eusebius’ E.H., Jerome’s Commentary on Galatians, and Origen’s letter (Contra Celsus 1.47), and, interestingly, IS NO LONGER EXTANT IN ANY MANUSCRIPT WE HAVE OF JOSEPHUS. Commenting on it, Eusebius says, “So remarkable a person must James have been, so universally esteemed for Righteousness, that even the most intelligent of Jews felt this was why his martyrdom was immediately followed by the siege of Jerusalem,” (E.H. 2.23). This contradicts Christian belief that the Temple fell because of the prophecy and death of Jesus, as Origen is well aware and at pains to ‘correct’ in Contra Celsus. This latter also tells us that “the wonderful thing is that, though he [Josephus] did not accept Jesus as Christ, he yet gave testimony that the Righteousness of James was so great…that the people thought they had suffered these things on account of [him],” (Commentary on Matthew; 10.17).

For his part, Jerome, in his Lives, writes “This same Josephus records the tradition that this James was of so great Holiness and reputation among the people that the destruction of Jerusalem was believed to have occurred on account of his death,” and in a Commentary that “So Holy was James that the people zealously tried to touch the fringes of his garment,” (Commentary on Galatians 1:19); these are the fringes commanded to be worn by observant Jews in Numbers 15:38, “so that, when you see [them], you will remember all the commandments of the Lord and DO THEM.”

“For whose sake Heaven and Earth came into existence,” “Holy from his birth,” “the Righteous One,” “Bulwark of the People,” Jerusalem falling “on account of his death” … These are strong words, and not to be lightly dismissed, and are consistent with what ALL SOURCES SAY ABOUT HIM. It is important to point out that our sources are not presenting James as just the Head of “Christianity”, but the POPULAR JEWISH LEADER OF HIS DAY, the Zaddik, par excellence, whose death brought the downfall of Jerusalem, and is in keeping with the notion in Proverbs (10:25) and the Kabbalah (Zohar 1.59b) that “the Zaddik is the Foundation” and “the Pillar that upholds the world.” Paul understands this when he speaks in Galatians of going up to Jerusalem and meeting “James, Cephas, and John, those reputed to be Pillars,” (Gal. 2:9), and his attitude towards them is very, very helpful in determining who is the parallel character in the Dead Sea Scrolls known as the ‘Windbag,’ the ‘Comedian,’ the ‘Spouter of Lies,’ the ‘Man of Scoffing.’

Josephus and Hegesippus -and because of them, Clement of Alexandria, Hippolytus (160-235 CE), Origen, Eusebius, Epiphanius, Jerome -even ancient Christian literature recently found in Nag Hammadi, Egypt (like the lost Gospel of Thomas above) knew of James’ death, but not, oddly, Acts. Because Josephus knew of it first hand, it would seem best to use his account.

According to him, when the Roman Governor died in 62 CE -and the new one was still on his way to Judaea- Establishment High Priest Ananus ben Ananus used the occasion to illegally try and execute Jesus’ brother James, because of his role as supreme leader of the Jesus Movement:

“[H]e assembled the Sanhedrin [the 'Supreme Court'] of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some of his companions. And when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the Law, he delivered them to be stoned. But those citizens who seemed the most equitable and THE MOST CAREFUL IN THE OBSERVATION OF THE LAW were offended by this,” (Antiquities of the Jews 20.1).

Two generations later, a more legendary account is recorded by Hegesippus, but with the note that James “proved a true witness to Jews and Gentiles alike that Jesus is the Christ,” (E.H. 2.23).

It is now we must turn to the Pseudo-Clementines for information on James’ leadership, which tell us: “The Assembly of the Lord, which was constituted in Jerusalem, was most plentifully multiplied and grew, being governed with the most Righteous ordinances by James,” (Recognitions of Clement 1.43).

“Our lord and prophet, who has sent us, declared to us that the Evil One, having disputed with him for forty days, but failing to prevail against him, promised that he would send Apostles from among his subjects to deceive them. Therefore, above all, remember to shun ANY APOSTLE, TEACHER OR PROPHET WHO DOES NOT ACCURATELY COMPARE HIS TEACHING WITH JAMES…the brother of our Lord…and this, even if he comes to you with recommendations,” (Homilies of Clement’ 11.35).

So… Having established the authority and integrity of James in the early church I now had the perfect standard by which to measure the acceptance of Paul.

Next… I needed to establish… Did the two (James & Paul) ever meet…? And what happened if they did…?

Acts 15
1And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
3And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
4And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.
5But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
6And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
7And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
12Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
13And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
14Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
17That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
18Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
19Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
20But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
21For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

According to the scripture above… Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them were sent to Jerusalem to have their doctrine judged By James because Paul was preaching against circumcision. Circumcision was the sign of a covenant that God had made with Abraham way back in Genesis Chapter 17. This was a covenant that God had stated was to be an everlasting covenant (Genesis 17 verse 13)

Genesis 17
9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.
10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.
12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring.
13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.
14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

So… Paul was declaring that the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham and his descendants after him for the generations to come, an everlasting covenant, no longer applied. James, knowing that the Law was being read in the synagogues every sabbath day (Acts 15:21) Judged that the Gentiles abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood (The Noahide Laws. A set of seven moral imperatives which, according to the Talmud, were given by God to Noah as a binding set of laws for all mankind. According to Judaism any non-Jew who lives according to these laws is regarded as a Righteous Gentile and is assured of a place in the world to come [Olam Haba]
You shall not commit Idolatry
You shall practice equity, establish and promote justice
You shall not commit Blasphemy
You shall not commit Sexual Immorality
You shall not commit Murder
You shall not commit Theft
You shall not eat the limb torn from a live animal. Flesh with the life of it, the blood of it, you shall not eat).

Paul actually mentions this encounter with James, Peter and John in his letter to the Galations:
Galatians 2
1Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.
2And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
3But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:
4And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
5To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
6But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:
7But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
8(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

According to Paul’s version of the story in Galatians he went up to Jerusalem ‘by revelation’ (v:2) whereas according to acts 15 (v:2) it was determined by the Christian Jews that he was to go to Jerusalem to have his doctrine judged by James and the elders.
There are two other very important things that I notice in this text in Galations chapter 2:
1. Paul does not show any respect in his statement when talking about James, Peter and the other elders in Jerusalem, as a matter of fact he seems to show a level of contempt towards them:
6But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:
2. In Galatians 2 verses 7 & 8 Paul tells everybody that God ordained Peter as the apostle to the Jews and He ordained Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles yet at that very same meeting that Paul attended in Jerusalem in Acts 15:
7And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

It seems to me that Pauls view of the meeting in Jerusalem is very distorted at the very least, or possibly – the very worst scenario is that Paul is lying.

Paul also states in Galatians 2 verse 6 that “they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me”. Yet Acts 15 states in verse 20 “But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.”

If I were to make a judgement on the content in Galatians 2, I could only assume that Paul didn’t respect James and the elders in Jerusalem and he didn’t respect James’s verdict. Another evidence of this hypothesis might be found in 1 Corinthians chapter 8.
1Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
2And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
3But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
4As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
5For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
6But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
7Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
8But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
9But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
10For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

Here in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 Paul is stating that those who have knowledge of God can eat food sacrificed to idols with a clear conscience and if anybody is offended when they see a Christian sitting in the idol’s temple eating food sacrificed to idols he is weak.

James had something to say about Paul’s teachings on a subsequent visit by Paul to Jerusalem. Acts 21 states:
17And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
18And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
19And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
20And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
21And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
22What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
23Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
24Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
25As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
26Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.
27And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,
28Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
29(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
30And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
31And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

James seems to definitely have a problem with Paul teaching all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. James told Paul to go and purify himself in order to prove to the Christian Jews that Paul himself also walks orderly, and keeps the law (v:24). In verse 25 James reaffirms that the Gentiles are to keep themselves from things offered to idols which is contrary to Paul’s teachings in 1 Corinthians chapter 8. Acts 21 as revealed above, in verse 20 James declares that there are many thousands of Jews which believe; and they are all zealous of the law. Apparently these thousands of Jews which believed didn’t like Paul’s teachings either for when they see him in the temple they drag him off and try to kill him. The only reason Paul wasn’t killed was because the Roman soldiers came and saved him. The main question that comes to my mind at this point is… Where was James..? He was the Bishop of the temple… Why didn’t he come to Paul’s defence…?

There are also other instances where Paul had disagreements with the Lord’s disciples In Galatians 2 Paul declares: “11But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face”. In acts 15 Paul also had a huge argument with his friend and travel companion Barnabas: “39And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other:” and in 2 Timothy chapter 1 Paul complains that all of the churches in Asia have turned away from him as he writes to Timothy: “15This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me;”.

So It appears that the early church did at first try to accept Paul and his teachings but afterwards rejected him.

To be continued…

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