Christianity Oasis Forum

[Dora]

I found this information about Paul on the internet. I found it interesting. Thought I'd share. Not sure if it's accurate. Anxious to hear what others know about Paul.

Paul came from an ELITE, WEALTHY, HIGHLY-EDUCATED, and POLITICALLY/SOCIALLY prominent Jewish family. All his needs were met..before he asked. His words/decisions/commands/desires WERE heeded without question his entire life. He WAS for lack of a better analogy...THE GO TO MAN with the Roman rulers/aristocracy. He hated, yes HATED his Jewish ancestry/bloodline and all those who CALLED themselves Jews, but he REALLY despised ALL those Jews/Gentiles who called themselves CHRISTIANS. He WAS Roman Rulers TERMINATOR, SPY, and HANGMAN. He had Christians dispossessed=all their worldly belongings taken from them. Paul gloried in having them imprisoned/tortured, put to death, their families separated. WHY? Because the Roman government GAVE Saul/Paul a percentage of all things acquired. Paul may have been labeled TENT-MAKER by profession, but that job WAS a blind/a cover for what his REAL job was in life. EVERY town he visited and offered to make tents for the Jewish/Gentile people...he got their names, their love of Jesus, their love of bring a Christian Jew, & turned those names over to the Roman government. Paul KNEW what was being done to people of Jesus, but he was NEVER COMMANDED to WATCH the stoning death of any of his victims...until Stephen. And as Stephen was beaten too death for preaching & loving Jesus Christ, Stephen looked into Saul/Paul's eyes and said...Jesus' very own words on the cross... "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" And then Stephen closed his eyes, & without a sound...died. After that, is when Saul/Paul and his companions were on the road traveling to Damascus, when Saul, who become Paul, MET Jesus Christ. And his life forever changed. So did his name. Jesus changed His name to PAUL. The next four years, Paul stayed in the desert and was taught by Jesus. The purpose behind this all? And the relevance of it? Paul had to go back to all the towns, villages, & cities and PREACH the Good News of Jesus Christ. He went to share these revelations & was shocked when: His family WAS appalled....and banished him. The Roman government WAS appalled...and took all he had & tortured him the rest of his days. But WORSE, FAR WORSE to Paul's changed heart....was for him to realize HE WAS CONSIDERED Satan's brother.... A LYING, CHEATING, DESTROYING MONSTER to the Gentile and Jewish Christians he sought out. They saw him coming...and they RAN...they FLED. Jesus had TASKED him to preach The Good News of The Gospel....but everyone KNEW SAUL. And they did not GIVE nor BELIEVE the heart and life change in PAUL. And they REFUSED to give him a chance...for many years. So Paul spent MANY years having to face, and being confronted by people, families that he HAD harmed/destroyed. He was run out of towns. So this ELITIST wealthy & prominent man FOUND himself homeless, penniless, hungry/thirsty at times, abandoned by friends/family, and he was ALONE....but for Jesus. He had to SUFFER aloneness...and doubt NOT for one moment, that Satan VISITED his dreams, his awakening with visions/memories of THE MONSTER HE HAD BEEN at every opportunity.

[Mackenaw]

Hello Piney

God bless you this day.

Well, there are some aspects, within the article you posted, that I can receive without hesitation, because it is confirmed in The Bible. But, there are other aspects of it that seem more like exaggeration, or possibly the case of the author taking some creative liberties. That's my opinion. Of course, I've not read much about Paul, elsewhere, but focus mainly what is written in the Bible. I know, myself, that my passion and zeal, if left unchecked, can have me exaggerate, too.

I never before read that Saul/Paul hated Jews. However, none of us can truly love the way God intended until we have His love dwelling inside us. Thank You Holy Spirit. So, in that respect, Saul/Paul could have only loved by his own ability, because he did not have The Holy Spirit indwelling prior to his conversion. Saul/Paul was a Pharisee, educated by one of the most esteemed Jewish Religious orders of it's time. His desire was to keep The Law...God's Law. He truly thought himself as serving God, as taught him by the most well versed of God's Word -- the "creme of the crop", so to speak -- of God's chosen people. Furthermore, he believed himself to be doing a God service when he hunted down Christians.

I think Paul wrote about himself, adequately enough, when he wrote about himself in The Bible -- he called himself chief of all sinners, and a wretch.

I Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

A few things I do know for sure, by reading Paul's words in the Bible, is that once he received Christ as Saviour and was forgiven of his sins, Paul loved much.

I love the following passage of scripture spoken by Jesus when speaking of Mary when she anointed Him with the perfume. It also speaks of anyone else that fully understands all they have been forgiven by God through the bloodshed of Jesus. Luke 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

All too often, mankind compares themselves to other men or women, believing our sins aren't quite as bad as theirs. The ole finger pointing thang. Eeeuuwwwwww. It's only when we do a comparison between ourselves and God, by revelation of God, that we'll truly understand how wretched we are and how blessed we are by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; -- Romans 3:23.

Wow, I went on a little spiritual journey there. Cool!!! Thank You Holy Spirit.

Anyway, Piney, I look forward to reading what others write.

Thanks, Piney (((hugs)))

God bless and keep you.
Love,
Mack

[dema]

WHo says he hated his Jewish ancestry blood-line? I thought he was pretty fond of it.

[Dora]

Good question.

Why do you think he loved it?

I enjoyed your sharings Mack.