January 16, 2005 / Volume 9, Issue 3
Was Paul A Deceiver
...continued
Let us continue our investigation of Sherry Shriner's claims (www.justgivemethetruth.com/paul_was_a_deceiver.htm).
| SHRINER'S CLAIMS | ANSWERS |
Now Paul declares it's ok to eat meat sacrificed to idols.
"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than THESE NECESSARY THINGS: That you ABSTAIN FROM MEATS offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled and from fornication..." (Acts 15:28-29)
"But I (Jesus) have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a STUMBLING BLOCK before the children of Israel, TO EAT THINGS SACRIFICED TO IDOLS." (Revelation 2:14) | Last week, we looked at the texts wherein Paul speaks of eating meat sacrificed to idols, and considered whether he contradicted the letter which had gone forth from Jerusalem.
In Revelation 2, some at Pergamos were compared to Balaam, the eating of things sacrificed to idols being one of the charges. Notice what Numbers 25:2 reveals of Balaam's actions and the result thereoff, "They (the Moabites) invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods."
Paul did not teach Christians to attend the sacrifices, nor to bow down to idols. He spoke against such (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). It was common for meats sacrificed to idols to be sold at the meat market (1 Corinthians 10:25). If one had no regard for the idol (ie. knew that the idol was nothing), this was simply a cut of meat at the market. Paul cautioned those who ate in the idol's temple, for they could cause another to stumble (1 Corinthians 8:9-13). The idol and the temple are nothing, but the conscience of another could be violated.
Balaam and those in Pergamos caused God's people to worship idols. Paul did not. |
"I (PAUL) have laid a FOUNDATION...the FOUNDATION OF APOSTLES AND PROPHETS"
(1 Cor. 3:10. Eph 2:20 The words of PSALM 68:18 read "HE (ALMIGHTY GOD) RECEIVED gifts FROM men" (Psalm 68:18)
‘Paul" TOOK AWAY FROM the words of Psalm 68:18 and changed them to read "he GAVE gifts TO men" (Ephesians 4:8) |
Shriner melds parts of 1 Corinthians 3:10 and Ephesians 2:20, perhaps so as to accuse Paul of building his own gospel. Perhaps Shriner would be surprised to note the foundation Paul appeals to in 1 Corinthians 3. Verse 11 reads, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
What then is this "foundation of the apostles and prophets"? They revealed the will of God. God's word to them has been recorded, so we can now read it in the Bible. Thus, we can build our lives upon the Scripture – God's will. Had Shriner bothered to give the next clause from Ephesians 2:20, we would see the two texts agree, and both exalt the Lord. Paul continues, "...Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone..."
Now, to the question of whether Paul changed the wording of Psalm 68:18. The Hebrew word laqach is rendered as follows through the Old Testament, "take 747, receive 61, take away 51, fetch 31, bring 25, get 6, take out 6, carry away 5, married 4, buy 3, misc 26" (Online Bible Hebrew Lexicon). Though several translations render it "received" here, some do not. Young's Literal Translation reads "taken".
Likewise, there is no preposition in the Hebrew. Shriner quotes a translation which states the gifts are "from" men. Others use "among" or "for", but the fact remains, no preposition is in the original. In fact, a literal rendering of this section of text would read, "take gifts men".
The Psalm refers to the Lord having ascended on high, defeating captivity, and either receiving or bestowing gifts. In Acts 2:33, Peter refers to Jesus as being exalted to the right hand of God, and pouring out gifts upon men. How about leading captivity captive? Jesus was raised from the dead (v 32), death being the power of the devil (Hebrews 2:14-15). It appears that maybe Paul was right in his use of the Psalm, and Shriner again is been in error. |
in Hebrew the name "Saul" means underworld, borrowed
"AND THIS GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED IN ALL THE EARTH FOR A WITNESS TO ME. AND THEN THE END WILL COME; THIS (THE END) IS THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THIS (THE ANTI-CHRIST) IS THE ABOMINATION WHICH DESOLATES WHICH WAS SPOKEN OF BY DANIEL AS STANDING IN THE HOLY PLACE (IN THE PLACE OF MESSIAH); LET THE ONE WHO READS UNDERSTAND"
(Matthew 24:14, 15 Shem Tov Jewish translation from original Jewish Version as written by Matthew) |
What is the link between the name "Saul" and 24:14-15 from the Shem Tov Matthew? Shriner wanted to link "Saul" with the Anti-Christ of the Shem Tov Matthew. Unfortunate for her, "Saul" does not mean underworld, it means ask or desired (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, Young's Analytical Concordance, Online Bible Hebrew Lexicon). It seems that Shriner has confused the name Saul (shauwl) with Sheol (sheowl).
Previously, I mentioned that Shriner's position discounts all the New Testament but the writings of Matthew, John and Jude. But, now, Shriner calls into question the gospel of Matthew as it appears in most translations, by appealing to the Shem Tov Hebrew Matthew. Is Shriner aware that the Shem Tov Matthew fails to even once identify Jesus as the Christ?
To help us understand the text, Shriner adds her own comments in the parenthesis. She identifies the "holy place" as "the place of the Messiah". Why? She believes that Paul (in her eyes, the anti-Christ) sought to take the Lord's place. Thus, she selects a sporadic translation to prove her theory. But what is the "holy place"? The "holy place" is referenced several times in Scripture, but not once does it refer to the "place of Messiah". Speak with any Jew in the time of Christ about the holy place, and they would immediately think of the temple. The holy place of Matthew 24:14-15 is the temple in Jerusalem. For a detailed study on Matthew 24, visit www.lookinguntojesus.net/20030302.htm and for notes specifically on verses 14-15, visit www.lookinguntojesus.net/20030323.htm. |
Click here for this week's Answering The Atheist
Is it wrong to steal? Some texts say that it is (Exodus 20:15; Leviticus 19:11, 13; Deuteronomy 5:19; Psalm 37:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:6), but other texts teach that it is fine to steal (Exodus 3:22; 12:35-36; Ezekiel 39:10). Is there a contradiction?
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
