Some people are saying that Paul was a false apostle and that he taught people not to obey
God’s commandments, but is that really the truth?
It's time to UNLEARN the lies.
UNLEARN
Hey, welcome to UNLEARN.
My name is Lex, and I'd like to invite you to join us each week as we UNLEARN the lies
and dig deeper into the truth of God's Word.
Now, let's get started.
Some people believe Paul was a real apostle, but think he taught contrary to the law of
God and they use his words to nullify the commandments in the Torah.
Other people also think Paul taught against the Torah, and because of this, they label
him a false apostle.
However, I believe both of these groups are in error concerning Paul.
Not only does the Bible portray Paul as an apostle, but it also shows him to be one of
the most educated Torah scholars of his day.
He studied under Rabbi Gamaliel the Elder, one of the leaders of the Sanhedrin in the
first century and the grandson of Hillel the Elder who was one of the most noteworthy Rabbis
in Jewish history.
“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of
Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward
God as you all are today.”
- Acts 22:3
Paul was a disciple of Gamaliel, which meant he was under the strictest Torah teacher of
his day.
It is said that Gamaliel required all of his disciples to memorize the entire Old Testament
by their 12th birthday, which indicates that Paul would have had the entire Old Testament
memorized.
The Talmud describes Gamaliel as bearing the titles Nasi and Rabban being the president
of the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.
He held a senior position in the highest court in Jerusalem, and has the reputation of being
one of the greatest Torah teachers in Jewish history.
In fact, Gamaliel is even noted in the Bible as being a man respected by all the people,
and he said some interesting things concerning Peter and the other apostles.
“Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held
in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little
while.
And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding
these men.
For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody.
A number of men, about four hundred, joined him.
He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.
After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many
people after him.
He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.
And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or
this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow
it - lest you even be found to fight against God.”
- Acts 5:34-39
The passage shows Gamaliel presenting an argument against killing the apostles, by reminding
the council about the previous revolts of Theudas and Judas which ended quickly because
they were not from God.
Gamaliel's advice was accepted by the council and the apostles were released.
The Bible portrays Paul as being violently opposed to the Gospel, so much that he was
persecuting and putting the followers of Yeshua in prison.
In fact, he was one of the witnesses who approved of the stoning of Stephen.
“and they cast him out of the city and stoned him.
And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit…
Now Saul was consenting to his death.
At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they
were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles…
As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men
and women, committing them to prison.”
- Acts 7:58-59, 8:1-3
So, how could this man who was strongly persecuting the Church become one of the leading apostles
and an evangelist for Yeshua? the Bible tells us that Paul had a powerful and personal encounter
with the risen Messiah.
“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so
that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them
bound to Jerusalem.
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting
Me?"
And he said, "Who are You, Lord?"
Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
It is hard for you to kick against the goads."
So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?"
Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must
do."
- Acts 9:1-6
This encounter changed Paul forever.
From this point forward he began teaching about Yeshua and His death and resurrection.
He started reaching out to the Gentiles with the Gospel, and He partnered with other apostles
in spreading the Gospel.
He even bravely faced persecution and death for the sake of the Gospel.
This fact alone shows that he was genuine in his belief, because a fake believer would
not die for something he did not believe in.
We also have the witness of a disciple named Ananias who heard the voice of God tell Him
that He has chosen Paul to be a vessel for the Gospel, and God confirmed to him that
Paul saw Yeshua on the road to Damascus.
“Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in
a vision, "Ananias."
And he said, "Here I am, Lord."
So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at
the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying…
Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he
has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name."
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before
Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother
Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that
you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."”
- Acts 9:10-11, 13-17
This shows us that Paul was personally chosen by Yeshua to be an apostle.
So, we can’t argue that he was a fake apostle or that he was trying to be deceitful and
destroy Christianity from within, because the Bible testifies that he was chosen by
Yeshua.
So, now we need to look at what Paul taught and see if he was teaching against the Law
of God as many people seem to think.
Paul was placed on trial and accused of teaching against the Law of God, but listen to his
own defense.
“When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many
serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, while he answered for himself,
"Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have
I offended in anything at all."
- Acts 25:7-8
Paul said he had done nothing against the Law or the Temple.
He did not believe that he was teaching against the Law of God, and he did not think he was
leading others to violate the Torah.
Listen to what else he said.
“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first
to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then
to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.
For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small
and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come
- that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would
proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
- Acts 26:19-23
He said he was telling Gentiles to repent and turn to God and do good works fitting
of repentance.
He wasn’t tell Gentiles to reject the Law of God, he was telling them to repent from
their sins and do the good things that God says to do.
He was telling them to obey God.
Now, listen to what Peter said about Paul.
“and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation - as also our beloved
brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all
his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things HARD TO UNDERSTAND,
which untaught and unstable people TWIST TO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION, as they do also the
rest of the Scriptures.
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from
your own steadfastness, being led away with the ERROR OF THE LAWLESS”
- 2 Peter 3:15-17
Peter upholds Paul as a beloved brother, then he explains that some of the things Paul wrote
in his letters are difficult to understand and people twist those things, which he calls
being led astray by the error of the lawless.
He is saying that people who don’t understand Paul will twist his words into lawlessness.
I would argue that people misunderstand Paul because they don’t understand the Torah.
Peter said those people are “untaught and unstable” and they also twist other Scriptures
as well.
They don’t understand the Torah, so they can’t understand Paul either.
Now, lets look at what Paul said in response to people thinking that faith nullifies the
law.
“Do we then make void the law through faith?
Certainly not!
On the contrary, we establish the law.”
- Romans 3:31
Right here Paul plainly tells us that faith does not nullify the law, and that if we walk
in faith we establish the law.
He also argues against people who think grace is a license to sin.
“What shall we say then?
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Certainly not!
How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
- Romans 6:1-2
The grace of God does not give us a license to sin.
We have died to sin, we cannot continue walking in sin.
We have been saved from sin by grace through faith, how can we keep walking in sin?
Paul goes on to explain that a carnal mind does not submit to the law of God.
“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the CARNAL MIND is enmity against God; for it is NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD,
nor indeed can be.
So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”
- Romans 8:6-9
Why is the carnal mind unable to submit to the Law of God?
Paul explains that the law is spiritual.
“For we know that the law is spiritual…”
- Romans 7:14
This is why those who walk according to the flesh cannot please God.
We must walk according to the Spirit, and the Spirit enables us to live out the Law
of God, because the Law is spiritual.
Paul was a genius, and he understood the Law much better than we do.
I equate understanding Paul on Torah matters as similar to understanding Einstein on Physics.
If we have the proper understanding of the subject matter, we will be able to better
understand what is being said.
You can’t understand Einstein if you don’t have the proper education in math and science.
Likewise, you can’t understand Paul if you don’t have the proper education in the Law
and Prophets.
Paul was an apostle who was personally chosen by Yeshua.
He was a Torah scholar, and never taught anything contrary to the Law of God, but remember Peter’s
warning that untaught people twist his words into lawlessness.
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