Recker's World
100 reasons I no longer believe - 69
Paul was blatantly mistaken about so many things, yet Christians still use a lot of his teachings
To avoid making this an entire novel I will focus on the main one that he was wrong about.
This one should have any rational mind thinking that perhaps Paul is not a reliable source of truth and his writings should not be taken seriously…
Paul’s BIG mistake
Paul’s writings in the bible are what have moulded Christianity today. His claims are certainly more prolific than even Jesus Christ’s as there are more writings attributed to him in the New Testament than anyone else. Christians are forever quoting Paul and take his words as the word of God. However the big problem is that Paul was hugely mistaken about a very major issue.
That issue is the return of Christ.
Paul absolutely believed that Jesus was due to return in his lifetime and the lifetime of those of his followers. It’s quite clear by the urgency in his writings that he took Jesus’s words very literarily when he said: Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Matt 16:28). But Paul was completely and utterly WRONG! Christ did NOT return in his lifetime.
Lets take a look at his writings and you can see for yourself
Paul believed the end times prophecies were being fulfilled
Paul made this claim in Col 1:23:
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister
This was seen as a direct fulfilment of Matt 24:14 which was to signal the start of the great tribulation. In 2 Cor 1:4 he even talks about the tribulation he and the saints are under. 1 Thess talks a lot about the suffering they are going through.
1 Corinthians - Right away Paul is addressing the Corinthians clearly talking as if Christ’s return was coming in their life time. His words were for them NOW not future generations. In 2 Corinthians 1:4 he even talks about being IN tribulation.
1Thess 4:17-18
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 John 2: 18
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
Romans 13:11-12
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore
cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Hebrews 10:36-37
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For,“In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”
Writings not for future generations, but for those he was writing to. He even names names of people in the church to make it clear he was addressing specific people.
Paul often talked in his letters about Christ’s eminent return. That it was something very soon. Not 2000 years down the track. He was writing letters to people in his churches! If he meant 2000 years from now, don’t you think he would have said so? But no, he uses the words “we” “The lord is near”, “these last days” “We who are still alive”… To try to twist his words into something else is dishonest.