What I would answer them

Originally posted by Rajk999
Paul is to be highly regarded. Its poor readers like yourself that needs to be condemned.

Read all the letters of Paul and you will see in it are the teachings of Christ - good works and righteousness ARE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS OF ETERNAL LIFE. Paul said that. Christ said it and so did all the Apostles.

Lack of reading and comprehension ability is the problem

In a nutshell, the problem with you and ToO is you know a little about Jesus, but you don't know (ginosko) Him.

Originally posted by checkbaiter
In a nutshell, the problem with you and ToO is you know a little about Jesus, but you don't know (ginosko) Him.

In your mind, what's the dividing line between someone who "knows Jesus" and someone who doesn't?

Originally posted by ThinkOfOne
As a matter of curiosity, who do you speculate might be "coaching" me via PM?

I wouldn't care one way or another.
And since it was a maybe, I could be wrong.

At any rate you're getting some rather bad coaching from Kierkegaard, Schweitzer , and Jefferson.

Originally posted by sonship
I wouldn't care one way or another.
And since it was a maybe, I could be wrong.

At any rate you're getting some rather bad coaching from Kierkegaard, Schweitzer , and Jefferson.

I wouldn't care one way or another.

If you don't "care one way or another", why did you write the following?:
"Either that or maybe you're PM-ing somebody who is coaching you."

Seems likely that in your desperation to find something disparaging to say, you posted the disparaging thought that popped into your mind.

So who do you speculate might be "coaching" me via PM?

And what led to believe that that may be the case?

And since it was a maybe, I could be wrong.

You know, you "could be wrong" whether or not you used the word "maybe".

Originally posted by sonship

I separate therefore the gold from the dross; restore to him the former, and leave the latter to the stupidity of some, and roguery of others of his disciples. Of this band of dupes and impostors, Paul was the great Coryphaeus, and first corrupter of the doctrines of Jesus.
---- Thomas Jefferson

I understand perfectly what Thomas Jefferson was meaning here. Aside from me not knowing about Coryphaeus, whoever that is, this is more - "Jesus we like OF COURSE. But that Paul messed everything up."

Paul was a faithful apostle really pioneering into the experience of the Spirit of Christ and giving utmost attention to the WILL of God and Christ. I haven't the slightest doubt about that.

The young man Paul became a very close continuation of Steven who he witnessed being stoned to death for his witness to the resurrected Jesus.

My opinion is that when they killed the first Christian martyr Stephen, God in His providence said something like this -

"You religious opposers of Jesus kill My faithful young witness Stephen. But I'll raise up a young man even more faithful and consecrated to Me than Stephen And he is standing in your midst agreeing with your murdering of Stephen - a young rabbi - Saul of Tarsus. "

I would tell Thomas Jefferson to his face that he was wrong about both Christ and the Apostle Paul.

Originally posted by ThinkOfOne

If you don't "care one way or another", why did you write the following?:
"Either that or maybe you're PM-ing somebody who is coaching you."

Don't you have bigger issues?
Okay, I cared enough to write that.

I think you have some more significant concepts to defend here.
You're being vague about the authentic gospel and the mythological gospel.

Seems likely that in your desperation to find something disparaging to say, you posted the disparaging thought that popped into your mind.

Don't you have some more significant things to defend ?
If you tell the world that the New Testament is a mixture of authentic teaching and added myth you should be able to give us some examples in the text.

"Stuff that I never liked is myth" doesn't cut it.
And basically that's all I see. And that is just you unbelief in the New Testament speaking.

Doesn't the teaching of Jesus contain quite much about the rejection in unbelief of His ministry? Are you going to claim that all the parables, teachings, incidents of His being opposed by those unbelievers is part of the wrapped around mythology ?

So who do you speculate might be "coaching" me via PM?

I even apologize for the "coaching" comment.

And what led to believe that that may be the case?

And since it was a maybe, I could be wrong.

You know, you "could be wrong" whether or not you used the word "maybe".

In this whole discourse that is a minor point.

ThinkOfOne,
Now John was really close to Jesus.
Am I suppose to think John needed to consult with you about what Jesus said and did ?

Did you notice that John was careful to inform us of instances when what Jesus actually SAID was misunderstood by His disciples ?

"Jesus said to him, If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.

This word therefore went out among the brothers, that that disciple would not die, yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?" (John 21:22,23)

The Apostle John was in fact very careful to pass on to us authentic words and meanings to the utterances of Jesus as opposed to misunderstands among the disciples.

I don't think you give him the appropriate credit. I think you intend to dismiss what you don't believe with a rationale that you have the clearer inside story of Christ's life.