An religious opinion question about paul?

Question

what is a brief overview of the life of Paul.
Do you think you could have trusted him if you were a Christian, even after his conversion.
Remember that Paul had been a serial killer

Answer 1

Read about it in the book of Acts before you talk about it here.
Hardly a serial killer and also validated by both a vision of Jesus and the leadership of the Early church. If you didn't trust him, if you were alive then, you should trust those who said he was safe and okay to listen to. Peter liked the guy and said his writing was good stuff....

Answer 2

actually some of the "books" (letters really) that Paul/Saul wrote (or attributed to him) are known forgeries (namely timothy 1&2) forged by an early church father Iraeneus to compete against gnosticism as well as the Coptic and Celtic churches. As is evident from pauls numerous letters to the various churches, during the formative years of "christian colonization" there were many different variations on the themes of christianity. Some believed you had to convert to judaism and get circumcised to be christian since JC was jewish, this was solved by the convienient "JC made the last sacrifice" thesis, which is why JEWS are wrong to continue to make sacrifices (according to xtians) then there was the Arian heresy which posited JC as a MAN and not a GOD...it was a roman custom to deify leaders and the only way they could give JC teachings any authority was to deify him...Alexander the great and julius Caesar also had "virgin" births if you read ROMAN history..these are the historical facts that xtians HATE but they are true if you are willing to do the research. Paul/Saul was a Hellenized Jew. he grew up in turkey surrounded by GREEK culture The ressurections of dionysius and osiris were well known to Paul and in one of his letters it says quite clearly "...and He(JC) was ressurected as I(paul) have taught..) which implies that there were others teaching JC was NOT ressurected....Paul is responsible for Roman catholicism and all other offshoots of christianity as we know it today...is it possible to follow JC and not Paul? I think so.

Answer 3

Serial killer is a little harsh. He gathered a mob and got them to stone these people to punish them for leaving their Jewish roots because. He stood for what he believed. It's an example of how dangerous fanatacism can be. I think he meant to carry forth Jesus' message but he put his own spin on it according to his own beliefs.

Remember, he may have met Jesus but he didn't know him. At least he stopped killing people and started helping people. He may have been too condescending for me to really like him. I think I would have trusted him as much as I trust anyone that I don't know.

By the way, did Paul write the Bible? Was he portrayed correctly?

Answer 4

It's a very good question. Saul, before conversion, was an extremely unpleasent person. After conversion, which he describes as a meeting with Christ on the road to Damascus, he becomes Paul, and begins teaching the word of Christ. My problem with Paul is that he does NOT teach the word of Christ. He teaches what he TELLS us are the words of Christ. He contradicts Christ's teachings of the 4 gospels, and his actions and statements are not in line with what Jesus said. It is still, I think, a matter of trust.

Pauls focus was the CHURCH, and I believe the power that goes along with it. I believe that Paul saw an opportunity and seized it. Jesus always made the connection between God and man a direct one. Jesus didn't say "go to church and pray". Jesus said "go to your closet and pray". He told us that the kingdom of heaven was within us. Paul teaches of a kingdom that can be attained as a destination. There is so much that Paul says that doesn't quite jive with what Jesus said, I think it's good to wonder about him.

Some say you have to accept all of the apostles, but I keep returning to the fact that we only have Paul's word that Jesus came to him, and that when he did so, he changed his views, and passed them on only to Paul.

I don't know the answers, obvously nobody knows...they have opinions, or views, but to know, one would have had to be there and witness it. I have always found Paul to be a most troubling figure.

Answer 5

Paul was not a serial killer. He was a zealous Pharisee who persecuted Christians until he met in person the living Christ. Like all Christians then and now ...Ye shall know them by their fruit" whether they be true or not. We know through Pauls writings , for sure, that Paul's fruit showed him to be totaly sincere . Serial killers are psychopaths. To equate Paul with Jeffery Dalmer, etal is absolutely absurd.

Answer 6

At first the other apostles didn't trust Paul. The bible has them saying, wasn't this the person that persecuted believers?

However, it is always apparent when God's spirit is within someone, and I'm sure they could see the conversion was true.

Please read the book of Acts, it will tell you must better than I can about what happened to Paul.

Answer 7

serial killer? it says that he persecuted christians but gives no detail beyond that. I think you are doing just like Paul did and making things up, aren't you?

Answer 8

Yes you are correct,Saul as he was known persecuted the early believers with great energy and if I had been around then I would not have trusted him too easily at first.
I suppose I would have done what Jesus instructed and judged the tree by it`s fruits,as I believe the Apostles did too.
But Saul did not go around stabbing people he obtained writs for their arrest and had them imprisoned.

Answer 9

q1:Brief overview: Lost and Found.
q2:In the world a man is knowen by his works and so he is.
q3:Yes. For I am no better.
You cannot possible understand the Bible until you have come to salvation in my Lord. Have You?

Answer 10

I think you mean Saul then his name was Paul. He was coverted.

Yes, what this poster said is true I believe. Paul used to be involved with Killing Christians, this was before his conversion.