Sunday-Dev: Is Paul a false apostle?

The following blog post carries the personal thoughts of Elder Prince, founder of Blossomsoft Games.

Hey, so I stumbled upon these anti-Paul videos in my YouTube feed recently. Seems like it might be becoming a thing, sadly. Those people claim that Paul is the one Jesus warned against in the following verse:

However, Jesus’ message was aimed squarely at those with a Pharisaical and Sadducean outlook; self-righteous law-abiding devils.

Here are the videos I stumbled upon:

• Paul is a False Apostle. (video by a self-righteous Lordshipper called Matthew)
• Paul a False Apostle (a playlist, from a crazy woman)

I’m not endorsing those channels; it’s ultimately up to you, the readers, to decide whether you buy into their lies or not.

They are a sect, and they are lost.

Here’s the deal with this sect: First, they boot Paul out of the equation. Then, they start doubting the authenticity of the Gospel of John just because it’s different from Matthew, Mark and Luke. And to top it off, they get all caught up in this Hebrew Root movement, saying using ‘Jesus’ is a no-go and we gotta find the real deal. They’re tossing around names like Yeshua, Yahuah, Yahshua, Yehoshua, you name it. If you’re not using the right name spelling according to them, you cannot be saved. What’s next? ‘Yabba Dabba Doo’? Then, as if that weren’t enough, they ultimately decide to reject Jesus and liken him to Baal or Lucifer. It’s getting wild. What’s their goal? They’re trying to strip away the Good News and push only the law for salvation. Total antichrist vibes, if you ask me.

So, beware not to be swayed by their claims because they sow seeds of doubt and destruction. Trusting their lies will rob you of the joy found in the Good News, leaving only bitterness and condemnation behind.

Red-letter verses only?

This whole mess usually starts when folks try to stick solely to the red-letter verses in the Bible. It’s risky business and, ironically, pulls them further from Jesus’ true message. Focusing solely on the red-letter verses is a misstep because we’re not under Jesus’ ministry, which primarily centered on Israel and the law so that Jews (and us, today) could understand everyone’s inability to follow the law for righteousness and accept the role of Jesus as the world’s savior.

Rather, in the current age, we’re under Paul’s ministry, which emphasizes the Church and walking in the spirit. Don’t misunderstand me; Jesus’ words are important, but we need Paul’s teachings to fully grasp the Christian life, which is to live by faith and not by obedience of the law or self-sacrifices.

If we remove Paul, who authored a significant portion of the New Testament, we lose the essence of the Good News, and the Church, and our total liberty, as we know it ceases to exist. Keep in mind, the Church isn’t just a building—it’s all of us believers together, forming the Body, with Jesus as the Head. Paul’s writings unveil vital insights into the mysteries of God’s complete plan.

Mysteries are revealed by Paul

Think about it: the Old Testament is packed with all sorts of unsolved mysteries. The law has always been a curse for everyone. So why God used the law in the first place if it’s a curse? God wanted the Israelites to grapple with it so they’d realize they needed His mercy more than anything. Plus, there’s this ongoing prophecy about a Messiah throughout the Old Testament and most of them don’t seem to understand it. Then Jesus shows up, and it’s like a bigger mystery party. Even his closest crew, the disciples, had a tough time fully grasping what he was about, despite being by his side 24/7. That’s where Paul comes in—he plays a major role because he’s the guy Jesus chose to finally spill the beans on all those head-scratching mysteries. And when you boil it down, the law never had the power to save anyone from the get-go to the bitter end. The law is nothing but a curse, leading straight to death, because, let’s be frank, none of us can claim to keep it perfectly, and all souls must be perfect in Heaven. Thankfully, Jesus leads to eternal life, because it’s God’s will that we believe to be saved. It’s all about the Good News—the faith in the Lamb’s sacrifice, aka Jesus, that’s been saving souls since day one.

This verse should make it clear: relying on the law won’t save us. It’s believing in Jesus that makes us right with God, because we’re justified by faith.

Thanks to Paul’s teachings, we can revisit the Old Testament and grasp God’s plan through the lens of the Good News.

Being saved is super duper easy

Don’t forget, salvation is straightforward, effortless, and completely free—God made sure of that. God doesn’t want anyone to perish. This sums up Paul’s teachings, which align closely with the Gospel of John. The Good News is this: Jesus, being God in the flesh, fulfilled the entire law on our behalf. When he breathed his last on the cross, he declared, “It is finished,” signaling that the price for all our sins had been paid, once and for all. He resurrected three days later for our justification and to guarantee us eternal life. The moment we believe it, we’re saved forever, born-again and sealed by the Holy Spirit. As simple as that.

Seeking salvation through obedience to laws is a curse. Instead, our obedience should be to the gospel, meaning that we trust in the Good News and share it without burdening others. Preaching others they have to repent of all their sins to be saved (which is a terrible burden on their shoulders) is equal to being disobedient to the gospel (aka the Good News).

Law-abiding Christians are condemning themselves.

Those folks who are always picking apart the Good News are usually brimming with pride. They’re basically the Pharisees and Sadducees of today. Keep in mind: it wasn’t common sinners like the prostitutes, thieves, adulterers, homosexuals, and so on, who put Jesus to death; it was those who rigorously observed the law who did so. Self-righteous so-called Christians act like they’re too squeaky clean for sin to even touch them. They brush off their own wrongdoings like they’re no big deal, but they’re quick to get all worked up over someone else’s slip-ups. And let me tell you, they’re pros at pointing fingers and playing the holier-than-thou card. But here’s the kicker: If they never get around to trusting in the Good News, they’re the ones who end up taking a dip in the lake of fire. It’s like that verse says:

In the above verse, the ones rejected by Jesus are those bragging about their wonderful works. They put their faith in what they do rather than what Jesus did. Jesus never knew them because they never became children of God. False teachers always use Judas Iscariot to prove that one can lose or forfeit their salvation after being saved, but they’re wrong. Judas was part of the twelves, he cast out devils and he did many wonderful works in Jesus name, but he didn’t believe, so his works were done in vain. A worker of iniquity is someone whose sins remain uncovered, indicating they have rejected the Good News.

In the above verse, Jesus is identifying Judas as a non-believer.

In the verse below is an example of a believer who put his faith in Jesus for eternal life.

Even when Peter later denies Jesus three times to save his own life, curses Jesus’ name vehemently, and resorts to extreme violence by cutting off a soldier’s ear, he couldn’t lose his salvation. His belief had already secured his eternal salvation; he didn’t rely on himself but trusted in the words of Jesus that promise eternal life, a trust we should all embrace..

Fun Coincidence.

P.S. I noticed a comment from Legonenen on one of those anti-Paul videos, seemingly standing up for the Good News against them. Small world, huh? I left a “hello” for Lego, but as you know, YouTube has a habit of swallowing up comments. So, chances are, Lego probably missed it.

And Lego’s question was spot on. Peter endorsed Paul as an Apostle. What’s more, Peter backed him up during Paul’s visit to Jerusalem to address the debate on ‘faith alone’ versus ‘faith without works is dead’ when meeting with James. It’s why Paul wrote later in the book of Romans:

Conclusion

At the end of the day, it’s your call whether you want to play life on hard mode or take it easy by resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Life is like playing a video game, sort of. In the tough version, the devil’s on your case like the best prosecutor in heaven, always calling out your wrongs. He’s got the inside scoop from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, so when he accuses you, it’s 100% legit, and God’s gotta dish out the justice. But in the easy mode, you just gotta trust in Jesus’ finished work on the cross. The moment we believe it, we receive God’s spirit which is from the Tree of Life, opposed to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil given to all of us by physical birth in this world by the devil. Jesus hooks us up with a bulletproof robe (his Holy Spirit) against the devil’s accusations, and God clears us of any guilt. So, if you’re banking on your own good deeds for salvation, don’t be shocked if God’s like, “Sorry, not enough,” and finds you guilty. You’ll be the one to blame. Your illusion of self-righteousness will be your ultimate undoing. The lake of fire is forever, an union with the devil, separated from the love of God by your own choice. Gotta choose your camp. Thankfully God made salvation so easy that none should perish.

Stick to Paul’s teachings; they’re your safeguard for eternal life. Rejecting Paul’s teaching is a curse.

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