Was Paul a "moderate christian"? "Let them emasculate themselves" "Let him be anathema"

Tolworth John

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Paul said some pretty fiery, more-than-dismissive stuff. Can we use his rhetoric as an example of what it is to be a follower of Christ?

If you are a leader who has used every possible way to resolve a situation then an out burst is understandable.

For the rest of us it is a case of take it to God and pray for those persons.
 
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Sketcher

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Paul said some pretty fiery, more-than-dismissive stuff. Can we use his rhetoric as an example of what it is to be a follower of Christ?
I'm not going to say never, but it's important to keep that rare. Many people seem to not know when to not use it.
 
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disciple Clint

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Paul said some pretty fiery, more-than-dismissive stuff. Can we use his rhetoric as an example of what it is to be a follower of Christ?
Paul was never moderate in anything he did from what we are able to learn about him. You have to be comfortable with what you do, it has to be your style. I once watched a good minister who had a happy church try to become Joel Osteen because he thought it would grow his church, attendance went down and down and down.
 
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Confused-by-christianity

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Paul said some pretty fiery, more-than-dismissive stuff. Can we use his rhetoric as an example of what it is to be a follower of Christ?
I love a lot of what Paul wrote.

Also, people can be a real pain and so when someone puts themselves out there and does their best to serve others instead of themselves - I don't want to be too judgmental on them.

That being said - I'll not be following Paul's example in a number of cases. I don't think Jesus would want that. I don't think Jesus / God is like that;

The following are some examples of where I'll not be justifying his writing or behaviour;
1) Called out Peter in front of everyone.
2) Sent a slave back to his abuser.
3) Said [such and such group] ought go all the way and castrate themselves.
4) Someone called all Cretans "...liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." He went along with that "prophet's" statement.
5) Lumped gay people in with "...thieves....... (the) greedy.......revilers". Lumped gay people in with "...lawless, disobedient, ungodly, sinners, unholy, profane, those who strike their fathers and mothers, murderers, enslavers, liars, perjurers...". My assumption here is that he was probably homophobic. I think he made an error here and his own humanity has crept into his letters.
6) Seemed to have a completely different understanding to "drunkard" than me. He seems to talk about them as thought they are just evil. I understand them in terms of addiction a little more.

One important thing that I'd note is that I know I'm no where near "good" myself - I ought not spend much time pointing the finger at everyone else - or Jesus might pull out all my shortcomings and have me account for them - I'd fall flat I'm sure. I won't have an argument.

Seems lots of christians struggle with what appears to be inconsistency between a loving God and some of the writings in the bible. Lot's of details get looked into and hard lines getting drawn.
I think it's simple - Paul was probably a homophobe, probably thought addicts were just bad people. Some of him just seems distasteful. Some of him seems wonderful. Lot's of his writing is the most beautiful thing I have ever read. Lots of it gives me strength to get through every day. It can often bring me out of hellish experience - It's brought a lot of love in my life.

I don't feel I should complicate it by justifying some of his ways or prejudices? How to you get around the bad stuff he wrote? How do you explain it?
 
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disciple Clint

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I love a lot of what Paul wrote.

Also, people can be a real pain and so when someone puts themselves out there and does their best to serve others instead of themselves - I don't want to be too judgmental on them.

That being said - I'll not be following Paul's example in a number of cases. I don't think Jesus would want that. I don't think Jesus / God is like that;

The following are some examples of where I'll not be justifying his writing or behaviour;
1) Called out Peter in front of everyone.
2) Sent a slave back to his abuser.
3) Said [such and such group] ought go all the way and castrate themselves.
4) Someone called all Cretans "...liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." He went along with that "prophet's" statement.
5) Lumped gay people in with "...thieves....... (the) greedy.......revilers". Lumped gay people in with "...lawless, disobedient, ungodly, sinners, unholy, profane, those who strike their fathers and mothers, murderers, enslavers, liars, perjurers...". My assumption here is that he was probably homophobic. I think he made an error here and his own humanity has crept into his letters.
6) Seemed to have a completely different understanding to "drunkard" than me. He seems to talk about them as thought they are just evil. I understand them in terms of addiction a little more.

One important thing that I'd note is that I know I'm no where near "good" myself - I ought not spend much time pointing the finger at everyone else - or Jesus might pull out all my shortcomings and have me account for them - I'd fall flat I'm sure. I won't have an argument.

Seems lots of christians struggle with what appears to be inconsistency between a loving God and some of the writings in the bible. Lot's of details get looked into and hard lines getting drawn.
I think it's simple - Paul was probably a homophobe, probably thought addicts were just bad people. Some of him just seems distasteful. Some of him seems wonderful. Lot's of his writing is the most beautiful thing I have ever read. Lots of it gives me strength to get through every day. It can often bring me out of hellish experience - It's brought a lot of love in my life.

I don't feel I should complicate it by justifying some of his ways or prejudices? How to you get around the bad stuff he wrote? How do you explain it?
Maybe Paul just accepted God as the authority and His word as truth.
 
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Confused-by-christianity

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Good then you have just answered the questions in your post.
??? Now you've confused me. I don't know what you're saying or getting at.

I was asking the OP those questions. My question was wondering how the OP answers those problems and difficulties - for themselves.

What are you trying to convey to me?
 
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disciple Clint

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??? Now you've confused me. I don't know what you're saying or getting at.

I was asking the OP those questions. My question was wondering how the OP answers those problems and difficulties - for themselves.

What are you trying to convey to me?
How to you get around the bad stuff he wrote? How do you explain it?
as you said Paul respected the authority of God and His truth. Paul did not write any bad stuff, he wrote the truth in complete agreement with what God has said.
 
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Confused-by-christianity

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as you said Paul respected the authority of God and His truth. Paul did not write any bad stuff, he wrote the truth in complete agreement with what God has said.
Thanks for your opinion.
 
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4UallPraise

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Do tell.

(Why is everyone so cryptic???? Just speak clearly haha ;-) )
It’s a matter of trusting your soul to some backwood southern lawyer that saw Jesus as King of the Jews, so let’s make sure the Jews are saved. But knowing what he knew that the remnant was not confined to the Jews but a means for the Father to act for all that he made it just a bit more difficult for the Gentiles. Stepped it up a notch, so to speak. That’s the irony, a free ride when it’s already paid, good advise that you just didn’t take. Rabbis would agree with that btw.
 
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Confused-by-christianity

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It’s a matter of trusting your soul to some backwood southern lawyer that saw Jesus as King of the Jews, so let’s make sure the Jews are saved. But knowing what he knew that the remnant was not confined to the Jews but a means for the Father to act for all that he made it just a bit more difficult for the Gentiles. Stepped it up a notch, so to speak. That’s the irony, a free ride when it’s already paid, good advise that you just didn’t take. Rabbis would agree with that btw.
Sorry mate - I'm lost. I'm not getting what you're trying to say...for example...

It’s a matter of trusting your soul to some backwood southern lawyer...
I'm thinking, are you making a reference to;
1) Paul being a "lawyer" or "law expert" or qualified Pharisee type?
2) A reference to the "fundamentalist style" reply Disciple Clint gave? You saying neither I nor disciple clint ought trust our souls to fundamentalists / backwood lawyers?

Are you saying "backwood lawyer" as a term of endearment (some people like to make Jesus very lowly to increase his respectability)

Is it a term of disgrace?

I'm only one sentence in and I'm lost hahaha Sorry :-/
 
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4UallPraise

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Paul was a master builder by his own admission. He used the OT law to prove the NT made between Son and Father, so by insisting that spirituality is the goal he brings law keeping into captivity. Compared to John’s master building there is no trap because it starts and ends at spirituality. And by taking the view of the Father upon His Son and the bride being prepared Paul levels the playing field where captives are released hth
 
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