Foon Nerfdahl posted this some time ago and I would like to review the statements in this post without dealing with the rest of the stuff in the thread "Striking out Paul". Foon presents the argument better than I could.
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Let us look at Paul objectively.
Paul's "gospel" is one of defeat. Paul says he tries and tries, but he just keeps on sinning (apparently constantly). Poor sap is obsessed with sin and sees it behind every bush......for himself and others. He thinks he's chained to a body of death. He has a thorn in his side, he says.
Thorn in his brain, maybe.
Paul's "gospel" is sort of pathetic.
Jesus, on the other hand, is exceedingly positive. He rather calmly tells people not to sin.
Paul would have a cat if he heard that one.
See the difference here?
Zacchaeus says, "I have given half of what I own to the poor and made amends to those I have cheated."
Jesus responds: "This man is going to heaven."
Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Paul would get a severe cramp in the side on hearing that one.
Jesus said, "If the son sets you free (from sin, in context) then you shall be free indeed."
John
NO one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
Paul, however, says..........
17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Paul is in direct opposition to Jesus and John (and everybody) on sin......and to make it worse--Paul invented a theology of Radical Grace to cover his bizarre stance on sin.
What Paul's writings do is encourage people to think they have no choice but to sin.......but hey.....Paul says that's ok because we have the Radical Grace theology to cover us.
Unfortunately, what Paul wrote is simply wrong.
Paul's words are not confusing.
They are wrong.
__________________
Let us look at Paul objectively.
Paul's "gospel" is one of defeat. Paul says he tries and tries, but he just keeps on sinning (apparently constantly). Poor sap is obsessed with sin and sees it behind every bush......for himself and others. He thinks he's chained to a body of death. He has a thorn in his side, he says.
Thorn in his brain, maybe.
Paul's "gospel" is sort of pathetic.
Jesus, on the other hand, is exceedingly positive. He rather calmly tells people not to sin.
Paul would have a cat if he heard that one.
See the difference here?
Zacchaeus says, "I have given half of what I own to the poor and made amends to those I have cheated."
Jesus responds: "This man is going to heaven."
Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Paul would get a severe cramp in the side on hearing that one.
Jesus said, "If the son sets you free (from sin, in context) then you shall be free indeed."
John
NO one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
Paul, however, says..........
17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Paul is in direct opposition to Jesus and John (and everybody) on sin......and to make it worse--Paul invented a theology of Radical Grace to cover his bizarre stance on sin.
What Paul's writings do is encourage people to think they have no choice but to sin.......but hey.....Paul says that's ok because we have the Radical Grace theology to cover us.
Unfortunately, what Paul wrote is simply wrong.
Paul's words are not confusing.
They are wrong.
