Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Apostle Paul?

Even with all of his words, Paul had the uncanny ability to reduce things to their most basic unit. It's often said that the gospel can be understood by the simplest child or it can fill your entire life. Churches have thousands of books about Jesus but then Paul comes out with this:
Rom 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you WILL be saved.

You don't need years of study or whole libraries to be saved. It's all that simple, believe and confess. Any child can do that. Last night I was giving a Bible lesson to a group of scouts in our church. One 11 year old boy has some mental problems and is on several drugs. He has a rough time of it (and gives us leaders a rough time in return). He's been worried about heaven. I gave him that verse and his eyes lit up. It's that simple? Yes, it is. All the rest is learning about what you already believe.

Thank you Rock, well stated. I believe in keeping it simple.

These guys push an agenda worse than the lgbtq's, they're turning folks AWAY from Christ, me being one, getting shlt rammed down your throat daily, will cause one to turn 180 degrees away from it!

I would say those that don't like Paul's letters may be at least in part of the way he wrote. He used the words "my gospel" and "boast" and it turns some folks off. They don't understand what Paul means. Paul's gospel is directly from Christ and that is "his gospel". He also used the word "boast" meaning (saying good things about). He also steps on our toes at times.

With all due respect sir no one is ramming anything; when something I don’t care to read about pops up I don’t open the thread.

You’re a free thinking guy. Just float on by and enjoy your day!

I hope you have a good one!

No respect due to a dog like me, the Campfire HAS a secret squirrel handshake religious forum, why do you guys insist on posting this shlt daily in a sportsman's forum? if you believe you are charged with winning souls for Christ, you are doing exactly the opposite with the barrage of religious threads, I can also read the hypocrisy in different thread topics from the so called do-gooders.

You guys are doing Christianity a disservice.

Paul was the least likely guy to end up where he ended up, a tribute to the power of the Lord.

As a Pharisee of pharisees, he was one of the most highly educated men of his time, He was a zealot for his team, a rising star in Judaism. As such, he was a proud and aggressive operative until his encounter with the Lord. After that, he was a different man.

The early Christians were slow to warm up to him, given his high profile history fighting the church.

The Lord used him to preach to the gentiles, to confront Peter and the Judaizers who were trying to conform Christianity into their image of what a Christian should be. That was the spirit of religion trying to take control of the early movement.

Paul wrote most of the New Testament, challenging forces that came against the early church.

There is a lot to learn from Paul, realizing that what he wrote pertained to the culture of the times, but with universal Spiritual truths that span the decades.

DF

Jesus told us to spread the word. No one is obligated to accept it and that will be on their own heads. Not everyone has the gift of evangelism so we're not equally effective, but we're still charged with spreading it in the best way we can.

Thank you Farmer. Thanks' other folks that disparage there threads, we wish all the best for you.

Dardevle spoon.

Kind of, but not really. They accused him of apostasy.

There was a group of Jewish preachers spreading the word that one must have faith AND follow the law of Moses. When Paul preached that the law was fulfilled and there was no longer an external binding on the believer that made him an apostate. Then saying it made you a slave AND was a law of condemnation to death, well, Paul doubled down on that.

I'm sure some of these Jewish preachers saw what was happening in the Christian church, like in Corinth, and accused Paul of endorsing it.

Then Paul condemned the bringing in of pagan practices in the church. The excited delirium and the sexual acts. That pissed off some of the Greek followers also. 1 Corinthians especially is aimed at that.

As dirt farmer posted paul understood the old testament from a to z. Paul was in a unique place to show how the old and the new mesh and fit together.

After the death of Christ we no longer follow the Commandments of Moses,but are shown how Israel failed to follow God. I believe Paul said that it was because of the hardness

of their hearts.

Very often the case. I see it kind of like someone advocating a new diet and fitness regimen. They claim its life changing and will make you a better person, and you'll be super fit and healthy. But, the people who talk about it most are fat,unhealthy and miserable people. Would you be inclined to want to try it? Probably not. What if they reassured it would work fine but they just didn't do a good job following it, causing them to be fat, unhealthy and miserable? Personally it wouldn't inspire much confidence in me that this lifestyle was really life changing and worth trying.

That's the way I see religion. If you can't walk the walk, its probably best not to talk the talk too much until such a time as you CAN walk. Claiming that "I'm not perfect just saved" doesn't inspire others to want to follow your example. In our countries a Bible is available anywhere, religious programs are free on tv and radio or the internet, and churches are plentiful. Spreading the word is really not necessary, but if you truly want to help people to live a better life, demonstrate how its done. I guarantee you no one is being converted by people being azzhats on the internet, but it sure will turn them away in a hurry.

You never had to click on this post, let alone post on it. Just sayin.

I think there is some troll stuff going on, but if one asks a question, actually wanting to know, then an honest question deserves an honest answer.

These topics often get off the rails and, as you note, accomplish little or nothing positive. I guess you gotta consider the source and the motivation.

Sorting it out can be a challenge. I'm often hesitant to post, but sometimes it seems like the thing to do.

DF

Great post. Especially the last sentence. Unfortunately those who should read it and take stock probably wont.

Paul went on to say that the Gentiles (that's us) aren't under the law at all but under grace.

Ro 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

True, we're under grace, but can't punt the law, as He came to fulfill, not replace or do away with the law.

DF

Better call Saul.....

I’ve punted it. I don’t give a flip about it. He ‘did’ fulfill it, and now the Old Covenant is over with. It’s done.
To say that the ‘moral’ elements of the law continue to be authoritative blunts the truth that the entire Mosaic covenant is no longer in force for believers.