The Apostle Paul was the writer of many Epistles in the New Testament.
23
votes
2answers
2k views
What did Paul mean by “women must be silent in church”?
In the Bible Paul says that women must be silent in churches and ask questions to their husband when they get home.
This is completely ignored in the modern day churches, with many women being ...
19
votes
5answers
1k views
How do we know Paul wasn't a false Apostle?
I want to preface this by saying I don't believe Paul was a false Apostle. I must either view his Apostleship as authentic, or throw away everything I believe. Removing Paul's writings and influence ...
18
votes
3answers
290 views
What is “new” in the New Perspective on Paul?
What specially is new and different in the "New Perspective on Paul" movement? How can the differences to the "old" perspective be summarized?
Note: Please don't make this question about defending ...
16
votes
12answers
2k views
Are Paul's letters to be taken as God's word?
Sometimes, as I read the bible or listen to a speaker in church, I can't help but feel that while Paul's letters are full of well-grounded Christian wisdom and advice, they can also contain what seems ...
13
votes
5answers
442 views
Did Paul write the Epistle to the Hebrews?
The authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews is an open question. The common scholarly opinion is that the author certainly wasn't Paul.
Most modern Bible translations make no mention of the author, ...
12
votes
3answers
292 views
Did Paul preach Jesus's message?
In the four Gospels, Jesus seems to talk a lot about the Law, about how to behave, about "the Kingdom" and how to restore social order. It doesn't seem like he talks about what Paul talks about: ...
10
votes
2answers
148 views
Paul's analysis of Abraham's “offspring(s)” in Galatians 3
In Paul's letter to the Galatians, he talks about (among other things) how God's promise to Abraham was fulfilled in Christ. Galatians 3:16 reads (in the NRSV; other translations may say "seed", ...
9
votes
3answers
428 views
Are tongues a sign for believers or unbelievers?
1 Corinthians 14:22-25 confuses me. Verse 22 states:
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers.
So, tongues is ...
9
votes
2answers
176 views
Is 1 Corinthians 7:26-40 not the 'Word of God'?
Paul makes clear in 1 Corinthians 7:25 that the following section is not a word from God but his (Paul's) opinion:
Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my ...
9
votes
4answers
177 views
How are Christians free from sin?
The gist of Romans 6 is that as Christians, we are dead to sin, and thus free from it. We are no longer slaves to sin, but are slaves to God and righteousness.
Romans 6:16-18 (ESV)
16 Do ...
8
votes
4answers
165 views
What is the evidence that suggests that the Apostle Paul was married?
I have heard people say over the years that it is likely that the Apostle Paul had been married at some point, perhaps prior to his conversion. However, there doesn't seem to be any biblical evidence ...
8
votes
3answers
88 views
Is there a 'Third Heaven'?
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (New International Version)
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the
third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not
...
7
votes
3answers
5k views
Why Paul calls Peter as Cephas in his books?
In John 1:42 Jesus called Peter as Cephas.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
But throughout the Gospels, ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
How many languages did apostle Paul speak?
Of course, he could speak Hebrew and from such examples like preaching the gospel in Athens it seems that he had no problem speaking Greek. He also wanted to visit Rome, while there were no Jews ...
7
votes
2answers
148 views
What evidence is there that the Apostle Paul had been a member of the Sanhedrin?
I remember hearing someone make the claim that Paul had been a member of the Sanhedrin prior to his conversion to Christianity. Is there any evidence for this claim? If so, what is it?
7
votes
1answer
125 views
How can women be forbidden to speak and yet prophesy and speak in tongues?
In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul give forbids women from speaking in church.
1 Corinthians 14 NIV
34 Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to
speak, but must be in ...
6
votes
6answers
1k views
Who was the 12th Apostle - Matthais or Paul?
First off, a distinction between disciple and apostle - a disciple is a student, and the 12 disciples were Jesus' students. An Apostle is one who was "sent out." Eleven of Jesus' disciples were sent ...
6
votes
2answers
920 views
Did Paul write other letters that are not in the Bible?
I've heard it said that Paul wrote other letters that didn't make it into the Bible, including at least one more letter to the church at Corinth, and a letter to the church at Laodicea. What is the ...
6
votes
2answers
214 views
What does it mean that all scripture is God-Breathed?
In 2 Tim 3:16, Paul writes
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness (NIV)
All Scripture is breathed out by God and ...
6
votes
1answer
135 views
Is Paul making an oath in Galatians 1?
Several times in the New Testament, we are told not to make oaths but to make simple statements of affirmation or denial. For example...
Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV)
33 “Again, ...
6
votes
2answers
236 views
How much did Paul's travels cost?
The Apostle Paul famously made an extensive series of missionary journeys around the eastern Mediterranean (in various company, and stopping off in some places for months or years, also getting ...
5
votes
1answer
139 views
Was Paul advocating killing a man because of sexual immorality?
1 Corinthians 5:5 (NIV)
5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
Here we have Paul referring to a man that was ...
5
votes
1answer
335 views
What was Paul's “revelation” (mentioned in Galatians 2:2)?
Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which ...
5
votes
2answers
228 views
Scholarly discussion of claims that Paul is a “false apostle”
There a claim in some circles that Paul is a "false apostle", creating a new religion from whole cloth. I fear trying to flesh out any one particular version of such a claim, but one such example is ...
4
votes
2answers
147 views
What does Paul mean when he says Jesus “emptied himself”?
In Philipians 2:7 Paul writes:
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[a] being born in
the likeness of men (ESV)
I always understood this to mean that he was humble enough to ...
4
votes
2answers
141 views
Is there any possibility that 1 Cor 15 is not about Physical Resurrection?
This is something of a long shot. I had a friend look at 1 Cor 15 (and other parts of the Bible and he formed the conclusion that 1 Cor 15 was about a spiritual and not bodily resurrection. ie that ...
4
votes
1answer
41 views
How was Saul changed to Paul?
Acts 13:9 (NIV) Then Saul, who was also called Paul, .....
This verse does not explain much how Saul became Paul. Who changed his name? Why was it changed?
4
votes
1answer
34 views
Paul's knowledge of Jannes and Jambres the magicians of Egypt
Per Paul in:
2 Timothy 3:8 ESV
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the
truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.
Which is cross ...
4
votes
2answers
73 views
Why was the Apostle Paul seemingly not that interested in baptizing believers?
Paul does not seem to put the same importance on baptism as he does on other things:
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross ...
3
votes
5answers
511 views
Do Paul and Jesus disagree on homosexuality?
Romans 1:26-27:
[26] For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, [27] and likewise the men also ...
3
votes
1answer
99 views
What is Paul referring to in talking about the “thorn in his side”?
In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul references a thorn was given to him in the flesh:
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in ...
3
votes
1answer
92 views
Why do so many Christians call Paul “teacher”, when Jesus said it was forbidden? [closed]
I personally try to base everything I believe on the words of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. I also take the Old Testament as truth because Jesus also did. I see Paul like I do CS Lewis, I happen ...
3
votes
2answers
94 views
Why is Paul considered an Apostle? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is an apostle?
How do we know Paul wasn’t a false Apostle?
Why is Paul considered an apostle rather than simply a disciple? What Biblical references show why or ...
2
votes
1answer
404 views
Who was Tychicus?
In studying through the book of Colossians, I noted that the letter was carried from Paul to the church by some dude named Tychicus.
Colossians 4:7 (ESV)
7 Tychicus will tell you all ...
2
votes
5answers
274 views
Do the acts of the flesh reveal false Christians?
Galatians 5:
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy,
fits of rage, selfish ambition, ...
2
votes
2answers
80 views
What is the significance of the message “every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” in 2 Corinthians 13:1?
In 2 Corinthians, Paul mentioned that it was the third time he was going to visit the people there, and he added that "As the scriptures say, the facts of every case must be established by the ...
1
vote
3answers
709 views
Why did Paul want God to repay Alexander the metalworker?
In II Timothy 4:14-15, Paul writes:
Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord
will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your
guard against him, because he ...
1
vote
2answers
278 views
Does 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 assume Christian pacifism?
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Paul makes a contrast between spiritual warfare and war "according to human standards":
Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human ...
1
vote
1answer
131 views
Did Paul actually know anything about the life of Jesus?
In The God Who Wasn't There the narrator says how Paul knew largely nothing of what we call the story of Jesus.That he only knew of Christ erected on the cross, his resurrection, and the ascension. ...
1
vote
2answers
62 views
Are we unaware of something that God foresaw in appointing Paul as apostle?
I have seen many question and views here on the apostleship of St. Paul. Questions like this, this, this and Most recently this. All seems to basically ask why Paul was chosen as apostle or ...
0
votes
2answers
91 views
Which apostles quote Jesus?
In inspired by this question Did Paul preach Jesus's message?
Which apostles quoted Jesus and which ones did not?
Did Paul meet Jesus in person and did he ever quote Jesus?
Thanks.
