On Paul

Most religious who read the bible only think so highly of Paul and look at the rest of us who question Paul’s motives as being blind or something. We have a 2nd century church father who writes vehemently against Paul. In what is referred to as the Clementine Homilies, we get for example from an epistle of Peter to James

“For some among the Gentiles have rejected my lawful preaching and accepted certain lawless and foolish teaching of the hostile man.

and we have it written of Peter as saying

who came before me to the Gentiles, and to which I belong who have come after him, and have followed him as light upon darkness, as knowledge upon ignorance, as health upon disease.”

He continues:

“If he had been known he would not have been believed, but now, not being known, he is wrongly believed; and though by his acts he is a hater, he has been loved; and although an enemy, he has been welcomed as a friend; and though he is death, he has been desired as a saviour; and though fire, esteemed as light; and though a deceiver, he is listened to as speaking the truth.

We have elsewhere Peter warning the church

He who hath sent us, our Lord and Prophet, declared to us that the evil one…. announced that he would send from amongst his followers apostles to deceive. Therefore, above all remember to avoid every apostle, or teacher, or prophet, who first does not accurately compare his teaching with that of James called the brother of my Lord, and to whom was confided the ordering of the Church of the Hebrews in Jerusalem,” &c., lest this evil one should send a false preacher to them, “as he has sent to us Simon preaching a counterfeit of truth in the name of our Lord and disseminating error

and continuing in the same spirit, writes

“If, therefore, our Jesus indeed was seen in a vision, was known by thee, and conversed with thee, it was only as one angry with an adversary…. But can any one through a vision be made wise to teach? And if thou sayest: ‘It is possible,’ then wherefore did the Teacher remain and discourse for a whole year to us who were awake? And how can we believe thy story that he was seen by thee? And how could he have been seen by thee when thy thoughts are contrary to his teaching?But if seen and taught by him for a single hour thou becamest an apostle preach his words, interpret his sayings, love his apostles, oppose me not who consorted with him. For thou hast directly withstood me who am a firm rock, the foundation of the Church. If thou hadst not been an adversary thou wouldst not have calumniated me, thou wouldst not have reviled my teaching in order that, when declaring what I have myself heard from the Lord

I rest my case there.