Question:
Can we trust the apostle Paul?
Answer:
It is becoming common for "scholars" and "theologians" and "Christians" to try and cast shades of doubt upon the apostle Paul. Yet, his writings can be trusted. In fact, if we cannot trust Paul, major consequences exist throughout the rest of the Bible.
First, it is important to point out the sincerity of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. His vision of Jesus could not have been a hallucination for Saul did not fit the psychological framework for such a hallucination. He was young, anti-Christian, traveling on a road to Damascus and with several others. Hallucinations about a compassionate Jesus do not occur in people of Saul's mind frame. In addition, if Saul was hallucinating, it seems strange that the hallucination just happened to tell him the right place where he could meet with Ananias to be taught the gospel (Acts 9:6). Thus, the vision Saul sees of Jesus was the final appearance of our Lord, as Paul documents in 1 Corinthians 15:8.
Second, there is no reason to doubt Paul's conversion in its cause or its motives. Unlike some TV preachers today with their elaborate conversion stories and bank accounts, Paul gained nothing materially by his conversion. He lost his high-ranking status among the Jews at his conversion. He had to beg money from churches and make his own tents to live. He risked life and limb while suffering persecution for the cause of Christ. He could not be considered a spy for the Jews for they were the very ones who had him cast into prison later in life. Any worldly or selfish motive for Paul's conversion is easily foiled by taking an honest look at the evidence. Paul's conversion was based on heavenly reward.
There are consequences to those who disbelieve Paul. For example, the apostle Peter confirms the writings of Paul and equates it with Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). Now, if Paul is truly a fraud then Peter was wrong in his statement. If Peter was wrong, then how can we trust him? Second the book of Acts was written by Luke. Three times the conversion of Paul is retold in Acts (9, 22, 26). Luke spends over half of the book (chapters 9-28) detailing many of the journeys of Paul and validating his work. Now, if Paul cannot be trusted how can we trust Luke? If we cannot trust Luke, we cannot trust the book of Acts or the gospel of Luke! If we cannot trust Peter, Paul, or Luke, we have virtually whittled the New Testament down to a couple of books.
The skepticism surrounding Paul has more to do with bias than sound evidence. May we embrace His writings as divine (Eph 3:3-5).
June 2007