xQuestioning Paul

Prologue

 

 

 

Truth or Consequence

 

Appalling…

Considering the consequence, why have so many people placed their faith in the Apostle Paul’s promises when they are so readily shown to be unreliable? Since even a modicum of research and reason demonstrate that the man who became the inspiration behind most of the Christian New Testament deliberately contradicted God, why are his letters considered to be the word of God?

Are 2.5 billion Christians ignorant, irrational, insane, or just hopelessly indoctrinated?

Paul’s epistles – Galatians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Philemon, and Titus – the hearsay accounts of his associates and devotees – Matthew, Mark, and Luke, including Acts and Hebrews – are riddled with inaccuracies, errant citations, erroneous assumptions, historical anomalies, countless contradictions, and rational fallacies. Yet inexplicably, the world’s most popular religion is based almost entirely upon the words of a man who not only demeaned and negated the testimony of the God he claimed inspired him, but who also admitted to being demon-possessed. Since these facts are irrefutable, this systematic evaluation of Paul’s letters, and especially his foundational epistle, Galatians, may be among the most valuable and challenging books you have ever encountered.

You should know that this book does not stand alone. For those seeking irrefutable proof that Islam is a nightmarish fairytale, that Allah is not God, that Muhammad was not a prophet, and that the Qur’an is among the worst books ever written, I would encourage you to read Prophet of Doom – Islam’s Terrorist Dogma in Muhammad’s Own Words. It is the best documented, most xicomprehensive, chronological, and contextual presentation of Islam’s five oldest and most credible sources.

For those curious as to whether Judaism is Torah adverse rather than Torah observant, you may want to consider the five volumes of Observations and initial two of Coming Home. They provide amplified translations along with an analysis of Yahowah’s testimony. By considering God’s perspective, readers will discover that Judaism is similarly spurious.

Should you read any of them, you will learn who Yahowah is, what He had to say, what He is offering, and what He expects in return. But fair warning: unless your mind is open, and until you are willing to question and then disassociate yourself from religion and even politics, you are not yet ready to meet God.

For agnostics, and most particularly Jews, who are reading these words, I have compiled Yada Yahowah for you. Over the course of many volumes, it proves beyond any doubt that Yahowah exists and that He, as God, authored His Torah, Prophets, and Psalms. Beginning with the creation account, the story of the garden, the flood, the inception of the Covenant, the quest for freedom, and the revelation of the Torah, readers are introduced to Yahowah and those He inspired to tell His story. Yada Yahowah reveals that the agnostic arguments that are postured against God are in opposition to religious myths – human constructs to which God, Himself, is opposed. Yahowah prefers evidence and reason and wants you to be able to find Him through observation and contemplation. Most agnostics find that they rather like God.

Christians will chafe at the notion that “Paul,” not “Jesus,” created their religion, but that is the only informed and reasoned conclusion which can be drawn from the evidence. “Jesus,” whose name was actually, Yahowsha’ (meaning Yahowah Frees and Saves), was Torah xiiobservant, upholding every word scribed by Moseh. He could not have been a “Christian.” And to claim that “Jesus” inspired those who contradicted him would be irrational.

Therefore, the underlying purpose of Questioning Paul is to prove that Paul’s testimony is inconsistent with Yahowsha’s and in irreconcilable conflict with Yahowah’s Torah Teaching. Therefore, Paul’s letters could not have been inspired by the God he contradicted. His claims are not credible.

If you are religious, I am going to tell you something about yourself that you may not realize. The tendency of the vast preponderance of religious individuals is to avoid evaluating evidence, no matter how credible, even irrefutable, which undermines their faith. Believers dismiss well-documented and reasoned presentations by demeaning the character and motivations of the messenger who bears disquieting news. So while Questioning Paul isn’t about me, I am willing to share the following information.

At the onset of this investigation in 2009, I was inclined to believe Paul’s testimony. I thought that Sha’uwl (Paul’s given name which is indistinguishable in Hebrew from She’owl, the realm of the dead and demonic, meaning “to question”) was “an Apostle,” that he encountered “Jesus” on the road to Damascus, and that he spent three years in Arabia in preparation for his mission – just as he had claimed. At the commencement of what would become a comprehensive evaluation of Paulos’ (Paul’s chosen name which means “lowly and little” in Latin) testimony, I was predisposed to think that scribal error, misleading translations, errant transliterations, unsupported interpretations, confusion over whether Sha’uwl was assailing the Towrah or Talmud, and an overall ignorance of the Towrah’s purpose had collectively abetted religious doctrines which were inconsistent with Paul’s intended xiiimessage.

And while I know better now, it will be Paul’s letters, his words, not my preconceived notions, which will ultimately determine whether the world’s most influential religious icon had the audacity to contradict God, to undermine His testimony, and to establish a “New Testament” in place of an “Old Testament” – especially recognizing that according to Yahowah there is still only one Covenant and it has yet to be renewed. If it can be shown that his case is invalid, billions of Christians have been misled – their souls shortchanged.

To arrive at the truth, we will determine whether the man born as Sha’uwl, who wrote as Paulos, and who is known as Paul was assailing: Natural Law, Roman Law, Rabbinic Law, the Talmud, or Yahowah’s Towrah – which means “Teaching, Guidance, Direction, and Instruction.” We will compare the oldest textual witnesses to modern-Greek manuscripts to determine if Sha’uwl’s words have been affected by scribal error, attributing things to him that he did not actually write. And after presenting Sha’uwl’s / Paulos’ letters in English, rendering them as completely and accurately as possible using the oldest manuscripts, we will compare these findings to a variety of other translations to ascertain whether or not translational errors have artificially altered our impression of Paul’s purpose in writing his epistles.

For those who may be wondering why I am intent on revealing this man’s given name in addition to his chosen moniker, the answer is that Yahowah used the former and Yahowsha’ referenced the latter to convey their exceptionally candid impressions of Sha’uwl / Paulos / Paul and his letters. No matter your present stance on him, you will no doubt be stunned by what God revealed about this man centuries before he scribed his first word.

We will strive to be as precise as possible in our xivtranslations, transliterations, assessments, and analysis. By being resolutely accurate, the intended meaning of the words God and this man chose to communicate will be assessed such that we will learn the truth.

By way of background, the first rendition of Questioning Paul was composed after I had written Yada Yahowah – A Conversation with God, which is composed of amplified translations of prophetic pronouncements derived from the oldest manuscripts. This approach was augmented by commentary designed to help us better understand the insights Yahowah revealed based upon the words He selected.

As a result, I have grown very fond of Yahowah, His nature, purpose, and plan. I am, therefore, not without bias. And that perspective is pertinent because Paul purports to speak on behalf of the God I have come to know, the God I have come to love by closely examining and carefully considering His Torah, Prophets, and Psalms. As a result, when Sha’uwl contradicts, misquotes, and misappropriates Yahowah’s Word, I am sufficiently informed and motivated to hold him accountable.

Four years after Questioning Paul was first published, it underwent a comprehensive edit based upon what I had learned while compiling An Introduction to God. In addition to producing more exacting translations, I included a considerable amount of additional evidence. While I should not have been surprised, it was then that I discovered that Yahowah had spoken of Sha’uwl by name, exposing him for our benefit through one of His minor prophets. This revelation is initially presented in the “Yaruwshalaim – Source of Reconciliation” chapter of Questioning Paul because it is keyed off a comment Sha’uwl made about “running.”

Since that time, I have discovered so much more about Yahowah’s hatred of Sha’uwl | Paul and what he has done xvto malign His Word and harm His people that, in the winter of 2021, I began to update and augment Questioning Paul once again. This time I added entirely new chapters exposing a plethora of additional prophecies excoriating the man Yahowah calls the “Plague of Death” and “Father of Lies.” In this supplemental volume, I not only share some disquieting insights into the formation, content, transmission, and translation of the Christian New Testament, but also demonstrate that Paul’s opening salvo against Jews was filled with lies.

God’s testimony in this regard is so utterly devastating to Sha’uwl’s credibility, the question of bias becomes moot. To remain rational, and thus moral, I was compelled to embrace a far more judgmental approach to Sha’uwl much earlier in this review of his life and words than his first letter, Galatians, alone, at least up to that point, might otherwise justify. But more on this in a moment.

Having personally met with Islamic terrorists from al-Qaeda in the immediate aftermath of September 11^th, 2001, I wrote Tea with Terrorists – Who They Are? Why They Kill? And What Will Stop Them? Thereafter, I compiled Prophet of Doom – Islam’s Terrorist Dogma in Muhammad’s Own Words. As a result, I have come to understand Muhammad and Islam. That is important because Sha’uwl and Muhammad share many traits in common, making Paul’s epistles, and especially Galatians, remarkably similar to the Qur’an in substance and style.

I do not say these things to brag, because I have no basis for pride. Apart from being willing to invest the time to learn, and then share what I have discovered, I possess no other qualifications which would impress anyone. I am not a scholar nor am I a theologian – which is good because God works with neither. And since we are discussing labels, I have no affiliation with any political party or religious group. I do not seek a following and I do not profit from this research (at least not monetarily). And since it xviseems to be of interest to many, racially I am a mutt, part Sioux, Irish, Scottish, and English. I am, therefore, not Jewish (or more precisely: neither a descendant of Yahuwdah nor any other tribe comprising Yisra’el).

As I have shared, I have rewritten Questioning Paul a number of times, largely because the evidence I was uncovering warranted it. I am constantly learning. I began this project defending Paul, positioning his every word as favorably as the manuscripts and lexicons would allow. I emphasized the positive aspects of what he had said, and all too often glossed over those things which were of concern, remaining silent when I should have spoken. Frankly, it was not until the end of the third and fourth chapters of Galatians that I realized that I had been played for a fool. But even then, I was blind to the ploy Sha’uwl was using to manipulate his audience.

It was not until having lived with this material for many months, twelve hours a day, six days a week, that I finally came to understand Sha’uwl’s strategy. It had been there all the time, blatant and obvious for all the world to see – but I had read right through it. So when I warn you that this will be hard to accept, I speak from experience.

Fortunately, I can also assure everyone that once Paul’s ploy is understood, once we have extricated his doctrine from our minds, we find God right before our eyes, speaking directly to us from His Towrah: His voice clear, His purpose unmistakable, His offer perfect. If you reject Paul and Christianity as I have done for Yahowah and His Covenant, you will lose nothing and gain everything.

Confessions aside, I knew that Paul’s letters were not “Scripture” (a transliteration of the Latin word for “writing”), in the sense of being inspired word-for-word by God, long ago. They were poorly written and filled with contradictions; that much was obvious. And yet I still xviibelieved that he aspired to tell the truth, that he had personally met with Yahowsha’, and then had spent three years with him before he embarked upon his mission. Therefore, I considered his insights to have merit.

As a result, I initially skipped over his propensity to misquote Yahowah and to never quote Yahowsha’. I missed the significance of what he changed, and thus I was blind to the strategy he was deploying. This is especially painful for me to admit, because rationally evaluating rhetoric was the one thing I had thought I had a propensity to do reasonably well. But with Sha’uwl | Paulos, that was not the case – at least not initially.

The reason was simple enough. Paul’s letters sit at the heart of the Christian New Testament, claiming a proud place in the “Bible.” I had once been a Christian and taught Bible studies based upon his letters. His fall from “Apostle” to the “Plague of Death” was unexpected.

Eventually, however, as I embarked upon a systematic and comprehensive journey through the text of Paul’s first epistle, it became obvious that something was dreadfully wrong. And while I immediately recognized the character flaw emerging before my eyes as being the same one that had made Muhammad, the founder of Islam, easy to manipulate, I still could not put my finger on exactly what Paul was trying to accomplish.

Then I compared Sha’uwl’s review of a meeting he had been summoned to attend at the behest of Yahowsha’s (“Jesus’” actual name, meaning Yahowah Frees and Saves) disciples (a transliteration of the Latin word which means “to learn as a pupil”) in Yaruwshalaim (Jerusalem’s actual name, properly transliterated, meaning Source from which Teaching and Guidance Regarding Reconciliation Flow) with the detailed history of that same event in Acts. The differences are alarming. But when I reached the preamble of Paul’s ultimate manifesto, beginning with the second xviiiand running through the third and fourth chapters of Galatians, during my second pass through this material, the charade was finally over. My eyes were opened and I came to understand the edifice he was establishing. It was then that I discovered seven very specific prophecies whereby Yahowah and Yahowsha’ admonished us to be skeptical of Sha’uwl – to avoid all association with him. After that, I found Paul’s ultimate confessions lurking in statements I had read many times before. Suddenly the pieces of the puzzle all fit together. There were no longer any loose ends, no more mysteries or questions.

Frankly, I was deceived initially by the purported relationship between Sha’uwl and Yahowsha’, and between Sha’uwl and Yahowsha’s disciples: Ya’aqob | James, Shim’own | Peter, and Yahowchanan | John. I was also seduced by Paul’s place as the inspiration behind the world’s most popular religion. Questioning such an individual was well beyond my comfort zone. And yet, Yahowah, Himself, reveals that far too few of us have been willing to do this very thing – and with devastating and deadly consequences.

Also challenging is the fact that we have all been conditioned to think in terms of black and white, believing that everything a false prophet says must be wrong. And yet that is not how charlatans deceive. Wrong is made to appear right by blending misconceptions with accurate statements. A counterfeit is worthless, and yet it prevails because it looks real on the surface, fooling the unsuspecting into believing that it is the genuine article. Such is the nature of Paul’s epistles. The casual reader who is not keenly observant, closely examining and carefully considering the text, while comparing Galatians to the Torah and Prophets, is easily misled by the blending of truth and lies.

In this regard, the last thing Paul’s inspiration, Satan, desires is to be known as the Adversary. He wants to be xixcalled “the Lord” and to be worshiped as if he were “God” – things Yahowah opposes. So we should expect the Adversary’s religious schemes to discredit the occult and attack the Devil, all while corrupting Yahowah’s testimony to produce a counterfeit religious deity which appears worthy of veneration. This is accomplished by discrediting and demeaning the nature, intent, and testimony of the real God, and then by replacing these things with a new deity and beliefs which appear more accommodating.

As for claiming that Paul was inspired by Satan, that is not as controversial as it may appear, since Paul, himself, acknowledges it. Should you be unaware of this fact, you may want to consider his admission in 2^nd Corinthians 12:7. It is there for all to see.

Credible lies are woven side by side and intertwined with strands of truth, which makes the resulting deceptions vastly more beguiling. This is exactly how the serpent, representing Satan, confused Adam and Chawah (Eve’s actual name) in the Garden of Eden, thereby setting a precedent many others would follow. It would be the strategy Sha’uwl would deploy in his first epistle and then again in every subsequent letter. But that’s only part of the story.

Recognizing the human aversion to such sweeping changes in perspective, the following chapter is specifically designed to motivate Christians to follow Yahowah’s guidance and Yahowsha’s example, encouraging them to begin questioning what they may believe and have been told. If your mind is open, even just a little, perhaps you will be exposed to something in the first chapter which will trigger a willingness to think. And sometimes the smallest crack in a façade can lead to the floodgates being opened.

Even with all of this, there is yet another fundamental flaw in Paul’s reasoning, now known as Replacement xxTheology. There is no support for his supposition that either Jews or Israel have been written out of Yahowah’s plans or that He has transferred His promises to Gentiles. To the contrary, every end-time prophecy focuses upon restoring the Chosen People to their rightful place within the Covenant.

If you are an atheist, agnostic, Secular Humanist, Hindu, or Buddhist, while you are welcome to read Questioning Paul, your time would be better spent, at least initially, reading Yada Yahowah, An Introduction to God, or Observations. It is more important that you come to know what is true than what is not. And at this point, your thinking isn’t corrupted by religious sentiments which have to be jettisoned prior to establishing a reliable foundation predicated upon evidence and reason.

If you are a Christian, and depending upon your attitude and inclinations, this may not be the best place for you to start your journey of discovery. If you have been given this material by a friend, and you do not yet know Yahowah or understand His Torah, please consider reading Yada Yahowah and learning what God has to say, in the order He said it. His story will make a great deal more sense if you begin where He began. This is especially important advice as it relates to the Covenant and to your salvation. It is also essential to this evaluation because I will be consistently comparing Paul’s words to God’s Word, exposing where and how they differ – which is often diametrically opposed.

If you elect not to heed that advice, consider this a friendly warning: having responded to over ten thousand emails from religious individuals over the past ten years, I xxihave come to realize that evidence and reason are irrelevant to those who are passionate about their faith. So if you define yourself as a Christian (as I once did), especially an Evangelical or Catholic, if you believe that everything in your “Bible” is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, if you go to church most Sunday mornings, if you celebrate Christmas and Easter, if you are unwilling to consider irrefutable proof that God’s name is not “the Lord,” and that there was no one named “Jesus Christ,” or if you believe that your faith or religious affiliations determine your fate, then you aren’t even remotely ready to consider the evidence presented in this book.

The majority of Christians are predisposed to believe that Paul’s letters are “Scripture,” and are thus inspired and truthful. By that definition, they are beyond reproach – and thus cannot be questioned. As evidence of this mindset, while Christians will say that their faith is predicated upon “Jesus Christ,” when asked to explain it, they will invariably cite Paul rather than Yahowsha’. And when confronted with the realization that Paul’s teachings differ substantially from “Christ’s,” and are the antithesis of one another, this irresolvable conflict is lost on believers, as is the reality that faith is an impoverished substitute for knowing.

If your mind is open, if there are aspects of your faith which trouble you, if you realize that there are serious problems associated with Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Secular Humanism, if you really want to know God, then what follows is for you.

The evidence you are about to consider will be shocking. It leads to a place I could not have imagined before I embarked upon this voyage. And that is why I had to rewrite Questioning Paul several times based upon what I learned along the way. Words are insufficient to express how divergent my preconceived notions were from what I discovered.

xxiiIt would have been easier if I could have resolved the differences. But since I cannot, reason and compassion dictate that I should be honest regarding what I’ve learned. In this regard, while ninety percent of what I had written in Yada Yahowah had nothing to do with Sha’uwl, based upon what I have discovered, it has now taken a year to cleanse those volumes of Paul’s statements.

Also, while Yada Yahowah, An Introduction to God, Observations, and Coming Home recount the greatest story ever told, this particular episode is not pleasant. In fact it saddens me to forewarn you that there is something horribly wrong with the written legacy of the most influential person who ever lived. But in due time, he will hang himself with his words, not mine.

What you are going to read is thoroughly researched, comprehensively translated, rationally presented, and overtly judgmental, which is the only proper response to that which claims to be from God and yet is in discord with His testimony. And once a person comes to know for certain that the edifice billions of people are risking their souls upon is unworthy and unreliable, they cease to be moral by keeping that realization to themselves. Those who think that it is loving and kind to respect everyone’s faith, no matter how faulty, are wrong.

While I have done my best, if you find error with my translations of the oldest extant manuscripts, or with my comparisons or reasoning, feel free to express your concerns. I will address them and then correct the record if necessary. But please, do not quote a conflicting passage from one of Paul’s epistles to negate something he said elsewhere, as this would only prove that Paul contradicted himself.

Yahowah’s Word (the Towrah wa Naby’ | Torah and Prophets) and Yahowsha’s testimony (to the degree it was accurately translated and reliably maintained) comprise the xxiiilone reservoir of evidence worthy of our consideration relative to evaluating Sha’uwl’s / Paulos’ / Paul’s veracity. The feelings and opinions of others, while important to them, are irrelevant to this endeavor.

If you are a Christian, and if you are still contemplating whether to turn the page or close this book, I have a proposition you may want to consider. Suppose I told you that by comparing Paul’s words to God’s Word, and also to Yahowsha’s example, that I could prove beyond any doubt that Paul was not an Apostle, and therefore that the religion predicated upon his letters was unreliable, would you be willing to risk considering the evidence if it meant losing your faith? What’s more important to you: your beliefs or the truth? And if it can be shown that these things not only differ, but are irreconcilable, which would you choose?

But that is not all. What if in addition to proving that Paul’s epistles, and thus Christianity, are neither trustworthy nor reliable, I could also prove beyond any doubt that there is a God whose testimony is dependable and unchanging, would you sacrifice your religion for a relationship with Him through it?

These propositions are not hypothetical. What lies before you will do both. It will take something rotten from you and it will replace it with something extraordinarily wonderful. If you are ready for the exchange of a lifetime, here is something for you to consider…

“Yahowah’s ( – a transliteration of YaHoWaH as instructed in His towrah – teaching regarding His hayah – existence) Towrah (towrah – teaching, guidance, direction, and instruction) is complete and entirely xxivperfect (tamym – without defect, lacking nothing, correct, genuine, right, helpful, beneficial, and true), returning and restoring (shuwb – transforming) the soul (nepesh – consciousness).

Yahowah’s (Yahowah – written as directed by His towrah – teaching regarding His hayah – existence) testimony (‘eduwth – restoring and eternal witness) is trustworthy and reliable (‘aman – verifiable, confirming, supportive, and establishing), making understanding and obtaining wisdom (hakam – educating and enlightening oneself to the point of comprehension) simple for the open-minded and receptive.” (Mizmowr / Song / Psalm 19:7)

That is God’s perspective on the nature and purpose of His Towrah. What is yours?