Emphasizing Paul Over Christ

by Van Robison

From my personal perspective, it seems somewhat amazing that Paul, who wrote a number of letters which we believe to be a vital part of the New Testament, is quoted, emphasized, and elevated to a status of "super apostle". Paul like Peter, without Jesus Christ is neither here nor there, which is to say, they are nobody apart from Christ. As Christians we seem to believe that Paul was infallible, and if indeed the Holy Spirit did inspire every word Paul penned, then his writings would be inerrant. It is a certainty that Paul wrote nothing in the English language. Therefore whether Paul's writings are totally accurate in translation is a question mark. The commission given by Jesus Christ to His disciples, was to convey Jesus Christ and the teachings of Christ to others, and at the same time, heal the sick and cast out unclean spirits (Matthew 10:1). There is no question from what we read in the New Testament, that Paul was an extremely abusive man, who thought nothing of force and violence (Acts 8:1-3) against the followers of Jesus Christ up to the time of his conversion. In today's church world, there is hardly any doubt that many preachers defer to Paul in many ways, and think more highly of Paul than Paul thought of himself.

Here is what Paul said about himself (1 Corinthians 3:1): "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. (2) I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able. (3) For you are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and DIVISIONS (personal note: is not the church world divided greatly with denominations, endless splinter groups, sects, and even cults?), are you not carnal, and walk as men? (4) For while one says, I AM OF PAUL (personal note: today we say "I am of Joel Osteen or Benny Hinn, or Ken and Gloria Copeland, or Marlyn Hickey, or Joyce Meyers, or John Hagee, or Pat Robertson, or Rick Warren, or T.D. Jakes, or Creflo Dollar, or any one of thousands of other "spiritual" leaders); and another, I AM OF APOLLOS (personal note: is there any difference when people say "my pastor is so and so"?); are you not carnal? (5) WHO THEN IS PAUL, and who is Apollos, but ministers (personal note: "minister" is not a power position over others) by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? (6) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (7) SO THEN NEITHER IS HE (in this case Paul talking about himself) THAT PLANTETH ANY THING (personal note: here Paul is saying he is a "nobody"--"nothing"), neither he that watereth; BUT GOD THAT GIVETH THE INCREASE. Paul here gives the credit where credit is due and that is to God.

Elsewhere, Paul also talks about how human he was (Romans 7:15-25), and that he always struggled against his flesh, and considered himself wretched in the human body, but served God in his mind through Jesus Christ. I suspect that if we could see Paul in the flesh, we would not be impressed at all, because he was a human being like anyone else. Apart from Jesus Christ, Paul was totally rotten for the fact that he was a violent man against the followers of Christ until his conversion, and also subject to the lusts of his flesh as are all human beings. It seems ironic that Paul is elevated to a status that at times seems to place Jesus Christ in second place in the minds and teachings of many preachers. It is not Paul or Peter or John or any original disciples who are to be placed upon a pedestal, which is totally contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ, who taught meekness, humility, being contrite in spirit, and who taught that we are all brethren, and no man is Master other than Christ.

It is Jesus Christ who is the King of Glory, the King of Kings, whose name is Wonderful, who is our Counselor, who is our Teacher, who is our Master, who is our Savior, who gives us the Holy Spirit, and to whom belongs ALL POWER in heaven above and the earth beneath. Men are simply conveyors of what Jesus Christ taught, and they are not meant to be spiritual idols, nor lords and masters over God's heritage. Without Jesus Christ, neither Paul, Peter or John had anything to teach, therefore there is no self glory. Paul, Peter, and all who convey Jesus Christ to others are nothing apart from Jesus Christ. Many preachers and Christians alike in our world are just as carnal as those Paul spoke to, who proclaimed that "I am of Paul", which is the same thing as saying "Paul is my pastor." If Paul said you are carnal if you say "I am of Paul", are you not carnal today if you say "My pastor is so and so?"

The real focus and emphasis of any follower of Jesus Christ, is Jesus Christ and not Paul, Peter, and any other personality who is a communicator about Jesus Christ.