“CHRISTIANS ARE TO FOLLOW PAUL”
… but if Christians follow Paul, how can they follow Christ?
“CHRISTIANS ARE TO FOLLOW PAUL”
…
but if Christians follow Paul, how can they follow Christ?
It
comes as a shock to Christians that they are to follow Paul … what does
that
mean?
Here
are the reasons …
1.
Christ was a Jew … most Christians are not.
2.
Christ went to the temple on Saturdays … Christians do not.
3.
Christ obeyed all the 319 commandments, tenets, precepts, statutes,
judgments,
testimonies and old testament laws and so on … Christians do not.
4.
Christ did not eat pork or prawns … Christians love ham and marine
bottom
dwellers
5.
Christ approved and endorsed animal sacrifices for the remission of sin
… Christians
do not.
6.
Christ gave the Lord’s prayer which has the condition that our sins
will be
forgiven if we forgive others of theirs … Christians do not pray
this
prayer.
7.
Christ endorsed and kept all the ceremonies, feasts and days of
atonement … Christians
do not.
8.
As well as preaching the kingdom of God, Christ’s immediate concern was
to
bring in the kingdom of heaven … Christians do not.
9.
Christ was a pork abstaining, temple attending, Saturday worshipping
and old
testament law abiding Jew … Christians are not.
10.
Christ had his words and doctrine … Christians do not follow
Christ’s words
or doctrine.
Q:
IF CHRISTIANS FOLLOW PAUL, HOW CAN THEY FOLLOW CHRIST?
A:
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SUFFERINGS
Christians
follow Paul and his sufferings as he follows Christ and his sufferings
The
following scriptures explain that we follow Christ and his sufferings …
Romans
8:18; 2 Corinthians 1:5-7; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 1:24; Hebrews
2:10; 1Peter 1:11; 4:13; 5:1 as follows …
“For
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
“For
as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation
also
aboundeth by Christ.” (2Corinthians 1:5)
“And
whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation,
which is
effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also
suffer:
or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.”
(2
Corinthians 1:6)
“And
our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of
the
sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.” (2 Corinthians
1:7)
“That
I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his
sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” (Philippians
3:10)
“Who
now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is
BEHIND
of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is
the
church:” (Colossians 1:24)…
Paul
follows behind Christ and his sufferings.
“For
it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in
bringing
many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation
perfect through
sufferings.” (Hebrews 2:10)
“Searching
what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did
signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ,
and the
glory that should follow.” (1 Peter 1:11)
“But
rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings;
that, when
his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
(1 Peter
4:13)
“The
elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a
witness of the
sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that
shall be
revealed:” (1 Peter 5:1)
LESSON:
Having
been baptised by God’s Spirit into Christ, Christians shall
experience the
same sufferings to be made perfect. This is what it mean to be
conformed to
the image of Christ.
“For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image
of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
(Romans
8:29)
A
Christian’s
destination is to be made perfect through sufferings. Christians
will never
become Christ, but will be conformed to the image that is
Christ and his
sufferings.
THIS
IS THE MEANING FOR A CHRISTIAN TO FOLLOW THE CHRISTIAN PAUL AND HIS
SUFFERINGS
… AS HE FOLLOWS THE JEWISH CHRIST AND HIS SUFFERINGS.
Different
dispensations, different word, different words, different instructions and different doctrine …
but
the sufferings are the same … TO BE MADE PERFECT (Hebrews
2:10)
Put
it this way, if Christ appeared today he would not be preaching
the now
superseded Jewish kingdom of heaven sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) …
and
vice versa … Paul would not have preached the kingdom of God
doctrine …
that is Romans through Philemon … to Israel before the crucifixion …
CHALK AND CHEESE!
Who
are you following?
This
website’s front page is:
www.
