Having established in part 1 of this study that Paul was rejected by the Christian Jews in Jerusalem (Acts 21:17-31), and according to Paul’s own testimony he was rejected by all of the Christians throughout Asia (2 Timothy 1:15)…

And having established in part 2 of this study that there are only twelve apostles of the lamb (Revelation 21:14) and that the twelve formally ordained by the church and by God did not include Paul (Acts 1:15-26) and thus Paul’s claim of being an apostle of Christ does not hold any weight scripturally…

What do we really know…?

We know that Paul laid claim to being “an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus” (Ephesians 1:1)
We know that the Church at Ephesus was commended because they had “tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:” (Revelation 2:2)
We know that Ephesus was in Asia (Revelation 1:11)
We know that by Paul’s own admission “All” the churches in Asia had turned away from him (2 Timothy 1:15)

How do we know that the facts cited above are true…?
Because we have proven them to be true according to the evidence set before us (the bible).

However, at this point, we can not say with any certainty whether the text in Revelation 2:2 is referring to Paul and his followers or not. To establish this as fact, one way or the other, we need to take a closer look at the ‘evidence’ presented before us (the bible). Revelation 2:2 says that the church at Ephesus tried, or tested those who called themselves apostles, and found that they were liars.


Are we able to judge today one way or the other, whether Paul and his followers were found liars or not…? Is this the reason that all the church in Asia turned away from Paul…? Is there any evidence for us to examine and make a truthful decision just as the church at Ephesus did in Revelation 2:2…?

1 John 4
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Matthew 12:
37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.


I believe that the best place to start would be to look at Paul’s actual ‘conversion’ and his background before his ‘conversion’.

Before Paul’s ‘conversion’ experience, Paul was a Pharisee. Christ had a lot of interaction with the Pharisees. What exactly was Christ’s view of the Pharisees?
John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

As a matter of fact… Paul still claimed to be a Pharisee even after his ‘conversion’:
Acts 23
6Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee.


Now… Regarding Paul’s conversion… There are three separate accounts of Paul’s conversion found in the book of Acts:

Acts 9
3And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

Acts 22
6And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10And I said, What shall I do, LORD? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

Acts 26
12Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
19Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

These three separate accounts of Paul’s conversion, relate three different versions that contradict each other.

In Acts 9:7 we have a record of Paul's men hearing a voice and seeing no man (ie Jesus). But in Acts 22:9 it is just the opposite… we have Paul claiming that the men saw the light, but did not hear a voice.

Why the blatant discrepancy...? In Acts 22 Paul is appearing before the Hebrew counsel, and may have changed his story to one where his companions saw a light, but did not hear the voice when defending himself to the Jews because it adds more credibility to his vision. I mean, a voice could be anyone’s voice.

In Acts 9 and Acts 22 only Paul fell to the ground. And then in Acts 26, another blatant discrepancy... Here Paul says that the light shone around everyone and everyone fell to the ground.

In Acts 26 Paul was defending himself in the Court of King Agrippa, dramatising the vision by claiming all his men fell to the earth highlighted the great impact this event had not just on his life, but those who were in his presence.

In Acts 9 and Acts 22 Paul asks “what do you want me to do?” And the Lord tells Paul to go into the city (Damascus) and there he will be told what to do. But in Acts 26 Paul doesn’t ask the Lord what to do… Instead the Lord commands Paul…
16But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

In Acts 26 The Lord told Paul right there and then what He wanted Paul to do which is contradictory to the other two accounts in Acts 9 and Acts 22 where the lord told Paul that he would be told what to do later.

Yes there are contradictions in these three separate accounts.


But it gets worse…


In Acts 26 Paul says in his defence to King Agrippa:
19Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

However…

In Galatians 1 Paul tells a different story about what happened immediately after his ‘conversion’:
Galatians 1
15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
17Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
19But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.
20Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.


In Acts 26 Paul says that he was not disobedient to the vision but that he went “first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles”. Acts 9 agrees with this… As does Acts 22…

But in Galatians 1 Paul says that he didn’t go “first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles”. In Galatians 1 Paul says instead “immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia”And then Paul says “behold, before God, I lie not.”

Paul boldly declares in Galatians 1… “behold, before God, I lie not.”… But Luke contradicts Paul’s record of events after Paul’s ‘conversion’ completely… Luke tells us that After Paul saw the light on the road to Damascus Paul immediately went to Damascus and was baptised. And relates the events occurring immediately after his baptism:
Acts 9:
19And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
20And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
21But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
22But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
23And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
24But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
25Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
26And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
27But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.


Now somebody is not telling the truth here…

According to the scriptures… Paul has changed his story quite a few times regarding his ‘conversion’.


In a Court of Law, such contradictory evidence would be held suspect and hence dismissed or cross-examined.


My next question therefore would be... Upon further examination of Paul’s testimony (His writings)… is there any evidence that Paul spoke contrary to the teachings of Christ, His disciples and the Prophets…?