Guile, Paul, and the 144,000

There is a man I am acquainted with that formerly I would refer to as a friend. I cannot affirm that now as when he discovered my anti-Trinitarian views he was pretty upset about that, if not feeling betrayed. I will say here and now that it is not my policy to turn my back on anyone, but for those who turn their back on me, I can only extend my hand of fellowship in the future and be open to continuing dialogue.

In one of the last several conversations he expressed his feeling that there would be a group in the last days who believed themselves to be prophets or among the 144,000, or some other legendary group, implying that he was starting to wonder about my authenticity, especially as he understands that I am "skeptical" of Paul. Well, skeptical is an understatement. I deny him as being scriptural altogether along with the rest of the New Testament. The only parts of the New Testament which are inspired are the words of the prophets in it. The apostles never had the authority to write infallible and inspired declarations like the prophets did, and Paul certainly wasn't an apostle. Only prophets spoke (and wrote) the words of God and that was how it always was. Yeshua was a prophet and so He had the power to speak the words of God. Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ so that is inspired as the final book speaking of the end of days.

The reason I am writing this morning is to speak about us, the us of Revelation 14.

Revelation 14:5

"And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."

Paul writes, in 2 Corinthians 12:16,

"But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile."

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What you have here is a dishonest, lying charlatan. We cannot in good conscience assign to him a status of being among the inspired authors of Scriptures but can indicate him only as being a liar. He is not inspired, instead he borrows from pagan "poets", as some sources put it, who were really Greek theologians of the Roman pantheon, and he clearly is under some impression from the encounter with "Christ" at the Damascene road, where this "Christ" borrows the words of Bacchus, in the Bacchae, that the father of Christ is identical to the chief Roman god. The spirit itself was not Christ, but one that was very effective in turning Paul out to serve as a deflection for future followers of Christ. That is, to turn them to a lawless faith consumed with the hate that empowered Paul to engage in his reign of murder against the Christians of his time. He only thought he was a pillar when he was really nothing.

As the 144,000 we will assign no status which cedes any special designation to this man. Those among us who teach so now, I speak with vision that they will not speak to this effect in the future.