Was the Apostle Paul A Hypocrite?

Hey Jesse. Jesus is alive!

I understand the point you are trying to make here, but I would ask you to be more judicious in your choice of thread titles. The current one, though obviously rhetorical, demonstrates poor taste and lack of wisdom.

Our words are being weighed in eternity brethren. Let us not resort to flippancy at the expense of getting our point across.

"Be not many masters, knowing we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in may things we offend all" (James 3:1-2)

truefaithsav,

Now you are trying to put words in the mouth of the Apostle Paul. No one said that Paul was living a sinful life - he was following Christ to the best of his ability. But he was not without sin - and he would be the last person to claim that he was a sinless man. Unlike you - you seem to be holier than Paul.

Wesley remembered being impressed with the humble Moravians on a sailing ship who were willing to do the filthiest work, because as one elder said, "It does my prideful heart good."

One Puritan understood what Paul meant when he wrote the prayer "I need to repent of my repentance".

Paul's confession was not historical, heretical, or hypocritical...just honest to God about what still was possible in his own heart.

MC

truefaithsav wrote:
If Paul was, in his present conduct or character, the "chief of sinners" than Paul was more than a hypocrite, Paul would have been the chief of hypocrites.

But Paul said he was the chief of sinners, even though his present life was holy, because he was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor of the Church.

Paul did not say [u]I was[/u], he said [u]I am[/u]:

[i]1Ti 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners —of whom [b]I am[/b] the worst.[/i]

At the time that he said this, he considered himself a sinner. You accuse Paul of hypocrisy because he admitted his sinfulness? Well... either he was a hypocrite, or he was a true man of God and you are a false one. I think I'll side with Paul on this.

"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of who I am chief" (1 Timothy 1:15, KJV)

If you regularly study the writings of the apostle Paul, you'll find him say some pretty amazing things. Here, like as many other times before, he does not disappoint. He says some things so bluntly and plainly, we think, "surely to God he doesn't really mean that." Often he makes these seemingly random, mother-load sized statements, and simply moves on without so much as offering a simple reflection on what he just said. Though sometimes such proves to be a source of frustration to the student of the Scriptures, in reality, I think I really like that. Instead of looking to dot every "i" and cross every "t," Paul sometimes simply spoke the word that was on his heart, and figured if you didn't understand it, that word would eventually do a work in your life, because that word was nothing other than the Lord's.

Here we have such a statement by Paul. After giving some practical pastoral exhortations to his fellow apostle Timothy, Paul recalls his life before he met the Lord. Specifically, he recalls how he acted out of ignorance and unbelief, and persecuted the Church of the living God. Paul then recalls how the Lord touched him and showed him mercy. Paul then goes onto say that the Lord came into this world to save sinners, of who he is chief.

Such a statement offends many. So much so that some preachers and commentators attempt to explain such a statement away as something Paul was simply saying about his past. And, contextually speaking, I can see how one might arrive at such a conclusion. But his statement about being the chief of sinners is not in the past tense. It is present. And this truth, unfortunately, has caused many preachers and commentators to draw unfortunate conclusions. Paul here, in his present tense confession, is not confessing to continually struggling with besetting sins in his life, or knowingly living with some skeletons in his closet.

Rather, I see it different. Paul's confession to being the chief of sinners is not simply a statement about his past, nor is he admitting to regularly sinning in his life. Rather, his confession to being the chief of sinners is made by a man whose eyes have seen the Lord, and based on this revelation, has come to understand that he is the greatest sinner he knows. Indeed, for anybody who has truly had a revelation of the holiness of God, one cannot help but see the monster they actually are.

They in fact, become the greatest sinner they know. This knowledge is not based on comparing one's personal sin record with the sin record of any other person. Rather, this knowledge comes from a personal and experiential knowledge of God, whereby when one gazes upon Him in his holiness, they cannot but help have an Isaiah 6 vision of God and cry out "Woe is me! I am undone!" When one truly sees the Lord high and lifted up, sitting upon His throne, one is not overly aware of who other men are in relation to God. One only sees God, and as a result of seeing God, they see themselves, and the ugly monster they really are.

Today I stood in Church and testified, I am the greatest sinner I know. Have I ever, or am I presently living in gross immorality? No, not at all. Even when I was unsaved, I still lived a relatively good and moral life. I have never killed anybody, done drugs, or slept around. Comparatively speaking, I can think of a lot of other people who have done far worse things than I have ever done. Yet even armed with this knowledge, when I stand before God, I see who the Lord is, and I see who I am and what I am capable of doing.

What I believe Paul ultimately wanted us to see in his statement, is what I have come to see of myself. I am utterly and entirely dependent upon the grace and mercy of God for my salvation. For apart from that precious grace and mercy, in and of myself, I have come to see the depths of my own personal depravity. I have come to see, like the apostle Paul, that I am the greatest sinner I know. Indeed, in me there is no good thing. Only rot and filth. But thank God, the Lord did come to save me, and as a result of His saving me, I can now be a demonstration of His perfect patience, and an example for others to see of God and His saving work. After all, if the Lord could save me, the greatest sinner I know, then He can surely save others.

Taken from: http://iamadisciple.blogspot.com/2009/08/greatest-sinner-i-know.html

truefaithsav,

Please stop deceiving yourself, because we will not be deceived by you. Look at the context and discern properly:

[i]1Ti 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.
1Ti 1:13 Even though I [b]was[/b] once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I [b]was[/b] shown mercy because I [b]acted[/b] in ignorance and unbelief.
1Ti 1:14 The grace of our Lord [b]was[/b] poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
1Ti 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners e —of whom [b]I am[/b] the worst.

Notice that in 1 Ti 1:13-14, Paul used the past tense, indicating that his life as a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man was in the past - before he was appointed by the Lord Jesus to his service. In fact, in verse 14 Paul, using the past tense, narrates how the grace, the love, and the faith that was in Christ Jesus was poured out on him at that time. The common thread of thought that started in verse 12 ends in verse 14, and an entirely new train of thought starts with verse 15. Otherwise, if these were still connected, Paul would have said "of whom I was the worst", to be consistent with the previous verses.

But he does not say "[b]I was[/b]" because in verse 15 he was no longer referring to his life before he met Christ. He said "[b]I am[/b]", and the meaning of that is abundantly clear to those who are willing to learn.

KingJimmy,

Rather, I see it different. Paul's confession to being the chief of sinners is not simply a statement about his past, nor is he admitting to regularly sinning in his life. Rather, his confession to being the chief of sinners is made by a man whose eyes have seen the Lord, and based on this revelation, has come to understand that he is the greatest sinner he knows. Indeed, for anybody who has truly had a revelation of the holiness of God, one cannot help but see the monster they actually are.

In these words, you have captured the essence of true repentance. Thank you.

Indeed, for anybody who has truly had a revelation of the holiness of God, one cannot help but see the monster they actually are.

This insight should be considered a pre-requisite for any person who feels called to offer spiritual oversight for others. Without this vital dissolusionment of self-righteousness, it is nigh impossible to preach the Gospel with urgency, and more likely that all we can offer is legalism or some other form of spiritual abuse.

Consider how the 'spiritual' man views his own heart with trepidation, even when the faults of another is in plain view.

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Gal. 6:1

Blessings,

MC

So truefaithsav, Paul declares here by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that he is the chief of sinners. Period. If we are simply going by his past, did he really outsin his contemporaries? What about the future anti-Christ? Was Paul a greater sinner than what the anti-Christ will be?

If you read my little essay, you will see how your view simply does not measure up with the essence of what Paul was saying. In comparison to other historical persons that have come on the scene, or will come on the scene, Paul was a pretty insignificant sinner in the history of sinners. But Paul had a revelation of just what a monster his sins had made him.

But because of your perverted understanding of these things, and thus, your own self before God, you'll never see these things. So long as you walk according to your present mindset, you are in an odd predicament, because you are blind, yet you say you see.

*edit*

Let me say by the word of the Lord that you will not truly see until you can say that you are the greatest sinner you know. Until a man can say that, his understanding is darkened.

truefaithsav wrote:
If Paul was still living a sinful life (or was a hypocrite) how can we explain these passages?

Acts 24:16

Acts 23:1

1 Cor. 11:1

If Paul was not saying that he was living a holy life, what was he saying? If these passages do not teach that Paul was living a life with victory over sin, then no language possibly could! It could not be any more explicitly taught than that!

He was saying that he was following Christ as all believers do - there is no implication here that he was sinless.

He was saying that he had a clean conscience before God, which is what all believers have when they repent of their sins, knowing that Christ paid for those sins.

He was exercising himself (striving) to have a clean conscience before God, as all believers do - doesn't mean that we are sinless, just that we are striving to be sinless.

Give it up, truefaithsav, your reading of scripture is self-serving and faulty. Your problem is that you don't read scripture to learn from God - you do it to bolster your self-pride.

You are right in saying that Paul was not serving sin - but that doesn't mean he was sinless, it doesn't mean he was perfect. If you will read his teachings with a mind to learn, he always said he was striving for perfection, but frustrated at his own weakness.

This insight should be considered a pre-requisite for any person who feels called to offer spiritual oversight for others. Without this vital dissolusionment of self-righteousness, it is nigh impossible to preach the Gospel with urgency, and more likely that all we can offer is legalism or some other form of spiritual abuse.

Amen. Until you see yourself as the chief of sinners, you can never deal in a spiritual manner with others. Even if you never sinned at all since you became a Christian, and lived the rest of your Christian existence in such a state, you must still see this truth of yourself. Otherwise, your preaching will always be violent, angry, and looking down your nose at others. "Why can't you get your act together?" will become the essence of your preaching, as you lash sinners and saints alike with words that sound like clanging brass. Such a man cannot be a broken vessel in the hands of the Potter.

truefaithsav wrote:
You cannot serve two masters. Paul was not serving sin. Paul said in Romans 6 that he was "free from sin".

Stop reading the Bible to find justification for having sin in your life. As George Fox used to say, that is a Holy book written by holy men, stop using it to excuse your unholiness!

truefauthsav,

Can you not see that when you claim that you live a holy, sinless life before God while still in the flesh, you are actually claiming to be like God?

Repent of your sin, prideful one.