Open question to Christian readers

[Whickerman]

Hi all. A quick question. If you proclaim that you are Christian, and follow Jesus' teaching only, do you draw a line in the sand and say - "Yes, I believe in Jesus, and follow his words only", or do you follow the Pauline churches beliefs and also follow the teachings of the people mentioned in the Acts, Letters etc?

What I'm asking is - if you do not believe in the power of apostolic succession, ie the Papacy, where do you draw the line as the early church fathers were exactly that? Why are the writings of someone like St Paul, who never met Jesus, more credible than say The Archbishop of Canterbury, or the Pope?

[naomi24]

Members of the Christian church wouldn't consider me to be a Christian, so I hope you don't mind me joining in on this Whickerman. It's a good question - one I've often asked my Christian friends myself - and I'll be interested to see the answers you get.

[Whickerman]

Nor I Naomi. Just interested myself!

[Theland]

St. Paul did meet Jesus. His fantastic encounter on the road to Damascus, changed him from being a persecutor of Jesus' followers, to their greatest evangelist.
St. Paul preached Christ crucified, as a propitiation for our sin, and Him risen, the blessed Hope for all who are willing to accept Gods' free gift of forgiveness.
All that St. Paul knew about Jesus, was revealed to him by God Himself. The only human teachers he had ever had, were Pharisees, like himself, who had taught the Law and the Prophets, but in a way that was burdensome for Man, whereas Jesus had taught that true worship of God was truly liberating.
The Roman church has added its own traditions to scripture, and given them equal authority, and so what it teaches is corrupt.

[naomi24]

Paul worked on hearsay - and he made the rest up.

[Whickerman]

Theland, although I thoroughly disagree with you, I admire your faith.

[Theland]

naomi24 - If Paul worked on hearsay, then why did he make a 180 degree turn and become Christianitys' greatest evangelist, instead of its greatest persecutor? What was in it for him? Certainly not the "good life" as he spent the rest of hislife in danger, hardship, prison, loved by some but hated by his former Pharisee brothers, and finally executed.
I don't think it was hearsay.

[pugwashjw]

Jesus chose Paul when he spoke to him on the road.
He did not choose the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Pope.
Anyway, those two are not doing what Jesus asked us all to do.
Matthew 28; 19,20
Those two religions numbers are dropping and only being boosted by infant baptism, something the early Jews never did.
It takes a mature person to make the decision to devote their life to God. Infants cannot do that.

[naomi24]

Theland, although Paul is supposed to have had this 'fantastic encounter' I agree with Whickerman - Paul never met Jesus. Jesus's message was a simple one, but men, beginning with St Paul, have turned it into complex dogma.