Bible Matters 444:  Paul the Author

There are eight New Testament witnesses that walked with, were brothers of or were converted to followers of Jesus.  Matthew, John and Peter walked with Jesus and became his Apostles.  Mark and Luke, who both wrote Gospels and the Acts, appears to have walked with Jesus as his disciples.  Jude and James, each wrote epistles and were brothers of Jesus.  Paul was converted from a prosecutor of Christians to a lover of Jesus and preached fervently winning souls for the kingdom of God.  In summary, Matthew, Mark, Luke, James and Jude each wrote one book of the New Testament.  John wrote five books.  Peter wrote two books and Paul wrote fourteen books. 

Paul was on fire for the Lord.  This is exactly what John the Baptist meant when he said that “he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.”  (See Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16)

Matthew 3:11 – I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Paul did not walk with Jesus.  He was a Pharisee that was versed in all matters of the law.  He was also responsible for the stoning to death of the Apostle Stephen.  Once God pricked his heart, it was all over.  Saul’s or Paul’s conversion is reported in three different testimonies in Acts.  (Acts 9:3-8, Acts 22:6-11 and Acts 26:12-20.)  Acts 9:3-8 is second hand reporting as Paul is referred to as he.  Acts 22:6-11 is first hand reporting as Paul refers to himself as I and me.  The words that the Lord spoke in these two accounts were simply this.

Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?  And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 

In the third witness, Paul was speaking to King Agrippa of his encounter on the way to Damascus.  It was clear that Paul wanted to impress King Agrippa with his walk as he reported the Lord speaking the following:  

Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.  But 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;  Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,  To 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. 

From these three testimonies, it is clear that the testimony of one witness does not establish the will of God.  Since Paul did not walk with Jesus, he made it clear that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, you shall know the truth.  Four times, Paul spoke of this fact in his epistles.  (See 2 Corinthians 13:1, Hebrews 6:18, Hebrews 10:28, and 1 Timothy 5:19)

1 Timothy 5:19 – Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

You know from the testimonies of the eight New Testament witnesses that God is the Father of Jesus as the Son of God.   This is repeated verse after verse at least thirty-one times by six witnesses.  

1 Timothy 1:2 – Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Peter 1:17 – For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

It is clear that God is the spirit that no one has ever seen.   Jesus was a man offered as a blood sacrifice for the sins of man. Two separate beings.  

In the most desperate of times during the death of Jesus on the cross, he referred to the Father multiple times.  If Jesus was God, then he would not have felt that he had forsaken himself.  Nor would he ask the Father to forgive.  He even asked the Father to forgive those responsible for his crucifixion and he commended his spirit unto the Father. 

Matthew 27:46 – And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Mark 15:34 – And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Luke 23:34,46 – Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.  And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

When you look at this one chapter and look at the preponderance of evidence of one witness, Paul’s testimony to the Colossians, you see that he was created as an apostle of Jesus by the will of God.   In these first 6 verses, it is once again clear that God is the Father and Jesus is the Son.   Two different beings.

Colossians 1:1-3,6 – Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,  To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,  Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

With all of the preponderance of evidence testimony from the six witnesses, Paul includes a word salad of him’s and he’s which confuses God’s word.  Verses 14 through 20 is a word salad between his and him, with unknown reference to either the Son or the invisible God.  

Within this word salad, the witness testifies that: 

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

In this verse, it is not exactly clear who him is.   Is it the invisible God?  Some scholars say “by him” is Jesus, declaring that Jesus is God.  

Colossians 1:14-20 –  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Paul the author does not give a testimony like this in any other of his fourteen books of the bible that he wrote.  So why did he include this testimony in only this one book!  

Did Paul try and overplay this verse to the Colossians like he had done with King Agrippa?

It could be because this is the only time he wrote to the Colossians.    He went to the Corinthians three times and specifically told them that every word should be established at the mouth of two or three witnesses. 

2 Corinthians 13:1 – This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

It could be because maybe he didn’t write the book.  Who were the Colossians and why did Paul contradict himself in this one book compared to the other thirteen books he had wrote?

The Epistle to the Colossians is the twelfth book of the New Testament. It was written, according to the text, by Paul the Apostle and Timothy, and addressed to the church in Colossae, a small Phrygian city near Laodicea and approximately 100 miles (160 km) from Ephesus in Asia Minor.  Scholars have increasingly questioned Paul’s authorship and attributed the letter to an early follower instead, but others still defend it as authentic. If Paul was the author, he probably used an amanuensis, or secretary, in writing the letter (Col 4:18), possibly Timothy.  The original text was written in Koine Greek.

Regardless of the source for verses (Col 1:14-20), the author Paul even told you to understand the truth in the word of God from the mouth of two or three witnesses.  Do not get confused by one verse or one witness testimony that contradicts the preponderance of evidence testimony of the eight New Testament witnesses.  Awake to righteousness with the knowledge of God and truth in his word. 

1 Corinthians 15:34 – Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

One thing for sure is that you know from the preponderance of evidence testimony who God is from the all eight witnesses, including Paul!

John 4:6-12 – We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

God is but one God.  The creator of heaven and earth.

James 2:18-19 – Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.