Thank you for elucidating this!! Though there are passages of beauty, I've always been skeptical or rejected much of what he wrote. But after reading this article I have more compassion for him.
Reading this made me think about something I had never deconstructed. Because yes, Paul was given the same authority as Jesus in church. Which, to say it that way sounds sacrilegious. But it was because I grew up in denominations that believed the Bible was fully inerrant. So every word Paul said was just as important as Jesus because the Holy Spirit was the one actually talking in either case. And even having left the church I never pushed back on that thought.
I find this is one a lot of people don't think about, because they're often wrestling with God and Jesus questions. Paul hangs out in the background, influencing the whole thing. It's so easy to miss!
Excellent framing here. So much damage gets smuggled in under the banner of “biblical teaching,” when what folks are actually wielding is Paul’s mid-journey wrestling—not Jesus’ liberating vision. Paul should be read as an early adopter fumbling toward the light, not as a divine oracle. And it’s no accident that empire found his words more useful for building hierarchy than Jesus’ call to mutuality. Looking forward to the rest of this series.
Thank you for elucidating this!! Though there are passages of beauty, I've always been skeptical or rejected much of what he wrote. But after reading this article I have more compassion for him.
I think it helps so much to humanize him. He was just a person, after all!
Reading this made me think about something I had never deconstructed. Because yes, Paul was given the same authority as Jesus in church. Which, to say it that way sounds sacrilegious. But it was because I grew up in denominations that believed the Bible was fully inerrant. So every word Paul said was just as important as Jesus because the Holy Spirit was the one actually talking in either case. And even having left the church I never pushed back on that thought.
I find this is one a lot of people don't think about, because they're often wrestling with God and Jesus questions. Paul hangs out in the background, influencing the whole thing. It's so easy to miss!
Excellent framing here. So much damage gets smuggled in under the banner of “biblical teaching,” when what folks are actually wielding is Paul’s mid-journey wrestling—not Jesus’ liberating vision. Paul should be read as an early adopter fumbling toward the light, not as a divine oracle. And it’s no accident that empire found his words more useful for building hierarchy than Jesus’ call to mutuality. Looking forward to the rest of this series.
— Virgin Monk Boy
I love that idea of Paul as an early adopter. So accurate. Thank you for this!
Thank you Melissa. This feels like a very important understanding about Paul’s role!
🙌🏽 thank you so much for thisssssss
Absolutely!