I saw an X (Twitter) quote from someone recently that gave a list of statements and said they were all equal to Satan saying "Did God really say...".

There were two items in particular on that list I disagree with. This comic is covering one of those: "Elevate Jesus' words over Paul's".

To say that Jesus' words are above Paul's words is the same as Satan questioning God's words just blows my mind. One is the son of God, or God Himself, or however else you view Him. The other is just a man. Inspired or not, he was just a man.

I've pointed out in other comics that there is never a "And God said..." statement in Paul's letters. The only time we do have a direct quote is from Jesus during Paul's encounter on the road to Damascus. Or in instances like 1 Corinthians 7:10, where he gives a summary of Matthew 5:32. A couple of verses down in 1 Corinthians 7:12, Paul even states that he is giving *HIS* opinion, not God's. Paul wasn't giving any new revelation, just his observation based on current Scripture.

Then we have letters of his like Philemon that are literally just that: a letter. While his other letters are just letters as well, they include some type of teaching in them. Philemon is just him writing a letter to someone and asking a favor. If this was something God told Paul to write, wouldn't it be more like: Hey Philemon, God said for you to take Onesimus back in as a brother and I'll pay any of his debts. Lovingly in Christ, Paul.

Instead he is writing a plea, just as anyone else would do in that situation to another. I point this out as for too long in the church we are taught that every word in the Bible is directly from God and should be treated as such.

I use Billy Graham as the example in the comic as when growing up, he was the person that when someone was talking about a famous Christian, everyone knew. What if 2,000 years from now, someone decided to add one of Billy's books to the Bible, should those be thought of as God's words?

Paul was a teacher. Yes, his words are valuable, but they also have their place. Paul was not God nor ever claimed he was speaking on the account of God.

https://thestraightandnarrow.cfw.me/comics/735

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