The Teachings of Paul (TOP)

Paul's Easter message:

TOP #110: Christ died for sins, was buried, raised on the third day, appeared to believers, lastly to Paul. [1CR 15:1-8] Peter’s summary of the mission of Christ is recorded in ACTS 2:22-24&32 thusly: Christ was a man, crucified, raised from the dead, and appeared to witnesses.

TOP #111: The crux of the Gospel is that Christ has been raised from the dead. [1CR 15:12-20]
Paul admits (in v.19) that if Christ is not raised, then there is no hope of heaven.

TOP #127: Spiritual warfare involves demolishing thoughts that are ungodly and anti-Christ. [2CR 10:3-5] Paul referred to his authority as an apostle of the Lord for building up believers, especially in the churches he had established by sharing the gospel of Christ (in 10:8-18).

TOP #128: Satan can masquerade as an angel of light and his servants as apostles and righteousness. [2CR 11:14-15] Paul defended his apostleship by boasting about his credentials, including being flogged, put in prison and enduring dangers such as shipwrecks and bandits (in 11:21-33). Then he described being caught up to the third heaven, presumably during the Damascus Road encounter with Christ (12:1-10). He also mentioned signs or miracles that mark an apostle being done in Corinth and that he never was a burden or exploited them (12:11-18), along with fear that he will be grieved by finding strife and lack of repentance when he visits (12:19-21).

TOP #129: Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the Christian faith. [2CR 13:5] Apparently, the self-test includes aiming for perfection (v.9, the next TOJ).

TOP #130: Aim for perfection. [2CR 13:11, PHP 3:12-15, COL 1:10] This does not refer to having righteousness via spiritual circumcision or faith (TOP #24&47), justification, redemption (TOP #25) or reconciliation (TOP #30) that is obtained or imputed at the moment of conversion/repentance, but rather to actual righteousness, moral renewal (TOP 34,36&55), conforming to Christ (TOP #41), becoming loving and ceasing to sin (TOP #68&69).

The epistle to the churches in Galatia has the typical greeting or wish for grace and peace from God and the LJC before expressing concern that a false gospel is confusing folks regarding GRFS.

TOP #131: Do not pervert the Gospel of Christ by reverting to belief that salvation is earned via observing the law. [GL 1:6-9, 5:1-12] Such doctrine is anathema or condemned (1CR 16:22). The purpose of the law of Moses was to lead people to faith in Christ (GL 3:22-24). This truth is akin to TOP #37.

The reference to an angel from heaven deserving condemnation to hell is reminiscent of TOP #128 (GL 1:1-10). As a reason to believe the true Gospel, Paul described how he received it from Christ via revelation even though he had been a zealous anti-Christian. There are discrepancies between the account of Paul’s activities in this epistle and that of Luke (in Acts 9, 11:25-30, 12:25, & 13-15), but GL 2:1-9 seems to refer to the meeting in Acts 15 regarding a dispute with “believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees”, who said that Gentiles must obey the law of Moses, beginning with external circumcision. Verse 10 refers to the request for Paul to collect alms for the poor in Jerusalem (cf. TOP #125). Verses 15-21 refer to living by faith in the Son of God rather than by obeying the Mosaic law (cf. 2CR 5:7).

In Galatians chapter three Paul illustrated obtaining salvation via faith by sharing the example of Abraham that is also cited in RM 4 (TOP #26). Paul said we are redeemed from the curse of the law because by faith believers receive God’s Spirit (cf. TOP #27). He also stressed that the promise or covenant made with Abraham included his “seed”, referring to Christ, and the law Moses introduced 430 years later cannot annul it, so the purpose of the law was to specify sins rather than to serve as the means of attaining righteousness (Gal. 3:15-22).

TOP #132: Now that the Gospel has been revealed, the Mosaic law no longer keeps us prisoners. [Gal. 3:25] This truth is also taught in Heb. 7:18-10:1 by saying the old Mosaic law or covenant (not Abrahamic) has been superseded by the new covenant of Christ, the Gospel. Saving faith makes souls sons/children of God (TOP #38).

TOP #133: All who are baptized into Christ are equally saved. [Gal. 3:27-29] There is no basis for discriminating on the basis of nationality, social status or gender.