[SIZE=12pt]According to the record of the Bible and other books, in his youth Paul began to study books concerning life, and was trained under Gamaliel. This shows that Paul pursued the knowledge of the Scriptures. At that time, Jesus went through all Judea, preaching the message about the kingdom of heaven, and it shook the whole of Judea, such that the chief priests and the scribes in Judaism turned out in full strength to condemn Jesus and arrest Him. It was impossible that Paul heard nothing of it. However, we have never read that Paul sought the true way from Jesus, much less heard of his understanding or opinion of the message preached by Jesus. And we find nowhere that Paul had any positive understanding or view of Jesus’ preaching, which caused so great a stir in Judea at that time. Rather, we only read that he, following the chief priests and taking orders from them, did his utmost to persecute Jesus, arrest His disciples. From this, we see that Paul was loyal to Judaism and hated Jesus, he was a man who condemned the true way and resisted God, and he acted as an accomplice and lackey of satanic forces in the religious world. Paul was by no means a pursuer of the truth. This can be proved from the following three aspects:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]First, from the time that the Lord Jesus began to preach until He was crucified, Paul, who had studied and learned the Scriptures for years, never acknowledged that what Jesus preached was the truth, the voice of God. From this we see that Paul did not at all examine Jesus’ message about the kingdom of heaven, but rather, he [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]resent[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]ed and condemned it, and even persecuted Jesus, arrested His disciples. It is thus clear that Paul did not acknowledge that what Jesus preached was the truth. This is sufficient to show that he did not love the truth and had no place for God in his heart. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Second, Paul followed the chief priests and the scribes and arrested Jesus’ disciples. This fact shows us that he [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]admired[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]position and influence greatly, and safeguarded the interests and image of the religious elite. This is enough to prove that what he sought were position and power. When Paul studied and learned the Scriptures and books on life, he was in fact pursuing knowledge and fame, and his purpose was to obtain a position in religion. So he was not at all a seeker or a pursuer of the truth.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Third, Paul disbelieved that Jesus was the Son of God, the Christ, though the fact was clearly proved by the testimony of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and what He preached. At that time, many of those who had persecuted Jesus were shocked and frightened at His resurrection, and they confessed that truly this was the Son of God, the Christ. Yet Paul was not afraid at all, much less was he remorseful. It goes to show that he really did not fear God in his heart. He did not investigate the true way at all, and even frenziedly persecuted Jesus, arrested His disciples. This is enough to prove that Paul could deny the truth and condemn the true way for the sake of position and fame, and he was by no means a lover or a pursuer of the truth. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The above three things are sufficient to reveal Paul’s nature. They are proof that his nature was the satanic nature that resists and rebels against God, and that the way he walked was exactly the way of an antichrist. When he was desperately hunting His disciples, Jesus appeared to him on his way and told him, “[/SIZE]I am Jesus whom you persecute.[SIZE=12pt]” If Paul had truly repented after he fell, he should have pursued the truth and have truly reflected upon his sins and nature and come to know them. However, as we know, during his preaching and working, he only confessed in a simple way that he was the foremost of sinners who persecuted Jesus. He only thought that it was wrong for him to persecute Jesus, to arrest His disciples, but did not know in the least that the substance of his nature [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]was resisting God. In addition, although he received Jesus’ commission and testified about God’s love and His redemption in his work, he had no true knowledge of the divine substance of Jesus incarnate. At the end of his preaching, despite having undergone many sufferings, he said this shameful word: “For to me to live is Christ.” This tells that even after many years of preaching, Paul still did not truly know the incarnate God, or have any fear of God.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]First, from the time that the Lord Jesus began to preach until He was crucified, Paul, who had studied and learned the Scriptures for years, never acknowledged that what Jesus preached was the truth, the voice of God. From this we see that Paul did not at all examine Jesus’ message about the kingdom of heaven, but rather, he [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]resent[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]ed and condemned it, and even persecuted Jesus, arrested His disciples. It is thus clear that Paul did not acknowledge that what Jesus preached was the truth. This is sufficient to show that he did not love the truth and had no place for God in his heart. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Second, Paul followed the chief priests and the scribes and arrested Jesus’ disciples. This fact shows us that he [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]admired[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]position and influence greatly, and safeguarded the interests and image of the religious elite. This is enough to prove that what he sought were position and power. When Paul studied and learned the Scriptures and books on life, he was in fact pursuing knowledge and fame, and his purpose was to obtain a position in religion. So he was not at all a seeker or a pursuer of the truth.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Third, Paul disbelieved that Jesus was the Son of God, the Christ, though the fact was clearly proved by the testimony of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and what He preached. At that time, many of those who had persecuted Jesus were shocked and frightened at His resurrection, and they confessed that truly this was the Son of God, the Christ. Yet Paul was not afraid at all, much less was he remorseful. It goes to show that he really did not fear God in his heart. He did not investigate the true way at all, and even frenziedly persecuted Jesus, arrested His disciples. This is enough to prove that Paul could deny the truth and condemn the true way for the sake of position and fame, and he was by no means a lover or a pursuer of the truth. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The above three things are sufficient to reveal Paul’s nature. They are proof that his nature was the satanic nature that resists and rebels against God, and that the way he walked was exactly the way of an antichrist. When he was desperately hunting His disciples, Jesus appeared to him on his way and told him, “[/SIZE]I am Jesus whom you persecute.[SIZE=12pt]” If Paul had truly repented after he fell, he should have pursued the truth and have truly reflected upon his sins and nature and come to know them. However, as we know, during his preaching and working, he only confessed in a simple way that he was the foremost of sinners who persecuted Jesus. He only thought that it was wrong for him to persecute Jesus, to arrest His disciples, but did not know in the least that the substance of his nature [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]was resisting God. In addition, although he received Jesus’ commission and testified about God’s love and His redemption in his work, he had no true knowledge of the divine substance of Jesus incarnate. At the end of his preaching, despite having undergone many sufferings, he said this shameful word: “For to me to live is Christ.” This tells that even after many years of preaching, Paul still did not truly know the incarnate God, or have any fear of God.[/SIZE]
