R&I – TP ****
Depending what website you go to, the number of times Paul quotes the Torah is as little as 100 times up to as much as 250 times. Needless to say, out of 24k verses in the Old Testament, he uses very little ~ .7% of it in his preaching.
When he does quote the OT it is done in very dishonest ways. Here are two critical ways he does this.
14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the prudence of their prudent men shall be hid. {S}15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say: ‘Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?’
Paul in Coronthians recalls a verse from the OT:
1 Cor 19:
For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
In Isaiah 29, God is talking about what he will do to a specific people and how it will occur in very short order.
IN 1 Cor Paul is responding to people calling his message foolish. Who is calling Paul’s message foolish?
“20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ” – The wise, the teacher of the law and philosophers of his age rejected Paul and called his message foolish. So Paul picks out a verse to defend his claims. Completely re-purposes the original verse (also note the huge translation differences) to fit his needs. But really, this verse used as Paul uses it, can be used to support ANY “revealed” claim or gospel Paul could dream up.
The next verse he also repurposed
21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25
In a vision God promises Abraham certain things will happen. Abraham believes that God will do what he promises. So this belief is a result of God promising action.
Paul then takes this and makes it believing his claims about a Christ equivalent to Abraham believing something God will do.
God is not making this promise willy nilly. Abraham must have done something to deserve this to begin with. And sure enough, a few verses over we see why God made this promise to Abraham.
“4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspringa]”>[a] all nations on earth will be blessed,b]”>[b] 5 because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.” Genesis 26
Abraham is not righteous because he believed some verse or another. He was righteous because he kept God’s commands, decrees and instructions (whatever form that was in, probably visions). Abraham believing God was a result of this righteousness.
The Old Testament is so big Paul can virtually make it say anything he wants to. There are so many parts one could hijack and make a religion out of.
Question
What other verses does Paul misuse in his preaching?
Why do Christians place so much emphasis on “the word of God” and then ignore explicit verses repeated multiple times across many prophets?
Roger Mills
Article URL : https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+26%3A4-5&version=NIV