"Did you know why Jesus failed in accomplishing his ministry? It was because of his own fault for being too honestly in his preaching, but the worst part is that he was too harshly to unbelievers. As for me, I am much smarter than him. When I am in the midst of unbelievers I become an infidel and in the midst of hypocrites I become a hypocrite. The result, see for yourself; Jesus was hated by both the Jews and the Romans. But what about me? I am always welcome everywhere in their midst! ”
That's most likely what Paul have in mind when he poured out his thought in Corinthians 9: 19-22:
"Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some."
These verses, if only you juxtapose the word with criminals, robbers, murderer, con artists, or a liar (for what he actually is), Paul will surely responds, "Yes! I am a criminal, a robber, a murderer, a con artist, and a liar!" So, you just have to imagine any evil or glory that comes to your mind, then put it on Paul. So Paul exactly is anything you can imagine!
Paul was a true enemy of Jesus ever since Jesus first started preaching his teachings. He was among the most violent executioners who slaughtered many of the early followers of Jesus.
Paul had excellent language and literary skills at his time, and he had extensive experience in intelligence and political strategy. Seeing Jesus and his followers who were increasingly pressured by the political and military power of the Roman empire, he felt that he had an opportunity to use Jesus' growing followers as a political vehicle to master the thinking of the peoples at that time which was dominated by Greek and Roman thought.
When Jesus movement was gradually stopped by the propaganda of Pilate's success in 'killing Jesus', Paul began "to draw closer" to the group of Jesus' followers by confessing repentance, then claiming to be an apostle of Jesus, even confessing to God (read carefully, Paul's letter in the story of the apostles, galatians and Corinthians or his biblical autobiography)
Cleverness in speech combined with cunning in two faces, helped him managed to amaze the general public who at that time was under heavy pressure from the Roman government.
Later on those days, we will find that the history of Jesus' crucifixion was somehow engineered in such a way that followers of his teachings (who thought Paul was a loyal apostle of Christ) believed that the tragedy of the crucifixion was the fault of the Romans through the hands of Pilate, not the Jewish priests who were actually the intellectual actors behind it all!
The hypocritical behavior that he lived in his life had also prompted him to change the gospels of Jesus by adding or even changing the teachings of Jesus to suit the interests of the Roman occupying power over the land of Judea at that time. Paul's goal was that he was accepted and his reputation was already tainted and widely known as a traitor of the Jewish nation and his crime as a cold-blooded killer was cleaned up in front of as many people as possible by using a very popular teaching at that time, namely the teaching of Jesus.
This, of course, was accompanied by his various tricks and cunning on various occasions. That is why if Jesus became hostile to the Roman authorities and the Jewish, then Paul would be welcomed in their midst. Why? Because this was due to the teachings of Jesus, which he cleverly adjusted to fulfill the will and interests of the Roman rulers during the occupation.
Paul, was believed as a secret accomplice of the Roman government! He cunningly devoted himself to the interests of the Romans and consciously covered his hands with the blood of thousands of faithful followers of Jesus in an attempt to distort the pure teachings of Jesus.
However, due to serious mistake in regard to his frauds which only very few Christians have noticed, eventually Paul had to end his life history in a horrible way namely undergoing a beheading sentence in the hands of the emperor Nero's executioners!
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