“From the rising of the sun even to its setting, My Name will be great among the Gentiles,” says Yahweh Sabaoth.
(Malachi 1: 11)
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Is Paul Confusing or Confused?
Peter was a fisherman. Paul was a scholar. Even so, Peter did a much better job of referencing Scripture than Paul did.
Everyone Who Calls on the Name of Yahweh will be Saved
According to most English translations of the New Testament, in Romans 10: 13, Paul said,
For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”
Romans 10: 13 is one of the most quoted verses in the New Testament, but the English translation is not accurate. In Romans 10: 13, Paul quoted Joel 2: 32. This is what Yahweh told Joel,
“Everyone who calls on the Name of Yahweh will be saved [i.e., delivered].” (Joel 2: 32)
Given the importance of the point Paul was making, he should have been crystal clear. Yahweh is our Creator’s Name. The LORD is not.
Confusion about the importance of Yahweh’s Name abounds. Most people today who claim to be Christians are not familiar with the Name “Yahweh”, and they don’t understand that the Messiah is Yahweh.
Yahweh and only Yahweh is our Savior. He couldn’t have made it any clearer:
“I, even I, am Yahweh. There is no savior besides Me.” (Isaiah 43: 11)
That’s as clear as it gets.
Yahweh also made it crystal clear that the Messiah is Yahweh:
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as King and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His Name by which He will be called, ‘Yahweh our Righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 23: 5-6)
Paul did not Write Scripture
Paul was not writing Scripture. He was writing letters in which he explained what Yahweh said in Scripture. Maybe he thought that precision wasn’t all that important since they were just letters.
Paul was an up-and-coming, zealous pharisee when he met Yahweh on the road to Damascus, and he was steeped in Jewish tradition. According to Jewish tradition, saying Yahweh’s Name is a crime the penalty for which is death. Maybe Paul didn’t understand that many Jewish traditions are diametrically opposed to Yahweh’s word. This is just one example.
Over time, Yahweh explained lots of things to Paul, but he started writing letters before Yahweh was finished. Paul had no idea that people would take his letters and use them to create a new religion. If he had known that, I’m sure he would have been more careful.
For a detailed explanation about the importance of Yahweh’s Name, see His Name is Yahweh: Revised Edition.
What is Scripture?
The Old Testament is Scripture. With the exception of Revelation, the New Testament is not Scripture. For a detailed explanation, see The Trilogy.
In Romans 10: 13, Paul quoted Scripture, but he didn’t reference it. That’s not what a scholar would typically do unless he was being very casual. In this instance, Paul was being too casual.
Salvation is by Faith with Legs
Salvation (i.e., deliverance) is based on faith in Yahweh and obedience to His commands. I call it faith with legs, meaning faith that is willing to go where Yahweh leads and do what Yahweh says.
That’s a bedrock principle in Scripture. The phrase “call on the Name of Yahweh” means two things:
- to have faith in Yahweh (i.e., to believe in Him) and
- to manifest or demonstrate that faith (i.e., to obey Him).
In the minds of Yahweh’s followers, believing in and obeying Yahweh are so closely connected that they can’t be seen as being separate. This is how James explained it:
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that Elohim is One. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? (James 2: 17-20)
James is explaining what it means to have faith that leads to salvation. Paul was trying to do the same thing, but he lacked precision. James used the word “works” instead of obedience, but he was talking about obedience.
James explained it this way in James 1: 22-25:
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
The problem is that Paul’s letters were used to create a new religion. Paul didn’t do that. He was just trying to explain Scripture.
Regrettably, this discussion will fly right by most typical churchgoers. All they know is that Paul’s letters are in the Bible and most preachers teach Paul’s letters as though they are Scripture. Therefore, they think that everything Paul said must be true.
In other words, they think Paul’s letters are Scripture. They are mistaken. Again, to understand the details about what I’m saying, you need to read His Name is Yahweh: Revised Edition and The Trilogy.
What did Peter Say?
Peter addressed salvation and other issues on Pentecost (i.e., Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks) a few days after the Messiah was crucified and resurrected. It’s discussed in Acts 2: 14-36:
But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel.” (Acts 2: 14-16)
Notice that Peter gave a specific reference. He said that he was going to quote Joel. In Romans 10: 13, Paul quoted Joel, too, but he didn’t say so. He should have.
Below is Peter’s quote from Joel:
“AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,” Elohim says, “THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT and they shall prophesy. AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF YAHWEH SHALL COME. AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF YAHWEH WILL BE SAVED.” (Acts 17-21)
In Romans 10, Paul didn’t delve into all the particulars. In Acts 2, Peter didn’t leave anything to chance. He gave a complete reference, but he wasn’t through. He said,
“Men of Israel [Notice that Peter said “men of Israel” and not “men of Judah”. That’s another critical point, but I won’t address it here.], listen to these words: Yeshua the Nazarene, a man attested to you by Elohim with miracles and wonders and signs which Elohim performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of Elohim, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But Elohim raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” (Acts 2: 22-24)
Peter wasn’t finished. Next, he quoted the Psalm 16:
“For David says of Him, ‘I SAW YAHWEH ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. THEREFORE, MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER, MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.’” (Acts 2: 25-28)
Peter still wasn’t through:
“Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that ELOHIM HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Yeshua Elohim raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of Elohim, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.” (Acts 2: 29-33)
Then, Peter quoted Psalm 110:
“For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘THE LORD [Yahweh] SAID TO MY LORD [Adonai], SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.’” Therefore, let all the house of Israel [Notice, again, that Peter refers to Israel and not Judah alone.] know for certain that Elohim has made Him both Lord and Messiah—this Yeshua whom you crucified.” (Acts 2: 34-36)
Peter did a great job of explaining the Scripture. Paul was a scholar, but he took too much for granted.
Below is a picture of the Church of the Dormition. It’s near Zion Gate just outside the Old City of Jerusalem. It’s very near David’s Tomb and the Upper Room. Peter was standing in the vicinity of the Church of the Dormition when he addressed the crowd on Pentecost the year that the Messiah was crucified and resurrected.
In Some Instances, Paul was Flatly Wrong
In some instances, Paul was flatly wrong. For instance, look at Romans 3: 1-3:
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that they [Jews] were entrusted with the oracles of Elohim. What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of Elohim, will it?
Paul is mistaken. Yahweh entrusted His Oracles (i.e., His Law) to the Children of Israel. Judah is one of Jacob’s/Israel’s 12 sons, not all of them.
Specifically, Yahweh gave His Law to Moses. Moses was a Levite, not a Jew, and Moses brought Yahweh’s Law to the Children of Israel, not to the Children of Judah alone (i.e., Jews).
That’s a critical mistake. The distinction between the Children of Israel and the Children of Judah is of paramount importance. Paul confused the two, and thus enabled people who used his letters to create a new religion to single out Jewish people for harsh treatment. I’m positive Paul did not do that intentionally, but the consequences were the same regardless of his intentions.
Take a look at Romans 3: 4-18. The points Paul is making can’t be understood correctly unless you accept the fact that he is talking about the Children of Israel, not the Children of Judah (Jews):
Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, Elohim is true. As the Scriptures [the Old Testament] say about Him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.”
“But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous Elohim is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for Him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) Of course not! If Elohim were not entirely fair, how would He be qualified to judge the world?
“But,” someone might still argue, “how can Elohim condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights His truthfulness and brings Him more glory?”
And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.
Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking Elohim. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies. Snake venom drips from their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them. They don’t know where to find peace. They have no fear of Elohim at all.” (Romans 3: 4-18)
Paul wasn’t Jewish and the Children of Israel are not Gentiles
In Romans 3: 9, Paul said “we Jews”, but Paul wasn’t Jewish. He was a descendant of Benjamin and, thus, a Benjaminite. See Philippians 3: 4-6:
“If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.”
Paul’s distinction between Jews and Gentiles in Romans 3: 9 is incorrect, too. The correct distinction is between the Children of Israel and Gentiles. The Children of Israel are Yahweh’s chosen people. Jews are a subset of that group.
Again, Paul lacks precision. According to Judaism, the religion, anyone who converts to Judaism is considered Jewish, but according to Yahweh, only descendants of Judah are Jewish. And according to Judaism, Israelites who are not descendants of Judah are Gentiles unless they convert to Judaism, the religion. That understanding did not come from Yahweh. It’s man-made law and it’s incorrect.
Stated simply, Yahweh is right and Judaism is wrong.
Romans 3 Continued
Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before Elohim. For no one can ever be made right with Elohim by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
But now Elohim has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with Elohim by placing our faith in Yeshua the Messiah. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of Elohim’s glorious standard. Yet Elohim, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Messiah Yeshua when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For Elohim presented Yeshua as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with Elohim when they believe that Yeshua sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that Elohim was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. Elohim did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Yeshua.
Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by Elohim? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with Elohim through faith and not by obeying the law.
After all, is Elohim the Elohim of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the Elohim of the Gentiles? Of course, He is. There is only one Elohim, and He makes people right with Himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law. (Romans 3: 19-31)
Conclusion
Paul can be confusing, and in many instances, he was confused.
Paul is right and eloquent about so many things. I wish he had taken the time to be more precise about everything.
As Yahweh said, no one is perfect except Him. Paul wasn’t perfect, but that didn’t stop Yahweh from using him. Paul’s letters are important, but they are not Scripture.
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“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17: 22-24)
