EXAMINING AN EPISTLE OF 
PAUL 

Saul, who later changed his name to Paul (d. c.64 or c. 67 C.E.), was a zealous persecutor of the early disciples of Christ. At his feet were laid down the clothes of the first Christian martyr - Stephen, who was stoned to death. Paul claimed, he had a "Vision" during his journey from Jerusalem to Damascus and that had converted him to Christianity. Was he really converted and appointed as an Apostle to the Gentiles? Please click  *HERE* to read the details of this historical "Vision".  

During the ministry of Jesus (peace be upon him), Saul (Paul) was a dedicated member of a powerful, exclusive Jewish sect called Pharisees. The sect's distinguished descent from the prophet Isaac (peace be upon him), was a matter of great pride for the self-righteous Pharisees. Their pretensions to sanctity had labeled them as hypocrites and the "stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears", in the Bible. 

In his Epistle to the Galatians, Paul writes; 

    For it is written, that Abraham had two sons,  
    the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.  
    But he {who was} of the bondwoman was born after the flesh;   
    but he of the freewoman {was} by promise.  Gal. 4:21/22
1.  The phrases  “For it is written" and "was born after the flesh” insinuate that the Holy Scriptures do mention, there was a kind of unscrupulous desire of the fleshes within the relationship between the prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), and his wife Hagar. And, that had resulted into the birth of the prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him). 

2.  The Bible indicates no such relationship or licentious corporeal desire on the part of the prophet or his wife Hagar. The passage quoted below reveals that it was a “prayer” from Sarah (the prophet's wife), that joined Ishmael's parents in holy matrimony. The prophet “hearkened to” the supplication of Sarah - the so called "freewoman", and Hagar - the so called "bondmaid", was given as “his wife”. 

Note: In the following verse, prophet Abraham is called “Abram” and  
          Sarah as “Sarai”. 

    Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children:   
    and she had an handmaid,  an Egyptian, whose name {was} Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now,   
    the Lord hath restrained me from bearing:   
    I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.  
    And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian,  
    after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan,   
    and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.  
                                      Genesis 16:1-3
Instead of building the bridges between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac, Paul widens the gap when he records the event of a domestic quarrel, within the family of the prophet Abraham, with a twist: 
    Now  we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.   
    But as then he that was born after the flesh   
    persecuted him {that was born} after the Spirit,   
    even so {it is} now.    Gal. 4:28/29 
    So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman,  
    but of the free woman.    Gal. 4:31
1.   Paul claims: the descendants of Isaac were “brethren” and  
“the children of promise”.  
 
2.   Paul also claims: the birth of Isaac was “after the spirit”. 
The Bible speaks of “the promise” but makes no mention of “the spirit”. Isaac was born from the flesh like his brother Ishmael. There are many in the Bible whose births were promised by God e.g. John the Baptist. As a matter of fact, God had promised Abraham twelve sons (princes) from Ishmael (Gen. 17:20). The only birth "after the spirit" or "through the spirit" recorded in the Bible is that of Jesus Christ. Paul,  
a zealous Pharisee, has in his Epistle tried to place Isaac and the descendants of Isaac - "his brethren" - on a lofty pedestal.  
 
3.   Paul's racist tendency becomes obvious when he writes, Ishmael “persecuted” Isaac. No where else in the Bible it is recorded that Ishmael  "persecuted" Isaac. Finding his younger brother suckling his mother, Ishmael mocked at him which angered Sarah. (Gen.  21:9). Surprisingly, Paul himself in the ensuing verse tells us that the persecution came from Sarah, who asked Abraham to “cast out” Ishmael and his mother. 
    Nevertheless what saith the scripture?    
    “Cast out the bondwoman and her son:     
    for the son of the bondwoman shall not be  
    heir with the son of the freewoman.”   
                      Galatians 4:30   
The Scripture quoted above by Paul does not correspond with the text recorded in the Book of Genesis and reproduced below:  
    Wherefore she (Sarah) said unto Abraham,   
    "Cast out this bondwoman and her son:   
    for the son of this bondwoman shall not be  
    heir with my son, {even} with Isaac."  
                Genesis 21:10   
The above speech by Sarah, which is in the first person direct (my son), has been converted into an indirect third person speech. This willful conversion is an attempt to indicate that the quoted text of Galatians 4:30, was a Divine Command made by the Almighty God Himself. The truth is, the "quoted demand" for the persecution was made by Sarah. 

PAUL EXPRESSED HIS PERSONAL OPINION 

One may be inclined to mention that the texts of Paul's Epistles were inspired by God Himself or by God's Spirit. In the following two verses quoted as examples,  Paul admits he was not inspired. He had "given his (personal) opinion" and had expressed what he personally "thought to be good". 

    Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord;  
    but I give my opinion.....
    I think then that this is good for the present distress,  
    {I say}, that {it is} good for a man to remain as he is.  
                      1 Corin. 7:25/26 

CONSEQUENCES OF THE MISREPRESENTATION 

Without enumerating the political fall outs, which could be many, let us examine one particular historical influence of religious consequence by the placing of Isaac and his descendants on a lofty Spiritual pedestal and simultaneously casting out of Ishmael and his descendants with an alleged Scriptural Dispensation, by apostle Paul. 

God said to Abraham, the father of Ishmael and Isaac: 

    And said, By Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only {son}: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which {is} upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My Voice. Gen. 22:16/18 
Since the above promise was for a "seed" (singular), only one descendant of "One" of the two sons of Abraham, was qualified to receive this extra ordinary singular honor. In Galatians 3:16, Paul gives this Glory to Jesus Christ, a descendant of Isaac.  

(KJV) Gal 3:16   Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises 
                            made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; 
                            but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 

The Bible records that the God had Bestowed this significant favor upon prophet Abraham when he had obeyed His Voice.  

The questions that follow are:  
What was that Voice or Command that prophet Abrahamhad obeyed? When and how was it obeyed by prophet Abraham?  
Was Isaac born when this "Voice of God" came to Abraham?  
To whom is this Glory given, by the Qur'an? 

To find the answers to these questions and much more please click:  JESUS AND MUHAMMAD and read the sub-headings;  
God makes one significantly important promise to Abraham and Prophet Muhammad, a mercy for all creatures. 
 



     Please send your comments directly to  the author,  
   Akbarally Meherally, by e-mail at  trustone@bc.sympatico.ca  


   AGA KHAN'S DIVINITY  *  BIO-DATA  *  CONFESSIONS OF FAITH  * CRISIS   
DU'A OF ISMAILIS Part 1    *  DU'A OF ISMAILIS Part 2   *  EPISTLE BY PAUL    
FAQ BIBLE Q. 1 to 12   *  FAQ BIBLE Q. 13 to 16  *  FAQ BIBLE Q. 17 to 25    
GOSPEL OF GOD 
  HISTORY OF THE AGA KHANS Sect. 1 * HISTORY OF THE AGA KHANS Sect.  2    HISTORY OF THE AGAKHANI ISMAILIS Section 1  
 HISTORY OF ISMAILIS Section 2  *  HISTORY OF ISMAILIS Section 3  
HISTORY OF ISMAILIS Section 4  *  HISTORY OF ISMAILIS Section 5 
HISTORY OF ISMAILIS Section 6  *  HISTORY OF ISMAILIS Section 7
INDEX   *      ISLAMIC RITUALS         * JESUS & CHRISTIANS IN QUR'AN 
  JESUS & MUHAMMAD *     PAUL'S AUTHORITY 
  PROPHECIES No. 1PROPHECIES No. 2 
UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM Sect. 1   *  UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM Sect. 2   UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM Sect. 3  *  UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM Sect. 4    UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM Sect. 5  *  UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM Sect. 6