Dear Joseph,

Your interpretation is the typical christian one- that you must hate your life. That is based on Pualist doctrine and not the teachings of Christ.

I think that Paul is the very first false prophet because he diverted all of christianity from the teachings of Christ, for example:

1+ Jesus affirmed the law and gave an even more strict interpretation of it, like committing adultery in your heart and loving your enemy.

1- Paul said that the law was a curse and that because of the sacrifice of Jesus we no longer had to follow it... Just the opposite of what Jesus said.

2+ Jesus was killed by the Romans with the support of the jewish establishment just because he was anti-establishment.

2- Paul made christianity into a support mechanism for totalitarian Roman rule.

3+ Jesus emphasized love in his teachings: love of life, of neighbors, of God, and "if you love your enemies and those that persecute you, you will become sons of god".

3- Paul emphasized sin and hating life and the baptism of death in his teachings.

4+ Jesus said he will draw ALL men to him

4- Paul said that you must be born again, else you are condemned in hell. That is, ALL most every one is condemned to hell, just that opposite of what Jesus taught.

5+ Jesus made women prominent in his ministry, even though that is suppressed in the bible. They stayed with him at the cross and were the first ones he came to after death. The men were cowards. The women had the Holy Spirit before the men.

5- Paul said that the difference between men and god is the ame as the difference between a women and men. Men and women are not equals in Paulist doctrine. Men are gods compared to women.

6+ Jesus said you must be baptized by water and the Holy Spirit while alive

6- Paul emphasized the baptism of death, death to a hateful life. If you do not hate your life you will not get salvation. Just the opposite of what Jesus said.

There are probably other ways in which Paul turned christianity to the opposite of the teachings of Christ, but these are the main ones. So in my judgement, Paul/Saul is the first false prophet. Saul could not beat them, so Paul took over them.

Sincerely,

Richard