The moving of God (was: tithing part 2)

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In a message dated 98-02-23 10:18:35 EST, you write:

<< From:	rj@eli.elilabs.com (Robert J. Brown)
 
 >>>>> "JoeJarv" == JoeJarv  <JoeJarv@aol.com> writes:
 
     JoeJarv> In a message dated 98-02-22 22:39:24 EST,
     JoeJarv> rj@eli.elilabs.com writes: << Paul spent his entire
     JoeJarv> scholastic life in Old Testament Bible school.  Remember,
     JoeJarv> there was no New Testament as of yet, and when there was,
     JoeJarv> Paul *WROTE* most of it!
     >>>
 
     JoeJarv> Me:
 
     JoeJarv> Actually, Luke, the author of the Gospel that bears his
     JoeJarv> name, and the Acts of the Apostles, wrote more than
     JoeJarv> one-fourth of the New Testament: *more* than any other
     JoeJarv> man,.... including Paul.
 
     JoeJarv> But, no man can take credit for writing *most* of the New
     JoeJarv> Testament.
 
 I will say it again.  I was counting books, not words.  Luke *ONLY*
 wrote 2 books.  Paul wrote most of [the books in] the New Testament.
  >>

Me:

**For the Sake of Historical Accuracy (about who wrote more)**
Not quite. Paul wrote *more* books in the New Testament than *anyone* else,
but in order to have written *most* of the books in the New Testament, he
would have to have written more books than *everyone* else. 

The New Testament consists of 27 total books, including 13 Pauline Epistles
(although Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most credible sources,
including UPC publications, do not include this one in the Pauline Epistles,
but rather, in the General Epistles), leaving 14 N.T. books by other authors.
Still not a majority of books, i.e., Paul did *not* write most of the books of
the New Testament.

So, no man can take credit for writing *most* of the N.T., whether counting
words or books.


**For The Sake of Importance (about who wrote more)**
I doubt that Paul, himself, would try to claim such a distinction:

1 Cor 1:12-13
12	Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of
Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
13	Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the
name of Paul?
(KJV)

Jesus taught:

Mark 9:34-35
34	But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among
themselves, who should be the greatest.
35	And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man
desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
(KJV)

Paul's assessment of himself:
1 Cor 15:9
9	For I am the *least of the apostles*, that am *not meet* to be called an
apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
(KJV)

Eph 3:8
8	Unto me, who am *less than the least* of all saints, is this grace given,
(KJV)

Are we trying to elevate the messenger above the message, in order to make a
point about the importance of his religious training? I, for one, am glad that
God used an "ignorant and unlearned" fisherman to deliver the greatest message
of salvation of all time (remember the day of Pentecost?). God has shown that
He can speak through whoever He wants to use, educated or uneducated.  Who
wrote more...who really cares? How long is the 2nd chapter of Acts....how many
words does Acts 2:38 contain?  Does this minimize its importance? God forbid.


Pastor (Are we reading the words of Paul, or the Word of God?) Joe