Did Jesus foretell the arrival of Paul?

[Elijah John]

"Divine Insight" made the observation (in the form of a rhetorical question) "where did Jesus ever foretell the arrival of Paul?" Or words to that effect.

It is an excellent question.

Given Paul's major influence in the formation of "Christiandom" one would think such an important figure would have been foretold, especially if Jesus is, as many say, the Omniscient God.

So was Paul foretold? One would think that Jesus as the Son of God and more than a Prophet, would have at least been considered the "seal of the Prophets" (to borrow a phrase from Islam).

Yet two thirds of the New Testament was penned by Paul.

For debate, Did Jesus foretell the arrival of Paul? If so, where? If not, why not?

[ElCodeMonkey]

Absolutely. He foretold that the Kingdom would be like dough where leaven had completely puffed it up and wrecked it. Leaven of the Pharisees. He was right!

[bjs]

Yet two thirds of the New Testament was penned by Paul.

How are you getting to this?

Paul wrote 13 of the 27 book in the New Testament, which is less than half.

By word count the author of Luke/Acts wrote more of the New Testament than Paul did.

How can you say that Paul wrote two-thirds of the New Testament?

[RedEye]

"Divine Insight" made the observation (in the form of a rhetorical question) "where did Jesus ever foretell the arrival of Paul?" Or words to that effect.

It is an excellent question.

Given Paul's major influence in the formation of "Christiandom" one would think such an important figure would have been foretold, especially if Jesus is, as many say, the Omniscient God.

So was Paul foretold? One would think that Jesus as the Son of God and more than a Prophet, would have at least been considered the "seal of the Prophets" (to borrow a phrase from Islam).

Yet two thirds of the New Testament was penned by Paul.

For debate, Did Jesus foretell the arrival of Paul? If so, where? If not, why not?

If we believe the stories in the NT then Paul was roughly the same age as the alleged Jesus. Jesus didn't have to really foretell Saul/Paul since they were contemporaries. Although Paul was thought to be born in Tarsus he went to Jerusalem at a young age for his education at the school of Gamaliel. It's likely his family lived there too at that time. Therefore Jesus, if we was omniscient, could have gone and had a chat to the young Saul during one of his yearly visits to Jerusalem. As you say, Jesus (if truly the Son of God) must surely have been aware of the extreme importance of St. Paul to what became Christianity. After all Paul appointed himself as the 13th apostle to Jesus.

It must be puzzling to Christians who believe that Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem four decades later that he could not tell us anything about the man who would kick-start proto-Christianity a mere decade or two later. Not only that but Jesus must have known that he would later reveal his gospel to Paul in a "vision". Yet Jesus, during his alleged lifetime, shows no awareness of Paul living just down the road from him. Very, very puzzling indeed.

[1213]

...
For debate, Did Jesus foretell the arrival of Paul? If so, where? If not, why not?

Paul is just one disciple of Jesus. I think it was obvious that more disciples would come, because:

Therefore go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Mat. 28:19-20

I think Paul is basically only explaining the teachings of Jesus, not making his own, that is why I think he can have the position he has in Christianity. But it would be good to remember also this:

…even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you; as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
2 Pet. 3:15-16

The teachings of Paul can be difficult. If person is a disciple of Jesus, it is wise to first remain in the teachings of Jesus, if it seems Paul and Jesus are contradictory.

[rikuoamero]

[Replying to post 5 by 1213]

1213, the quote you provide from Gospel Matthew doesn't mention Paul specifically, which is what the OP is asking for. How come Paul, arguably the single biggest influence on the New Testament, was not known by Jesus while alive, or prophesied by Jesus?

[ElCodeMonkey]

Jesus also prophecied that weeds would be planted as seeds alongside the seeds that he himself planted and that they'd grow together. He didn't mention who would be planting those seeds apart from "an enemy" but that is clearly Paul who did it.

[ttruscott]

Jesus also prophecied that weeds would be planted as seeds alongside the seeds that he himself planted and that they'd grow together. He didn't mention who would be planting those seeds apart from "an enemy" but that is clearly Paul who did it.

In the EXPLANATION of the parable (ie, no metaphor, no hyperbole), Jesus tells us that the enemy who sows the people of the evil one, that is, the reprobate tares, is the devil himself, Matt 13:36-39.

That the orthodox church gets bogged down in so called mysteries because they refuse to take Him at His word and claim instead that we are ALL created equally at birth would seem to be par for the course for organized religion.

[tam]

Peace to you,

Jesus also prophecied that weeds would be planted as seeds alongside the seeds that he himself planted and that they'd grow together. He didn't mention who would be planting those seeds apart from "an enemy" but that is clearly Paul who did it.

In the EXPLANATION of the parable (ie, no metaphor, no hyperbole), Jesus tells us that the enemy who sows the people of the evil one, that is, the reprobate tares, is the devil himself, Matt 13:36-39.

Yes, the enemy is indeed identified by Christ (and it is not Paul):

“The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil."



Peace again to you both!

[ElCodeMonkey]

[Replying to post 9 by tam]

And neither of you suppose that the devil utilized someone like Paul? Or did he come in the flesh like Jesus did? And what, then, was sown if not the religious return to Pharisaical traditions of sacrifice and sacrament like Paul taught? What seeds we're sown along side the seeds Jesus sowed?

Please note also that seeds are the words of God and seeds of tares are then seeds of lies. The weeds and the wheat that grow from the truth or lies are the people. So people were not planted, only ideas, words, teachings and people grew from them.