Author Archives: Paul Pavao

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About Paul Pavao

I am married, the father of six, and currently the grandfather of five. I teach, and I am always trying to learn to disciple others better than I have before. I believe God has gifted me to restore proper theological foundations to the Christian faith. In order to ensure that I do not become a heretic, I read the early church fathers from the second and third centuries. They were around when all the churches founded by the apostles were in unity. My philosophy for Bible reading is to understand each verse for exactly what it says in its local context. Only after accepting the verse for what it says do I compare it with other verses to develop my theology. If other verses seem to contradict a verse I just read, I will wait to say anything about those verses until I have an explanation that allows me to accept all the verses for what they say. This takes time, sometimes years, but eventually I have always been able to find something that does not require explaining verses away. The early church fathers have helped a lot with this. I argue and discuss these foundational doctrines with others to make sure my teaching really lines up with Scripture. I am encouraged by the fact that the several missionaries and pastors that I know well and admire as holy men love the things I teach. I hope you will be encouraged too. I am indeed tearing up old foundations created by tradition in order to re-establish the foundations found in Scripture and lived on by the churches during their 300 years of unity.

Why Is Jesus Knocking at the Door?

Posted on 05/27/2021 by Paul Pavao

I have been seeing this meme around Facebook: Christians have three false ideas that cause unbelievers to slander Jesus like this: Works have nothing to do with salvation. It is not about good and evil, but accepting Jesus. It is … Continue reading →

Posted in Evangelicals, Gospel, Modern Doctrines | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Gems in 1 Chronicles: Leaders in the Kingdom of God

Posted on 05/27/2021 by Paul Pavao

Spectators get no training, and nothing they say is put to the test. The skill of the players and the wisdom of the coaches is put to the test everyday. The results are out there for everyone to see. Continue reading →

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The Twelve Apostles and “Apostolic Men”

Posted on 03/27/2021 by Paul Pavao

I wrote this in an answer on Quora, but I think most of my friends would enjoy knowing the following: (The question was whether Barnabas, companion of Paul, was one of the 12 apostles.) Paul himself was not one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Christianity, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Sabbath: Our Story Pt. 2

Posted on 03/25/2021 by Paul Pavao

Originally posted on Chip Lutyk:
Around the year 105AD, somewhere in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) Ignatius of Antioch (a student of the apostle John) was traveling to Rome where he would be martyred for his Christian faith. He wrote…

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

1 Timothy 3:15: The Church That Is the Pillar and Support of the Truth

Posted on 02/24/2021 by Paul Pavao

Please hear this in the spirit it is intended. I am not condemning Orthodox or Catholic or Protestant believers. I am, however, pointing out the way these organizations get in the way of unity; all of them, including the ones, … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, History, Roman Catholic & Orthodox, Unity | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The “Broader Framework” of Salvation at the Heart of the Apostle Paul’s Teaching

Posted on 02/13/2021 by Paul Pavao

Today I wrote on Facebook that I would pay my entire retirement account if by doing so I could magically impart an understanding of the preface of Matthew J. Thomas’ new edition of Paul’s “Works of the Law” in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Early Christianity, Evangelicals, Gospel, Holiness, Modern Doctrines, Rebuilding the Foundations | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Are We “Sinners Saved by Grace” or “Formerly Sinners, But Now Saved by Grace”?

Posted on 02/09/2021 by Paul Pavao

“Sinner” or “sinners” is used 67 times in the Bible and, in almost every case, sinners are contrasted with the righteous. An excellent example is Psalm 1:5: “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Evangelicals, Gospel, Holiness, Modern Doctrines | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

When Christians Conquered an Empire (in current English)

Posted on 01/26/2021 by Paul Pavao

Tertullian’s Christians Conquer Empire reworded This is a rewording of yesterday’s blog. “To the Rulers of the Roman Empire: “… If we are commanded to love our enemies, as I have pointed out earlier, whom do we Christians have to … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Christianity, History, Modern Doctrines, Protestants | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

When Christians Conquered a Nation

Posted on 01/25/2021 by Paul Pavao

This was written very close to the year 200, to the Roman emperors, who almost certainly never read it, but the words have been preserved. This is what conquest of an empire by real Christians looks like: This is long, … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Early Christianity, Evangelicals, History, History (Stories), Modern Doctrines, Rebuilding the Foundations, Teachings that must not be lost | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gnosticism and Gnostic Beliefs

Posted on 01/22/2021 by Paul Pavao

If you want to understand John’s Gospel and letters in the New Testament, you need to understand gnosticism. His Gospel and letters were written against gnostics, who were also called “docetists.” “Docetist” refers to the gnostic belief that all matter, … Continue reading →

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