Archbishop, author calls St. Paul liar at SPI book signing

Mainline Christian churches are not going to be happy about the book Dr. John Ben Regesh, J.D.wrote and autographed for buyers at Paragraphs on Padre last Thursday evening.

Some will probably even call him a heretic, even though Begesh himself is Archbishop of the Christian Church in Texas.

The title of his book explains why: "Saint Paul, the First Antichrist." The obvious question is, how can the man known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, the author of most of the Epistles in the New Testament, be anything but a saint?

Regesh says that Paul was a liar and a fraud. And he goes about proving his point using only scripture, comparing Paul's words to those of Jesus.

And that raises another obvious question: If the scriptures written by Paul are included in the Bible, and the Bible is the unerring word of God, how can Paul proclaim and preach a lie? Regesh readily admits that scripture is the Word of God.

Then why the clear disparities between what Jesus preached, and what Paul preaches?

Two obvious differences: Jesus was a Jew and followed Jewish law all his life. He was even circumcised as the law commanded. He also obeyed the Jewish laws concerning food. He said if a person loves God he follows God's commandments-all of them, all the way back to Abraham and the Torah. Further, Jesus said he did not come to change the law, but to fulfill it.

Paul was also a Jew, a Pharisee personally acquainted with the Jewish laws. Regesh says Paul knew he would never attract Gentile followers by preaching circumcision and Jewish dietary laws.And that, he says, is where Paul knowingly lied and committed fraud.

He added that he is glad he won't be standing in Paul's sandals on judgment day, referring to Jesus' remark about anyone who misleads innocent people into sin should have a millstone tied around his neck and be cast into the sea.

One thing is certain. Either Regesh or St.Paul is a heretic. Each reader of this book will have to decide for himself.

And Regesh admits that many mainline Christians, their minds made up before they read the book, will label the author the heretic.

"Not everyone can face the truth with an open mind," he said."To do that we have to be prepared to close the door on things we have been raised to believe, things that we are comfortable with."