The Apostle Paul's Theology on Conversion and Condemnation of Sacramental Conversion

By Curtis Braun

Sacramental conversion is a false gospel which is ubiquitous in the Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental, Greek, Episcopalian, Anglican churches and more. The apostle Paul is erroneously proof-texted and caricatured as teaching conversion, regeneration, and salvation by sacraments while Biblical consideration of his pre-conversion life as a ritualistic Jewish Pharisee is neglected. This book will explain prominent Jewish ceremonial rituals and observances, demonstrate their corruption during Paul's life, and show Paul's condemnation of sacramental conversion. We'll see that Paul responded to, taught, and proclaimed the reconciling gospel call of repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Harbor Press
• Release date: Oct 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223947783

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THE APOSTLE PAUL’S THEOLOGY ON CONVERSION AND CONDEMNATION OF SACRAMENTAL CONVERSION

Curtis Braun

New Harbor Press

Rapid City, SD

Copyright © 2023 Curtis Braun

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

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The Apostle Paul’s Theology/Braun —1st ed.

First edition: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Dedication

Chapter 1—The Abrahamic Covenant Sign of Circumcision

The Sign of Circumcision

The Fear of the LORD

The Circumcised Heart and the Uncircumcised Heart

Circumcision during the Life and Times of Paul

Chapter 2—Ceremonial Defilement and Washings

Ceremonial Defilements

Ceremonial Washings during the Life and Times of Paul

Chapter 3—Sabbath Day Observance

Sabbath Observance during the Life and Times of Paul

Life as a Child in Jewish Culture during the Life and Times of Paul

Synagogue Life during the Life and Times of Paul

Sabbath Restrictions during the Life and Times of Paul

Chapter 4—The Burnt Offering

Chapter 5—Paul’s Conversion

Paul’s Conversion Story

Chapter 6—Paul’s Theology on Conversion in Ephesians

Chapter 7 – Paul’s Theology on Conversion in Romans

Chapter 8—Paul: Seeking the Favor of Men, or of God?

Notes

Bibliography

Preface

There is a great burden that has been laid upon my heart to both defend the gospel as well as proclaim the gospel. The first book I wrote, The False Gospel of Baptismal Regeneration in the Lutheran Church and Christ’s Call to Saving Faith , was written to address the conservative Lutheran Church and address the false gospel they were proclaiming and defending. It was the church and denomination that I was raised in, and it is where many of my family and friends remain. Therefore, my burden was to write and address this gospel issue. In this book, I sought to address the specific doctrinal issue of baptismal regeneration by separating and distinguishing water baptism and the baptism with the Holy Spirit. I also sought to explain how baptismal regeneration corrupted, twisted, and destroyed the doctrines of regeneration, conversion, and the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Most importantly, this book was written to exegetically explain how baptismal regeneration is a condemning false gospel which clashes with the true gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The second book I wrote, The Gospel—The Biblical Means to Identify False Teachers and False Gospels , was written to present and help define the true gospel, identify the essential components of the gospel, identify a false teacher, and define how to deal with false teachers. I saw that there was a need to define the gospel to identify false gospels and false teachers. I also saw there was very little discernment or warnings within Christianity which gave biblical criteria on what made someone a false teacher. Additionally, there was very little practice or practical guidance on dealing with false teachers in Christianity. This was my motivation for writing the second book.

In this third book, I am attempting to exegetically demonstrate the apostle Paul’s understanding and theology on conversion (e.g., repentance and faith in Jesus Christ) as well as display his utter rejection and denunciation of sacramental conversion. There is much false teaching within Christendom on conversion and it burdens my heart to see how many churchgoers are deceived by false teachers and false gospels, especially when it comes to sacramental conversion. Additionally, it is troublesome to see how Paul’s letters and teaching in Scripture can be twisted in such a way that portray the apostle Paul as teaching sacramental conversion.

This book will be broken out into three separate sections: Jewish Rituals, Ceremonies, and Religious Life; Paul’s Conversion; and, Paul’s Theology on Conversion. There is going to be an emphasis on the Jewish rituals in the Old Testament and we will pay attention to how God used signs, ceremonies, and rituals to teach His people. We will also look at the historical background and setting in which Paul lived to understand how Jewish signs, ceremonies, and rituals had become twisted and perverted during his lifetime. This will help us understand God’s intended meaning of some of the most prominent signs, ceremonies, and rituals in the Old Testament as well as understand how they were corrupted during the life of Paul. When we can correctly understand the signs, ceremonies, rituals, historical context, and Jewish cultural and daily life during the life and time of the apostle Paul, it should be clear and help us understand why Paul would never put hope in sacraments or rituals for salvation.

Next, we will explore the apostle Paul’s conversion account which include the external events in Acts 9, 22, and 26 as well as his internal conversion experience in Philippians 3. By detailing the external events and understanding his internal thoughts at conversion, we will be able to understand Paul’s repentance and how he wholly put his faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

We will then review the apostle Paul’s doctrine on conversion in his epistles and missionary work. The hope in writing the book in this order is to help the reader understand why Paul would never teach sacramental conversion and, in fact, condemned such teaching as false.

The conclusion of the book will briefly review how Paul dealt with teachers who taught a works-based salvation or a ceremony, sacrament, or ritual-based conversion or salvation and answer some of the following questions and seek to understand whether there should be compromise on the gospel. Some of the questions we’ll try and answer at the conclusion of this book will include the following:

How did Paul deal with those that would teach a works-salvation, ritual-salvation, or sacramental-salvation?

How did Paul deal with those that taught someone was saved through a ritual such as circumcision?

What kind of things did Paul say about false teachers that taught such things?

Was Paul seeking to appease the false teachers?

Was Paul seeking to see what he had in common with the false teachers? Or rather, did Paul confront false teachers that gave a false gospel?

Did Paul ignore false teachers, or did he address false teachers?

Was Paul trying to please men or God?

Did Paul compromise on the gospel with the false teachers?

Did Paul warn the false teachers of the consequences of corrupting the gospel?

These questions should help us reflect on how Paul dealt with such false teachings and false teachers. Additionally, we should ask ourselves some tough questions on how we should approach such false teachings and false teachers. Are we trying to please men or God? Have we compromised on the gospel by aiding and abetting these types of false teachers who give a false gospel? Is it easier to thin down the gospel and not identify those who have a corrupt gospel or to preach the gospel and identify those that have a corrupt gospel? When reflecting on Scripture, the gospel, and sacramental conversion, perhaps the best exhortation would be simply as follows from Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ."

Lastly, this is to bring awareness that there are many churches that teach sacramental conversion. Whether sacramental conversion is through water baptism, chrismation, or any other ritual, sacrament, or ceremony, sacramental conversion amounts to a false gospel. Below is a list of churches that will hold to a false gospel of sacramental conversion. There are likely more churches in the world that teach sacramental conversion, but please note that these churches account for a vast majority of the churchgoing population in the world.

Eastern Orthodox

Oriental Orthodox

Assyrian Church

Lutheran Church

Catholic Church

Anglican Church denominations

Acknowledgments

Laura—Thank you for your companionship and faithfulness in our marriage. Thank you for giving yourself to understanding God’s Word. Thank you for your tireless efforts in taking care of the boys. Thank you for being virtuous, honest, loving, faithful, kind, good, merciful, and strong. I love you. Here is my encouragement and exhortation to you:

Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. Stand firm and let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Pax and Keryx—To my dear sons. My deepest desire for you is to come to a saving knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ. Your mother prays for both of you every night that God would grant you both saving faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is one thing to know doctrine, but it is quite another thing to know the Lord. You could understand my books, understand the Heidelberg Catechism, understand the Three Forms of Unity, understand Reformed theology, but still be lost and unsaved. These books are only to help you in your understanding of the Bible. They are never to be a means for not studying and understanding God’s Word.

As I see you both grow up, I look forward to teaching you God’s Word and about the Lord Jesus Christ. I look forward to the day when I can tell you of how the Lord saved me as Matthew 1:21 says, And you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. One day I will share with you how deadly pornography is and how it destroyed my life. One day I will share with you how I could not go a day without looking at pornography. One day I will share with you how I was a thief and dominated by greed. One day I will share with you how I lived a pathetic life by sleeping with as many women as I could. One day I will share with you how low I sank when I sought out prostitutes. One day I will share with you how I committed adultery on your mother with no concern for her. One day I will share with you how I wanted to end my life by going to an assisted suicide company and taking barbiturates. One day I will share with you my absolute depraved, unregenerate, unconverted, and sinful state that I was saved from.

One day I will share with you how I heard a message of repentance toward God. One day I will share with you how God gave me new birth, completely changed me, and authored saving faith in me toward Christ Jesus the Lord. When writing these books, I have decided to make my unconverted life public because I have become convinced that the Lord Jesus Christ receives the greatest honor and glory by demonstrating His love to save the worst of sinners, of whom I should be considered foremost (Mark 5:19–20, 1 Timothy 1:15). I consider both of you miracle children. Both gifts from God. God so spared my life when I wanted to end it and He sovereignly blessed me and your mom with both of you. I love both of you. I have given both of you exhortations in my previous books and I will do so again in this book out of love:

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God. Lastly, deny yourselves, pick up your cross, and follow after the Lord Jesus Christ. Repent and put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor John Macarthur and Pastor Steve Lawson—Thank you for being faithful pastors, able to handle the Word of Truth. Our family has been built up in the faith by your ministries.

Dedication

Dedicated to Laura, Pax, and Keryx. Trust and follow the Lord Jesus Christ no matter the cost.

Luke 14:26–27, 33—If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Ephesians 4:20-24—But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Romans 12:1—I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

Ye soldiers of the cross;

Lift high his royal banner,

It must not suffer loss.

From victory unto victory

His army shall he lead,

Till every foe is vanquished,

And Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

the trumpet call obey;

forth to the mighty conflict

in this his glorious day.

Ye that are men now serve him

against unnumbered foes;

let courage rise with danger

and strength to strength oppose.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

Stand in his strength alone;

The arm of flesh will fail you,

Ye dare not trust your own.

Put on the gospel armor,

Each piece put on with prayer;

Where duty calls or danger,

Be never wanting there.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

The strife will not be long;

This day the noise of battle,

The next the victor’s song.

To those who vanquish evil

A crown of life shall be;

They with the King of Glory

Shall reign eternally.

Chapter 1—The Abrahamic Covenant Sign of Circumcision

Deuteronomy 30:6—And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Philippians 3:3—For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh

The importance of understanding circumcision was critically important in the Old Testament just as it is in the New Testament. A false and tragic understanding of circumcision would lead one to believe that they had right-standing with God when, in fact, they did not. A true understanding of circumcision would help an individual grasp the importance and necessity of having a circumcision of the heart, through God’s Word, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, having a biblical understanding of circumcision clarifies God’s purpose for this sign. The sign of circumcision was not understood by the teachers of Israel during the life and times of Jesus and Paul which led to disastrous spiritual consequences. We will first begin with the true understanding of circumcision before exploring how circumcision was understood by many Jewish leaders in the first century.

Circumcision was practiced as early as 2400 BC and was performed for reasons such as ritualistically preparing boys for manhood and for health reasons since disease could be kept in the folds of the foreskin. Removing the foreskin of the male organ could prevent such disease. However, when the LORD made the Abrahamic Covenant with Abram, He instituted circumcision as a sign of the covenant He made with Abraham, and thus, He gave circumcision religious meaning where He says in Genesis 17:9–12:

And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.

Before understanding the sign of circumcision, it would be most beneficial to understand what the Abrahamic Covenant is. We would not be able to fully grasp the sign of circumcision without understanding the Abrahamic Covenant and would be left with a truncated understanding of the covenant. Therefore, we will need to start in Genesis 12 and move through Genesis 17 to understand the Abrahamic Covenant and how circumcision became a sign of this covenant between Abraham and the LORD.

In Genesis 12:1–3, we see the start or the unfolding of the Abrahamic Covenant which is where we will begin.

Now the LORD said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

When the LORD speaks to Abram, Abram would have been seventy-five years old when he was first called to move away from his father’s house. We immediately see the manifold blessings that Abram would receive from the LORD. We see in Genesis 12:2–3 the following promises:

Abram would become a great nation (Genesis 12:2)

Abram’s name would be great (Genesis 12:2)

The nation that would come from Abram would be a blessing (Genesis 12:2)

Those that blessed Abram would be blessed and those who dishonored Abram would be cursed (Genesis 12:3)

All people and families would be blessed through Abram (Genesis 12:3)

The promises and blessings of this covenant also included the promises of land where the LORD promised he would give a very specific piece of land to Abram that was inhabited by the Canaanites (Genesis 12:6–7, 13:14–17). In fact, in Genesis 13:15, the LORD says that this land would be His possession forever where He says, "For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your