Paul’s teachings weren’t all holy — find out how his letters hurt Christianity.
The Apostle Paul, who many consider the father of Christianity as a religion, laid the groundwork for much of Christian theology through his letters. However, some of his teachings were harmful to begin with, and on top of that, others have been twisted over the years for the benefit of power-hungry individuals, leading to interpretations and practices that Paul probably never intended.
Paul’s Writing Style
Let’s talk about Paul’s writing style first. The guy had a bad habit of being vague, using metaphors, and offering advice that was often highly situational. This made it easy for later readers to take snippets of his words, pull them out of context, and push their own agendas. Paul’s authoritative tone made his writings prime material for people looking to manipulate others. His occasional contradictions and obsession with the end times only made it easier for later interpreters to twist his words to fit whatever they were trying to sell, even if it was far removed from what Paul originally envisioned.
Before we begin, I should note that scholars agree Paul wrote some of the 13 letters attributed to him in the Bible, while others were likely penned by his students or remain anonymous.
1. Submission to Authorities
In Romans, Paul tells Christians to “submit to governing authorities” because they’re set up by God. This bit of advice has been twisted time and again by tyrants and dictators to push people into blind obedience. From monarchies in Europe to Nazi Germany, this was the go-to excuse to squash dissent and keep everyone in line, even when those rulers were anything but godly.
2. Slavery
Paul’s letters have some stuff about slaves obeying their masters. Yeah, that’s been used throughout history to prop up slavery, especially in the American South. People used Paul’s words to claim slavery was somehow “ordained by God,” ignoring the fact that the overarching Christian message was about love, equality, and freedom. They cherry-picked what suited them, using Paul’s words to maintain one of the most brutal systems in history.
3. Justification by Faith
One of Paul’s most famous teachings was that salvation comes through faith alone, not works. But, of course, this was ripe for abuse. During the Protestant Reformation and beyond, people used this idea to argue that Christians didn’t need to bother with moral or ethical behavior — just believe and you’re in. Enter “antinomianism,” the idea that Christians aren’t bound by moral law at all. Paul never intended for faith to be a free pass to ignore doing good, but here we are with people thinking it’s a get-out-of-jail-free card for bad behavior.
4. The Role of Women
Paul had some harsh words about women in the church — telling them to be silent and not have authority over men. That’s been twisted to justify keeping women out of leadership roles for centuries. But here’s the kicker: Paul wasn’t a total misogynist. He worked alongside women in leadership positions, like Phoebe and Junia. The oppressive patriarchy that arose in later Christianity ignored that part of Paul’s ministry, using his words to keep women in their place.
5. Sexual Ethics
When it comes to Paul’s teachings on sexuality, particularly his condemnation of same-sex relations, it’s been exploited in horrific ways. These teachings were used to justify persecution, discrimination, and violence against LGBTQ+ folks. Paul, who taught a message of love and inclusion, had his words twisted to marginalize entire communities. It’s a far cry from the loving, welcoming community he envisioned.
6. Original Sin
Paul talked about the fall of man and the concept of original sin, and this was later used by theologians like Augustine to develop a doctrine that became central to Western Christianity. Unfortunately, this teaching has been used to justify things like infant baptism, pushing the idea that babies need to be cleansed of sin. Instead of a message of grace, this turned into one of fear and guilt, making people feel like they were born with a debt they could never pay off.
7. Eschatology and the End Times
Paul talked about the return of Christ and the end of days. But, man, people have been using this to predict the apocalypse for centuries. Whether it was doomsday cults or televangelists looking for a quick buck, Paul’s words were taken way out of context. Instead of offering a hopeful message, these predictions led to extreme behavior — like people withdrawing from society, dumping their savings, and even committing mass suicides. Paul wasn’t trying to get people to lose their minds over the end times; he wanted them to live in hope and readiness, not fear and chaos.
8. Unity and Division
Paul’s whole deal about unity in the Christian community was meant to bring people together. But that’s also been twisted and used to squash dissent and force everyone to think the same way. When people use Paul’s call for unity to silence opposition, it kills the very thing he wanted — Christians are stronger together.
Before You Go
Paul may have set out to build a unified and spiritually grounded community, but his writings have been hijacked over the centuries to support power-hungry agendas and oppressive systems. His objectionable views, combined with his vague, metaphor-laden style, left plenty of room for misinterpretation and manipulation — and unfortunately, many took advantage of that. Whether it was pushing submission to tyrants, justifying slavery, or weaponizing his words against women and the LGBTQ+ community, Paul’s teachings were twisted into something far removed from his original intent.
