What you pwople fail to realise is Paul the Pharisee was in earnest about his religion. He didn't understand the truth, he was following the wrong path, but he was the most ardent of Pharisees. He would probably have taken his religion more seriously than most christians would today. And the more serious you are, the more your shortcomings affect you. Which is probably why looking back he said he had been the worst of sinners.
The legalistic/ ceremonial law could be faultlessly obeyed as a Pharisee. Paul said he faultlessly obeyed that. He could have convinced himself he obeyed the first nine of the ten commandments. Heck I didn't have great guilt concerning any of them when I was young. But it s not possible to kid yourself you can obey the tenth commandment if you understand what that commandment entails
In truth most people on this website would feel more guilt about their shortcomings to the tenth commandment than any other. Wars get started over breaking that commandment. People get killed over it. David broke three of the ten commandments in a row because he broke the tenth. What did Paul say no sin affected you such as this, for then you sin on the inside against your own body. Which of the ten commandments would that most concern breaking, or is the easier of the two to break concerning that particular sin?
So no, Paul the ardent Pharisee could never persuade himself he fully obeyed the tenth commandment, and so that was the commandment he referred to as the one that slew him, as that would be the most common one of the ten to slay anyone who lived under the law.
However, some things are spiritually discerned, not academically discerned through study of the mind. You can do that without the holy spirit leading/ guiding you into truth
The legalistic/ ceremonial law could be faultlessly obeyed as a Pharisee. Paul said he faultlessly obeyed that. He could have convinced himself he obeyed the first nine of the ten commandments. Heck I didn't have great guilt concerning any of them when I was young. But it s not possible to kid yourself you can obey the tenth commandment if you understand what that commandment entails
In truth most people on this website would feel more guilt about their shortcomings to the tenth commandment than any other. Wars get started over breaking that commandment. People get killed over it. David broke three of the ten commandments in a row because he broke the tenth. What did Paul say no sin affected you such as this, for then you sin on the inside against your own body. Which of the ten commandments would that most concern breaking, or is the easier of the two to break concerning that particular sin?
So no, Paul the ardent Pharisee could never persuade himself he fully obeyed the tenth commandment, and so that was the commandment he referred to as the one that slew him, as that would be the most common one of the ten to slay anyone who lived under the law.
However, some things are spiritually discerned, not academically discerned through study of the mind. You can do that without the holy spirit leading/ guiding you into truth
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