Samwise
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We should trust any writings, by anyone, only when we understand them well enough to see that they got it right. Anything else boils down to treating written words as some sort of magical formulae. (That's were the word "grammarye," meaning magic, came from.)
If you don't understand them that well, then it doesn't matter whether you trust Paul, because you can't trust your own understanding of the writings.
?
Paul's being chose by God should be enough to convince you. And his writings show that they were God-inspired.
gillie
Good question, since Paul seems to have appointed himself apostle, and the only reason his letters are considered scripture is because his followers eventually took over control of the church.
Paul
Same reason we trust the rest of the Bible. The Holy Spirit guided the bishops of the Catholic Church when they compiled the Bible in the 4'th Century, at the direction of the Pope, to include only what God wanted included. If you don't accept that fact, there is no point in reading the Bible at all. If you do accept that fact, then you know that these 73 texts are the inspired Word of God.
No Chance Without Jesus
Of course they are God inspired and consistant with the rest of the bible....are you gay and looking for an out?