A lot of Paul's writing comes off as a religious sycophant, delivering appeals that serve to reinforce an audience that truly want's to believe, yet made obscure enough to argue for anything.
1 Corinthians 14 is a good example of this:
( summarized )
1 Corinthians 14:4-5
4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,[c] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.
Anything, regardless of how obscure, can be interpreted to be relevant to reinforcing the body of the church. The rhetoric is vague enough that individuals can and will interpret their own emotional behavior to confirm what they want to believe. Much like how a popularity cult operates, with the leader driving his 'flock' into emotional fervor. By any outside observer this is a mindless appeal that can never be distinguished from it actually being authentic.
Of course, Paul wants sound reasonable right?
1 Corinthians 14:10-12
10 Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11 If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me. 12 So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.
Of course, if we don't know the meaning of what you're saying then we can't understand it. Now where are you going to try to explain.. Paul? .. Paul?
1 Corinthians 14:13
13 For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say.
And we're back to a rhetorical platitude, of course meaningless to anyone who doesn't want to interpret it to appeal to what they want to believe. Christianity wasn't off to a good start intellectually speaking if this was the best that it's loudest most obnoxious proselytizers had to offer.
1 Corinthians 14:23-25
23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!
What's a good finish without a grandiose declaration of how the non-believers will fall to their knees, because as true believers of not only the tongue but prophesy.... it can't be any other way.
Of course those that don't listen can be dismissed out of hand.
Where is Paul delivering an argument that anyone couldn't deliver themselves to claim any religious belief, even the contradictory belief to what Paul claims?
How would you determine two preachers, delivering the same message, but for the benefit of different religions apart in authority?
