“The sayings of Jesus are accepted as divine authority (Matthew 24:35; Mark 8:38; John 6:63), and the letters of Paul are also considered Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16).”

 

Fair enough, my Friend, and yet you refuse to admit the additional fact that the letters of Paul (and the message those letters preach) more often than not directly contradict the Gospel of Jesus Christ – and that where they do so, even Paul himself says that Jesus’ words “win out” (see 1 Corinthians 3:11, 1 Corinthians 11:1 & 2 Corinthian 4:5 & Galatians 6:14) …

And yet don’t take my mere word for this reality; The Word of God says exactly the same thing … Please consider the following:

 

First, realize that Jesus himself warned us of Paul (and other preachers like him) … *He warned us about not listening to “the yeast of the Pharisees” (see Matthew 15:13-14, Mark 7:6-8, Luke 12:1 et al) – and then Paul boldly claimed to be a Pharisee (see Acts 23:6, Acts 26:5, Galatians 1:14 & Philippians 3:4-5) … *He warned us of a false prophet who would be “coming in his own name” (see John 5:43) – and then Paul regularly shifted his own name from Saul to Paul and back again (see Acts 13:9) … *And in Matthew 24:26, Jesus warned us all that a deceiver would come in the wilderness (just like the false “Jesus” that then came to Paul in Acts 9) and that the same would speak personally & privately to those it encountered (just like Paul claimed his “revelation” then did to him in Galatians 1:11-12).

 

 

Secondly, Paul himself inadvertently cautioned others against his own false teachings in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, when he warned of “boasters” (which he was himself – see 2 Corinthians 11:16-33) who would “disguise themselves as apostles of Christ” (which he himself repeatedly did – see Romans 1:1 et al) and who would also “disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness” (which he frequently did as well – see 1 Corinthians 3:10).

 

 

Thirdly and finally, any attentive reader of the Scriptures can clearly see that Paul’s theology – not surprisingly – thoroughly contradicts the teachings (and indeed the very Gospel) of Jesus.   Yes, there are a few verses here & there in Paul’s writings that do indeed harmonize with The Way of Christ (see Romans 2:1, Romans 2:13-15, Romans 8:5-6, Romans 8:14-16, Romans 12:10,  Romans 12:14-21, Romans 13:8-10, Romans 14:4, Romans 14:13-14, Romans 14:19, Romans 14:22, 1 Corinthians 3:16,  1 Corinthians 6:17, 1 Corinthians 10:24, 1 Corinthians 13:2, 1 Corinthians 13:8,  1 Corinthians 16:14, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 5:6b, Galatians 5:14, Philippians 2:4-5, Philippians 4:5a,  Colossians 2:20, Colossians 3:12-14, and 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18), and yet the foundations of their gospels could not be any more conflicted …

Please consider the following remarkable contrasts between the two:

 

*While Paul says that we are all innately “original sinners” (see Romans 5.12, Romans 7:14, Romans 8:21-23 et al), Jesus tells us that our Goodness is innate (see Matthew 11:30, Luke 12:32, Luke 13:18-19, John 1:5, John 13:10, John 14:4, John 14.20, John 17:5, John 17:24 et al) …

 

*While Paul says that we are to capitulate to man-made rulers and obey all their laws & orders (see Romans 12:2, Romans 13:1-6, Acts 8:1-3, Acts 9:1-2, Acts 13:15, Acts 16: 38-39, Acts 25:10-11 & Acts 26:10-11), Jesus says that we are to transcend societal authorities by always first & foremost obeying the Will of God (see Matthew 17:24-27, Matthew 22:20-21, Matthew 17:19-21, Mark 11:24, Mark 12:17, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 20:25, John 16:23, John 16:7-8+13-14, John 14:16-17, John 14:26, John 15:26 et al) …

 

*While Paul says that we are to worship Jesus himself as the only Son of God (see Acts 24:21, Acts 16:31, Acts 17:18, Acts 18:5, Acts 18:28, Acts 19:17, Acts 28:23, Acts 28:31, Acts 9:20-22, Romans 1:4, Romans 4:5, Romans 5:8 + Romans 6:5, Romans 3:21-24, Romans 5:18, Romans 7:25, Romans 8:3, Romans 8:9, Romans 14:9, 1 Corinthians 2:2, 2 Corinthians 4:5 + 5:15, Colossians 2:9 + Colossians 3:1-2), Jesus repeatedly informs us that we are not to worship him at all, but rather are to pay homage via deeds of selfless service solely to his Father in Heaven (see Mark 10:18, Mark 13:31, Luke 6:46-47, Matthew 11:6, Mark 12:28-31, John 3:17, John 10:26, John 12:26, John 13:15, John 5:41, John 7:6, John 12:44-45, John 13:35, John 18:37, John 14:6, John 14:15, John 15:4 et al) …

 

*While Paul creates an entirely new “Gospel” of atonement by equating it with Jesus’ resurrection and our required worship thereof (see Acts 13:30-38, Acts 17:3, Acts 17:31b, 1 Corinthians 15:13-14), Jesus clearly defines his “Good News” – his very different “Gospel” – as Salvation in the present moment via selfless acts of unconditional Love (see Matthew 10:7 + Matthew 24:12-14) …

 

*While Paul professed a Heaven that exists elsewhere, in which only the “worthy” reside for eternity after their deaths (see Acts 17:31a, Romans 8:18, 1 Corinthians 1:7, 1 Corinthians 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:19, 1 Corinthians 15:23-28, 1 Corinthians 15:50, 2 Corinthians 4:14-17, Philippians 1:23, Philippians 3:13-14, Philippians 3:20 & 1 Thessalonians 1:10), Jesus makes it very clear that his Kingdom of Heaven is right here & right now – available to all of us in every moment of our lives (see Matthew 3:13, Matthew 19:23-26 + 20:23, Matthew 22:32, Matthew 24:26-28, Mark 13:34-37, Luke 17:20-21, Luke 17:22-24, John 3:18, John 3:3-9, John 5:25 + John 7:6 + John 12:31, John 10:34 + John 14:12 + John 18:36 et al) …

 

*And finally, while Paul obviously believes that Salvation comes from being primarily subservient to Jesus (see Acts 15:20-29 + Acts 16:4 + Acts 13:39, Romans ch. 4, Romans 5:10 + Romans 7:4, Romans 9:32 + Romans 8:24-25, 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 2:21, Philippians 3:9, 2 Corinthians 5:7 + 2 Corinthians 1:10), Jesus notes over & over again in the Gospels that our Salvation comes solely from actively & selflessly caring for others (see Matthew 4:17, Matthew 21:43, Mark 1:15, Mark 5:36, Mark 8:34-35 + Mark 9:35 + Mark 10:21 + Mark 10:43-45, Mark 12:34 + Mark 13:5-6 + Mark 13:23 + Mark 15:31, Luke 6:27-31, Luke 6:35-36, Luke 6:46-49, Luke 8:15 + Luke 9:23-24 + Luke 10:27-28 + Luke 12:35, Luke 14:12-15 + Luke 18:20-22 + Luke 22:26, John 4:24, John 5:39-40, John 6:63, John 6:53-58 + John 8:31 + John 10:38 + John 12:25, John 13:10 + John 13:34-35 + John 14:23 + John 15:8, John 15:12-17, John 17:26 et al).

 

In conclusion, while I make no arrogant claim that Jesus is right and Paul is wrong, I most certainly do remind Christians & non-Christians alike that the teachings of the two men are not compatible, that a choice between their two gospels must be made, and that it might be wise to err on the side of following (i.e. emulating, & thereby enlivening) the teachings of Jesus while gently discarding those of Paul (at least wherever the latter contradict the former).

 

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator … Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their ends will match their deeds … Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”  ~ Romans 1:24-25 & 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 + 2 John 1:9

Filed under: Burnishing Bigotry by Scaughdt