For the entirety of his ministry, Paul – wherever it suited him – openly proclaimed to be a devout member of the conservative Jewish sect known as the Pharisees (see Acts 23:6’s “I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees” – also his similar boasts in Acts 26:5, Galatians 1:14, & Philippians 3:4-5) …

Jesus, on the other hand entirely, both frequently and vociferously denounced the Pharisees and their teachings (and encouraged his followers to do the same) – calling them “blind guides of the blind” (Matthew 15:12-14; juxtaposed intriguingly with Paul losing his sight on the Road to Damascus in Acts 9:3-9), warning his followers to “beware the yeast of the Pharisees … [that is to say] the teachings of the Pharisees” (Matthew 16:6-12 & Mark 8:15; both potently juxtaposed with the admonitions of 2 John 1:9 “Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but rather goes beyond it, does not know God; whereas whoever abides in [Christ’s] teaching has both the Father and the Son” & John 8:31-32 “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will thereby know the truth, and the truth will set you free”), telling his followers “do not do as [the Pharisees] do, for they do not practice what they teach” (Matthew 23:3 – see also Luke 12:1), and openly denouncing his Pharisee critics, saying “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you, you hypocrites! For just as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines’ so you too abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” (Mark 7:6-8)

Filed under: Jesus & the Cult of Paul by Scaughdt