Another marked contrast between Paul and Jesus is readily seen in their preferred audiences, with Paul frequently speaking to those with whom he was already familiar (a la “Come, let us return and visit the believers in every city where we have already proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing” ~ Acts 15:36) and Jesus seeming to share his message openly with any and all nearby. This is not to say that Paul only preached where it was comfortable to do so (He clearly didn’t – see Galatians 2 et al) or that Jesus never chose to purposefully engage a particular group or gathering (He most certainly did – see Matthew 21 et al), and yet it is revealing nonetheless to note that for the most part Paul seemed to enter into religious dialogue in private arenas he had already visited (previously established churches, like the ones at Lystra & Iconium & Antioch in Acts 14:22–27 – churches where he “strengthened the souls of the [already won] disciples”, and like the one in Jerusalem mentioned in Acts 15:4 & Acts 21:17-18) &/or places in which he felt comfortable (local Jewish synagogues, like the one at Salamis noted in Acts 13:5, the one at Thessalonica mentioned in Acts 7:1-2, or the one at Beroea referenced in Acts 17:10); speaking to audiences he already knew (like those present in the home of Lydia mentioned in Acts 16:40) &/or those who were predisposed to accept his message (like the “believers” in Macedonia mentioned in Acts 20:1-2).

Jesus, on the other hand, is frequently shown preaching in public to large gatherings of people who were unfamiliar to him (see Matthew 13:57-58 & Mark 6:4-6 et al) – people who had come to him instead of vice versa (see Matthew 4:25, Matthew 8:1, Matthew 8:18, Matthew 13:34, Matthew 14:13, Matthew 19:2, Matthew 20:29, Mark 3:7-8, Mark 3:32, Mark 5:21-24, Mark 9:14, Mark 10:1, Mark 10:46, Luke 5:1, Luke 7:11, Luke 8:4, Luke 8:42, Luke 9:11, Luke 11:29, Luke 14:25, Luke 18:36, Luke 23:27, & John 6:2). He is also often shown interacting with those who are considered to be disliked or despised or “undesirable” or “unclean” (e.g. lepers in Matthew 8:2-3, Mark 1:41 & Luke 5:13, prostitutes in Luke 7:37 & John 8:3-11, Samaritans in Luke 17:11-19 & John 4:7-40, Pharisees in Luke 7:36, and tax collectors in Luke 15:1 & Luke 19:7-10) and doing so with a message that was in & of itself less than comforting to those listeners. For he championed a kind of self-sacrificial Love that was active, not verbal; a Love that required actual courage to manifest, not mere religious piety (see Luke 9:23 “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” & Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my [all-Loving] Father” & Matthew 18:3-4 “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become humble again like very young children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven”). He also encouraged others to abandon all their attachments – both to the ease of material wealth (see Matthew 6:19-21, Matthew 19:21-24, Mark 9:35, Luke 12:15-21, & Luke 14:33 et al) as well as to the comfort of familiar relationships (see Matthew 12:50, Matthew 19:12, Matthew 19:29, Mark 3:33-35, Mark 10:29, & Luke 14:26).

Filed under: Jesus & the Cult of Paul by Scaughdt