To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
This is a very interesting and powerful statement Jesus/Yeshua made and something most just read without realizing what it says. Are we really holding to Jesus Teachings? Or do most people hold on to Paul’s teachings, believing that Paul was teaching something totally new from what Christ taught?
Many times, when I discuss scripture with Christians, I get the feeling that they hold what Paul says in higher esteem than what Jesus said and it makes me wonder whose disciples they are, Christ’s or Paul’s?
Paul himself said something very similar to what Jesus said in John 8:31. We can read this in 1 Timothy 6:3-4a
1 Timothy 6:3-4a (ESV) If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.
John also says something very similar to what Paul is saying:
2 John 1:9-11 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (10) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, (11) for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
Paul is saying 2x in Galatians 1:6-10 that anyone who teaches a Gospel other than that of Christ will be cursed!
Galatians 1:6-10 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel– not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
So, let’s have a closer look. “But even if we (Paul included) preach another gospel than the Gospel of Christ, let him be accursed.
He even refers to “we”, including himself and the other apostles and closes by saying, “Or am I trying to please man? If so, I would not be a servant of Christ”. Paul is a servant of Christ, and anything he says or does is in submission to Him the master!
For some reason, people believe that Paul taught another Gospel than that Christ, or the other disciples, preached to the Jews. The whole idea that there is one Gospel for the Jews and another for the Gentiles goes directly against scripture, but still, this is what is taught in Churches today.
1Co 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Romans 2:28-29 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
Gal 3:26-29 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Ephesians 2:19-20 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
What Paul himself told about his own teachings
We saw already that Paul included himself when it came to teaching any other Gospels than that of Christ. We also saw that he called any doctrine that is different from that what Jesus Christ taught is a false doctrine. Let’s see what else Paul has to say in relation to what he taught.
In Acts, we see several situations where Paul is being accused of teaching against the Law of Moses and the Jewish customs, something that warrants the death penalty in those days. But not once were the Jews able to prove their claims! During these trials, Paul defended himself; this is some of the things he said about his own teachings:
Acts 26:22-23 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
“saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass”
Paul here indicates the scope of his message that he did not add anything to that what was said by Moses and the Prophets, ever! This sounds a lot like what Jesus said in Matthew 5:17
Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
On an earlier occasion, we have Paul saying:
Acts 25:7-8 When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove. Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
“I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
Paul claimed that he broke no laws, either Jewish or Roman. We either have to conclude that Paul is telling the truth and never went outside the Scope of that what Moses and the Prophets taught and as such was not breaking any of the Jewish Laws or that he is a liar!
Paul was a true disciple of Christ, holding on to His teachings and making them his own. That is why he could say:
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Co 11:1)
What did others testify about Paul’s Teachings?
We have several witnesses in regard to what Paul taught and, at the same time, what he did not teach! The most outstanding verse can be found in Acts 21, where James testifies on behalf of Paul that Paul is not teaching against the Laws of Moses or Jewish customs and that Paul himself kept the Law/Torah; we read:
Acts 21:20-24 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. (21) They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. (22) What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, (23) so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. (24) Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.
Let’s take a closer look. The first thing that stands out to me is James’ statement:
“You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law
Being zealous for the law is indicated as something very positive! Also, note that many Jews believed, and the reason why they believed is that Paul used the Prophets and Moses to show them that Jesus is the Messiah!
Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Acts 28:23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.
Acts 17:10-12 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
The verse in Acts 17 warrants a closer look. Noticed that the Bereans were called nobler of character than the Thessalonians, for they received in great eagerness the message and examined it against the Scriptures (Tanakh / Old Testament) every day to see if what Paul was saying or teaching was in agreement with the Old Testament!
It is a very positive thing to test Paul’s teaching with the Old Testament, something that is not done in churches at all today. The fact that it is stated that many of the Jews believed means that Paul was in line with the Old Testament teachings as he himself witnessed before the court!
Peter also testified in regard to Paul’s teachings; let’s look at Peter’s last words to the believers in 2 Peter 3
2 Peter 3:14-18 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Peter is confirming that Paul’s Teachings are in line with the others “just as our dear brother Paul wrote”, and that his letters contain things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people take out of context like they do other scriptures. Again lining up Paul’s writings with other scriptures! He then warns us not to be carried away by the error of the Lawless men, the same that take Paul’s teachings out of context!
So, basically, Peter, in his last words to the body of Christ (Jews and Greeks), testified that Paul’s writings are not teaching against the Law of Moses but are in line with the other scriptures (Moses and the Prophets – Old Testament). And those thinking otherwise are carried away by the error of the Lawless men!
Lawless men = Men that don’t believe the Law applies to them!
We saw in the start Jesus saying: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples”. Most in the church today hold onto what they believe Paul is teachings instead of Christ’s teachings, something Paul himself warns against in 1 Tim 6:3 and also in Galatians 1.
We have to come back to the Teachings and the Gospel of Christ!
Be a follower of Him by living as He did! Or, as Pauls says it:
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Co 11:1)
May God Bless you, and don’t forget to test everything!