Paul's Different Gospel Part 5

Paul's Different Gospel 5

It will be obvious by now from the previous analysis that Paul did in fact teach a different gospel from that taught by the other apostles, one which depended entirely on faith - since he couldn't prove any of it - and not the (Mosaic) Law which Jesus had come to fulfill.

He could not prove any of it because as he claimed he had received it by direct revelation from Jesus, who had by then already left the earthly world. The fact that it contradicted Jesus's teaching while still alive did not stop Paul from expounding and expanding on his newly-found theology, especially among the non-Jews or Gentiles.

This is where Christianity stumbles and becomes something that Jesus never taught, the moment Paul preaches his different gospel and distances himself from Jesus's original disciples.

Paul had by this time developed a theology based on "faith in Jesus Christ" as opposed to one based on "observing the law". As he said, "if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (Galatians 2:14-21). It is at once apparent that the other apostles were teaching that righteousness could be gained through the law (or rather through observance of it).

An example perhaps of the fairly original teachings of Jesus and his disciples (as far as can be ascertained) can be found in James:

"JAS 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"* you are doing right. [9] But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. [10] For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. [11] For he who said, "Do not commit adultery,"* also said, "Do not murder."* If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker."

This of course was a very stringent doctrine and one which could hardly have found favour with the more relaxed Gentiles. If Paul wished to be "successful" in his mission to the Gentiles, obviously he had to tone down this doctrine of "strict adherence to the Law".

Paul in fact did more than that - he did away with the whole requirement to follow the Law and instituted a far easier belief of "faith in Christ" - which practically guaranteed salvation to the believer, even without any necessity to do good deeds. This peculiar theology also led to the development of the concept of "original sin" which it was said Jesus saved those who "had faith" from.

Actually the point that Paul makes in Galatians is that the curse of the law is the fact that it is impossible to keep perfectly, hence Paul's statement that no-one is justified by the Law. What Paul tells the Galatians is simply that they are free to try to keep the letter of the Law if they like, but they will fail, and so they should therefore rely on faith in Christ. If the whole of Galatians is read thoroughly, it will be seen that this is what this letter is about.

"JAS 2:12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, [13] because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!"

JAS 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? [15] Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. [16] If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? [17] In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

This is a direct refutation of Paul's teachings.

"JAS 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. [19] You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder."

"JAS 2:20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless*? [21] Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? [22] You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. [23] And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"* and he was called God's friend. [24] You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone."

Could James have been addressing Paul without mentioning his name? It would appear so.

"JAS 2:25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? [26] As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

"JAS 3:1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. [2] We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

JAS 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. [12] There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?"

And who is Paul to judge the Law? Or teach something which Jesus and his disciples never taught?

Leviticus 18:5 (NIV) on the other hand states: "Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD." This sounds more like a justification for the law rather than a refutal of it, and a sounder basis for faith (though perhaps not of the kind which Paul envisaged).

Those who still think that it shows that faith is the basis for keeping God's Law, not the other way round, and that this is the point Paul made in Galatians have to be faced with the fact that by doing away with the Law, Paul has therefore demonstrated his lack of faith.

Either way, Paul's different gospel cannot be supported by the teachings of the scriptures and of Jesus and his original disciples and must therefore be dismissed as an innovation.