Why do so many Churches teach a salvation doctrine opposed the the one Jesus taught?

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Oct 6, 2021
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#1
I find many church doctrines are founded solely upon Paul's epistles, leaving the teachings of Jesus Christ as a mere footnote. One would think, they believe Paul is their savior, and Jesus the apostle of Paul. But worse yet, those who trust in these teachings are like blind men walking in the desert.

Paul is a great teacher...and one of my favorites, but teaching Paul without founding his teachings on what Christ taught his disciples, is like trying to teach Algebra to someone who doesn't know how to Add and Subtract. This is why the mainstream churches teach, the Christian is not under Gods Law, simply because Paul taught, "We are not under Law, we are under Grace." When it is this very Law which brings the believer their salvation.
 
K

kaylagrl

Guest
#2
I find many church doctrines are founded solely upon Paul's epistles, leaving the teachings of Jesus Christ as a mere footnote. One would think, they believe Paul is their savior, and Jesus the apostle of Paul. But worse yet, those who trust in these teachings are like blind men walking in the desert.

Paul is a great teacher...and one of my favorites, but teaching Paul without founding his teachings on what Christ taught his disciples, is like trying to teach Algebra to someone who doesn't know how to Add and Subtract. This is why the mainstream churches teach, the Christian is not under Gods Law, simply because Paul taught, "We are not under Law, we are under Grace." When it is this very Law which brings the believer their salvation.

The law is OT not NT. No one can obey the entire law, that's why Jesus came.
 

arthurfleminger

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2021
1,405
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#3
I find many church doctrines are founded solely upon Paul's epistles, leaving the teachings of Jesus Christ as a mere footnote. One would think, they believe Paul is their savior, and Jesus the apostle of Paul. But worse yet, those who trust in these teachings are like blind men walking in the desert.

Paul is a great teacher...and one of my favorites, but teaching Paul without founding his teachings on what Christ taught his disciples, is like trying to teach Algebra to someone who doesn't know how to Add and Subtract. This is why the mainstream churches teach, the Christian is not under Gods Law, simply because Paul taught, "We are not under Law, we are under Grace." When it is this very Law which brings the believer their salvation.
Some Christians believe that the four primary Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were meant for the Jews. Of course, these Gospels are the Gospels in which Jesus teaches and performs His ministry. Some gentile Christians believe that only the New Testament teachings of Paul are meant for them, as Paul was appointed to be the Apostle to the Gentiles.

In a nutshell, some Christians believe that only portions of the New Testament pertain to them. So, when you have differences in what Jesus and Paul teach, then they side with Paul.
 

Artios1

Born again to serve
Dec 11, 2020
678
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#5
I find many church doctrines are founded solely upon Paul's epistles, leaving the teachings of Jesus Christ as a mere footnote. One would think, they believe Paul is their savior, and Jesus the apostle of Paul. But worse yet, those who trust in these teachings are like blind men walking in the desert.

Paul is a great teacher...and one of my favorites, but teaching Paul without founding his teachings on what Christ taught his disciples, is like trying to teach Algebra to someone who doesn't know how to Add and Subtract. This is why the mainstream churches teach, the Christian is not under Gods Law, simply because Paul taught, "We are not under Law, we are under Grace." When it is this very Law which brings the believer their salvation.
It really depends how you view the Word of God.
If we esteem the words of Christ.....then everything Paul wrote should be esteemed the same way.

Gal 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
Gal 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture isgiven by inspiration of God” = theopneustos = God Breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private =idios = ones own “interpretation” = epilysis = letting loose
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy (forthtold or foretold) came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.


If I didn’t believe this….. I would probably follow Kahlil Gibran or Dr Seuss.
 
K

kaylagrl

Guest
#6
It really depends how you view the Word of God.
If we esteem the words of Christ.....then everything Paul wrote should be esteemed the same way.
Gal 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
Gal 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture isgiven by inspiration of God” = theopneustos = God Breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private =idios = ones own “interpretation” = epilysis = letting loose
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy (forthtold or foretold) came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.


If I didn’t believe this….. I would probably follow Kahlil Gibran or Dr Seuss.
[
/QUOTE]

I love this! lol Very well said.
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,432
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#7
I find many church doctrines are founded solely upon Paul's epistles, leaving the teachings of Jesus Christ as a mere footnote. One would think, they believe Paul is their savior, and Jesus the apostle of Paul.
I don't know what groups you're talking about but virtually all so-called evangelical churches I've been to teach from the whole Bible. I've encountered a lot of groups who focus more on the Old Testament. But Paul over Jesus? I've never encountered this. However, I've never conducted a formal study so who knows.
 

NotmebutHim

Senior Member
May 17, 2015
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#8
Paul himself answered this question rhetorically when he said "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"

Careful reading of Paul's epistles will show that he based his teachings on what Christ taught him.

And Jesus wouldn't necessarily contradict Himself. One must consider the different types of audiences that Jesus (and Paul) spoke or wrote to.
 

Gideon300

Well-known member
Mar 18, 2021
5,441
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#9
I find many church doctrines are founded solely upon Paul's epistles, leaving the teachings of Jesus Christ as a mere footnote. One would think, they believe Paul is their savior, and Jesus the apostle of Paul. But worse yet, those who trust in these teachings are like blind men walking in the desert.

Paul is a great teacher...and one of my favorites, but teaching Paul without founding his teachings on what Christ taught his disciples, is like trying to teach Algebra to someone who doesn't know how to Add and Subtract. This is why the mainstream churches teach, the Christian is not under Gods Law, simply because Paul taught, "We are not under Law, we are under Grace." When it is this very Law which brings the believer their salvation.
Maybe you are the one who misinterprets Paul's teachings. Yes, the Law brings us to salvation, no, the law does not save us. Paul received the gospel directly from God. If you have a problem, take it up with Him.

The Law profited Israel exactly nothing. It will do even less for Christians. All it does is judge and condemn. You do well to research th whole counsel of God. If you reject the teachings of Paul, you put yourself under a curse. If you disobey just one law one time, you are accursed. That is not good news, at least in my book.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,747
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#10
Paul is a great teacher...and one of my favorites, but teaching Paul without founding his teachings on what Christ taught his disciples, is like trying to teach Algebra to someone who doesn't know how to Add and Subtract. This is why the mainstream churches teach, the Christian is not under Gods Law, simply because Paul taught, "We are not under Law, we are under Grace." When it is this very Law which brings the believer their salvation.
There is no salvation that comes from the Law of the First Covenant. Zero! The Law was not given to "save," rather to bring people into the understanding of their sinful lives. Jesus and Paul taught this.

The ONLY thing that brings salvation to mankind is the precious blood of Jesus which He shed on Calvary's Cross.

The Law of the New Covenant is the "Law of Faith." Paul taught this, and so did Jesus for in numerous Scriptures He speaks of "belief" in Him, "faith" in Him is where salvation comes from. NOT the Law of the First Covenant.

For IF salvation could come from the Law, there would have been no reason for Jesus to take upon Himself the form of man, come to earth, preach His Gospel of salvation through faith/belief, and shed His blood to pay the price for the sins of all mankind.

If you believe salvation comes through the Law, then you SURELY are teaching "another Gospel." And that is a dangerous thing.

The very Scriptures you refered to from the 3rd Chapter of Romans prove you wrong in your belief. You simply "edited" what the Apostle wrote. Finish the whold Chapter!

27Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

29Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

30Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

31Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Hebrews, Chapter 13:

6But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

13In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
14,661
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#11
I find many church doctrines are founded solely upon Paul's epistles, leaving the teachings of Jesus Christ as a mere footnote. One would think, they believe Paul is their savior, and Jesus the apostle of Paul. But worse yet, those who trust in these teachings are like blind men walking in the desert.

Paul is a great teacher...and one of my favorites, but teaching Paul without founding his teachings on what Christ taught his disciples, is like trying to teach Algebra to someone who doesn't know how to Add and Subtract. This is why the mainstream churches teach, the Christian is not under Gods Law, simply because Paul taught, "We are not under Law, we are under Grace." When it is this very Law which brings the believer their salvation.

Yeah Jesus is the foundation of everything salvation the apostles including Paul were his messengers telling everyone he’s the truth and way and life

Paul’s epistles actually don’t part from anything Jesus taught , people just make it seem that way. To understand paul we just need to hear and believe the gospel first.

otherwise most of what Paul wrote in his epistles makes no sense and becomes us trying to guess what he could
Maybe be talking about . If you first accept the gospel Jesus preached and sent into the world for salvation , Paul makes a lot of great sense and builds upon what the gospel teaches
 

arthurfleminger

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2021
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#12
There are many Christians who have a 'Dispensationalist' approach to the four Gospels and to the Pauline Epistles. They believe that the audience of the four Gospels was centered on the lost sheep of the house of Israel and the preaching of the Kingdom was the message. They also believe that the Pauline Epistles were meant for the gentile audience. So, according to this viewpoint, the Gospels weren't meant for Gentiles. Jesus came to save the remnants of the House of Israel and Paul was sent to save the Gentiles.

Obviously, the dispensationalist approach is wrong when it considers the 4 Gospels being meant for only the Jews. There are many examples of Jesus reaching out to non Jews, ie the Roman Centurian, the Canaanite woman, the Samaritan at the well......etc/etc.

Paul himself makes it very clear that Jesus came to save all, “Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too” (Romans 3:29). And "For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him," Romans 10:12.
 
T

TheIndianGirl

Guest
#13
I find many church doctrines are founded solely upon Paul's epistles, leaving the teachings of Jesus Christ as a mere footnote. One would think, they believe Paul is their savior, and Jesus the apostle of Paul. But worse yet, those who trust in these teachings are like blind men walking in the desert.

Paul is a great teacher...and one of my favorites, but teaching Paul without founding his teachings on what Christ taught his disciples, is like trying to teach Algebra to someone who doesn't know how to Add and Subtract. This is why the mainstream churches teach, the Christian is not under Gods Law, simply because Paul taught, "We are not under Law, we are under Grace." When it is this very Law which brings the believer their salvation.
I am not sure what you mean. Can you elaborate why you believe Paul's teaching on salvation is different from Jesus'? What are the two different teachings?
 

GRACE_ambassador

Well-known member
Feb 22, 2021
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Midwest
#14

arthurfleminger

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2021
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#15
I am not sure what you mean. Can you elaborate why you believe Paul's teaching on salvation is different from Jesus'? What are the two different teachings?
One good example on the two different teachings concerns the Law of the Old Covenant. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says that He did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets. In other words, Jesus’ purpose was not to abrogate the Word, dissolve it, or render it invalid.

Paul, in his letter to Galatians says, "And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian."
Paul further elaborates, that the Law of Moses was a temporary addition to the Abrahamic promises (Galatians 3:16-25). The Sinai covenant, which includes civil laws and ceremonial laws, was designed to come to an end when Christ came. The Scriptures are not annulled, of course, but the laws there are no longer binding.


There are other differences of Paul's teaching from the Gospels and other New Testament writings, for example:

Paul says that: “by grace you are saved through faith; it is not from works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8).

The Gospel of St Matthew is very clear in this subject: judgment will be rendered on what we did (Mat 25:31-46 or 16:27); “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.
“I tell you the truth, as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me”.



“Show me your faith without the works and I will show my faith through my works…. faith without works is useless” (James 2:18); ” Do you not see, that faith without works is of no use?” (James 2:20)


So, there do seem to be discrepancies with Paul's Epistles and the teachings of Jesus and other New Testament writings. And the originator of this thread said that he finds that many Churches focus on Paul alone. And he may be right. How many times do we hear that we are saved by faith alone at Church as opposed to a sermon on the Judgement of Nations or the Letter of James, "Faith without works is dead." I doubt you ever hear a sermon on the latter two.

Why is that?




 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
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#16
This is why the mainstream churches teach, the Christian is not under Gods Law, simply because Paul taught, "We are not under Law, we are under Grace." When it is this very Law which brings the believer their salvation.
Firstly the Law brings condemnation to the sinner, while the Gospel offers salvation apart from the works of the Law. So in that sense the Law brings salvation to the believer. As Scripture says "The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ". At the same time when Paul said that we are not under the Law but under grace, he was not suggesting that Christians are lawless. He goes on to speak about "the Law of Christ".

What he meant is that the stipulations of the Old Covenant do not apply under the New Covenant. For example the dietary laws are not applicable to Christians, although Christians are free to observe them if they choose. At the same time Christians are also free to eat any meats. That is why the Law of Christ is also called the Law of Liberty. Feasts, festivals, holy days, new moons, sabbaths, etc. were all "shadows". The reality is Christ. Which also means that God expects more from Christians than Jews. Believers are to offer themselves as "living sacrifices" to God.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,176
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#17
There are many Christians who have a 'Dispensationalist' approach to the four Gospels and to the Pauline Epistles. They believe that the audience of the four Gospels was centered on the lost sheep of the house of Israel and the preaching of the Kingdom was the message. They also believe that the Pauline Epistles were meant for the gentile audience. So, according to this viewpoint, the Gospels weren't meant for Gentiles. Jesus came to save the remnants of the House of Israel and Paul was sent to save the Gentiles.

Obviously, the dispensationalist approach is wrong when it considers the 4 Gospels being meant for only the Jews. There are many examples of Jesus reaching out to non Jews, ie the Roman Centurian, the Canaanite woman, the Samaritan at the well......etc/etc.

Paul himself makes it very clear that Jesus came to save all, “Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too” (Romans 3:29). And "For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him," Romans 10:12.
The word of truth must be rightly divided to understand doctrine. Jesus and the disciples did not go around preaching the message of the cross. That was a mystery until after it occurred.

Why did Jesus specifically tell his disciples to not preach the message to Gentiles nor Samaritans, but only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel?
 
Sep 6, 2014
7,034
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#18
1 Corinthians 3:11
For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Acts 13:38-41
Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. 40Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:
41‘Look, you scoffers,
wonder and perish!
For I am doing a work in your days
that you would never believe,
even if someone told you.’f
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,148
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#19
1 Corinthians 3:11
For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Acts 13:38-41
Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. 40Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:
41‘Look, you scoffers,
wonder and perish!
For I am doing a work in your days
that you would never believe,
even if someone told you.’f

Acts 13:38-39
:)
 

Blade

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2019
1,801
631
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#20
How we look at His word can effect how we believe. You say Paul I saw sweet Holy Spirit. There is no difference. All Paul taught was what Christ showed him. Christ was the foundation. It all goes together.. flows..