First of all, all of us can read the gospels for ourselves.  The writer of Hebrews tells us to look to Jesus, not to Paul as the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).  We are never told to look to Paul rather than Jesus.  Are there any believers who give more attention to the letters of Paul than they do to the gospels and to the life and teachings of Jesus?  There are some who can be described in this way, but Christians are disciples of Jesus, not of Paul, and the heart of the New Testament is the four gospels!  Let us, as believers, begin with the gospels, and then turn to Paul for advice on theology and Christian practice.

Second, the idea that the basic teachings of Paul are in opposition to those of Jesus certainly are not true.  We can cherry-pick certain statements of Paul and certain statements of Jesus and “prove” that they are in opposition. But we can also cherry-pick some statements of Jesus and other statements of Jesus, and prove that Jesus contradicted himself (as I do below), and we can do the same with Paul.  So, let us not cherry-pick.  Instead, let us ask if there are any fundamental disagreements over things such as the relationship between grace, faith and works, or on the nature of God and of Christ.  If we do so, we will find that there is no important difference.  The quotes above are examples of critics cherry-picking in order to prove something which is not supported by the big picture of what Jesus and Paul taught.  I will respond to each of the three examples.

1. It is true that Jesus said that “not a jot or a tittle will pass from the law until heaven and earth pass away.”  True. This statement is still true.  The Old Testament is still here, and not a jot or a tittle have been removed as far as I know.  Besides, Jesus explained what he meant right there in the context of Matthew 5:17.  Such criticisms are generally easily explained simply by reading the text in its context!  Jesus said, in Matthew 5:17, “I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.”  In other words, I do not remove a single jot or tittle, but I am the fulfillment of the Law.  Jesus fulfilled the Law by being the first human ever to fully obey it.  Jesus fulfilled the Law by taking the full penalty implied in the Law for our sake.  Jesus fulfilled the Law by completing it.  Like Jesus said, the Law says such and such, but I say to you here was the full intent of the Law.  The Law said to not murder, but I say to not even say to your brother “you fool.”  Jesus fulfilled the Law through completing all of its prophecies, and all of its prefigures and foreshadows.  Like Jesus said in John 5:39-40 that the entire Old Testament was written about him.  When Paul says that “You are not under the Law, but under grace,”, he is saying this for the very reason Jesus explained in Matthew 5:17.  We are under grace, not under the Law because Jesus fulfilled the Law in all of the senses mentioned above.  No contradiction between Paul and Jesus at all here!

2. It is true that Paul said we are saved by faith apart from the work of the Law (Romans 3:28).  In other words, none of our works are sufficient for salvation.  None of us fully obeyed the Law (other than Christ, of course), and therefore, none of us are saved by perfect obedience to the Law.  Like God told his people in Leviticus 18:5, “Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them.”  Yet, as both Jesus and Paul pointed out, no person is saved by obedience to law alone, simply because no one has ever perfectly obeyed the Law.  All of us sin, and all of us need to be forgiven for our sins.  This is what Paul is talking about in Romans 3:28.  In Matthew 19:17, Jesus, essentially, repeated Leviticus 18:5.  In order to be saved, one approach is for us to keep the Law.  But of course, as with Paul, Jesus told the rich young ruler that this is not sufficient for salvation (although in the context he did not explain why… We know that it is because the rich young ruler, just like all of us, was a sinner).  Jesus told the rich young ruler that in order to be saved, he must become his disciple.  We must give up all we have and come, follow him (Luke 14:25-33).  Jesus told his apostles at the end of his ministry to go, make disciples, and baptize them.  It is  in discipleship, and in repentance and baptism that salvation is found, through grace, as both Jesus and Paul taught.  Again, no contradiction!

3. The solution to the third point is so obvious that it is tempting to think your friend is disingenuous here.  It is so obvious that Gal 3:28 and Matthew 15:24 are talking about two different things!  Nevertheless, I will respond.  In Galatians 3:28 Paul is talking about and to Christians.  For those who are in Christ, we are all the same.  In Christ, whether one is a Jew of a Gentile has no effect on whether they are saved or not. Neither does it matter, in Christ, whether one is male or female, slave or free.  Are males the same as females?  Are Jews the same as Gentiles?  Of course not!  But, in Christ, as far as our salvation is concerned, we are all one in Christ.  In Matthew 15:24, Jesus is clearly not talking about those who are in Christ.  In fact, none of his audience were in Christ at all, given that, as Paul said in Gal 3:27, we are baptized into Christ.  When we are baptized into Christ, we are baptized into his death (Romans 6:4).  Clearly, no one in the audience in Matthew 15:24 was eligible to be baptized into the death of Christ!  In this passage, Jesus is telling his primarily Jewish audience that God sent him, first and foremost, to preach and minister to the Jews–to the lost sheep of Israel.  How does this contradict Paul’s statement that, in Christ, post-death-and-resurrection-of-Jesus from the dead, that both Jew and Gentile are one in Christ.  Besides, Jesus told us that he had other sheep besides the Jews in John 10:16.  Does this mean that Jesus contradicted himself?  Of course not!  This third example is self-refuting.  No contradiction here between Paul and Jesus.

The same may be said for literally all attempts to prove that Paul contradicted Jesus!  These are either relative weak arguments or spurious ones.

John Oakes