This underpins the points Charlene makes to Peter when she explains the line in the Lords Prayer Forgive as our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. That this isn't a conditional forgiveness statement. (Chapter 7 Page 363)
Jesus vs. Paul
Introduction
Controversy has arisen regarding Jesus versus Paul as scholars debate the different emphases and messages of Jesus and Paul.1 Jesus preached the kingdom of heaven. Paul did not. Paul preached justification by faith alone. Jesus did not. What are we to make of this? Can the two be reconciled? The answer depends on what is meant by reconciliation.
Let us be clear from the outset. The messages of Jesus and Paul were fundamentally different. Reconciliation of their messages cannot be done by harmonization. This is a fact we must accept. No one is helped by attempts to lessen the differences by declaring that the gospel is a salvation story for both Jesus and Paul. The differences remain. No benefit comes from theological gibberish that the gospel is the kingdom and the kingdom is the gospel. No light comes from attempts to show that Paul “betrayed” Jesus or “perverted” His message. No value comes from those who maintain Jesus and Paul contradicted or disagreed with one another. Such offerings of strange fire move us further from the text and sound theology. Instead, we must seek a biblical understanding of the Scriptures for reconciliation.
Good News, Bad News
The good news is that this matter is receiving attention. For almost 2,000 years, Paul has been forced into the Gospels and the Gospels have been forced into Paul–and this continues. Some theologians have recognized problems in this but most fail to provide sound, biblical solutions to resolve the differences between Jesus and Paul. The bad news is that most theological professionals misunderstand why we find differences between Jesus and Paul. Because of this, they do not have a sound foundation on which they can reconcile the differences. Here’s a clue: let the reader consider why God kept Paul separated from the Twelve after his conversion and why Paul’s contact with them was extremely limited (cf. Galatians 1.1, 11-12, 15-19). The purpose of this brief study is to answer the question about how Jesus and Paul can be reconciled (what that means) and end the confusion.
The Messages of Jesus and Paul
The below chart identifies the chief differences in the ministries and message of Jesus and Paul. Each will be analyzed.
| Differences of the Ministries of Jesus and Paul | |
| Jesus: | Paul: |
| 1. Preached the gospel of the kingdom | 1. Preached the gospel of the grace of God |
| 2. Defined the “kingdom of heaven” as Israel’s prophetic earthly kingdom | 2. Defined the “kingdom of heaven” as the heavenly position of the body of Christ |
| 3. Presented Himself as the Messiah and King of the Jews (Israel) | 3. Presented Jesus as the risen Lord, Head of the Church, the body of Christ |
| 4. Preached repentance, water baptism, keeping the Law, forgiving others, and faith in who He was as necessary for salvation | 4. Preached faith alone in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as necessary for salvation |
| 5. Had Jews as His audience (a couple exceptions) | 5. Had Gentiles as his primary audience |
| 6. Operated under the Mosaic Law | 6. Operated under grace |
Full acknowledgment to Don Samdahl for a brilliantly written article - see this link.
Here's a video presentaqtion by Robert Breaker...
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