Contradictions Between Paul and Jesus

 

What if the foundation of modern Christianity is built on a voice Jesus never authorized? As we examine the words of Jesus and compare them to Paul’s letters, the contrast is glaring—and the implications are profound. This is not just a theological difference. It’s a matter of truth versus distortion.

Contradictions between Paul and Jesus

The contradictions between Paul’s and Jesus' teachings are undeniable and deeply significant. While Jesus preached obedience to God’s commandments, righteousness through works, and the necessity of following the law, Paul introduced a doctrine centered on salvation by faith alone, the abolition of the law, and a new theology that often opposes Jesus’ words. These contradictions are not minor differences in interpretation but fundamental shifts that redefine the core message of Christianity. By comparing their teachings directly, it becomes clear that Paul’s gospel diverges sharply from Jesus' teachings, raising serious questions about the foundation of Christian doctrine as it is widely understood today.

There are several areas where Paul’s teachings appear to contradict the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. Here are some undeniable contradictions:

1. Justification by Faith vs. Justification by Works

Jesus emphasized obedience to the law and good works as necessary for salvation.

• Matthew 19:16-17 – “...if you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
• Matthew 7:21 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Paul: Taught that salvation is through faith alone, apart from works.

• Romans 3:28 – “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”
• Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Contradiction: Jesus taught that keeping the commandments and doing good works were necessary for salvation, while Paul said that salvation comes through faith alone.

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2. The Law: Abolished or Upheld?

Jesus stated that the law remains valid and must be followed.

• Matthew 5:17-19 – “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. ... Not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law.”

Paul declared that the law was abolished for believers in Christ.

• Romans 6:14 – “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
• Galatians 3:13 – “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”

Contradiction: Jesus affirmed the law, while Paul claimed believers are free from it.

3. Who Are Jesus’s True Followers?

Jesus identified obedience to his teachings as the mark of a faithful follower.

• John 14:15 – “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
• Mattew 7:21 -  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

Paul claimed that simply confessing belief in Jesus was enough.

• Romans 10:9 – “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Contradiction: Jesus emphasized obedience, while Paul emphasized verbal confession and belief.

4. Who Will Be Judged and By What Standard?

Jesus said people will be judged by their deeds.

• Matthew 16:27 – “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to their deeds.”

Paul taught that salvation is not based on works.

• Titus 3:5 – “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”

Contradiction: Jesus taught that judgment is based on works; Paul said it is based on grace, not deeds.

 

5. The Role of the Commandments

Jesus commanded adherence to the Ten Commandments.

• Matthew 5:19 – “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”
• Matthew 19:17-19 – “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

Paul declared that Christians are released from the law.

• Romans 7:6 – “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”

Contradiction: Jesus affirmed the commandments as necessary, while Paul dismissed them as obsolete.

6. The Nature of Jesus: Human According to Himself, Divine According to Paul

Jesus clearly presented himself as a human being utterly dependent on God—not as God.
• John 5:30 – “I can do nothing on my own…”
• John 14:28 – “The Father is greater than I.”
• Mark 13:32 – “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the Son, but only the Father.”
• Matthew 26:39 – “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Paul declared that Jesus was God in human form.
• Philippians 2:6-7 – “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant…”
• Colossians 2:9 – “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”
• 1 Corinthians 8:6 – “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father… and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and we live.”

Contradiction: Jesus identified himself as a man sent by God, while Paul taught that Jesus was God himself. Paul’s theology introduced a radical transformation of Jesus’ identity that was not found in Jesus’ teachings.

 7. Baptism: In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit vs. Baptism into Christ’s Death

Jesus commanded baptism by water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as a sign of repentance and obedience.
• Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
• Mark 16:16 – “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
• Matthew 3:13-15 – Jesus himself was baptized with water, saying, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”

Jesus’ baptism, rooted in Hebrew tradition, emphasized repentance, cleansing, and obedience to God’s will. It was a public act of turning to God.

Paul reinterpreted baptism as a spiritual union with Christ’s death and resurrection, shifting the focus from water, repentance, and obedience to a symbolic act of “dying with Christ.”
• Romans 6:3-4 – “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death…”
• Galatians 3:27 – “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
• 1 Corinthians 1:17 – “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel…”However, in Acts 18:8 and Acts 19:1-5, he baptized in the name of Jesus' death, which contrasts with his mission as outlined in Matthew 28:19.

·         And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household; and many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized (Acts 18:8).

·         When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:1-5).

·         Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Mat 28:19).

Paul shifts the meaning of baptism away from Jesus’ teaching. He disconnects it from obedience and water cleansing and instead connects it with a mystical identification with Jesus’ death, even saying that he was not sent to baptize at all. However, in Acts 18:8 and Acts 19:1–5, he baptized in the name of Jesus' death, contrary to his declared mission and the command in Matthew 28:19.

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Contradiction:

• Jesus taught and practiced baptism by water as a command from God for repentance and righteousness.
• Paul introduced a spiritualized version of baptism, focusing on symbolic death with Christ, which minimized the importance of water baptism and obedience.

This represents a clear departure from Jesus' instructions. Paul redefined baptism into something Jesus never taught—a mystical union with a dying-and-rising savior, rather than an act of repentance in obedience to the Father.

Conclusion

The contradictions between Paul and Jesus are neither subtle nor quickly dismissed. Jesus preached a gospel of obedience, repentance, righteousness through works, and unwavering loyalty to God's commandments. On the other hand, Paul introduced a radically different message—salvation by faith alone, the abolition of the law, and the elevation of Jesus to divine status. These opposing teachings cannot be reconciled without compromising the integrity of Jesus’ original message.

If we are to seek the truth with sincerity, we must acknowledge that Paul’s gospel represents a significant departure from the words of Christ. The choice is clear: either follow Jesus's teachings—God's faithful messenger—or accept a theology that redefines his message. For those who desire to walk in truth, the path forward lies not in Paul’s interpretations but in the pure and unchanging words of the Master himself.

Stay awake. Stay strong. Walk in the truth that gives life. Farewell with peace and purpose.