QUESTION:
I chose not to listen to Paul. I'm no scholar nor expert but here are a few scriptures from Jesus himself:
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
So, we are to still keep the commandments.
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
This shows that some people who consider Jesus Lord will be condemned because they were lawless.
The answer to “I never knew you” is John 10:27
My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.
For me, Paul is too hard to understand. Peter even mentioned it just after 2 Peter 3:14.
ANSWER:
God put the writings of Paul into the Bible for us. If God, Who’s Word is inspired, and in His design, did not want Paul’s writing to be in it, then they would not be in it. The fact that Paul’s epistles are in the biblical canon is a stamp of approval from God.
To take this further, we know from Acts 9 that the Lord appeared to Paul on the Damascus Road and that the Lord chose Paul to be an apostle and spokesmen for Him to the Gentiles.
Act 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he [Paul] is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Paul confirms his calling and apostleship over and over through signs and wonders and through His writings.
Rom 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
Finally, Paul warns us that we should not take is writings lightly,
1Co 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord
Now, let me answer your question,
Jesus was a minister of the circumcision only (Rom 15:8). The Lord’s earthly ministry was directed only to the Jews. This is confirmed by these two scriptures,
Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
On the other hand, the Lord had a heavenly ministry to the Gentiles. He called Paul and sent him to the Gentiles with a message of grace. This means that Paul’s epistles are the Word and Will of God for us, the Gentiles.
What one must realize is that there are two ‘programs’ in the Bible. One to the Jews, (law and prophecy) and one to the Gentiles (grace and mystery). Both are given by the Lord, and both are part of the overall redemption of creation and humanity, to bring both heaven and earth back under the reign and glory of Christ.
By rejecting Paul’s writings, you are rejecting the words of the risen Lord that is addressed specifically to you. The reason why Paul’s writings are different to what Jesus spoke is because they are for two different people groups and under two different dispensations. God has a plan for Israel, but He also has a plan for the Gentiles. If you keep going back to the Old Testament and the four Gospels, you will never learn and understand what God’s will and purpose is for you in this age of grace.
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