Do we follow Jesus or Paul today?

QUESTION:

Are you advising we follow Paul because he was sent to preach to the gentiles and disregard Jesus because His preaching was for the Jews? Are you saying Jesus' teachings and commands were not written for our doctrines and practice?

ANSWER:

Jesus’ earthly ministry was ONLY to the Jews.

Mat 15:24 But he [Jesus] answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Jesus tells a gentile woman that he is NOT sent to the gentiles but ONLY to the Jews. The earthly ministry of Jesus was to save the Jews first. He was born to bring about the New Covenant for the Jews, so that they in turn could be the salvation for the Gentiles.

Another scripture:

Rom 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

Who is the circumcision? Israel of course.

You ask, "Are you saying Jesus' teachings and commands were not written for our doctrines and practice?"

I say, "Yes, exactly." 

Jesus' teachings and doctrine, in His earthly ministry, are written to the Jews in the Kingdom program, which is under the law. Jesus taught the law and the prophets. We are NOT under the law and the prophets today (Rom.6:14), but in a different dispensation altogether, with different doctrine and practices. We can learn from things that Jesus taught, and some things can have application in today, like the parable of the Sower, for example, but teachings like the Beatitudes (which is actually the constitution of the Millennial Kingdom), and other Kingdom orientated doctrine are not things we apply or practice today as they are for Israel. We practice the grace doctrine Paul's epistles which is what Jesus gave by revelation to Paul.

Look at these verses to confirm:

2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Paul writes that in this dispensation of grace, we do not know Christ after the flesh. In plain English, we do not follow after the earthly ministry of Jesus by practicing His doctrine. Why? Because He taught law and Kingdom concepts which are for the Jews.

We follow the teachings of Jesus in His heavenly ministry. What is His heavenly ministry? The ministry he revealed to Paul for the Body of Christ. The grace gospel and doctrine that is for the Gentiles and written by Paul.

This is why Paul instructs Timothy to “rightly divide” the word of truth. We need to separate the doctrine of Israel from the doctrine of Grace. If we mix the two you create confusion and contradiction and false doctrine.

If I was lying, why can I quote scriptures that confirms my point? That makes no sense. I am giving you truths that you simply have not yet learned. Don’t simply dismiss them because they sound strange! They are in the scriptures and are as true as every other verse. At least go and look up the verses I have quoted so that you can meditate on them and have the Holy Spirit provide you with some conviction.

Following Paul is not disregarding Jesus. Paul's letters are the very words of Jesus (given to Paul by revelation) for a new dispensation for the Gentiles.

If you follow the Kingdom doctrine, which is what Jesus and the 12-apostles taught in the 4-gospels, you are placing yourself under law and under a program that God is not working in and blessing today. Israel was blinded and the Kingdom program placed in hiatus when God called Paul.

Consider just these few examples of different doctrine:

• Jesus says not to eat meat sacrificed to idols, but Paul says all meat is acceptable.
• Jesus promoted and taught the law, but Paul says we are not under the law, but grace.
• Jesus says there is one pastor and teacher (himself), but Paul says there are many pastors and teachers.
• Jesus says God is not the God of the dead, but Paul says God is the God of the dead and the living.
• Jesus says that God inhabits tabernacles and temples made of human hands, but Paul says He inhabits us.
• Jesus teaches that obedience grants people righteousness unto life, but Paul says that salvation is by grace alone, not works.
• Jesus sends the apostles to baptize, but Paul says Jesus did not send him to baptize.
• Jesus says, to have eternal life, follow the Ten Commandments, deny yourself (i.e., repent and do works worthy of repentance) and then follow Jesus. Paul says, if salvation depends on keeping the Law, then salvation by faith is made void.
• Jesus said "a branch in me" that produces no fruit will be thrown "outside" the vineyard. Paul said if fruit or works were necessary, it would be a salvation by works. Instead, salvation is by faith without any works.

God does not operate today in the things that Jesus taught because that program is temporarily stopped. It will be reactivated when the Body of Christ is snatched up and the tribulation begins. But until this time, God is working according to the grace program which is what Paul wrote about.

If you do not recognize these two unique and distinct programs, and that the Kingdom program is not in operation today, you will be serving God in a form of religion that is not according to His will today.

This is not my own theories! This is set out plainly in the Bible if one would read it and believe it. The contradictory differences in the bullet points above prove that there has been a major change in dispensation after the cross, and it is the doing of God, not men. God called Paul and provided the instructions for this period of grace today. We follow Paul's example as he follows the glorified Christ in a new grace program (2Co 5:17). We do not follow after the example of Jesus' earthly ministry,

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.