QUESTION:
Why can’t I take the words of Jesus and ignore those of Paul? I’m on my way back to Jesus after a long separation and Paul is the main barrier.
ANSWER:
The Lord Himself chose and separated Paul for a special ministry. Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles.
Romans 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
The 13 epistles that he wrote contains information that is relevant for the Body of Christ today. This is important to realize as the contents of the Bible, outside of Paul’s epistles are written to Israel and is doctrine for the Jews under Law. Even Jesus ministry was towards the Jews. This is why Jesus Himself said,
Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
and…
Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law [as a Jew], 5 to redeem those who were under the law [Jews],
When Jesus appeared to Saul on the Damascus Road, Jesus separated Saul for the task of taking a new gospel of grace and a new doctrine to the Gentiles (since the Jews had rejected God at this point). The 13 epistles of Paul are the instructions written to us today regarding how God operates in the world today under a grace dispensation.
Without Paul's epistles there is no Body of Christ. There is no understanding of the purpose of the cross of Christ, there is no salvation by grace without works and endurance, Gentiles would remain hopeless and lost in a world without God, there would be no hope of rapture, and there would be no future vocation for us, neither glory in the ages to come.
Paul writes regarding his epistles:
1 Corinthians 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.
Dismissing Paul’s epistles is the same as rejecting the words of the living and glorified Christ that we serve. Paul was appointed to this office by Christ Himself.
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he [Saul] is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
For more details on this, see:
https://thebigpicturelink.blogspot.com/2021/03/pauls-credibility-part-1.html
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