It is not uncommon for some non-Christians to try to pit the teachings of Jesus against the Apostle Paul. They say that Paul taught contrary to Jesus, causing Christianity to go astray. Often, this comes as a result of a partial reading of both Jesus and Paul, as well as the ideological presentation of Paul which often flows from that partial reading. Jesus did not promote a faith which was disengaged with the world, and neither did Paul, however it is true, many try to make Christianity such a disengaged faith such as those who say that justification is by faith alone, and such justification is what leads to salvation. What those who say this mean by faith is not faith put into action, but faith established in thought alone: mere belief in the right thing is what saves, nothing else.
The focal point of this misunderstand can be seen with the book of Romans. Here, Paul wrote that those who confess that Jesus is Lord and believes in the resurrection of the dead will be saved:
But the righteousness based on faith says, Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” (that is, to bring Christ down) or “Who will descend into the abyss?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 10:6-9 RSV).
If this is read by itself, without any other further reading from what Paul said, ignoring that Paul said we are to work out our salvation with much fear and trembling, it is possible to see this as contradicting Jesus when he said that not everyone who calls him Lord will necessarily be saved: “Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21 RSV).
If the suggested interpretation given to Paul is what Paul meant, then indeed, Paul contradicted Jesus, for Jesus made it clear that merely confessing him with one’s lips, saying he is Lord, indeed, believing he is Lord, is not what saves. Instead, one must do the will of the Father, the will of God.
However, Jesus and Paul do not conflict with each other; they only conflict when read apart and with willful misinterpretation of Paul. It is clear that Paul realized that knowledge without charity is nothing (cf. 1 Cor. 13:2). Belief without works is dead, because it is not true belief. How can someone say they believe in and trust Jesus as Lord as if what Jesus said meant nothing? How can we say Jesus is Lord if we do not do the works he wills us to do? We can say he is Lord all we want, we only truly believe it when we believe what he says must be done must indeed be done. This is why James was able to say, to those who misconstrued Paul’s theology, that faith, that belief, is real if it is followed by works:
What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead (James 2:14-17 RSV).
All that Jesus said needs to be done for salvation, such as being born again through baptism, such as receiving his body and blood as food for the soul, such as following the law of love by loving God and our neighbor with acts which demonstrate such love — all of these Paul never denied, indeed, throughout his writings he can be said to affirm it by talking about baptism, by talking about communion, by talking about charity and its necessity for the Christian life. Paul did not conflict with Jesus, but rather, he understood that faith in Jesus is capable of saving us because in our faith, we will live our life according to the dictates of the Gospel. If we think we can simply dismiss the works Jesus told us to do and still say he is our Lord, we have something else coming for we have made a mockery of him and his ministry. How can we say he is Lord if we think his commandments are meaningless? Indeed, by rejecting them, by ignoring them, by thinking they are nothing, we deny his Lordship: we put ourselves over him and dictate to him what is to be the basis of our faith, and it is faith which is dead. This is not what will save us. Paul did not think that some would take his reminder that we need God’s initiative and help, that we need God’s grace, in order to be saved as indicating that we are to do nothing; he would have not written any letters to the churches condemning sin if that had been the case!
Paul did not contradict Jesus: he presupposes Christians will put into practice what Christ told them to do if they profess him as their Lord. If we believe him, if we confess him to be Lord, we will say yes Lord and do it if and when we can. Paul did not contradict Jesus; Paul affirmed Jesus: faith for Paul is belief in Jesus as Lord, a belief which is true belief if we act on it. We can be saved if we do all Jesus said for us to do; but if we do not, if we deny the need and excuse ourselves from obeying him, we risk perdition and being told Jesus did not know us.
[Image=Conversion of Paul by Fra Angelico [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons]
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