Here are some instances where I think that Paul of Tarsus seems to be in conflict with Jesus(Yahushua)1. Please take 10 minutes and look at these citations with an open mind and decide for yourself if they are in conflict.
As stated elsewhere, whenever a english translation of the Bible uses the word “law” or “laws”, the original text usually says Torah. (Please feel look it up in your interlinear edition or a Bible dictionary!) The reverse also applies, when you encounter the word “lawlessness” or even “wickedness2”, the original text usually says 'without Torah'.
The Law (the Torah) is abolished
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Yahushua (Jesus) Says:
Luke 16:17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the Torah to become void.
Paul says that we are not under the law, Jesus says that it would be easier for the entire universe to be destroyed than for even one letter of His Torah to become void.
The Law (the Torah) is abolished
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Romans 7:4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
Yahushua Says:
Matthew 19:17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
Paul says that we must die to the Torah, Yahushua says that if we want to enter life we must obey Torah. Both statements cannot be true.
The Law (the Torah) is abolished
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Ephesians 2:14-15a For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.
Yahushua Says:
Matthew 5:17-18 “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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
Paul says that Jesus abolished the Torah, Yahushua says exactly the opposite. Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians in the 50's. Jesus says that the entire universe must be destroyed before the smallest mark on the page of the Torah would disappear. Unless heaven and earth disappeared sometime between the 30's and the 50's, nothing written in The Law is to be disregarded.
The Law (the Torah) is a curse
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."
Yahushua Says:
Matthew 19:17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
In Psalms 19:7, David says “The Torah of YHWH is perfect, restoring the inner person. The instruction of YHWH is sure, making wise the thoughtless.” In Galatians, Paul says the Law (the Torah) is a curse. Jesus says only God (YHWH, Yahweh) is good and if you want to enter into life, obey the Torah. If it is the way to enter into eternal life, then is cannot be a curse. See Galatians chapter 3 and Romans chapter 3 for Paul's full on assault upon the Torah.
No one is justified by keeping the Law (Torah)
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Galatians 2:16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified
Yahushua Says:
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 what he has done.”
Paul says don't even try to follow God's “prescriptions for living”, the Law, the Torah. Yahushua says that you will be rewarded according to what you actually do, the deeds you carry out. He was all about Torah3, the deeds He is referring to are those spelled out in Torah. These deeds are what His Father (our Father, too) asked us to do in His Scriptures.
Followers of the Messiah4 don't have to observe Torah (keep the Law)
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
Yahushua Says:
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
Observing the holy-days set forth in the Torah5, keeping the Sabbath and following the dietary guidelines are what Jesus says you will do, if we love Him. Paul says don't bother with that stuff and don't even listen to someone who would point out that you ought to obey these commands.
Whom are we to call “Father”?
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
I Corinthians 4:15-16 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
Yahushua Says:
Matthew 23:9 “And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.”
Paul says 'I am your father'. Jesus says don't call anyone on earth 'father'. It seems that the Roman Catholic Church prefers that you call their priests, bishops, cardinals and Pope “Father”, in agreement with Paul's instruction to imitate him and in direct conflict with what the Messiah said to do.
The Sabbath is just like any other day
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Romans 14:5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
Yahushua Says:
Jesus “observed the Sabbath” at least 1,039 times.
(considered an adult at age 13, executed at age 33 = 20 years. 20 years x 52 weeks = 1040 Sabbaths, minus the one Sabbath that He spent in the tomb)
Paul says you can just decide for yourself if you want to 'remember the Sabbath and keep it holy'. WWJD? He kept the Sabbath! Had Yahushua missed even one Sabbath observance, He would have immediately been disqualified as Messiah because He would have violated the fourth commandment.
Jesus preached a message of peace
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Ephesians 2:17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
Yahushua Says:
Matthew 10:34-37 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn " 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
Yahushua is not preaching a message of war by any means, but His message cannot be summarized by saying that he 'preached peace'!
After the resurrection, Yahushua never said anything about the Torah being nullified or done away with. Not one word. This is consistent with His life and teaching prior to His execution when He was always saying to keep Torah. In fact, on the road to Emmaus, He had to 'walk them (the two disciples) through' the scriptures from the beginning to show that He was the prophesied Messiah. This showed them that 'He' was 'Him' and that the events of that weekend were necessary and prophesied. As soon as the disciples 'got it', the recognized Yahushua, and then He disappeared. He did not say, “Yup, the Torah, Prophets and Psalms6 are all about Me, and, oh, now I suppose you can just disregard that stuff.”
After Pentecost and the Ascension, the disciples kept to the principle of Torah observance. They never, ever said “you don't have to follow the Torah”, because the Messiah never said that.
The dietary rules in the Torah do not have to be observed
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Romans 14:14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
I Timothy 4:1-5 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
The Disciples Say:
Acts 15:28-29 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
Revelation 2:14 “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.” (This is actually God talking in John's revelation. Note that the wording regarding food and immorality is almost exactly the same)
Paul says that you can eat any food that you want too, even if it was a sacrifice to a pagan idol, as long as you are thankful for it. Paul repeats this in 1 Corinthians 8:4-13 James, the leader of the early church7 and the Council of Jerusalem (oh, and he was Yahushua’s brother, too) says that we are NOT to eat food that was sacrificed to idols. This letter is thought to have been written before Paul's letters to the Romans or Timothy. John's revelation was written long after Paul was gone and says that God said not to eat food that was sacrificed to pagan idols. The Pauline license to eat food that was sacrificed to idols is bookended, before and after, by the disciples' instruction against that very act.
God's Law (the Torah) makes you sin
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Romans 7:7-11 7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.
James, Yahushua's Brother, Says:
James 1:13-14 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
Paul's logic is a little hard to follow here but it is clear that he equates the commandments with death. Sin seizes the opportunity made by the Law and tempts him, producing every kind of covetous desire? James, on the other hand, says that God does not tempt anyone. By implication, His “instructions for living”, the Torah cannot be the source of temptation. Paul is way out of line when he is blaming God's law for temptation.
The Law (the Torah) is death
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
II Corinthians 3:7 Now if that which worked death, by means of a written text engraved on stone tablets, came with glory - such glory that the people of Isra'el could not stand to look at Moshe's face because of its brightness, even though that brightness was already fading away
YHWH Says:
Deuteronomy 4:40 Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD8 your God gives you for all time.
Deuteronomy 6:24-25 The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness."
Not satisfied with just contradicting the disciples and the Messiah, here Paul is now contradicting Yahweh's own instructions given to Moses on Mount Sinai. “Prosper”-ing, being “kept alive” and obtaining “righteousness” cannot come from “that which worked death”.
When the Law was in force, faith had not yet come
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Galations 3:23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Romans 4:3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
Romans 4:22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
Here, Paul of Tarsus contradicts Paul of Tarsus! Which way is it, Mr. Oftarsus? Did or did not Abraham have faith in God? If faith had not yet been revealed, how could Abraham's belief in YHWH be credited to him as righteousness?
What do you have to do to be saved?
Paul Of Tarsus Says:
Romans 10:8-9 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved
Yahushua Says:
Luke 10:25-28 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
Paul indicates that all you have to do is say the magic words and 'believe in your heart' to be saved.
When Jesus is asked the same question, He refers the questioner to the Torah. Rather than recite the entire Torah, the man pronounces a summary of the Law.
Yahushua says that this summation of the Torah is correct9. This is a summary of the Torah, not the entire thing! We know from the text that both parties in the conversation knew the Torah because one was 'an expert in the law', the other was the law made flesh. Yahushua then says “Do this and you will live.” He does NOT say 'just say that you have faith in me' and 'believe it in your heart'. He is saying that you need to observe the Torah.
Let me ask you this: How many times did you find your self saying “What Paul really means is...”? Or are you finding yourself on the side of Pauline Christianity rather than following the teachings and example of the Messiah? You must choose whom you are going to follow, because Jesus and Paul are often saying very different things. Paul's way is much easier to follow and live with. Jesus way, on the other hand, requires that you actually do something.
Footnotes:
1For familiarity's sake I have chosen to use the name “Jesus”, even though His name was really Yahushua, which means “YAH Saves”, or “Only YHWH can be counted upon for salvation”
2The King James Version is especially fast and loose regarding substituting other words for “Torah”
3He actually was Torah, see John 1:1. He is the living embodiment of God's Word, God's Law, God's Prescription For Living, God's Torah
4A better tranlitteration of this title would be MessiYah which means “useful impliment (or tool) of Yahweh”
5The made up “holidays” such as Flag Day, 4th of July, Guy Fawkes Day, Canada Day, etc. do not count!
6The hebrew term for the “Old Testament”, the Torah, Prophets and Psalms is Tannakh
7The actual word is ekklesia, which means “called out (or separated from the world) assembly”
8The NIV should say YHWH here. Look in the front of your NIV (or any other 'study-type-Bible') for the 'translator notes' and you will see that the name YHWH has been removed from the text and LORD has been inserted. The translators are confessing that they have both 'added to' and 'taken away from' God's word.
9This may be the best “pop-quiz” grade anyone has ever scored, and look at who graded it!