In the controversy over “Pauline truth,” more than a few Fundamentalists have joined liberal modernists in attempting to exalt “the teachings of Jesus” (on earth) above the Word of God through Paul. They ask, ‘Which should bear the greater weight with us, the words of Jesus, or the words of Paul?’

But do they ask this because they truly desire to obey these “words of Jesus” and to see them obeyed? No, for they flagrantly disregard and disobey them, from the Sermon on the Mount to the so-called Great Commission.

With regard to the Sermon on the Mount, they do not subject themselves to the law of Moses (Matt. 5:17-19); they do not bring gifts to altars of sacrifice (5:23,24); they do not give freely to all who ask of them (5:42; 10:8,9); they do not refrain from laying up treasures on earth (6:19,25,26); they do not sell what they have and give alms (Luke 6:30; 12:33).

And while professing obedience to the so-called ‘Great Commission’ as ‘the Church’s marching orders,’ they do not proclaim faith plus baptism for salvation as Jesus did (cf. Mark 16:16); they do not—they cannot—perform the miraculous signs of Mark 16:17-18); they do not give the Jew first place in their ministry (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8), and they certainly do not teach others to “observe all things” that Messiah on earth commanded (Matt. 28:20 cf. 23:1-3).

Yet, they set “the teachings of Jesus” (on earth) over against “the teachings of Paul,” not because they are determined to obey Jesus, but because they are determined to minimize that which God has “magnified”—the authority of Paul as “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13).

They seek to exalt the teachings of the earthly Jesus above those of Paul because they have closed their ears to the oft-repeated and Spirit-inspired claims of Paul that the glorified Lord spoke again from heaven, to and through Paul, committing to Paul “the dispensation of the grace of God” and the program of grace for the day in which we live

(Acts 20:24; 22:6-10,17-21; 26:12-18; Rom. 11:13; 15:15,16; 16:25,26; I Cor. 3:10; 11:23; 15:3; II Cor. 5:16; Gal. 1:1,11,12; 2:7-9; Eph. 3:1-4,8,9; 6:18-20; Phil. 4:9; Col. 1:23-27; I Thes. 4:15; II Thes. 3:14; I Tim. 2:5-7; II Tim. 2:7-9; Titus 1:2,3, etc.).

They have forgotten the stern rebuke the Galatians received for failing to recognize Paul’s teachings as a message from the risen, exalted Christ (Gal. 1:6-12). They have taken lightly Paul’s words to the Corinthians:

“…if I (Paul) come again I will not spare: since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me…” (2 Cor. 13:2-3).

They ignore the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was speaking to Israel only, as their minister.

“But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24)

“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: (Romans 15:8)

They have distorted Paul’s inspired admonition as to Paul’s own writings:

“If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to (my) wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing…from such withdraw thyself” (I Tim. 6:3-5).

“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.” (1 Corinthians 14:37)