Explore the view that Christians should be faithful to the moral teaching of Jesus rather than Paul. Justify your answer.

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Explore the view that Christians should be faithful to the moral teaching of Jesus rather than Paul.

Justify your answer. [15]

Many Christians would agree with this statement because Jesus is the Son of God and therefore should be regarded more highly than any man – even an apostle. Passages such as the Sermon on the Mount are more important that Paul. The ethics of Jesus focus as much on inward moral disposition as it does our external actions. Even if a typically good action is performed with sinful thought then it becomes immoral, such as giving to charity. In this way Jesus gives more depth to his moral teaching than Paul does.

Paul himself acknowledges that on certain issues he has no word of the Lord, but only gives his opinion: “To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord)…” We can leave open the possibility that on other issues also he had no word of the Lord. Scholars are divided on just how many of the writings attributed to Paul are truly part of the Biblical canon. Even Luther wanted to leave out some of the books that make up the modern Protestant Bible, namely Hebrews. Douglas Nicholson is a Biblical researcher who rejects Paul entirely, claiming that he was a false prophet and that his doctrine of faith-based justification contradicts teachings elsewhere in the New Testament. Such an extreme view is rare within Christianity.
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There is also a contemporary view that many of Paul’s moral teachings were merely cultural and have no relevance for today. Very few churches today practice female head covering or church discipline, yet these were clearly advocated by Paul. These things have lost their moral significance in the 21st century church and would only serve as a stumbling block.

On the other hand, both Paul and Jesus are needed to get a full picture of New Testament ethics. They complement each other in many areas.

We must remember that Paul was personally appointed by the risen ...

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