Was Paul the Founder of Modern Christianity?

Many use Paul’s letters in the New Covenant, both the Jewish and Christian sides, to say that the practices and beliefs of modern Christianity are based upon the letters of Paul. He wrote to several groups including: Romans, Corinthians, Thessalonians, Ephesians, Galatians, and other groups outside the land of Israel.

Everyone knows how easy it is to misunderstand or misinterpret someone’s letters, especially if we don’t know the author, the purpose of their letter, and to whom they were written. This can lead to misrepresenting Paul, and to false teaching.

The Apostle Peter warned that this was already occurring with Paul's letters in the 1st century. He states in 2 Peter 3:15-16:

• “and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. [NKJV]

Who was Paul?

Let’s establish who this Paul (Hebrew: Shaul), from the tribe of Benjamin was, and see if we can contribute modern Christianity’s practices to him. Keep in mind that Paul was a second Temple Pharisee, an expert in understanding God’s Law (Torah – teachings given to Moses) was a student of Gamaliell (grandson of Hillel), and a servant of the Sanhedrin (Israel’s high court). He lost his position with the Sanhedrin after coming to believe in the true Messiah (Christ), Yeshua (English: Jesus), but he never lost his knowledge of God’s Law and his belief system as a Pharisee.

Paul was a "sent one" to Jews and the Nations (God-Fearers) who were scattered among the nations. He called for them to return to the God of Israel and to an understanding of his revealed Messiah, Yeshua. In many of his letters, he was simply fighting the extremes of legalism being placed upon new believers. There were some imposing "Proselyte" dogma as a requirement for salvation. As he stated many times, he did not negate any commandments. The main question in the first century was not, IF a commandment applied, but HOW it was to be applied.

It is important to note that Paul did not “convert” to Christianity, as misrepresented by many. It was, and still is today, very Jewish to believe in Messiah. Paul simply came to understand who the true Jewish Messiah was and continued his walk of obedience to God’s Law with this revelation.

Paul’s states that he was, and remained, a Pharisee:

On trial, during in his last days on earth, he states in Acts 26:4, “My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.”

• “I lived a Pharisee” is in the present tense. Paul is saying “I am a Pharisee.” There were many different sects of Pharisees. Paul is saying that he was part of one sect that applied the strictest requirements of traditionary law to his faith and practice. His belief in the true Messiah did not put him in conflict with his being a Pharisee.

In Acts 25:8, Paul made his defense: "I have done nothing wrong against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar."

Resulting judgement upon hearing Paul’s testimony by the Pharisees in Acts 23:9 was, “There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the Law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man.”

Paul’s view of God’s Law and Prophets:

Acts 24:14, standing before Felix the Roman governor on trial, “according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all the things which are written in the Law and Prophets.”

• The “Way” (Halacha) is the name of the sect that who believed and followed Yeshua as the Messiah.

• Paul began his following the "Way" by being sent to, and taught by a man named Ananias, who was a "devout man according to the Law" (Acts 22:12; Acts 9).

• This is how Paul began his understanding of obeying God’s Law in light of belief in Yeshua. This is confirmed by what Paul said in 1 Cor 11:1, ““Imitate me, just as I also imitate Messiah.”

Romans 2:31, “Do we then make void (nullify) the Law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”

• Paul removes the question being asked by some, "does obeying God’s Law put us in conflict with our faith in Messiah?"

• As with Abraham, faith in God came first, then came obedience. They are not in opposition. In our life, we first came to God through faith, then we wanted to know how to serve Him, i.e., how to keep His commandments.

• Paul is imitating Messiah as seen in Yeshua’s words in Matt 5:17, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill (establish/confirm).”

• God said in De 27:26, 'Cursed is the one who does not confirm (establish) all the words of this Law. 'And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'

• Paul echoes this commandment in Romans 15:8-12, Now I say that Yeshua Messiah has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy…(quoting the prophet Isaiah 11 and Ps 117)”

Romans 2:13 “For it is not those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous.”

• Paul is saying that one who hears and does not do the Law of God, will not be known by God.

• Also, James makes the same statement in James 1:23-24, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”

Romans 7:12 “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.”

Romans 7:14 “We know that the Law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.”

Romans 7:22 “For in my inner being I delight in God's Law…"

• Paul expresses the same sentiment as the writers of the Psalms.

• Psalms 1:2, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”

• Psalms 119:174, “I long for Your salvation, O Lord, And Your law is my delight.”

Romans 15:4 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Romans 10:4, “Messiah is the end [Greek: teleos] of the Law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”

• Teleos - as in a telescope. Meaning He is the “goal of the Law,” the One to whom the Law points too, who magnifies it, not the one who destroys the Law. Our English translation word “end,” leads one to the wrong conclusion. God’s Law is eternal.

Galatians 3:21, “Is the Law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a Law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the Law.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture [Law and Prophets] is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Romans 3:29-31, "Or is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, he is indeed the God of the Gentiles; because, as you will admit, God is one. Therefore, he will consider righteous the circumcised [Jews] on the ground of trusting and the uncircumcised [Gentiles] through that same trusting. Does it follow that we abolish Torah [Law] by this trusting? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, we confirm Torah.” [CJB]

Paul taught returning to God’s Law

Acts 26:19-21, “So, King Agrippa, I did not disobey the vision from heaven! On the contrary, I announced first in Dammesek, then in Yerushalayim and throughout Y'hudah, and also to the Goyim [Nations], that they should turn from their sins (transgression of the Law) to G-d and then do deeds consistent with that repentance. It was because of these things that Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me.” [CJB]

• “Deeds consistent with that repentance” - means obeying what is written in the Law and Prophets. There are no other works or deeds outside the Law of God.

• This agrees with the Apostle John in 1 John 3:4, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” [NKJV]

• 1 John 5:3-4 states, “For loving God means obeying His commands. Moreover, His commands are not burdensome, because everything which has God as its Father overcomes the world. And this is what victoriously overcomes the world: our trust.” [CJB]

Paul is accused of teaching to not obey God’s Law

Acts 21, 19-24, “When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they (James and Elders) said to him, "You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.”

Therefore, do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the Law.

• Paul demonstrates that he continued to obey God’s Law and teach others to do the same by going to the Temple and providing offerings for placing on the outer alter. This was a Nazarite vow that he himself took previously, and was willing to dispel the rumor that he was not teaching others to obey God's Law. This is going above and beyond to show his honor to God's system.

Paul taught...do not let anyone judge you on how you are obeying God’s Law:

Col. 2:16-17, So don't let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking (Lev 11, De 14), or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh-Hodesh [New Moon] or Shabbat (Lev 23). These are a shadow of things that are coming (Is 66, Zech 14), but the body is of the Messiah. [CJB]

• The Colossians congregation was composed of both Jews and G-d Fearers who believed in Messiah. Some were judging them on HOW they were keeping these commandments. In the previous verse 14, Paul tells them that the “handwriting of requirements / ordinances / dogma” of man had been nailed to the tree. Obviously, this not an argument about whether you should keep God’s Law, but how to keep God’s law. Many were adding to the Law, like in 1 Cor 10:25 when some questioned buying meat sold in the market or Romans 14 where some would only eat vegetables. This is an in-house argument between people who were obeying God’s law and believing in Messiah.

Paul taught that some Jewish traditions are good

Acts 28:17, “Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or customs of our fathers yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.”

• “customs” – ethos – something prescribed by law, institute, prescription, or rite – Acts 15:1; John 19:40; Luke 2:42; Hebrew 10:25

1 Cor 11:2, “Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.” (see 2 Thess 2:15)

• “The way that I showed you how to obey the Law and Prophets.” There are good traditions that have been passed down through time on how to serve and worship God; not all are bad traditions.

Who really established the practices of modern Christianity?

Practices of the modern church like worship on Sunday (and not Shabbat), celebrating Easter (and not Passover), Christmas (not mentioned in the Bible), and anti-Law (it’s done away with) system would be foreign observances and foreign thought to Paul, the Pharisee and Apostle.

It doesn’t take long to conduct an internet search on origins of Christianity to be pointed to the “Council of Nicea” around 325 CE. It was led by the Roman Emperor Constantine. He is really the true founder of modern Christianity. Although he was anti-Jewish, he liked the moral commandments in God’s Law. This position is still around today as most of Christianity separate God’s Law into moral and ceremonial parts. [God did not make this separation in the Ten Commandments]

Constantine’s edict is still being followed, which continues to create a separation from the Jewish roots. He is the one who said, “let us have nothing in common with those detestable Jews…”

Encyclopedia Britannica, 7th Edition, 1842, states: "It was Constantine who first made a law of the proper observance of Sunday; and who, according to Eusebius, appointed that it should be regularly celebrated throughout the Roman Empire.”

Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:3–4, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

Conclusion:

If Paul were here today, he would not recognize the modern-day Constantinian system that is dominant. However, today there is a growing understanding of Paul’s letters as they were intended to be interpreted and applied. As God-Fearers, we do not want to be separated from our Jewish roots or Jewish Messiah. We want to love God in the way that He prescribed in His Word. Paul taught that God-Fearers from the nations are now equal, fellow-citizens, with natural born branches of Israel.

Paul exhorts us to turn back to the example that Messiah set in the 1st century. We are sure, if he were here today, he would recognize our faithful obedience because we practice the things he taught.