Did Paul Change Christ's Gospel?

We watched a minister who said Paul taught a religion about Paul, and of Paul, but that it differed from the Gospel of Jesus and the disciples, along with others. It is being taught that Paul started a different religion, with different traditions, than the one Christ had urged the Jews to return to. They say Paul taught grace, and that you did not have to keep the law, but that the disciples taught adherence to the law. They will say Jesus was speaking only to the Jews about keeping the law — as if he had a different gospel for the Jews than he did for the rest of humanity. Some people are embracing Judaism because they feel Christianity followed Paul into another gospel. The minister I heard was saying that Jesus was trying to get the Jews back to the original religion — one that did not have sacrifices, which he said the people instituted, and which was never required by God.

Protestants, particularly those following the Lutheran tradition, argued that Paul changed the gospel by shifting the focus away from Jesus' ethical teachings and adherence to the Torah, teaching instead justification by faith alone. Critics within this framework contend that Jesus preached a gospel of the kingdom requiring obedience and righteousness, whereas Paul introduced a gospel of grace centered on Christ's death and resurrection — effectively creating a new dispensation. Those who believe in dispensations generally believe there are seven, and that each one changed what God required. Which means they would probably think an eighth one is required, because you've always heard people saying the Bible is out of date with today's society. But actually, they just need to read the Bible.

Quoting the Law-versus-Gospel view: Luther and his successors viewed Jesus' commands as an impossible law that condemns, while Paul's message of free grace was the true gospel — creating a perceived division between the two. Some argue that after the Council of Jerusalem, Paul's message of grace formally supplanted the original gospel of the kingdom preached by the twelve apostles. However, mainstream Protestant scholarship generally rejects the idea that Paul invented a different religion, holding instead that he was the primary interpreter of Jesus' significance, and that his teachings remain continuous with the message of Jesus.

I'd like to interject at this point: if Paul had changed anything that Jesus had taught, he would not have been a true apostle. He did not have the authority to change scripture. One thing they have right is that we are saved by grace — no amount of law-keeping can earn salvation. It is a gift of God.

Here are the verses they quote to say Paul was against law-keeping.

Galatians 2:16: "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." And down in verse 21: "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

Then another one is Galatians 3:10–13: "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.' But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for 'the just shall live by faith.' Yet the law is not of faith, but 'the man who does them shall live by them.' Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree')."

Now I've dropped down to verses 21–25: "Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."

Then we have Galatians 5:18: "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."

Philippians 3:8–9: "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith."

And then going to Hebrews 10:1–5: "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.'"

The Reformers said the New Testament does not command Christians to keep annual holy days, so they call them human tradition and not divine law — meaning they do not need to be kept. They use this next scripture for their justification.

Colossians 2:16: "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations — 'Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,' which all concern things which perish with the using — according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."

And I also read where another Protestant church says, "We don't keep the holy days, but we do keep Easter and Christmas — it's just a fun way to celebrate Jesus."

Now go to Paul's own words concerning the law. Acts 24:14: "But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets."

And then just down to Acts 25:8: "While he answered for himself, 'Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.'"

And then Romans 3:31: "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law."

I'd like to go back and look at some of those verses I read earlier, and see what the intent really is.

Back in Galatians 2:16: "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." And in verse 21: "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." What Paul was trying to get across was that you could do the law better than anyone, but your own righteousness cannot save you. He was also instructing those who still had the attitude of the Jews — that you could be justified by law-keeping.

Hebrews 8:7–10: "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: 'Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah — not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind, and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'" Paul is stating that the fault was never with the law, but with those unable to keep it. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It is through the gift of the Holy Spirit that these laws now become a part of us, written on our minds and hearts.

Back to Galatians 3:10–13: "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.' But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for 'the just shall live by faith.' Yet the law is not of faith, but 'the man who does them shall live by them.' Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree')." And then in verse 21: "Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor." Everyone remains under the curse of having broken the law. Now, through the Holy Spirit, we have a personal relationship that provides us with faith in Jesus Christ, who alone is able to remove the curse of sin by covering the penalty in our stead.

Galatians 5:18: "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." Once you have the Holy Spirit imparted to you, you are now led by the Spirit and no longer under the curse of the law — as long as you continue.

Philippians 3:8–9: "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." And then Isaiah 64:6: "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Our righteousness comes from God and the indwelling of His Spirit.

And Hebrews 10:1–5: "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.'" Sacrifices didn't make anyone perfect, but they pointed to the perfect Savior, who would cover our sins to make us perfect in the eyes of the Father.

In Colossians 2:16: "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations — 'Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,' which all concern things which perish with the using — according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."

Remember that Paul was speaking to members of the church — Gentile converts who were facing criticism for not keeping what some saw as the traditions of the Jews: the tradition of circumcision, and some rules from the Talmud. These had already been addressed, even by Jesus, but not keeping these traditions did not do away with keeping the law and the commandments, or with the eating of things not intended for human food.

In the second part, he was battling those who were being influenced by asceticism, which taught the practice of strict self-denial as a measure of personal spiritual discipline. This thought was influenced by Plato, who believed it necessary to suppress bodily desires so that the soul could be free to search for knowledge. This had found its way into the church, and can now be seen in the practice of monks and nuns. Notice he called it "self-imposed" and "the doctrines of men."

From the day the first sin was committed, sin entered the world, and a Savior was required. We cannot save ourselves. The Jews especially could not grasp the concept that keeping the letter of the law did not earn salvation. Their sacrifices and offerings did not earn salvation — they were only a tutor pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul did not have the authority to change the unchangeable law of God. What he did was reinforce the need for the law, but also make clear that we are under grace — because without a Savior there would be no hope of salvation. Even one sin condemns us, and no amount of law-keeping can remove the penalty. Only one has ever remained sinless.

At the end of the Bible, in Revelation, we find the need to still keep the commandments.

Revelation 12:17: "And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

Revelation 14:12: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

And Revelation 22:14: "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."

From the beginning to the end of the Bible, the eternal law of God has been the requirement. It shows love toward God, and toward our fellow man.

So did Paul teach a different gospel? Absolutely not.