godrulz said: Paul expanded on the heart of the message of Christ, but he did not contradict the essence of it: repentance from sin and faith in the person and work of Christ.
Even backing off the issue that far shows that you couldn't find a true similarity. For Paul stresses the belief in the work of Christ, but actually Jesus just stressed the belief in the person of Christ.
They are different. For instance, Christ tells people they should not eat flesh sacrificed to idols. Paul says that it is okay. Christ tells poeple that they should follow the ordinances that the Pharisees give when they teach from the seat of Moses. Paul says that we should not follow the law.
I understand the point of view that says they are close enough that if we step far enough back, and look with squinted eyes, they bear some small resemblances toward one another. However any look at basic structure of the two gospels will show that they are not the same.
The message Jesus and His apostles taught had nothing to do with His death! As it was pointed out, Jesus told his apostles not to tell anyone that He said He would die. And not only were they told not to say anything, but they didn't believe Him themselves. These apostles then went out and taught a kingdom gospel that didn't speak of Jesus' death (his work) only that he was Messiah (his person).
Would that work today? I submit that the gospel
cannot today be rightly told without the knowledge that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. That is what
we place our faith in, is it not? Yet, it could not have been what the disciples placed their faith in. They placed their faith in Jesus as the Messhiah.
Yes, both are placing their faith in Jesus, so if we back far enough away it looks like similar blurs on the horizon. But when you can stand where you can see both clearly for what they are, it is evident they are not the same.
