🕊️ A Fresh Look at the New Testament
Exploring the origins of Christianity through a different lens
So, what exactly is the New Testament?
Most people think of it as the Christian holy book, packed with stories about Jesus, miracles, apostles, and the end of the world. That’s true but there’s more to it than meets the eye. The New Testament is actually a collection of 27 separate books, written in Greek, by different people, between 50 and 120 CE.
Here’s the basic breakdown:
The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) – stories about Jesus’ life, teachings, and crucifixion.
Acts of the Apostles – kind of a sequel to the Gospels, showing how early Christianity spread.
Letters (Epistles) – mostly written by Paul (we’ll talk a lot about him), giving advice to Christian communities.
Revelation – a dramatic prophecy about the end times.
But here’s the thing: early Christianity wasn’t one big happy family. It was more like a patchwork of wildly different groups, each with their own take on Jesus and his message.
Some believed Jesus was just a wise teacher. Others thought he was a divine being who never actually had a human body. Still others insisted on following Jewish Law, like circumcision and dietary rules, even after converting.
Enter Paul. Paul (originally Saul) is probably the most influential person in the New Testament after Jesus. But and this might surprise you, Paul never met Jesus during his lifetime. All he had was a vision. From that, he built an entire theology centered around faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
🔍 Did Paul and Jesus Even Teach the Same Thing?
This might sound like a bold question, but it’s worth asking: Was Paul actually following Jesus? Or was he doing his own thing?
Let’s break it down.
Salvation
Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven," Matt 7:21.
Paul said, "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved," Romans 10:9.
Paul also said, "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God," Galatians 5:19.
Leadership
Jesus said, "Neither be called leaders, for you have one leader, the Christ," Matt. 23:10
Paul said, "And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher," 2 Timothy 1:11.
Judgement
Jesus said, "He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day", John 12:48. Jesus taught that to escape judgment, a person must keep the central teachings of the Law as he himself interpreted them.
Paul said, "All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law," Romans 2:12. Paul taught that reliance on the observance of the Law in no sense would bring salvation; to escape the coming judgment a person must, instead, believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus and follow the moral laws Paul believes are important. These additional moral requirements are ignored by many Christians in favor of "you must believe in Jesus."
Forgiveness
Jesus said, "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins," Matt 6:14.
Paul said, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us," Ephesians 1:7.
Honnor
Jeus said, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God," Luke 16:15.
Paul said, "We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable," Corinthians 8:21.
Teachers
Jesus said, “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah," Matt 23:8.
Paul said, "Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers," Cor 1:12 28.
Sacrifice
Jesus said, "Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners,” Matt 9:13.
Paul said, "For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed," 1 Corinthians 5.
Faith
Jesus taught that “faith” involves trusting God, as a good parent, to bring his future kingdom to his people. Paul taught that “faith” involves trusting in the past death and resurrection of Jesus. It wasn’t only faith in God but faith in the death and resurrection of Christ.
Importance of Jesus
For Jesus, his own importance lay in his proclamation of the coming of the end and his correct interpretation of the Law.
For Paul, Jesus’ importance had nothing to do with Jesus’ own teachings (which Paul hardly quotes) but strictly in his death and resurrection.
Kingdom of Heaven
For Jesus, people could begin to experience what life would be like in the future kingdom if they would accept his teachings and begin to implement his understanding of the Jewish law in their lives.
For Paul, people could begin to experience life in the kingdom when they “died with Christ” by being baptized and thus overcame the power of sin.
Paul doesn’t talk much about Jesus' actual teachings, you won’t find the Sermon on the Mount or parables in his letters. He skips over Jesus’ miracles, ethical lessons, or how he treated people.
Instead, Paul’s focus is razor-sharp: Jesus died for your sins, rose from the dead, and is coming back soon. Believe that, and you're saved.
Now, if you're someone who admires Jesus for his compassion, humility, and teachings on love and justice, Paul's message might feel like a different religion altogether.
🤔 So, was Paul a follower of Jesus or a re-inventor?
That’s the heart of the conversation we want to open up. Because for many, especially those just starting to explore Christianity, the version of Jesus they see in the Gospels and the version of Jesus Paul preaches don’t always line up.
Jesus calls for a radical love that changes your heart. Paul talks about sin, grace, and cosmic battles.
They’re both part of the New Testament but understanding their differences opens up a whole new way to look at the early Christian movement.
📚 The Messy Beginnings of Christianity
Not one story, but many competing ones
When you picture early Christianity, you might imagine a tight-knit group of people all happily following Jesus’ message. But the reality? It was kind of a theological Wild West.
In the first few centuries, there were lots of different groups claiming to follow Jesus and they didn’t all agree on what that meant.
🧩 Four Early Christian Groups You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
Jewish-Christian Adaptationists
These folks believed Jesus was a super holy man, chosen by God, but not divine. Just a very righteous human.
They didn’t like Paul, didn’t believe in the virgin birth, and stuck to Jewish laws like circumcision and kosher eating.Marcionites
These were Paul’s biggest fans. In fact, they believed the God of the Old Testament and the Father of Jesus were two different gods one angry and legalistic, the other kind and merciful. Wild, right?
They rejected all Jewish law and believed Jesus wasn’t really human at all, he only looked human.Gnostic Christians
These believers thought salvation came from secret spiritual knowledge, or “gnosis.” To them, the material world was messed up, created by a lesser god, and Jesus came to show us the way out.
They didn’t care much about rules or institutions. It was all about inner enlightenment.Proto-Orthodox Christians
These are the ones who eventually won. They believed Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. They liked Paul, kept the four main Gospels, and called all other views “heresy.”
Over time, they became what we now know as the Catholic Church.
📘 How the New Testament Was Chosen (And What Got Left Out)
You might think the Bible fell from the sky, fully formed. But actually, it took centuries of arguing, editing, and vote-casting to decide what made it in.
Early Christians had dozens of texts floating around, some that claimed to be written by disciples like Thomas, Mary Magdalene, or Peter. But not all these books made the cut.
So, who decided?
The group that gained the most power, the Proto-Orthodox, decided what was “inspired” and what was “heretical.” They favored books that agreed with their theology and Paul’s teachings and slowly filtered out the rest.
By 367 CE, a bishop named Athanasius sent out a letter listing the 27 books we now call the New Testament. That list eventually stuck.
But here’s the kicker: by the time the Bible was “finished,” most alternative voices had been erased, banned, or buried in the desert, literally. That’s why modern discoveries like the Nag Hammadi Library (found in Egypt in 1945) were so groundbreaking.
Suddenly, we had access to texts that early Christians also cherished like the Gospel of Thomas, which has Jesus’ sayings without any miracles or death scenes.
Understanding how the New Testament was formed helps us see why Paul became so dominant, and how the teachings of Jesus were reframed by his followers.
It also opens the door for a deeper question:
What did Jesus actually teach?
...and how much of that got lost in translation?
⚔️ Paul vs. Jesus: Two Different Gospels?
So, here’s the big question: if Paul never met Jesus, how much of what he taught actually came from Jesus?
This isn’t just a modern curiosity; it’s a real concern even among early Christians. The more you compare Jesus’ teachings (as shown in the Gospels) with Paul’s letters, the more they seem to be preaching two very different messages.
Let’s break it down.
💬 What Jesus Focused On
When you read the Gospels (especially Matthew, Mark, and Luke), Jesus talks a lot about:
The Kingdom of God, a new kind of world based on love, justice, and compassion.
Loving your neighbor, even your enemies.
Forgiveness, mercy, humility, and helping the poor.
Living simply, not chasing wealth or power.
Obeying God’s commandments, especially loving God and others.
He doesn’t talk much about himself being a sacrifice. In fact, he spends most of his time calling people to change their hearts and actions.
✍️ What Paul Focused On
Paul’s letters, on the other hand, are laser-focused on:
Jesus’ death and resurrection as the way to be saved.
The idea that faith alone (not actions or laws) makes you right with God.
The end times, Paul thought Jesus was coming back any minute.
Dismissing the Jewish Law as unnecessary for salvation.
Obedience to church leaders, order, and proper behavior in worship.
Paul hardly ever quotes Jesus or refers to his parables or sermons. He seems never to have studied the teachings of Jesus. He had his own, "the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ," Galatians 1:11.
⚖️ Side-by-Side: Teachings of Jesus vs. Teachings of Paul
Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me,” Matthew 12:21.
Paul said, "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God," Galatians 5:19.
Salvation
Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another," John 13:34
Paul said, “By grace you are saved, through faith, not works,” Eph 2:8
Law of Moses
Jesus said, “I did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it," Mattew 5:17.
Paul said, “The Law brings death… we are freed from it,” (Rom 7:6).
Judgment
Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you,” Mattew 7:1.
Paul said, “We are justified by faith, not by works,” Gal 2:16.
Leadership
Jesus said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all," Mark 9:35.
Paul said, “Wives, submit to your husbands… women should stay silent,” Eph 5:22, 1 Cor 14:34.
🕵️ Hidden History
Early Christians didn’t all agree on Paul.
The Ebionites, a Jewish-Christian group, thought Paul was a false apostle who distorted Jesus' message.
They called him an “enemy” of the Law and rejected his letters completely.
🔥 So… What is one to do?
it’s clear that the New Testament includes different voices and Paul’s voice became the loudest, shaping the version of Christianity most people know today. Scholars argue that Paul created his own version of Christianity, based on a spiritual experience and not on what Jesus actually taught. That’s why this matters. If we want to understand the real teachings of Jesus, we need to filter out what came later and go back to the source.
🧠 Did You Know?
Paul only directly quotes Jesus a handful of times in all his letters. He never mentions Jesus’ parables, the Sermon on the Mount, or even his miracles.
🧠 What Does This Mean for Us Today?
Well, if you’re reading the Bible for the first time or even if you’ve read it before it’s worth knowing: the version you’re holding is just one slice of early Christian history.