The Eternal Invitation: Returning to the Light of Christ
Imagine a gentle dawn breaking over a quiet Galilean hillside, where the air is filled with the scent of wildflowers and the soft murmur of a nearby stream. The sun rises, casting golden rays upon a figure walking among the people—His face radiant with love, His voice a soothing balm to weary souls. This is Jesus, the Son of God, extending an open hand to you, inviting you into a life of peace, joy, and eternal comfort. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” He promises in Matthew 11:28. Here, in His presence, there is no burden too great, no heart too broken—only the tender embrace of a Savior who walked this earth, teaching, healing, and revealing the heart of God.
This is the story we are called to return to, a narrative of hope that shines brighter than any other. Yet, over centuries, voices have risen—some brilliant, some persuasive—threatening to dim this light with teachings that stray from the path Jesus laid. Among them stands Paul, a man of intellect and zeal, whose words have woven a complex tapestry that has led many astray, splintering the unity Christ envisioned. But fear not, for this tale is not one of despair. It is a journey back to the pure, unadulterated teachings of Jesus, where happiness and truth await. Let us walk together through this story, reflecting on the life of Christ, and gently setting aside the misguided doctrines that have clouded His message.
The Dawn of True Teaching: Jesus Among Us
In the villages of Judea and Galilee, Jesus walked as a living testament to God’s love. He taught with authority, not as the scribes, but as one who spoke the very words of the Father. “Till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished,” He declared in Matthew 5:18, affirming the eternal validity of God’s commandments. His life was a mirror of this truth—He kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16), honored the festivals (John 7:14), and called His followers to obedience: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Jesus gathered twelve disciples, chosen witnesses to His ministry from the beginning to the end (Acts 1:21-22). These men—Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Matthias, who replaced Judas (Acts 1:26)—were the foundation of His church. In Matthew 19:28, Jesus promised them, “You who have followed me… will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” This promise was sealed in the vision of the New Jerusalem, where the city’s twelve foundation stones bear their names (Revelation 21:14), a symbol of divine perfection and completeness.
With these twelve, Jesus shared parables of love and mercy—the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)—and performed miracles that revealed God’s kingdom: feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21), healing the blind (John 9:1-7), and raising the dead (John 11:38-44). His life was a call to follow Him directly, as He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In His presence, there was comfort, a promise of rest, and a clear path to God through obedience and love.
The Shadow of a New Voice: Paul’s Rise
Yet, into this radiant story stepped Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee trained under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), a man of sharp intellect and unwavering determination. After a dramatic encounter on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19), he became Paul, proclaiming himself an apostle by divine revelation (Galatians 1:1, 12). Unlike the twelve, who walked with Jesus from His baptism to His resurrection, Paul never knew Him in the flesh. His claim rested on a vision and his own writings, a stark contrast to the eyewitness testimony of the original apostles.
Paul’s teachings began to weave a different thread. He called himself a “father” to the Corinthians, urging, “I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me” (1 Corinthians 4:15-16). Yet Jesus warned, “Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9). Paul’s call to follow him (1 Corinthians 11:1) echoed not the voice of Christ but a personal authority, drawing attention to himself rather than the Master he claimed to serve.
His doctrines further diverged. Where Jesus upheld the Law (Matthew 5:17-20), Paul declared it a “curse” (Galatians 3:13) and a “ministry of death” (2 Corinthians 3:7), teaching salvation by faith alone (Romans 3:28), a concept absent from Jesus’ words. He spoke of “mysteries” revealed to him (Ephesians 3:3-4), yet Jesus never hinted at post-resurrection revelations beyond the Spirit’s guidance (John 16:13). Paul’s insistence on submitting to earthly authorities (Romans 13:1-7) clashed with Jesus’ challenge to corrupt powers (Matthew 23:13-36), and his re-enslavement of Onesimus (Philemon 10-16) ignored the Law’s provision for freedom (Deuteronomy 23:15-16).
The fruits of Paul’s influence were division. His conflicts with Peter (Galatians 2:11-14), his parting from Barnabas (Acts 15:37-39), and the Ephesian church’s rejection of false apostles (Revelation 2:2) hinted at early resistance. Over time, his 13 epistles—tied to the number of rebellion in biblical numerology (per E.W. Bullinger)—spawned thousands of denominations, each interpreting his words differently, straying from the unity Jesus prayed for (John 17:21).
The Warning Unheeded: A Call to Discernment
Jesus foresaw such voices. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-16). Paul’s brilliance—his education, rhetoric, and strategic church-building—may have mirrored the psychological tactics of modern cult leaders: charismatic authority, exclusive revelation, and demands for imitation. His shift from Saul to Paul in Acts 13:9, alongside his 13 epistles, aligns with the shadow of apostasy, a famine for God’s true word (Amos 8:11).
Jesus warned, “If another comes in his own name, you will receive him” (John 5:43), a prophecy that seems to fit Paul’s self-appointed mission, rejected by the twelve’s foundation (Revelation 21:14). His teachings, while containing love (Romans 13:8-10), often overshadowed Christ’s call to obedience, leading believers into a maze of doctrines far from the Galilean hills where Jesus walked.
The Return to the True Path: Embracing Christ’s Light
But the story need not end in shadow. The invitation remains open. Return to the hillside, to the voice that said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Jesus’ life offers happiness—His healing touch (Matthew 9:20-22), His forgiveness (Luke 7:47-48), His promise of eternal life (John 3:16). His teachings are clear: love God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40), keep the commandments (Matthew 19:17), and follow Him alone (John 10:27).
Lay aside the teachings of Paul that lead astray—his claims of fatherhood, his redefinition of the Law, his call to imitate him rather than Christ. Reflect on the twelve, whose names grace the foundation of God’s city (Revelation 21:14), and seek the Spirit’s guidance as Jesus promised (John 16:13), not the revelations of one man. The church Jesus founded is not built on Paul (1 Corinthians 3:10) but on the rock of His own words (Matthew 16:18), a calling out (ekklesia) to walk in His light.
In this return, find comfort. Jesus’ parables, His miracles, His sacrifice on the cross (Luke 23:46)—these are the truths that heal. Let His voice guide you, as He said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Leave the misguided paths, and step into the eternal joy of His presence.
A Final Reflection
As you close this story, pause on that Galilean hillside. Feel the warmth of Jesus’ love, hear His call to rest, and see the twelve walking beside Him. The brilliance of Paul’s words may dazzle, but the purity of Christ’s teachings endures. Choose the path of the Lamb, where happiness and truth await, and let the divisions of man fade in the light of the Savior’s embrace.
From the creator of www.ProblemsWithPaul.com