A Question about Paul or James?

Question

The book of James(New testament) is propably the best book that describes the path a true christian should follow. I have noticed that James do not mention anything about "having to believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins". Instead he teaches to uphold the law and follow the path that Jesus taught.

Then there is Paul's letters, these letters, over and over, try to emphasise the importance of us "having to believe that Jesus died for us". I never saw that he actualy encouraged to follwing the teachings of Jesus.

My Question: Why is it that so much Faith is put in Paul when he never knew Jesus? In Acts, everything Paul came to know about Jesus came from the Apostles. Yet Paul's letters, which tells the same thing, over and over, takes up the majority of the New Testament.

Answer 1

The epistles (letters) were written to specific people or congregations. They speak to the specific needs and concerns of the people they were written to, even though we learn much from them as well.

Galatians 1:11-20 explains that Paul spent three years with Jesus after his conversion. Since Paul was a Pharisee and very educated in the law, it makes sense that his letters deal with believing that Jesus died for our sins. That would be the thing that the Jews would have had the most trouble with. Crucifying their Messiah. There were many contentions as to whether the gentiles should have to follow the law of Moses (and be circumcised, among other things) or not. Paul, being well versed in the law and having received the gospel through the revelation of Christ was expert on those issues. It makes sense that he would write it, and be called upon to write it often.

Answer 2

But Paul DID know Jesus, albeit in spiritual form. Re-read Saul/Paul's conversion experience on the road to Damascus. Even though Paul arrives late to the show, he demonstrates the passion of a redeemed believer. The early Christian church definitely needed moral and organizational guidance, which is what Paul's epistles provided.

It's difficult to say with certainty that any of the New Testament books were actually written by the Apostles. Paul's epistles are generally viewed as the earliest manuscripts with any sort of authenticity, so they were heavy favorites for inclusion in the first draft of the New Testament. The early Church had a clear division between followers of Paul and followers of Peter, with the Paulists having a little more sway over which texts were included in the approved version of the NT. This division continues into the modern era, with the Eastern Orthodox/Roman Catholic schism. It is said that Paul's journeys took him farther and farther away from the Holy Land, while Peter's journeys drew him closer to Rome. It's only natural that some Christians today have more of an affinity for one or the other.

Answer 3

Yes you must believe that the messiah did die for all man kinds sins.Paul learn that faith was important when it came to belief,he prove that when he confesses that he was change with the vision he had.He stop prosecuting the disciples and became one himself,so as for Jews and non Jews we must believe in the messiah.But we must follow the teaching of the messiah,which are the laws. James does tell use how to apply them to our lives.Paul wrote a lot of books in the Bible he also said that faith without work is dead.Meaning you apply the laws to your life cause you thrust , that the promise giving to Abraham that the Messiah will come and death will not have hold on you. This why it's said that he has the keys of the grave. (hell) Read Hebrews when Shaul (Paul) is talking to the Hebrews (Jews) about the laws,and how it applies to all the people thur the messiah we became one and that the rest (sabbath) applies to the people of Yahweh.

Answer 4

Actually, Paul DID meet the resurrected Christ in person before he met with any apostles. Read Acts chapters 9 and 22. And, by the way, our faith is not in Paul, but in the words from God that Paul wrote down for us.

And Paul did instruct Christians to follow Christ and His pattern/teaching:
"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1)
" Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." (1 Timothy 1:16)

James' epistle is a wonderful, practical guide for every day living. He stresses over and over that we must have both FAITH and WORKS. The faith part (belief in Christ and His resurrection) is just as important as following His words, and vice versa.

Answer 5

Different people will tell a story a bit different even if it is the same story with the same events. WE need to not take everything as having to be perfectly the same in order to be correct but take the jist of what is said to heart. If we do not believe we have to accept Jesus dying on the cross to save us, we are in big trouble but that is not the only thing we need to do in order to be saved. Can we accept Christ's suffering and death and then go out and live like the devil as we used to do before accepting Him? Of course not, not if we have truly accepted Him. WE need to abide by the law of God, all ten of the commandments, not just nine of them as most do but all ten. Why is it that so many want to forget the only commandment that says to "Remember"? Is that the only one of the commandment laws that were nailed to the cross? The Law of God will stand forever and was not nailed to the cross but it was the Mosaic law that was nailed to the cross, the one that was written by Moses, that was put on the outside of the Ark of the Covenent. Follow what Jesus taught and you will be a lot better off but take the writings of Paul and James as an account of what they felt was important to report, not as a whole theology. Just as you get two different reports from two reporters covering the same story, you get two different perspectives from two men that reported on the actions of Jesus, and one did not even know Him personally.

Answer 6

Romans 10 Paul says we should believe in jesus. On a few other occasions (mostly in Romans/Galatians) he describes the results of believing in Jesus.
James at no time mentions follow the law (jewish) although gives examples of how by actions you can truly fulfil the law (as opposed to ritual and self righteousness)
Paul says the same thing over and over becaus epeople then as they do now ignore it. Grace not law.
James rightly points out that a change in heart evidences a change in status.

Answer 7

paul created christianity (historically im talking here, no real room for criticism).

so he goes for a salvation only through jesus rule, to gain control so that salvation is like a commodity. and he's the only one selling jesus.
you can change your life any time you want, but that gives neither power nor control. you could remain jewish and do all that jesus wanted. jesus even (we assume) only preached to the jews because this was what he was going for.

also, paul never met jesus. if you're talking about a hallucination or dream, well then, i've met santa clause and king mieszko I.
jesus died and reasonably i cannot believe that paul met him.
on the other hand, if you faith, that's a whole other ballgame, and one that doesn't go with history.

Answer 8

What do you mean Paul never knew Jesus?! Jesus came to Paul as he was going into Demascus in the Spirit and spoke directly to him, in fact, blinded him, and then healed him through Ananias. You are too, stuck on simply physical understanding. Your mind needs renewal so that you can understand the spiritual aspect in combination with the natural aspects of what the Word of God says. The faith was not being put in Paul, the words of what he was saying were inspired by everything that he knew of the law of God. If you were to do a little research you would find out that Paul was a Pharissee, in that he felt he knew the law of God better than anyone in the land at the time. So much so that he actually went along killing off anyone who would believe in Jesus Christ, simply because the law never had His name in it. And because he (Paul) was the one killing off the believers before he got saved, influenced the believers to take heed to what he was saying. That's is one of the best examples of the love and forgiveness of God, and how he will take someone who is completely against Him and use them to make changes in the world.

And to make a correction on your statement about James: In James 1:1, he calls himself a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ. Keep in mind at this time Jesus has died and resurrected and ascended into heaven. For James to call himself a servant of Jesus, is notification to the reader that he too believes in Christ Jesus.

Answer 9

Paul was an evangelist -- he brought the gospel to the world and started churches in many different countries and cities. He followed up his church planting with letters to the churches to help them grow spiritually and to help them learn how to correct problems that were happening in the different churches. The reason there are more letters from Paul in the Bible is simply because Paul sent more letters. The letters were then carefully copied and sent to other churches. James, on the other hand, settled in one city (I think he only ministered in Jerusalem). He just didn't send a lot of letters to people or other churches. Its really a question of volume of printed material available from each of these men of God.

Paul and James differ in their emphasis because they are different people -- their salvation experience itself gives them very different perspectives about what's most important.

We don't put our faith in Paul (or James or Peter) but in God. And its important to remember that Paul's teachings don't contradict James' teachings (or the teachings of any of the other disciples). Paul had the confidence and support of the church elders of his time. His teaching (as described in his letters) was sound.

Answer 10

Paul knew Jesus after he was resurrected. And when you take the whole New Testament, I think the general message is that Jesus died for your sins, you will go to Heaven if you accept him as your personal Savior, and a relationship with him will motivate you to become more like him...keep reading