Lord Jesus Christ and St. Paul
compiled by Anthony Wales
Introduction
Muslims believe that
Jesus was an Islamic prophet and have developed a number of arguments in an
attempt to support this belief. One broad argument is that the apostle Paul is
the real founder of Christianity. Under this broad argument falls the claim that
the Bible shows the teaching of St Paul to be quite different to the teaching
of Jesus. This article intends to respond to this claim by listing 100
similarities between the Lord Jesus Christ and St Paul.
The similarities
listed are taken from the Biblical accounts of Jesus and Paul. The Gospels are
the main source for Jesus' life, words and actions. There are also some words
and action of Jesus in the Acts of the Apostles and the book of Revelation. The
life, words and actions of Paul are found in the Acts of the Apostles and his
letters (Romans through to Philemon). The similarities presented include
similarities in words, actions, life, and person.
All quotations are
from an English translation of the Bible known as the New Revised Standard
Version.
1. Jesus is the
Messiah or Christ
JESUS: He said to
them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You
are the Messiah, the Son of the living God". And Jesus answered him,
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed
this to you, but my Father in heaven". (Matthew 16:15-17)
PAUL: Paul was
occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was
Jesus. (Acts 18:5)
2. Jesus is the Son
of God
JESUS: All of them asked,
"Are you, then, the Son of God?" He said to them, "You say that
I am". Then they said, "What further testimony do we need? We have
heard it ourselves from his own lips!" (Luke 22:70-71)
PAUL: Immediately he
began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of
God". (Acts 9:20)
3. Jesus is Lord
JESUS: You call me
Teacher and Lord - and you are right, for that is what I am. (John 13:13)
PAUL: There is... one
Lord, Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 8:6)
4. Jesus is God
JESUS: Thomas
answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you
believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet
have come to believe". (John 20:28-29)
PAUL: From them,
according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed
forever. (Romans 9:5)
5. Jesus is Human
JESUS: Jesus said to
them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing what Abraham
did, but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I
heard from God". (John 8:39-40)
PAUL: There is also
one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human. (1 Timothy
2:5)
6. Jesus was born of
a woman
JESUS: The angel said
to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And
now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him
Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High (Luke
1:30-32)
PAUL: When the
fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman. (Galatians 4:4)
7. God sent Jesus
JESUS: I cam from God
and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. (John 8:42)
PAUL: For God has
done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son.
(Romans 8:3)
8. Jesus is the way
to the Father
JESUS: I am the way,
and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(John 14:6)
PAUL: Through him
both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:18)
9. Jesus is Light
JESUS: Jesus spoke to
them, saying, "I am the light of the world". (John 8:12)
PAUL: What fellowship
is there between light and darkness? What agreement does Christ have with
Beliar? (2 Corinthians 6:14-15)
10. Jesus is life
JESUS: I am the way,
and the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)
PAUL: When Christ who
is your life is revealed. (Colossians 3:4)
11. Jesus is the
beginning
JESUS: I am the Alpha
and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. (Revelation
22:13)
PAUL: He is the
beginning. (Colossians 1:18)
12. Jesus is first
JESUS: I am the first
and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive for ever and
ever. (Revelation 1:17-18)
PAUL: He is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first
place in everything. (Colossians 1:18)
13. Jesus is a
descendent of David
JESUS: The angel said
to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And
now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him
Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the
Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. (Luke 1:30-32)
PAUL: Remember Jesus
Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David. (2 Timothy 2:8)
14. Jesus is the
Bridegroom
JESUS: Now John's
disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him,
"Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your
disciples do not fast?" Jesus said to them, "The wedding-guests
cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have
the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast". (Mark 2:18-19)
PAUL: I promised you
in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2
Corinthians 11:2)
15. Jesus is King
JESUS: Jesus
answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this
world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the
Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here". Pilate asked him,
"So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a
king". (John 18:36-37)
PAUL: No fornicator
or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ. (Ephesians 5:5)
16. Jesus descended
from heaven
JESUS: No one has
ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
(John 3:13)
PAUL: When it says,
"He ascended", what does it mean but that he had also descended into
the lower parts of the earth? (Ephesians 4:9)
17. Jesus is Saviour
JESUS: God did not
send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world
might be saved through him. (John 3:17)
PAUL: The saying is
sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15)
18. Jesus is the
truth
JESUS: I am the way,
and the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)
PAUL: Surely you have
heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. (Ephesians 4:21)
19. Jesus was poor
JESUS: Jesus said to
him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of
Man has nowhere to lay his head". (Matthew 8:20)
PAUL: You know the
generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your
sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. (2
Corinthians 8:9)
20. The glory of God
shines in the face of Jesus
JESUS: Six days
later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up
a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his
face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. (Matthew
17:1-2)
PAUL: It is the God
who said, "Let light shine out of darkness", who has shone in our
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
21. Jesus instituted
the Lord's Supper
JESUS: While they
were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave
it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body". Then he took a cup,
and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He
said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for
many". (Mark 14:22-24)
PAUL: I received from
the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he
was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it
and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of
me." In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink
it, in remembrance of me". (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)
22. Jesus was
betrayed
JESUS: Jesus said,
"Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me; one who is eating with me...
The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the
Son of Man is betrayed!" (Mark 14:18, 21)
PAUL: I received from
the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he
was betrayed. (1 Corinthians 11:23)
23. Jesus testified
before Pontius Pilate
JESUS: Then Pilate
entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you
the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own,
or did others tell you about me?" Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am
I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have
you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my
kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from
being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here".
Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say
that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to
testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my
voice". (John 18:33-37)
PAUL: In the presence
of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony
before Pontius Pilate made the good confession. (1 Timothy 6:13)
24. Jesus suffered
JESUS: Jesus began to
show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering.
(Matthew 16:21)
PAUL: Just as the sufferings
of Christ are abundant for us. (2 Corinthians 1:5)
25. Jesus died
JESUS: Then Jesus
cried out and breathed his last. (Mark 15:37)
PAUL: We believe that
Jesus died. (1 Thessalonians 4:14)
26. Jesus was buried
JESUS: Joseph brought
a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and
laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone
against the door of the tomb. (Mark 15:46)
PAUL: We have been
buried with him by baptism. (Romans 6:4)
27. Jesus rose from
the dead on the third day
JESUS: Jesus answered
them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"...
He was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this. (John 2:19, 22)
PAUL: Christ did for
our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he
was raised on the third day. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
28. Jesus ascended
JESUS: While he was
blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. (Luke
24:51)
PAUL: He who
descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens. (Ephesians
4:10)
29. Jesus is seated
at the right hand of the Father
JESUS: The high
priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"
Jesus said, "I am; and 'you will see the Son of Man seated at the right
hand of the Power'". (Mark 14:61-62)
PAUL: God put this
power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his
right hand. (Ephesians 1:20)
30. Jesus will come
again
JESUS: Then the sign
of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth
will mourn, and they will see "the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven"
with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)
PAUL: The Lord
himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of
God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise
first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
31. Jesus died for
the sheep
JESUS: I lay down my
life for the sheep. (John 10:15)
PAUL: Keep watch over
yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his
own Son. (Acts 20:28)
32. Jesus died for
love of us
JESUS: This is my
commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater
love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. (John 15:12-13)
PAUL: The life I now
live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
33. Jesus' death
demonstrates God's love
JESUS: God so loved
the world that he gave his only Son. (John 3:16)
PAUL: God proves his
love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (Romans
5:8)
34. Jesus gave
himself as a ransom
JESUS: The Son of Man
came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
(Matthew 20:28)
PAUL: There is also
one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave
himself a ransom for all. (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
35. Those who
crucified Jesus were ignorant and acted in ignorance
JESUS: Jesus said,
"Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing".
(Luke 23:34)
PAUL: We speak God's
wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:7-8)
36. Jesus' suffering,
death and resurrection in accordance with the Scriptures
JESUS: Then he said
to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with
you - that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and
the psalms must be fulfilled". Then he opened their minds to understand
the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah
is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day". (Luke 24:44-46)
PAUL: Christ did for
our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he
was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. (1 Corinthians
15:3-4)
37. Jesus appeared to
Simon Peter (also known as Cephas) and the other apostles after his
resurrection
JESUS: That same hour
they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their
companions gathered together. They were saying, "The Lord has risen
indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on
the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to
them, "Peace be with you". (Luke 24:33-36)
PAUL: He was raised
on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to
Cephas, then to the twelve. (1 Corinthians 15:4-5)
38. The day of the
Lord will be like a thief in the night
JESUS: Keep awake
therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand
this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief
was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be
broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at
an unexpected hour. (Matthew 24:42-44)
PAUL: You yourselves
know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night...
But you, beloved, are not in the darkness, for that day to surprise you like a
thief. (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 4)
39. Believers must
remain awake and not let drunkenness distract them from the coming of Jesus
JESUS: Keep awake
therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming... Therefore you
also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour... But
if that wicked slave says to himself, "My master is delayed", and he
begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the
master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an
hour that he does not know. (Matthew 24:42, 44, 48-50)
PAUL: But you, beloved,
are not in the darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief... Let us
not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. (1
Thessalonians 5:4, 6)
40. Labour pains
mentioned when talking about the day of the Lord
JESUS: Nation will
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and
earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth
pangs. (Matthew 24:7-8)
PAUL: You yourselves
know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
When they say, "There is peace and security", then sudden destruction
will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will
be no escape! (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3)
41. Jesus will come
with the angels
JESUS: When the Son
of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him. (Matthew 25:31)
PAUL: When the Lord
Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,
inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey
the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8)
42. A trumpet will
sound when the Lord comes again
JESUS: They will see
"the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven" with power and great
glory. And he will sent out his angels with a loud trumpet call. (Matthew
24:30-31)
PAUL: The Lord
himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of
God's trumpet, will descend from heaven. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
43. Deny Jesus and he
will deny us
JESUS: Whoever denies
me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:33)
PAUL: If we deny him,
he will also deny us. (2 Timothy 2:12)
44. Eternal life
comes through believing in Jesus
JESUS: Jesus said to
her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even
though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will
never die". (John 11:25-26)
PAUL: I received
mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost
patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for
eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:16)
45. Jesus lives in
believers
JESUS: I made your
name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you
have loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:26)
PAUL: It is no longer
I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)
46. The angels belong
to Jesus
JESUS: The Son of Man
will send his angels. (Matthew 13:41)
PAUL: When the Lord
Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. (2 Thessalonians 1:7)
47. Jesus is judge
JESUS: The Father
judges no one but has given all judgement to the Son. (John 5:22)
PAUL: He has fixed a
day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he
has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from
the dead. (Acts 17:31)
48. Jesus gathers all
people together
JESUS: "I have
other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they
will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd"...
"I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to
myself." He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. (John
10:36, 12:32-33)
PAUL: In Christ Jesus
you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he
is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down
the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law
with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one
new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both
groups to God in one body through the cross. (Ephesians 2:13-16)
49. Jesus will always
be with believers in the world
JESUS: Remember, I am
with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)
PAUL: Who will
separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35)
50. Heaven consists
in being with Jesus always
JESUS: In my Father's
house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you
that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you
may be also. (John 14:2-3)
PAUL: The Lord
himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of
God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise
first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds
together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord
for ever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
51. Jesus is the
cornerstone
JESUS: "Finally
he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the
tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us
kill him and get his inheritance.' So they seized him, threw him out of the
vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will
he do to those tenants?" They said to them, "He will put those
wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will
give him the produce at the harvest time." Jesus said to them, "Have
you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has
become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our
eyes'?" (Matthew 21:37-42)
PAUL: You are no
longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also
members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:19-20)
52. Believers must
share in the cross of Jesus
JESUS: If any want to
become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and
follow me. (Matthew 16:24)
PAUL: May I never
boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world
has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)
53. Give up life for
Jesus and we will gain life
JESUS: Those who lose
their life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 16:25)
PAUL: If we have died
with him, we will also live with him. (2 Timothy 2:11)
54. There is only one
God
JESUS: Hear, O
Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Mark 12:29)
PAUL: God is one.
(Romans 3:30)
55. God is
all-powerful
JESUS: For mortals it
is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible. (Mark 10:27)
PAUL: So that, with
the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know... what is the immeasurable
greatness of his power. (Ephesians 1:18, 19)
56. God is Father
JESUS: It is my
Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, "He is our God". (John
8:54)
PAUL: Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
57. The Holy Spirit
JESUS: When he had
said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy
Spirit". (John 20:22)
PAUL: May the God of
hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
58. The Holy Spirit
was promised
JESUS: While staying
with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the
promise of the Father. "This", he said, "is what you have heard
from me; for John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy
Spirit not many days from now". (Acts 1:4-5)
PAUL: In him you
also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and
had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit.
(Ephesians 1:13)
59. The Father sends
the Holy Spirit
JESUS: The Advocate,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. (John 14:26)
PAUL: God has sent
the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
(Galatians 4:6)
60. The Holy Spirit
lives in believers
JESUS: The Spirit of
truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows
him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. (John
14:17)
PAUL: Do you not know
that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from
God, and that you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)
61. The Holy Spirit
helps us understand the message of God
JESUS: I still have
many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of
truth comes, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his
own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things
that are to come. (John 16:12-13)
PAUL: These things
God has revealed to us through the Spirit... We have received not the spirit of
the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts
bestowed on us by God. (1 Corinthians 2:10, 12)
62. The Holy Spirit
testifies to Jesus
JESUS: When the
Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth
who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf... He will glorify me,
because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 15:26, 16:14)
PAUL: I want you to
understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says, "Let Jesus
be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the
Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3)
63. The Holy Spirit
advocates for us
JESUS: I will ask the
Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is
the Spirit of truth. (John 14:16-17)
PAUL: The Spirit
helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that
very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the
heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for
the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)
64. The Holy Spirit
spoke through the prophets
JESUS: David himself,
by the Holy Spirit, declared. (Mark 12:36)
PAUL: The Holy Spirit
was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah. (Acts 28:25)
65. Forgive others as
God has forgiven us
JESUS: His lord
summoned him and said to him, "You wicked slave! I forgave you all that
debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your
fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?" And in anger his lord handed him
over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father
will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister
from you heart. (Matthew 18:32-35)
PAUL: If anyone has a
complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven
you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:13)
66. Importance of
loving God
JESUS: "You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind." This is the greatest and first commandment. (Matthew
22:37-38)
PAUL: We know that
all things work together for good for those who love God. (Romans 8:28)
67. God has chosen
the people of no importance according to mere human standards
JESUS: At that time
Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you
have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed
them to infants". (Matthew 11:25)
PAUL: God chose what
is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world
to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things
that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast
in the presence of God. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
68. "Love your
neighbour as yourself" summarises the law
JESUS: A second is
like it: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:39-40)
PAUL: The
commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You
shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are
summed up in this word, "Love your neighbour as yourself". (Romans
13:9)
69. Wipe dust off
feet when leaving people who refuse the message
JESUS: Whenever you
enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say,
"Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in
protest against you". (Luke 10:10-11)
PAUL: The Jews
incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and
stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their
region. So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them. (Acts
13:50-51)
70. The labourer
deserves to be paid
JESUS: The labourer
deserves to be paid. (Luke 10:7)
PAUL: The labourer
deserves to be paid. (1 Timothy 5:18)
71. Eat what is set
before you
JESUS: Whenever you
enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you. (Luke
10:8)
PAUL: If an
unbeliever invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is
set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. (1
Corinthians 10:27)
72. Leaders are
shepherds and believers are the flock
JESUS: When they had
finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you
love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I
love you". Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs... Tend my sheep... Feed
my sheep". (John 21:15, 16, 17)
PAUL: Keep watch over
yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his
own Son. (Acts 20:28)
73. Believers will
handle snakes without harm
JESUS: They will pick
up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt
them. (Mark 16:18)
PAUL: Paul had
gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, when a viper,
driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the natives saw the
creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "This man must
be a murderer; though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him
to live". He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered
no harm". (Acts 28:3-5)
74. Lay hands on the
sick and they will recover
JESUS: They will lay
their hands on the sick, and they will recover. (Mark 16:18)
PAUL: It so happened
that the father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul
visited him and cured him by praying and putting his hands on him. (Acts 28:8)
75. Cast out demons
JESUS: These signs
will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons.
(Mark 16:17)
PAUL: God did
extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that when the handkerchiefs or aprons
that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, their diseases left them,
and the evil spirits came out of them. Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists
tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits,
saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims". Seven sons
of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit said
to them in reply, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"
(Acts 19:11-15)
76. Not Yes and No,
but Yes or No
JESUS: Let you word
be "Yes, Yes" or "No, No". (Matthew 5:37)
PAUL: Do I make my
plans according to ordinary human standards, ready to say "Yes, yes"
and "No, no" at the same time? As surely as God is faithful, our word
to you has not been "Yes and No". For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not "Yes and
No"; but in him it is always "Yes". For in him every one of
God's promises is a "Yes". (2 Corinthians 1:17-20)
77. Divorce and
remarriage is adultery
JESUS: Whoever
divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she
divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. (Mark 10:11-12)
PAUL: A married woman
is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband
dies, she is discharged from the law concerning her husband. Accordingly, she
will be called an adulteress is she lives with another man while her husband is
alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries
another man, she is not an adulteress. (Romans 7:2-3)
78. Celibacy/virginity
for the Lord
JESUS: His disciples
said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not
to marry". But he said to them, "Not everyone can accept this
teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have
been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others,
and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the
kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can". (Matthew 19:10-12)
PAUL: The unmarried
man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the
married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife,
and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin are
anxious about the affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and
spirit; but the married woman is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to
please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint
upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord. (1
Corinthians 7:32-35)
79. Death and rebirth
of what is sown
JESUS: Very truly, I
tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains
just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24)
PAUL: What you sow
does not come to life unless it dies. (1 Corinthians 15:36)
80. Serious problems
are associated with riches
JESUS: Jesus said to
him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the
money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow
me". When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had
many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it
will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell
you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for
someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:21-24)
PAUL: Those who want
to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful
desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is
a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have
wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (1 Timothy
6:9-10)
81. Baptism
JESUS: Go therefore
and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
PAUL: The jailer
called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and
Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?" They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be
saved, you and your household". They spoke the word of the Lord to him and
to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and
washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptised without delay.
(Acts 16:29-33)
82. The devil
JESUS: You are from
your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's desires. He was a
murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is
no truth in him. (John 8:44)
PAUL: Put on the
whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil. (Ephesians 6:11)
83. Glorification of
believers
JESUS: The glory that
you have given me I have given them. (John 17:22)
PAUL: If children,
then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ - if, in fact, we suffer
with him so that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:17)
84. The importance of
preaching the good news
JESUS: Go into all
the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. (Mark 16:15)
PAUL: "Everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." But how are they to
call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one
of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to
proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim unless sent? As it is written,
"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans
10:13-15)
85. Speaking in
tongues
JESUS: These signs will
accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they
will speak in new tongues. (Mark 16:17)
PAUL: To each is
given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given
through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom... to another various kinds of
tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:7-8, 10)
86. Preach to Jews
first
JESUS: Repentance and
forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning
from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)
PAUL: When the Jews
saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they
contradicted what was spoken by Paul. Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out
boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken
first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of
eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles". (Acts 13:45-46)
87. Raising the dead
JESUS: While he was
saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and
knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay
your hand on her, and she will live." And Jesus got up and followed him
with his disciples... When Jesus came to the leader's house and saw the
flute-players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, "Go away; for the
girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. But when the
crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl
got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district. (Matthew
9:18-19, 23-26)
PAUL: On the first
day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with
them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until
midnight. There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. A
young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into
a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the
ground three floors below and was picked up dead. But Paul went down, and
bending over him took him in his arms, and said, "Do not be alarmed, for
his life is in him." Then Paul went upstairs, and after he had broken
bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left.
Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted.
(Acts 20:7-12)
88. The results of
good and evil living
JESUS: The hour is
coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out -
those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done
evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:28-29)
PAUL: He will repay
according to each one's deeds: to those who by patiently doing good seek for
glory and honour and immortality he will give eternal life; while for those who
are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath
and fury. (Romans 2:6-8)
89. Do good to those
who persecute you
JESUS: Love your
enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your
Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:44-45)
PAUL: Bless those who
persecute you; bless and do not curse them. (Romans 12:14)
90. Jesus and Paul
were both Jews
JESUS: A Samaritan
woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink".
(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to
him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of
Samaria?" (John 4:7-9)
PAUL: If anyone else
has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth
day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born
of Hebrews. (Philippians 3:4-5)
91. Jesus and Paul
were both circumcised on the eighth day
JESUS: After eight
days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus.
(Luke 2:21)
PAUL: If anyone else
has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth
day. (Philippians 3:4-5)
92. Jesus and Paul
both prayed three times about suffering
JESUS: Going a little
farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is
possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you
want"... He went away for the second time and prayed, "My Father, if
this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done"... He went away and
prayed for the third time, saying the same words. (Matthew 26:39, 42, 44)
PAUL: To keep me from
being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to
torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord
about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness". (2 Corinthians
12:7-9)
93. Jesus and Paul
were both determined to go to Jerusalem (as part of their mission)
JESUS: When the days
drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he
sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the
Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his
face was set towards Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51-53)
PAUL: Now, as a
captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will
happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city
that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me. But I do not count my
life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry
that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's
grace. (Acts 20:22-24)
94. Jesus and Paul
both knew traveling to Jerusalem would lead to suffering and death
JESUS: They were on
the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were
amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and
began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "See, we are going
up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him
over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, spit upon him, and flog him, and kill
him; and after three days he will rise again". (Mark 10:32-34)
PAUL: Now, as a
captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will
happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city
that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me. But I do not count my
life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry
that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's
grace. (Acts 20:22-24)
95. Jesus and Paul
were both brought before the Jewish council
JESUS: When day came,
the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes,
gathered together, and they brought him to their council. (Luke 22:66)
PAUL: Since he wanted
to find out what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he
released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He
brought Paul down and had him stand before them. (Acts 22:30)
96. Jesus and Paul
were both (wrongly) struck because of their words before the Jewish authorities
JESUS: Then the high
priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. Jesus
answered, "I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in
synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said
nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them;
they know what I said". When he had said this, one of the police standing
nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, "Is that how you answer the high
priest?" Jesus answered, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the
wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?" (John
18:19-23)
PAUL: While Paul was
looking intently at the council he said, "Brothers, up to this day I have
lived my life with a clear conscience before God". Then the high priest
Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. At this
Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you
sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law
you order me to be struck?" (Acts 23:1-3)
97. Jesus and Paul
were both brought before Roman governors
JESUS: When morning
came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against
Jesus in order to bring about his death. They bound him, led him away, and
handed him over to Pilate the governor. (Matthew 27:1-2)
PAUL: When they came
to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also
before him. On reading the letter, he asked what province he belonged to, and
when he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, "I will give you a
hearing when your accusers arrive." Then he ordered that he be kept under
guard in Herod's headquarters. Five days later the high priest Ananias came
down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, and they reported
their case against Paul to the governor. When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus
began to accuse him. (Acts 23:33-24:2)
98. Jesus and Paul
quoted the same prophecy of Isaiah about unbelieving Jews
JESUS: With them
indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: "You will indeed
listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For
this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and
they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and
listen with their ears, and understand with their hearts and turn - and I would
heal them." (Matthew 13:14-15)
PAUL: Some were
convinced by what he had said, while others refused to believe. So they
disagreed with each other; and as they were leaving, Paul made one further
statement: "The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through
the prophet Isaiah, 'Go to this people, and say, You will indeed listen, but
never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this
people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they
have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen
with their ears, and understand with their hearts and turn - and I would heal
them'." (Acts 28:25-27)
99. Paul suffered for
Jesus
JESUS: I myself will
show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. (Acts 9:16)
PAUL: Are they
ministers of Christ? I am talking like a madman - I am a better one: with far
greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless floggings, and often
near death. Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus
one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times
I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent
journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own
people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness,
danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; in toil and hardship,
through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold
and naked. And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my
anxiety for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)
100. Paul to proclaim
Jesus before Jews, Gentiles, and Kings
JESUS: The Lord said
to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name
before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel." (Acts 9:15)
PAUL: The whole
assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all
the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles... Paul
stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence; and when there was a
great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying: "Brothers
and fathers, listen to the defence that I now make before you... While I was on
my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly
shone about me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting me?' I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' The he said
to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth'"... Paul stretched out his hand and began
to defend himself: "I consider myself fortunate that it is before you,
King Agrippa, I am to make my defence today... I stand here, testifying to both
small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take
place: that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from
the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."
(Acts 15:12, 21:40-22:1, 6-8, 26:1-2, 22-23)
Observing so many similarities in the teachings of Jesus and Paul should not be surprising since it is Jesus who commissioned Paul as his Apostle:
But the Lord [Jesus]
said to Ananias, "Go! This man [Paul] is my chosen instrument to carry my
name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. (Acts
9:15)
"Then he said:
'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the
Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all
men of what you have seen and heard." (Acts 22:14-15)
