Did Paul Invent Christianity? A response to ‘Jews For Judaism’

This is a response to an article by Jews For Judaism regarding the extent of Paul’s influence on Christian Theology.

PART 1:

In the third paragraph, the article misquotes Jesus as follows:

Note that the above passage says “I [Jesus] was sent to the lost sheep of Israel.” That doesn’t prevent Jesus’ disciples from preaching to Gentiles about salvation. You could argue that in Matthew 10:5 Jesus asked his disciples to not preach to Gentiles, but it was a commandment onlyfor one specific mission.

Matthew 10:5–8

Jesus quotes Isaiah and calls himself the “light of the Gentiles”, God in the OT promised Abraham that all nations (including Gentiles) would be blessed through him [and his descendants].

In the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19, Jesus very explicitly asks his followers to preach to Gentiles and to make disciples of all nations (including gentiles).

In Matthew 12, it is said that Jesus is the one in whom the nations (goyyim, Gentiles) will put their hope.

Jesus talks to a Samaritan woman (non-Jewish) in John 4, preaches to her that he is the Messiah. Later, many Samaritans (non-Jews) believe in him and consider him the ‘Saviour of the world’.

There are MANY more passages in both the Old and New Testaments that talk about the God of the Hebrews reaching out to Gentiles and offering them salvation, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

PART 2:

The article claims it was the “rigors of Judaism” that were an impediment to conversion, but according to Acts, it was the oppression by the Jewish religious establishment that prevented Paul from bringing people to Jesus.

PART 3:

The author of the Jews For Judaism article make a few more claims:

1. Suspension of circumcision as a prerequisite for “conversion” to Judaism: FALSE. Paul wasn’t trying to convert people to Judaism. It’s painfully obvious if you read the New Testament for yourself
2. The idea that Jesus atones for peoples’ sins through his death and the idea that the Messiah had to die and be resurrected from the dead: The following is the Corinthian Creed (1st Corinthians 15:3–7) that the vast majority of scholars (including non-Christian ones) date to within 5 years of Jesus’ death. It includes the idea that Jesus died for peoples’ sins and that he was buried and raised from the dead “according to the scriptures” Paul received this creed from the apostles when he met them, he didn’t come up with the idea.

3. Paul didn’t “abrogate” any Jewish practices, he just didn’t want them to be imposed on Gentile converts to Christianity. On the other hand, Jesus kind of did, calling himself “the Lord of the Sabbath”.

4. The concept of the Trinity is alluded to in the Old Testament as well. Paul didn’t come up with it. Check out this playlist by Anthony Rogers where he explains it in detail.