We’re talking about the idea of favoring the gospels over the epistles, considering the statement: “I take Jesus way more seriously than I do Paul.” Let me speak first in favor of the proposition.
I believe that we need to preach Jesus more than we do his church. I think we need to preach Jesus more than we do doctrine. People need a Savior.Believers and non-believers need to be pointed to Jesus, urged to imitate him, follow his teachings, do the things he did.
Historically, many Christians have neglected the gospels; this has harmed the church. In a group on Facebook, some people were discussing the Nicene Creed. The creed basically says that Jesus came to earth, suffered, and died. Nothing is said about what he did nor what he taught.
As I mentioned yesterday, many in churches of Christ have wanted to begin with Acts 2. The only important things about Jesus were seen to be his death, burial, and resurrection. Life? Teachings? Minor points. Part of the “Old Testament that was nailed to the cross.” We’re New Testament Christians; that stuff doesn’t affect us. That was the teaching.
That’s wrong. Very wrong. The New Testament church focused on becoming like Jesus. It’s hard to become like him if we don’t know what he did. (which is why the “red letter” movement is equally off base; it takes away importance from the life of Jesus and the things he did)
We need to restore the gospels to their rightful place in the church. So if we’re willing to modify the above statement and say, “I take the gospels as seriously as I take Paul’s writings,” then I’m in full agreement. But if we choose to take away importance from the epistles in order to give more worth to the gospels… I’ve got a problem with that. I’ll take about that in the next few posts.
Good series and I look forward to reading more. You’ve pretty accurately described the divide that I’ve noticed, as well. I’ve moved from a “Paul first” theology (let’s start in Acts 2, shall we?) and moved to more of a “Jesus first” theology, but not an exclusionary approach. To me, it’s about filters. Do we read Jesus through the filter of Paul’s writings (make Jesus’ words fit into the doctrine we really want to believe in Paul’s writings, like the role of women), or do we read Paul’s words through the lens of Jesus (I know what Paul wrote, but what did Jesus say and how do Paul’s writings mesh with the words in red)? I lean more to the latter approach. There’s obviously a need for Paul’s epistles, or the Spirit wouldn’t have provided a way for their existence today. But these letters should point to Christ. We need to understand Jesus first and His doctrines, then examine Paul’s writings to see how they support or build our understanding. One method appears to focus on Jesus, while the other tends to focus on an organization that we call “the church.” That’s my position for today, at least. I study. I learn. I adjust.
I attempt to read the entire Bible in the light of Jesus, who said the Scriptures all testify of him. It was he who opened the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms to the Twelve, declaring in them the things that pointed to himself.
If that is true of the Old Testament, how much truer it must be of the New.
BUT, of all the Bible, none is more Jesus oriented than the Gospels. How can we walk as Jesus walked if we do not know what Jesus both did and taught.
Over the years I have come to appreciate the importance of the gospels more and more. I remember Jim Woodroof telling of ending a series of sermons on the Sermon on the Mount with a slow, expressive, and thoughtful reading of the Sermon. He said the audience seemed to be quieter and more thoughtful as they were leaving that morning. Later one deacon said that this quiet extended to his 7 year old daughter who was very quiet as she leaned over the front seat of the car (before the days of seat belts in cars) until she said, “You know, that was the first sermon I ever heard that I could understand.”
Do we need the epistles? Of course we do. We’d be much impoverished without them, and Christianity could not be what it is without them. But neglect the gospels where we see Jesus himself in favor of the epistles? THAT is real heresy.