Should the Christian Bible consist only of the four gospels?

[danbuter]

Honestly, I think the life of Jesus and his teachings are FAR more important than anything Paul said, yet many churches seem to be based more upon Paul than the gospels. Since Jesus' teachings surpassed the Old Testament, is there any real reason to study it, other than for historical background?

 

[dreadnought]

Honestly, I think the life of Jesus and his teachings are FAR more important than anything Paul said, yet many churches seem to be based more upon Paul than the gospels. Since Jesus' teachings surpassed the Old Testament, is there any real reason to study it, other than for historical background?

I agree with you on the point that Jesus was God in flesh, and therefore his teachings, in my view, outweigh those of Paul. However, God had a lot to say in the Old Testament. Some of it might be directed only at the Jews, but the rest of it is directed at all of us.

 

[Dave G.]

Oh I think there is really good reason to include Paul, since Jesus himself said that He ( Jesus) came to speak to the Jews, and Jesus Himself later after Pentecost came to Saul, who is Paul and that Jesus' plan for Paul was for him ( Paul) to include the Gentiles. Now I'm not a Jew personally so that puts me in Paul's teachings category. Of course I honor and cherish what Jesus said while on earth but I also honor what He taught Paul to teach us/me a gentile. And that which Jesus taught Paul was basically the Grace message, which was kept secret since the foundation of the world but now made manifest ( under Paul). What was taught by Jesus on earth was known since the foundation of the world, and that was that Jesus would come and change things up.

To exclude Paul excludes a huge portion of the bible. To exclude the old testament excludes Psalms and Proverbs seriously good teachings to guide ones life with. The old testament is not dead, it just instilled into the heart of the born again believer.

 

[Dave G.]

On another note, what would Jesus say about listening to Paul's teachings ? If He didn't want us listening to Paul, then it would be a fruitless encounter to have knocked him off his horse and tell him to become a teacher in the first place .

 

[section9+1]

Where does this stuff come from?

 

[dreadnought]

Honestly, I think the life of Jesus and his teachings are FAR more important than anything Paul said, yet many churches seem to be based more upon Paul than the gospels. Since Jesus' teachings surpassed the Old Testament, is there any real reason to study it, other than for historical background?

I agree with you on the point that Jesus was God in flesh, and therefore his teachings, in my view, outweigh those of Paul. However, God had a lot to say in the Old Testament. Some of it might be directed only at the Jews, but the rest of it is directed at all of us.

But let me add that Paul teaches us a lot of brilliant stuff, as do the other New Testament writers, and the history in the Bible does much to help us understand why things are as they are. You really need to read the whole thing.

 

[expos4ever]

The Old Testament is extremely important since the Old and the New form a single integrated story about how God has redeemed His creation. In fact, it is Paul who makes this very case. I get the impression that some people think that the Old Testament is simply the historical backdrop to the really important stuff - the story of Jesus. I think a careful study of scripture shows this is decidedly not the case.

 

[1stcenturylady]

Honestly, I think the life of Jesus and his teachings are FAR more important than anything Paul said, yet many churches seem to be based more upon Paul than the gospels. Since Jesus' teachings surpassed the Old Testament, is there any real reason to study it, other than for historical background?

Without Paul's writings, you probably wouldn't understand John's epistles, or do you want to throw out Peter and John's epistles as well?

 

[ezra932]

paul uses the o.t and Jesus teaching is his writing you study the 4 gospels you will understand paul writing to the Church paul was appointed by Christ on the Damascus road Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead--

 

[ezra932]

Without Paul's writings, you probably wouldn't understand John's epistles, or do you want to throw out Peter and John's epistles as well?

they all coincide with each other kind of like trying to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with out the jelly

 

[JackRT]

Aside from the four canonical gospels, I find the Gospel of Thomas to be worthy. The Gospel of Mary (Magalene) might also be, but unfortunately some portions of it are missing.

 

[Brian Mcnamee]

The entire Bible is the word of God and every time a prophet spoke in the name of the LORD it is just as much the word of God as the words of Jesus are the words of God. The Old testament still has many prophecies yet to fulfill and the prophecies contained in it are proof that Jesus was the Christ according to the scriptures. The whole 66 books are God breathed and if you see in Acts when Philip went to the Ethiopian in the chariot he shared Jesus as LORD from Isaiah 53.

 

[Dave G.]

I'm going out on a limb here but if someone belongs to a church who only teaches on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you're missing a boat load of life changing information. And personally, I'd get out of that church.

That being said, I've also found a lot to feed on in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But that is not all we need to know to have a complete picture. I know that Paul's teachings sound different, they are supposed to. He taught what Jesus had told him to teach. Paul is not insignificant, quite to the contrary, he completes some things you can't piece together without him.

 

[dreadnought]

Aside from the four canonical gospels, I find the Gospel of Thomas to be worthy. The Gospel of Mary (Magalene) might also be, but unfortunately some portions of it are missing.

There's a ton of apocryphal stuff out there.

 

[Der Alte]

Honestly, I think the life of Jesus and his teachings are FAR more important than anything Paul said, yet many churches seem to be based more upon Paul than the gospels. Since Jesus' teachings surpassed the Old Testament, is there any real reason to study it, other than for historical background?

I have the same opinion of Paul and his writings that Peter did.

2 Peter 3:15-16
(15) Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
(16) He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.​

 

[JackRT]

There's a ton of apocryphal stuff out there.

There is and it must be read with discretion and understanding.

 

[AceHero]

Aside from the four canonical gospels, I find the Gospel of Thomas to be worthy. The Gospel of Mary (Magalene) might also be, but unfortunately some portions of it are missing.

Why do you like those ones in particular?

 

[JackRT]

Why do you like those ones in particular?

To me they ring true.

 

[Abraxos]

Aside from the four canonical gospels, I find the Gospel of Thomas to be worthy. The Gospel of Mary (Magalene) might also be, but unfortunately some portions of it are missing.

Really?

Although much could be said about the many interesting sayings contained in the Gospel of Thomas, perhaps the most famous (or infamous) of them is the final saying in the book:
Simon Peter said to them, "Mary should leave us, for females are not worthy of life." Jesus said, "Look, I shall guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the heaven's kingdom." (Gospel of Thomas 114)

What's so worthy about it? Or any of the apocryphal gospels for that matter?

 

[Abraxos]

Honestly, I think the life of Jesus and his teachings are FAR more important than anything Paul said, yet many churches seem to be based more upon Paul than the gospels. Since Jesus' teachings surpassed the Old Testament, is there any real reason to study it, other than for historical background?

Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

1 Corinthians 10:11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.

Hebrews 10:32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.

Deuteronomy 32:7
Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.

Psalms 143:5 I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

John 5:39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.