Yes — some believers prefer Jesus' earthly teachings over Paul's because Paul's grace message set aside the Jewish law and traditions they were attached to.
Les Feldick sees the same dynamic in Corinth, where Jewish believers clung to Peter or said 'I follow Christ' rather than accept Paul. Today people say, 'I follow Jesus, not Paul,' when doctrine is traced to Paul's epistles. Les explains that Jesus' earthly ministry spoke to Jews under the law, while Paul reveals the words of the same Jesus from His glorified, ascended position.
1 Corinthians 1:12 — This is the key passage where Paul describes believers saying 'I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ,' showing the factionalism behind the preference for other teachers.
Philippians 3:17 — Paul's command to follow him as an example is the Scriptural basis Les points to for following Paul's doctrine.
The apostle Paul confronted divisions in the Corinthian church over which teacher believers followed. 1 Corinthians 1:12 records their words: 'Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.' This shows that from the earliest days some believers separated themselves from Paul in favor of other voices. Paul also calls believers to follow his example. In Philippians 3:17 he writes, 'Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.' In Acts 15:5, certain believing Pharisees insisted that Gentile believers must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses, the very kind of pressure that made Paul's grace message controversial among Jewish believers: 'But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.'
Les explains that in the Corinthian assembly there were Jewish believers who had come out of Judaism, and they were drawn to Peter because Peter was connected to Jerusalem, temple worship, and the old Jewish system. Paul's background made this harder: he had persecuted Jewish believers and then received grace revelations that put a block between him and the Jewish people. Les sees the same reaction today. When he teaches that our doctrines come from Paul's epistles, people rebel and say, 'There's no way I'm going to follow Paul, I follow Jesus, I follow Christ.' The Corinthians had a group that said 'I follow Christ' because they felt Jesus was the one who had brought everything to pass and instituted the work of the cross. Les's explanation is that Jesus' earthly words were spoken to the Jew under the law, while Paul reveals the very words of the same Jesus from His glorified, ascended position as the resurrected Lord and Savior. Following Paul is not ignoring Jesus; Paul follows Christ, and believers who follow Paul are following the crucified, risen Lord of glory — not Jesus of Nazareth on the dusty roads.
Les says the Corinthian assembly included Jews who had come out of Judaism. Since Peter was more connected to the Judaism of Jerusalem and temple worship, those Jewish believers more or less stuck with Peter, causing a stark division. Their hesitation was reinforced by Paul's history of persecuting early Jewish believers and then receiving a grace revelation that put a block between him and the Jewish people.
Les says he constantly runs into this reaction when he teaches that our doctrines come from the pen of the Apostle Paul. People rebel and say, 'There's no way I'm going to follow Paul, I follow Jesus, I follow Christ.' This mirrors the Corinthian faction that said 'we follow Christ' because they felt Jesus was the one who had more or less brought all this to pass and instituted the work of the cross.
No, says Les. Paul is following Jesus Christ, and as believers follow Paul they are at Christ's heels. Following Paul means following the crucified, risen Lord of glory, not the Jesus of Nazareth on the dusty roads. Les also explains that Jesus' earthly words were spoken to the Jew under the law, whereas Paul reveals the words of the same Jesus from His glorified, ascended position as the resurrected Lord and Savior.
Judaizers were believers who followed in Paul's footsteps and told his converts they could not be saved on Paul's gospel alone — they still had to practice Judaism, be circumcised, and keep the law. Les says people today are still treating Paul the same way. In Acts 15, believing Pharisees likewise rose up and insisted that converts keep the law of Moses.
Les says Peter was steeped in Judaism and legalism, which made Paul's grace message hard for him to grasp. Thirty years later Peter still had problems but had to agree that Paul was on the right track. Les compares this to people today who 'almost fight tooth and nail' against coming out from under legalism into the glory of God's grace.
Paul's Background as a Persecutor
Les explains that Paul's earlier persecution of Jewish believers and his later grace revelation created a barrier between him and the Jewish people in the Corinthian assembly.
'I Follow Jesus, Not Paul' Today
Les says when he teaches that doctrine comes from Paul, people today rebel and say they follow Jesus, which mirrors the Corinthian 'I follow Christ' faction.
The 'I Follow Christ' Faction
Those who said 'we follow Christ' did so because they felt Jesus was the one who had brought everything to pass and instituted the work of the cross.
Judaizers' Opposition to Paul
Judaizers followed Paul telling his converts they still had to be circumcised and keep the law; Les says people today still treat Paul much the same way.
Peter's Struggle With Legalism
Peter, having been steeped in Judaism and legalism, found Paul's teaching hard to understand, and today many people likewise fight coming out from legalism into grace.
Jesus' Earthly Words to Jews Under the Law
Les tells a woman who insisted 'we have to go by what Jesus said' that Jesus spoke to the Jew under the law, while Paul reveals the same Jesus from His glorified, ascended position.
Following Paul Means Following the Risen Christ
Following Paul is not a substitute for following Jesus; Paul follows Christ, and believers who follow Paul are following the crucified, risen Lord of glory.
Acts 15: Law-Keeping Believers
In Acts 15, believing Pharisees insisted converts keep the law of Moses, while Paul taught that they are not under the law but under his gospel to the Gentiles.
1 Corinthians 1:12: Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
This is the main passage showing the 'I am of Christ' faction set against Paul, Apollos, and Cephas.
Philippians 3:17: Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.
Paul's command to follow him as an example shows that following Paul is a Scriptural pattern.
Acts 15:5: But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
This records believing Pharisees demanding circumcision and law-keeping, the very pressure that made Paul's gospel hard for Jewish believers to accept.
Les cautions against that approach. Jesus' earthly words were spoken to the Jew under the law, while Paul reveals the words of the same Jesus from His glorified, ascended position as resurrected Lord and Savior. The two are not in opposition.
Yes. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:12 that some said 'I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.' Les says this faction felt Jesus was the one who had instituted the work of the cross.
Les explains that Paul had persecuted early Jewish believers and then received grace revelations, which put a block between him and the Jewish people. Judaizers also followed him insisting that converts keep the law, be circumcised, and practice Judaism.
Not in Les's teaching. Paul reveals the same Jesus from His resurrected position, and Paul himself follows Christ. Following Paul means following the crucified, risen Lord of glory, not the Jesus of Nazareth on the dusty roads.
Watch the Teaching: Why Carnal Believers Are Still Blameless — 1 Corinthians 1:8-9