If You Reject Paul, You Reject God’s Word
Some say Paul changed the gospel or doesn’t belong in the Bible. But Scripture proves otherwise. Paul was chosen by Jesus, led by the Spirit, and affirmed by the apostles. To reject Paul is to question the Word of God itself.
There’s a growing number of people saying Paul doesn’t belong in the Bible. That he changed the gospel. That his message doesn’t match what Jesus taught. Some even call him a false apostle. But when you actually open your Bible and read it — not just pieces here and there — you’ll see that’s not the truth.
Paul didn’t appoint himself. He didn’t rise up out of nowhere with a new gospel. He was chosen by Jesus Himself. Jesus called him “a chosen instrument of Mine” in Acts 9:15. The gospel Paul preached wasn’t passed down to him by Peter or James — he says clearly in Galatians 1:11–12 that it came by revelation from Jesus Christ. He wasn’t speaking on his own. He was led by the Holy Spirit, just like the prophets of old.
The early church didn’t reject Paul. They didn’t question his calling. In fact, the apostles extended him the right hand of fellowship (Galatians 2:9), and Peter even referred to Paul’s letters as Scripture in 2 Peter 3:15–16. That’s a strong witness.
Paul didn’t change the gospel. He explained it. He took what Jesus taught — grace, faith, repentance, the coming of the Kingdom — and showed what that looked like in the Gentile world. He didn’t preach law, he preached Christ. His words line up with what Jesus said. Read Romans 6. Read Ephesians 2. Read Galatians 3. It's the same message, just unpacked for a wider audience.
When it comes to the issue of food, some people twist Paul’s words. But he wasn’t teaching rebellion — he was teaching liberty in Christ. Jesus already said in Mark 7:18–19 that food doesn’t defile a person, and “by this He declared all foods clean.” God also told Peter in Acts 10:15, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” Paul simply stood on that same truth when he wrote in Romans 14:14, “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.” And in 1 Timothy 4:3–5, he warned against those who forbid foods, reminding us that “everything created by God is good.”
Paul never led people away from Christ — he called them deeper into Him.
If Paul’s words don’t belong in Scripture, then you have to ask yourself something much bigger. Do you believe God is sovereign? Because if you do, then you believe He protected His Word. That He put in what belonged, and kept out what didn’t. To say Paul was a false teacher is to say God allowed lies into the very book that is supposed to lead us to truth. That doesn’t hold up.
You can’t tear Paul out of the Bible without tearing down the authority of Scripture itself. And once you do that, what do you really have left?
“What I write is not for everyone, but what I write is meant for someone.” – Dean Butler
I am the author of two books: Embracing God's Wisdom: A Journey of Faith and Reflection and Embracing God’s Wisdom: Paul’s Commands for Victorious Living. Both are available on Amazon.
This work may be shared for ministry or personal use, but please credit the author when doing so. © Dean Butler – Dean’s Bible Blog. All rights reserved.
Please reach out at: hopeinchrist2024@yahoo.com
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service.” (1 Timothy 1:12)
