Paul vs. Jesus: Which Gospel Are We Living?

By Joseph Olivarez | The Matthew Mark Foundation

“Take up your cross and follow Me.” – Jesus

“You are saved by grace through faith.” – Paul

Both statements are true. Both come from Scripture. But man… they feel different, don’t they?

Over the past few years, and especially during our weekly Bikes & Bible Verses devotionals, I’ve noticed something: the version of Christianity that most churches teach today often sounds a lot more like Paul than Jesus. And it’s made me stop and ask: Why? Is it because Paul’s version is easier to follow than Jesus’?

Let’s unpack it.

The Gospel of Jesus: A Radical Call to Live Differently

If you read the first four chapters of the Gospel of Mark (which we’ve been doing together on Monday mornings), you’ll notice a theme: Jesus doesn’t play. He’s calling people into a Kingdom that demands sacrifice, love, humility, obedience, and radical compassion.

Here are just a few of Jesus’ commands:

• Deny yourself.

• Take up your cross.

• Sell what you have and give to the poor.

• Love your enemies.

• Forgive, even when it hurts.

• Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.

And let’s not forget the Sermon on the Mount...a teaching that turns the world upside down and makes a lot of us (if we’re honest) very uncomfortable.

Jesus is calling people to live a Kingdom lifestyle, one that changes everything: how you treat people, how you spend money, how you deal with anger, lust, pride, and power.

The Gospel of Paul: Grace Through Faith

Now enter Paul, the most prolific New Testament writer, author of letters to churches across the Roman Empire. He teaches us that:

• We are saved by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8).

• The Law has been fulfilled by Christ.

• We are justified, not by our obedience, but by believing in Jesus (Romans 3:28).

• All are welcome: Jew or Gentile because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Paul is writing to people who didn’t grow up with the Torah. He’s explaining how the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus changed everything, and how salvation is now available to everyone through faith.

His focus is theological, cosmic and redemptive. And it’s beautiful. But here’s where it gets complicated.

So… Which One Is Easier?

Let’s be honest.

Jesus’ message is hard. Not because it’s unclear, but because it demands something from us. It requires obedience, transformation, and sometimes even suffering.

Paul’s message, as often preached today, can sound easier. It’s about belief. It’s grace-centered, and it seems to ask less of us on the surface.

Now to be fair, Paul didn’t have an “easy” gospel. He talks about being crucified with Christ, living by the Spirit, and enduring suffering. He didn’t live a cushy life. He was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and eventually martyred.

But the way Paul’s letters have been interpreted, systematized, and preached, especially in modern American churches, often downplays the call to radical discipleship. Instead, we hear things like:

• “Just believe in Jesus and you’re saved.”

• “You don’t have to change anything, God loves you as you are.”

• “You’re under grace, not law.”

All true… but also incomplete if we don’t pair that with the rest of the Gospel.

Is This Why Pauline Christianity Is More Popular Today?

I think so.

We live in a me-first, comfort-obsessed, consumer culture. In a world like that, Jesus’ commands: die to yourself, give sacrificially, follow the narrow path...just doesn't preach well. They're harder to market. They don’t fill stadiums or grow Instagram followers.

But Paul’s gospel, especially when simplified into a salvation formula: believe, be saved, done...is much easier to digest, package, and sell. It fits our culture better. You can keep your lifestyle, your money, your opinions, your pride… and still go to heaven? Sounds like a win, right?

But it’s a half-truth.

Jesus vs. Paul… or Jesus and Paul?

This isn’t about pitting Jesus and Paul against each other. It’s about recognizing the imbalance in how we often teach and live the faith.

Jesus preached the Kingdom. Paul explained the cross. Both matter.

But if we’re only preaching Paul, and even then, only a stripped-down version of his theology...we risk missing the heart of Jesus entirely.

A Faith That Costs Nothing… Isn’t Worth Much

Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer called it “cheap grace”, the idea that you can have salvation without repentance, faith without discipleship, forgiveness without transformation.

That’s not what Jesus taught. And honestly, it’s not even what Paul taught.

Jesus wants your whole life.

Paul wants you to die to your old self.

The Holy Spirit wants to make you new.

That’s not easy. But it is good.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever felt that tension between the radical words of Jesus and the comforting grace of Paul, you’re not alone. It’s worth wrestling with.

We need both:

• The Kingdom vision of Jesus.

• The grace-filled theology of Paul.

But we can’t let one cancel out the other. Following Jesus isn’t just about believing something. It’s about becoming someone new.