What are the differences and similarities between the doctrines developed by Paul and Matthew?

Answer 1

None == Similarities are many because Acts and some of Paul's epistles were written first and Matthew was influenced by it. Differences: 1. In whose name is Baptism to be performed?

; Matthew 28 : 19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. :

: Jesus only: : Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 2.Where did Jesus tell his disciples to go after his resurrection? ; Galilee. Matthew 28 : 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. ; Jerusalem. Acts 1 : 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 3. Who bought the potter's field? Matthew 27:6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field : Acts 1:18 Now this man [Judas] purchased a field with the reward of iniquity. 4. How did Judas die? Matthew 27:5 And he [Judas] cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. : Acts 1:18 Now this man [Judas] purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 5. Was Jesus a ransom for many or a ransom for all? For many (not all). Matthew 20:28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. : For all. 1 Timothy 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all.... 6. Is marriage a good thing? :

Yes; Matthew 19:5 : For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife. :

No; 1 Corinthians 7:1 It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ; 1 Corinthians 7 : ;; 7-8 For I [Paul] would that all men were even as I myself. ... It is good for them if they abide even as I. 7. Did Jesus perform many signs and wonders? ; Yes; Acts 2 : 22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. :

No; Matthew 12:39, 16:4. An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. :

8. Is there an unforgivable sin? : Yes; Matthew 12:31-32 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. :

No; Acts 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things.

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: : This is in one sense a difficult question to answer, since Matthew does not develop doctrine as Paul certainly does, but rather seeks to give a record of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Thus the writing of Matthew and the writings of Paul have different purposes.

In addition to this, there are differences of opinion about some of the books of the New Testament as regards Pauline authorship. Matthew is also primarily addressed to a Jewish audience whereas Paul is dealing with issues relating primarily to the proclamation of the Gospel to the Gentiles and with issues which have arisen as the church grew. Matthew, since it is dealing with Jesus and His life and ministry does not deal with issues of church life, although some of Jesus teaching is of course relevant.

This is the kind of question about which some really knowledgeable people would write a whole book.

17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The verses above give a good illustration of some similarities and differences. In the Matthew passage Jesus' teaching stresses the importance of the law as it is a revelation of God to His people. In Matthew 27:51 it is recorded that:

51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

This was, to the Jewish audience to which Matthew wrote, an obvious allusion to the fulfillment of the requirements of the law by Jesus' atoning sacrifice. Thus, in a sense for Matthew, Jesus has Himself fulfilled the law, while Paul stresses the fact that believers themselves fulfill the law by living a Holy Spirit inspired and energized life, but certainly not in the sense of them earning salvation by their own works or effort. This is fully detailed by Paul in Galatians. The fulfillment of the law by believers is for Paul also on the basis of Jesus atoning sacrifice not through the law (Romans 10:4). And so the law is not for either Matthew or Paul the 'basis of righteousness' but only Jesus' atonement wrought on Calvary.

In addition to the above, it must be understood that in Matthew Jesus was contrasting His teachings as the authoritative interpretation of God's intentions for the Jews in giving them the law with the false teachings and emphases which had crept in in His day. These false teachings tended to diminish the force of God's commands and replace them with the 'commandments of men'. Jesus had much more 'anti-clerical sentiment' expressed in Matthew than anywhere else, culminating in the strong words of Matthew 23: 1- 36.

Paul, in Romans 10:3 below speaks of a similar self-righteous attitude which sought by all kinds of law-based actions to achieve righteousness and salvation by works. This really amounted to the Jews establishing their own righteousness. Paul stressed that salvation was by faith and not by works of the law whether one was a Jew or Gentile.

3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. In relation to Abraham, there is also a subject on which to focus an answer to this question. For Paul, Abraham was the 'father of faith' as he discusses at great length in Romans 4. Abraham finds a place in seven verses in Matthew. The first three are in Jesus' genealogy in Matthew 1 verses 1,2 and 17. John the Baptist, according to Matthew, attacked the Jews apparent trust in their blood descent from Abraham rather than their being in a right relationship with God. They needed to repent, rather than have such a false trust. This sound similar to what Paul is trying to point out in Romans 4, that faith is what truly makes a person a 'child of Abraham'.

Regarding the central facts of the Christian faith Paul records in 1 Corinthians 15: 1-7 below, these are the same facts which Matthew records in narrative form in the Gospel account, without the appearance to the 500. The fact that Paul is recording this as 'the gospel...by which also ye are saved...,' is a fulfillment of the 'great commission' of Matthew 28:18-20. 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.