Perhaps first we should consider the question: Who was Paul?
He is believed to be the author of 1st and 2nd Corinthians—letters he wrote to his churches. The writings widely accepted as authentically written by Paul include Romans, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon.
Other letters—such as Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus—are thought by most scholars to have been written by followers or disciples of Paul using his authority.
Out of the 27 books in the New Testament, Paul is believed to have influenced 13 books or writings.
Paul Before His Conversion
Prior to his conversion, Paul was deeply involved in persecuting Christians, a fact affirmed in both the Book of Acts and in his own letters.
Paul—then known as Saul of Tarsus—was a loyal Pharisee, one of the sects many believe responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion.
In Galatians 1:13–14, Paul wrote:
“You have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.
I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.”
He never met Jesus in life and viewed the early followers of “The Way” as a dangerous sect threatening Judaism’s purity.
A Pharisee was a member of an ancient Jewish sect distinguished by strict observance of traditional and written law, often regarded as having pretensions to superior sanctity.
Saul the Persecutor
The Book of Acts (7:58–9:2) describes Saul as:
“Breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.”
He actively hunted early Christians and approved of the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr. Saul was not a disciple or follower, but an enemy of Christ’s message.
The Damascus Road Experience 
Everything changed through a mystical event—not a human meeting with Jesus, but a direct inner revelation.
“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’”
(Acts 9:3–4)
He asked, “Who are you, Lord?”
The voice replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Paul’s transformation represents the shift from outer religion to inner revelation.
Before, he was bound by the Law—a system of ritual, hierarchy, and external authority.
After his awakening, he experienced Christ as an indwelling presence, saying:
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
Did Paul Teach Jesus’ Beliefs—or His Own?
Jesus was a thorn in the Pharisees’ side. He spoke directly to the Jewish people, and the Pharisees were losing their hold over them.
In John 8:12 Jesus said:
“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
And in the Gospel of Thomas (Saying 24), Jesus said:
“His disciples said to him, ‘Show us the place where you are, since it is necessary for us to seek it.’
He said to them, ‘Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is light within a person of light, and it lights up the whole world. If it does not shine, it is darkness.’”
The Seven Woes and the Hypocrisy of the Pharisees
In Matthew 23, Jesus spoke to the crowds, warning against hypocrisy and pronouncing the seven woes upon the teachers of the law and the Pharisees.
“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
‘The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.
So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example.
For they don’t practice what they teach.
They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.’” (Matthew 23:1–4)
Matthew 23 is an enlightening passage for those exploring Paul’s writings. It’s often referred to as “The Seven Woes” or “The Denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees.”
It stands as one of Jesus’ most direct and fiery teachings—a spiritual unveiling of religious hypocrisy and a warning against outward religiosity without inner transformation.
This chapter is not merely a historical rebuke; it also symbolizes thefinal purification of the soul before illumination.
In Matthew 23:15, Jesus says:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.”
Similarly, in the Gospel of Thomas (Saying 3), Jesus said:
“If those who lead you say to you, ‘See, the kingdom is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede you.
If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you.
Rather, the kingdom is inside of you and it is outside of you.
When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father.
But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty, and it is you who are that poverty.”
Paul’s Pharisaic Roots
Paul was a Pharisee, loyal to the traditions of Yahweh, the Jewish God.
Jesus directly confronted the Pharisees in John 8:44:
“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires.
He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.
When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Did Paul Contradict Jesus’ Message? 
Did Paul go against Jesus’ message in Matthew 23:15 when, in 1 Corinthians 9:22, he wrote:
“To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.
I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some”?
Or did later scribes, church editors, or Roman authorities alter the meaning of his words?
Each person must come to their own conclusion. It’s important to see Paul as human, with the same complexities and contradictions we all possess.
According to Psychology Today, “our memories are fallible, our perceptions are unreliable, and our worldview—no matter how strongly believed—may be contrary to fact and even physical law.”
The Deeper Message
The Bible is a wonderful guide, but to truly find God, one must look within—the essence of Jesus’ true message.
It’s about love, forgiveness, and helping one another, regardless of religion or belief system.
It’s about waking each morning with gratitude, knowing that the power of God is with you every moment of every day.
That is what Jesus meant in the Gospel of Thomas (Saying 1) when he said:
“Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death.”
Follow my blog as we explore and interpret the 114 hidden sayings of Jesus, discovered in 1945 and preserved in the Nag Hammadi Library — ancient keys to spiritual understanding and awakening in today’s world.
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