Why do Paul’s letters lack many of Jesus’ teachings from the Gospels?

Paul’s Letters and the Teachings of Jesus

1. Context and Purpose of Paul’s Epistles

Paul’s letters were written as correspondence to specific churches and individuals, addressing immediate concerns related to doctrine, church discipline, and practical Christian living. Unlike the Gospels—comprehensive narratives establishing the identity and ministry of Christ—Paul’s letters often emphasize clarifying theological truths about salvation, unity, and holiness for congregations grappling with real-world challenges. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 1:10, Paul appeals that all believers “agree together,” aiming to resolve divisions rather than recount a variety of Christ’s teachings. The priority in these epistles is to apply Christ’s redemptive work rather than present a biographical account of His words.

2. Available Oral Tradition and Early Church Teaching

In the decades following Christ’s resurrection, much of His teaching was preserved in a rich oral tradition. Early believers, including those in Corinth, Galatia, and other regions, would regularly hear recollections of Christ’s words from firsthand witnesses or from established teachers. References in passages like 1 Corinthians 15:1–8 show that Paul relied on accepted apostolic tradition concerning Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. When Paul addresses moral or theological issues (Romans 12:1–2; Galatians 5:16–25), he draws from the overarching teachings of Jesus, even if he does not quote them extensively. This was natural within a culture that highly valued learning through oral instructions received from apostles and other eyewitnesses (Acts 2:42).

3. Paul’s Apostolic Authority and Revelation

Paul, commissioned as an apostle, describes receiving revelation of the gospel message directly from the risen Christ (Galatians 1:11–12). He expresses a deep conviction that his teaching aligns with the Lord’s command. For example, in 1 Corinthians 7:10, Paul acknowledges the authority of “the Lord” in matters of marriage, and in 1 Corinthians 9:14, he refers to Jesus’ teaching on financial support for ministers: “the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” The emphasis on Christ’s overarching authority shows Paul’s alignment with the essence of Jesus’ teachings, albeit conveyed through direct apostolic revelation and application to the contexts he addressed.

4. Preservation of Narrative Detail in the Gospels

The Gospels emerged as written documentation of Jesus’ teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection primarily to preserve a narrative record of His earthly ministry. Archaeological findings like the early papyri (e.g., P52, often dated to the second century) corroborate the early circulation of the Gospel accounts, ensuring that detailed teachings of Jesus were carefully preserved by dedicated authors and communities. Paul focused on building upon these foundational truths through pastoral counsel and theological explanation. Consequently, Paul often assumes the believers already know the main events and teachings of Christ, devoting his letters to illustrating how believers should live in light of that knowledge (Romans 6:1–14).

5. The Theological Emphasis on Christ Crucified and Risen

A key factor is Paul’s repeated emphasis on the crucifixion and resurrection as the core of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). This theological focus, often termed the “Christ event,” serves as the foundation for Christian belief and practice. For instance, Philippians 2:6–11 underscores the humility and exaltation of Christ, urging imitators of His mindset. Rather than extensively reproducing numerous parables or direct quotations of Jesus, Paul highlights the redemptive work accomplished by Him. In doing so, Paul anchors every moral and spiritual teaching in the transformative reality of Christ’s atoning death and victorious resurrection.

6. Paul’s Reliance on Jesus’ Core Ethics

Ample passages in Paul’s letters echo Christ’s core ethical principles. In Romans 13:8–10, the call to love one another encapsulates teachings such as those in Matthew 22:37–40, even though Paul does not cite the Gospel text directly there. He consistently conveys the heart of Jesus’ moral instructions: humility, love, and service (Ephesians 5:1–2). His exhortations to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2) and to act in self-sacrificial love mirror Christ’s statement in John 13:34–35 about loving one another as He has loved. Thus, the substance of Jesus’ teaching is woven throughout Paul’s letters in principle and application.

7. Circumstances Shaping the Epistles’ Content

Early churches faced challenges: division (1 Corinthians), controversy over Jewish vs. Gentile practices (Galatians), questions of Christian liberty (Romans and 1 Corinthians), and threats of false teaching (Colossians, 2 Thessalonians). These contextual factors steered Paul’s content. He addressed what was pressing, ensuring the believers’ faith remained Christ-centered and orthodox. By focusing on these issues, Paul supplemented the believers’ existing knowledge of Christ’s words with inspired apostolic guidance on daily Christian living.

8. Affirmation of Paul’s Message by Other Apostles

Scripture attests to the harmony between Paul’s teachings and the teachings of Jesus. In 2 Peter 3:15–16, Peter refers to Paul’s writings as Scripture, reflecting an early acknowledgment of their divine authority. This convergence reveals that what Paul taught was understood as complementary to the Gospels. Historical Christian manuscripts (such as the Chester Beatty Papyri for Paul’s letters) show careful preservation, demonstrating how the early Church affirmed Paul’s writings as consistent with Christ’s message and foundational to understanding how to live according to the Lord’s commands.

9. Conclusion and Unity of Scripture

Paul’s letters do not contradict or neglect the teachings of Jesus. Instead, they address the specific issues of new congregations through the lens of Christ’s accomplished work. The Gospels furnish the detailed narrative and teachings of Jesus, while Paul’s epistles expound on the theological and pastoral implications of those teachings.

In the grand scope of Scripture, all of these writings align to present the same truth: Jesus Christ, His incarnate life, His sacrificial atonement, and His victorious resurrection. As Romans 10:9 declares, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Though Paul’s letters do not replicate every teaching of Jesus found in the Gospels, they remain indispensable for demonstrating how believers can live faithfully in response to the Lord’s redemptive work and the gospel entrusted to the Church.