Can you be considered a Christian if you reject Paul as God-given?

[Lon]

I've met a few people recently who reject Paul's writings as nonauthoritative. "He was a good guy, got a lot of stuff wrong." Obviously, I'd think, the impetus is upon sexual sin etc. They believe Christ allows for homosexuality and believe Paul too hard on women.

I would and will argue that if you reject Paul as hand-chosen Apostle of Jesus Christ:
1) You reject Christ
2) You are no longer orthodox
3) You are no longer Christian (cult, half/pseudo Christian)
4) You are required to be a Jew (settled in Acts, but ignoring the difference that was settled and rejecting the authority given to settle the question of difference between gentile and Jew).
5) You are liberal in biblical interpretation and application (your own little god, own interpreter, own authority).
6) The rest of us cannot trust you for Bible interpretation because your view loosely holds any particular as true.

That's off the top. There are many dangers to rejecting any one book of the bible, and more when you hold Paul as unathoritative.

After this must be a discussion upon 'why Paul must be considered gospel, scripture, and the authoritative words of Christ Himself. If one misses the implications, they cannot be considered orthodox (well within Christianity), nor even Christian as it places gentiles outside of the faith unless they completely Judaize barring blood sacrifice. In a word: To reject anything Paul, as authoritative, scripture directly from the Savior, he/she no longer has any ability to become a Christian specifically because the other 11 Apostles abandoned gentile instruction to Christ through Paul.

 

[ttruscott]

All sinners who are legitimate children of GOD are being trained in righteousness...ie, they are all still missing the mark. The crux is not who we are now but who we will be...

 

[Lon]

All sinners who are legitimate children of GOD are being trained in righteousness...ie, they are all still missing the mark. The crux is not who we are now but who we will be...

Yet flat-out rejecting Pauline Apostleship and authority from Christ, IS rejecting Christ (as well as any sense at all of what it means to be gentile Christian). If you reject Paul, you've made a grave error.

 

[Lon]

Chat gpt summary of what is on the table

Spoiler

Whether someone who rejects Pauline apostleship and his writings as Scripture can still be considered a Christian depends on how one defines "Christian." There are several perspectives on this, often tied to denominational beliefs, theological frameworks, and historical interpretations. Here's a breakdown:

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From a Broad, Historical View:​

A Christian is generally defined as someone who:

• Believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
• Accepts the message of salvation through Christ.
• Seeks to follow His teachings.

From this standpoint, it is possible for someone to reject Paul's apostleship or writings and still be considered a Christian if they affirm the core tenets of the Christian faith—especially those grounded in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as presented in the Gospels.

Early Christians existed before Paul wrote anything. Some groups today (like certain Messianic or Torah-observant Christians) prioritize Jesus' direct teachings and may question Paul’s authority, but still follow Jesus faithfully.

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From a Traditional Evangelical or Orthodox View:​

Most mainstream Christian traditions (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant) affirm:

• Paul as a legitimate apostle, appointed by Christ.
• His writings as part of the inspired New Testament canon.

From this view, rejecting Paul’s authority is a serious theological issue, because:

• Paul's epistles form a large part of Christian doctrine (e.g., justification by faith, the nature of the Church, salvation).
• Rejecting them may lead to a distorted or incomplete understanding of the Gospel.

Some would say that rejecting Paul could place someone outside orthodoxy, and possibly outside the Christian faith, depending on what they affirm instead.

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Key Question: What Is Being Rejected, and Why?​

• Are they rejecting Paul entirely (i.e., denying he was a true apostle and saying his letters are false)?
• Or are they critiquing certain interpretations or applications of Paul’s writings?
• Do they affirm the core Gospel message (Jesus’ divinity, death and resurrection, salvation through Him)?

These distinctions matter. Someone could misinterpret or disagree with parts of Paul and still follow Christ sincerely.

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Summary:​

Viewpoint	Can they still be Christian?
Broad definition (follows Jesus, believes in His resurrection and lordship)	Yes
Traditional/orthodox theology (Paul's authority essential to doctrine)	Probably not, or at least severely compromised
Denominational	Varies — some fringe or non-creedal groups accept Jesus but reject Paul and still call themselves Christian

Summary Table​

Group/Sect	Reject Paul?	Still Call Themselves Christian?	Notes
Ebionites (historical)	Yes	Yes	Jewish-Christian; rejected Paul and divinity of Christ
Marcionites (historical)	No (only accepted Paul)	Yes	Rejected OT, only Paul’s writings and edited Luke
Islam	Yes	No	See Paul as a corrupter of Jesus' message
Some Torah-Observant / Hebrew Roots groups	Partially or fully	Yes	Prioritize Torah and Jesus’ teachings
Liberal/Progressive Christians	Partially	Yes	Question Paul’s authority or relevance
Some Black Hebrew Israelites	Partially or fully	Yes	Views vary widely
Some Unitarians	Partially	Yes	Accept Jesus, reject some doctrines from Paul
Red Letter Christians	Prioritize Jesus	Yes	Downplay Paul, but not always fully reject