Were the apostles less loving and more condemning

[Mary Naeem]

Love and Rebuke Expressed in Apostles' Teaching

Were the apostles less loving and more condemning in their teachings than Jesus was?
A. Love and Rebuke in Jesus' Teaching
Jesus taught the importance of love, and that love requires obedience.

Matthew 22:36-40 - Loving God and our fellowman are the greatest two commands.

John 14:15 - If we love Him, we will keep his commands.

[Matthew 7:12; John 13:34,35; 14:21-14]
Jesus plainly rebuked those who rebelled against the truth He taught from God.

John 8:24 - He said those who did not believe in Him would die in sin.

Matthew 22:29 - He said the Sadducees were in error for rejecting the resurrection.

Matthew 23 (esp. vv 14,15,25-28,33) - He plainly rebuked Pharisees for hypocrisy.

[Matthew 7:24-27; 15:1-14; Mark 16:16; 8:33,38; 12:27; John 5:42; 8:24,41-55; Matthew 21:12,13]
B. Love and Rebuke in the Apostles' Teaching
The apostles also taught the importance of love and that love requires obedience.

1 John 3:14-18 - Some people call John the "apostle of love," because he showed our need to love like Jesus loved. [4:7-5:2]

1 John 5:3 - But John taught that this is the love of God, that we keep his commands. [2 John 6]
The apostles also plainly rebuked people who rebelled against the truth they taught from God.

Acts 8:20-23 - Peter plainly rebuked a member of the church (Simon) for trying to purchase a power that he had no right to have.

2 John 9-11 - The apostle of love said anyone who would not abide in Jesus' teaching (which the apostles delivered), did not have God.

[2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 John 2:18-22; 4:6; James 2:10; Revelation 22:18,19]
C. Love and Rebuke in the Teaching of Paul

Did he show less love or more condemnation than did Jesus or the other apostles?
Paul also taught the importance of love and that love requires obedience.

1 Corinthians 13 - The chapter on love was written by Paul.

Galatians 5:6 - But what avails in Christ is faith working through love.

[Ephesians 5:25-33; Romans 8:35-39; 13:8-10]
Paul also plainly rebuked people who rebelled against truth he taught.

Acts 13:6-11 - He called Elymas a son of the Devil and an enemy of righteousness.

Galatians 1:6-9 - Those who preach a different gospel are accursed.

[2 Thessalonians 3:6-14; 1:7-9; Romans 16:17; Galatians 2:4,5,11]
Conclusion

The real lesson to be learned from a study such as this is, not the contrast between the teaching of Jesus and that of the apostles, but rather the harmony that exists. Regardless of what inspired man taught the message, it was consistent with and equally authoritative as other inspired teaching, because it all came from the same source.

The only real question that remains to be answered is whether or not we are willing to submit ourselves to the teaching. We receive the blessings the message offers and avoid the consequences it warns us about, only if we believe the message and obey it.