Principle seven: to read Paul properly, we must always remember that the supremacy of​ Jesus overshadows everything else in his life. Paul’s faith is Christ-centered.

The Hebrew word Mashiach transliterates into English as “Messiah.” Transliteration is the practice of one language borrowing from another. Just like the Greek word Christos is transliterated as “Christ.” When Paul uses the word Christos, he means it in the Hebraic sense of Mashiach (Messiah). Regrettably, the idea gets lost in translation.

I find it helpful to think in these terms: Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, is the Savior of the human race, indeed the entire cosmos.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7).

For Paul, Christ Jesus is always at the center of it all.

If you have​ ​been a​ ​Christian​ ​for​ ​a​ ​while and are developing an appreciation of the Jewish roots of our faith, I have something to say to you. I have seen people become more enamored with Judaism and the Torah than with Jesus.​ ​​​One​ ​Christian​ ​scholar​ ​teaching​ ​at​ ​an​ ​Orthodox​ ​Jewish Yeshiva​ ​in​ ​Jerusalem​ ​told​ ​me​ ​there​ ​are​ ​four​ ​people​ ​there​ ​who​ ​are​ ​Christians. They are​ ​studying​ ​as​ ​potential​ ​proselytes to​ ​Judaism. ​One​ ​of​ ​them is​ ​a​ ​former​ ​Christian​ ​missionary.​

In one way, I get it. Once you come to see how the historical church’s incredible distortion of Judaism and Torah led to the Constantinian transformation of Christianity and the rejection of our Hebraic heritage, there is a tendency to overreact. It is like an equal-arm scale with too much weight on one side. By adding weight to achieve balance, it is possible to go too far the other way. If left unchecked, this can go to the point where people end up rejecting Jesus’ messianic and divine identity and converting to Judaism.

Let​ ​me​ ​be​ ​crystal​ ​clear​. I could not be more​ ​firmly​ ​opposed to​ ​it.

I stand with Paul: the coming of Christ was the central event of human history and must be the central event in all our lives.​ Paul valued the Hebrew Scriptures and was an observant Jew, unlike any of us will ever be. But compared to the surpassing glory of​ Jesus, ​all​ ​else for him paled by comparison. Like him, every priority must be reordered in relationship to​ our Lord.

This is the view of Paul,​ ​and​ ​it pervades​ ​his​ ​writings.​ ​​​It is​ ​not​ ​that​ ​he​ ​rejects​ ​the​ ​Law;​ ​he holds it in high esteem and continues to observe it as a Jew.​ ​​​It is​ ​not​ ​that​ ​he​ ​rejects​ ​Judaism as​ ​a​ ​degenerate​ ​and​ ​legalistic​ ​religion. ​​​He​ ​deals​ ​with​ ​particular​ ​little groups​ ​and​ ​has​ ​very​ ​little​ ​patience​ ​with​ ​them​ ​because​ ​he​ ​knows​ ​the​ ​spirit​ ​that​ ​is pushing​ ​them​ ​is​ ​the​ ​same​ ​spirit​ ​that​ ​propelled​ ​him​ ​to​ ​persecute​ ​the​ ​church.​ ​​​So​ ​he​ ​turns around​ ​and​ ​in​ ​no​ ​uncertain​ ​terms​ ​calls​ ​it out for​ ​what​ ​it​ ​is.​

For​ ​Paul,​ ​the​ ​Torah​ ​did​ ​not and can​not do what​ ​Jesus​ ​did.​ Nor ​was it ever​ ​intended​ ​to. He​ ​did​ ​not​ ​make​ ​the​ ​Law​ ​a rival​ ​to​ ​Christ,​ ​though​ ​there​ ​were​ ​some​ ​who​ ​did.​ ​​​From​ ​his point​ ​of​ ​view,​ ​if​ ​the​ ​Law​ ​is​ ​compared​ ​to​ ​Christ,​ ​in​ ​every​ ​case​ ​the​ ​Law​ ​will​ ​lose.​ Compared​ ​to​ ​Jesus,​ ​who is God’s Word​ ​incarnate,​ ​the​ ​Torah​ ​itself​ ​takes​ ​second​ ​place, always.
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Think about this: Paul would have avoided much conflict if he simply held and promoted the view, like some do today, of what is called “dual covenant” theology. This approach holds that God has made a way for the Gentiles to enter into a covenant relationship with the God of Israel through Jesus, while the Jewish way remains through Moses.​ ​​​​But that is not​ ​what​ ​he taught; it is not what he wrote.​

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:21-24).​

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility (Ephesians 2:13-16).

Paul​ ​is​ ​saying​ ​here​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​in​ ​other​ ​texts​ ​that​ ​both​ ​the​ ​Jew​ ​and the​ ​non-Jew​ ​enter​ ​into​ ​God’s​ ​redemptive​ ​activity​ ​in​ ​the​ ​earth​ through​ ​faith​ ​in​ ​Messiah Jesus.​ ​​​​​That was certainly controversial to his fellow Jews and even certain Jewish Christians. And they persecuted him for it. His stand for Christ cost him.

Another​ ​divisive​ ​issue​ ​for​ ​Paul​ ​was​ ​the​ ​divinity of​ ​Jesus.​

​​​We know there were small​ ​communities​ ​of​ ​Jewish​ ​believers that persisted into the second,​ ​third,​ ​and​ ​fourth​ ​centuries that​ ​consider​ed ​themselves​ ​fully Jewish. They were Torah-observant, and they believed ​Jesus was indeed the Jewish Messiah. But they did not believe he was divine. They​ ​considered​ ​that​ ​a​ ​heresy​ ​concocted​ ​by​ ​Paul.​ Instead, they thought of Jesus as an exalted agent, elevated in angelic dimensions as God’s messenger.

But for Paul, Jesus was so much​ ​more​ ​than​ ​that.​ ​​​The truth is ​something​ far more profound. In 1 Corinthians 8:6, he honors the venerable Jewish “Shema” while brilliantly expanding it to accommodate the New Covenant revelation: For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

As we have learned, dear friends, Paul​ ​is​ ​not​ ​moderate​ ​about​ ​much​ ​of​ ​anything. He is a passionate man.​ He was uncompromising concerning the divine identity of the rabbi from Nazareth. And again, it cost him dearly. It was heresy to the Jews then, and it is still to this day. For the most part, Judaism sees Paul, not Jesus, as the founder of Christianity.

The divinity of Christ within biblical monotheism is a critical and meaningful topic.

I cannot get into all that right now; I have done an in-depth study on the subject elsewhere. Suffice it to say, the very thought would never have been entertained by or even crossed the mind of a fervent Pharisee like Paul in the First Century. It was revealed to him, as it was to his fellow apostle, Peter (see Matthew 16:16).

There is so much to be said about this seventh principle, but I want to stop here and let the transformational power of it all really sink in. These things tend to become overly familiar to us. But they changed everything for him. My prayer is that we come to see the radical nature of Paul’s Christocentricity with new eyes. It is on full display in Romans 8:9:

• You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
• Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

The Spirit of God—the Holy Spirit—is the Spirit of Messiah Jesus! That is astounding. But there is even more: If Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness (10).