Christians often speak about faith, works, justification, righteousness, eternal life, and perseverance as though the New Testament were a single book that teaches the same thing throughout. However, when examined closely, different New Testament authors present these doctrines in different ways. After reading this post, you will see how different Christian denominations have developed their doctrines by selecting, combining, and interpreting verses from different New Testament authors to support their theological positions, rather than simply following the teachings of Christ as presented in the Gospels.
Theology of the New Testament Authors
| Protestant Doctrine | Gospels / Revelation | General Epistles | Disputed General Epistles | Disputed Pauline Epistles | Authentic Pauline Epistles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Books | Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Revelation | James, 1 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John | 2 Peter, Jude | Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus | Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon |
| Salvation — how are we saved? | Through faith in Jesus expressed in repentance, discipleship, obedience, and perseverance. John 3:16–18; 6:40; Mark 1:15; Matt. 7:21–27; 24:13. | Through faith in Christ, with genuine faith manifested in obedience, love, and perseverance. Jas. 2:14–26; 1 Pet. 1:5–9; 1 John 2:3–6; 5:11–13. | Through God’s grace in Christ, with believers called to persevere in faith and grow in godliness. 2 Pet. 1:3–11; 3:17–18; Jude 20–23. | Through God’s grace and mercy in Christ, not on the basis of human righteous works; salvation produces a life of good works. Eph. 2:8–10; Titus 3:5–8; 2 Tim. 1:9. | Through Christ’s death and resurrection, received through faith; justification is apart from works of the law. Rom. 3:21–28; 4:4–8; 5:1; Gal. 2:16; 3:13–14. |
| Faith — is faith required? | Yes. Belief in Jesus is repeatedly associated with receiving eternal life. John 3:16–18; 5:24; 6:40,47; 11:25–26. | Yes. Faith in Jesus Christ is foundational. James, however, distinguishes living faith from merely verbal or intellectual assent — Jas. 2:14–26. See also 1 Pet. 1:5–9; 1 John 5:1,11–13. | Yes. Faith in Christ is foundational, while perseverance and spiritual growth are strongly emphasized. 2 Pet. 1:1,5–11; Jude 3,20–23. | Yes. Faith is the means by which salvation is received, while good works follow as its intended result. Eph. 2:8–10; Col. 2:12; 2 Tim. 3:15; Titus 3:5–7. | Yes. Justification is through faith rather than works of the law. Rom. 3:28; 4:5; 5:1; Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:9. |
| Works — are works required? | Yes. Obedience, righteousness and perseverance are required. Matt. 7:21–27; 16:27; 19:16–22; 25:31–46; John 15:10,14. Revelation also depicts final judgment according to works — Rev. 20:12–13 — and calls believers to faithful perseverance — Rev. 2:10,26; 14:12. | Yes, genuine faith is expected to produce obedient conduct. James explicitly says that faith without works is dead and that such faith cannot save — Jas. 2:14–17,20,26. He concludes that a person is “justified by works and not by faith alone” — Jas. 2:24. 1 John likewise treats obedience and righteousness as evidence of knowing Christ — 1 John 2:3–6; 3:7–10. | Yes, godliness, perseverance, and righteous conduct are strongly emphasized. 2 Peter calls believers to add virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love to their faith — 2 Pet. 1:5–11. Jude calls believers to remain in God’s love and persevere in the faith — Jude 3,20–23. | No, not as the basis of salvation. Ephesians says salvation is “not a result of works” — Eph. 2:8–9. Titus says God saved us “not because of works done by us in righteousness” — Titus 3:5. Nevertheless, good works are the intended result of salvation — Eph. 2:10; Titus 2:11–14; 3:8. | No, not as the basis of justification. Paul explicitly contrasts justification with works of the law — Rom. 3:28; 4:5; Gal. 2:16. At the same time, Paul expects believers to live in obedience and teaches judgment according to works — Rom. 2:6–13; 6:1–14; Gal. 5:6,13–14; 6:7–9; 2 Cor. 5:10. |
| Justification | Jesus does not present Paul’s later technical formulation of justification by faith. Christ’s teaching emphasizes forgiveness, repentance, righteousness, doing God’s will, and final judgment. Matt. 7:21–27; 12:36–37; Luke 18:9–14. | James explicitly connects justification with works. Abraham’s faith is “completed by his works” — Jas. 2:22 — and James concludes that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone — Jas. 2:21–24. The Johannine letters emphasize righteous conduct as evidence of one’s relationship with God rather than developing a formal doctrine of justification — 1 John 2:29; 3:7–10. | No developed Pauline doctrine of justification. 2 Peter emphasizes God’s grace, knowledge of Christ, spiritual growth, and perseverance — 2 Pet. 1:3–11; 3:18. Jude emphasizes judgment, perseverance, and God’s preserving power — Jude 14–15,20–24. | Justification/salvation is grounded in grace rather than human works. Eph. 2:8–10; Titus 3:5–7. The disputed Pauline letters do not all use identical terminology, but they consistently emphasize God’s grace and Christ’s saving work rather than human merit. | Justification by faith apart from works of the law. Rom. 3:28; 4:5; 5:1; Gal. 2:16. Abraham is presented as justified by faith rather than works — Rom. 4:1–8. |
| Faith + works relationship | Faith in Jesus is inseparable from discipleship, obedience, and perseverance. John 8:31; 14:15; Matt. 7:21–27; 24:13. | Living faith necessarily manifests itself in works. James: “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” — Jas. 2:17. Works demonstrate and complete faith — Jas. 2:18,22. 1 John similarly connects faith in Christ with obedience and righteous living — 1 John 2:3–6; 3:7–10. | Faith is to produce spiritual growth, godliness, and perseverance. 2 Pet. 1:5–11; 3:17–18. Jude calls believers to build themselves up in faith, remain in God’s love, and persevere — Jude 20–23. | Works are the result and purpose of salvation, not its meritorious basis. Eph. 2:8–10; Titus 2:11–14; 3:8. | Faith produces obedience and love, but works of the law are not the basis of justification. Gal. 5:6,13–14; Rom. 6:1–14; 3:28. Paul can therefore affirm both justification apart from works of the law and the necessity of a transformed Christian life. |
| How is eternal life received? | Through belief in Jesus, following Him, obedience, and perseverance. Matt. 19:16–22; Mark 10:17–31; John 3:15–16; 5:24; 6:40,47; 11:25–26. | Through faith in Christ, expressed in continuing fellowship with Him and obedience. 1 John 2:24–25; 5:11–13; Jas. 2:14–26. | In connection with God’s grace in Christ and perseverance in faith and godliness. 2 Pet. 1:10–11; Jude 20–23. | As God’s gracious gift through Christ. Titus 3:5–7; 1 Tim. 6:12,19; 2 Tim. 1:9–10. | As God’s gift through Christ, received through faith. Rom. 5:17,21; 6:23; Gal. 3:14; 6:8; Phil. 3:10–11. |
| Perseverance | Strongly emphasized as necessary for final salvation. “The one who endures to the end will be saved” — Matt. 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13. Revelation repeatedly calls believers to overcome — Rev. 2:10–11,26; 3:5,21. | Strong emphasis on continuing in faith and obedience. 1 Pet. 1:5–9; 1 John 2:24–28. The Johannine letters repeatedly stress abiding or remaining in Christ — 1 John 2:24,28. | Strong emphasis on perseverance in faith and godliness. 2 Pet. 1:5–11; 3:17–18; Jude 20–23. Believers are warned against falling into error and urged to remain steadfast. | Perseverance in faith and godliness is expected. 2 Tim. 2:11–13; 4:7–8; Titus 2:11–14. | Perseverance is expected within the Christian life, alongside confidence in God’s sustaining grace. Rom. 5:3–5; 8:28–39; 1 Cor. 9:24–27; Phil. 1:6; 2:12–13. |
| Final judgment — basis of judgment | Conduct and works are explicitly involved in final judgment. Matt. 16:27; 25:31–46; John 5:28–29. Revelation says the dead are judged according to what they have done — Rev. 20:12–13. | Conduct and works are treated as significant in God’s judgment. Jas. 2:12–13; 5:7–9; 1 Pet. 1:17. 1 John connects righteous conduct with confidence before Christ — 1 John 2:28–29; 3:7–10. | Final judgment and righteous conduct are strongly emphasized. 2 Pet. 3:10–14; Jude 14–15. Both writings connect the coming judgment with a call to holiness and perseverance. | Good works and godly conduct are expected as the fruit of salvation. 2 Tim. 4:1,8; Titus 2:11–14; 3:8. | God judges according to works, while justification is by faith apart from works of the law. Rom. 2:6–13; 14:10–12; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 3:28. These themes are presented together rather than treated by Paul as contradictory. |
| Role of Christ’s righteousness | Christ is the model and source of the righteousness expected of His followers; No imputed righteousness Matt. 3:15; 5:17–20; Rev. 19:11. | Christ is the righteous example and suffers for the unrighteous; No imputed righteousness 1 Pet. 2:21–24; 3:18; 1 John 2:1,29; 3:7. | Christ’s grace, lordship, and saving work are foundational; No imputed righteousness 2 Pet. 1:1; 3:18; Jude 4,21. The emphasis falls on grace, holiness, perseverance, and judgment. | Christ’s saving work is the basis of salvation; Imputed righteousness is conceptual but not explicit. Eph. 2:8–10; Titus 2:11–14; 3:5–7. | Paul explicitly presents righteousness as received through faith in Christ; His righteousness imputed to believers. Rom. 3:21–26; 4:3–8; 5:17–19; 1 Cor. 1:30; Phil. 3:9. |
From the above tabulation, we can clearly see that Christ requires obedience and did not teach the imputation of His righteousness as the basis of our salvation. Paul, on the other hand, taught that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us—that we are justified and receive salvation because of His righteousness.
We can also see two camps of people who created pseudepigraphical texts, which are now considered canonical by mainstream Christianity, and how they attempted to harmonize Christ’s teachings with Paul’s doctrine in interesting ways.
Understanding the differences
Gospels and general epistles which scholars consider as less likely as pseudepigraphical – all agree on the requirement of faith, obedience, righteousness and perseverance as requirement for salvation.
Authentic Pauline letters creates a new concept of imputed righteousness where Christ’s righteousness is imputed on believers and faith is the only requirement.
The Two Camps
There are two camps of people who created pseudepigraphical books trying bring two extreme doctrines closer.
Disputed Pauline Epistles takes most of Paul’s doctrines which does not require obedience for salvation and introduces obedience as a result of salvation.
| Authentic Pauline Epistles | Disputed Pauline Epistles |
| But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. (I Thessalonians 5:8) | Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:14-17) |
Fun Fact: Breastplate of faith and love in armor of God from authentic Pauline epistles becomes breastplate of righteousness in disputed Pauline epistles.
The disputed General Epistles do not differ doctrinally from the Gospels, Revelation, or the other General Epistles. II Peter, in particular, appears to have been specifically composed to justify Paul’s doctrine and his letters by describing them as “hard to understand” while placing greater emphasis on obedience and righteousness.
Fun Fact: Apparently, the entire Protestant doctrine of salvation—“saved by grace through faith”—is conveniently found in the disputed Pauline Epistle of Ephesians. But why worry about the disputed authorship when you can simply declare it Scripture? And how do we establish its authority? By appealing to the equally disputed General Epistle of 2 Peter, which conveniently comes along to vouch for Paul’s letters. So there you have it: one disputed text authenticating another disputed text—a remarkably convenient way to manufacture certainty where the evidence is anything but certain.
It appears that several attempts were made to harmonise the teachings of Christ and Paul in response to the Marcion heresy.
The infographics above illustrate the current doctrinal spectrum of mainstream Protestant denominations, showing the sources from which they derive their doctrines.
Conclusion
The evidence challenges the assumption that the New Testament presents one uniform doctrine of salvation, justification, faith, works, righteousness, and perseverance. Jesus and the General Epistles repeatedly connect salvation with faith, obedience, righteousness, and perseverance, while the authentic Pauline letters place distinctive emphasis on justification by faith apart from works and righteousness received through Christ. The disputed Pauline writings appear to bridge these differing doctrines by presenting obedience as the result of salvation instead of requirement. Rather than forcing New Testament into a predetermined system of harmony, we should allow each author to speak on his own terms and honestly confront the theological differences that emerge.
We should listen to Jesus Christ and seek to obey His teachings. This raises an important question: why do many mainstream Protestant traditions place greater emphasis on doctrines concerning Christ’s righteousness that are not taught by Jesus Himself, rather than emphasizing obedience to His call to live righteously and in holiness for salvation? Let us therefore follow Christ and obey Him, striving to live in righteousness and holiness, so that we may enter into life.