Did Jesus warn us about Paul? This is a question Christians have debated, particularly among those who emphasize Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels and those who believe the entire New Testament, including Paul’s letters, carries divine authority.

The Gospels do not record Jesus explicitly warning His followers about Paul by name. Paul became a follower of Jesus after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, when he claimed to have encountered the risen Christ. Therefore, Jesus could not have named Paul as a known disciple during His earthly ministry. What Jesus did warn about, however, was the danger of false prophets, false teachers, and people who would claim religious authority while leading others astray.

For example, in Matthew 7:15–20, Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing.” He then teaches that they can be recognized by their fruits. In Matthew 24:4–5, 11, and 24, Jesus warns that false messiahs and false prophets will arise and deceive many people. Mark 13 contains similar warnings.

Because Jesus does not identify specific future individuals, Christians have reached different conclusions about whether these warnings could apply to Paul.

The Mainstream Christian View

Most Christian traditions, including Catholic, Orthodox, and the vast majority of Protestant churches, believe Paul was a genuine apostle. They point to several reasons for this conclusion.

First, Paul claimed that the risen Jesus appeared to him. His conversion is described in Acts 9, and Paul later refers to his encounter with the risen Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:8.

Second, Paul’s ministry was eventually recognized by other apostles. In Galatians 2, Paul describes meeting Peter, James, and John and receiving recognition of his mission to the Gentiles.

Third, 2 Peter 3:15–16 refers to Paul’s letters and speaks of them alongside “the other Scriptures.” Scholars debate the authorship and dating of 2 Peter, but the book became part of the New Testament canon in most Christian traditions.

From this perspective, Jesus’ warnings about false teachers do not refer to Paul. Instead, they are understood as general warnings about people who would distort the Christian message.

The Minority View

Some individuals and groups, however, argue that Paul distorted or changed aspects of Jesus’ original message. They point to perceived differences between Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels and Paul’s letters. They also point to Jesus’ warnings about false teachers and to passages in which Paul strongly defends his own apostleship against his critics, particularly in Galatians and 2 Corinthians.

Those who hold this view may believe that Jesus’ warnings could include Paul, but this is an interpretation rather than something explicitly stated in the biblical text.

Jesus gives His followers a test for discernment: “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). Rather than providing a list of future individuals to trust or reject, Jesus gives a principle by which His followers can evaluate teachers and their teachings.

So, did Jesus specifically warn us about Paul? Based strictly on the biblical text, no. Jesus never mentions Paul by name or says that Paul would become a false apostle.

Could Jesus’ general warnings about false prophets and false teachers be interpreted as applying to Paul? Some people believe they can, while the historic and majority Christian position is that they do not.

Ultimately, the text itself does not identify Paul as the subject of Jesus’ warnings. Evaluating Paul therefore requires examining his teachings, comparing them with Jesus’ teachings, and applying the principles Jesus Himself gave: “You will recognize them by their fruits.”

As for my personal conclusion, I believe Paul was a fraud and that his teachings should be examined critically rather than automatically assumed to carry the same authority as the direct teachings of Jesus. I recognize that this is a minority position within Christianity, but I believe Christians should be willing to investigate the issue for themselves rather than simply accepting tradition.