This is part 2 of a 3-part series on the Essenes, comparing their teachings and beliefs with those of Yeshua:
Part 1: Were Yeshua and Yaakov Essenes? A Comparison of their Similarities
Part 2: The Shocking Similarities between Paul’s teachings and Essene beliefs
Part 3: Why Yeshua was not an Essene – the Vitally Important Differences between Yeshua and the Essenes
Introduction
Interestingly, there are some teachings that Paul proposed which he has in common with the Essenes, which were not taught by Yeshua. For example,
– Paul taught salvation only for believers, the Essenes taught salvation only for Essenes; in contrast, Yeshua taught salvation for everyone who repents and follows God’s commandments
– Paul taught an apocalyptic, literal end of the world, as did the Essenes; Yeshua taught a coming tribulation (a ‘Day of the Lord’), which most people would survive (see end of this article, written with the help of ChatGPT, for what Yeshua taught about a tribulation)
Looking at the similarities between Paul and the Essenes, beliefs not held by Yeshua, it goes to suggest something about Paul’s hidden biography that was claimed by the Jewish followers of Yeshua – that Paul was not a Pharisee, but a captain in the Temple guard, employed in the service of the Sadducean High Priest.
How can these similarities between Paul and the Essenes be?
At festival times, it was common for otherwise fringe Jewish sects to come and preach in the Temple courts, so giving their unorthodox views a mainstream audience. In the Clementine Literature, Paul is portrayed as a captain of the Temple guard (especially in ‘The Ascents of James’). If Paul served in the Temple courts as a Temple guard during festival times, and listened to apocalyptic preachers sympathetic to the Essenes, then he would have easily been influenced by them. This would explain how Paul came to be influenced by sectarian theology.
In addition, his service of the Sadducean priests would highlight why he holds a central belief of Sadducean theology, which is absent from Pharisaic theology: that without blood-sacrifice, there is no atonement. This is a Sadducean belief, not a Pharisaic one.
Essene theology may also explain why it was so important to Paul that Jesus had to be both king and priest. The Essenes believed in two messiahs – a messiah of David, and a messiah of Aaron. In mainstream messianic theology, only the messiah of David was important. The Essene insistence on both, may be why Paul combined both in ‘Jesus Christ’.
These comparisons highlight a genuine and vitally important tension between Paullist theology and Essene sectarianism on the one hand, and Yeshua’s ethical universalism on the other. Below is a carefully delineated list of ideas that Paul shares with Essene-like thinking, but which are not taught by Yeshua (I have provided explicit Paulline references).
1. Salvation confined to an In-Group
Essenes
- Salvation, covenant membership, and divine favour were restricted to the “sons of light” (‘The Community’).
- Outsiders were destined for judgement and condemnation.
- The Community Rule (1QS) repeatedly excludes non-members from salvation.
Paul
Paul explicitly restricts salvation to those “in Christ” (i.e. believers in the Christ-event).
Key Paulline texts
- Romans 10:9 — “If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart… you will be saved.”
- Romans 3:22 — “The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.”
- Galatians 2:16 — “A person is justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 — “To us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
For Paul, salvation is conditional upon belief, not ethical repentance alone.
Yeshua (in contrast)
- Salvation is open to anyone who repents and does God’s will (by following God’s commandments), regardless of group identity.
- Matthew 7:21 — “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’… but the one who does the will of my Father.”
- Luke 10:25–37 — The Good Samaritan is accepted by God without belonging to an in-group.
2. Dualistic Anthropology (the Saved versus the Lost)
Essenes
- Humanity divided into “sons of light” and “sons of darkness”.
- Fixed categories determined by divine election.
- Strong pre-determinism.
Paul
Paul consistently divides humanity into two existential states:
Key Paulline texts
- 1 Corinthians 2:14–15 — “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit…”
- 2 Corinthians 4:3–4 — “The gospel is veiled to those who are perishing.”
- Romans 9:18 — “He has mercy on whom he wills, and he hardens whom he wills.”
This resembles Essene elect / non-elect dualism.
Yeshua (contrast)
- Yeshua uses moral categories (righteous / unrighteous) rather than ontological ones.
- Individuals can always repent and change.
- No fixed “class” of the damned in his ethical teaching.
3. Strong Predestination Language
Essenes
- Explicit belief that God predetermined who would belong to the community and who would not (i.e. who would be saved and who would be damned).
- Human freedom is sharply limited.
Paul
Paul uses strong predestination language, which is absent from Yeshua’s teaching.
Key Paulline texts
- Romans 8:29–30 — “Those whom he foreknew he also predestined…”
- Romans 9:11–13 — Election prior to moral action.
Yeshua (contrast)
- Yeshua never teaches predestination with regards to salvation or damnation.
- He consistently places responsibility on individual human response.
- Luke 13:34 — “How often I wanted to gather your children… but you were unwilling.”
4. Diminishing the Role of Torah Obedience
Essenes
- Replaced Temple/Sanctuary Torah-observance solely with a community-defined interpretation.
- Obedience mattered, but only within the sect’s framework and belief-system.
Paul
Paul relativises Torah obedience as being irrelevant to salvation.
Key Paulline texts
- Romans 3:28 — “Justified by faith apart from works of the law.”
- Galatians 5:4 — “You have fallen away from grace” if you rely on Torah.
- Colossians 2:16 — Food laws and Sabbaths dismissed.
This mirrors the Essene redefinition of covenant obedience, though admittedly in a different direction.
Yeshua (contrast)
- Yeshua upholds Torah ethics explicitly.
- Matthew 5:17–19 — “Not one stroke of a letter will pass from the Torah.”
- Matthew 19:17 — “If you wish to enter eternal life, keep the commandments.”
5. Cosmic, Mystical Salvation Language
Essenes
- Salvation conceived as cosmic deliverance from darkness, not merely ethical reconciliation.
- Heavy angelology and spiritual warfare.
Paul
Paul frames salvation in cosmic-mystical terms, often detached from ethical action.
Key Paulline texts
- Colossians 1:13 — “Rescued us from the dominion of darkness.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:5 — “You are children of light.”
Yeshua (contrast)
- Yeshua speaks of salvation as a restored relationship with God and neighbour.
- Kingdom language is relational, ethical, and practical.
- No heavenly hierarchies or cosmic metaphysics in his moral teaching.
6. Vicarious, Substitutionary Framing of Salvation
Essenes
- Expected divine atonement through suffering of the righteous community, and notably, of the ‘Teacher of Righteousness‘.
- Community suffering had redemptive value.
Paul
Paul makes salvation dependent on belief in a vicarious atoning event — the death of the messiah (Paul‘s equivalent to the ‘Teacher of Righteousness‘).
Key Paulline texts
- Romans 3:25 — Christ as “a sacrifice of atonement through faith.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 — “He became sin for us.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:3 — “Christ died for our sins.”
Yeshua (contrast)
- Yeshua never teaches substitutionary atonement as a requirement for salvation.
- Forgiveness is granted directly upon repentance.
- Luke 15 (Prodigal Son) — forgiveness without sacrifice.
7. Apocalypticism versus Tribulationism
Essenes
- Expected a time of war and struggle to come very soon, when the world would literally come to an end.
Paul
Paul also teaches that the world will soon come to a very definitive end, while Yeshua taught a coming tribulation – a period of severe upheaval, followed by restoration and peace (see this article for the difference between Paul’s apocalypse and Yeshua’s tribulation; for a general description of tribulation versus apocalypse, see this article).
Key Paulline texts
- 1 Corinthians 7:29–31 –“The appointed time has grown very short… those who deal with the world [should live] as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 – “We who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord… will be caught up… in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3 – “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, ‘Peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them, and they will not escape.”
- Philippians 3:20–21 – “Our citizenship is in heaven… he will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.”
Yeshua (contrast)
- Matthew 24:21–22 – “For then there will be great tribulation… but for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.” (this saying assumes that for the sake of the righteous, the world will not be destroyed, but rather the time of tribulation will be cut short)
- Luke 21:24 – “Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (this saying assumes that after Jerusalem is destroyed, it will be rebuilt one day)
- Matthew 5:17–18 – “Until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter… will pass from the law.” (this saying assumes that the earth, like heaven, will continue for a very long time)
Concluding Insight (Very Important)
Paul’s theology moves closer to sectarian Second Temple Judaism (Essenes in particular) than to Yeshua’s ethical, universal, commandment-centred teaching. Where Yeshua says:
“Do the will of God and live,” (and so continue to remain alive as part of God’s Kingdom),
Paul repeatedly emphasises:
“Believe the right thing and be saved” (i.e be taken up into heaven at the apocalypse)
If you want a deeper dive into the parallels between Paul’s theology and Essene beliefs, see my article here.
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This was part 2 of a 3-part series on the Essenes, comparing their teachings and beliefs with those of Yeshua (don’t forget to take a look at the addendum below):
Part 1: Were Yeshua and Yaakov Essenes? A Comparison of their Similarities
Part 2: The Shocking Similarities between Paul’s teachings and Essene beliefs
Part 3: Why Yeshua was not an Essene – the Vitally Important Differences between Yeshua and the Essenes
Addendum: A Deeper Dive into the Parallels between Paul’s Theology and Essene Beliefs