David Wenham, in his bookPaul: Follower of Jesus or Founder of Christianity?, answers this question with a resounding NO! In this detailed work, Wenham examines the record of the Gospels and the Pauline corpus, seeking both verbal and conceptual similarities that make hard the case for a Paul with no interest or knowledge in the historical Jesus.

Because this is an area of some contention, it is good that Wenham takes care in putting his case together. He does not overstate the implications of the data, which is quite strong enough as it is. Material is categorized by subject matter with a regularized structure that looks at the teachings of Paul and Jesus individually before making comparisons and drawing conclusions.

We would have liked to have seen more development in the area of why Paul makes use of Jesus' teachings in the way he does, and the reader is forewarned that Wenham's prose, and the inevitably necessary structure of the arguments make reading this book something of a jalopy ride. Nevertheless, we highly recommend it as the latest and most effective salvo in the war over the relationship between Jesus the Teacher and Paul His disciple and follower.