Reflective Paper on Paul
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Reflective Paper: Paul Revisited
Joy M. Tolle
NBST520: New Testament Orientation II (D07)
December 10, 2023
Contents
Introduction
....................................................................................................................................
3
Video Reflection
.............................................................................................................................
3
Paul’s Life
.......................................................................................................................................
5
Paul’s Letters
..................................................................................................................................
9
Paul’s Theology
............................................................................................................................
13
Significance
...................................................................................................................................
15
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................
17
Bibliography
.................................................................................................................................
18
ii
3
Introduction
Paul was the most prolific writer of the New Testament, and much of the church’s theology is derived from his work. Since “Paul had extensive formal training in rabbinic interpretation of the Old Testament” notes Elwell and Yarbrough;
1
this heavily influenced his thinking as the Holy Spirit led him to write.
2
Paul was a predominate leader in the development of the early church,
3
and later became known as the “’apostle to the Gentiles’ (Gal. 2:8, English Standard Version, Crossway, 2001).”
4
Paul was also a highly “controversial figure”
5
in his time. Bird writes in the Four Views on the Apostle Paul
, “You do not get beaten, flogged, imprisoned, and stoned without saying and doing things that are deemed controversial, offensive, and even subversive.”
6
And Paul persists as a controversial figure today; his writings can inspire believers to follow him as he followed Christ (1 Cor. 11:1), or incite division among fellow believers debating what Paul “meant by his few remarks on Israel, homosexuality, women, spiritual gifts, and the end times.”
7
Video Reflection
This student’s fieldwork video on the life of Paul gave a condensed version of facts on Paul: his “pedigree” as a Jew, his vast education as a scholar, his driving dedication to eliminate Christians, his Damascus Road experience, and the resulting conversion and/or calling from that 1
Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough, Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey
, Third Edition., Encountering Biblical Studies (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013), 15.
2
Ibid.
3
Ibid, 215.
4
Ibid, 217.
5
Michael F. Bird, “Introduction,” in
Four Views on the Apostle Paul
, ed. Stanley N. Gundry and Michael F.
Bird, Zondervan Counterpoints Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 9.
6
Ibid.
7
Ibid, 10.
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4
event which explained why he no longer persecuted Christians. The video shared the wide ranging “personalities” of some of his letters, from scathing criticism for ungodly lifestyle practices
8
(1 Cor 5:1), to gratitude (Eph. 1:3, 16) and encouragement (2 Tim. 1:6-8). Since recording the video and going through course work from this New Testament orientation class, this student’s perspective, knowledge, and appreciation of Paul has deepened and broadened. The facts about Paul remain, but the background and purpose behind Paul’s actions and writings are better understood by this student and incorporated into the understanding of who Paul was as Saul, a Jewish scholar persecuting the Christians (Phil. 3:6), and who Paul was after his conversion and calling, his motivations, actions, and teaching. One example of a new perspective on Paul was that this student had never considered Paul’s Damascus Road experience anything but a conversion. Now there is an understanding that
the experience might also be considered a call, as was indicated by George Eldon Ladd.
9
Commentaries
10
and study Bibles
1112
discuss Paul’s experience in Acts 9 as a powerful, rapid transformation.
13
The account in Acts 9 says that Paul appeared to recognize Christ as Lord in the
voice speaking to him, and that he was told to “rise and enter the city and…be told what to do” 8
Elwell and Yarbrough
, Encountering the New Testament,
270.
9
Robert Wayne Stacy, “Paul’s Damascus Road Experience: Call or Conversion?” (video lecture in NBST 520 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, November 9, 2023). 00:01:00-00:03:50.
10
John F. Woodward and Roy B. Zuck, Gen. Eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament
, David C. Cook, 1983, 375-6.
11
Notes from The Jeremiah Study Bible, English Standard Version (Crossway 2016) (David Jeremiah, Inc, 2019), 1457-8.
12
Notes from The MacArthur Study Bible, Second Edition New American Standard,( La Habra, CA: Lockman Foundation, 2006, 2020), 1420-1.
13
The Jeremiah Study Bible, 1479.
5
(9:6, ESV), which implies that Paul was given an something to do or act upon,
14
so this experience might also be considered a calling. Paul’s Life
This student failed to fully account for Paul’s Jewish background and how it influenced his approach to nearly every aspect of the Christian’s life. Although this student knew Paul was a
devout, well-educated Jew whose life was steeped in Old Testament studies and law,
15
this student did not consider the depth of Paul’s background while reading of Paul’s life in Acts, nor the letters he wrote to various churches and people. As this student has proceeded through the course, the view of Paul is now more fully formed since incorporating Acts, although still focused on his personality and theology as revealed through the epistles. Paul was Jewish but born to Roman citizens in “Tarsus of Cilicia” (Acts 22:1-3), which made him a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25). He was “educated at the feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22:1-3)
and had an outstanding Jewish education. He spoke and wrote Hebrew (Acts 22:2), but also Greek. Living in Tarsus, he was exposed to a Gentile or Greco-Roman culture.
16
He may have used Greek rhetoric in his letters and was highly intelligent as evidenced by his fluency in multiple languages, and his use of logic and arguments in his speeches and letters.
17
Aside from how Paul speaks of himself (Acts 22), there is no autobiography of Paul. Biographical information on Paul’s actions, words, and travels is documented in the book of 14
The Jeremiah Study Bible, 1457.
15
Ibid, 38, 46-7.
16
Stanley E. Porter, The Apostle Paul: His Life, Thought, and Letters
, Eerdmans, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central, 9.
17
Thomas R Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God's Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology
, InterVarsity Press, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, 191.
6
Acts. It appears that Paul was still being called Saul until Acts 13:9, well after his conversion, where he was then “also called Paul.” From this point forward he is called Paul.
Paul does provide a prolific description of himself in Philippians 3:5-6 and paints himself
as having every reason to be more “confident” in the flesh because he was “circumcised on the eighth day,” from the “people of Israel” “of the tribe of Benjamin” and a “Hebrew of the Hebrews.” “As to the law a Pharisee” and “as to zeal, a persecutor of the church” (zeal was the “highest single virtue of religion” as a Jew)
18
“as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” It is interesting to note that Paul did not say he was sinless, only that he was blameless under the Jewish law, and the distinction in this is that Paul outwardly maintained the law, but also revealed to the reader in Romans 7:14-25 that he was evil and needed Christ’s redeeming salvation. Among the pedigree Paul lists above, he also labels himself as “a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1; Titus 1:1). He describes his demeanor as “humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!” (2 Corinthians 10:1).
Paul did not walk away from his heritage and background, nor ignore his education and training. As E.P. Sanders writes, “Paul was and remained a Jew,”
19
but, this student now understands that Paul became so much more than just his heritage and education after his conversion to Christianity. Instead of ignoring his past and his education, he chose to use it as an example of worthlessness when comparing his past with his present and future self. Pitre Brandt calls Paul a “new covenant Jew,”
20
who considered all his former training and even his Jewish heritage as garbage when compared to the riches he gained in his relationship with Christ. Paul 18
The MacArthur Study Bible, 1576.
19
Brant Pitre, et al., Paul, a New Covenant Jew: Rethinking Pauline Theology
, Eerdmans, 2019, ProQuest Ebook Central, 11.
20
Ibid, 12.
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himself writes, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish…that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
21
This student believes Paul wrote from both a Jewish and Greek perspective on a wide array of topics depending on his audience. Being taught under Gamaliel gave him a deep background in Jewish law, but because God called him to take the Gospel to the Gentiles, he would have also written from a Gentile perspective for them. Paul states that “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).
It is possible Paul’s Damascus Road experience could be both a conversion and calling. Paul speaks of this event in Acts 26:12-23 but does not assert that he was “converted” from his pious pursuit of Judaism to Christianity.
22
Paul discloses that he was asked by “a voice… in the Hebrew language” (Acts 26:14) why he was persecuting Jesus. Paul is then told he is appointed “as a servant and witness” (Acts 26:16). Paul’s course of action reveals a heart now directed by Christ, suggesting a conversion experience
23
“in an encounter with…Christ;”
24
his call to share the Gospel immediately followed (Acts 9:16). Paul writes of his “call to be an apostle” (1 Cor. 9:1; 15:8; Gal. 1:15–16; 1 Tim. 1:12),
25
but shares little about his conversion experience.
26
21
Pitre, et al., Paul, a New Covenant Jew
, 15.
22
Robert Wayne Stacy, “Paul’s Damascus Road Experience,” (video lecture in NBST 520 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, November 30, 2023), 00:01:00-00:01:33.
23
Ibid.
24
The Jeremiah Study Bible, 1479.
25
Luke Timothy Johnson, “The Paul of the Letters: A Catholic Perspective,” in Four Views on the Apostle Paul
, ed. Stanley N. Gundry and Michael F. Bird, Zondervan Counterpoints Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 72–73.
26
Stacy, “Paul’s Damascus Road Experience,” 00:06:49.
8
At the time of Paul’s Damascus Road experience, Christianity was new and still firmly linked to Judaism.
27
Before his experience Paul touted a religion aimed at pleasing the God of the
Old Testament; he did not profess faith in Jesus Christ, but persecuted those who did. Once introduced to Christ he turned his zealous pursuit of Christians to a zealous pursuit of Christ. 28
When Paul encounters Christ, it is possible that his encounter was both a conversion to "true Judaism" (Christianity), and a call to take the Gospel to the Gentiles, which he writes about in Galatians 1:11-17.
29
There are differences between the Paul one reads about in Acts, and the Paul one discovers in reading his letters. Paul himself stated his demeanor was “humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!” (2 Cor. 10:10). Paul’s contribution to the New Testament is apparent as a letter writer,
30
and much of the church’s theology is derived from his letters, yet Luke does not describe Paul as a letter writer in Acts, but as a man of action and bold speech. Luke does, however, confirm that Paul is a shepherd who cares for the people he serves
31
which is seen in letters he wrote to churches and individuals (Eph. 1:15-16, 3:14-21; Phil. 1:8, 2:1-2; 2 Cor. 11:28; 1 Thess. 2:7-8).
Paul is also portrayed as a great orator who is convincing in his “rhetoric” (Acts 13:9– 11,
16– 41; 14:15– 17; 17:22– 31; 24:10– 21; 26:2– 27),
32
though he claims to be humble in person (2 Corinthians 10:1). He dealt with push back and problems on a few occasions when he used his
27
Stacy, “Paul’s Damascus Road Experience,” 00:01:51. 28
Ibid, 00:04:16.
29
Ibid, 00:05:45-00:06:07.
30
Porter, The Apostle Paul
, 37.
31
Ibid, 38.
32
Ibid.
9
“rhetoric” (13:50– 51; 14:5– 6, 19; 18:6– 7; 22:22).
33
Paul also does not mention his Roman citizenship in his personal description, but states his status as a Roman citizen when it aids his purpose (Acts 16:37, 22:25, and 25:11) or because he is interacting with Romans frequently in Acts, requesting their protection and treatment of him as a Roman citizen.
34
Despite the success Paul had speaking before great rulers and planting churches in Acts, Paul did not seem to believe himself to be someone of great accomplishments nor did he think others thought of him as powerful and bold (2 Cor. 10:10). In Acts he appears to be a force to reckon with as he addresses political and religious rulers, yet in his letters he writes as a spiritual father or mentor would to address issues and calm troubled hearts.
35
Paul’s Letters
Paul likely wrote his letters based on the type of people he needed to address. Most letters
were written to mixed audiences consisting of Jews and Gentiles, since his practice was to first teach in the synagogue of each city.
36
He tells readers to attain and maintain unity, which may indicate that audiences were mixed in status like nobility and commoner, wealthy and poor, free and slave, and nationality (1 Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:1-6; Phil. 2:1-4; Col. 4:1), such as Jewish and Greek. Romans 1:5 shows Paul writing to a Jewish and Gentile audience; he does not call them “the church in Rome,” but rather “all in Rome who are loved by God.”
37
(Romans 1:7).
38
Paul’s letter to Corinth was also addressing a mixed audience; a city full of debauchery, housing a 33
Porter, The Apostle Paul, 38
.
34
Ibid.
35
Ibid, 39.
36
Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary. New Testament
. Edited by John F. Walvoord. (Colorado
Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2018), 505.
37
Ibid, 435.
38
Ibid.
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10
sizable Jewish population
39
in which the synagogue ruler became a believer.
40
Ephesians 3:8-9 indicates that Ephesus was likely a Gentile church, as was Philippi,
41
while Galatia had a mix of both Jews and Gentiles in the church, which can be inferred by the fact that Paul lists several claims in his Acts 13 sermon that are Jewish in flavor
42
such as, God is “The God of Israel, the true and living God,”
43
and that He offers salvation through the line of Abraham, Moses, and Samuel, to David, and that Jesus is a descendent of David.
44
Paul often mentions individuals by name either to address them directly via a personal letter (Timothy, Titus, Philemon) to provide instruction, give correction, express gratitude, or send a greeting. Individuals are a mix of men and women, predominantly men. In Romans 16 he mentions nearly 30 people in his closing; about eight of them are women. Most of those he names are not Jewish.
45
That he mentioned people by name at a church he had not visited speaks to his love for fellow laborers in the faith. His first letter to Corinth only mentions a few people, but he emphasizes that the church there is to “act like men, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13), which may infer a more male audience. Letters to Timothy are to a young man, but Paul praises how Timothy’s mother Eunice and grandmother Lois raised Timothy (2 Tim. 1:5) in the faith. Paul wrote a letter to Titus as well, another young man Paul mentored (Tit. 1:4). His letter to Philemon, was to a “prominent member of the church at Colossae.”
46
39
Elwell and Yarbrough
, Encountering the New Testament
, 270.
40
Ibid, 271.
41
Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary
, 648.
42
Elwell and Yarbrough
, Encountering the New Testament,
281.
43
Ibid.
44
Ibid.
45
Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary
, 498-502.
46
The MacArthur Study Bible, 1634.
11
Paul typically wrote letters to churches he had planted, people to whom he needed to give
important instruction and some he had mentored. Letter writing was his way of “conveying his immediate and deepest thoughts about God, Jesus the Christ, and other matters that he believed were of importance for his readers.”
47
Many times he wrote to correct poor doctrine or practices brought in by other important people claiming equal or higher authority, or Judaizers who wanted to make works a part of salvation (Acts 15:1–21).
48
Though Paul never states his missionary strategy of evangelizing the Jewish people first, the fact remains that he always sought out a synagogue first from which to speak and teach (Acts
13:5, 13:14, 14:1, 17:1– 2, 17:10, 17:17, 18:4, 18:19).
49
In this sense he was emphasizing a missionary strategy that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was for the Jews first and then the Gentiles, which he stated in Romans 1:16, even though he well knew that he was the “apostle to the Gentiles” (Acts 9:15; Rom. 11:13; Eph. 3:8).
Paul’s letter writing format includes a typical ancient Greek letter of three parts: an opening, a body and a closing, but Paul’s letters may also have as many as four or five parts since he often included lengthy sections of exhortations.
50
His letters included an opening, thanksgiving, body, instruction, advice or exhortation, and a closing.
51
His letters feature the Greco-Roman logic and means of argumentation
52
and possibly “illustrate[d] some of the principles of Hellenistic thought,”
53
or Stoicism, because both Stoics and Paul were interested in 47
Porter, The Apostle Paul
, 7.
48
Elwell and Yarbrough
, Encountering the New Testament
, 382.
49
Porter, The Apostle Paul
, 38.
50
Ibid, 127.
51
Ibid.
52
Ibid, 75.
53
Porter, The Apostle Paul
, 74.
12
the same issues.
54
Paul does not follow any set pattern of “classical rhetoric” but makes use of several popular forms of literary methods, one of which was “the diatribe.”
5556
Paul uses this method of questions and answers (a reconstructed dialogue), extensively in Romans one through eleven,
57
where he expounds on the topic of God’s righteousness versus man condemned as a sinner.
58
“The outline of the argument of…Romans gives good evidence of how Paul’s mind worked.”
59
Paul begins with the human condition progressing from a “general indictment,” to the
“implication of a moral person” to finally the specific “condemnation of the Jew”
60
. and how God must respond with justified wrath.
61
Then Paul moves to a “person’s legal and personal relationship with God” through reconciliation, which overcomes the sin that separates man from God by Christ’s death on the cross, and what this means for the individual.
62
He uses Israel as his
“portrait of the faithfulness of God.”
63
Paul also uses illustrations in his arguments to get his point across such as, “political terminology (Phil 1:27; 3:20; Eph 2:19),”
64
sports analogies (Phil 2:16; 3:14; 1 Cor 9:24– 27; 2 Cor 4:8– 9; 2 Tim 4:7)
65
…”[and] legal terminology (Gal 3:15; 4:1–
54
Ibid, 74.
55
Ibid, 72.
56
Ibid, 76.
57
Ibid, 73.
58
Ibid.
59
Ibid, 76.
60
Ibid. 61
Ibid.
62
Ibid.
63
Ibid.
64
Porter, The Apostle Paul,
76.
65
Ibid.
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13
2; Rom 7:1– 3; 13:6).”
66
Paul also made great use of his Jewish education and training in forms of rabbinic argumentation and logic in some of his letters.
67
He often used direct quotations from the Greek version
68
of Old Testament Scriptures citing “eighty-eight direct quotations” between Romans, 1– 2 Corinthians, and Galatians”
69
and he used Old Testament Scripture regardless of the background of his audience.
70
Paul’s Theology
Paul’s theology clearly centered on the ultimate importance of Jesus Christ and thus his theology is “predominantly a Christology.”
71
On Christ rested everything he thought and taught. Udo Schnelle writes in his book, Apostle Paul: His Life and Theology
, that Paul’s theology centered on “the eschatological presence of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ...”
72
The experience Paul had on the road to Damascus upended his world and changed his thinking to such an extent that he had to acknowledge Christ’s power and Lordship over his life from that point forward. Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 15:3 that “Christ died for our sins,” and this stands as the heart of Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel.
73
While Paul’s Gospel may seem like a “truncated Gospel” only focusing on Christ’s death and resurrection, Paul tells the believers in Ephesians 1: 4-5 that they are adopted by God 66
Ibid, 77.
67
Ibid, 81.
68
Ibid, 79.
69
Ibid, 78.
70
Ibid.
71
Pitre, et al., Paul, a New Covenant Jew,
95.
72
Schnelle, Apostle Paul: His Life and Theology
, (Baker Academic, 2012), 247.
73
Schnelle, Apostle Paul
, 129.
14
because of Christ’s work. Paul also spoke of Christ being the peacemaker between God and man (Rom. 5:1–2), the believer’s only foundation (1 Cor. 3:11), the Cornerstone (Acts 4:10-12; Eph. 2:20-22), the Passover (1 Cor. 5:7–8), the image of God and the light of the Gospel (2 Cor. 4:4), the perfect man (Eph. 4:13), the Head of the body or church (Col. 1:18), the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15), and the believer’s High Priest (Heb. 12:2), just to name a few. Paul’s focus on Christ’s work on the cross may seem limiting in scope, but it is not. Paul wanted to emphasize that living a sacrificial life like Christ is the only way to live one’s life. Believers present their bodies as living sacrifices under God’s authority (Rom. 12:1-2); by doing so they find unity (Phil. 4:1-3; Eph. 4:1-6) and more than just growth in the body of Christ (Eph. 4:7-16), they develop the fruit of the Spirit as a result (Gal. 5:16-18, 22-23).
Paul’s theologizing was occasional and pastoral in nature given the fact that he wrote letters to individuals and churches in response to issues brought to his attention. As for Paul’s metanarrative, Dr. Stacy presents an angle of the eschatological metanarrative called “participationistic eschatology”
74
suggested by authors Todd Still and Bruce Longenecker in their
book, “
Thinking Through Paul;”
as that of God “working in and through Israel”
75
and winning the “…cosmic conflict,”
76
which possibly “lies at the heart of Paul’s theologizing.”
77
It is a mistake to define Paul’s entire theology from just Romans, and Galatians. Paul did not believe in “justification by law keeping” or obeying the “works of the law” to be saved. He clearly stated in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is 74
Todd D Still, and Bruce W. Longenecker, Thinking Through Paul: A Survey of His Life, Letters, and Theology
, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, 309.
75
Ibid.
76
Robert Wayne Stacy, “The Theological Metanarrative of Paul’s Thought” (video lecture in NBST 520 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, December 8, 2023).
77
Still and Longenecker, Thinking Through Paul
, 309.
15
not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” He continues saying that one’s ability to do good is a result of being “…his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). The believer is to “grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed…” (Eph. 4:30) but be “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). The Spirit gives the believer power to change and bear the fruit one shows if one is maturing in Christ as Paul shares in Philippians 1:10b-11, when he writes, “be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Scholars on the New Perspective of Paul believe that the Reformers misinterpreted what Paul taught on justification because they did not view what Paul wrote through the lens of Judaism.
78
They imply that obeying the law was “an expression of their holy identity” and not works performed to
earn God’s salvation,
79
and assert that Paul’s view as it had been understood was incorrect.
80
78
Stacy, “The New Perspective on Paul.” (video lecture in NBST 520 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, November 23 and 30, 2023), 00:03:23-00:03:52.
79
Ibid, 00:04:05-00:04:38.
80
Ibid.
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16
Significance
Since Paul preached the Gospel as Christ being Messiah for both Jews and Gentiles, this student believes the church is both a “Pauline” church and a “Jesus” church. Jews rejected Jesus as Savior, but “the apostle Paul surveys the situation with…hope. This rejection…was the reconciliation of the world” (Rom. 11:25–29).”
81
“At the center of Paul’s theology is his view of Jesus. For Paul, Jesus is the messiah, the “Christ.”
82
“The coming of Christ not only fulfilled Jewish hopes but it did so in ways that confounded expectations.”
83
Paul also speaks on the believer’s identity in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17, Eph. 2:10, Gal. 2:20, Rom. 8:17) and “the significance of the cross of Jesus Christ within Pauline theology.”
84
“…Paul proclaims…that in the new covenant both Jews and gentiles are invited to become…sons and daughters of God in Christ.”
85
Dying on the cross was once shameful but became celebrated because of the work accomplished through the cross.
86
Paul’s relevance in a post-modern world that no longer shares his convictions about things such as gender, marriage, ethics, and eschatology is still valid, especially in Christ’s body, the church. Believers know following Christ must remain the constant in life and the church for “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). There are few real differences in the culture of Paul’s time and today. Human nature has not changed. Sexual sin was prevalent then as it is now. “…Greeks and Romans thought that it was natural for males to 81
Elwell and Yarbrough
, Encountering the New Testament
, 35.
82
Pitre, et al., Paul, a New Covenant Jew
, 252.
83
Ibid.
84
Udo Schnelle, Apostle Paul
, 57.
85
Pitre, et al., Paul, a New Covenant Jew
, 253.
86
Ibid.
17
desire males…. for grown men to desire boys.”
87
Today this same situation exists, but Paul urged believers to avoid it (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8)
88
and control one’s urges. Paul’s letters speak God’s truth, and truth is truth even when it is denied.
89
Paul speaks of unity among all those in the body (1 Cor. 12:12-31; Eph. 4:16), which is so necessary for today’s divisive culture. Paul preached true equality in every way, which is heavily, but incorrectly promoted now (2 Cor. 8:12-14). God still cannot overlook sin,
90
but provides a way out of the eternal consequences of sin (Rom. 6:23). In all the confusion of what is right and wrong, there are many who still seek stability and fear a life void of meaning. Paul provides the perfect solution, though it may not be popular; it is to live sacrificially as Christ lived (Rom. 12:1-2) and put others before oneself (Eph. 5:21). The world could use more genuine care (Rom. 12:10; Gal. 5:14), forgiveness (Eph. 4:32) and tolerance (Eph. 4:2) for one another, and the church can be a great example of the things Paul taught believers (Phil. 2:2; 2 Cor. 13:11, Rom. 12:16, 15:7).
Conclusion
Before this course, this student’s understanding of Paul came from sermons, prior classes,
and reading the Bible without truly considering context. It is sad to admit that while there was a high level of knowledge about Paul and his ministry, there was only a mild appreciation for Paul’s life and ministry, even after acknowledging his vital work establishing New Testament churches and the spread of the Gospel. Paul’s personality and theology is more fully revealed through his letters, despite their occasionality in nature, and this student’s view of Paul is more fully formed and appreciated through this in-depth study of Paul’s life and letters.
87
E. P. Sanders, Paul: The Apostle's Life, Letters, and Thought
, (1517 Media, 2001). ProQuest Ebook Central, 728-
9.
88
Schreiner, Paul
, 359.
89
Sanders, Paul,
337.
90
Schreiner, Paul
, 543.
18
Bibliography
Elwell, Walter A., and Robert W. Yarbrough. Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey
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Pitre, Brant James, John A. Kincaid, and Michael Patrick Barber. Paul, a New Covenant Jew: Rethinking Pauline Theology
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Porter, Stanley E. The Apostle Paul: His Life, Thought, and Letters
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Sanders, E. P. Paul: The Apostle’s Life, Letters, and Thought
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Schellenberg, Ryan S., and Heidi Wendt, eds. T&T Clark Handbook to the Historical Paul
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Schnelle, Udo. Apostle Paul: His Life and Theology
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Schreiner, Thomas R. “Paul: A Reformed Reading,” in Four Views on the Apostle Paul
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Schreiner, Thomas R. Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology
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