Chapter Summary
Paul the Apostle: The Man and His Mission
In Christian tradition, it appears that Paul was second only to Jesus in contributing to the rise and spread of Christianity. Thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament claim to be written by Paul, and tradition has attributed yet another to him (Hebrews). The book of Acts, moreover, devotes over half of its history to Paul’s ministry. Following his conversion to Christianity, Paul embarked on a missionary journey, bringing his message primarily to Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire. His message included the claim that Jesus died for the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles.
The Study of Paul: Methodological Difficulties
Pseudepigrapha, writings under a false name, were not uncommon in the ancient world. Most scholars believe that some of the New Testament letters attributed to Paul are, in fact, pseudepigraphic. Based on authorship issues, the Pauline corpus is divided into three groups: the Pastoral epistles (1–2 Timothy and Titus), the Deutero-Pauline epistles (Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians; this group is often called the “Disputed Pauline” corpus), and the undisputed Pauline letters (Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon). For the purposes of understanding Paul himself, it is best to stick to the latter group—letters Paul actually wrote.
In addition, students of Paul must consider the historical value of Luke’s account of Paul’s ministry in the Acts of the Apostles. Luke’s account of Paul’s missionary journeys and teachings differ significantly from Paul’s own accounts. It may be best, then, to keep in mind that Acts can tell us how Luke understood Paul, but not what Paul himself did and said.
As we read and study Paul’s letters, it is also important to keep in mind their occasional and contingent nature. Paul’s letters are records of correspondence with specific communities he founded (with the exception of Rome), and in these letters he addresses specific issues with which these churches struggled. Because of the nature of Paul’s letters, we should not read them as systematic theological treatises. The occasional nature of the letters encourages the use of the contextual method, which can help reconstruct the circumstances in which Paul corresponded with his churches. An understanding of context will assist with interpretation
