PAUL
Key Facts:
1. Paul is second only to Jesus in his contribution to the development of
Christianity.
2. Paul is the first great interpreter of the life and teaching of Jesus.
PAUL
3. Paul never knew Jesus but experienced a revelation of the risen
Christ.
4. Paul, as Saul the Pharisee, once persecuted Jesus’ disciples.
THE HISTORICAL PAUL
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Jesus left no writings; Paul left 13 letters
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Scholars debate whether Paul wrote all the letters
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The Book of
ACTS (Luke-Acts) provides a faith-history account of Paul’s life and
teaching modified to reflect the author’s theological position
Paul’s Letters: Authentic
Undisputed Pauline Epistles:
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1 Thessalonians
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1 & 2 Corinthians
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Galatians
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Romans
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Philemon
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Philippians
Disputed Letters
Probably not by Paul:
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2 Thessalonians: different “end-time”
scenario; more apocalyptic & detailed
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Colossians: more “advanced” Christology
= interpretation of the nature of Christ
Letters
Not Written by Paul (Pseudonymous)
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Ephesians: language differences; missing key
themes
The Pastoral Epistles:
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1 & 2 Timothy & Titus: written at a
later date when the church has taken institutional form
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Hebrews: thought to be written by Paul in the
2nd century
PAUL’S
MAJOR THEMES
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Eschatology (end-time concerns):
a. apocalyptic worldview
b. ontological dualism: the world is divided into old
age/new age; good/evil; saved/lost; Adam/Christ, etc.
c. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection have ushered in a NEW
AGE. Jesus is the MESSIAH who will soon
return to deliver the faithful.
PAUL’S
MAJOR THEMES
2. The Centrality & Preeminence of Jesus; For Paul, Jesus is:
a) God’s revealed wisdom
b) the divine Lord through whom
God rules
c) the means by whom God’s Holy
Spirit dwells in believers
d) the world’s salvation
PAUL’S
MAJOR THEMES
3. CHRIST IS THE NEW SYMBOL FOR
HUMANITY; ADAM IS THE OLD SYMBOL.
CHRIST REPRESENTS THE NEW
COVENANT; ADAM THE OLD COVENANT.
PAUL’S
MAJOR THEMES
4. The faithful as Christ’s body; mystical union with Christ
5. Christ as the liberator from sin, Torah (the Law), and death: freedom in
Christ means deliverance from the old order of sin, punishment, redemption and
the Jewish Law.
PAUL’S
MAJOR THEMES
6. Christ’s universal sufficiency: “one way” to salvation; no other
religions!!!
7. Justification by Faith: a person is “made right only through faith in
Jesus = “faith over works.”
8. Paul’s views profoundly shape the future of Christian thought!
JESUS & CHRISTIANITY
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KEY POINT:
Paul’s letters document the extraordinary evolution of a small Jewish
sect into a new religious movement, Christianity, that becomes the
world’s largest religion, in terms of number of adherents.
REVIEW OF PAUL’S LETTERS
Letter
1 & 2 Thessalonians =
1 & 2 Corinthians=
Key
Theme
l the ESKATON is near; PAROUSIA = 2nd Coming of Christ
l call for
CHRISTIAN UNITY
REVIEW OF PAUL’S LETTERS
Letter
Galatians & Romans
Key
Theme
l Justification by faith; defines Christianity’s
relationship to Judaism
REVIEW OF PAUL’S LETTERS
Letter
Philippians
Key
Theme
l Prison letter - Jesus is opposite of disobedient Adam;
cooperation among Christians; definite Pauline authorship
REVIEW OF PAUL’S LETTERS
Letter
Philemon
Key
Theme
l Paul’s only personal letter about Onesimus, a
Christian slave; a prison letter; definite Pauline authorship
REVIEW OF PAUL’S LETTERS
Letter
Colossians
Key
Theme
l the supremacy and all-sufficiency of Christ; more
complex Christology casts doubt on Pauline authorship
REVIEW OF PAUL’S LETTERS
Letters
Ephesians
Key
Theme
l God’s universal plan of salvation for Jew and Gentile;
warfare against evil; Pauline authorship is doubtful; a prison letter
REVIEW OF PAUL’S LETTERS
Letters
1 & 2 Timothy & Titus
“the Pastorals” - written by an anonymous
disciple of Paul
Key
Theme
l define Christian belief and behavior; outline Church
organization; stamp out heretical views
PAUL’S LASTING INFLUENCE
1. Christianity’s first great interpreter of Christ
2. Defines God in Christian terms
3. Interprets the role of Jesus
4. Justification by faith
5. Old Adam/New Christ apocalypticism
PAUL’S LASTING INFLUENCE
6. Salvation through faith
7. God & Christ relationship
8. Eschatology & ontological dualism