The Life and
Teaching of the Apostle Paul
Sources for Paul’s life
The Acts of the Apostles –
chapters 9, 13 onwards – Acts written by Luke, a companion of Paul (Colossians
4:14, “Our dear friend Luke, the doctor…”), the “we” passages
(16:10-16:18; 20:4-21:19; 27:1-28:30)
New Testament letters /
Epistles – probably normally dictated to an amanuensis – Rom 16:22, “I,
Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord” – 1 Cor 1:1,
Sosthenes named alongside Paul; Colossians & Philippians 1:1, Paul and
Timothy; 1 & 2Thess, Paul, Silas and Timothy; sometimes the person carrying
the letter named at the end e.g. Col 4:7; personal handwritten greeting at the
end – e.g. Col 4:18 – may have helped to authenticate the letter – 2 Thess 3:17;
Gal 6:11
Letters to churches: Romans – Paul’s longest letter
1 & 2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians – possibly
a circular letter to churches of the region
Philippians
Colossians – similar
to Ephesians
1 & 2
Thessalonians
Letters to individuals: 1 & 2 Timothy ) The pastoral epistles – written to pastors
Titus )
Philemon – regarding
the run-away slave, Onesimus
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and
Philemon – the “Prison Epistles”
Addressing particular
situations – e.g., 1 Cor 1:11; 5:1;
6:12-13; 7:1; 8:1; 11:17f; 16:1ff – one side of a correspondence
Intended to be read by
other churches – Colossians 4:16
13 out of 27 books in the
NT written by Paul – 31.56% of NT text
(The letter to the
Hebrews, which is anonymous, was traditionally attributed to Paul, but most
scholars would doubt this)
Paul’s Life
Saul of Tarsus in Cilicia
on the Mediterranean coast in Asia Minor (Acts 22:3) - ? between 5BC and AD 5
A Roman citizen (Acts
16:37)
Acts 22:3 – “I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of
our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.”
Paul’s ethnic and
religious credentials – Philippians 3:4b-5
Of the tribe of Benjamin
(Romans 11:1)
A Pharisee, the son of a
Pharisee (Acts 23:6)
A tent-maker – Acts 18:3 –
sometimes supported himself in ministry by his trade
Acts 7:58; 8:1 – At the
stoning of Stephen – “… the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young
man named Saul…. And Saul was there, giving approval to his [Stephen’s death]”
Persecutor of Christians
(Acts 22:4-5; Galatians 1:13-14)
Conversion on the road to
Damascus (Acts 9; 22; 26; Galatians 1:15ff)
Flees to Jerusalem (Acts
9:26)
Introduced by Barnabas to
the Apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 9:26ff)
After 2 weeks, flees again
to Tarsus (Acts 9:30) – 10 year “silent period”
Barnabas asks him to come
to Antioch to help on the Gentile mission (Acts 11:25-26) and they teach the
church together there for a year
“famine visit” to
Jerusalem with relief for the Jewish Christians (Acts 12:25) – with John Mark
who probably wrote Mark’s gospel (later Paul and Barnabas have a sharp
disagreement about whether or not to take Mark with them in Acts 15:36-41 ad
they part company).
Acts 13:3 – Paul and
Barnabas sent off by the church at Antioch (“apostles”) – c. AD 46
Paul’s missionary activity
is often divided up into 3 missionary journeys, followed by his transportation
to Rome
1st missionary
journey - Cyprus and Southern Galatia (Acts 13-14) – Pisidian Antioch, Iconium,
Lystra, Derbe
“first for the Jew, then
for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16) - synagogue
“God-fearers” – Gentiles
who have attached themselves to Judaism without fully converting
Turning to the Gentiles –
Acts 13:46ff
Paul opposes Peter at
Antioch over Judaizing (Gal 2:14) c. AD 49
The Council of Jerusalem
(Acts 15) c. AD 50
2nd missionary
journey with Silas (Acts 15:40-18:22) from Antioch over land to the churches of
Southern Galatia and at Lystra joined by Timothy, north into Northern Galatia.
At Troas (where Luke joins them) Paul has his vision of the Macedonian and
begins his evangelisation of Greece. Philippi, Thessalonica, Borea. In Achaia =
Southern Greece, Athens, Corinth (where Paul remains for almost 2 years).
Ephesus in Asia. Quick trip back to Antioch via Jerusalem.
The Aegean Period (Acts
18:23-20:38) c. AD 53-58 – overland from Antioch through the Galatian region to
Ephesus (for 3 years), through Troas to Macedonia, then south to Corinth. After
winter, back to Miletus near Ephesus to Jerusalem.
The Caesarean and Roman
Imprisonments – Journey to Jerusalem with a collection for the poor (Acts
21:23f; cf. 1 Cor 16:3f; 2 Cor 9; Rom 15:25ff). Riot and arrest. Removed to Caesarea.
Imprisoned by Felix, the Roman governor for 2 years c. AD 58-60 (Acts 23-26). Appeal
to Cease. Acts 23:11. Shipwrecked on Malta c. AD 61. Acts end with 2 years
under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:31).
Scholars think Paul was
probably released in AD 63 and visited Spain and the Aegean before being
re-arrested and executed under Nero c. AD 67.
Some issues / themes
Apostolic Authority – a
witness of the resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15:8-11
The Apostle to the
Gentiles / (non-Jewish) nations (Romans 11:13; 1:5; Galatians 2:8)
Paul’s missionary strategy
of seeking to be all things to all men (1 Corinthians 9:22-23)
Persecution from Jews and
Jewish Christians – “Judaizers”
Jewish – Gentile relations
in the Early Church
Do Gentiles have to be
circumcised and obey the Old Testament Law of Moses (Torah) in order to be Christians?
What is the role of the
Law of Moses in the Christian Life?
Romans 1:1-4 – a very
brief summary
Righteousness /
justification by faith – Romans 1:17
“in Christ” – (Faith)
Union with Christ – cf. in Adam
The church as the body of
Christ – Romans 12:4ff; 1 Cor 12:12ff; Eph 4:4; Col 1:18, 24; 3:15
“already but not yet” – in
Jesus’ death and resurrection, redemption is partly realised now and will be
completed fully and finally when Christ comes again, death is no more and the
presence of sin is removed
New Creation – Romans
8:19-21
The Common Worship Collect for the Conversion of St
Paul
Almighty God,
who caused the light of the gospel
to shine throughout the world
through the preaching of your servant Saint Paul:
grant that we who celebrate his wonderful conversion
may follow him in bearing witness to your truth;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
who caused the light of the gospel
to shine throughout the world
through the preaching of your servant Saint Paul:
grant that we who celebrate his wonderful conversion
may follow him in bearing witness to your truth;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The
Common Worship Collect for Peter and Paul, Apostles
Almighty God,
whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul
glorified you in their death as in their life:
grant that your Church,
inspired by their teaching and example,
and made one by your Spirit,
may ever stand firm upon the one foundation,
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul
glorified you in their death as in their life:
grant that your Church,
inspired by their teaching and example,
and made one by your Spirit,
may ever stand firm upon the one foundation,
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
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