Life and Deeds of Paul the Apostle - Book Report/Review Example

Introduction Born in Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia, Paul was a product of Jewish Diaspora in Asia Minor and was not a native Palestine (Hooker 1996). Because of this diaspora, Paul gained a Roman citizenship (Murphy-O'Connor 1997). There is ambiguity in what is known about Paul, yet from Phillipians 3:5 it is known that Paul belonged to the tribe of Benjamin from where he was circumcised, then given the name Saul (Prat 1911). It is known based on the writings in the Acts of the Apostles that Paul was a fierce persecutor of the Jews because the claim that Jesus' followers make that the cricified one was God's Messiah, was in every way contradictory to the law that Paul held so dear (Matera 2006 & Devi 1958). However, on the road to Damascus, Paul saw a blinding light and fell to the ground. He then heard a voice saying "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me" (Acts 9:4) It was this experience that brought upon the baptism of Paul, and eventually, his preachings in to Gentiles in different synagogues began. These teachings are what made Paul one the most important founders of Christianity and an effective and strong advocate of Christ's teachings. Paul teachings are rooted in this vision and conversion, which has then resulted to his rethinking of his understanding of Christ and the law (Matera 2006). Paul realized that if the Crucified One has been glorified as God's right hand, then his relationship with God is unparalleled, being that he is the son of God and the appointed Messiah, and as such, he bears the image of God and is the eschatological Adam (Matera 2006). Moreover, if the crucified one has been ressurected from the dead, then all those dead will be raised, and Christ will come again, and that the crucifixion was not God's punishment for Jesus and his violation of the law, but rather it is part of God's plan of redemption (Matera 2006). Paul's Ethical Teachings There are four key principles in Paul's ethical teachings: eschatological expectationof the 2nd coming of Christ; Radical Equality; Unity in the body of Christ; and Life in the spirit. Eschatological Expectation Shires (1966) defined eschatology as "the branch of theology that deals with the last things of heaven and hell, judgement, resurrection, and eternal life." As Paul was greatly influenced by this vision of the resurrected Christ, his writings are very much indebted with eschatological expectation: because Christ was resurrected, He will come again to raise the dead (Matera 2006). In his first epistle to the Corinthians (15:16-17), Paul wrote: "For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain; ye are yet in yer sins." For Paul, the resurrection of Christ was not a single event; it was only the beginning of a series of occurrences that will once again transpire in the parousia or the second coming of Christ when the dead will be raised in eternity (Matera 2006). Again in the same chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians (15:52-53), Paul wrote that "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For the corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." Salvation, as H.M. Hunter has perceived, was the very "nerve" of Christianity (as cited in Shires 1966 p. 54). In his writings, Paul implies what he has inherited from his Hebrew upbringing: the overlapping of two ages; the present age, and the future age (Harrington 2004). That time when Christ was resurrected, and the time when Christ will come again. It is from these two ages from where Paul derives his eschatological standpoint, yet also obvious in his writings was how he incorporated Jewish eschatology in his eschatological teachings (Shires 1966). In this text it is evident how Paul was affected by the resurrection of Christ and how through this, he believed that we shall be redeemed again. His teachings were largely concerned with salvation and how people should prepare for the end of the world, as he believed as well that this parousia would occur during his time or the time of his followers (Hooker 1996). In the fifth chapter of his second epistle to the Corinthians, Paul further writes that "we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ" and that all the things we have done, may it be good or bad, shall be given to us once again (2 Cor 5:10). This is merely one of the passages that Paul has written to make Christians conscious of everything that they do, as on judgement day or the parousia, they will reap the harvest that they have sown. From these teachings, one may conclude that the judgement is universal, affecting both the good and the evil, and that the judgement shall be in accordance with the works of men and that the compensation is in accordance with the actions of men toward their body, their brothers, and their husbands and wives (Prat 1911). Radical Equality Paul's second ethical teaching was that of radical equality. This was explicit in his letter to the Galatians. He wrote, "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28)." This principle that Paul advocates actually goes hand in hand with how he claimed that no body will be spared from judgement day. As such, each individual is deserving of God's grace as we all are His children by faith in Christ (Gal 3:26). Paul's letter to the Galatians is the oldest, most detailed view of his struggle from his Judaistic opponents - the Gentiles (Becker 1993). This letter was most probably written during the spring of AD 53 to the Galatians, who were of the Celtic Tribe in the modern Pessinus area (Murphy-O'Connor 1997). In this letter, Paul argues how he is the same as the Gentiles yet leaves his own teachings that attempt to solve the injustices occuring in Galatia (Becker 1993). As Paul had witnessed how the dispossessed are considered as outsiders, being denied democratic rights, Paul was very much attracted to the concept of radical equality (Murphy-O'Connor 1997). Furthermore, in his letter to the Galatians, Paul attempts to reconcile the law of man and that of God's in saying that God is the mediator of the law (Gal 3:20). It is also evident here how his letter is still very much ingrained with Christ's resurrection, in that he says that Christ was the one who redeemed us from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13). In light of radical equality, in his teachings to the Corinthians, Paul may be criticized for inconsistency, as he advocates the submissiveness of women. However, it was also implied in his writings that as women were to submit to their husbands, so were husbands to submit themselves to their wives. He wrote that it is the husband who has power over the wife's body, and it is the wife who has power over the husband's body (1 Cor 7:4). To further strengthen this point, it is seen in 1 Corinthian that Paul does preach for the equality between men and women. "For, as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. (1 Cor 11:12)" This verse, as was mentioned by Murphy-O'Connor in his book was the first direct defense of women in the New Testament (1997). Another contradiction to this radical equality he so preached was his declaration that a certain group or type of people who behave in specific ways would not be saved by God (Hooker 1996). "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9-10)." This list of excluded people was, for the longest time in Christian history shunned and oppressed by society as their behaviours have been declared as unacceptable (Hooker 1996). This radical equality may further be interpreted as a means for Paul to somehow reconcile the political situations of his time. However, on the topic of slavery, Hooker notes that Paul seems to agree upon this concept as he even demands that slaves should obey their masters (1996). In addition to this, it seemed that Paul did not advocate for the freedom of slaves and did not attempt to change the social order as he states that each man is to remail in the condition in which he was called (1 Cor 7:20 & 24). It is in this light that Paul's personality was described by Murphy-O'Connor as overpowering because it hindered social development (1997). On the contrary, Paul understands that slaves are still free Christians and that those who are free are still slaves of Christ (1 Cor 7:22). Unity in the Body of Christ The third principle in Paul's teaching would be unity in the body of Christ. "For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. (1 Cor 12:12)" This unity in the body if Christ may be viewed in different ways, all perceptions being significant and applicable. As the body of Christ is the church and the church is the body of Christ, it is apt to claim that each individual must be one with the church, with its preachings and practices. In short, each person must act in the image and likeness of Christ and his teachings. First we must cite the human body as the body of Christ that Paul is referring to in order to then drive the point of how Paul wanted to stress how the church is the body of Christ, with Christ being its head. In this sense, a distinction has to be made between the two bodies of christ - the individual body, and the ecclesiastical body (Murphy-O'Connor, 1997). In 1 Corinthians, paul mentions that our bodies are the members of christ, then going on to say how the body must not be joined with a harlot for in this sense, it will become one (1 Cor 6:15), and that each immoral sin committed is a sin against one's own body (1 Cor 6:16). As the body is the temple of God, one must glorify God with that body. If one member of the body does not fulfill its own role and responsibility, then would the body function In chapter 12 of Paul's letter to the Corinthians, Paul stresses how each member of the body has its own part and function, and that a lack in one part ceases the function of the body. Furthermore, Paul stresses how God had put the body together in an intricate design that which is not to be separated from each other. It is in this light that Doug Goins notes that the New Testament views the church as an organism intricate in its design and function, and one in spirit as each one was baptized by one spirit (1998). In calling the church the body of Christ, Paul was somehow identifying it as the physical presence of Christ even after his physical death (Murphy-O'Connor 1997). In this chapter as well, Paul further illustrates how each member of the church serves as Christ's eyes, ears, hands, feet, and that in the absence of the other, all the members suffer, stressing further how each part is vital (Goins 1998). The ecclesiastical body, on the one hand is composed of believers, the clergy, the ostles, teachers, healers, and so forth, each serving his own function, each function vital in the intricate design of the body of Christ (Murphy-O'Connor 1997). The individual members of the bosy are herein diversified by their different capacities to serve (Murphy-O'Connor 1997). With this, Paul provides his viewpoint that the church may be perceived as an organic unity, whose part differs in function, yet one in belief and maybe even in opinion. Life in the Spirit As the people of Galatia were bound by the law, hence Paul preaches to them how Christ has granted us freedom in the spirit. As it was a law that converts need to be circumcised, Paul preached (Gal 5) that Christ does not reward the circumcised, and all that was needed was for them to have faith in Him (Murphy-O'Connor 1997 p. 143). Hence, in Galatians, chapter 5, Paul preaches for a life that is one with the spirit, this being his fourth ethical principle. In this he stresses how faith is superior, and everything else is merely secondary (Murphy-O'Connor 1997 p. 206). The Galatians have been freed, yet alien to them is how to exercise this newfound freedom (Murphy-O'Connor 1997). Paul puts emphasis on how freedom is ethically inferior to the essence of the gospel's commandments, which is to love (John Paul II n.d.). "For, Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty: only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. This, I say then, walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. (Gal 5:15-16)" In this, Paul gives a warning to the Galatians that if using freedom to fulfill superficial longings, then the freedom is as well superficial and only theoretical (Murphy-O'Connor 1997). In short, Paul warns the Galatians of using freedom the wrong way, instead of exercising the freedom as is preferred by the spirit of Christ, which is according to love and charity (John Paul II n.d.). If freedom is used wrongly, then the true freedom with which Christ liberated people, would then be all for naught, as freedom only becomes an actuality if exercised through Christ (Murphy-O'Connor 1997). In a more explicit context, Paul lists down the activities of the flesh wherein freedom may be wrongly exercised. These are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and the like (Gal 5: 19-21). After which he again stresses that those who practice such behaviour are not welcomed into the kingdom of God. In contrast to the activities mentioned above, Paul then provides us with the virtue of self-control, that which is the work of the fruits of the spirit (John Paul II, n.d.). "But the fruitof the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23)" Hence, the principle behind living in the spirit is that freedom wholly belongs to a community, and is not an individual possession (Murphy-O'Connor 1997). Factors Influencing His Teachings Fundamental to the teachings of Paul was his calling and conversion-the moment he had a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus. Because of the realization that humanity needs to be brought together with God as it is under the bondage of sin and law, the texts of his teachings are deeply rooted in the resurrection of Christ and how eventually he will come again to save us from our sins (Matera 2006). In the four principles of his teachings, this resurrection of Christ is most of the time explicit in the text. Paul often preaches individual salvation and how to get to it. Oftentimes, he provides clear instructions on what to do and what to avoid in order to reach salvation. The pre-Christian Paul was arrogant and self-righteous in knowing that he was observant of the law, and persecuted Jesus (Matera 2006). In Philippians (3:4-5), Paul wrote: "If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews. (as cited in Wallace & Willliams 1998 p. 3)" The cultural, social, and political aspects surrounding Paul's life was also a great factor of how Paul outlined his teachings. He identified himself with a complexity of dichotomies such that between Greeks and barbarians, Greeks and Jews, slavery and freedom, and male and female (Wallace & Williams 1998). As Joseph Klausner, a Jewish scholar notes that it is the Syrian diaspora from where Paul's innovative pattern of thinking may be drawn (as cited from Idinopulos 2007). Furthermore, Wallace and Williams noted that very influential to Paul was the three worlds wherein he belonged: his Jewish origin, the hellenic or Greek culture, and his Roman citizenship (1998). From these we can deduce how his writings and teachings contained contradictions. As much as he sought for radical equality, Paul provided distinctions from which arose exclusivity and contempt (Wallace & Williams 1998). As much as he claimed that Christ would come again to save us from our sins, he again gave a list of the groups of people who will not be welcomed into the kingdom of God. In an article he wrote for History Today, Charles Freeman describes Paul as "openly manipulative" as he forces his personal interpretation of Christ's teachings, and in doing so, imposes blind faith at the expense of logic and rationality (2004). Paul's teachings, indeed, were strict and uncompromising in its impositions, as he refused to acknowledge the perspectives of others (Freeman 2004). In his defense, Abbott notes that Paul is not a logician. He, in fact, is often illogical as his arguments do not usually make much philosophical sense, yet he imposes his arguments in order to achieve his purpose (Abbott, 1898). This statement defends Paul in that it is not his direct intention to manipulate, but as he is often illogical, he pursues with his statements to merely be able to relay the "spiritually discerned" message that which he believes he is required to preach (Abbott 1898). In addition to this, Paul was described as an emotional blackmailer who tells people that if they do not follow what he teaches, they will be forsaken by God (Freeman 2004). Yet, is it not a merciful God that Paul talks about in his gospel - a God who sent his only son to redeem the world of its sins Abbott hence describes Paul as "a seer and a prophet, overlaid by rabbinical education, and using the dialectic method to commend truth to an age pervaded, alike in Hebrew, Greek, and Roman communities, by the dialectic spirit" (1898). Paul was, by all means, not an intellectual figure, in that when his teachings are questioned, he does not engage himself in debates, but hides behind his faith and apostolic authority, and eventually resorts to blackmail and criticism of his opponents (Freeman 2004). Hooker, on the other hand, describes Paul as "a masterful compromiser" who knew when to fight, and when to give in, in order to benefit the expansion and betterment of the church (1996). For Paul, as long as the heart of his teachings was getting through and his purpose accomplished, compromise was not an issue (Hooker 1996). Conclusion Despite all these descriptions and speculations about Paul and his teachings, it may still be claimed that Paul is an innovator, for with or without an intention to do so, a new religion was founded from his radical ways of defining law and faith (Idinopulos 2007). Paul was merely attempting to reconcile Jesus' messiahship and the beliefs of pagan Gentiles (Idinopulos 2007). Even if Paul did not have a personal account of Jesus before his crucifixion and death, Paul still emerged as one of the influential prophets of his time, being successful in the proliferation of Christ's teachings and reshaping Christianity as we know it today. Bibliography Abbott, L. 1898. The Life and Letters of Paul the Apostle. Boston: Houghton Miffin Company. Becker, O.C. 1993. Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles. Louiseville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press. Devi, S. 1958. Paul of Tarsus, or Christianity and Jewry. [Online]. Available at: http://library.flawlesslogic.com/tarsus.htm Freeman, C. 2004. Paul: His Story. History Today, 54(6): 58. Goins, D. 1998. Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ. [Online]. Available at: http://www.pbc.org/files/messages/6459/4531.html Harrington, W. 2004. Parousia: Living in the End Time. [Online] Available at: http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/SFS/an1104.asp Hooker, R. 1996. Early Christianity: Paul of Tarsus. [Online] Available at: http://www.wsu.edu/dee/CHRIST/PAUL.HTM Idinopulos, T.A. 2007. Covenantal Pluralism and Saul of Tarsus: A review Article. Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 42(3): 454. John Paul II. n.d. Life in the Spirit Based on True Freedom. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/jp2tb52.htm Matera, F.J. 2006. Christ in the theologies of Paul and John: A study in the diverse unity of New Testament theology. Theological Studies, 67(2): 237. Murphy-O'Connor, J. 1997. Paul: A Critical Life. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Prat, F. 1911. St. Paul. The Catholic Encyclopaedia, 11. Shires, H.M. 1966. The Eschatology of Paul: In the Light of Modern Scholarship. Philadelphia: Westminster Press. Wallace, R. & Williams, W. 1998. The Three Worlds of Paul of Tarsus. London: Routledge. Read More