Outline

I. Key topics/themes

1. Paul second only to Jesus as contributor to early Christianity
2. Paul motivated by his experience of a revelation of Jesus Christ
3. Creator and disseminator of an influential view of Jesus' cosmic significance
4. His thesis: Jesus' saving power replaces Torah obedience as means of being reconciled to God

II. Introduction

1. Paul's letters as Christianity's first attempt to interpret meaning of Christ
2. Outlined a theology of redemption that became central to Christian doctrine
3. Some hold the view that early Christianity more influenced by Paul than by Jesus
4. Almost one-third of the New Testament attributed to Paul

III. Seeking the historical Paul

1. Most reliable source: Paul's letters
2. Acts and letters of Paul portray him as former Jewish Pharisee who was redirected toward Christianity

IV. The historical reliability of Acts

1. Difficulties in reconciling material in Acts with dates in Paul's letters
2. Where there are differences, Paul's letters to be preferred over Acts
3. Biographical details in Acts but absent in Paul
4. Details in Acts that seem to contradict Paul

V. Paul's experience of the risen Jesus

1. Paul's experience of the risen Jesus the dividing point of his life
2. A revelation (apokalypsis) of Jesus Christ
3. Paul's headstrong personality
4. Difficulties Paul experienced in working with other believers

VI. Dating Paul's career

1. Chronological information in Galatians
1. Paul's trips to Jerusalem corresponded with trips mentioned in Acts
2. Fifteen years between Paul's initial vision of Christ and the Jerusalem Conference (ca. 49 C.E.)

2. Other important chronological data
1. Reference to King Aretas in 2 Cor. 11:32-33
2. Reference to Gallio in Acts 18:11
3. Claudius's expulsion of Jews from Rome (Acts 18:1-2)

VI. Paul's letters

1. The genuine letters
1. Majority of scholars: seven authentically Pauline letters in New Testament
2. Many scholars doubt authenticity of 2 Thessalonians, Colossians
3. Majority doubt authenticity of Ephesians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus

2. The order of composition

3. Paul's use of the letter form
1. Paul's letters as substitutes for his presence
2. Impressive pieces of literary rhetoric
3. Paul's style imitated by writers of later New Testament "letters"

4. Hellenistic letters

5. Paul often dictated letters
6. The circumstances of writing
1. Letters often written to address church crises
2. Paul's concern always pastoral

VIII. Paul's major assumptions and concerns

1. Mysticism and eschatology

2. The centrality and preeminence of Jesus

3. Christ and humanity
1. Adam and Christ contrasted
2. Adam a type of sinful humanity

4. The faithful as Christ's body
1. The believing community as the earthly manifestation of Christ
2. The Church as Christ's body
3. The Church functions in mystical union with Christ

5. Christ as liberator from sin, Torah, and death
1. All humans alienated from God because of sin
2. Christ assumed the Law's penalties for sin upon himself on the cross
3. Freedom in Christ: deliverance from the old order of sin and punishment

6. Christ's universal sufficiency
1. Christ the final and ultimate means of vanquishing the power of sin
2. Neither the Jewish Torah nor any other cosmic power has such authority

7. Justification by faith
1. Believers in Christ "justified" by their faith
2. Put Paul at odds with his native Jewish religion
3. Observant Jews: Torah rituals already presupposed repentance and faith
4. Law's only purpose: to point out human sin
5. Only faith in Christ's redeeming work is able to overcome penalties of sin
6. The impact of the doctrine of justification by faith in the medieval and modern church

IX. Summary

1. Letters to be considered in probable order of composition
2. Need to be aware of Paul's eschatological orientation