The founder of Christianity Paul

 A Jew From Tarsus (Acts) Circumcised on the eighth day Member of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin Hebrew born of Hebrews (Paul spoke Hebrew?) Pharisee Studied with Rabbi Gamaliel (according to Acts)  At home in the Gentile world “Paul” is the Latin version of “Saul” Fluent written (and spoken) Greek Roman citizen? (Acts) Paul’s Life

 Operated in cities Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi, and Thessalonica Uses urban metaphors (athlete, citizenship, slave trade, economic transactions)  Worked with a team of missionaries Timothy and Titus, Silvanus, Phoebe Prisca and Aquilla, Apollos  Self-supporting (Paul had a day job)  Independent of human authority  Suffered for the gospel (2 Cor. 11:24–28) Paul’s Preaching and Mission

 Preached first in synagogues, then went to the agora (Greek marketplace)  Three missionary journeys  Tentmaker  Roman citizen  Arrested in Jerusalem, bound for Rome  Church tradition relates Paul’s death under Nero in Rome (circa 64 CE) Paul’s Mission according to Acts

 Gospel of Christ is power and revelation  Jesus died for human sin  God raised Jesus from dead to power  God’s new age has begun (and will come to completion in the near future)  Paul’s gospel No reference to Jesus’ earthly ministry Christ is God’s resurrection power Paul’s Theology (drawn from seven undisputed letters) Paul’s Theology (drawn from seven undisputed letters)

 Paul speaks of Christ in relational terms  He wants to “know nothing but Christ and him crucified”  Believers are literally united with Christ “Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead... so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Rom. 6:4–5) In Christ

 Paul is “multifaceted” and thus requires nuanced interpretation  Paul tells women in Corinth to “be silent”  Paul tells slaves to obey their masters  Paul understands governments to be divinely instituted; they are therefore to be obeyed  Paul makes no direct references to the life and ministry of Jesus Potential Problems Reading Paul