1. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 1 An Introduction to the Study of Paul Chapter 1-3 Presented by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan 2009 Feb 3

2. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 2 Ch. 1 Introduction: Paul the man- mountain The purpose of this book is an introduction  Both to Paul ’ s life and  Paul ’ s work (p.3)

3. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 3 What context shaped Paul ’ s worldview?  Mediterranean context shaped Paul ’ s world view, values, psychology and so on.  e.g. (1 Cor 11.29-30, 5.5) …  Paul was influence by the complex mix of Jewish, Greek and Roman.  Paul was a Jew, Pharisee, wrote in Greek and lived in the Roman Empire.

4. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 4 What is the Resources for the study of Paul?  7 undisputed letters: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon. (the first 4 are major letters, all written around 40s-50s CE)  Book of Acts  Jewish sources : Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo of Alexandria and the Jewish historian Josephus  – help us to construct a picture of the social, cultural and religious context in which Paul worked.  Literary texts to inscriptions( 銘刻 ), coins, graffiti, building, and so on  – enables us to understand something of the wider social, political and philosophical context in which Paul lived and worked.

5. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 5 Ch. 2 From Jesus to Paul: pre-Pauline Christianity This chapter aims to examine briefly the evidence concerning the development of Christianity from its earliest post-Easter beginnings to the time when Paul became an active and prominent apostle.  We never found the title ‘Christ’ in the Synoptic Gospel on the lips of Jesus, but  Appears frequently throughout Paul’s letters

6. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 6 From Jesus’ teaching to Paul’s letter – the development of Christianity 1.Using the evidence of Acts The problem of how accurate is Luke ’ s picture. Acts is the only substantial source give us the information of earliest stage of the Christian movement after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The problem of how accurate is Luke ’ s picture. 2.The earliest house-churches in Jerusalem Paul ’ s letters confirm Luke ’ s information that the earliest church was centred in Jerusalem, with Peter, James and John as its leaders (Gal 1.18, 2.1-2, 9). Some other disciples of Jesus may have returned to Galilee.

7. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 7 Hellenists Diaspora Jews, spoke Greek, used the Greek translation of the Hebrew scripture knows as the Septuagint (LXX) Hebrews Jews, Palestinian origin, spoke Aramaic, used the Hebrew scripture in their worship. Division and the spread of the gospel 3.Dominant Theory By Martin Hengel (p.16) the division between Hebrews and Hellenists was profoundly significant for the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem and for the development of the mission to the Gentiles.  Persecution broke out in Jerusalem against the Hellenists  fled from Jerusalem and  shared the gospel with non-Jews.

8. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 8 Ch. 2 From Jesus to Paul: pre-Pauline Christianity 4.Paul and pre-Pauline Christianity 4.1 The shared apostolic gospel – (1 Cor 15.1-11) 4.2 Jesus ’ words and teachings – Paul presumably learnt about Jesus on his visit to Jerusalem, when he spent time getting to know Peter (Gal 1.18) 4.3 Pre-Pauline formulae – it is quite doubtful to have some established pre-Pauline formulae. 5.Conclusion Paul owned a good deal to his predecessors Paul worked with a wide circles of co-workers, fellow missionaries, etc., some of whom are named as co- authors in some of the letters.

9. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 9 Ch. 3 Paul ’ s life: before and after his encounter with Christ 1.The pre-Christian Paul Paul has two names – Saul (Jewish and biblical); Paul (Latin / Roman) Jews, the people of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews a Pharisee – a group careful adherent to both written and oral Torah Paul ’ s ‘ zeal ’ ( 熱忱 ) for God ’ s law and persecuted the Church (Phil 3.6; Gal 1.13, 23; 1 Cor 15.9) Paul was originally from Tarsus (Acts 9.11; 21.39; 22.3) Paul was educated in Jerusalem at the feet of the famous Ribbi Gamaliel ( 迦瑪 列 ) (Acts 22.3) Paul was bought up in Hellenized Diaspora Judaism (Tarsus, a Diaspora context) Paul was ‘ unattached ’ when he wrote his letters (1 Cor 7.7-8; 9.5) – Single? Married? Widowed? Divorced?

10. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 10 2.Paul ’ s call / conversion and its effect  Scholars arguments Scholars argued that Is Paul ’ s conversion a crucial experience of his understanding of God, the commission to take the gospel to the Gentile?  By the time he wrote his letters, Paul was convinced of his call to be the Apostle to the gentiles, his commission to the good news of God ’ s saving grace in Christ to all the nations.

11. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 11 3.Paul ’ s missionary career 3.1 Relative chronology (p.33) – relative sequence of visit and letters. (Gal 1.13 – 2.14) a)Activity as a persecutor of the church b)Call / conversion c)3 years in Arabia ( 阿拉伯 ) and Damascus d)First visit to Jerusalem ( ‘ to get to know Peter ’ ) e)14 years (activity in ‘ the regions of Syria ( 敍利亞 ) and Cilicia ( 基利家 ) ’ ) f)Second visit to Jerusalem (meeting about Paul ’ s gospel for the Gentiles and whether circumcision is necessary for Gentile converts) g)Disagreement at Antioch h)Third visit to Jerusalem – Paul ’ s collection for the poor in the Jerusalem church

12. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 12 Paul ’ s missionary journey 1 2 3

13. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 13 3.2 Absolute chronology (p.35) – the actual dates on which the visits took place and letters were written. a)Around 37-39 CE, Paul ’ s escape from Damasus (2 Cor 11.32-3) – King Aretas IV, ruler over the Nabateans, acquired control over Damascus around 37-39CE. b)49CE, the edict ( 命令 ) of Claudius (Acts 18.2) – Claudius compelling Jews to leave Rome, and Paul arrived Corinth around 49-50CE c)Around 51-2 CE, the proconsulship of Gallio ( 羅馬的地方總督迦流 ) (Acts 18.12) 3.Paul ’ s missionary career

14. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 14 3.3 A sketch of Paul ’ s Christian career (p.37)  30-33 CE, Paul ’ s conversion  37 CE? Escape from Damascus  Before 46 CE, ‘ First missionary journey ’ with Barnabas commissioned in Antioch.  About 46 CE, independent Journey afterwards (the ‘ Second missionary journey ’ )  51 CE, attend the ‘ conference ’ in Jerusalem – to discuss the issue of Gentile converts and the requirements to be placed upon them (Gal 2.1-10)  After the ‘ conference ’, Paul undertook his ‘ Third missionary journey ’ to Antioch  Ephesus  Macedonia  Illyricum  Corinth  Jerusalem. It is form this period of missionary activity that almost all of Paul ’ s letters come.  60s CE, Paul and Peter were executed in Rome under the emperor Nero 3.Paul ’ s missionary career

15. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 15 End of the presentation Thank You

16. Prepared by Phyllis Lam Pui-fan, 3 Feb 2009 16 Discussion time 1.How do Jewish, Greek and Roman influence shape Paul ’ s environment and identity? To what extent are these influence separable, or intertwined( 交織在一起 )? (Ch. 1) 2.In what specific ways might it be important to appreciate the chronological and cultural distance between us and Paul? (Ch. 1) 3.How do you weigh the evidence for or against the historical accuracy of the information about Paul contained in Acts? How far has Luke ’ s theological agenda shaped or influenced his writing? (Ch.2) 4.How much can we know about the process by which Christianity spread from Jerusalem and to non-Jews? Do you find Hengel ’ s theory about the Hellenists ’ role convincing? (Ch.2) 5.Is it better to speak of Paul as having been ‘ called ’ or ‘ converted ’ ? What valid insight, if any, does each term convey about Paul and the change he experienced?