Paul: The Gospel Fleshed Out

Sources: I. Howard Marshall et al., Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Letters and Revelation (IVP, 2002); Raymond E. Brown, The New Testament: an Introduction (Doubleday, 1997); Bart Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 3d ed. (Oxford, 2004).

I. Toward the New Testament Core
Christianity in the canon's less dominant voices looks similar to the core:
Congregations scattered around the Roman empire with a shared identity and mission,

focused on Jesus, led by apostles or their appointees, and facing pressures.

Even there are signs of Paul's influence. Acts provides a narrative that explains it.

II. Paul's Life and Mission
Saul/Paul is a towering figure, Christianity's Moses.

Why? What is the nature of his influence and power in the face of such challenges and setbacks?

Biographical outline, drawing from both Acts and Paul's letters:

Paul trained (Acts: under Gamiliel) as a rabbi and Pharisee (a renewal movement).
Stephen's death inaugurated persecutions in which Paul participated as a persecutor.
Paul saw the risen Jesus (Acts 9, 1 Corinthians 9:1, 15:8), who commissioned him "apostle to the nations."
Paul spent time in Arabia, Antioch, and Jerusalem, winning the trust of Christians.
After his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-14:28) he returned for a conference in Jerusalem over circumcision.
His second (Acts 15:36-18:22) and third (18:23-21:15) missionary journeys moved ever westward to plant, re-visit, and visit churches.
He led teams that continued to pastor older congregations (thus most of the letters).
He returned to Jerusalem and was arrested, imprisoned in Jerusalem and Caesarea, and brought to Rome.
Paul was imprisoned in Rome for two years and finally beheaded under Nero.
Between imprisonment and death, did he get to Spain? Clement of Rome thought so.

Events and chronologies in Acts and Paul's letters are hard to reconcile fully.
Several scholarly chronologies:

Date	Traditional (Brown, 428)	G. Burge and G. Green, 2d. ed (322)	R. Reisner (Marshall, 43)
5-10		Birth
30	Crucifixion of Jesus	Crucifixion of Jesus	Crucifixion of Jesus
31-32			Death of Stephen Conversion In Arabia and Tarsus At Antioch
32-34		Conversion
35		First visit to Jerusalem
36	Conversion
39	Visit to Jerusalem after Damascus
40-44	In Cicilia
45	At Antioch		Visit to Jerusalem to bring famine relief First missionary journey in Galatia (Acts 13-14) Galatians Jerusalem conference (Acts 15) Second missionary journey in Macedonia and Achaia (Acts 15:36-18:22)
46-49	First missionary journey from Antioch to Cypress and southern Asia Minor	Second visit to Jerusalem; first missionary journey Galatians (if south)
49	Jerusalem conference	Jerusalem conference
50			Arrival in Corinth 1 and 2 Thessalonians Return to Antioch Third missionary journey in Asia (Acts 18:23-21:17) 1 and 2 Corinthians
50-52	Second missionary journey from Antioch through southern Asia Minor to north Galatia, Macedonia, Corinth 1 Thessalonians Return to Jerusalem and Antioch	Second missionary journey 1 and 2 Thessalonians Galatians (if north)
54-58	Third missionary journey, from Antioch through north Galatia to Ephesus Galatians, Philippians, Philemon, 1 Corinthians Through Macedonia toward Corinth 2 Corinthians, Galatians? Winter at Corinth Romans Return to Jerusalem	Third missionary journey (52-57) 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians, Romans
55	(if Acts' record has significant gaps, 1 Timothy and Titus could have been written ~52-56)		Departure from Ephesus Visit to Macedonia and Achaia Romans Return to Jerusalem Arrest and Imprisonments in Jerusalem and Caesarea
58-60	Arrested in Jerusalem Imprisoned two years in Caesarea Philippians?	Imprisoned in Caesaria
59		Trial before Festus and Agrippa II	Departure for Rome (Acts 27:1-28:16)
60	Sent to Rome Long sea journey	Voyage to Rome	Arrival in Rome Two years in house arrest Philippians Philemon, Colossians Ephesians 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus
61-63	Two years in house arrest Philippians? Philemon?         (2 Timothy, if genuine?)	First Roman imprisonment Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon	Death in Rome under Nero
62-64	Death in Rome under Nero	Release and travels
65-66		1 Timothy and Titus
67-68		Reimprisonment 2 Timothy
68		Death in Rome under Nero

III. Are Paul's Letters Paul's?
Pauline letters are named after recipients, churches then persons, arranged from longest to shortest. Hebrews follows.

Style and content varies considerably.

Other writers were often involved to some extent in Paul's letters, even if his voice dominated:

Tertius and Sosthenes sometimes transcribed (Rom 16:22, 1 Cor 1:1),
Silvanus (cf. 1 Pet 5:12) and Timothy were involved in 2 Cor (1:1, cf. 1:19)
and 1 and 2 Thess (1:1).
Timothy is co-named in Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon ('we' and 'I' language).

Some letters' authorship (1/2 Timothy, Titus, 2 Thessalonians, Colossians, Ephesians) is disputed.

Shared roles in authorship don't solve all of this,
but do demonstrate some of the shared dynamics, complexity, and public nature of his letter-writing enterprise.

Furthermore, conclusions about these letters' authorship are often misused:

Disputed letters are often dismissed ('early Catholicism', or departures from a 'theology of Paul').

The complexities show us not to collapse Paul's mission or 'autotune' him into a two-dimensional 'system'.

IV. Consistent Themes in Pauline Letters
Exposition and clear understanding of the gospel

of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, ascension, and coming return
as something his followers benefit from and participate in by his grace [faith].

Paul's gospel matches the apostolic kerygma in Acts
and the skeletal confession Paul received (1 Cor 15).

Discernment of the gospel's unfolding fulfillment of God's biblical promises to Israel.

This fulfillment takes concrete form in Christ's churches and even him.

Discernment of the gospel's deeper implications on everything.
Recognition and avoidance of false gospels and teachers.
Readiness for Christ's appearing (parousia)

to share his Kingdom-inheritance
through cultivation of holiness (Christlikeness) and spiritual fruit [hope].

'Missional' significance of the church

as God's public body/temple/building/field/bride/people/heirs.

The Spirit-gifted, harmonious shape of life in it

devoted to Christ and one another across differences [love].

Challenges to that fruitful life, and solutions (some unpopular today).

Formation of leaders after his example.