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Paul: A Biography

Jan 15, 2024

Paul: A Biography

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Summary/Reflection

Tom Wright presents a wholistic biography of the Apostle Paul’s life. He explains how Paul’s vision is steeped in Jewish understanding of the One God, reshaped around Jesus. Paul is not starting a new “religion”, his work is not mere “theological” but it is “social”, even “political”. Paul’s vision is that of unified, holy Jew-plus-Gentile churches that reach out to others, especially the poor.

Reading about Jewish conceptions in great detail for the first time, this book has been one of paradigm shifts. I had many “Aha!” moments where all the pieces slotted into place. This biography provided a high-level view of what Paul was like and what motivated him. I will for sure return to it often as a reference.

One specific understanding was that of why Paul wrote with such an urgency. Not because he believed that the “end times” would soon come. But because the destruction of the Jerusalem temple had been prophicied. If believers didn’t grasp that there is no different between Jew and Gentile when it comes to Jesus-followers, Gentiles might reject Jews altogether, believing that God cut them off by the destruction of the temple. That’s why he speaks so much about unity in the church.

I never dedicated myself to study a part of Scripture so specifically. Getting to know Paul through Wright’s eyes was enlightening. Paradigm-shifting.

Timeline

As with all ancient history, most dates are approximations

  • ?4 BC: Birth of Jesus of Nazareth
  • ?AD 5–10: Birth of Saul of Tarsus
  • 30: Cruxifiction and ressurection of Jesus of Nazareth
  • ?33: Revelation of Jesus to Saul on the road to Damascus
  • 33–36: Paul in Damascus, Arabia, Damascus again
  • 36: Paul’s first post-Damascus visit to Jerusalem (18–24)
  • 36–46: Paul in Tarsus; brought to Antioch by Barnabas
  • 40: Caligula’s plans to erect his statue in Jerusalem
  • 41: Assassination of Caligula; accession of Claudius
  • 46/47: “Famine visit” to Jerusalem (30, 1–10)
  • 47–48: Paul and Barnabas on first missionary journey: Cyprus and South Galatia
  • 48: Peter in Antioch (11–21); Crisis in Galatia
  • 48: ✉️ Galatians
  • 48/49: Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15)
  • ?49: Cladius’s expulsion of Jews from Rome
  • 49: Paulus and Silas on second missionary journey: Greece
  • 50/51: ✉️ 1 & 2 Thessalonians
  • 51 (early)–52 (late): Paul in Corinth
  • 52/53: Paul in Jerusalem, Antioch; third missionary journey: Ephesus
  • 53–56: Paul in Ephesus
  • ?53: ✉️ 1 Corinthians
  • 53/54: Short, painful visit to Corinth
  • 54: Death of Cladius; accession of Nero
  • ?55–56: Imprisonment in Ephesus
  • ?55: ✉️ Philippians
  • ?55/56: ✉️ Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians
  • 56: Release from prison; travel from Ephesus to Corinth
  • 56: ✉️ 2 Corinthians
  • 57: ✉️ Romans
  • 57–59: “Hearings” and imprisonment in Jerusalem and Caesarea
  • 59, autumn: Voyage to Rome; shipwreck on Malta
  • 60, early: Arrival in Rome
  • 60–62: House arrest in Rome
  • ?62–64: Further travels, either to Spain or to the East, or both?
  • ?after 62: ✉️ 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus?
  • 64: Fire in Rome, persecution of Christians
  • ?64 or later: Death of Paul
  • 66–70: Roman-Jewish war
  • 68: Death of Nero
  • 70: Fall of Jerusalem

Notes by chapter

1: Zeal

  • Paul’s zeal was steeped in a rich tradition
    • the narrative he lived in that impurity (sin) leads to death, so he needs to stop those bringing impurity

2: Damascus

  • The Road to Damascus was not a “conversion” event, it was a fulfillment event
    • Saul didn’t invent a new “religion”, to him, Jesus is the hope and fulfilment of the grand story

3: Arabia and Tarsus (AD 33-36)

  • Gal 1:15-17 - First he went to Arabia
    • This is where Mt. Sinai was. Paul wanted to convince himself he was really right in what he saw.
  • Jerusalem: AD 36 or 37

4: Antioch

  • When a famine was prophecied, they didn’t stockpile but give

5: Cyprus & Galatia

  • A Messiah was to bring a sort of “political” rule (although Jews would understand it as highly theological too)
    • The messiah-annointed Simeon set up a small rebel kingdom
  • AD 47/48
  • Gods were everywhere around that time. In all sorts of social gatherings. People would notice.
    • Not a matter of personal salvation but a different structure of life.
  • Paul visited key centres of Roman rule
    • Psidian Antioch, Ephesus, Philipi, Corinth, Rome, Spain
  • hence, they were also key centres of the worship of Cesar
  • ”Jesus Messiah is Lord” was core profession
    • quite an obvious contrast to Cesar is Lord
  • Paul’s first journey: Acts 13-14 Acts 13–14
    • Paphos = Cyprus’ captial
  • Psidian Antioch was thought of as “New Rome”
    • Home to many high ranking Roman officials
    • Massive imperial cult
      • Paul’s teaching was seen as a risk for civic upheaval
    • He proclaimed Christ as Lord overthrowing powers
    • He included non-Jews in God’s promise
      • Only Jews had the privilege to worship their God and not Roman gods. What if non-Jews now claimed the same?

6: Antioch and Jerusalem

  • ”Paul’s vision, Jewish to the core but reshaped around the messianic events surrounding Jesus, was a hundred percent theological and a hundred percent about the formation of a new community.”
  • At the end of the war, so many Jews were crucified that Rome ran out of timber
  • For Jews, being circumcised meant being Jewish. it is a sign of loyalty
    • loyalty was even more important in Jerusalem
  • Paul writes about this in Galatians
    • people from Jerusalem came to Galatia
      • therefore Jews weren’t allowed to eat with gentiles
    • after first eating together, Peter withdraws, leading his circle also to withdraw
      • Paul sternly opposes that
  • on Galatians
    • Paul reminds that through Jesus a new creation happened.
    • it’s not just a new twist on an old religion
      • The gospel events and Paul’s life are the fulfillment of the divine plan revealed in the scriptures
    • through my own experience i can show you this is the fulfillment
      • All of this bypasses the requirements of Moses
    • the Torah was given temporarily until the promise to Abraham was fulfilled
    • Abraham’s faith was counted to righteousness
      • this has been accomplished through a “new exodus”
    • Paul retells the exodus story on Galatians 4:1-7 with Jesus at the heart of it
      • God created a single family, marked by faith
    • pistis (faith): faith, faithfulness, loyalty
      • confessing that Jesus is kyrios (King) [add this to faith]
    • this is Paul’s doctrine of “justification by faith"
  • "Jerusalem conference” Acts 15
    • discussing all the issues face to face
  • late 48 or 49
  • Jerusalem was the center of the anti Barnabas and Paul protest movement
  • Non-Jews didn’t need to be circumcised, main point conceded
  • be careful to not offend neighbours (sexual immorality, not eating blood)
  • 2 Peter 3:16
    • Some found Paul’s letters hard to understand
  • but the remarkable thing is they were already referred to as scriptures

7: Into Europe

  • Likely that Luke joined the party here (writing in “we”)
  • violent opposition in Thessalonica
    • even in short time Paul connects warmly (see letters)
  • Philippi
    • the exorcism of the girl
    • exorcism (religious problem) turned into los of income (economic problem) to them being Jews (ethic problem) to teaching illegal customs (political problem)
      • Romans were weary of Jews rebelling
      • was there for at least a couple of weeks
  • the church sent him money later when he was in prison
  • Beroera
  • Paul connected deeply with the churches here

8: Athens

  • Pauls Aeropagus address (Acts 17:22-31)
    • Paul was on trial
    • Aeropagus was a court
    • because he was believed to introduce foreign divinities
    • paul argues that all of the inconsistencies point to the One True God
    • he was acquitted, he convinced the court and was let free
  • Stoics and Epicureans
    • main philosophical schools at time
  • Epicureans
    • most famous: poet Lucretius
    • if gods exist, they’re in a world seperate from
      • everything has “natural” causes
    • small minority up until 18th century
      • what many call a modern “discovery”
      • Stoics
      • Paul’s near contemporaries: Seneca + Epictetus
      • more popular
      • basically pantheists
        • everything was of spirit (or fire), then blaze out and start again

9: Corinth 1

  • Corinth was bound to thrive
    • Port City with lack of morals
  • proud of it’s Romanness
    • the temple of the imperial cult was placed just higher than the many others
  • by now Paul for used to telling people things that they thought were either mad or blasphemous
  • Here he writes 1 Thessalonians
    • nothing went wrong there, Paul is happy and proud
  • he makes three points
    • sex
      • sexual holiness is mandatory for Christians
      • unbridled lust is a sign one doesn’t know God
    • money
      • generosity was a pillar of the early church
    • parousia (“manifestation”, “royal presence”) of Jesus
      • the only idea of eschatology (history going somewhere) was the Roman propaganda
        • with Ceasar we are now in the golden Age!
        • every other non-Jewish belief was cyclical (stoics)
        • Paul hat to teach non-Jews to think Jewish and Jews and non Jews to think in the modified way by Jesus
        • 1 Thess 5: Roman Empire promised “peace and security”, an assurance far beyond capability to deliver
      • the idea is that heaven and earth will come together and we live both in the present Age and the one to come
      • 2 Thessalonians deals with that more, probably written from Corinth
  • Paul is being advised of “teaching people to worship God in illegal ways”
    • Jews charged that he changed Jewish customs in such a way it didn’t count as included in allowed worship by Rome
  • unlike other authorities, the Roman Governor of Southern Greece (“Achaea”) declared being a Jesus follower was to be seen as a variation of the Jewish way of life, being under the same exception to worship
    • they have the same exemption to not take part in the Civic cult (a public thing)

Ephesus 1

  • 2 Corinthians
    • much heavier and darker time for Paul he look back on
  • town of Ephesus
    • host of imperial cult
  • temple of Artemis one of ancient world wonders
  • Home to all kinds of magic
  • likely that Paul was imprisoned here
    • provides location for Philemon, prison letters and Ephesians
  • problems in Corinth
    • Paul preaches a strict Jewish and Christian code of ethics
  • division about following Paul, Peter or Apollos
    • Apollos went to Corinth after Paul and made a strong impression
      • he believed Jesus was an extension of John the Baptist
    • Peter had also been to Corinth
    • Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians
      • in general terms but it must also have been deeply personal
    • the issue resolved around style
      • other leaders were of better social standing
        • Paul contrasting “wisdom of the world”
        • major theme: Corinthians being “puffed up”
      • Paul decides to visit Corinth but was rebuffed
    • to come again he was told to obtain letters of recommendation by someone the church trusted
  • issues in Ephesus
    • for two years he divided his time between tent making and discussing faith in the public arena
    • ephesus was a metropolis, people travling through heard and discuss this new Messiah community
  • Paul then was imprisoned in Ephesus
    • during Roman times, your friends had to care for yiu in prison
    • he mentions how some of his friends turned their back on him
    • without food and water you get into pretty tough times
    • this enforced Paul’s view of the lordship of Jesus over powers and principalities

Ephesus 2

  • Philippians: first prison letter written
    • according to NT Wright
  • Philemon
    • helping runaway slaves was an offence
  • putting all cosmic ideas about unity and reconciliation into real life application
    • not slavery policy but one on one pastoral ministry
      • it worked! 50 years later the bishop of ephesus is called onesimus
    • this slave as an elder? our a respected name in the early church community
  • Colossians
    • written to a young church
  • Mark works with him again!
  • don’t allow being “taken captive”
    • One letter changed in Greek and it’s “lead into the synagogue”
      • Paul warns against them going back to Jewish laws again
  • Ephesians
    • chapter 1-3: cosmic vision of the divine purpose and the church carrying it out
    • Power & Unity
      • Power of God in the gospel
      • Unity of heaven and earth, Jew and gentile in the church
      • second half
    • practical
    • Paul knows that living in the cosmic plan means struggle against dark powers

Corinth 2

  • 2 Corinthians
    • starting point is Paul being released from prison
    • he is still physically and emotionally battered
      • after the last hard letters, Paul was still wondering about the church and if they turned around
    • then he met Titus who relayed the church is sorry and wants to reconcile
      • moves kinda jerkily because of above mentioned
  • climax
    • a grand parody of Roman boasting
  • Romans
    • unique: written to different seperate house churches of Jesus followers
    • with different ideas about how Jesus followers worship
    • Paul calls for Unity (Rom 15:7)
      • Ceasars vocabulary
    • events of their rule: “good news” (euangelia)
    • Ceasar as Kyrios (“Lord”) and Sōtēr (“saviour”)
    • brings peace, justice and salvation
    • response of citizens: “loyalty” or “faithfulness” (pistis), “believing obedience”

Jerusalem again

  • Paul is traveling with companions to deliver the monetary gift for Jerusalem
  • late AD 57 he arrives in Jerusalem
  • AD 57–59 he is in Roman captivity
  • The controversy of Paul was that he said Gentiles could become true worshippers of the One Good without becoming circumcised, ie. Jews
  • 1 Cor 15: Paul’s twofold resurrection understanding

From Caesarea to Rome–and Beyond?

  • nero was Ceasar at the time
  • Paul arrived in Rome 60 → 2 years house arrest
  • unclear when he died. likely he didn’t in 62, then in 64 when Christians were persecuted? did he go to Spain or the West in between?

The Challenge of Paul

  • Jesus was the starting point. Jesus within Jewish monotheism, as the fulfillment
  • Jesus was the goal. at the “great future event” when heaven (God’s sphere) fully colonises earth (humanity’s sphere)
  • The idea of “end of the world” is neither biblical nor Jewish nor early Christian. it’s 19th century secular European, fuelled by hopes of revolutions
  • The cataclysmic event that was to occur in a generation was the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple (Mark 13). where heaven and earth comes together
    • that’s why Paul has such urgency. that’s why he emphasises the unity of the church so heavily. this is the temple now
    • He feared what would happen: Gentile Jesus-followers saying that God finally cut off Jews. that Christianity would become “a religion”, contrasted against “Judaism”
  • Paul cares about Heaven and Earth, not Heaven and Hell (the medieval notion)
  • many of the acknowledged great moments in church history (Augustine, Luther, Bart) have come from a fresh engagement with Paul’s work
  • paul is do vibrant because he intensely practiced what he preached

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