In chapters twelve through fourteen of A Brief Introduction to the New Testament by Bart D. Ehrman we are introduced to some of Paul’s writing techniques and beliefs. Before reading this book I had very few notions as to who Paul was and what he did as a missionary but it was interesting to learn about some of his contributions to the New Testament.
It is highly noted in chapter twelve that Paul was first and foremost a devoted Christian looking to spread the word of Christianity, however later on he became a highly renowned missionary who appears to have written thirteen of the twenty-seven books found in the New Testament. Not only is he found throughout the New Testament but he was also a well-educated human being who was originally a Jew. It was interesting to discover that later on he converted to Christianity and eventually went so far as to become a missionary. In chapter twelve I also was intrigued to learn Paul’s views on the Law.
Ehrman writes, “It is Christ alone who rings liberation, for Paul, in that he alone has broken the power of death, as proved by his resurrection. Christ has also, therefore, conquered the power of sin” (206). Though Ehrman also writes that many scholars are unsure weather or not Paul ever reached a consistent conclusion regarding the law they can most likely guess that when it came to the law Paul did not believe that a person could be justified in following the law. It seems to me that Paul was a smart and devoted missionary who believes whole-heartedly in God and the message that he has worked so hard to convey.
In chapter thirteen we are told how Paul influenced his followers and where he preached his message. Often times Paul would spread the gospel in larger cities. Ehrman says that, “Paul’s success lay in his ability to convince them (converts), somehow, that this one God was the God that he proclaimed to them” (217). After convincing his converts, or Jews being converted to Christians, that there was only one God he then “pressed upon them his belief that Jesus was this one God’s son” (217). There is no way to tell for sure how Paul was capable of convincing so many people, however, in A Brief Introduction to the New Testament we are led to believe that Paul did in fact convert hundreds of people into Christian’s who were waiting Jesus’ return. Chapter thirteen also tells us that the oldest book in the New Testament could be found in Paul’s writings. According to Ehrman, “Scholars are almost unanimous in thinking that it (first Thessalonians) was the first of his (Paul) surviving works to be written, which also means that it is the oldest book of the New Testament and consequently the earliest surviving Christian writing of any kind” (212). All of this was completely new to me but very fascinating all the same.
When it came to reading chapter fourteen I was eager to discover new things about Paul and his writings. Ehrman discuss’ 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians in chapter fourteen. First the reader is led to believe that Paul came to Corinth after leaving Thessalonica. Next we see the contrast in what Luke say’s that Paul is doing and what Paul himself argues. According to Paul, he “worked primarily with Gentiles” as opposed to Jews, whom Luke believed he worked with. After reading Ehrman’s book it seems to me that Paul was primarily concerned with spreading the message to all including Jews and Gentiles. I had always figured that Paul was a good guy, especially since he is in the bible, but I had no idea just how prominent he was in the New Testament and how much he did as a missionary spreading the gospel.
I will admit that coming into religion 120 I had little knowledge of the New Testament let alone Paul himself. Through reading Ehrman’s book I have gained a better understanding of a number of topics, particularly Paul. Paul converted from Judaism to Christianity and through those experiences he helped spread the gospel to so many more people. The fact that he has written thirteen of the twenty-seven books from the New Testament alone stands as a tribute to how influential and important he is to the past, present, and future of Christianity.
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