1/26/2016

The Conversion of the Apostle Paul

(EighthDayofPrayerForChristianUnity)
OnJanuary25werememberhowSaul(orPaul)ofTarsus,formerlyanenemyandpersecutoroftheearlyChristianChurch,wasledbyGod'sgracetobecomeoneofitschiefspokesmen.
OurchiefsourcesofinformationabouttheApostlePaulare(1)severalofhisownletters,preservedforusintheNewTestament,and(2)theaccountofhimgivenbyLukeinthebookofActs.
OnenaturallyaskswhetherwecanbesurethatthelettersattributedtoPaulareinfacthis.Apartialansweristhataforgerwouldrunintodifficulty.Ifhewrotealetter,say,tothechurchatCorinthduringPaul's
lifetime,andsignedPaul'sname,theCorinthianswouldnaturallymentionitthenexttimetheysentamessagetoPaul,andPaulwouldnaturallyreply:"Whatareyoutalkingabout?Ineverwroteanythinglikethat!"Ifa
lettersupposedlytoCorinthwerecirculatedafterPaul'sdeath,soonerorlateracopywouldreachCorinth,andthemembersofthechurchtherewouldask,"IfPaulwrotethisletterandsentittouswhilehelived,how
doesithappenthatnooneherehaseverheardofit?"Thus,itwouldbedifficulttoobtaincredenceforaforgedlettertoacongregation.Thisargumentdoesnotapplytoalettertoanindividual(suchasTimothyor
Titus).Moreover,itarguablydoesnotapplytotheLettertotheEphesians.Althoughsomeancientcopiesofthisletterbegin:
+Paul,anapostleofChristJesusbythewillofGod,
+tothesaintswhoare[atEphesusand]faithfulinChristJesus:
Otherancientcopiesreadsimply"also"insteadofthebracketedwords.Thus,itiswidelysupposedthattheletterwaswrittenasageneralformlettertomanychurches,withthenameofthechurchtobefilledinineach
particularcopy.Thisviewissupportedbythefactthatthelettercontainsnopersonalgreetingsandmakesnoreferencestothepasthistoryofthecongregationaddressed.Now,aforgermightwritesuchaformletter,
circulateitafterPaul'sdeath,andescapedetection,sincenoparticularcongregationcouldsay,"Sincewedidnothearofthisletterbefore,Paulcouldnothavewrittenit."Andaccordingly,wefindthatitisprecisely
EphesiansandthePastorals(theletterstoTimothyandTitus)thatarequestionedbysomescholarswhoacknowledgePaul'sauthorshipofalltheotherlettersclaimingtobebyhim.(Iamnotcountingthelettertothe
Hebrews,whichisnotsigned.)
OurothersourceofinformationisthebookofActs,wherePaul(atfirstcalledSaul)appearsin7:588:19:13011:253012:2528:31.HerewereadhowPaulatfirstopposedandpersecutedtheChurch,howhehad
avisionofChristandwasconverted,anddevotedtherestofhislifetospreadingtheGospelofChrist.
Portionsofthisaccountincludestatementslike"wethencrossedovertoTroas,"whicharetakentomeanthatLukewasacompanionofPaulforpartofPaul'sjourneys.Sincetheseaccounts,particularlythoseofthe
shipwreckonPaul'slastvoyage,showeverysignofbeingaccurateeyewitnessaccounts(seethebookTheVoyageandShipwreckofSaintPaul,byJamesSmithofJordanHill,Frs)andsinceacomparisonofthestyle
ofvariousportionsofthebookofActsmakesithighlyimprobablethatitisascissorsandpastejob,withportionsofoneman'sworkinsertedintoastorybysomeoneelse,manyscholarsconsidertheclaimthatActs
waswrittenbyacompanionofPaultobewellestablished.
Ontheotherhand,itisnotalwaysclearhowthechronologyofLuke'saccountofthelifeofPaulistobefittedwiththeautobiographicalsnippetswefindinPaul'sownwritings,andforthisreasonsomescholars
disputethegenuinenessofthebookofActs.
Foranoldbutstillworthwhileintroductiontothesubject,andadefenseoftheconservativeposition,IreferthereadertoAHistoricalIntroductionTotheNewTestament(thetitlevariesabitfromoneeditionto
another)byGeorgeSalmon,Frs.aportionofthisbook(dealingwiththeauthorshipoftheFourthGospel)canbeobtainedbysendingthemessageGetJohnPart2totheaddressLISTSERV@ASU.EDUorbyconsultingthe
Webathttp://www.aber.ac.uk/~spk/christia.html
PRAYER(traditionallanguage)
OGod,whobythepreachingofthineapostlePaulhastcausedThelightoftheGospeltoshinethroughouttheworld:Grant,webeseechthee,thatwe,havinghiswonderfulconversioninremembrance,
mayshowforthourthankfulnessuntotheeforthesamebyfollowingtheholydoctrinewhichhetaughtthroughJesusChristourLord,wholivethandreignethwiththee,intheunityoftheHolySpirit,one
God,nowandforever.
PRAYER(contemporarylanguage)
OGod,bythepreachingofyourapostlePaulyouhavecausedThelightoftheGospeltoshinethroughouttheworld:Grant,wepray,thatwe,havinghiswonderfulconversioninremembrance,mayshow
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1/26/2016

The Conversion of the Apostle Paul

ourselvesthankfultoyoubyfollowinghisholyteachingthroughJesusChristourLord,wholivesandreignswithyou,intheunityoftheHolySpirit,oneGod,nowandforever.
ReadingActs26:921(Paul,ontrialbeforeAgrippa,recountsthestoryofhisconversionatDamascus)
Psalm67(Godhasblestus,andalltheendsoftheearthshallrevereHim)
EpistleGalatians1:1124(Paulwritesofhisconversion,anditsimplications)
TheHolyGospelMatthew10:1622(ChristwarnsHisdisciplesofpersecutionstocome,andencouragesthemtostandfirmandtrustGod)

Unlessotherwiseindicated,thisbiographicalsketchwaswrittenbyJamesE.Kieferandanycommentsaboutitscontentshouldbedirectedtohim.TheBiographicalSketcheshomepagehasmoreinformation.

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