Paul and Salvation History

Hellenistic Culture and Paul's Mission

Opportunities:

• Common Language (Koine Greek): Facilitated communication across the eastern Mediterranean.
• Roman Infrastructure: Safe travel and communication enabled missionary journeys.
• Urban Centers: Cosmopolitan cities served as hubs for planting churches.
• Religious Syncretism: Openness to new ideas created an audience receptive to Paul’s gospel.
• Philosophical Language and Rhetoric: Influenced Paul’s mode of argument and presentation.

Challenges:

• Idolatry and Pagan Religions: Clashed with Paul's monotheism.
• Moral and Ethical Differences: Paul’s ethics contrasted with prevailing cultural values.
• Jewish-Gentile Tensions: Integration of Gentiles raised tensions.
• Persecution and Opposition: Both Jews and Gentiles opposed Paul.

Chronological Dualism in Jewish Thought

• Definition: History divided into two ages:
  1. The Present Evil Age: Marked by sin, suffering, and oppression.
  2. The Age to Come: A future time of divine intervention and renewal.
• Significance: Shaped expectations, produced ethical urgency, and influenced apocalyptic literature.
• Paul's Reinterpretation:
  • The two ages overlap through Christ.
  • Believers live in an "already" and "not yet."

Overview of the Book of Acts

Authorship:

• Luke, companion of Paul.
• Written in Koine Greek, likely between 70–90 CE.

Structure:

• Prologue and Ascension (Acts 1)
• The Church in Jerusalem (Acts 2–7)
• Expansion to Judea and Samaria (Acts 8–12)
• Paul's Missionary Journeys (Acts 13–21)
• Paul’s Arrest and Journey to Rome (Acts 21–28)

Major Themes:

• The Sovereignty of God
• The Work of the Holy Spirit
• The Spread of the Gospel to All Nations
• Unity and Diversity in the Early Church
• Apostolic Authority and Witness
• Continuity with Judaism and Fulfillment of Scripture

Stephen's Sermon in Acts

Context:

• Stephen is accused of blaspheming the temple and the Law.

Main Themes and Convictions:

• God’s Presence Is Not Limited to the Temple
• Israel’s Repeated Rejection of God's Messengers
• Critique of the Temple Cult
• Law and Covenant Misunderstood

Significance for Pauline Theology:

• Temple and Presence of God
• Continuity and Fulfillment
• Rejection of the Messiah
• Universal Access to God
• Stephen as a Proto-Pauline Figure

Paul’s Personal Background and History (Pre-Conversion)

From Paul’s Own Letters:

• Jewish Heritage: “A Hebrew of Hebrews” (Phil. 3:5), tribe of Benjamin, circumcised.
• Pharisee: Trained in strict observance of the Law (Phil. 3:5; Acts 23:6).
• Zealous Persecutor: Vigorously persecuted the early Christian movement (Gal. 1:13).
• Blameless Under the Law: Righteous behavior by Pharisaic standards (Phil. 3:6).

From the Book of Acts:

• Name and Dual Identity: Hebrew name Saul, Roman name Paul (Acts 13:9).
• Place of Birth: Tarsus, a major Hellenistic center (Acts 21:39).
• Roman Citizenship: Roman citizen by birth (Acts 22:28).
• Education under Gamaliel: Studied under a leading Pharisee teacher (Acts 22:3).
• Persecution of Christians: Present at Stephen’s stoning (Acts 7:58).

Paul's Damascus Road Experience

Summary of the Event:

• A great light flashes around Paul.
• He hears a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
• The voice identifies itself as Jesus.
• Paul is blinded and led into Damascus.
• Ananias restores his sight, he is baptized, and receives the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Interpretation:
$Galatians 1:15-16$: Revelation of Christ, a calling, and a commissioning.
$1 Corinthians 15:8$: Equates the encounter with a resurrection appearance.

How It Should Be Understood:

• As a Revelation of the Risen Jesus
• As a Call and Commission
• As a Radical Reorientation
• As an Inauguration of His Mission to the Gentiles

How It Should Not Be Understood:

• Not as a “Conversion” in the Modern Sense
• Not as a Psychological Breakdown or Vision Hallucination

Summary Sketch of Paul’s Missionary Activity

Paul’s Missionary Methods:

• Urban-Centered Strategy: Focused on major cities as hubs.
• Synagogue First, Then Gentiles: Preached in Jewish synagogues first.
• Preaching, Debating, and Reasoning: Used scripture for Jews and philosophy for Gentiles.
• Church Planting and Follow-Up: Organized converts into local house churches.
• Manual Labor: Supported himself to avoid overburdening new believers.

Geographic Itinerary:

• First Journey (Acts 13–14): Cyprus and Galatia.
• Second Journey (Acts 15:36–18:22): Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece.
• Third Journey (Acts 18:23–21:17): Galatia, Phrygia, and Ephesus.
• Final Journey (Acts 27–28): Journey to Rome after arrest.

Debate and Outcome of the Jerusalem Council

Context:

• Must Gentile believers be circumcised and observe the Mosaic Law to be saved?

The Debate:

• The Judaizers’ Position: Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses.
• Paul and Barnabas’ Position: Opposed imposing the Law on Gentiles; salvation is by grace.
• Peter’s Intervention: God gave the Holy Spirit to Gentiles without circumcision.
• James’ Judgment: Gentiles do not need to be circumcised but should abstain from idolatry, sexual immorality, and meat strangled or with blood.

The Outcome:

• Gentiles are not required to become Jews to follow Jesus.
• Salvation is affirmed to be by grace alone.
• A letter is sent to Gentile churches outlining these decisions.

Peter's Visit to Antioch

The Incident in Antioch (Galatians 2:11–14):

• Peter ate with Gentile Christians but withdrew when men from James arrived.
• Paul confronted Peter publicly.

Theological Significance:

• The Gospel and Table Fellowship
• Justification by Faith vs. Works of Law
• Integrity of Christian Freedom
• Paul’s Apostolic Authority

Paul's Meaning of Key Terms in Galatians

A. Justification (or Righteousness):

• Definition: Being declared righteous or in right standing before God.
• Obtained: Not based on human achievement or observance of the Law, but on God’s grace.
• Legal Declaration: Acquitted of guilt and counted righteous in God's eyes (cf. $Galatians 2:16$).

B. Faith in/of Christ:

• Definition: Trusting in Jesus as the means of justification and salvation.
• Faith as Trust and Belief: Not merely intellectual belief but trusting in Jesus for salvation (cf. $Galatians 2:16$).
• Receiving Grace: Faith is the instrument by which we receive justification; not by what we do, but by believing in Christ’s work.

C. Works of the Law:

• Definition: Rituals, ceremonies, and regulations in the Mosaic Law.
• Legalistic Insistence: The Judaizers insisted that Gentiles observe these works to be fully accepted.
• Bondage: Paul argues that insisting on works of the Law puts believers back under bondage (cf. $Galatians 5:1$).

Paul's Arguments for Justification by Faith in Galatians

Argument 1: Abraham as the Example of Justification by Faith

• Abraham's Justification Was by Faith: $Genesis 15:6$, Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Galatians 3:6).
• The Promise to Abraham Was by Faith: God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3).
• The True Children of Abraham: Those who have the same faith that he had.

Argument 2: The Law Cannot Justify; It Only Brings a Curse

• The Curse of the Law: Galatians 3:10
• Christ Redeemed Us from the Curse: Christ has redeemed believers by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).
• The Promise of the Spirit: Galatians 3:14

Why Paul Wrote Romans Compared to Galatians

Purpose of the Letter to the Romans:

• To Explain the Gospel and Salvation
• To Promote Unity Between Jews and Gentiles
• To Prepare for His Visit to Rome
• To Address Potential Misunderstandings About His Message

Comparison to Galatians:

• Tone and Context:
• Justification by Faith:
• The Law and Grace:

Paul's Story of Salvation History in Galatians and Romans

Creation and the Promise to Abraham: God’s plan begins with creation and His promise to Abraham is the beginning of redemption.

• The Law and the Role of Israel: The Law was temporary, revealing sin but not justifying.
• The Fulfillment in Christ: Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promises.
• The Present Reality and the Role of the Spirit: Believers experience salvation through faith.
• The Hope of Glory and the Future Fulfillment: Paul looks forward to Christ's second coming/ kingdom.

Abraham's Justification in Romans

Abraham Was Justified by Faith, Not by Works:

• In Romans 4:1-3, Abraham’s righteousness was based on faith, not on his works.
• The Promise to Abraham: God’s promise to Abraham—that he would be the father of many nations—was given before the Law (Romans 4:13).
• Faith as the Key to Justification: God credited righteousness to Abraham because of his faith.
• Abraham’s Faith as the Example for All Believers: In Romans 4:16-17, Paul connects Abraham’s example to all believers.

Controversies About the ‘I’ of Romans 7:7-25

• The “I” Represents Paul’s Pre-Christian Experience: Describing his pre-conversion struggle with sin under the Old Covenant.
• The “I” Represents Paul’s Post-Christian Experience: Describing a Christian’s ongoing struggle with sin.
• The “I” Represents Humanity in General: Paul is speaking generally about the human condition.
• The “I” Represents the Struggle Between the Flesh and the Spirit: dual nature of the believer.

Significance of Paul’s Olive Tree Analogy in Romans 11

• The Root of the Olive Tree: Israel’s Patriarchs and the Covenants: Paul states that the root of the olive tree refers to Israel’s patriarchs, particularly Abraham (Romans 11:16).
• The Broken-off Branches: Unbelief and the Rejection of Israel: Paul describes how some branches of the olive tree (representing Israel) were broken off due to their rejection of Christ (Romans 11:17-20).
• The Grafted-in Branches: Gentiles Included in the Promise: Paul speaks of wild olive branches being grafted in to the cultivated olive tree (Romans 11:17-18), representing the Gentiles now included in God's promise.
• The theological and historical significance.