A reconstruction of Paul's life and the nature of his Ministry

A reconstruction of Paul’s life and the nature of his ministry. 

Its been long since l posted some interesting insights on this platform and have been receiving calls from a number of readers around the country. I am also glad to be back to do what l love, sharing information so that at the end of this academic course/level we produce well rounded readers, researchers and leaders in various spheres of influence. Apostle Paul as he is known in Biblical studies is worth some moments of reflection since a number of students struggle to come up with a clear understanding of him. The foregoing essay no doubt equips one with a sense of understanding on the person of Paul. Brian Maregedze believes in the potential of every student and using this platform as a starting point to share information he believes that readers will do likewise. For those who may want to learn more after reading this piece do not hesitate to call/whatsapp @ +263779210440

A reconstruction of Paul’s life and the nature of his ministry. 

The reconstruction of the historical Paul has been problematic as with other quest as such that of the historical Jesus. It should be noted that the quest for the historical Paul was inaugurated by the German scholar Ferdinand Christian Baur. As one tries to reconstruct the life of Paul one comes across different approaches propounded by different scholars but this essay will focus on two approaches that is the conservative and synthetic approach. In this essay one also seeks to reconstruct the nature of Paul’s ministry. Scholars have noted that for one to account or construct Paul’s ministry, one need to first note that the nature of Paul’s ministry was characterized by his apostleship, his message, his struggle and his joy. Thus one is going to discuss these issues in a bid to reconstruct the nature of Paul’s ministry.

The conservative approach is one of the approaches used for the quest of the historical Paul known as Saul before the advent of being Paul. Conservative approach is described so because the advocates of this approach take the Acts of the Apostles to be the primary and reliable source for the quest of the historical Paul. The term conservative portrays the holding of tradition values. To this end this approach offers little about the historical Paul as such Acts 23:6 have it that Paul was a Pharisee, a son of a Pharisee as he alludes this in a council thereof. This therefore explains his extreme zeal to protect the tradition of his founding fathers which alludes that he has lived as evident in Acts 26:5-6. Thus he received a rabbinic education under Gamaliel who was a Pharisee also explaining were his zealous came from to protect the tradition. To this end approach then dates the birth of Saul about two years before the advent of our Lord as Elder and Cornhill (2007:3) observe. Thus Paul was a contemporary of Jesus. Nevertheless, one is the persuaded not dwell much on this approach for the question of the historical Paul although it offers some information about him. This is mostly because Acts of the Apostles is a biography of Paul, more so most of the Pauline letters were scribed earlier than Acts. To this end an attempt to reconstruct the historical Paul might be possible and better through the synthetic approach.        

We do not know much about the formative years of Paul besides inferences from the few verses in the biblical narratives. Thus one is persuaded to make use of the synthetic approach as an attempt to construct the life of Paul. This approach synthesize and tries to harmonize what we read in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts) and the Pauline letters (letters scribe and or attribute to Paul) to reconstruct the life of Paul. Guthrie (2010:1) says Paul was born in Tarsus of Cilicia as replicated Acts 21:39, 22:3 and 23:34. Tarsus was the capital city of Cilicia, modern day Turkey. It should be noted that by then, Cilicia was a free city and this explains why he was a freeman and a Roman citizen in Acts 16:37-38, ‘…. they have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans….’ During this era, there was a flourishing Jewish community in Tarsus following the dispersion. However, his family background is shrouded in mystery as such Acts offers little of his family. Thus he was born of Jewish parents, Acts 23:16 have it that Paul had a sister and a nephew and nothing more is said. In accordance with the Jewish tradition he was circumcised on the eight day (Phil 3:5) and was raised a perfect Jew (Phil 3:6). It should be noted that by then Paul was still called by his name from birth that is Saul.

From Acts of the Apostle Paul is first introduced as a young man looking after the garments of those very loyal and committed Jews who stoned Stephen to death (Acts 7:58ff). Paul was not only looking after the garments on this incident but Acts 8:1 has it that Paul by then Saul was consenting unto the death of Stephen. McRay (2003:33) submits that the word translated ‘young man’ is a Greek term neanios which therefore suggest that Paul was probably between 18 and 22 years presuming Stephen was stoned around 30 C.E. With the suggestion of McRay, one is persuaded that the birth of Paul as between 8 and 12 C.E hence one occurs with Johnson (2010) who dates the birth of Paul between 5 and 15 C.E. With this one is persuaded to isolate his birth place which replicated in Acts 22:3 that he was born in Tarsus but grew up in Jerusalem as a student of Gamaliel (Acts 5:34-49). More so Romans 1:1 has it that Paul was a Jew from the branch of Benjamin.

Furthermore, Paul resurfaces again in Acts 9:1-2 as a fierce persecutor of the way. The verses also mirror that Paul was a resident of Jerusalem and a zealous Jew determined to get rid of the followers of Christ. Paul was not only a fierce persecutor of the way as replicated in Acts 18:1-3, where Paul meets Aquila a Jew and his wife Priscilla, abode with them since they occupation was as his thus tentmakers. Thus one is persuaded that indeed Paul was a persecutor of the way and in Galatians 1:22 he accepts that he was. With his zealousness, Murphy-O’Connor (2004:13) observes that Paul was not an immune thug, vulnerable but was in fact willingly complicit.

The quest of the historical Paul as a turning point as replicated in Acts 9:2-3 that as he was undertaking a journey to persecute the way in Damascus he became blind and then assumed the name Paul prior to Saul as from birth. Thus after this incident Saul was then baptized since this was a common practice and became a fierce preacher, ‘he who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy’ (Gal. 1:22-23).  In a bid to reconstruct the nature of Paul’s ministry, one can adopt the approach proposed by Diego johns (1995:67); he postulates that the nature of Paul’s ministry can be understood in three forms that is his apostleship, his struggles and his joys.

To begin with, Marion [1987:27], Paul’s ministry can be reconstructed form his apostleship, his apostleship constitutes of his message, the need to authenticate his work as a servant of Christ and his message to the gentiles. Paul illustrates the nature of his ministry by appealing to the imagery of the Roman triumph (2:14-16a) and of Moses' mediation of the law (3:7-4:1). Between these two images (in 2:16b-3:6) Paul identifies God as the sole basis for his confidence in and competence for ministry. From this one can note that he began first by trying to authenticate the legitimacy of his ministry by aligning what he was doing to Gods work as an apostle because of his past endeavors’ as a persecutor of the church (1 Cor 15:9). In Colossians 1 he twice notes that "I was made a minister" (verses 23, 25) and in gal 1:15ff, called an apostle in Roman 1:1, 1 cor1:1], no less than the twelve (Mark 1:20). Copeland (2007:7) also brings out the idea that Paul’s ministry began just after conversion and was characterized by the issue of apostleship authentication.  The nature of his apostleship or ministry was in the Greek scene of a servant (διακονος) who was serving the people as written in the Colossians. Thus the nature of Paul’s ministry was that of servitude to God and while preaching to the Gentile as well the Jew as noted by W P Heath. Thus from this one can postulate that the nature of Paul’s ministry was characterized by his apostleship in which he sought to authenticate his work as an apostle from Christ and God the father who raised him through the dead. Thus his apostleship was based upon the authority and identity of Jesus Christ as well his message to the gentile as the nature of his ministry.

To further reconstruct the nature of Paul's ministry, Sherman [1987:186], alludes to the notion that the nature of his ministry was characterized by struggle, Paul’s ministry was not characterized by luxury, but by hardship and struggle. He wore no fine robes, nor did he officiate in grand cathedrals. He speaks of his "sufferings for your sake" and "how great a struggle I have on your behalf" (Colossians 1:24, Colossians 2:1). He was dedicated in a sacrificial service to others. "Struggle" was the nature of Paul's ministry, and while his experiences may have been extreme, to him a true ministry will be characterized by service in suffering and struggle. Some scholars have alluded to Acts 16:23 when Paul and Silas where jailed and made to face a judgement which included a severe beating with rods and many stripes were laid on them before they were cast into prison for casting out demon in a certain girl while the masters profited from her divination. Thus one cannot reconstruct the nature of Paul’s ministry without discussing his struggles as they are central element to the nature of his ministry.

However, despite all the struggles, the nature of Paul’s ministry has also been discussed in light of his joy. Although Paul’s ministry caused him much suffering, he was not miserable in the ministry but joyous in it. His labour gave him much satisfaction and personal fulfilment. Paul makes this personal comment to the Colossians. "Even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ" (Colossians 2:5, cf Colossians 1:3-4). Paul could see that his struggle was achieving and contributing to something of great value and thus despite his suffering he had joy in his service. Macdonald (1980:4) that Pauls abiding joy was not contingent upon his circumstances. Rather it was bound up in the God of all grace who saved him. Paul’s joy was supernatural, produced in him by the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22).  Campbell goes on further to postulate that Paul’s joy can be witnessed on several occasion and one of them been the moment he was in prison but went on to pray and sing hymns to an extent of the cell doors opening. Thus from the above discos in a bid to reconstruct the nature of Paul’s ministry one can note that it was characterized by joy in as much as struggle.

In conclusion the quest for the historical Paul is fruitfully constructed on the synthetic approach as replicated above since the approach harmonize the autobiographical report (Pauline letters) and the biography (Acts). This makes a lot of sense since one is usually persuaded by what the individual him or her other than what other people say. More so as has been noted and discussed above the reconstruction of the nature of Paul’s ministry can best be undertaken by looking at what characterized his ministry, which so happens to be his apostleship, his struggle and his joy.

About Contributor

Brian Maregedze [MAFH candidate (UZ), B. A Special Honours in History (UZ), B.A.A major in Religious Studies and History (UZ), is passionate about researching, writing and sharing information with learners. He has taught at various schools in Harare and also contacts Seminars for High School students in History and Divinity. He is currently a Teaching Assistant at the University of Zimbabwe in the Department of History.

References

Asbury bible commentary The nature of Paul's ministry https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/asbury-bible-commentary/nature-Pauls-ministry accessed on 25/09/2016 09:34

Diego J B. (1995) the social and political construction of the latter day apostle messages: The case of authentication. New York, Viking press

Elder,  S. and Cornhill S. (2007). The life and travels of the Apostle Paul, London: Lily, Colman and Holden

Guthrie, G. H. (2010). Chronology of Paul’s life, :Life Way Press

Johnson, L., (2010).    The Writings of the New Testament 3rd edition, London: SCM Press

Macdonald W. (1980). The Believer’s Bible Commentary, ed. Art Farstad (Nashville) TN: Thomas Nelson

.Marion L Soards [1987].The Apostle Paul: An Introduction to His Ministry and Teaching ;New York ;Paulist Press

McRay, J. (2003).  Paul:His Life and Teaching, Grand Rapids: Baker

Murphy O’Connor, J. (2004) Paul: his story. Oxford: Oxford university press

Sherman E [1987]. Paul The Apostle And His Cities ;Shelman Elbridge wilmington Del :Glazier

William P. Heath. Bible study. <My Documents/Bible Studies/imp-paul>--. Why Is The Apostleship of Paul So Important?www.tcmusa.org/publications/heath/Topical accessed on 22/09/2016 17:25

Mark A. Copeland. (2007) A Harmony of The Life Of Paul: A Chronological Study Harmonizing The Book Of Acts With Paul’s Epistles. http://www.nts library.com 20/09/2016 14:05