The Origin Of Paul S Religion How The Apostle Paul Found His Faith And Began Teaching The Gospel Of Jesus Christ Hardcover

J. Gresham Machen's fascinating account of the Apostle Paul explains and sheds light on the religious beliefs of the titular subject, which remain an important component of Biblical theology. Paul was one of the first proponents of Christianity, establishing some of the first recorded Christian churches in the 1st century AD. As an early preachers of the religion Paul's attitudes are, in Machen's eyes, a vital component of the faith which must not be ignored or discounted. Some scholars have disavowed aspects of Paul's writings, deeming them confined to the culture of his time and therefore of little value to Christians in the modern day. Machen considered things differently and wrote this book in response. He establishes that Paul's words and spiritual mores are a crucial part of the Christian doctrine, that he is the primary interpreter of Jesus Christ himself, and that therefore his religion is - for the most part - authentic Christianity.

The Origin of Paul's Religion is intended to deal, from one particular point of view, with the problem of the origin of Christianity. It is an important historical problem not only because of the large place which Christianity has occupied in the medieval and modern world, but also because of certain unique features which even the most unsympathetic and superficial examination must detect in the beginnings of the Christian movement. The problem of the origin of Christianity is also an important practical problem. Rightly or wrongly, Christian experience has ordinarily been connected with one particular view of the origin of the Christian movement; where that view has been abandoned, the experience has ceased.

J. Gresham Machen's fascinating account of the Apostle Paul explains and sheds light on the religious beliefs of the titular subject, which remain an important component of Biblical theology. Paul was one of the first proponents of Christianity, establishing some of the first recorded Christian churches in the 1st century AD. As an early preachers of the religion Paul's attitudes are, in Machen's eyes, a vital component of the faith which must not be ignored or discounted. Some scholars have disavowed aspects of Paul's writings, deeming them confined to the culture of his time and therefore of little value to Christians in the modern day. Machen considered things differently and wrote this book in response. He establishes that Paul's words and spiritual mores are a crucial part of the Christian doctrine, that he is the primary interpreter of Jesus Christ himself, and that therefore his religion is - for the most part - authentic Christianity. For Machen, the very association of Paul with Jesus, and the fact that Paul was among the first to spread the word, is enough to confirm a close alignment with Christian beliefs. Beginning life as a persecutor of Jesus' followers, Paul saw the error of his ways and converted to Christ's teachings at a young age. The account in the Book of Acts, wherein Paul is struck blind but has his sight restored affirms his commitment to Jesus. As one of the first proponents of Christ's teachings, Paul had a total of fourteen books of the New Testament ascribed to him out of the total of twenty-seven. While creating his own thesis, Machen goes to great lengths to debunk and refute arguments by other Christian scholars concerning the religion of Paul. He establishes to what degree Jesus and Paul were in agreement in terms of beliefs, and the few instances where Paul diverged from the exact teachings of Christ. Although much of this text is quite dry given Machen's intense scholarly knowledge, the reader will find his persistence rewarded with clarity on this sensitive and spiritually significant matter.

Synopsis: One hundred and sixty years ago F.C. Baur posed, in inescapably sharp form, a question which has haunted Christianity throughout its history: is Christianity simply a form of Judaism, development from Judaism, or was it, as Baur argued, from the beginning something quite distinct, a religious spirit or consciousness which could not be or become itself until it broke through the limits and restrictions of its historical origins? Baur's radical answer set the agenda for the rest of the nineteenth century, and though neglected for most of the twentieth century, the question has reemerged with renewed force in a post-Holocaust world."--James D.G. Dunn, Emeritus Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, University of Durham "It will be extremely helpful to New Testament critics to have F.C. Baur's influential work on Paul-long out of print and often no longer even available on most theological library shelves-conveniently at hand. Baur's application of Hegel's dialectical theories to the writings of Paul profoundly shaped the discourse of his mid-nineteenth century German contemporaries, including that of those who sought to challenge certain aspects of his interpretation. They did not escape the powerful force of his conceptualization of the world, including a deeply negative evaluation of the Oriental spirit (i.e., Judaism and Jewishness), which was central to his project. The legacy of these developments-the so-called Tubingen school-has deeply influenced NT studies (and arguably world history) ever since, and continues to assert its influence on the interpretation of Paul's voice to this day, although often now in unrecognized ways. With the availability of this edition, that is about to change."-Mark D. Nanos, author of The Galatians Debate, The Irony of Galatians, and The Mystery of Romans "Perhaps the most influential book of nineteenth-century New Testament scholarship, Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ offered a novel, breathtaking synthesis of the apostle's place in the development of early Christianity. ... In seeking the authentic writings of Paul, the generative center of his thought, the role of the Law and its relationship to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the historical value of the book of Acts, and the views of Paul's opponents, Baur's work set an agenda that continues to dominate modern inquiry."-A. Andrew Das, Niebuhr Distinguished Chair, professor of religious studies, Elmhurst College "The history of Pauline and even New Testament studies is a continuing dialogue with the assumptions and conclusions of Ferdinand Christian Baur. No Pauline scholar-recent efforts notwithstanding-has so shaped the set of questions asked of Paul's letters as did Baur. This is not to say that Baur got it right-far from it. He was no doubt wrong, and sometimes quite wrong, on a number of crucial issues in each of the areas that he so significantly influenced. Nevertheless, his legacy regarding the influence of fundamental conflicts in the early church, and the need for critical rather than simply theological scrutiny of the letters, is still of importance as we continue to study Paul's letters in the context of the New Testament and early Christianity."-Stanley E. Porter, president, dean, and professor of New Testament, McMaster Divinity College.

In recent years it has become customary to base discussions of the origin of Christianity upon the apostle Paul. Jesus Himself, the author of the Christian movement, wrote nothing-at least no writings of His have been preserved. The record of His words and deeds is the work of others, and the date and authorship and historical value of the documents in which that record is contained are the subject of persistent debate. With regard to the genuineness of the principal epistles of Paul, on the other hand, and with regard to the value of at least part of the outline of his life which is contained in the Book of Acts, all serious historians are agreed. The testimony of Paul, therefore, forms a fixed starting-point in all controversy.

Draws on St. Paul's letters and other early sources to reveal the apostles' sharply competing ideas about the significance of Jesus and his teachings while demonstrating how St. Paul independently shaped Christianity as it is known today.

Discover the remarkable life of Paul the Apostle...It is a verifiable fact that the Apostle Paul was one of the most prolific writers of the New Testament, making him one of the founders of the Christian religion that we know today. Although he came on the scene after Jesus Christ, it could be argued that Saint Paul played the second biggest role in the history of Christianity. This is rather fascinating considering the fact that he began his career as one of the biggest persecutors of the faith. Paul was a devout follower of Judaism and initially considered the Christians a heretical sect that needed to be stamped out. All of that changed when he made a trip to the ancient Syrian city of Damascus in the early first century. This book follows the life of Paul the Apostle and the ultimate transformation that he experienced. Discover a plethora of topics such as Early Life Conversion to Christianity The Stoning at Lystra Journey to Europe Arrested in Jerusalem Execution in Rome And much more! So if you want a concise and informative book on Paul the Apostle, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access!

It has been fashionable in New Testament scholarship to view the apostle Paul as a religious "freelancer" who corrupted Jesus' teachings. David Wenham has written convincingly against this view, and in this new book he introduces readers to the "true" Paul. Rooted in a thorough knowledge of the New Testament, this book fulfills two important purposes. First, it provides a superb introduction to Paul himself. Wenham describes Paul's early life, shows the importance of his conversion, and follows him on his missionary journeys. Second, the book explores Paul's relation to Jesus. Writing in dialogue with those who wish to distance Paul from Jesus, Wenham shows just how important the ministry and teaching of Jesus were to Paul's own thought and evangelism. What emerges from a study of Paul's epistles is a man who drew extensively on the traditions of Jesus and faithfully worked to spread his message to the rest of the world.