THE APOSTLE PAULSession 3

Question:• What does Paul say about

Jesus?

Objectives:• To provide an overview of

Christological themes in Paul’s letters.

• To show what is distinctive to each letter and similarities across letters.

REVIEW:CHRISTOLOGY IN THE FOUR GOSPELS

MARK: Jesus as the crucified

Son of God

JOHN: Jesus as the Word

made flesh

MATTHEW: Jesus as the revealed

Torah, the Wisdom of God

LUKE: Jesus as the Spirit-

empowered prophet

INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS

Paul’s apostolic mission

William Blake

The OT expectation of a new messianic age of the Spirit

Beth Emeth

Christ is the one in whom God’s people are summed up

The new messianic age

of the Spirit had in

principle dawned with

Jesus’ being raised from

the dead

Easter MorningHe Qi

Paul’s mission to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles and

establish congregations

among them was so that they could

in fact become the “first fruits” of this

new creation.

Calling St. PaulHe Qi

AN OVERVIEW OF OUR DISCUSSION OF PAUL’S LETTERS

• Paul addresses a Jewish-Christian congregation with Gentile converts

• Galatians (48-49 or mid-50s CE?)

• Paul addresses Gentile congregations

• 1 Corinthians (54 CE)• Philippians (late 50s

or early 60s CE?)

• Paul’s mature work • Romans (late 50s)

• A guiding framework for our course

• 2 Corinthians (mid-50s)

SOTERIOLOGICAL SYMBOLS IN PAUL

SOCIAL METAPHORS

BIOLOGICAL METAPHORS

Reconciliation = Atonement

Reconciliation = Union

Forgiveness New AdamLiberation Dying and rising

THE SHIFT FROM THE OLD AGETO THE NEW AGE

OLD AGE“Belonging to this age”

NEW AGE“Belonging to Christ”

Law-Sin-Death• Male/Female• Slave/Free• Jew/Greek• Power/Weakness• Wisdom/Foolishness• Etc.

“in Christ”-“in the Spirit”• Body of Christ• Mind of Christ• Hope = “Faith

working in love”• Etc.

GALATIANSShould gentile converts be circumcised?

Law or Faith?

The Purpose of the law

Chagall

Heirs and children of God

Gal 4:6; Kirsten Malcolm Berry

The Allegory of Hagar and Sarah

Sarah Presenting Hagar to AbrahamAdriaen van der Werff (1699)

1 CORINTHIANSAn appeal for unity

An appeal for reconciliation

Paul Fryer

The Lord’s Supper

Resurrection

Risen LordHe Qi

FRIENDSHIPPHILIPPIANS

Imitating Christ’s Humility

Breaking with the Past

The Conversion of PaulWilliam Blake

2 CORINTHIANSA guiding framework for the course

The ministry of the new covenant

Watanabe

The ministry of our bodies

ResurrectionHe Qi

The ministry of reconciliation

ExodusChagall

ROMANSPaul’s mature work

Righteousness through Faith

Mercy SeatKathleen Izzo

The Example of Abraham

The call of Abraham, ceramic reliefby Richard McBee, 1980.

God’s Promise Realized through Faith

God covenants to make Abraham a father Of many nations, Marc Chagall, 1931.

Results of Justification: Reconciliation

Adam and Christ

Adam and Eve, 1504Albrecht Dürer

Dying and Rising with Christ

PRECEPT

• Discuss 2 Cor 5:11-6:10