A Theology from Saint Paul

A THEOLOGY FROM SAINT PAUL

Introduction

The apostle Paul was a great letter writer . He supplied fourteen of the letters found in the Christian Greek Scriptures of the Holy Bible . Paul especially encouraged the circulation of his letters , he writing to the Romans , Corinthians , Galatians , Ephesians , Philippians , Colossians Thessalonians and Hebrews generally . In his letter to the Christians at Colossae , he said in his conclusion , When this letter has been read among you , arrange that it also be read in the congregation of the Laodiceans and that you also read the

one from Laodicea (Col . 4 :16 Even the apostle Peter , when he was writing from Babylon in Mesopotamia spoke of his familiarity with the letters of Paul . All the evidence is that those first-century Christians were sharing the word of life with others in this dying world

Paul , above all else , had a keen appreciation of the honor bestowed upon him to be the apostle to the nations : I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord , who delegated power to me , because he considered me trustworthy by assigning me to a ministry , although formerly I was a blasphemer and a persecutor ' Moreover , far from being proud because of his office , he humbly asked his brothers to pray for him that he might have the needed freeness of speech to give a good witness

However , once a ruthless persecutor of Christians , now he was as gentle with those whom he taught as a nursing mother with her own children exhorting was and consoling them as a father does his children Nevertheless , he could also express righteous indignation , as when he rebuked Peter for his vacillation and those of his fellow citizens who opposed the truth . Though well educated , Paul did not call attention to himself nor did he need to resort to written letters of recommendations Those to whom he brought the truth were living letters that could be read by all men . Within chapters six and seven , the book of Reverend Frank Matera entitled New Testament Theology addresses the different issues pointed out by Paul in his letters to the Galatians , the Romans The Philippians , the Colossians and the Ephesians

CHAPTER 6 : A THEOLOGY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS : Galatians and Romans

The letter to the Galatians showed how much passion Paul particularly have with regards the righteousness of the gospel and how much he detests those who intensely goes against the principles and rules set straight by the gospel . Paul 's exclamation , O senseless Galatians is no evidence that he had in mind only a certain ethnic people who sprang exclusively from Gallic stock in the northern part of Galatia Rather , Paul was rebuking certain ones in the congregations there for allowing themselves to be influenced by an element of Judaizers among them , Jews who were attempting to establish their own righteousness through the Mosaic arrangement in place of the `righteousness due to faith ' provided by the new covenant . Racially , the congregations of Galatia ' to whom Paul wrote were a mixture...