Paul Found in His Letters

The premise of Paul Found in His Lettersis that scholars agree on 7 of the letters ascribed too Paul as ones he definitely wrote. There are disagreements about the other 6 attributed to him. With the seven letters at the heart of this book we find a Paul who once had privilege, but after an apocalyptic revelation of Jesus as Messiah he became a traveling apostle who lived with the most marginalized and desperate people in the Roman Empire. To them he brought the message of the Risen Lord. In a world where women were always second class citizens, this Paul had women working alongside of him, and mentions one woman, Junia, who was an apostle before him. Calling himself a “slave of Christ” was not only unheard of as a voluntary appellation, it meant that he was inviting the vast numbers of slaves to have dignity and self-worth that was always denied. There is so much more to know about this Paul.\n"Going straight to the primary sources----Paul’s own letters---George Martin has presented a work on the life and thought of the apostle with distinct and penetrating insights. He sets aside other characterizations of Paul from the first and subsequent centuries that often differ from what Paul says about himself. He makes use of and engages a broad array of scholars and makes abundant use of Greco-Roman sources to illuminate Paul in fresh ways and at the same time bring other views into question. The book should appeal to a wide audience." - Arland J. Hultgren, Asher O. and Carrie Nasby Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Luther Seminary