Paul and His Letters

by John B. Polhill

Publisher:

B&H

, 1999

Overview

Except for Christ himself, no figure has been more influential in the history of Christianity than the apostle Paul. And yet his remarkable life remains shrouded in mystery. Paul & His Letters scrapes away the myths about this great man and uncovers the truth of his life and thought.

Dr. Polhill’s well-written introduction to Paul and his letters reflects his conservative, evangelical perspective and his many years of scholarship. One of the strengths of this book is his detail in defining terms, people and places relating to Paul in Acts and his epistles.

Polhill also uses reliable traditions from non-canonical sources, weaving together the remarkable story of Paul's transformation from persecutor to persecuted, following Paul from his early years in Tarsus and Jerusalem to his imprisonment and eventual martyrdom. This detailed, comprehensive portrait of Paul will serve as an indispensable resource for students, teachers, pastors and all Christians who seek to know this enigmatic man of God.

Contents

Top Highlights

“The truth likely lies somewhere in between these extremes. Paul was reared in Tarsus by a pious Jewish family who sent him to study the Jewish Torah in Jerusalem, probably while he was in his early teens. In his earlier years, Paul would not have been wholly sheltered from the hellenistic culture of Tarsus; it would have influenced him in various and subtle ways.” (Page 6)

“Summary. The following composite can be drawn from Paul’s references to his conversion in his epistles. First, Paul depicted it as a vision of the risen Christ (Gal. 1; 1 Cor. 15; 2 Cor. 4). Second, it was a radical reversal for Paul, from persecutor of Christ to proclaimer (Gal. 1; 1 Cor. 15; Phil. 3; 1 Tim. 1). Third, Paul considered himself unworthy of the commission given him by Christ; he owed it all to God’s grace (1 Cor. 15; Eph. 3; 1 Tim. 1). Finally, he linked his conversion with his call to be an apostle to the Gentiles; they were inseparable (Gal. 1; 1 Cor. 15).” (Page 54)

“The purpose of this book is to provide a survey of all the information we have on the life and thought of the apostle Paul—from Acts, from his epistles, and from seemingly reliable traditions that have been preserved in the noncanonical sources.” (Page 1)

“Tarsus seems to have been unique among hellenistic cities in having such a rule by philosophers for a time. And, that time was the period of Paul’s youth.” (Page 8)

“The second approach is to weave the Pauline epistles into the Acts narrative to produce a continuous story line for the life and ministry of Paul.” (Page 2)

Product Details

• Title: Paul and His Letters
• Author: John B. Polhill
• Publisher: B&H
• Print Publication Date: 1999
• Logos Release Date: 2008
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul › Theology; Paul, the Apostle, Saint
• ISBNs: 9781430071952, 9780805410976, 080541097X, 1430071958
• Resource ID: LLS:PAULHISLTTR
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-10-09T17:45:21Z

About John B. Polhill

Senior Professor, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.