Grace and Space

Mt 16:13-19

Paul’s heritage is so much more than what we can ever realize. He did more than anyone else in his time to lead people to see what Jesus Christ meant for the world. However, studies of Paul often prove a block in appreciating his person. The Gospels engender spontaneous attraction, but Paul’s letters need plodding. Still, there should be ways to appreciate this great apostle.

We start by appreciating the legacy he left behind. Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament, pp. 450-455) names three aspects:

1. A. Those Whom Paul Brought to Christ. These were his converts, spread throughout the Roman Empire, which today covers Syria, Turkey, Greece and Yugoslavia. They were his hope, his joy, his crown, the stars in his universe (1 Thes 2:19-20). He wrote them letters to let them know of his affection, to strengthen their faith, to supply what was lacking in them.
2. B. Paul’s Letters. No other follower of Jesus left behind a written testimony comparable to that of Paul. From his letters, we are given a good glimpse of his personality, the depth of his wisdom and intelligence, and his love for Christ Jesus. Aside from being the principal source for his life and work, his letters are a primary source for our knowledge of the beginnings of Christianity. He did not compose his letters with a careful eye for stylistic propriety and the approving eye of a wider public, yet because they express so spontaneously and eloquently his mind and his message, he is even considered as one of the great figures of Greek literature.
3. C. Paul’s Disciples and Their Writings. Paul’s letters give evidence that he was a man capable of engendering deep friendship. His disciples comprised a wide cast of characters. Timothy, Titus, and Silvanus were his immediate collaborators; they would carry his letters and sometimes acted as his ambassadors in difficult situations. Aquila and Prisca worked with him in Corinth, joined him in Ephesus, and prepared for his arrival in Rome. The slave Onesimus attached himself to Paul at the risk of offending his master.

His disciples would continue his legacy, writing in his name and authority, while remaining anonymous. The Pastoral Letters were probably written by his disciples to address situations and problems that arose after his time. Paul himself was a hero to Luke, the author of the Third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.