My professor didn't like this paper and said my language was too strong. My previous professor told me my language was too weak. You can't win.
Paul was a man of much religious conflict. He is the reason for such intense debate in the church today over women in ministry and the characteristics of salvation. But what was the root of such a complicated theology? What lay at the center of what he believed? Appropriately, scholars debate over this issue, as well. This essay will explore standard options and eventually narrow them down to my opinion.
First, let us look at various aspects of Paul's theological framework. One major characteristic of his belief system is its Jewish foundation. Paul's built his Christian faith upon the Abrahamic religion of his upbringing. He was a Pharisee, which meant he adhered to three tenets of belief: one God, one people of God, one future with God (Capes, Reeves, & Richards, 341). This background gave Paul a unique advantage. Unlike gentiles, who struggled to unite the image of the Trinity into one God (as many of us do today), Paul, which his strong monotheistic background, easily assimilated Jesus into a form of the one God. He came to us as Jesus, but he was still the one, and only God, the same God of the Jewish faith now manifested as the Christ.
Paul's background as a Pharisee also gave him incredible knowledge of the Old Testament. This knowledge aided Paul in the writing of his epistles. Scholars tallied that Paul cited the Old Testament in his Biblical works no less than 183 times; over one-third of the instances of the Old Testament quotation in the New Testament came from Paul (Ludlow 4). Following his conversion, Paul used his knowledge of the old scriptures to recognize the fulfillment of ancient prophecy and law in the life of Jesus. His viewpoint provides a unique angle and depth into the writings of the old Jewish scriptures in light of Jesus's life on earth.
Paul's narrative style is the second attribute of his writing, making it easily recognizable. He wrote his epistles in story form. His letters are not lists of arguments, rules, and laws; they each are the story of God and what he does for all of us, with an underlying current of Paul's call from God on the Damascus road. He was a gifted writer and powerfully portrayed the saving grace and justification of God.
That point leads us to our third. All of Paul's epistles united in a core belief: cruciform and the sacrifice of God. For a person to be exalted as Jesus is exalted, first, he must suffer as Jesus suffered. Cruciform was the theme in all of Paul's epistles. But was it the root of his theology, the center of everything he lived for and wrote about? Let us look at what scholars have to say.
The original idea of the center of Paul's theology was that of justification of faith, as promoted by Lutherans. However, justification by faith is only a theme in two of Paul's epistles, Romans and Galatians. Is that enough to make it the center of all he believed?
New Testament scholar David Capes outlines what is necessary for something to be the center of Paul's theology. It must find expression in each of his letters, result from his spiritual encounter with Jesus, remain consistent with his teaching, and support the arguments he makes. What aspect of Paul's writings meets all these criteria? Christian apologist Bobby Bruno believes that Paul centered his life and theology on what Christ taught here on earth. Every word Paul spoke, every one of his actions, every word of his letters—all of it focused on what Jesus did and how we should follow his example. "For me, I believe that the center of Paul's theology is that of Christ and all that Jesus Himself taught while He was here on this earth. Many times in his letters, Paul spoke about Christ's crucifixion and the crucifixion of every soul that believes in Him" (Bruno 8). Paul's understanding of Jesus resulted from his spiritual encounter with him on the road to Damascus. Jesus's life and teaching create the point and purpose of every Pauline epistle. Paul taught nothing that conflicted with the example of Christ. Every argument he made was for solid Christlikeness.
Bruno's case hits every point outlined by Capes, making it a good contender for the center of Pauline theology. However, New Testament scholar Stephen Lawson offers a different angle. In his thesis statement, he proposes that the center of Paul's theology is the unification of the Old Testament God with the New Testament Jesus (Lawson 5). I find this to be an interesting angle, as it is not one I thought of, but I can see where it would be the case. On the first page of this essay, I discussed how Paul's knowledge of scripture enabled him to unite the Old Testament with the New. Lawson's proposition is one to consider.
Each point of view we have discussed before this paragraph is something to consider. It is tough to answer what is the center of Paul's theology. There were so many facets and layers to what Paul taught and wrote. Now, however, our assignment instructions ask what I believe is the center of Paul's theology. The answer did not come to me immediately. I had to dwell on it. Was it justification by faith, as the old theologians suggested? Was it reconciliation? Christology? All are present and influential in Paul's works.
I may sound unoriginal, but ultimately I have to go with cruciform as the center of Paul's theology. No sources that I read today suggested cruciform as an option, but it is a conclusion I drew on my own in the study of the Pauline epistles. Paul allegedly wrote thirteen books of the New Testament. Of the thirteen, only Titus and 2 Timothy do not contain the word "suffering." Nine of the thirteen go into detail about either the suffering of Paul or the trials faced by Christians in general. Cruciform was the heart of Paul's works and the reason for everything he did—to suffer like Christ, so that he may lead others to Christ, and one day reach glory like Christ. Paul considered it an absolute necessity to experience hardship as a Christian. "For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him" (Philippians 1:29, NLT). But there was a reason for these hard times, as Paul so often quickly added. "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:7-11, NIV). This passage summarizes the entire mission of Paul. He fought the good fight, and he finished his course. At the end of his difficult life, he went to sit in exaltation with Jesus in heaven. He left behind his example for us to do the same.
