“Paul, slave of Christ Jesus, called apostle, set apart for the gospel of God …” (Romans 1:1)

The Letter to the Romans begins with these words. Paul is the author. He writes as an “apostle”, namely as a “messenger”. However, he was not among the 12 apostles who remained in Jerusalem. He was the thirteenth apostle, called for a special task. To understand the Letter to the Romans, it is essential to know the sender and its history. That is why we turn first to this man and his story.

The 13th apostle

Paul has a special significance in the New Testament. While the 12 apostles are in Jerusalem, Paul, as the 13th apostle, moves throughout the Roman Empire. What he says and writes differs in significant ways from what Jesus taught in the Gospels, and he brings entirely new teachings. Anyone who reads the New Testament carefully cannot avoid the special position and significance of Paul. However, not everyone understands what is actually going on. Therefore, there is a whole range of opinions about Paul. Let’s read a few of these assessments to get started:

Paul about himself

This is the beginning of the Letter to the Romans, where Paul writes about himself:

“Paul, slave of Christ Jesus, called apostle, set apart for the gospel of God…”
Rom 1:1
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How Paul is seen

There is no doubt that Paul did a tremendous amount of work. Its importance for Christianity should not be underestimated. Here’s how some credit his work:

“According to biblical tradition, Paul of Tarsus is the first and most important theologian of the Christian Church”(Faith Course).

“The most important missionary of early Christianity“(Wissen Lexikon).

However, there is also another side. According to some people’s opinion, Paul not only excelled but also directly misunderstood some things. So, in addition to the many positive assessments, there are also quite negative opinions of Paul.

There we can read, for example:

“Paul did not understand Jesus”(Spiegel).

Someone writes:

“No missionary has earned greater merit in the spread of Christianity than Paul. And no other has so massively falsified the original teachings of Jesus.”(Times Magazine).

These and similar things are not only found on the cited websites, but almost identically we already read about the opposition to Paul in the New Testament and later in church history. This is not to frighten us, but this has meaning. Understanding Paul correctly is important for our understanding of the New Testament.

Opinions differ on Paul

Who Paul is and what exactly he wants, this is where opinions differ, theologies, doctrines, and in general the understanding of God’s action in this world. What Paul taught was not even very clear to the apostle Peter, who writes:

“And consider the patience of our Lord for salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, as also in all the epistles, when he comes in them to speak of these things, in which some things are difficult to understand …”
2Pet 3:15-16

No wonder, then, if to this day Paul’s teaching and testimony are misjudged and banished. Its message is so radical and stunning that it stands athwart many an understanding. It is therefore all the more important that we understand Paul’s special mission and that we recognize his message in God’s light.

Although Paul always gave detailed reasons for his teaching and took a stand on many issues, this did not automatically mean that this found favor. Not even in the communities he himself founded was success lasting. To his co-worker Timothy he writes the following assessment at the end of his life, probably from prison in Rome:

“This you know, that all in the province of Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.”
2Tim 1,15

If we want to understand the church today, it leads us directly to Paul’s letters. He established this church, which he advanced from all nations by proclaiming a good news. Christ is central, in the 12 apostles as well as in Paul. However, the context is slightly different in both cases. For just as there are quite different assessments of his ministry and work, the obvious differences between his teaching and that of Jesus and the 12 apostles can be seen from his specific commission. Whoever traces Paul’s mission receives something like a key to understanding the New Testament.

This introduction does not clarify much in detail. Therefore, here below immediately two further contributions.