“Paul: A Biography” by N.T. Wright – Review
The Apostle Paul in Context
If asked to justify their faith, some Christians point to Anselm’s ontological argument, others to objective morality, but most serious Christians always come back to a singular event – the Apostle Paul and his Damascus Road conversion.
In his book, Paul: A Biography, author N.T. Wright shows that this was much more than a “religious” conversion in the modern sense. This was nothing short of a revolution. And not just a revolution against the established Jewish order, this was a religious, social, and political revolution that would have lasting impacts across the ages. It would be a revolution that many, including the Apostle Paul, would pay for with their lives.
To understand Paul, the serious student of the New Testament must first understand the prevailing religious and cultural beliefs of the 1st century. For 1st century Jews, Judaism wasn’t something they did on Saturdays. Their belief in the One God was more than just their “religion”. It was a way of life. It was who they were. And they were prepared to defend it with violence if necessary.
God had promised to return to the Temple and to bring a Messiah that would establish governance over the nations of the world. They expected this Messiah to be a military man like Julius Caesar or future rebellion leader, Simon bar Kokhba.
Who had ever heard of a crucified Messiah?
Combine this with the Roman practice of deification for deceased emperors and the demand that all Roman citizens worship this new imperial cult, and you begin to see the gravity of Paul’s situation.
His message that not only had the Jewish Messiah already come but now we should worship Him as part of the One God would have been seen as heresy to the Jews and sedition to the Romans.
Questions Answered
With this context in mind, N.T. Wright provides the details necessary to better understand Paul’s ministry.
Why did Paul choose certain cities to begin spreading his message of Jesus’ messiahship?
What did his message mean for the daily lives of its original Jewish audience and later the Gentiles?
How did Paul’s message fit within the broader scope of the scriptures?
To understand these questions is to better understand the Apostle Paul. What was the personal price to be paid for spreading the Gospel of Christ? How did one man change the course of history for the next two thousand years?
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Romans 1:16 KJV
If you’re interested, click on the link below to read Paul: A Biography for yourself.
To explore N.T. Wright’s other books, check out these links.
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