The Origin of Paul's Religion

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J. Gresham Machen's fascinating account of the Apostle Paul explains and sheds light on the religious beliefs of the titular subject, which remain an important component of Biblical theology. Paul was one of the first proponents of Christianity, establishing some of the first recorded Christian churches in the 1st century AD. As an early preachers of the religion Paul's attitudes are, in Machen's eyes, a vital component of the faith which must not be ignored or discounted. Some scholars have disavowed aspects of Paul's writings, deeming them confined to the culture of his time and therefore of little value to Christians in the modern day. Machen considered things differently and wrote this book in response. He establishes that Paul's words and spiritual mores are a crucial part of the Christian doctrine, that he is the primary interpreter of Jesus Christ himself, and that therefore his religion is - for the most part - authentic Christianity. For Machen, the very association of Paul with Jesus, and the fact that Paul was among the first to spread the word, is enough to confirm a close alignment with Christian beliefs. Beginning life as a persecutor of Jesus' followers, Paul saw the error of his ways and converted to Christ's teachings at a young age. The account in the Book of Acts, wherein Paul is struck blind but has his restored affirms his commitment to Jesus. As one of the first proponents of Christ's teachings, Paul had a total of fourteen books of the New Testament ascribed to him out of the total of twenty-seven. While creating his own thesis, Machen goes to great lengths to debunk and refute arguments by other Christian scholars concerning the religion of Paul. He establishes to what degree Jesus and Paul were in agreement in terms of beliefs, and the few instances where Paul diverged from the exact teachings of Christ. Although much of this text is quite dry given Machen's intense scholarly knowledge, the reader will find his persistence rewarded with clarity on this sensitive and spiritually significant matter.