Book report

What Saint Paul Really Said

The book What Saint Paul Really Said, written by N.T. Wright aims to bring to the

public's attention a way in which the writings of the Apostle Paul must be understood. Of

all the aspects, the author focuses on offering a new solution regarding the understanding

of the concepts of "gospel" and "justification" in Paul's writings.

In the first chapter of the book, Wright, starting from the four questions that are

always asked about Paul and underlined by Schweitzer, briefly presents how theologians of

the 20th century understood Paul in relation to these four questions related to history,

theology, exegesis, and application of Paul's writings. Among them, Wright creates a

synthesis of the opinions of Schweitzer, Bultmann, Kasemann, Sanders. In the end, he

presents his opinion on the four questions.

In chapter 2, Paul is introduced by drawing his pre-conversion historical portrait

culminating in the moment of his conversion. The perspective presented by the author is

that Paul was part of a strict sect of the Pharisees, namely he was a Shammaite Pharisee.

Towards the end of the chapter is presented the transformation of Paul, who left that

encounter with a new perspective, because seeing Jesus truly risen from the dead Paul

understood that what “God had done for Jesus of Nazareth, in the middle of time, what

Saul had thought he was going to do for Israel at the end of time ”.

The next aspect addressed by the author is his understanding of the significance of

the gospel. The general view is that the gospel is about how one is saved. To understand

this aspect Wright researches the backgrounds for the words euangelion and

euangelizesthai in both biblical and Greco-Roman literature. In the author's opinion, this is
not the meaning with which Paul used the term "gospel," but rather the way in which we

are saved. For Paul, the gospel is much more complex comprising several aspects: (1)

through Jesus the victory over the powers of evil was won, (2) through the resurrection of

Jesus the new age began, (3) the crucified and risen Jesus is the true Messiah, ( 4) Jesus is

the Lord of the world. Also, for the pagan world, he brought to mind two aspects: (1) idols

are not gods, but the true God is the God of Israel, (2) this God can now be known through

Jesus.

In chapter 4, the author builds Paul's perspective on God by claiming that Paul went

to the Gentiles as a Jew who believed in one God, but a Trinitarian God manifested in the

three persons of the Godhead, namely the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.

Another idea highlighted by the author is how Paul's message to the pagan world

was perceived. His message was more of a confrontation with paganism. This message

brought good news, but this message was to replace their worldview with a Jewish one,

reworked around Jesus. This message brought paradigm shifts to God and creation, true

religion, worship (God or Caesar), the true history of the world in contrast to mythology,

and this was also a challenge to the system.

The author further presents how the term "righteousness" should be understood,

namely, not as a law court metaphor because it seems to point rather to a transaction or part

of a business. Instead, the author proposes that "God's righteousness" be understood in

terms of God's faithfulness to the covenant. From N.T. Wright's perspective, the doctrine

of justification must be understood through the three key categories: covenant, law court,

eschatology.

As for the covenant, justification is a covenant declaration that will be made at the

end of history when those who believe in God will be redeemed while those who do not
believe in God will see that they have erred in their understanding. Justification also works

as a verdict in a courtroom: by acquitting a person that person receives the status of

righteous. Also, from an eschatological point of view, this statement will be made at the

end of history, although through the sacrifice of Jesus God did something that can be done

by God in the present, a justification that he will confirm at the end of time. As such, all

who believe in Jesus are already considered to be part of Abraham's family.

Finally, the author presents how Paul understood the renewed humanity. On the one

hand, he understood that humanity renews in Christ is in striking contrast to the degraded

world that characterizes paganism. On the other hand, he believed that renewed humanity

in Christ represented the fulfillment of Israel's mission, a mission that physical Israel had

failed to accomplish. For renewed humanity the center is the worship of the true God, the

goal is the resurrection, the transformation takes place through sanctification, also in the

life of these reborn people love and missionary spirit must be present.

The ninth chapter of the book presents the practical implications that the gospel

should have for Christians today and the last chapter of the book presents the answer to the

author's question from the cover of the book "Was Paul of tarsus the real founder of

Christianity?" Regarding this aspect, although this question is stated in the title of the

book, the author reserves very little space to provide an answer, the content of the book

focusing more on the other chapters of the book.

The book What Saint Paul Really Said, written by N.T. Wright is a controversial

book in the evangelical world, especially because of its conclusions about the significance

of the gospel and justification, an opinion that deviates from traditional opinion.

Although I cannot say that I understood very clearly all his arguments, one thing I

do not agree with is the historical portrait of Paul drawn by the author. The basis on which
Wright bases his view that Paul was an extremist Shammaite Pharisee based on the fact

that Paul was very zealous does not seem convincing to me.