4-MAT Book Review
Brandon T. Livelsberger
NBST520: New Testament Orientation II
November 24, 2024
Introduction
In his book The Four Views, Theologian Michael F. Bird portrays Paul’s intellect as the
most influential figure that significantly shaped the Christian church today. Paul is known as the
greatest theologian; Paul’s theology brings Christians into a deeper understanding, relationship,
and commitment of and to Jesus Christ. All four views agreed that Jesus and his divine lordship
were at the foundation of Paul’s theology (Bird, 212). Paul’s ministry was impactful because of
His intellect of the grace and knowledge of the lord of Jesus Christ and was a testimony of God’s
grace and power at work in and through His conversion. Paul writes, “But by the grace of God I
am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than
any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me,” (1Corinthians15:10,
English Standard Version). Paul understood that everything good in him was not because of his
abilities but because of Christ’s ability to work through his inabilities and for God’s glory.
Paul engages a Christian’s thoughts by embracing humility, sharing knowledge, and
expressing a passionate desire to know Christ and help others know Him. Paul touched the
hearts of the Christians; His writings still impact lives and change hearts today. Thomas R.
Schneiders comments from a confessional Protestantism and an evangelical Reformed theology"
(Bird, 11), Luke T. Johnson defends the post-Vatican II Catholic view (Bird, 12).. Douglas A.
Campbell defends his position of Paul from a Post-New Perspective on Paul"(Bird, 14), Mark D.
Nanos view challenges both Jewish perspectives. All four theologians share valuable insight into
who Paul was, a model for Christians to live by, and his vision for the early church, today’s
church, and individual development.
Abstract
Paul encountered Jesus powerfully and profoundly, inspiring His writers and encouraging
his readers to experience Jesus similarly. Paul’s main theological topics discussed in his letters
include his thoughts on salvation, the significance of Christ, the framework to help understand
his theological perspective, and His vision for the Church (Bird p. 11). Regardless of the
different views of who Paul is and what he believes, all theologians agree that Paul’s writings are
critical in understanding how the Christian is supposed to grow corporately and individually
(Bird p. 16). Each view emphasizes a different aspect of Paul, His theology, its role in
regeneration, and equipping Christians to be the church and carry out the mission of the great
commission. Bird compares a Reformed View, a Catholic View, The Post-New, a Jewish
perspective and their understanding of salvation, and other theological topics to understand better
Paul and His mission (Bird p. 211).
A Reformed View
In Schneider’s framework, He expresses How Jesus is at the heart and soul of Paul’s
writing and theology (Schneider, 12). Schneider describes salvation as deliverance from the
consequences of sin, divine vengeance, and eternal destruction. Schneider emphasizes Paul’s
teaching of justification through faith alone. Paul’s Theology reveals that the substitutionary
death of Jesus is the chief instrument of salvation (Schneider, 12). Reformed doctrines
emphasize justification by faith and salvation by grace alone, leaving Christians with the
assurance of salvation but still requiring a response for what has been done on our behalf (Bird,
11, Schneider, 35). Schneider points out that Paul’s theology of salvation in Romans 9
emphasizes God’s mercy (V16) and love (V13) in electing people into salvation. Schneider and
Calvinist theologians emphasize sovereignty and God’s passion for His glory.
A Catholic View
Luke Timothy Johnson provides a view of Paul from a catholic perspective. According to
Johnson’s understanding, Paul’s religious experiences and ability to perceive God are centered
on Jesus, the gateway and restorer of creation. (Johnson, 12, 212). Johnson asserts salvation is
liberation and transformation through Jesus alone, by grace through faith. Paul’s letters highlight
Jesus as the ruler and restorer for all humanity, including Greeks and Gentiles. According to
Johnson, what we know about Christ and how we serve Christ is based more on religious
tradition and less on truth and biblical teaching (Johnson, 65). Johnson defines salvation as a
personal shift from an unfavorable to a positive state, uplifting the Christians to a higher
existence and freeing them from adverse cosmic and social forces (Bird 13, Johnson, 82, 83).
The Post-New Perspective
According to Douglas Campbell, the Post-New Perspective combines two new views,
one on Judaism and one on Paul, by response (Campbell, 113). J.D.G. Dunn suggests that
“works of the law" relate to Jewish pride and exclusiveness, not legalism. A common theological
theme in Paul’s letter is the Trinity, the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and their role in salvation (Campbell, 121-122). Campbell describes the gospel as Christ's
mission to achieve for humanity what they cannot do alone. Through His letters, Paul goes to
great lengths to explain the power of the Gospel and the importance of redemption for the
Christian.
The Jewish Perspective
Mark D. Nanos explains why people view Paul negatively (Nanos, 160). Judaism
emphasizes rituals and legalism over a personal relationship with God. Nanos describes Paul as a
Torah-observant Jew rooted in his Jewish heritage. Judaism tries to keep the law instead of
accepting and believing in a gospel that offers the forgiveness of sins once and for all (Nanos,
160). Nano observes that Paul Wrote a lot about the law, warnings if they failed to comply, and
what a Christian should and should not do; this could be connected to Paul’s Jewish background
(Nanos, 169.) Jesus came to remove the law's curse; He gave eternal life in exchange. Paul
taught that Jesus came for all, not just the Jews or Gentiles; now, because of God’s grace, all can
live in harmony as one family of God (Nanos, 161). Christianity asserts itself as a continuation
and fulfillment of Judaism, positioning itself as a new covenant that builds upon the foundations
laid by Jewish teachings. According to Nanos, Paul’s framework as a Jew was his framework for
being committed to the Torah, an understanding that the end of the ages began with the
resurrection of Jesus Christ (Nanos, 167).
Concrete Response
Reading four views allowed me to understand better how God’s grace forever changed
Paul’s life in such a powerful way. If God can take someone who was killing Christians to one of
the most significant hands of God in the church of Jesus Christ, then it is endless what he can do
in my life and others who call on Jesus’ name. Reading Paul’s letters gives Christians hope that
no matter what season of life one is in, God is still at work to do what only He can do. I
remember once when I was lost without hope, believing suicide was the only way out of the pain
I was experiencing after my grandmother died in 2015, leading me to have to be hospitalized.
After she died, I fell into depression and found myself needing therapy because the only thing I
did know was that battle was more significant than I was prepared to battle. The gospel that Paul
preached offers forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and freedom from the curse of sin and death
(Nanos, 159). Reading this book has changed my life by reminding me that I am never too far
lost for God to rescue me. I believe God chose a man like Paul to show how far his grace and
love will reach for His children.
Paul’s writings about grace, what it is, what is not, and the power that comes with it, have
forever transformed. Paul writes, “And we know that for those who love God, all things work
together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV).
These words of encouragement from Paul have forever changed my outlook on life, and I have
discovered my purpose and how my purpose relates to his purpose. I believe by going through
the darkness of depression, God is taking what I learned in the darkness to help people see the
truth of God’s light, grace, and goodness. Paul reminds me that no matter how dark reality is,
God’s light of hope shines brighter. Paul writes, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of
darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6, ESV). Throughout Paul's trials and struggles, Jesus was
always greater. For the Christian struggling with depression, God is always there to get us
through it.
A few years ago, I remembered sitting in the counseling office trying to explain to my
counselor the battle I was dealing with but could not correctly identify it. So I went home and
read these words from Paul in Romans 7:15-16, “For I do not understand my actions. I do not do
what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. If I do what I do not want, I agree with the law that it
is good.” Reading those words did not take me out of the depression I was struggling with, but it
provided me hope in knowing that even the great Paul struggled. Schneider’s view of Paul,
grace, and salvation gives me hope that God is always in control, even if I do not see it. He
elected and adopted me to greatness for Him and his glory. Schneider’s emphasis on God’s
glory gives me hope that it is not all about me but about Him. The more I focus on what is right
about who God is, the less it matters what is wrong with me, leading to more Joy and less
depression.
Paul’s words helped break the guilt that I was living in by saying. Therefore, there is no
condemnation for those in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Paul found His hope and encouragement
in not who he was but who Christ was through Him. Paul believed,” He was a new creation”
(2Corinthians 5:17), that He was saved by grace and not his works (Ephesians 2:8), and created
in Christ to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). Paul’s life story of how Christ worked in and
through Christians regardless of where they have been and what one has done. In studying Paul’s
life, I see that hope is based on God's future, not the past one leaves behind. I could never begin
to see what God had before me until I could leave the past behind me. Paul writes in Philippians,
“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,’
(Philipians3:13). God was not able to empower me to walk toward my God-given destiny until I
was willing to allow him to set me free from the chains of my past. I had to walk through my
battles with mental health before God could use me to minister to others with mental health.
Action
It is critical to develop a healthy relationship with God instead of becoming more
religious. How Christians comprehend the bible does not mean anything if it does not come alive
through actions. First, Christians must get to know who Jesus is and develop the mindset of
Christ. Paul writes, “For who has understood the mind of the Lord to instruct him?” But we have
the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16, ESV). Paul encourages Christians to serve and share the
love of Christ with those around us through words and actions. God calls us to participate in the
same mission that he called Paul to love God and the world through the power of spirit working
within us (Campbell, 116). It is easy for people to get caught up in the rituals of religion and
miss their relationship with Christ. They are making Christ known, and building relationships
with others is at the foundation of what everything else is built on. To minister to those whom
God called me to, I must first learn to be a student, Paul as a counselor, and Paul as a teacher. As
a Chaplain, I must be a student of God’s word, a counselor, and a teacher of God’s word in the
Hospital where God places me to minister.
Paul, As a student
Paul’s life teaches Christians that God wants us to be students of God’s word and never
stop learning the profound truths about God and what he wants to show us. I will go through
Paul’s letters and study how Paul was a student. It is essential to be a student of God’s word and
always have one ear out to listen to what God wants to reveal to them. I will look deeper at all
four of Paul's perspectives and see what God wants me to learn from each one. I will also find
ways to grow closer to God and grow in knowledge to better serve others during their crisis and
times of need.
Paul, as a Counsellor
My first course of action is to do an in-depth study of Paul as a counselor and learn more
about how to do it. I will study how Paul helped meet others where they were to share with them
the peace of God that is in me that surpasses all understanding. This will require me to make
myself available, like Paul’s relationship with Timothy. I will also read 1-2 Timothy and ask
God about their relationship. In studying Paul, it is critical to study Paul’s example first. Then, I
ask myself how to be more like Paul in my ministry.
Paul, as A teacher
Last, I will teach what God has taught me to others. Teaching others is one way God
plants the seed of potential in them so God can grow them into who God wants them to be. I will
look for opportunities to teach groups and individuals in and outside church settings.
Bibliography
Bird, Michael F., Four Views on the Apostle Paul, ed. Stanley N. Gundry and Michael F. Bird,
Zondervan Counterpoints Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012).
