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Four Views of the Apostle Paul’ by Michael F Bird
NBST 520
Liberty University
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Introduction
‘Four Views of the Apostle Paul’ by Michael F Bird sheds light on Paul and how
he interprets things. Over the years, a lot of controversies have surrounded Apostle Paul
because of his influence and presence in the religious and social context. In addition to
this, the impact of these elements on his theology has also gained a lot of attention. In the
book, four leading scholars have presented their views and opinions on the ideal
framework to describe Apostle Paul’s theological perspective including his ideas and views
on salvation, the importance of Christ, as well as his vision for the church (Bird &
Schreiner, 2012).
The key contributions and perspectives that have been captured in the book include
Reformed perspective by Thomas R Schreiner, the Catholic perspective by Luke Timothy
Johnson, the Post-New perspective by Douglas Campbell and the Jewish perspective by
Mark D Nanos. In Four Views of the Apostle Paul, Bird has made a sincere attempt to
cover the foundational issues and these elements have been supported by well-defined
introduction and conclusion.
Paul has played an extremely critical role in Christianity religion and his
importance cannot be negated. His theological views have, in fact, made a significant
contribution to shaping the Christianity that one sees today. The objective of Bird is to
shed light on the four key areas where Apostle Paul has made his contribution. In his life,
Paul faced various things such as violent opposition from Jewish Christians, severe
reactions from his Judean compatriots and many other similar incidents happened with him
(Bird & Schreiner, 2012). The book presents the true image of Apostle Paul. In addition
to this, it also shows how he made contributions in his own way to give shape to the early
church in his own unique way. In the book, each of the contributors has presented their
ideas about Paul and how he played a key role in the Christianity religion.
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The fundamental objective of the book is to move beyond the high debate relating
to Paul studies in the historic and current firms. It intends to contrast the four competing
outlooks on the apostle. All the contributors in their own way have tried their level best to
focus on what Paul “meant” and what he continues to mean in the prevailing times for the
modern audience (Bird et al, 2012).
Summary of the perspective and central thesis
Reformed perspective – Thomas R Schreiner
Thomas Schreiner is an evangelical who fundamentally focused on the Reformed
view. He has basically introduced this book with a “Reformed Reading” of Apostle Paul.
In the introductory paragraph, the contributor has stated that he would be engaging in the
reading of the thirteen letters that have been written by Paul (Four Views on the Apostle
Paul- Book Review, 2019). There is a restricted level of interaction and engagement with
other scholars. In this chapter, the reformed view of Schreiner has dominated his
interpretation of Paul. One of the unique elements of this chapter is the ‘inductive’ nature.
The contributor has primarily provided a synthesis or the brief “Pauline theology of sorts”.
Thus, from a reader’s point of view, it becomes quite challenging to understand how the
piece of reading is exactly ‘reformed’ in nature (Four Views on the Apostle Paul- Book
Review, 2019).
The contributor has stressed on the fact that Paul believed that the Old Testament
made the promise about a new exodus and a new covenant. He believed that a new
creation had been partly realized in the work of Christ. Schreiner has stressed in his work
that Jesus Christ was an extremely important figure in the life of Paul who shaped him as
an individual. He has captured that Jesus acted as the heart and soul of Paul’s theology and
his presence is evident in every topic of Paul’s theological views and thoughts (Bird et al,
2012) d
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Catholic view – Luke Timothy Johnson
In Luke Timothy Johnson’s contribution, Pauline’s framework is somewhat difficult
to recognize. But still, it can be said to be a matrix which comprises of Apostle Paul’s
grounding in the Greco-Roman culture, his core religious sensibilities as well as his loyalty
towards the Jewish heritage through the Jewish Scriptures (Bird et al, 2012). As per
Johnson, Jesus Christ surely played an extremely important role in the life of Paul. His
significance primarily lies in the fact that the Almighty’s new creation is experienced
through the ultimate experience of Jesus Christ. Jesus has been identified as the ruler as
well as the restorer of Jews and the entire humanity (Bird et al, 2012).
Johnson has stated about salvation that it mainly relates to liberation and
transformation. There is the need for liberation from various elements such as hostile
powers, cosmic and social elements. Similarly, transformation is also an important process
for each and every human being. Humans basically need to transform into renewed
individuals who are still waiting for the final victory of the Almighty at the very end of
history (Bird et al, 2012). As per what Johnson has understood about Paul, the New
Testament church mainly consisted of the local assemblies who tried to carefully create an
identity in the Greco-Roman setting. They also held on to the religious heritage with Israel.
The church is believed to be united in nature. The core element that unites it is the shared
or common experience of the risen Christ, living the egalitarian against the existing social
norms and principles. d
Post-New Perspective view – Douglas Campbell
Douglas Campbell has highlighted his chapter in a different way as compared to
Thomas R Schreiner and Luke Timothy Johnson. This is because he has very briefly
touched upon the usual new-perspective view relating to Pauline. After the brief
introduction, he has moved to the reprisal of Apostle Paul. His work can be understood in
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a better way by taking into account the fundamental question and the examination of
Romans 5 - 8. In a number of ways, the contribution of Campbell seems like the inductive
work of Schreiner. But when a reader will focus on specific areas in the Romans 5 – 8
such as the ethical concerns and the eschatological concerns, one will be able to spot the
differences. The views and answers that have been provided by Douglas Campbell are both
synthetic as well as interrelated in nature. According to him, Jesus Christ can be said to be
the full disclosure of God, the Almighty. He is, in fact, the one who acts in a saving
manner so that he can bring together a community or society in complete communion with
him. In this context, the Church plays an important role as it helps to create the image of
Jesus Christ. As per the author, the “participation” acts as the fundamental logic which is
reflected in all of Paul’s arguments and views (Four Views on the Apostle Paul- Book
Review, 2019, p 4).
Jewish view – Mark D Nanos
Mark D Nanos’ Essay on Paul basically is very interesting as compared to the
works of the other authors. The other authors are Christian confessional scholars. Nanos
has suggested that a number of features that have been presented in Pauline Christianity
are not exactly pleasant for a Jewish reader. Paul has been framed as an individual who
opposes Judaism. The core issue is that Paul is usually understood as an individual who
exists outside Judaism. Thus, his views and theology is something which can be said to be
a completely Christian-oriented conceptualization. In this section of the book, Mark D
Nanos has identified a polarized dialogue between the Jewish scholars and the Christian
scholars.
The main difference that has been identified here is primarily the result of the
incorrect understanding of Apostle Paul’s views relating to Judaism. For the author, the
best way of getting a detailed night into Paul and his views is by taking a stand of a
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“Torah-observant Jew”. The main nuance that has been presented by Nanos is that Paul
does not oppose the Torah observation. He basically views a hybrid community setting
where people from varying settings live together. Some of the key traits of the hybrid
community include the existence of different behavioral expectations and the unity among
the community members through the faith in the messiah. Out of all the thoughts or
perspectives that have been presented in the book, the views of Mark D Nanos’ are the
most provocative ones (Four Views on the Apostle Paul- Book Review, 2019, p 5).
Perspective with most agreement
The perspective that has been presented by Douglas Campbell is the one that one
can most agree to. According to the author, the role of Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit is
extremely important. He has primarily focused on the concept of divine freedom. He has
primarily rejected federal theology. Instead, he has carefully made use of the theosophical
readings of Romans 5 – 8 to get a detailed insight into the thoughts and ideology of
Apostle Paul. As per Campbell, Paul viewed salvation as a missionary activity as well as a
Trinitarian activity which could be mediated through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Thus, salvation is a good thing which can take an individual close to the Almighty. Hence,
God’s gift in salvation is nothing but a gift that God bestows upon his human subjects so
that they can get closer to their creator. The individuals who intend to enter the diviner
life can take the help of salvation in order to establish a stronger and deeper connection
with the Lord.
Paul was and is still an extremely important figure in the Christianity religion.
Douglas Campbell, in his work, has correctly identified Apostle Paul as the individual who
is depicting Jesus Christ as the self-disclosure of the Almighty. Jesus Christ successfully
revealed the very nature of the divine identity as well as the quality relating to divine
action in love. Paul himself is nothing but a divine being who is full of divine actions. The
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key framework that the author has used for the purpose of understanding Paul is the
“pneumatologically participatory martyrological eschatology” model. In simple words, it
can be said that the Spirit places his believers in both the martyrological as well as the
eschatological narratives of Jesus Christ where they are able to gain the experience relating
to faithfulness in the presence of sufferings (Bird & Schreiner, 2012). They are also able to
get a detailed insight into the core benefits that can arise due to new creation. The Post-
New perspective view that has been presented by Douglas Campbell gives a detailed
insight into Apostle Paul’s view of apostleship, mission, worship, sexual and social ethics,
and eschatological assurance.
The author has rightly presented in his chapter the importance of the church in the
life of Paul. Paul viewed the Church to be the eschatological brotherhood which was
united as the image bearers of the Son. It basically revolved around love which is an
extremely important element (Bird et al, 2012).
In his response, Campbell has stated that religions such as Christianity and Judaism
are particularistic in nature in a similar manner. Thus, as per him, the views that have been
presented by Apostle Paul’ are universal in nature and can apply to different religions.
Campbell in his work has even highlighted that Paul’s vision of God is unique. As per
him, God is constantly giving and embracing (Bird & Schreiner, 2012). In fact, he will not
hesitate to stoop down and embrace his enemy. Campbell’s perspective is unique in a
positive way as he sheds light on the importance of Christ in the life of Paul. In addition to
this, he also gives his unique perspective which can help readers to get a better insight into
Apostle Paul.
Perspective with most disagreement
The perspective with which there is the least level of agreement is the Reformed
perspective by Thomas R Schreiner. In the work of Schreiner, he has given little insight
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into his own take on Paul’s vies on salvation. In the essay, the author has simply presented
a sketched of Paul’s thoughts on how he perceived Jesus Christ and his overall views
relating to the Church. Even though the areas that have been covered by Schreiner are
extremely important as they have given distinct shape and structure to the theology of
Apostle Paul, there is a negligible contribution by the author. He has inductively stressed
upon the thirteen letters that had been written by Paul and there is limited synthesis
presented on what he thinks about Paul’ ideas and views (Bird et al, 2012).
Schreiner, the professor of New Testament at Southern Seminary has laid emphasis
on Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death for the individuals who commit sins. He has given
high emphasis to sins that are done by people which separates them from the Almighty.
The chapter that has been presented by the author directly dives into the topic of
discussion without any reference or backstory. As per Schreiner, the objective of his
chapter is not to reproduce the thinking of Apostle Paul but to unearth his views. Even
though, his intention is sincere to capture the exact elements that showcase the theology of
Paul, the approach is quite confusing in nature (Bird & Schreiner, 2012).
There is disagreement in the perspective of Thomas R Schreiner as there is a
minimum level of interaction with other scholars who have presented their work on Paul.
Some of the main questions that might arise in the mind of a reader relate to whether the
chapter is an inductive reading of Paul or is it a Reformed reading of Paul, and whether
the readings that have been presented in the chapter are same or different in nature. The
chapter that has been presented by the author does not seem to be open which might be
very puzzling for the readers. Thus, one of the main reasons for the disagreement with the
Reformed perspective by Schreiner is the inductive nature of the chapter (Bird &
Schreiner, 2012). The other authors whose work has been included in the book namely
Johnson, Campbell and Nanos have actively and sensibly tried to engage and discuss the
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relevant issues that exist in Pauline studies. On the other hand, Schreiner has merely given
a summary or a brief synthesis of the thirteen letters that have been written by Paul
himself. Due to such an approach that has been used by the contributor, it becomes
extremely difficult to ascertain without previous knowledge of the core elements that make
the chapter reformed in nature. In fact, there are a number of points presented by Schreiner
which can easily be disputed. For instance, he has stated that Jesus Christ’s sovereignty
over the church has been identified as a function if his headship. Such a view is true only
when the “head” refers to the authority in the given passage. Actually, this element is
something that is highly disputed among Pauline scholars so the stance that has been taken
by Schreiner is somewhat misleading for the readers.
Understanding of Paul’s perspective on the four key areas
There is the need to gain a detailed insight into the core perspective of Apostle Paul
on the four key areas relating to salvation, the significance of the Christ, Paul’s basic
theological framework and his vision for the church. Only by getting a thorough
knowledge of the views and outlook of Paul, one will be able to comprehend how he
impacted Christianity and the Church.
Salvation
Throughout the letters that have been written by Apostle Paul to the churches to the
fellow people, he has given high emphasis to salvation. It is, in fact, one of the closest
things to his theology. He has basically shown that salvation is something that can be
achieved through justification, glorification, and sanctification. According to Millard
Erikson, the term ‘salvation’ can be defined as the application of the work of Jesus Christ
to the life of a human being.
In the initial part of the letter that Apostle Paul has written to the church in Rome,
he shows the readers the need to understand the meaning and overall importance of
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salvation. Paul has done so by pointing out at the Almighty’s righteousness (1 :16-17) as
well as the unrighteousness of human beings (1: 18-32). Paul’s work has highlighted the
fact that due to Jesus Christ’s righteousness, human beings can be called as righteous
beings as well. The similar theme on salvation has also been seen in Philippians 3:9. Paul
in his letters has stated that righteousness which is the essence of salvation cannot be
found in any law. But righteousness is something that can be achieved only through the
real faith in Christ.
Justification means that one has been declared righteous and has been accepted by
the Almighty (Bird et al, 2012). The Almighty cannot leave any sin go unpunished. Thus
he sent Jesus Christ so that he could live in a righteous manner and ultimately die so that
he could pay for the sins of human beings (Bird & Schreiner, 2012). Atonement is an
option that is available for one and all. But faith in the Christ is an extremely important
element which can allow a human being to stand in front of Christ with grace. Paul’s work
reflects that he sees God as holy and human beings as unholy beings. Thus, he has stated
that human beings gave the option to come back to the Almighty through salvation. It will
act as the ultimate path which will enable human beings to save themselves.
Significance of Christ
Christ is the central figure who has a strong presence in the letters of Apostle Paul.
In fact, the manner in which Paul has spoken about Jesus Christ and his crucifixion has
played a key role to shape the Christianity religion. In all of the work of Paul, Jesus Christ
acts as the heart and soul. In Paul’s theology, Jesus acts as the central character whether it
is about salvation or it is about the church. In Romans 14, Paul has given instructions
where he has admonished the weak and the strong relating to the consumption of food and
the observance of days. He has basically emphasized that both of these elements are the
subject to the lordship of God as well as the Christ. Many commentators have stated that
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when Paul says “Lord” he actually means it to be Christ. But there are others who have the
opinion that the term “Lord” refers to God (Bird et al, 2012).
Paul has stated in his work that an individual needs to lead his entire Christian life
under the lordship of Jesus Christ. When he means life, it encompasses everything
including what one eats, and drinks (Col. 2:6). Apostle Paul gave high respect and
importance to Jesus Christa and this is evident throughout his letters. Paul has stressed on
the fact that each and every individual must dedicate everything to the Christ so that he or
she can lead the life as a joyful servant of the Lord. In Col. 3:4 Paul has reminded the
Colossians that Jesus Christ is their life. In Philippian 1:21 Paul had made the statement
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is
Christ, and to die is gain, 2019)
For Paul, loving Jesus Christ is not a just duty that an individual needs to fulfill; it is an
act that can bring an individual a great deal of pleasure. In fact, the love for the Christ is
so powerful that it can also encourage early Christians to even die for the sake of Jesus
(Four Views on the Apostle Paul- Book Review, 2019).
Paul’s basic theological framework
St. Paul, the Apostle is rightly considered to be one of the key leaders of the first
generation of Christians whose writings have shaped the Christianity of the current times.
He has expressed his theology mainly in the context of pastoral ministry. Throughout his
writings, he made it a point not to focus on any kind of abstract theology but to rely on
substantial human experiences (Paul and his Theology (high definition video), 2019). In
his writings it is evident that Paul believed that the Church faced many obstacles due to
the fact that tensions arose because of the overlap of the existing age and the age of the
future.
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Apostle Paul in his letters and writings has primarily shed light on what God has
done for his believers in the first coming. In addition to this, Paul has also shed light on
what Christians need to follow to lead their lives while they are waiting for the return of
Jesus Christ. In the works of Paul, he has stressed his ideology relating the Christ. He has
stated in his writings that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and God’s Son. Throughout his
work, he has stressed the importance of Christ as well as the relevance of church for
Christianity.
Paul’s theology reflects his Christian beliefs and how he has considered the Christ
at every step in his life. As per his beliefs, and principles, Christ helps individuals to be
renewed each and every day. It is necessary for human beings to free themselves from
committing sins so that they can get closer to the Christ. Christ can help humans to walk
in the path that is away from sins and wring things. The beliefs of Paul have been captured
in his theology and they have played an extremely crucial role to shape the Christian
religion. d
Paul’s vision for the church
In Apostle Paul’s theology, he has given high importance to the church. The church
acts as a vital hub which helps human beings to strengthen their connection with Christ. In
Christianity arena, the church is an extremely vital element which acts as a support system
for Christians. Paul’s letters to the Gentile Churches sheds light on the fact that he
demonstrated his willingness and intention to observe the Gentile customs for the sake of
the Christian gospel. Paul’s belief in the church was really strong and it was evident from
the services that he did to the churches. Throughout Paul’s writings, ‘church’ has been
referred to as a constant reference point. In fact, the church is an integral part of Apostle
Paul’s theology just like Christ. It has also shed light on his core beliefs and values (Paul
and his Theology (high definition video), 2019).
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The church is the space which acts as a key platform which allows human beings to
redefine and strengthen their bond with the Almighty. In the early church setting, there
were a number of false teachers who contradicted Paul’s teachings. Thus in order to
counter these views and opinions, in the New Testament, it has been made clear that Paul
is the legitimate apostle and he is the key figure after Jesus Christ (Paul and his Theology
(high definition video), 2019).
Paul’s writings have played an extremely key role to shed light on the various
aspects such as salvation, the significance of the Christ, Paul’s basic theological framework
and his vision for the church. Throughout his writings, he had stressed on these aspects
which enable individuals to get closer to the Christ in the true sense. The contributions of
the reputed and reliable authors also help to understand how Paul’s theology has impacted
the Christianity religion and the Christians.
Conclusion
The book titled “Four Views of the Apostle Paul” by Michael F Bird has been
critically analyzed to get a thorough understanding of Paul and his influence on
Christianity. This book basically comprises of the views and opinions of four reliable and
reputed contributors who have used their expertise and skills to uncover Paul’s perspective
on the four core areas namely salvation, the significance of the Christ, Paul’s basic
theological framework and his vision for the church. The perspectives that have been
captured the book are very different from one another. At the same, time there is a
common thread that connects all of the perspectives and it is the focus on Jesus Christ and
Paul. The contributors whose work has been encompassed in the book have made a
valuable contribution in their unique ways.
Apostle Paul had extremely important views on various aspects that have been
captured on the book. A decent interpretation of Paul’s theology has been highlighted
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which shows how he made a contribution to Christianity in his own ways. Similarly, the
book by Bird also sheds light on the close association between Christ and Paul. These
interpretations that have been presented here basically help to understand Pauline writings
which have influenced Christianity religion to a significant extent. The book that has been
referred to throws light on how Paul has played a vital role to shape Christianity as a
religion. d
References
Bird, M. F., Gundry, S. N., Campbell, D. A., Nanos, M. D., Johnson, L. T., & Schreiner,
T. R. (2012). Four views on the Apostle Paul. Zondervan Academic.
Bird, M., & Schreiner, T. (2012). Four views on the Apostle Paul. Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan.
Four Views on the Apostle Paul- Book Review. (2019). Retrieved 12 August 2019, from
https://www.mcmaster.ca/mjtm/documents/Volume14/14.MJTM.R7-
Fewster_on_Bird[1].pdf
Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (2019). Retrieved 12
August 2019, from https://biblehub.com/philippians/1-21.htm
Paul and his Theology (high definition video). (2019). Third Millennium Ministries.
Retrieved 12 August 2019, from https://thirdmill.org/seminary/lesson.asp/vs/HPT/ln/1
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