Source: “Paul On The Cross: Reconstructing The Apostle’s Story Of Redemption”, By David A. Brondos, Fortress Press, 2006.
The Story Of Redemption According To Paul.wav
This podcast challenges the prevailing academic view that Paul was a theological innovator whose ideas on salvation diverged significantly from both contemporary Judaism and early Christian beliefs. The author argues that Paul's understanding of redemption was, in fact, deeply rooted in ancient Jewish traditions and consistent with the early Christian story found in the Gospels and Acts. Rather than seeing Christ's death as a standalone "solution" that fundamentally alters reality or human nature, Paul integrates it into a broader divine plan, emphasizing that Christ's entire life, death, and resurrection served the unified objective of fulfilling God's promises for the redemption of humanity. Furthermore, the text contends that Paul did not reject the necessity of obedience and righteous living for salvation, but instead understood them through the lens of fulfilling the "spirit" of the law—a concept aligned with Jesus's own teachings—rather than through strict literal adherence, ultimately emphasizing God's grace as the source of this new life and the Holy Spirit as the means of its realization.
Topic 1: A long-standing consensus among New Testament and Pauline scholars has posited that Paul was a theological innovator whose views on salvation diverged significantly from the Judaism of his era and even from the beliefs of his fellow Christians. For instance, some scholars argue that Paul's "pattern of religion" began with the conviction that Christ offered the "solution" to humanity's predicament, and only then did he define humanity's "plight" based on this solution, a reversal of the typical Jewish thought process that moved from "plight to solution." This perspective suggests that Paul's approach to religiousness was fundamentally different from what was found in Palestinian Jewish literature, implying a conscious departure from the basis of Judaism.
Topic 2: A significant part of the scholarly view that Paul's soteriology was distinct from that of Jesus and the first believers is rooted in Paul's claim to have received his gospel through direct revelation and the evidence of differences and conflicts with other early church leaders in his letters. Furthermore, Paul's extensive use of unique terms and images, such as justification by faith, reconciliation with God through Christ's death, the new creation, the church as the body of Christ, and the concept of believers being "in Christ," are key concepts scarcely found outside of the Pauline and deuteropauline epistles. His infrequent references to the tradition regarding Jesus' life, passion, and death, as found in the Gospels, also contribute to this perception of distinctiveness.
Topic 3: Influential figures like Rudolf Bultmann asserted that Paul held little interest in the historical Jesus, focusing instead on the "bare fact" of Jesus' earthly existence, with His death and resurrection constituting "the sole thing of importance." Bultmann argued that Paul abstracted Jesus' death and resurrection from their original narrative context and reinterpreted them within a different framework, supposedly drawing ideas from Gnosticism and mystery religions. The use of terms like "Christ-event" is seen as contributing to this abstraction, detaching these occurrences from their specific historical context. This view suggests that Paul built upon an earlier process of altering the kerygma (proclamation) that had already begun in the Hellenistic church.
Topic 4: A common assumption in Pauline scholarship is that Jesus' death and resurrection provided the ultimate "solution" for the human "plight," serving as a necessary condition for salvation that could not be fulfilled by anyone else or in any other way. This perspective leads to a story of redemption that differs significantly from the simpler narratives found in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts. Consequently, it is often assumed that Paul was uninterested in the historical details of Jesus' life and ministry or the specific reasons for his crucifixion found in the Gospels, because he was constructing a different theological narrative. Instead, Paul's attribution of Jesus' death to a "theological" necessity (e.g., expiation of sin, transformation of human nature) prompts scholars to look beyond early Christian proclamation to understand Paul's concepts of redemption, justification, and reconciliation.
Topic 5: The source proposes an alternative approach to understanding Paul's soteriology, fundamentally critiquing the traditional method of reading existing stories of redemption back into Paul's writings. It argues that starting with "creedal or kerygmatic formulae" and "brief allusions" to Jesus' death in Paul's letters is flawed because these references are inherently ambiguous and easily lend themselves to various interpretations. Instead, the advocated method involves beginning with the ancient Jewish and early Christian stories of redemption to investigate whether Paul's narrative was essentially the same as that of the early church. This approach is justified by the observation that Paul expected his readers to understand his brief allusions to Jesus' death and its redemptive significance, implying their familiarity with an underlying, shared story.
Topic 6: Contrary to views of Paul as a theological innovator, there is substantial evidence in his letters demonstrating that his story of redemption was deeply rooted in the ancient Jewish narrative derived from the Hebrew Scriptures. Paul frequently alludes to foundational elements of this story, such as creation, Adam's sin, God's election of Abraham and his descendants, the patriarchs, the Exodus, and the giving of the Law. He particularly emphasizes the promises made to Abraham. Furthermore, Paul adopts the Jewish distinction between the "present evil age" (characterized by suffering, sin, and evil) and the "age to come" (where God's promises would be fulfilled), indicating a shared understanding of the human "plight" and the need for deliverance.
Topic 7: Despite claims that Paul was uninterested in the historical Jesus, passages in his letters suggest a significant awareness of Jesus' life and ministry. Paul alludes to Jesus' teaching, confirms Jesus' Jewish lineage as the prophesied Messiah, and appears acquainted with details of Jesus' ministry, including his celibacy, meekness, endurance of persecution, and life of poverty and service. He also demonstrates knowledge of the historical circumstances surrounding Jesus' crucifixion, mentioning the roles of Jewish and Roman authorities. Paul's familiarity with the passion narratives is evident in his recitation of the Last Supper tradition, references to Jesus' betrayal, and the abuse Christ endured, all suggesting he knew and cared about the ministry of Jesus prior to his death.
Topic 8: For Paul, the coming, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus constitute a unified whole, sharing a single overarching objective: the redemption of God's people and the fulfillment of divine promises. His death is not salvific in isolation but is understood within the broader context of God's continuous activity through Jesus, which began prior to his death and continues after his resurrection. Jesus' faithfulness unto death in pursuing this objective in obedience to God's will is central. This objective includes confirming the promises to the patriarchs, bringing the blessing of Abraham to the Gentiles, delivering believers from the present evil age, establishing Christ as Lord, and enabling believers to live a new life of righteousness empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Topic 9: Paul consistently affirmed that the final judgment would be based on one's works or deeds, stating that "doers of the law who will be justified," seemingly contradicting his declarations that justification is "by faith apart from works of the law." This apparent contradiction is resolved by understanding Paul's distinction between the "letter" and the "spirit" of the law, a concept paralleled in Jesus' own teaching. For Paul, true obedience means fulfilling the law's intent and purpose, which is fundamentally about love and concern for human wholeness, rather than strict literal adherence to commandments like circumcision or dietary laws. This "Torah-intensification" implies freedom from the letter of the law while remaining obligated to its spirit or ethical principles, aligning with Jesus' emphasis on righteousness of the heart.
Topic 10: Paul's understanding of the human "plight" is universal, encompassing both Jews and Gentiles. He argues that the problem is not merely that God's people fail to keep the law, but that they are fundamentally unable to do so because they are "under sin" and "in the flesh." This condition, inherited from Adam, means humanity is subject to sinful passions and cannot please God or submit to His law without divine aid. While acknowledging the special privileges of the Jews (e.g., possession of the Law, covenants), Paul asserts that they, like the Gentiles, are equally subject to sin and death, making it impossible for either group to attain true righteousness on their own in the "present evil age."