Paul: His Life and Teaching

Rating:
Summary: Best Book on Paul Available Today
Review: Did Paul found Christianity? Did He cease to Be a Jew? Is Christianity a Gentile Religion? Do Jews or Gentiles have to abandon their ancestry? Do males or females have to abandon their gender? Do slaves or free people have to abandon their sociological status? If you think the answer is yes to all of the above questions, be prepared for a major shift in the way you think about and approach Paul. This is not your father's Paul as Paul has undergone a major revision that reflects overwhelming evidence from recent scholarship, archaeology and historical studies.
Dr. McRay has provided both a historical and theological background to Paul that is more comprehensive than any other I have read. A major shift has taken place in the realm of scholarship that now views Paul as Torah loyal and loyal to his ethnicity throughout his entire call and career as an apostle. McRay cites numerous archealogical evidences and a major consensus in scholarship that makes the evidence overwhelming and irrefutable. Should have an enduring influence upon what is taught in seminaries today and in the future.

Rating:
Summary: the more you read the book the more you learn Paul
Review: It was claimed that Paul, who has been accepted as the most effective missionary and the founder of christianity, has been misunderstood by a lot of people from Marcion to Bultmann. Mcray's book offers satisfying information about Paul to seminary, college students and all interested christians to explore Paul's life and teaching. Mr Mcray who has described Paul's Life and missionary journeys extraordinary dealt with important issues on Paul in his book's second chapter. John Mcray deserves both congratulations and thanks for this high in quality guidebook.

Rating:
Summary: Paul one of the great apostles of early Christianity
Review: Paul is one of the great apostles of early Christainty. Born a Hebrew and trained in the legalism of the Pharisee, Paul possessed rabbi knowledge and at the same time born in Tarus - he received the protection of the Roman empire. Known as Saul, he established 27 providences, mingled with individuals of influence, and actively persuecuted the soldiers of Christ or Christians until he received a divine witness of Christ in an intervention which changed his life. Pauls conversion transcended in magnitude all other documented conversions. The mysteries of heavans opened and he was taught directly by Christ.

Paul gained first hand witness of Christ's authenicity and witness. Luke a counsin of Barnabas would serve with Paul, but contracting Malaria returned home with destain from Paul. However, later Luke would be consider a close friend and suffer with Paul in Roman prisons until Pauls death. Luke would write Act and include many of the letters of Paul in the Bible. Barnabas would become the traveling companion of Paul.

As an apostle Paulus or Paul began an epic journey to bringing the gospel to the Greeks starting at Antioch. After miricleously healing a lame man the people thought he was Hemes and Barnabas was Zeus. In his second journey, Paul revisited the churches of Lystrar, Solis, Galatia. He would travel to Europe and win converts in Philippi and Athens. In his third year, Paul spend time in Ephesus and return home to Jerusalem.

Paul was concerned about the strength of the early churches he helped establish. The rebuttal letters to Corithians would display his ideas on marriage, raising children, the second coming of Christ, resurrection, morality, and strengthening the Church.

Paul preached uprighteousness and was considered a thinker and answered tough questions within the church and without, felt he suffered as Christ, taught principles of Christ like virtues, preached resurrection and Christ lives again.

Some of the letters he wrote to members in Thesalonnia and Corinth reveal his deeper spiritual nature and council to strength of body of new members. Paul would meet write to titus and timothy and share spiritual insights and wisdom.

On one occassion he was neverly killed by stoning, on another occasion a earthquake rare to the area brought recognization of his divine mission, and on another occassion after many years of captivity behind the city walls of demascus he managed to escape. Paul's knowledge of roman laws, philosophy, and customs combined with his understanding of judaic legalism gave him an unusually perceptiveness.

Paul's ministery was truely remarkable considering the time. A time when Alexander the Great of Macedona hand conquered the Asia minor, Thrace, Europe, Persia, Greece, Israel, and Roman to spread Helenism.

Pauls teachings challenged the conventional pagan philophies and on five occassions receive 39 lashes to his back and one occassion of stoning as they thought him dead and dragged to the outside of the city, he managed to survive. Having witnesses Stephens stoning and witness of Christ, Paul's experience was no less tramatic. Paul and Barabas ministry demonstrates power, faith, and Miricles resulting from their dedication. Imprisonment and rejection was overcome with strong faith, persistence, and emmense amounts of travel to a diverse body of people and idealogies. Paul loved the Thessalonians and word of his ministry spread throughout Macedona.

After returning to Jerusalem, he came under attack by the Saducees by supposing to attempt to smuggle a Greek into the temple. These temple violations would cause Paul to appeal to the Emperior. Christ would appear to Paul and tell him to have "courage" and that he would bear witness of him in Rome. The journey would be perlious involving a ship wreck. Paul feats were impressive for time when world travel was difficult because good roads and bridges did not facilitate easy travel. Paul would eventually be executed by Nero.

Letters: Romans,Corinthians,Corinthians II,Galatians ,Ephesians,Philippians,Colossians I,Thessalonians I,Thessalonians II,Timothy,Timothy II,Titus,Philemon

* Ephesians : 1. Paul would define the organization structure of the church: apostles, prophets, teachers, priests, and deacons 2. He would declare the gentiles were no longer foreigners and strangers but fellow citizens with Christ. He would embody the philosophy of unity and declare the church would be a world wide church.

*Corithians : 1. Paul would preach love and encourage the members to have faith declaring great mysteries existed for those who loved God. 2. Paul theology of the after life revealed different spheres of glory to which man would be assigned based on their righteousness. 3. Paul would testify of the power of the resurrection.

*Timothy : 1. Paul would prophesize of the future moral conditions and spirtual depravity.

Rating:
Summary: Paul the Messianic Jew
Review: This book belongs in the library of every first century scholar and layperson alike. Dr. McRay has provided both a historical and theological background to Paul that is more comprehensive than any other I have read. A major shift has taken place in the realm of scholarship that now views Paul as Torah loyal and loyal to his ethnicity throughout his entire call and career as an apostle. McRay cites numerous archealogical evidence and a major consensus in scholarship that makes the evidence overwhelming and irrefutable. Should have an enduring influence upon what is taught in seminaries today and in the future.