The Apostle Paul Teachings, His Main Themes

By Kathleen Perry


Apostles drew their messages from the lessons of Christ. However, each had different areas that he concentrated on in his works. The Apostle Paul Teachings are unique because of the depth and manner of coverage of the ordinary themes. Here is a look at the main areas that make his work stand out from that of other apostles.

The Lordship of Jesus Christ. This seems to be an emphasis that Christ is the lord and King. An example can be seen in his message to Corinthians in the first book chapter 16 and verse 22. He tells anyone who does not love Jesus Christ as Lord to be accursed. This is an emphasis on His majesty as Lord. It indicates a person who recognizes the supremacy of Christ and invites every Christian to be so.

Paul is emphatic about the place of resurrection in Christian life. Having been a Pharisee, he understood the idea too well. He could also interpret scripture with a unique depth that was not available to other apostles. He borrowed heavily from the resurrection of Lazarus when he stated that if death obeyed Christ, then everything on earth should follow suit.

Justification is at the center of the themes handled by the works of Paul. A look at his works shows a repetition of justification and justified on numerous occasion. In his words, it is Christ who grants the world legitimacy, without which humanity is useless. This message is borrowed from chapter 1 of the Gospel of John where those who have accepted Christ are given the right to be called his children.

Paul is emphatic about the place of grace in Christian living. It can be seen intensely in his benedictions and salutations, mostly at the end of his epistles. An example is chapter 2 of Ephesians, verse 8 where salvation arises from faith, which brings unique grace. Romans chapter 3 and verse 24 captures the two elements of justification and grace together.

Faith cannot be divorced from the teachings of Paul. Faith is one of the most frequent words you will find in his epistles. In fact, Romans 1, 17 features the word three times in a single sentence. Hebrew chapter 11 is considered the heaviest chapter in the bible about faith. His message borrows heavily from the Old Testament and is therefore impossible to divorce the two.

Something stands out in the life of Paul that is not in other apostles. He spent a lot of time wherever he went and was outright about his message. He did not want to produce half backed Christians. His message was deep to the point of being sent out of some of the places he went to preach. These happenings set him apart from the other apostles he was working with.

Paul did not depart in any way from the teachings of Jesus Christ. He only emphasized them and played a greater role in domesticating the message so that Christians can easily relate to it. He ranks among the most traveled apostles, ending up in Rome. Historical records indicate that he was martyred alongside Peter, though his death was by beheading. This was under empire Nero.




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