Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission and His Message

by Michael F. Bird

Many Christians who know and love the Bible think they know the apostle Paul. He's a theological master, a pastoral mentor, a spiritual adviser and a missionary hero. Yet just when we think we have him in our grasp, he slips through our fingers. At the point where we suppose we have finally understood him, Paul again confounds us. But he also beckons us to explore God's ways more deeply. Michael Bird suggests that if the Paul we claim to know looks and sounds a lot like us, it's probably a warning light that we don't know him as well as we think we do. But if we let Paul be Paul, allowing him to speak for himself in his language, on his terms and for his purposes, then we stand a chance of meeting him anew. Introducing Paul is an animated and penetrating survey of Paul's life and teaching. It covers all the basics students need, while offering new insights with a light touch. Blending life and study, Bird aims to get us excited about reading Paul's letters, sharing his gospel and living the Christian life the way he thought it should be lived. For beginning students and laypeople, Introducing Paul is a valuable entrance into the contemporary study of Paul.

Genres: Theology, New Testament, Christian, Biography, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2009

About the author

Dr. Michael Bird (Ph.D University of Queensland) is Lecturer in Theology at Ridley Melbourne College of Mission and Ministry. He is the author of several books including Jesus and the Origins of the Gentile Mission (2006), The Saving Righteousness of God (2007), A Bird’s-Eye View of Paul (2008), Colossians and Philemon (2009), Crossing Over Sea and Land: Jewish Missionary Activity in the Second Temple Period (2009), and Are You the One Who is to Come? The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question (2009).

Reviews

[Christopher Pokorny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introductory material, but leaves you with no direction to go after reading. I liked the recommendation of changing the American title to the British title: "A birds eye view of Paul."

[Mike Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short and delightful introduction to Paul. I wish American publishers had followed the British publishers in naming it A Bird’s Eye View of Paul!

Bird’s objective “is to get people excited about reading Paul’s letters, preaching Paul’s gospel and living the Christian life the way Paul thought it should be lived” (6).

In studying Paul, the goal is not Paul; we study Paul because of what he can do for us in our pursuit of Christ. “To venerate Paul is to denigrate the Saviour whom he so passionately serves” (11)

“A fresh encounter with Paul will leave your assumptions shaken to their foundations, your theological world turned upside down, your spirituality revitalized, your faith quickened, your love for God and Christ renewed, and your labour in the kingdom refocused. This is Paul for the people of God.” (15)

Paul is not just an apostle to the Gentiles, “but among them as well” (19).

His theological centre is somewhere close to “the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ” (22).

I love the chapter on Paul’s conversion on the Damascus road. “That grace event killed Saul the Pharisee and birthed Paul the apostle” (37).

“The invitation to believe in Jesus and join the church was ultimately an invitation to identify with a certain story and to order one’s life according to the story, symbols and praxis of Jesus the Messiah.” (39)

In chapter 4 (Reading someone else’s mail) Bird provides a brief tour through Paul’s letters (which Bird calls “pastoral postcards”! [12]).

Chapter 5 looks at what the gospel is. The gospel is not a formula or a syllogism, but a story (77).

The gospel is about both the person and work of Christ. God promised in the Scriptures that he would renew creation and restore Israel. The gospel is the good news that God has made these promises good in Jesus, the Messiah and Lord. Jesus died and rose for the purpose of atoning for sins and through faith in him and his work believers are reconciled to God. The new age has been launched and God has revealed his saving righteousness in the gospel so that he justifies and delivers persons from the penalty and power of sin and death. (83)

Bird explores some of the concepts used by Paul in his thinking and teaching about salvation in chapter 6. Here is where justification is discussed by someone who appreciates both Piper and Wright, but follows neither: “In sum, justification is the act whereby God creates a new people, with a new status, in a new covenant, as a foretaste of the new age” (96).

Additional chapters discuss Paul’s teaching on eschatology, Christology, ethics, and spirituality.

Throughout the book Bird is unable to keep his humour and wit in suppression. He discovers a new position on the millennium (“‘pan-millenial’, the belief that it will all out pan out at the end” [116]!), and he composes the following ‘hymn’ in order to illustrate how strange the gospel would have sounded to those who first heard Paul preach it (please read the context before calling Bird or me disrespectful):

Carlos was there on that horrible chair
They tied him down with bolts and then zapped him with 40 000 volts
It was for you that our saviour fried and died
Despite the fact that his hair caught on fire, this one is God’s true Messiah.
The wisdom of the world has been refuted because Carlos was electrocuted
He is my saviour and my lamp, because he absorbed every deadly amp
Now I know that God does care, ‘cause he sent Carlos Hernandez to the electric chair. (163)

This book is one of my favourite reads for 2010, and I know I’ll be picking it up frequently in the future.

[Cole Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best books are those that become a lens through which other books are read: this is one of them. Like J. Pennington’s Reading the Gospels Wisely, Bird concentrates on better understanding a section of Scripture (in this case the Pauline epistles) and in doing so helps his readers better understand all of Scripture.

Bird is a true heir of the Reformers; he does not bind himself to their emphases and weaknesses, but on the foundation of their strengths continues, not to simply be Reformed, but becoming Reformed by always Reforming. True Reformation is continuous, never static, and always anchored in Scripture.

[Steve Irby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished "Introducing Paul," by Michael F. Bird.

So far I really like this. Bird had an engaging prose. He also happily makes use of dates to list out the chronology of Paul's life. But Bird's coverage of Paul's conversion was really well done. While it was brief, the book is also an intro. The pre/post conversion theological ramifications for Paul are very well stated: what, in just a moment upon meeting Jesus, would Saul the Pharisees have had to backspace over and add to his theology?

(Bird makes the mistake of footnoting another Hengel book, "The Pre-Christian Paul." I think will have to buy that.) I think one unique insight here would be about Pauline Ecclesiology in light of "Saul, why do you persecute me?" and corresponding comments in, for instance, 1 Cor. about the Church being the Body of Christ. From that moment on Paul was forced to see the gathered believers as the Body of the Crucified. And without getting into Christological schools of thought, the Body of the Crucified would have to have the manifest Spirit in them.

"Beliefs and doctrines are not forged amid a list of propositions and by logical inferences, but by the telling of a story," p 39.

I speaking to the Adamic aspect in Christology, Bird uses Star War's Skywalker characters to explain in a moder way the Adam / Christ parallels. Good way to get the concept across in a modern context (even if I dont really get science fiction as a literary art form the break down came through).

"The fulcrum of [Paul's] Christology is the identification of the crucified Jesus with the risen and exalted Lord," p 55.

"The ekklesia, then, is the people of God, called to be the new Isreal and the renewed humanity (e.g. Col. 3:1-17). The Church was to be charismatic (Spirit-endowed), multi-ethnic (Jew and Gentile), Christocentric (Lords Supper, baptism and immigration of Christ, unified (baptized into one body), part of society (mission) but not a reflection of it (holiness)," p 56.

Bird then has a chapter covering a rough outline of each Pauline writing. This is very good.

"[T]he Parouisa is the moment where God finally repossess the world for Himself," p 77.

Bird's chapter on the Gospel as presented by Paul, according to Pauline Theology, is quite good. It begins by upsetting the common presentation of the work of Christ including the resurrection and the forthcoming Parouisa. He presents it in a triumphant way which is likening us to screaming "No president but Jesus" during the national anthem or pledge. That's my interpretation of Bird's similar analogy using Nazis. His is good. Mine is better because it is not challenging today to dis Hitler.

"When Paul spits in Caesars direction, it is because the things of Caesar stand opposed to the purpose of God," p 86.

Bird lays out a chart showing how the words gospel, Lord, Presence and Saviour were used in the OT (LXX), how a Greco Roman would have heard their use, and historical reference to inscriptions etc where they were used. Quite good.

"Nero did not throw Christians to the lions because they confessed that 'Jesus is the Lord of my heart.' It was rather because they confessed that 'Jesus was Lord of all,' meaning that Jesus was Lord even over the realm Caesar claimed as his absolute domain of absolute authority," p 88.

"In sum, justification is the act whereby God creates a new people, with a new status, in a new covenant, as a foretaste of the new age," p 96.

"God's wrath is exercised against sin; thus, when sin is expiated, God is propitiated," p 101.

Bird's coverage of Pauline atonement theology was good, though for it to fit in this slim (171 pp of text) text it was truncated. There was still coverage of corresponding literature, OT themes, apocrypha references, etc.

I got so entrenched in reading I stopped writing comments about this work. This was a fantastic intro to not just Paul but Pauline Theology. Bird takes nice, deep concepts in Paul and makes them friendly to non-academics.

[Richard Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introducing Paul is an excellent introduction to Paul. It gives a reasonable biography, overview of his theology, introduction to each of his books. The chapters I found most useful were the explorations of Paul's ethics. These made the book both scholarly and pastoral. While the book is academically sound, it is also accessible to and serious reader. I highly recommend this book as the best short introduction to Paul that I have read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, basic primer. Easy to read with a touch of humor. Faithful to Scripture. Keeps the person and work of King Jesus central. Particularly refreshing and sensible with respect to church tradition. There are a few places where one might have wanted him to expound a bit further, but alas, such is the limitation of introductory works.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. I honestly know most of what he shared so not very insightful for me, but would be a great read if you need to learn more about this apostle. He was the worst of the worst, but God. He changed in an instant and then went on to be one of hte most powerful writers in the Bible having written 13 of the New Testament books.

[Noah Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly simple read. The author makes this book plain for people to understand Paul and his theology.

This book helps readers understand Paul’s letters more providing background, context, theology, and other facts about Paul.

[Adam900 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good brief introduction to current Pauline issues. Very accessible and easy to read. Starts out well, reaches its climax in chapters 5 and 6, then peters out somewhat. Chapter 5 may be worth the price of the book.

[Chris Sobbing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Bird sets out to write a concise book on Paul, and for the most part succeeds. He covers Paul's biography, the context and content of his letters, as well as his theological understanding with a brevity that is not lacking in well rounded doctrine. Where I might argue with him on the terms of word smithery at certain points, I cannot argue with the scriptural exegesis of his points. Good. Short. To the point. Want to know more about Paul, but squeezing a 1,000 page academic treatise isn't cohesive with your lifestyle, then I say read this no less academic book to get a sound introduction to Paul.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Introduction to St. Paul... It's the first time that I have studied St. Paul's writing. Helped to contextualize the writing in his era and what might have been going on around him. It helped me to take a step forward... Small but forward

[Timothy Decker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fine for lay level, except that they will miss Bird's regurgitating of controversial views without warning. Didn't find this to be a helpful intro into Paul.

[Calen Brantley]

Nathan

[Jelte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy and logical approach to Paul and his letters. Loved it.

[Nicholas Quient · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful summary of the various introductory matters surrounding Paul. Bird is fair to opposing readings of Paul, and is sensitive to the apostle's context.

[James Korsmo]

Michael Bird's Introducing Paul (IVP in England used the whimsical title A Bird's Eye View of Paul for this same volume there) is a great little introduction to Paul's life and thought. In this short book, obviously intended as a college or seminary text, Bird cover's the necessary ground for an intro, dealing with matters of upbringing and training, Paul's conversion, his literary legacy, the important components of his thought, and his ethics and spirituality. Bird's coverage of these areas is uniformly well written and up to date, reflecting the latest issues and advances in scholarship without giving over to a faddish interpretation of the apostle. One leaves the pages understanding the contested ground but at the same time having a well-grounded understanding of Paul's theology that reflects both the best of the historic interpretations of Paul and some important modifications and improvements from the "new perspective."

Bird does a great job of situating Paul in his second-temple Jewish context, and notes how the Old Testament and Judaism provide the important seedbed and framework for his thought, while also noting the role of Rome in his thinking.

Bird's book is my favorite introduction to Paul that I have so far encountered. He straightforwardly deals with the important issues, he gives solid background and well-reasoned and balanced conclusions, all the while inviting the reader into Paul's rich and gospel-focused world. An extremely good book; thanks Mike. I look forward to digging into his more substantive Saving Righteousness of God at some point in the future to see how some of this plays out in more detail.

[Wayne Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a small introduction to Paul, this book will be all you need. A very well written general introduction, Bird provides a helpful summary to each of Paul's letters and covers the important features of Pauline studies. Bird takes a sympathetic/critical stance with respect to the so-called New Perspective on Paul. This enables him to incorporate features of the NPP that are genuinely helpful while avoiding both the ditch if being overly dismissive or naively enthusiastic.

Bird writes in an engaging style that does not weigh the reader down with technical jargon. Nor does Bird step away from addressing some of the more difficult questions with which scholars today continue to wrestle.

[Daniel Supimpa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fair introduction to Paul for any Christian. Although it is readable and clear in terms of language, Bird is quite vague in terms of particular assessment. He basically gives a general sense of themes inside Paul, but too few tools to work with after you dive into specific letters or passages. Of course, he is not trying to do a major evangelical introduction like, say, Fee or Gorman do. But his interaction with Paul depends on several wider issues in NT thought, so he doesn't dive much into Paul, and, when he does, it is only 1-2 pages long. I honestly like Bird's work, but this one was bellow my expectations. I would put this way: too long for what it brings, too short for what Bird could have done.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best intro to Paul that's out there. Bird provides a helpful way of navigating troubled waters in Pauline studies, like the debate between the old perspective on Paul and the new perspective on Paul. Highly recommended, although I don't endorse all of his conclusions.

[Isaac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent intro to Paul. Written at a level good for everyday ppl in the church.

[David Kakish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic primer for Paul—thankfully written in a more straightforward tone than Bird's recent works.

[Peter Bringe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good. It is well written and pleasant to read. I have a few areas of disagreement, but Bird writes a helpful survey of Paul's writings and theology.