What do you think?
Rate this book
Paul The Apostle: Missionary, Martyr, Theologian
Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780802463258
“Except for the Lord Himself, no single figure has done more for the Christian faith.”
If you want to understand Christianity, you need to understand Paul. But with so many books on the apostle, where do you start?
Paul the Apostle is the ideal choice if you want a solid understanding of Paul’s life, ministry, and writings without getting weighed down with minutia. Author Robert E. Picirilli, who taught college courses on Paul for over twenty-five years, found that most books on the apostle were either too technical or too basic, so he wrote a book that strikes a happy medium. It offers:
A profile of Paul in his historical and cultural context
Outlines and explanations of his missionary journeys
Introductions and brief analyses of each of his epistles
Useful for individual study or as a textbook (as it is in many universities today), Paul the Apostle is a great one-stop study of the man who wrote half the New Testament, spread the gospel to the heart of the known world, and gave his life for the Kingdom.
“Except for the Lord Himself, no single figure has done more for the Christian faith.”
If you want to understand Christianity, you need to understand Paul. But with so many books on the apostle, where do you start?
Paul the Apostle is the ideal choice if you want a solid understanding of Paul’s life, ministry, and writings without getting weighed down with minutia. Author Robert E. Picirilli, who taught college courses on Paul for over twenty-five years, found that most books on the apostle were either too technical or too basic, so he wrote a book that strikes a happy medium. It offers:
A profile of Paul in his historical and cultural context
Outlines and explanations of his missionary journeys
Introductions and brief analyses of each of his epistles
Useful for individual study or as a textbook (as it is in many universities today), Paul the Apostle is a great one-stop study of the man who wrote half the New Testament, spread the gospel to the heart of the known world, and gave his life for the Kingdom.
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 1986
101 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 10, 2019
Ok, THIS was the book I needed when I first started reading about Paul the Apostle. There was another book I read before this one that seemed to have the purpose to destroy faith and trust in the Bible. It claimed that half of what was attributed to Paul was actually written by others and it made me MAD. But I'm not a Biblical scholar by any stretch of the imagination, so that book left me confused and my faith dented.
THIS book, oh this book was written to educate and up-lift. It patiently explains that Paul wrote what was attributed to him and shows clearly the reasons why. But that isn't the full purpose of this book. A part, yes, but not the whole.
This book goes deep into showing the world Paul was living in, who he was as a person and explains what he wrote, to whom it was meant, why it was written, what issues were trying to be resolved and even as close to when it was written as possible. Apparently, dating what was being written wasn't a big thing back then. I would be lost without being able to follow when emails were sent for work! But I digress.
This book systematically and academically, but without the dryness of a textbook, takes the reader back to ancient times to meet Paul and the people he was working with and preaching to. Having a map and the Bible handy to refer to when reading this book is definitely helpful, but not 100% necessary to understand the text.
I completely fell in love with this book. It took me forever to read, but I think it worked in my favor. I needed this book now, so now is when I read it.
I cannot recommend this book enough. I will be getting copies for my church and for myself. 5 stars, no question.
My thanks to NetGalley and Moody Publishers for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
THIS book, oh this book was written to educate and up-lift. It patiently explains that Paul wrote what was attributed to him and shows clearly the reasons why. But that isn't the full purpose of this book. A part, yes, but not the whole.
This book goes deep into showing the world Paul was living in, who he was as a person and explains what he wrote, to whom it was meant, why it was written, what issues were trying to be resolved and even as close to when it was written as possible. Apparently, dating what was being written wasn't a big thing back then. I would be lost without being able to follow when emails were sent for work! But I digress.
This book systematically and academically, but without the dryness of a textbook, takes the reader back to ancient times to meet Paul and the people he was working with and preaching to. Having a map and the Bible handy to refer to when reading this book is definitely helpful, but not 100% necessary to understand the text.
I completely fell in love with this book. It took me forever to read, but I think it worked in my favor. I needed this book now, so now is when I read it.
I cannot recommend this book enough. I will be getting copies for my church and for myself. 5 stars, no question.
My thanks to NetGalley and Moody Publishers for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
February 24, 2018
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Moody Publishers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
Although I read quite a few books relating to Paul's life and writings [1], it is something I enjoy doing even when authors frequently demonstrate their poor understanding of Paul's thinking by using Paul's statements against legalism or any kinds of salvation by works to justify their own antinomian thinking. This book is by no means as bad as most such books are, with the author not being flagrantly out of line but more muddled in being unable to distinguish between Paul's obvious observance of the Sabbath and the early Church's setting up of its own Sabbathkeeping synagogues after dealing with problems with the Jews and the author's own lack of practice in following God's laws in the way that the early Church did and seeking to find justification in his own unbiblical practices and beliefs in the example of Paul. Fortunately, most of the time the author is focused on what Paul did and where he was and how Paul's letters and Luke's writings in Acts correspond with each other to make this an especially antinomian work, and that is for the best.
The roughly 260 pages of this book consist of a forward and preface and eight chapters that are divided based on aspects of Paul's life. The book opens with a discussion of Paul's background in the Jewish diaspora, pointing out that while he and his family were obviously Hellenistic Jews, they were not Hellenizers and sought to resist Greek religious influence despite their citizenship in Tarsus and the Roman Empire and their being Greek-speaking. After this the author discusses Paul's career as a Jew, looking at his alliance with the Pharisaic school of Hillel and his involvement in Jewish affairs. A brief chapter follows on Paul's conversion and commission based on what Paul says about it himself in Acts and his letters. From this point the book seeks to follow Paul's travels and writings and makes some thoughtful and intelligent comments on various theories about both. A chapter on Paul's life from being a new convert to a missionary travel looks at his time in Arabia, his early visit(s) to Jerusalem, and his work with Barnabas in Antioch and then on their first missionary journey. A chapter on the expansion of the mission to the Gentiles talks about Paul's second mission and his first letters like 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. A discussion on the third missionary journey allows the author to talk about some of Paul's associates and his methods in preaching and the second group of Paul's letters like 1st and 2 Corinthians and Romans. A discussion of Paul the prisoner looks at the fourth missionary journey and Paul's prison epistles, while a discussion on the last years of Paul gives the author a chance to look at the pastoral epistles and some of the legends about his travels to Spain, after which an excellent list of recommended resources and notes close the book.
While there are many books that talk about Paul's life and writings, this book is certainly written well as the sort of book that is particularly useful to undergraduate audiences at a seminary or who are taking religious studies courses relating to the life and writings of Paul. To be sure, this is not a perfect book, but it has a lot of worthwhile insights on Paul's Jewish background and on his practice of spending as much time as possible in the synagogues, demonstrating the author has far less hostility to the biblical Sabbath than most writers on Paul, and that is something to appreciate and celebrate. The author's outlines of the epistles of Paul and his discussion about the consistency of theology in all of the letters of Paul--in contrast to misguided notions of "progressive" doctrinal understanding--are to be celebrated and appreciated as well. As a staunchly biblically conservative but also scholarly adept work on the life and writings of Paul this book has a lot going for it and is well worth reading, even if one does not agree with all of the author's approach.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
Although I read quite a few books relating to Paul's life and writings [1], it is something I enjoy doing even when authors frequently demonstrate their poor understanding of Paul's thinking by using Paul's statements against legalism or any kinds of salvation by works to justify their own antinomian thinking. This book is by no means as bad as most such books are, with the author not being flagrantly out of line but more muddled in being unable to distinguish between Paul's obvious observance of the Sabbath and the early Church's setting up of its own Sabbathkeeping synagogues after dealing with problems with the Jews and the author's own lack of practice in following God's laws in the way that the early Church did and seeking to find justification in his own unbiblical practices and beliefs in the example of Paul. Fortunately, most of the time the author is focused on what Paul did and where he was and how Paul's letters and Luke's writings in Acts correspond with each other to make this an especially antinomian work, and that is for the best.
The roughly 260 pages of this book consist of a forward and preface and eight chapters that are divided based on aspects of Paul's life. The book opens with a discussion of Paul's background in the Jewish diaspora, pointing out that while he and his family were obviously Hellenistic Jews, they were not Hellenizers and sought to resist Greek religious influence despite their citizenship in Tarsus and the Roman Empire and their being Greek-speaking. After this the author discusses Paul's career as a Jew, looking at his alliance with the Pharisaic school of Hillel and his involvement in Jewish affairs. A brief chapter follows on Paul's conversion and commission based on what Paul says about it himself in Acts and his letters. From this point the book seeks to follow Paul's travels and writings and makes some thoughtful and intelligent comments on various theories about both. A chapter on Paul's life from being a new convert to a missionary travel looks at his time in Arabia, his early visit(s) to Jerusalem, and his work with Barnabas in Antioch and then on their first missionary journey. A chapter on the expansion of the mission to the Gentiles talks about Paul's second mission and his first letters like 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. A discussion on the third missionary journey allows the author to talk about some of Paul's associates and his methods in preaching and the second group of Paul's letters like 1st and 2 Corinthians and Romans. A discussion of Paul the prisoner looks at the fourth missionary journey and Paul's prison epistles, while a discussion on the last years of Paul gives the author a chance to look at the pastoral epistles and some of the legends about his travels to Spain, after which an excellent list of recommended resources and notes close the book.
While there are many books that talk about Paul's life and writings, this book is certainly written well as the sort of book that is particularly useful to undergraduate audiences at a seminary or who are taking religious studies courses relating to the life and writings of Paul. To be sure, this is not a perfect book, but it has a lot of worthwhile insights on Paul's Jewish background and on his practice of spending as much time as possible in the synagogues, demonstrating the author has far less hostility to the biblical Sabbath than most writers on Paul, and that is something to appreciate and celebrate. The author's outlines of the epistles of Paul and his discussion about the consistency of theology in all of the letters of Paul--in contrast to misguided notions of "progressive" doctrinal understanding--are to be celebrated and appreciated as well. As a staunchly biblically conservative but also scholarly adept work on the life and writings of Paul this book has a lot going for it and is well worth reading, even if one does not agree with all of the author's approach.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
January 14, 2018
Interesting book that summarizes what we know about Paul from Acts and his writings. I had hoped the book would discuss more how Paul extended / articulated the teachings of Christ as an active life to live. I appreciated that the author presented some arguments that textual critics have in summary, referred the reader to other more lengthy works, and then described his own belief (many times granting that differing opinions on most of these issues isn't a cross to die on -- if you'll forgive the reference -- they aren't doctrinal issues).
June 27, 2022
I was looking for an accurate portrayal of Paul and I got it in this book. However, it is very dry and written mostly for students wanting an academic reporting. Best read by reading the Biblical accounts as they are given, it did answer a lot of questions about what history has come to accept as truth about Paul and what items scholars remain divided about.
No doubt, it is written with high respect for this chosen man for his incredible mission to fellow Jews and Gentiles in helping spread Christianity throughout the known world and beyond!
No doubt, it is written with high respect for this chosen man for his incredible mission to fellow Jews and Gentiles in helping spread Christianity throughout the known world and beyond!
February 13, 2018
I bought the book to understand more about Paul. I was disappointed by the way that the narrative came across.
The description of the book says that it is for the general public (not just for students). However, the way that the writing was structured did not lend the book to be a ‘story’. The style reads more like an academic book.
The description of the book says that it is for the general public (not just for students). However, the way that the writing was structured did not lend the book to be a ‘story’. The style reads more like an academic book.
Read
February 4, 2026Super dense and loaded for me. Definitely a book for seminary students which I am not. Still felt I got some out of it but I honestly should have found another book but I’m OCD and stubborn so I made myself finish it. I think the “little” details are what made me struggle to get through this in a timely manner.
April 6, 2022
A Scholarly and Quite Readable Study of Paul
A scholar's analysis of Paul; detailed yet written at a level easily understood by nearly anyone. It has ample footnotes and references for further study.
A scholar's analysis of Paul; detailed yet written at a level easily understood by nearly anyone. It has ample footnotes and references for further study.
August 30, 2017
This was a hard and dry read, but an insightful look into Paul (Saul) of Tarsus. With Scripture backing the chapters leads the reader deeper into an understanding of Paul's letters in the Bible.
May 20, 2022
Very much collegiate. Not necessarily what I was hoping for but it was good in detail and well written.
January 2, 2024
Pretty dry...more time line with the letters...I was hoping it would expand more on the letters and issues.
February 10, 2018
Fascinating character. 12 years of Catholic school and never really understood Paul’s impact on the early Church.
March 11, 2011
Picirilli's look at the life and times of the Apostle to the Gentiles is one of the most enjoyable reads for me on this topic. Digging deep into the history of the period and into the text of Scripture, the writer provides the modern reader a fascinating insight into the life and ministry of Paul. Throughout the text, the author employs little rubrics that give the reader insight into 1st century customs and history, which bring portions of the text alive to the reader. Picirilli is not afraid to deal with controversial discussion on the topic and handles these areas with grace and ease. Without hesitation, I would recommend this work to the lay or pastoral student of Pauline history and theology.
April 19, 2013
My sole purpose for reading this book was to see what was going on in the time of Paul so that I could better understand his books in the bible. I questioned whether God wanted us to follow the law or did Christ come in place of the law? The author has been a college professor of the Pauline epistles for years so I trust he was educated on the subject.
This book was informative in other ways and I recommend this book to anyone studying theology or serious bible readers.
This book was informative in other ways and I recommend this book to anyone studying theology or serious bible readers.
August 17, 2017
Robert Picirilli describes the life of Paul from birth to death by incorporating a wealth of informative extrabiblical details. It was immensely helpful for me to read a historical contextualisation of this important Biblical character. Picirilli's synthesis of existing theories on various matters also provokes thought and research on the part of the reader. I only wish there had been more extensive explanations about Paul's letters and the churches, rather than the short overviews in the book!
Read
August 21, 20120046
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews