Jesus according to Paul

144 Pages·1994·3.07 MB·English

by  Victor Paul Furnish

Understanding Jesus Today
JESUS ACCORDING TO PAUL
Understanding fesus Today
Edited by Howard Clark Kee
Growing interest in the historical Jesus can be frustrated by diverse
and conflicting claims about what he said and did. This series brings
together in accessible form the conclusions of an international team
of distinguished scholars regarding various important aspects of Jesus'
teaching. All of the authors have extensively analyzed the biblical and
contextual evidence about who Jesus was and what he taught, and
they summarize their findings here in easily readable and stimulating
discussions. Each book includes an appendix of questions for further
thought and recommendations for further reading on the topic
covered.
Other Books in the Series
Howard Clark Kee, What Can We Know About fesusl
Pheme Perkins, Jesus as Teacher
David Tiede, fesus and the Future
John Riches, The World of fesus: First-Century fudaism in Crisis
James D. G. Dunn, fesus' Call to Discipleship
Jesus According to Paul
VICTOR PAUL FURNISH
University Distinguished Professor of New Testament,
Perkins School of Theology,
Southern Methodist University
CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Published by the Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RP
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211 USA
10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia
© Cambridge University Press 1993
First published 1993
Reprinted 1995
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress cataloguing in publication data
Furnish, Victor Paul.
Jesus According to Paul / Victor Paul Furnish.
p. cm. - (Understanding Jesus today)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0 521 45193 0 (hardback) - ISBN 0 521 45824 2 (paperback)
1. Jesus Christ - History of doctrines - Early church, ca. 30-600.
2. Paul, the Apostle, Saint - Contributions in Christology.
3. Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul - Criticism, interpretation, etc.
I. Title. II. Series.
BT198.F95 1993
232/.09/015-dc20 93-10221 CIP
ISBN 0 521 45193 0 hardback
ISBN 0 521 45824 2 paperback
Transferred to digital printing 2003
Except as noted, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard
Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of
the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA.
CE
To the congregation of the
Northaven United Methodist Church, Dallas
- a community of faith seriously committed to
understanding Jesus today.

Contents
1 From Jesus to Paul page 1
2 Paul's Knowledge about Jesus 19
3 Sayings of Jesus in Paul's Letters 40
4 Jesus in Paul's Gospel 66
5 Jesus According to the "Pauline School" 93
Suggested Reading and Discussion Questions 119
Index of Subjects and Names 124
Index of Passages 126
vu

Chapter 1
From Jesus to Paul
Introduction
Jesus and Paul are the two most imposing figures to emerge
from the pages of the New Testament, although for very differ-
ent reasons. On the one hand, Jesus is the subject of every New
Testament writing. In each of them, Jesus is affirmed and
celebrated as the one in whom life is given and through whom
it is constantly renewed and enriched. On the other hand, Paul
is the author of more New Testament writings than any other
person - and of the earliest. In addition, he is the subject of
much of the Book of Acts. And when it comes to plain his-
torical facts, we know more about Paul than about anyone else
in the early church. Indeed, we know more by far about his
message and mission than about Jesus' own earthly life or
teaching.
It is often forgotten that Paul, whom the church came to
regard as the greatest apostle of Christ, had not been one of the
disciples of the earthly Jesus. Had he, in fact, even known
Jesus, or even seen him? Had he ever heard Jesus teach or
watched him heal? Had he ever observed him in conversation
with his disciples or in dialogue with his opponents? There is
no indication of this in the Gospels, where Paul is not even
named, nor in the Book of Acts, where we meet him first as an
opponent of the church in Jerusalem.