Paul's Letters Introduction

The New Testament consists of 27 books:
21 letters
4 gospels
1 history
1 apocalypse

The first time the exact list appeared was in an Easter letter by Athanasius in 367 where he described these as books that were "right and proper for a Christian to read."

There were similar lists as early as 170.


Most scholars believe Paul's letters are among the oldest materials in the New Testament.

Paul's letters often address specific problems in first century churches. Thus, studying the original context of the letters is crucial to applying their lessons today.


How did Paul's letters become part of the New Testament canon? One theory is as follows:

The book of Acts may have become available around 90. Paul appears prominently in Acts. As various churches read the book, they were reminded that they had letters from Paul and brought out these letters to share.

Paul made three missionary journeys that took him from Antioch to Cyprus, into Asia Minor, and later to Achaia and Macedonia, and finally to Rome where he was executed.

Click here for an article on the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.

Paul's Letters Background

In Acts 6, 7, and 8 we read of the context of the early Christian missionary movement. After the martyrdom of Stephen, Christian preachers like Philip, Peter, and John went north from Jerusalem into Samaria, Caesarea, and Antioch (which is where Paul started his missionary journeys.)


Some striking aspects of the description of the events surrounding Stephen's death include:

The Christians' boldness in lamenting Stephen's death. Lamenting a "blasphemer's" death was not normally allowed.

They scattered, not to flee for safety, but to preach.

Stephen's vision differs from many in the Old Testament. Compared with Isaiah's vision in the Temple, Stephen sees a comforting, inviting God with Jesus. This vision might give us sound ideas for how to pray for Christians facing persecution and martyrdom.

The stoning of Stephen must have been a "penultimate" event moving towards Paul's conversion. While this event did not immediately bring about Paul's acceptance of Christ, it may have put some haunting questions in his mind and heart. Many of our actions and interactions with people might have potential for functioning in a similar way.

Jesus Family Tomb

The book that became available this week and the documentary that will be on Discovery Channel tonight are problematic in that they may undermine faith or discourage seekers. It appears that these items suggest that Jesus' resurrection and ascension did not take place and that he and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child. If these things are true, it seems that the early church and the writers of the New Testament are not to be trusted.



In I Corinthians 15:12-28, Paul addressed the importance of the resurrection. Without it, our faith is vain and we are still under the penalty of sin.



None of us has firsthand knowledge of first century life in Jerusalem. We trust authorities who have devoted their lives to studying the era. One authority who is a respected scholar who seems to treat the issues involved in this case with more balance and breadth is Ben Witherington. The following information regarding the evidence discussed in the documentary was gleaned from his blog.


Evidence presented regarding all of the following is heavily debated by authorities:

names on the ossuaries

relevance and application of dna tests

use of statistics

use of Acts of Philip as an historic source

legitimacy of the James ossuary



As much of Christian faith is based on the Bible, we reflect that the authority of the Bible is sensed in the following ways:

A beautiful and cohesive theological message can be discerned in its pages written over the course of hundreds of years.

Most of its writers were passionate about ethics.

Its detail and genius in responding to other philosophies is profound.
Example - the first chapter of John understood in its original context


These and other factors that affirm the Bible's credibility seem to sink in the most through repeated exposure to scripture, Bible study, and commitment to the Bible's teachings. A parallel in sports would be if you attend lots of games you have a better chance of seeing some great plays. If you spend much time with the Bible, you'll have more chances to find its messgae affirmed in your experience.