Paul’s ministry was plagued with a lot of trouble, coming from men who behaved a lot like he used to act, prior to his meeting the Lord on the Damascus road. In fact, he once said in his letter to the Galatians: “I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers” (Galatians 1:14). Certainly, one could say Paul was very ambitious and may have spearheaded the persecution of Jesus’ disciples following Stephen’s death (Acts 8:1). Interestingly, both Saul (Paul) and Stephen belonged to the same synagogue (Acts 6:9; cp. 21:39). So, when the leaders of that synagogue plotted to induce men to lie about Stephen’s claims (Acts 6:11), was Paul in on the conspiracy? Was he jealous of Stephen, because he, Saul, the zealous young rabbi who was taught by Gamaliel, couldn’t resist Stephen’s argument that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 6:10)? It seems to me that, but for the change that Christ made in his life, Paul consistently met up with men who zealously behaved exactly as he had acted prior to his meeting Jesus!
Paul reminded his readers in Thessalonica that they knew that his coming to them wasn’t in vain (1Thessalonians 2:1), which seems to imply they had been told that Paul and company failed in their effort to turn the Macedonians to Christ. Nevertheless, the proof of Paul’s success was in the changed lives he left behind, for the Thessalonian believers had also begun to preach the Gospel in their neighborhoods (1Thessalonians 1:8), bringing folks to Christ. Not only did strangers who met Paul in Athens inform him of what he and his company had done in preaching the Gospel in Macedonia, but they also spread the news that the Thessalonians, themselves, had moved some of their friends and neighbors to cast away their idols, so that they could embrace the Jewish Messiah (1Thessalonians 1:8-9).
Paul recalled the persecution that comes with preaching the Gospel by referring to what was done to him and Silas, while they were in Philippi (1Thessalonians 2:2). Yet, the thought of incurring persecution didn’t keep them from preaching Christ when they arrived at Thessalonica, and, while they preached the Gospel there, they had to contend with much opposition (cp. Acts 17:2-3). Nevertheless, Paul defended himself to the Thessalonian believers, saying his doctrine was not in error. Thus, implying that some at Thessalonica had been accusing Paul of being delusional and passing on error, while still others claimed his intent was more purposeful and cunning (1Thessalonians 2:3). Nevertheless, the proof of the power of the Gospel lay in the opened hearts and minds of Thessalonians believers, themselves.
If the believers at Thessalonica were able to see the logical conclusion of such Scriptures as Isaiah 53, understanding that it pointed to a resurrection of the ‘suffering servant’ and understand its application to Jesus, then Paul’s doctrine couldn’t be delusional, because his argument stood up to the disputes against it (cp. Acts 17:2). His opponents didn’t seem able to use the Scriptures to oppose the Gospel Paul preached (cp. Acts 17:11). Instead, his adversaries seem to have used the Oral Law, i.e. the traditions of the fathers, to dispute Paul’s doctrine, and such a thing couldn’t show Paul was wrong in how he interpreted Scripture, as anyone with an open mind could tell.
Neither did Paul seek to excite his listeners’ emotions (“nor of uncleanness”), when he preached the Gospel. This accusation is similar to how zealots might want to excite their listeners patriotic passion for their country. Thus, implying he was accused by some in Thessalonica of preaching a Messianic overthrow of Rome. Paul didn’t do this kind of thing, and the proof of his argument is that the followers of Christ in Thessalonica didn’t rise up against the local authorities or Caesar! Instead, they patiently waited for the Son of God to come from heaven and deliver them from the wrath to come (1Thessalonians 1:10).
Finally, Paul didn’t use cunningly devised tales adapting his Gospel to take advantage of the social norms and prejudices of the local community, similar to how a politician might do, today. In other words, he didn’t preach out of “guile” trying to ‘trick’ his audience into accepting his doctrine. Rather, he preached, knowing nothing but Christ (cp. 1Corinthians 2:1-2), in an effort to show anyone who would listen that he sought to be clear (2Corinthians 3:12).
Nevertheless, the believers at Thessalonica already knew this, didn’t they? So, why did Paul believe it was necessary to repeat what was already common knowledge? I believe it is implied that others at Thessalonica were defaming and slandering him (cp. Acts 17:5-9; cp. 1Corinthians 4:10-13). In other words, just as the Jews at Jerusalem sent spies into the believing community in Judea and Galilee in order to bring them under the authority of the high priest (Acts 5:1, 5, 10, 11, 13), so it is implied the Jewish authorities in Thessalonica sent some of their number into the believing community, there, in order to slander Paul and the Gospel, seeking to bring the believers there back under their authority. Thus, Paul’s letter is an apologetic answering the accusations of his enemies.
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2 responses to “Paul’s Apology”
Serving the meat of the Gospel is not always easy, especially when the meat being served does not have the blessing of the Assembly (the Sanhedrin). It is important to remember that Saul was also called Paul… the wee little one or the wee humble one. Saul is called Paul for the first time in Acts 13:9… although Luke indicated that the names were interchangeable. In Acts 14 Paul and Barnabas go into Galatia, to the Roman towns of Derbe and Lystra where some Greeks adamantly believed Barnabas aka Joseph was the FATHER the Greek God Zeus… Beelzebub … the shoo fly God of the temple who kept the flies off the animals and the meat of temple sacrifices! Beelzebub was worshipped by the Canaanites as BAAL and is another name for Satan. These Greeks insisted their God also called Jupiter by the Romans had come down from heaven and taken human form … had incarnated as Barnabas who was travelling with Paul. And because Paul was the chief speaker, the Greeks saw Paul as the incarnation of the Greek God Hermes… the Roman God Mercury. Now here is the meat behind the charge of Trickery and Blasphemy! Hermes was the God of merchandise and trade and the god of interpretation and rhetoric. Hermes is the root of the English word Hermeneutics … the interpretation of Scripture! However legend says Hermes tricked Apollo and stole some cattle from Apollo. Hermes promised never to do it again and was forgiven. But Hermes was branded a thief who carried a purse and gained a reputation as a Trickster wearing a straw hat! Oh and often depicted on stone statues and HERMS as a slender lad with balls! However sometimes depicted as a mature fellow with a beard. Paul and Barnabas did not want to be worshipped as Gods and did not want people to kill animals or make any sacrifices to them. They insisted they were merely people with passions like them and that they should turn from worthless worship to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in it. Having said this the people sacrificed to them anyway. And then some Jews came over and won over the crowd and dragged Paul out and stoned this little wee fellow presumably to death … but the tricky, plucky wee little person tricked them you could say because Paul did not die by this stoning. Paul pushed on to Thessalonica preaching “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ (the everlasting Father) in Acts 17:3. As for Paul being jealous of Stephen… I’m not sure why you Eddy would think that? Yes Paul held the cloak of Stephen and approved of this stoning that led Paul to the Damascus eye opening experience.
Dr. Turner, just about everything you say here is off topic. You go on and on about Paul’s visit to Galatia, when my post is all about his visit to Thessalonica. What has occurred here in Thessalonica has absolutely nothing to do with the pagan myths and deities. I have spammed you on my other blog, and I will do so here as well, if you don’t stop this nonsense.
Concerning Paul’s possible jealousy of Stephen, they worshiped in the same synagogue in Jerusalem. Paul later claimed he was rising in Judaism above his peers, but Acts 6 claims no one in the synagogue could resist Stephen’s wisdom in the Scriptures. Saul spearheaded the persecution that developed out of Stephen’s death, so it isn’t difficult to see that he, who was taught at the feet of Gamaliel, may have been jealous of the fact that Stephen was able to out-wit him in handling the text. It’s no big deal, but the possibility is there and an interesting point to use in comparison to how Paul was treated later, when it was he who preached the Gospel.