Many notable Christian figures tend to possess certain natural gifts that commend them to positions of leadership. Regrettably, polished speech, infectious charisma, and a pleasant appearance can often conceal a significant amount of theological and ethical deficit for the less-than-faithful ones. Given the prominence of Paul’s letters in the New Testament, we might assume that this greatness corresponded with Paul’s persona and raw abilities.

The Apostle Paul was the most prolific writer of the New Testament, and his travels took him all over the Mediterranean. His background was of Jewish descent, and yet he was a Roman citizen. As one of the more fascinating characters of the Bible, here are five things you may not know about his life and writings:

1. Paul May Have Been the First to Write Among New Testament Authors.

Those critical of historic orthodox Christianity have long asserted significant discontinuity between the teachings of Jesus and the Apostle Paul. This criticism, in large part, arises from the fact that Paul only became part of the Christian movement after Jesus’ resurrection and the initial period of the church’s evangelical ministry after Pentecost. However, a good portion of Paul’s letters predate the earliest proposed dates for the Gospels, and some of Paul’s earliest letters may even predate James’ letter according to some proposals. Paul was not only influential in shaping the faith of the early church due to the amount he wrote, but also because his writings are possibly the earliest historical witness we have to Jesus Christ and His gospel.

2. Paul Often Wrote with a Degree of Collaboration with Others.

Many books have been written about Pauline theology. This is not surprising, given the incredible literary legacy he produced under the inspiration of the Spirit as the New Testament canon took shape. Masterpieces like Romans clearly demonstrate the genius of Paul’s theological mind. Even so, though Paul was undoubtedly the principal author of all his letters, his salutations clearly indicate that roughly half of his letters involved collaboration with fellow missionaries and ministers of the gospel. Paul was not a maverick or an ivory tower theologian; he often worked out his teaching and instruction to the churches in partnership with fellow believers.

Read More