Introduction
The basis of Paul’s thirteen letters is the theme of truthfulness and the appearance of Christ for the salvation of people. In addition, another topic is the redemption of the human soul and God’s grace. The famous missionary Paul of Tarsus is credited with writing fourteen of the twenty-seven New Testament writings. All fourteen of these books are written in the style of letters that are addressed to specific people or groups. These fourteen books are put in a block after Acts in the New Testament’s conventional canonical sequence.
Acts 13:1-19:41, 20:1-28:31
The missionary trip of the apostle Paul to many Roman cities is chronicled in the book of Acts. The book’s central theme is spreading the good news that Jesus is the King. Paul was a devoted follower of Jesus and felt obliged to share his teachings. He visited many cities, taught a large number of people about Christianity, and gained many enemies. Paul faced numerous obstacles along the way, but he persisted because he was confident that his path was right (King James Bible, 2018, Acts 13–28). The book of Acts is about the honorable work done by missioners in sharing the good news about Jesus and his teachings.
The book of Acts also focuses on the idea of cultural diversity and its impact on religion. Paul claimed that anybody might embrace Christianity, regardless of race, nation, or culture. For instance, Paul and Barnabas preached in synagogues and evangelized the Jews (King James Bible, 2018, Acts 14:1; 17:1-4). However, mainly because of the cultural distinctions, many people opposed Paul. For instance, Paul traveled to Athens, where people worshipped the Greek gods (King James Bible, 2018, Acts 17:15). Greek mythology had a variety of deities, but Paul attempted to persuade everyone that there was just one God, which went against the Greeks’ entire faith and culture. Thus, Paul had to contend with the strong opposition of the Greeks.
Romans 1, 2
The major themes of Romans 1 and 2 are the broad theological questions and the selection of people who are true Christians. For the most part, Paul’s emphasis was on God’s selection of the people to be the covenant people. For Paul, the Jewish people were not enemies; he wished to befriend them. However, he held that people had to confess to Jesus to be included in the chosen group. Paul used at least 28 Old Testament verses, mostly from the letter to the Romans, to illustrate how God chose Christians to be His people.
The book of Romans is the closest thing to Paul’s exposition of theology, in contrast to his other epistles, which deal with random events (King James Bible, 2018). Paul frequently drew on the Old Testament to bolster his arguments, perhaps partly because it served as a meticulously organized justification of his doctrines. Old Testament people and events are used as examples, and the prophetic teachings of Moses, Hosea, and Isaiah are explicitly stated in Romans 9. For instance, he used Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, to demonstrate that, despite Ishmael being the firstborn, the blessings of the promise made to Sarah fell on Isaac’s shoulders (Romans 9: 7, 9; Genesis 21: 9) (King James Bible, 2018). It was in Galatians that Paul elaborated on this story by referring to the two boys born to two distinct mothers: Hagar, who represented Mount Sinai and the law delivered there, and Sarah, the mother of us all, who represented Jerusalem and freedom Galatians 4:27.
Corinthians
In the Corinthians, Paul uncovers a theme of separation from evil and the encouragement of his counsel to his followers. Paul urged believers to keep themselves apart from unbelievers, particularly in immorality and idolatry. Because they were God’s temples and would be adopted as His offspring (King James Bible, 2018, 1 Corinthians 5:13; 2 Corinthians 6:16–17), he gave them the general instruction to expel the wicked from their midst. Sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:16; Genesis 2:24) and worship of false gods were two things he specifically forbade (1 Corinthians 10: 7; Exodus 32: 6) (King James Bible, 2018). Therefore, this part emphasizes that it is good to eat or sell meat offered to idols.
Another theme in Corinthians is resurrection since Paul cited five Old Testament passages in support of his belief in the resurrection in his letter to the Corinthians in chapter 15, where he discussed the resurrection. No references to the resurrection appear in the Old Testament; nevertheless, there are references to the victory over death and the resurrection of Adam’s original soul. In the first place, Paul stated that Christ was destined to overcome all of His enemies and rule over all of humanity (1 Corinthians 15:27; Psalm 8: 6). It was not until then that Jesus continued to explain that law and good life would be unnecessary without the resurrection as depicted in 1 Corinthians 15:32; Isaiah 22:13 (King James Bible, 2018). When Adam became a live soul, he likened the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the resurrection of Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45; Genesis 2: 7). The resurrection, according to Paul’s readings, will eventually overcome death.
The Kingdom of the Son
The resurrection is a central theme in 1 Corinthians 15. However, the kingdom is also discussed in this chapter. This chapter, therefore, proves that Jesus’ reign is currently from heaven, while others see it as proof of Jesus’ dominion over the earth in the future. In Genesis 1:26–28, God tells Christians that the Son will hand over His dominion to the Father when He has finished the job given to Adam. This alludes to the central kingdom following Jesus’ return, but before the “end,” when he presented the kingdom to God and the eternal kingdom’s subjects. In addition, Son’s function in the Kingdom arrangement is revealed in this text (King James Bible, 2018). As the Father instructs, the Son’s mission is to bring the world back into line with God’s original design.
After Jesus’ Resurrection
Adequately conveyed to comprehend 1Cor 15: 20–28, one must know the crucial terms and passages from the OT roles. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep,” says Paul (15:20). Those who put their faith in Jesus will also be raised from the dead. Just as Adam died, so will everyone be resurrected in Christ.” This is stated in 1 Corinthians 15:22-24 (King James Bible, 2018, Corinthians 15:22-24). It is all about timing: Christ first, followed by those who will be Christ’s when he returns, and finally when all rule, authority, and power are set down when the kingdom is given to God the Father.
Galatians 1, 2
Galatians is mainly centered on the issue of faith and the practice of the law of Moses, which should be followed by all Christians. Romans and Galatians are used in the argument and the surrounding quotations. Paul seems to be addressing the early Jewish Christians who believed that the law of Moses should be practiced by all Christians. The paradox of Christ becoming a curse to redeem “the curse of the law” was introduced by Paul as depicted in Galatians 3:13 and Deuteronomy 21:23. When it comes to obtaining God’s promises and rewards, no one has a better example than Abraham. He and his descendants could do so because of their faith in God, not because of their works of the law (King James Bible, 2018, Galatians 3:16, 8, 16, and Genesis 15:6, as well as Genesis 12:3, 7). According to Galatians 3:10 and Deuteronomy 27:26, individuals who practice the works of the law are under a curse and are only justified by faith (Romans 1: 1-12; 1:17; 10: 5, Habakkuk 2: 4, and Leviticus 18: 5). In this case, faith is directly correlated to work in that faith without work is considered dead.
Another emerging theme is the ethical teachings that Paul promoted and the issue of Christian ethics. Paul quoted from the Old Testament eight times in Romans 12-14, most notably in the section on Christian ethics, to demonstrate that the Mosaic Law had been fulfilled in Christ. As he discussed whether or not the law was valid, he emphasized the importance of loving one another as you love yourself and putting the needs of others ahead of your desires (Galatians 5:14; Romans 13: 9; 15: 3; Leviticus 19:18) (King James Bible, 2018). As a result, the essential moral concepts and norms found in the Old Testament literature were no longer necessary.
Ephesians
In the message Ephesians, it is stated that salvation can only be found in the gospel, which is the first theme. Secondly, the gospel is portrayed as the main source of wisdom, and salvation can be available to both Jews and Gentiles. The Bible declares that God will create new heavens and earth out of this one. He will completely alter His people. In the Book of Ephesians, God has already begun to manifest His majesty on earth. This thought is so far-reaching that we must take care to avoid extrapolating the truths from Ephesians to a different time or group of people because everything that is said here is specifically relevant to the modern moment.
Philippians
In a letter to the Philippians, Paul becomes a defender of the faith and emphasizes the power of humility before God (King James Version, 2018, Philippians 2:7-8). Paul advises the Philippians that while facing danger and persecution, they should live their lives as Christians in accordance with the truth of God revealed in Jesus, who gave his life to others. Thus, these letters uncover the themes of love, humility, service, and hardship, among others.
Colossians, 1 and 2
Colossians demonstrate the divine attributes of Jesus Christ. The church’s leader is the creator, the source of all things, the supreme being who controls space and time. This epistle reveals the personhood of this infinite, powerful, immortal creature. Since Christ is the only source of true life and is also its end, this life can only be found in Him. Because death is the alternative to following Christ, Christ must take on the role of our life. Therefore, Colossians uncovers the themes of Jesus as the creator and source of all things. Moreover, it shows the attributes of a divine creation and its role in people’s lives.
Thessalonians
The first theme in Thessalonians is the portrayal of the kingdom of God. To cite an example, Paul says in Thessalonians 1:2: “We comforted you, we encouraged you, and urged every one of you to walk following the calling God has placed on your lives” (King James Bible, 2018). It is a sign of God’s reasonable judgment that the believers are suffering for the sake of the Kingdom of God, as Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 1: 5. Another theme is the suffering made people eligible for the “kingdom” into which they were to be admitted (King James Bible, 2018). To enter the kingdom, one must suffer; Therefore, Paul oriented toward the future, assuring Christians that God is preparing them for the coming kingdom through their trials.
Timothy, 1, 2
The kingdom was first mentioned in the New Testament in Second Timothy 2:12. Tough times may be upon us, but those who survive will be rewarded with the kingdom. Therefore, the promise of the kingdom of God is made based on Christian’s righteousness on earth. Paul promised Christians that there would be a kingdom of Jesus because of his appearance in the future. According to Timothy 4: 1, Paul states, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His coming and his reign” (King James Bible, 2018, Timothy 4: 1). Paul is tying Jesus’ ‘appearance’ to “the kingdom” in this passage. “The Lord will deliver me from every wicked work and bring me into his heavenly kingdom” is the verse that follows immediately after Paul’s promise (King James Bible, 2018, Timothy 4: 1). Self-justification and self-pity were not Paul’s mode of operation, and he did not acknowledge in them. Despite everything, he admired the day when the Lord would take him away from earth.
Titus
The message to Titus reflects a call to identify the most responsible individuals for important posts. These worthy ones should preach the doctrine and demonstrate Christian virtues. Another message from Titus is that godliness is a result of good instruction. All kinds of individuals, from those who are currently mired in false teaching to those who are elders and overseers of the church, will learn to live in ways that are pleasing to God when real apostolic truth is received and loved.
Philemon
In a letter to Philemon, Paul tried to convince him of Onesimus as a brother in the gospel. At the same time, he emphasized the uselessness of the punishments that were applied to runaway slaves at that time (Philemon 1:17). The main themes in these letters are forgiveness and equality. The small book of Philemon is one of the Bible’s most prominent examples of how forgiveness glows like a blazing light across the whole text. The Apostle Paul begs his friend Philemon in this brief private letter to grant Onesimus, a runaway slave, forgiveness. Due to how deeply ingrained slavery was in the Roman Empire, neither Paul nor Jesus Christ attempted to eradicate it. Instead, their goal was to spread the good news of Jesus.
Conclusion
In summary, fourteen of the twenty-seven books that make up the New Testament are attributed to Paul of Tarsus. The letters are written in a manner consistent with letters that are sent to certain individuals or groups. Paul regularly referred to the Old Testament to support his claims, maybe in part because it provided a methodically planned defense of his teachings. Each letter from Paul uncovers a unique theme that teaches about Christianity and faith.
Reference
The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2019). BookRix. (Original work published 1769)