The First Paul: Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church's Conservative Icon

Two of today’s top Christian scholars seek to restore the radical teachings of Paul, whose message has been domesticated by the church

The bestselling authors once again use the best of biblical and historical scholarship to present a new understanding of early Christianity-this time rescuing the apostle Paul from the church. Paul’s letters have been used to justify slavery, subordinate women, and to condemn homosexuality. But what if some of these passages were actually inserted by the early church to dilute Paul’s radical egalitarian message and transform him into something more “acceptable”?

The authors argue that there are three Pauls in the New Testament: “The Radical Paul” (of the seven genuine letters from Paul); “The Reactionary Paul” (of the three disputed epistles); and “The Conservative Paul” (of the three inauthentic letters). Through this progression of his letters-from the authentic to the inauthentic-Paul was de-radicalized to fit Roman social norms in regards to slavery, patriarchy ,and patronage. True to form, these brilliant scholars turn the common perception of Paul on its head, and reveal him as a radical follower of Jesus whose core message is still relevant today.