Pauline
Christology
The Shape of Pauline
Christology
The
Synoptic Gospels are not the earliest writing though the first three writings
in the order of the canon. Paul is the premiere theologian of the New
Testament. To do justice to Paul’s Christology, one has to take into
consideration the special nature of his writings. Paul’s writings are letters,
epistles, not theological treatise focusing pastoral, missionary and
theological response to existing needs and problems in the youth. Paul was a
Jew, even a Jewish Pharisees, a religious teacher; it would be most natural to
locate the origin of his Christology in Judaism. History of Religious School
maintained that Paul’s Christology stems from ideas in the Greco-Roman world,
particularly those found in its various forms of pagan religions. But this
proposal has not yet met with much acceptance either.
No
doubt Paul’s Christology stems from his Judaic background and borrowed from the
secular or religious environment of the Greco-Roman world. The most viable
origin of Paul’s Christology is his conversion, his subsequent call and the
early Christian traditions.
Paul
testifies that Jesus was vindicated to be the Son of God in power by his
resurrection from the dead (Rom.1:4). The titles of Jesus in Paul’s letter
highlight many important aspects of Paul’s Christology, but two points have to
be taken into consideration. First, individual titles do not offer a complete
pictures unless a person relates them to one another and to the whole. Second,
Paul is more interested in soteriology,
than in titles. By examining soteriology concepts such as sanctification,
liberation and forgiveness and working backward to the person of Christ.
How Paul names Christ
Christ/Messiah
Paul’s
extraordinarily used the term as a second name for Jesus, because he had
received a tradition that associated the term Christ with the core of the early
Christian message: the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul continues and
deepens this traditions and he tends to mention messianic titles in contexts
that speaks of death, the cross and resurrection. Christ is highly theological
term for Paul and he uses it mainly in connection with Jesus death,
resurrection and parousia.
It
also points to the fact that this tile had already become virtual name for
Jesus and would recognize as such by the first Christian. For Paul’s theology
of Christ (2 Cor.5:14-21), he presents the divine plan for reconciliation of
the world in Christ. Christ is the one who died and was raised so that whose
whom he redeemed might live for him. Christ is the reconciler of humans and the
world to God and of humans to one another. Paul’s interest in the death of
Jesus as Christ makes him use of daring expression “Christ Crucified”
(1Cor.1:23). This shocked the Jewish listener for whom the idea of a dead
Messiah was virtually inconceivable. Morover, crucifixion was a punishment
reserved for the worst criminals. For Jews, crucifixion also denoted God’s
curse (Deut.21:23).
Paul
uses the term Christ reveals that he is thinking less in Old Testament
categories of the Messiah as an anointed Davidic King and more in terms of
Jesus as a crucified and risen Christ who was exalted at the right hand of God
and was given authority over the powers and principalities. Yet, Paul is aware
of the Old Testament background of the term Messiah and gladly affirms Jesus’
Davidic ancestry (Rom.1:3). Paul use the title Christ usually refers to Jesus
exalted state as a Jewish hopes and opened for Gentiles.
The
phrase ‘in Christ’ appears over 160 times in Paul’s chief letters. Paul never
uses the term Christian; his preferred substitute is ‘in Christ’ (1 Cor.5:17;
Phil.1:1; 1 Thess.1:1; Gal.2:20). Ephesians and Colossians contains the idea of
‘mystery Christ’ which portrayed that God in Christ has provided salvation and
reconciliation for all people-Jews and Gentiles alike and even for entire
cosmos. Christ is not the only the Saviors of individual but also a cosmic
ruler. (Ephe.1:22; 5:23)
Lord
In
the New Testament, the Greek term kyrios
is usually translated “Lord” which is the standard name for God in Septuagint.
“The Lord” is a major Christological title used by Paul. The early Christian
tradition used the term Lord in reference to Jesus. Paul applies to Christ Old
Testament passage that originally quite clearly referred to Yahweh where Paul
equates the Old Testament God and Jesus. Quite often Paul uses the title Lord
in fixed formulas referring to Christ such as, “Jesus Christ our Lord”
(Rom.1:4), “Our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1), “The Lord Jesus” (Rom. 14:14),
also kyrios alone for Jesus himself
as “The Lord” (Rom.14:6).
Three
most important context Paul uses the title “Lord”- (i) in parenetic passages in
which Paul admonishes and encourages the believers (Rom.14:1-12), (ii) in
eschatological passages that are link to the hope of the return of Christ (1
Thess.4:15-17), (iii) in Liturgical contexts that highlight the worship life of
the church (the Lord Supper in 1 Cor.11:20).
Son of God
The
divine sonship of Jesus is a major component of Paul’s Christology though it is
overshadow by the terms Lord and Christ. Son of God appears less than twenty
times in the Pauline corpus, most occurrences as “his Son” (Rom.1:3). Most of
the reference are in Romans and Galatians.
The
Son of God conveys the idea of divine sonship, especially it communicates
Jesus’ unique status and intimate relationship with God. Son primarily means a
special standing, status and favor with God. For Paul, Jesus as God’s Son
participates in God’s attributes and roles. He shares in the divine glory and
most importantly, is worthy to receive veneration with God in the Churches.
In
several passages Paul portrays Jesus as having a royal role and status by
drawing an Old Testament traditions and applying them to Jesus as the royal
messianic Son. Rom.1:3-4 is based on the
promises made to King David in 2 Samuel 7:12-14. In additional to its royal
connotation, the title Son also refers to the cross. The sacrificial Son is
destined to die for others (Rom.8:32).Typology of Isaac in Gen.22. as a
sacrifice to the Lord.
Last Adam
In
two passages, Romans 5 and 1Cor.15, Paul draws an anlogy between Adam and
Christ. Here Adam, rather than being an individual, is a typological or
figurative character set over against Jesus Christ. 1 Cor.15 is a discussion of
the resurrection of the dead in which Paul explains the meaning of Christ’
resurrection for the hope of the resurrection of the believer. For in Adam all
die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Cor.15:21-22). Romans 5 relates to
Paul exposition of the origin of sin on the basis of genesis 3. Adam’s
disobedience is set in antithesis with the obedience of Jesus as the last Adam,
who reversed the fate of sin and death.
Savior
Of
the twenty-four New Testament occurrences of the term savior, one half can be
found in the Pauline tradition almost all in the Pastorals. There are two
occurrences in other Pauline letters (Eph.5:23; Phil.3:20). The term savior
implies that Paul shifted focus from Jesus earthly ministry to his death,
resurrection and current rule at the right hand of the Father. While for Paul,
Jesus’ teaching and ministry are not significant with the rest of the New
Testament writers, he comes to major in sotoriological significance of Jesus
Christ.
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