The Origins of the New Testament, Part XVI: The Elder Paul — Philemon and Philippians

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 25 2010

The process of aging works wonders on the human spirit. Battles once so emotional that they seemed to pit life against death lose their rancor in time, and the …

The Origins of the New Testament, Part XIV: What Does Salvation Mean to Paul?

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on February, 4 2010

Paul was a person who discovered in his Christ experience new dimension of life unknown to him before. In that sense he was a classic mystic. Every human experience, …

The Origins of the New Testament, Part XIII: The Theology of Paul as Revealed in Romans

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 28 2010

Paul of Tarsus was a first century man. He thought in categories consistent with the world view of his time. He believed that he lived in a three-tiered universe …

The Origins of the New Testament, Part XII: Romans — Paul’s Most Thorough Epistle

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on January, 14 2010

If there is one book in the New Testament that might be called “The Gospel of Paul,” it is the Epistle to the Romans. This letter is different from …

The Origins of the New Testament, Part XI: Resurrection as Paul Understood It

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December, 31 2009

It is quite easy to see how one could read Paul, especially those epistles known as I Thessalonians and Galatians, and come away believing that Paul saw the resurrection …

The Origins of the New Testament, Part X: Resurrection According to Paul — I Corinthians

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December, 24 2009

The first written account that we have of the Easter event in the Bible — Paul addressing the congregation in Corinth around the year 54-55 — gives us material …

The Origins of the New Testament, Part IX: Paul on the Final Events in Jesus’ Life

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December, 17 2009

“I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received.” With those words Paul set out in writing to the Corinthians the earliest account we have of …

The Origins of the New Testament, Part VIII: The Corinthian Letters

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December, 10 2009

Paul was a complicated mixture of many things. He was a missionary who traveled hundreds of miles by foot and by boat to tell his story. He was, as …

The Origins of the New Testament, Part VI: Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on November, 12 2009

Have you ever wondered what Paul’s deepest secret was? Surely he had one. If you listen to his words, an agony of spirit is easily recognized, perhaps even a deep strain of self-hatred.

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