by N T Wright. Published by SPCK London, 2018. Reviewed by Michael Hill

Tom Wright, retired Anglican bishop of Durham, England, is one of the world’s leading scholars on St Paul’s writings. This new biography is based on his personal reflections on the Book of Acts and the Letters.

In the New Testament (including Acts), there are about 70 pages dealing with Paul’s life and letters and those are our only sources. Therefore, in a 400-page biography, there must inevitably be a lot of conjecture — but it is conjecture based on well-researched historical study.

Wright describes the young Paul as a zealous, self-appointed enforcer of Jewish orthodoxy, a passionate follower of the Law of Moses, but firmly believing that the long-promised Messiah would soon come and restore the fortunes of Israel. Everyone knows that on the road to Damascus Paul was surrounded by light, fell to the ground and heard the voice of Jesus. So what happened? How did the young Saul of Tarsus become Paul the great Apostle?

What Paul saw on the Damascus road was indeed the Messiah – but not as an all-conquering new David. He saw instead the crucified Jesus of Nazareth, the one whose memory he was vowed to destroy. In an instant, Paul’s world is turned upside down. He remains a faithful Jew, but with a new faith, no longer exclusively Hebrew but now radically inclusive. “Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female: all one in Christ.”

Paul saw Jesus dying on the cross — but he saw so much more. He saw him risen to new life. It is this new life that Paul was to preach across the Mediterranean world. In the communities of Corinth, Thessalonika and Ephesus, he establishes a new way of living together based on love.

“A united and holy community rooted in Israel”, Wright calls it, “bent on doing good to all people, especially the poorest” (p 429). And bent first on loving and caring for one another. These communities were small, often of very poor, unlearned people, people of little account but bearers of a great message.

Paul’s new model of Church has survived down the centuries, even though we have often failed to live up to it. Tom Wright’s book challenges us today to honour Paul’s heritage.

This biography, carrying you along adventurously in Paul’s company across the Roman world, is both scholarly and highly readable. I recommended it fulsomely.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 231 October 2018: 28