Why should 21st-century readers bother with Paul? Some people find his letters abstract, complex, and unrelated to real life. Others cringe at passages that address relationships within the household. In a culture that values stories, Paul’s letters appear to be concerned mainly with doctrine.
Jacob W. Elias highlights the ways in which Paul draws on narratives as he ministers via letters to congregations throughout the first century Mediterranean world. Paul frequently alludes to his own personal story as a Jew who encountered the risen Christ. Repeatedly Paul reminds his readers about Jesus’s life and faithfulness, although he nowhere shares that story in any detail. Paul draws on Old Testament stories and the narratives and images of the Greco-Roman world. And Paul demonstrates his awareness of each congregation’s story.
