PAUL’S AUTHORITY AS A WRITING APOSTLE OF JESUS

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PAUL’S AUTHORITY AS A WRITING APOSTLE

By OLIVER CAFE

Six years ago I happened to sit in a class held by an Anglican professor in a Pauline Literature class. He mentions issues regarding Paul: 1) Should Paul really be the 12th apostle? 2) Do his writings have authority or credibility? 3) Do his teachings have authority? 4) Are Paul’s teachings parallel or against to that of Jesus? 5) Should we include Paul’s writings in our daily church readings for the Holy Mass or service? These are just some of the issues he raised and answered a few of them for that particular session. It was my very first time to encounter such an intriguing attitude towards Paul. Unfortunately, I never bothered to make a research about it. Rather, I simply regarded him as someone like any other liberal theologian that I should listen to but not to be taken seriously. The task of defending Paul’s authority to be a writing apostle has made me recall that particular incident. I thank God for this task because it gives me a personal hand to see for myself the rational validity of what I believe in.
It is best to first illustrate the biblical references and then see his authority to be a writing apostle and then see the arguments that validate such claims.
First, let us establish Paul’s apostleship. It’s not easy to defend his apostleship; even Paul during his time made it a point that people consider him as an apostle. Meaning, there was an effort on his part to claim and prove to the people that he too is an apostle. The issue of apostleship was like a little burden that he needed to unload even during this time.
1 As for me, am I not free? I am an apostle and I have seen Jesus, the Lord, and you are my work in the Lord.
2 Although I may not be an apostle for others, at least I am one for you. You are, in the Lord, evidence of my apostleship.
Is Paul an apostle? Yes, this question has long been answered by Paul himself.  He is not a mere apostle but a writing apostle. What is his authority? Paul has claims of his conversion when Jesus personally talked to him and gave him a special task. It is worth believing because Paul was not alone and others heard him and Jesus talking in that extraordinary encounter on their way to Damascus. Besides, other apostles and disciples also believed in Paul’s authority from the same Jesus who they also preach. Peter regarded Paul as a beloved brother whose writings (are from the wisdom given him) he called Scriptures should be

15 …, as our beloved brother Paul wrote to you, with the wisdom given him.
16 He speaks of these things in all his letters. There are, however, some points in them that are difficult to understand, which people who are ignorant and immature in their faith twist, as they do with the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
-    2 Peter 3:15-16

The apostle Peter uses the same Greek word for "Scripture" to describe the writings of the apostle Paul. This affirms the authority of Paul as a writing apostle because Peter’s recognition is authoritative considering that he is the rock upon which the church will be established.
Paul being an educated Jew makes him qualified to write because his academic, historical, spiritual and social background would certain enable him to write in a scholarly manner.  Paul is no different than the other writers of the Gospel like Mark and Matthew because both writers did write after Jesus’ time just like Paul. Therefore his writings are not necessarily inferior than the gospels. It’s pointless to say that the Gospels are the words of Jesus and that Paul’s are his words alone and are contrary to the teachings of Jesus. Paul as a matter of fact elaborated further the teachings of Jesus. Paul’s writings simply affirm and confirm Jesus’ teachings on salvation and eternal life.