• Complain

J. Gresham Machen - THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity

Here you can read online J. Gresham Machen - THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity full text of the book (entire story) in english for free. Download pdf and epub, get meaning, cover and reviews about this ebook. year: 2006, publisher: Solid Ground Christian Books, genre: Religion. Description of the work, (preface) as well as reviews are available. Best literature library LitArk.com created for fans of good reading and offers a wide selection of genres:

Romance novel Science fiction Adventure Detective Science History Home and family Prose Art Politics Computer Non-fiction Religion Business Children Humor

Choose a favorite category and find really read worthwhile books. Enjoy immersion in the world of imagination, feel the emotions of the characters or learn something new for yourself, make an fascinating discovery.

J. Gresham Machen THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity
  • Book:
    THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity
  • Author:
  • Publisher:
    Solid Ground Christian Books
  • Genre:
  • Year:
    2006
  • Rating:
    5 / 5
  • Favourites:
    Add to favourites
  • Your mark:
    • 100
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity: summary, description and annotation

We offer to read an annotation, description, summary or preface (depends on what the author of the book "THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity" wrote himself). If you haven't found the necessary information about the book — write in the comments, we will try to find it.

His first book, The Origin of Pauls Religion (1921) was a masterful and forthright defense of the historical truthfulness and supernaturalism of the New Testament. This volume is taken from the James Sprunt Lectures delivered at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. Machen is absolutely masterful in dealing with the anti-supernaturalism that was beginning to dominate the church in the early decades of the twentieth century. Although written 85 years ago it remains a model of biblical scholarship and warm piety. In an age when the nature and content of Pauls message are once again under scrutiny, evangelical and Reformed readers will benefit immensely from a close reading of Machens masterwork. This book is an outstanding example of careful, patient scholarship that received high praise when it was first published and continues today to demand attention. - R. Scott Clark J. Gresham Machen not only believed, practised, and proclaimed Pauls gospel, he was also able to defend its authenticity at the highest scholarly level. Because The Origin of Pauls Religion penetrates to the heart of the matter it continues to speak to contemporary controversies over the nature of the gospel and the Christian faith. - Sinclair Ferguson

J. Gresham Machen: author's other books


Who wrote THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity? Find out the surname, the name of the author of the book and a list of all author's works by series.

THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work

Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.

Light

Font size:

Reset

Interval:

Bookmark:

Make

Project Gutenberg's The Origin of Paul's Religion, by J. Gresham Machen
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Origin of Paul's Religion
Author: J. Gresham Machen
Release Date: August 18, 2013 [EBook #43503]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ORIGIN OF PAUL'S RELIGION ***
Produced by Heather Clark, Julia Neufeld and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)
THE ORIGIN OF
PAUL'S RELIGION

THE JAMES SPRUNT LECTURES
DELIVERED AT UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
IN VIRGINIA

BY

J. GRESHAM MACHEN, D.D.

Assistant Professor of New Testament Literature and Exegesis in Princeton Theological Seminary

New York

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1921
All rights reserved


PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Copyright, 1921,
By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY .
Set up and printed. Published October, 1921.

Press of
J. J. Little & Ives Company
New York, U. S. A.


TO
WILLIAM PARK ARMSTRONG
MY GUIDE
IN THE STUDY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
AND IN ALL GOOD THINGS


THE JAMES SPRUNT LECTURES

In 1911 Mr. James Sprunt of Wilmington, North Carolina, gave to The Trustees of Union Theological Seminary in Virginia the sum of thirty thousand dollars, since increased by his generosity to fifty thousand dollars, for the purpose of establishing a perpetual lectureship, which would enable the institution to secure from time to time the services of distinguished ministers and authoritative scholars, outside the regular Faculty, as special lecturers on subjects connected with various departments of Christian thought and Christian work. The lecturers are chosen by the Faculty of the Seminary and a committee of the Board of Trustees, and the lectures are published after their delivery in accordance with a contract between the lecturer and these representatives of the institution. The ninth series of lectures on this foundation is presented in this volume.

W. W. Moore , President.


TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTERPAGE
I.Introduction
II.The Early Years
III.The Triumph of Gentile Freedom
IV.Paul and Jesus
V.The Jewish Environment
VI.The Religion of the Hellenistic Age
VII.Redemption in Pagan Religion and in Paul
VIII.The Lordship of Jesus
Index

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION


THE ORIGIN OF PAUL'S RELIGION


CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

The following discussion is intended to deal, from one particular point of view, with the problem of the origin of Christianity. That problem is an important historical problem, and also an important practical problem. It is an important historical problem not only because of the large place which Christianity has occupied in the medieval and modern world, but also because of certain unique features which even the most unsympathetic and superficial examination must detect in the beginnings of the Christian movement. The problem of the origin of Christianity is also an important practical problem. Rightly or wrongly, Christian experience has ordinarily been connected with one particular view of the origin of the Christian movement; where that view has been abandoned, the experience has ceased.

This dependence of Christianity upon a particular conception of its origin and of its Founder is now indeed being made the object of vigorous attack. There are many who maintain that Christianity is the same no matter what its origin was, and that therefore the problem of origin should be kept entirely separate from the present religious interests of the Church. Obviously, however, this indifference to the question as to what the origin of Christianity was depends upon a particular conception of what Christianity now is; it depends upon the conception which makes of Christianity simply a manner of life. That conception is indeed widespread, but it is by no means universal; there are still hosts of earnest Christians who regard Christianity, not simply as a manner of life, but as a manner of life founded upon a messageupon a message with regard to the Founder of the Christian movement. For such persons the question of the origin of Christianity is rather to be called the question of the truth of Christianity, and that question is to them the most important practical question of their lives. Even if these persons are wrong, the refutation of their supposed error naturally proceeds, and has in recent years almost always proceeded, primarily by means of that very discussion of the origin of the Christian movement which is finally to be shorn of its practical interest. The most important practical question for the modern Church is still the question how Christianity came into being.

In recent years it has become customary to base discussions of the origin of Christianity upon the apostle Paul. Jesus Himself, the author of the Christian movement, wrote nothingat least no writings of His have been preserved. The record of His words and deeds is the work of others, and the date and authorship and historical value of the documents in which that record is contained are the subject of persistent debate. With regard to the genuineness of the principal epistles of Paul, on the other hand, and with regard to the value of at least part of the outline of his life which is contained in the Book of Acts, all serious historians are agreed. The testimony of Paul, therefore, forms a fixed starting-point in all controversy.

Obviously that testimony has an important bearing upon the question of the origin of Christianity. Paul was a contemporary of Jesus. He attached himself to Jesus' disciples only a very few years after Jesus' death; according to his own words, in one of the universally accepted epistles, he came into early contact with the leader among Jesus' associates; throughout his life he was deeply interested (for one reason or another) in the affairs of the primitive Jerusalem Church; both before his conversion and after it he must have had abundant opportunity for acquainting himself with the facts about Jesus' life and death. His testimony is not, however, limited to what he says in detail about the words and deeds of the Founder of the Christian movement. More important still is the testimony of his experience as a whole. The religion of Paul is a fact which stands in the full light of history. How is it to be explained? What were its presuppositions? Upon what sort of Jesus was it founded? These questions lead into the very heart of the historical problem. Explain the origin of the religion of Paul, and you have solved the problem of the origin of Christianity.

That problem may thus be approached through the gateway of the testimony of Paul. But that is not the only way to approach it. Another way is offered by the Gospel picture of the person of Jesus. Quite independent of questions of date and authorship and literary relationships of the documents, the total picture which the Gospels present bears unmistakable marks of being the picture of a real historical person. Internal evidence here reaches the point of certainty. If the Jesus who in the Gospels is represented as rebuking the Pharisees and as speaking the parables is not a real historical person living at a definite point in the world's history, then there is no way of distinguishing history from fiction. Even the evidence for the genuineness of the Pauline Epistles is no stronger than this. But if the Jesus of the Gospels is a real person, certain puzzling questions arise. The Jesus of the Gospels is a supernatural person; He is represented as possessing sovereign power over the forces of nature. What shall be done with this supernatural element in the picture? It is certainly very difficult to separate it from the rest. Moreover the Jesus of the Gospels is represented as advancing some lofty claims. He regarded Himself as being destined to come with the clouds of heaven and be the instrument in judging the world. What shall be done with this element in His consciousness? How does it agree with the indelible impression of calmness and sanity which has always been made by His character? These questions again lead into the heart of the problem. Yet they cannot be ignored. They are presented inevitably by what every serious historian admits.

Next page
Light

Font size:

Reset

Interval:

Bookmark:

Make

Similar books «THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity»

Look at similar books to THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity. We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.


Reviews about «THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity»

Discussion, reviews of the book THE ORIGIN OF PAULS RELIGION: The Classic Defense of Supernatural Christianity and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.