What Paul Meant

I find it tiresome to read books like this. Gary Wills contends that the reason people misunderstand Paul (the author of several letters in the Bible) is that Luke’s two books are fabricated. There were some interesting points in this book. I particularly enjoyed the explanations of the meanings of......more

Another fascinating book by the prolific Mr. Wills. Just in the introduction you learn that Paul's writings are closest documentation we have to the time of Jesus' life. Scholars believe that Jesus died approximately 30 CE and that Paul began following Jesus within 3-5 years of his death. The letter......more

I first encountered Gary Wills in his books on the founders he is a prolific scholar who is now emeritus at Northwestern. He has written a ton of books and articles. He is an accomplished scholar on religion and the founding. I am not a fan of his work on the founding - I think he is too supportive......more

First of all, Wills makes it clear which writings of Paul he’s going to discuss. There are thirteen letters attributed to Paul in the New Testament, but Wills points out that modern scholarship only recognizes seven as genuinely authentic. The others were either not written by Paul or have dubious a......more

I was expecting to learn more about the life of Paul and his influence on Christianity. Instead, the author seemed more intent on discrediting Luke...going so far as to say Luke's Gospel (written decades after Paul's letters) "replaced fact with fiction." ?? Have sought the opinion of my Pastor rega......more