CHAPTER XV THE APOLOGETIC VALUE OF PAUL’S EPISTLES BY REV. E. J . STOBO, JR ., B. A., S. T. D., SMITH’S FALLS, ONTARIO, CANADA “Paul is the greatest literary figure in the New Testa ment ; round him all its burning questions lie.” “There is nothing more certain in ancient literature than the author ship of the more important of the Pauline epistles.” These utterances of Dr. Fairbairn in his “Philosophy of the Chris tian Religion” bring us face to face with the apologetic value of the writings of the Apostle to the Gentiles. The oldest Pauline epistle is divided by little more than twenty years from the death of Christ, and by a still shorter interval from the Epistle to the Hebrews and Apocalypse; so that Paul’s interpretation of the Christ has a distinct bearing upon the Gospels and later Christian literature. In this paper we shall deal only with four epistles which are acknowledged by Biblical critics of all schools as undoubt edly genuine; viz., Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians and Romans. The four epistles in question have the advantage of being more or less controversial in their nature. Debate leads to clearness of statement, and we have the advantage of hearing the words of Paul as well as of understanding the views of those against whom he contends. The controversy in these epistles con cerns the nature and destination of Christianity, and conse quently we may expect to learn what Paul deemed central and essential in the Christian faith. There is enough Chris- tology in these epistles to show us what Paul thought concern ing the Great Founder of Christianity. Moreover there are, in these writings, references to the solemn crisis-experience in his spiritual history, and these of necessity have a bearing upon 212
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