Getting Biblical in Daily Life
Whole libraries could be filled up just with the books that have been written on Paul's theology in Galatians, Philippians, and Philemon. We're going to try to condense this all down into just a few super short and understandable paragraphs. Don't say Shmoop never did anything for you, okay?
Well, Hello There
Unlike other books in the Bible, scholars are pretty darn sure that all three of these letters were written by one Paul of Tarsus. Apostle. World traveler. All around nice-guy (once you get to know him).
The bigger question is why did Paul write these letters? Though each letter was written under different circumstances, they all have the same basic purpose: Paul wants to use these letters to touch base with his friends in other cities. He's gonna correct them if they're doing it wrong and praise them when they're getting it right.
Christian Life
In these letters, Paul is mainly concerned about what it means to be a Christian. Yeah, Paul isn't a fan of questions with easy answers.
A Christian is a person who follows Jesus. For Paul, that means that you accept Jesus as the Jewish messiah whose death and resurrection changed the entire world. No biggie, right?
But following Jesus involves more than checking belief boxes. It's a radical transformation. Christians should be changed people because of their faith in Jesus. They're no longer worried about what the world wants them to do; instead, they're totally focused on what God wants them to do. Hey, Paul liked to set his sights high.
Justify His Faith
What are these changes Paul speaks of? Well, in these letters he specifically warns Christians not to worry about following Jewish law. This leads us into one of the most influential ideas in all of Paul's letters: justification by faith. Which is more important? Following Jesus or following the law? Faith vs. law. It's the ultimate smackdown.
Paul believes that true faith—that radical orientation towards Christ—is the only thing that can change our lives. It's also the only thing that can really bring us into a relationship with God. Get some faith going and you and the Big Guy will be besties in no time.
But on the other hand, Paul is pretty hard on the law. He doesn't believe that following the laws of Moses can get people closer to God. Sure, the law stops us from being jerks and murdering each other left and right. But it doesn't help us cozy up to God. In other words, the law can stop bad things from happening, but it doesn't necessarily make good things happen either.
For example, let's say you always go to church on Sundays. After all, the third commandment says, "Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy," right? So you're there, first thing in the morning, sitting in your pew. Sure, you're not always paying attention or getting something out of the service, but you go because it's the right thing to do. It's what God wants, right?
Wrong, says Paul. That's a prime example of following a law without having true faith. In this case, you think that just simply going to a church every Sunday is a holy act. But is this act bringing you closer to God? Are you enhancing your life with him? If the answer is no, then Paul wonders why you are even bothering.
It's not that going to church every Sunday is a bad thing. Just like being circumcised or keeping kosher or observing the Sabbath on Saturday aren't bad things either, according to Paul. But if you're simply doing those things to a check off a box on some weird "List of Holy Things to Do," then Paul thinks you haven't quite gotten this whole faith thing down yet.
Get it? According to Paul, life in Christ is not a series of things you have to do in order to get in good with God. It's a complete orientation toward God and what he wills for your life. That doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. But it does mean our actions are getting us nowhere unless they have faith backing them up.
Respect His Authority
This all ties in with Paul's thoughts on authority. Who has the power to tell the world what God wants it to do? For Paul, human leadership doesn't mean a lot. Sure, there are guys who have been recognized by the people as leaders in the Christian community, but that can't compare to anyone who's sent directly from God. And by "anyone," Paul means him.
Paul sees his conversion experience—where he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus—as God tapping him for a super important role in spreading his message. Even the title he gives himself—an apostle—reinforces this. An apostle is "one who is sent." And Paul was sent by none other than Jesus himself.
Paul goes out of his way to let everyone know that the things he teaches aren't ideas he picked up from other people. They're revelations directly from God. That's how Paul judges what's real and authentic. Does it come from a divine source, or a human one? (Source, 1106)
Like his aversion to the law, Paul doesn't much trust the things we've got going on in the world. On one side, he sees human beings bumbling through life trying to follow a bunch of really old rules. On the other hand, he sees the Holy Spirit, which is trying to lay out a new path of freedom and dignity for the world.
All You Need Is Love
The law is so last year, right? So what are the things the Spirit wants for people? Paul sums this up pretty nicely actually, so we'll let him take the mic:
The whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14)
Condensing 613 laws down to one? Paul's pretty good. Of course, Paul wasn't the first guy to say this. The story goes that when Hillel, a rabbi born in the first century BCE, was asked to sum up the whole Torah, he said, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is simple explanation; go and learn it" (source). Later, it was also attributed to Jesus in three of the four gospels (though, remember, the letter to the Galatians predates Matthew, Mark, and Luke by about 20 years). Maybe that's why they call it the Golden Rule?
Most of Paul's advice is all about this. Christians should care for each other and try to get along whenever they can:
• "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
• "The only thing that counts is faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6)
• "Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another." (Galatians 5:13)
• "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23)
• "Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)
• "This is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight." (Philippians 1:9)
• "Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind." (Philippians 2:2)
According to Paul, love, caring, and sharing is what comes when people live their lives in Christ. Do good to others and you will grow closer to God. Or as two of our favorite philosophers put it—be excellent to each other.