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This thesis is an investigation of the place and function of repentance in the theology of Paul as determined by the critical application of the categories "getting-in" and staying-in" to the passages where the term is used and to passages where the concept may be implied. It contains an exegesis of those passages and an analysis of Paul's conversion experience. Consideration is also given to the implications this study has for other areas of New Testament study. / The main theses are that repentance was used by Paul in a variety of ways and played a more important role for him than has been thought and that Paul's place in early Christianity was in line with the teaching of Jesus and the early Christian church.

SHARED LEADERSHIP AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE APOSTLE PAUL Michael Kenneth Atherton, Ed.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2014 Chair: Dr. Michael S. Wilder This thesis studies the presence and role of shared leadership as displayed through the ministry of the apostle Paul. In chapter 1, the reader will come to understand that there are no comprehensive works dealing with the discipline of shared leadership by Paul. However, when one comes to accept the presence of shared leadership through the Scriptures, there is an expectation that one will practice the discipline (Jas 1:22-25). Chapter 2 explores the literature base to gain an appreciation for what scholarship has offered as it relates to shared leadership. It can be argued that lack of literature to discuss shared leadership is ultimately the result of a vernacular disconnect. Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon this study to discriminate and establish a working definition for the discipline of shared leadership and to explore Paul's view of the church Perhaps the greatest metaphor used by Paul to describe the church is his reference to the church being the representation of the body of Christ. Chapter 3 examines Paul's view of leadership in the church, beginning with a functional understanding of Paul's ecclesiology. In addition, Paul's view of spiritual giftedness in the life of a believer will be examined, as one's giftedness is critically important to understanding Paul's view of shared leadership. Chapter 4 examines Paul's philosophy and practice of shared leadership by looking at six principles throughout the Pauline corpus: (1) functioning within one's giftedness, (2) deference, (3) Paul's team based ministry approach, (4) Paul's vernacular, (5) Paul's partnerships, and (6) Paul's instructions to church leaders. Chapter 5 begins by exploring the benefits of shared leadership. Five benefits are considered: shared responsibility, accountability, unity, collaboration, and shared vision. It is contended that these benefits have a direct result on an organization's competence and effectiveness. In addition, chapter 5 explores best practices of shared leadership, contributions to the precedent literature, and relevant prospects for future study.

The convergence of the Church, its Gospel and the World has become a critical area of New Testament Biblical Studies. This significance revolves around the ‘relevance and impact ‘ of the Church and her kerygmatic message in an increasingly secular and sceptic world. The secularization and scepticism is mainly driven by the dawning of a ‘post-modern’ twenty first century which has also ushered in an era of unprecedented technological and scientific advancement. This new-world, which is being advanced through the ‘global village’ phenomenon, and the broadening democratization and entrenchment of individual human rights in developing countries, seems to have discarded all ‘absolutes’, and only values that which can be verified empirically. All this has left many individuals questioning the relevance of the Church and her message. Many seem to have designated the Church and her message as ‘past the expiry date’. It is thus no longer uncommon for previously Christian societies to be described as Post-Christian societies. The convergence of Church, Gospel and World has thus become very significant. The critical question is whether the Church is to close the door on the world and adopt an isolationist stance, or whether the Church is to fulfill her missiological and prophetic role by engaging and penetrating our twenty first century world with the message of the Gospel. This short dissertation will consider selected aspects of Pauline Ecclesiological and Soteriological perspectives in a social context, and the Social conditions of the Pauline World. We will then consider how the three components – Church; Gospel and World – ought to converge in the missiological task of the Church. / Prof. J.A. du Rand

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Thesis advisor: Angela Kim Harkins / Thesis advisor: Mary Rose D'Angelo / Paul of Tarsus has been considered a prominent figure in early Christianity, and his writings are major influence for the Western Christianity. Traditional interpretations of Paul as a heroic and authoritative figure have neglected his personal experiences, particularly his embodiment of weakness. In this thesis, I suggest that Paul’s embodied experience of weakness appears as the axis that articulates his argument in 2 Cor 10-13. I argue that if we take Paul’s weakness seriously, it turns out to be a decentering experience because he is claiming for a spot within the community as one-among-others, and not as its authoritative hero. The thesis is divided in three consecutive chapters. The first chapter of the thesis discusses the interpretative tradition of 2 Cor 10-13, highlighting how the major interpreters of the letter have shifted from rhetorical and linguistic perspectives to culturally embodied analyses that acknowledge Paul’s weakness. The second chapter examines the usage and function of weakness in Paul’s social and literary context as a Second Temple Jew and minister in Corinth. I discuss how the term 'σθένεια was employed in various texts from Greco-Roman, Second Temple Judaism, and early Christianity backgrounds and explores how diverse are the meanings regarding this word. The third chapter delves into how reading 2 Cor 10-13 through the lens of Paul’s weakness decenters him from an authoritative figure. I argue that the discussion in the letter of tears revolves around Paul’s identity, recognition of the Corinthians as agents in the discussion, and Paul’s claim for a spot as one-among-others in the community. Finally, I present conclusions to the study and ecclesiological projections of reading the Pauline correspondence through the decentering-Paul project’s eyes. / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

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Many may have noticed that Paul employs large number of passages from the book of Isaiah in his various Epistles. Some of those Isaianic texts are used as explicit citations whilst others are used in a more nuanced manner such as allusions and intertextual echoes. Yet, in spite of the importance of Isaiah in Paul’s letters and the centrality of Paul’s vocation as an apostle to the Gentiles in Paul’s life, no specialized study of the relationship between these two significant aspects has appeared to date. More specifically, amongst those who notice the significance of Isaiah in Paul’s Epistles, it has been widely held that Paul identifies himself with the Isaianic Servant in the way that he sees himself as the fulfilment of the Isaianic Servant. The present study seeks to explore how Paul reads Isaiah as reflected in Galatians, Romans, and 1 and 2 Corinthians, four of his undisputed authentic letters, where explicit citations and clear allusions are detected. It is not so much a study of the mechanics of citation or allusion per se as of seeing Paul as a reader and interpreter of the scriptural text. Special attention is paid to the interplay of Paul’s reading of the Isaianic texts, the role of the servant figure portrayed in Isaiah 40-66, and his understanding of Jesus as well as his own Gentile mission in the light of Isaiah. Based on a slightly modified model set out by Richard Hays, the study proceeds by looking at some of the major instances of Paul’s using of Isaianic texts within the larger literary contexts, both in Isaiah and in the flow of Paul’s argument. The goal of the study is fourfold: First, to see whether Paul’s use of these ancient texts is ‘atomistic’, taken the text out of context and applied it to his argument to serve his own purpose or given consideration of the wider context of the original text. Second, to explore how Paul reads Isaiah in the light of his special called ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles, and how the reading of the scriptural text provides him insights to God’s ongoing salvific work in the history of Israel and the person of Jesus. Third, to clarify Paul’s sense of identification with the Isaianic servant figure in relation to the ministry of Jesus and his own mission; and finally, how Paul views the Gentile mission in which he is involved in relation to the final salvation of Israel and humanity. Particular attention has been paid to Paul’s identification of the Isaianic Servant. It has been argued that he sees Jesus as the eschatological fulfilment of the Isaianic Servant. Jesus’ death and resurrection established the foundation of hope and provided a paradigm for his apostolic existence. He sees himself as the Isaianic servant in the sense that he lives a life in total identification with that of Christ, who, though experiences suffering and death, will be vindicated eventually by God.

Thesis advisor: Thomas Stegman / Thesis advisor: Colleen Griffith / The fundamental premise underlying this work is that in Rom 5:1-11, Paul presents God’s reconciliation of humanity with Godself through Jesus’ death as both a key expression of God’s salvific activity and as the foundation and model of reconciliation among peoples. Contrary to studies which create a dichotomy in Paul’s understanding of reconciliation as either a reconciliation between God and humans or a reconciliation among humans themselves, this study presents reconciliation as a key Pauline soteriological expression which has both vertical and horizontal implications with emphasis on how Paul’s theology of reconciliation shapes his discourse on God’s righteousness and the social relationship of the new people of God, especially in reference to gender and ethnic/racial relationships. While there may be no explicit reference to the horizontal dimension of reconciliation in the text of Rom 5:1-11, it is the task of this study to demonstrate that in the letter to the Romans, horizontal reconciliation presupposes vertical reconciliation and both are inseparable. Among ndi Igbo, the perennial cultural practice of inequality and the subordination of persons because of ethnicity/class (Osu Caste System) and gender (discrimination and subordination of women) are among the major causes of disaffections that breed tensions, conflicts, and division within the community. This study proposes that embodying Paul’s ethics of vertical and horizontal reconciliation by the Igbo Christian communities can go a long way towards enhancing social and cultural transformation that can lead to peaceful interpersonal relationships and a just Christian community. / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

Thesis advisor: Thomas D. Stegman / Thesis advisor: Christopher R. Matthews / The history of interpretation of the phrase nous Christou, which Paul employs in 1 Cor 2:16, mainly focuses on tracing the Hellenistic influence on his writings. No doubt, the Greek language Paul employs in explaining the gospel and the dominant culture of his world make this scholarly proclivity a credible one. But Paul, being a faithful Jew and a creative writer, is capable of appealing to his rich and diverse religious heritage, and his literary ingenuity to communicate his message. This angle of interpretation is seldom explored in discussing the nous Christou. / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.