style="font-size:15px;"> In Rom 15:21, Paul adopts the wording of the LXX, though there may have been a rearrangement of words, with ὄψονται being placed at the front of the phrase for emphasis.196 The LXX has a different emphasis from what is found in the original Hebrew in Isa 52:15b, but the overall point is similar in both places: unexpected truth about the servant’s ultimate destiny will be acknowledged by those who were previously unaware of his outcome.197
Paul picks up this theme as an expression of his determination to proclaim the good news of Christ to those who have not heard it. Paul’s prior reference to Christ in 15:20 implies that he identifies Christ as the servant described in Isa 52:13—53:12.198 On the basis of this correlation Paul makes a parallel between the announcement of the servant’s exaltation and the spread of the good news of Christ. Even though in Isa 52:15 the news is not explicitly positive for the nations, for Paul, the message is interpreted as good news for the nations because of the inclusion of the Gentiles in the work of Christ.199 Isaiah 42:6, 49:6, 51:4 are probable grounds within Isaiah for Paul’s conviction. In those passages, the servant’s appointed ministry to Israel is promised to bring the nations into relationship with God.200
But why does Paul envision the participation of a human agent in the process of disseminating the news of the suffering servant’s triumph and glorification? Two excerpts from the material surrounding Isa 52:13–15 surface as possible catalysts for Paul’s perspective. Earlier in Isa 52, the prophet extols the virtues of the messengers of God’s good news of salvation (Isa 52:7). Paul had already quoted this verse earlier in his letter to the Romans (10:15). Immediately following this reference (in 10:16), Paul cites Isa 53:1 as an expression of the lack of positive response to the message of good news. The passage quoted in Rom 15:21 (Isa 52:15) is enclosed by verses pointing to a message delivered by human agents.201 Paul assumes this role of a messenger by “fulfilling” the gospel of Christ to Gentiles spread around the Roman world (Rom 15:19).202
A survey of the OT contribution to Paul’s ministry mindset reveals that more than any other section of Scripture Isa 40–66 played a significant role in shaping Paul’s self-perception. The picture in that section of a divinely appointed messenger charged with both announcing with words and manifesting through sacrificial actions the salvation of God to Jews and Gentiles was well suited to Paul’s understanding of his own ministry. Paul recognized the unique fulfillment of God’s saving plans in the person of Christ, and through his own calling entered into association with Christ in the challenge of bearing hardship for the sake of God’s mission and with the hope of God’s approbation.
Paul and the Other Apostles
Next is the topic of apostolic authority and Paul’s relationship to other apostles and tradition. Key passages include Gal 1:1, 17; 2:1–10; 1 Thess 2:6–7; 1 Cor 1:1; 9:1–6; 15:1–11; 2 Cor 1:1; 11:5; 12:11–12; Rom 1:1; 11:13. Paul speaks with a combination of authority and humility when discussing his apostolic calling. He recognizes the legacy of the original apostles and other apostles while defending the validity of his own apostleship.203 This balance between independence and common ground in his standing with other apostles sets the standard for later presentations of this dynamic in the letters examined in chapters three, four, and five of the book.
In several of his letters, Paul identifies himself as an apostle from the outset (Gal 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Rom 1:1). The opening in Gal 1:1 is the most forceful assertion of Paul’s apostleship. The divine authorization behind Paul’s apostleship is the intended message, and the antithetical construction (οὐκ ἀπ’ ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ δι’ ἀνθρώπου ἀλλὰ διὰ ’Ιησοῦ καὶ θεοῦ πατρός) drives home the contention more powerfully. This wording is consistent with the argument Paul makes throughout the rest of Gal 1. The opening statements in 1 Cor 1:1 and 2 Cor 1:1 are similar to one another. In both cases, Paul’s apostleship is placed in a genitive relationship with Jesus Christ (or Christ Jesus) and is qualified as being dependent upon the will of God. This qualification represents a different way of stressing the divine origins of Paul’s apostleship, and the emphasis is reinforced in 1 Cor 1:1 by the possible inclusion of κλητός before ἀπόστολος.204 In Rom 1:1, Paul submits that he is called as an apostle (κλητὸς ἀπόστολος), which communicates the fact that God is the source of Paul’s ministry and authority. Paul’s apostleship is followed immediately by his perception of being set apart for the gospel, demonstrating the close association between his apostleship and the gospel.
Taking the greetings from the four letters as a group, it is likely that Paul mentions his apostleship at the beginning of the letters for three main reasons. First, Paul saw his apostleship as central to his identity. Second, the divine bestowal of his apostleship serves as his basis for addressing the churches in an authoritative manner. Third, Paul’s apostleship supports the validity of his gospel, which is always a chief concern in his letters.205 Beyond these three shared characteristics, questions about Paul’s apostleship and his gospel continue to surface in Galatians, so the initial identification of Paul as an apostle foreshadows a primary theme in the letter.
After offering his gospel as the standard against any corrupt imitation (Gal 1:6–9) and as part of a sustained defense of the divine origin of his gospel in Gal 1:6—2:10, Paul provides a brief glimpse of his standing relative to the other apostles in Gal 1:17 when he mentions visiting the “apostles who were before me” (τοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἀποστόλους). Bruce is correct in observing that the phrase “is temporal; it does not denote precedence in status.”206 Instead, the phrase groups Paul with the other apostles, stressing the common standing among them.207 Thus Paul is neither detached from nor inferior to the other apostles. For Paul, independence entails possessing an apostolic legitimacy that does not rest on the authorization of other Christian leaders but does keep him aligned with their mission and message.
As Paul proceeds to develop his argument of independence from, yet association with, the other apostles, he recounts in Gal 2:1–10 a meeting in Jerusalem with leaders of the early church, including James, Cephas, and John (Gal 2:2, 6, 9). Paul’s purpose was to present his gospel to them in order to garner their backing of his ministry to the Gentiles. Paul makes a fine distinction between the respected leaders and those who had been opposing Paul’s ministry, insisting that his gospel did not need approval from the latter group (2:2–5). But even with the recognized leaders, Paul takes pains to point out that though they affirmed Paul in his mission, they did not modify or supplement his message (2:6–9). The ultimate authorization for Paul’s ministry and gospel rests with God alone. Even the leaders themselves are reported to have acknowledged the divine design of Paul’s ministry, since they identified both that God had entrusted Paul with the gospel to the uncircumcised and that this commission was evidence of God’s grace to Paul (Gal 2:7–9). All parties involved had affirmed that Paul’s gospel ministry to the Gentiles was on par with Peter’s ministry to the Jews (note the use of the comparative adverb καθώς in 2:7), with Paul using the term apostleship to describe both (2:8). The contribution of this passage to the focus of this book is that it attests to a balance between Paul’s cooperation with the other apostles and his determination to defend his calling as being unconnected to their blessing or the initiative of any human source. While Paul gives the greater emphasis to his independence from the early church’s hierarchy in Gal 1–2, he still associates himself with the other apostles, with the common bond of the gospel tying them together.208
A relatively brief contribution to the topic of Paul’s apostleship occurs in 1 Thess 2:6–7. There, in the middle of his recollection of his ministry to the Thessalonians, Paul connects apostleship with authority.209 Paul’s standing as an apostle carries the potential of acclaim arising from the possession of apostolic authority.210 But out of sincerity of motive and a desire to please God, Paul has bypassed an authoritative approach even though he could have rightfully resorted to this stance. Paul’s language implies that his identity as a minister conformed to the contours of the other apostles of Christ, even though Paul did not always
