The Gospel According to Paul: A Reappraisal

Pauls gospel is misunderstood. Pauls gospel is seen as his message perhaps an empowered message; he saw it differently. His gospel can be many things: tradition about Jesus Jesus Christ himself the ministry of Jesus the replication of the ministry of Jesus Gods salvific drama the salvation experience of people a message and something that can (and should) be embodied or lived. And the gospel does not come to people in Pauls preaching. He says it comes or takes place in both his message and the miraculous. Without the involvement and acts of God (in the miraculous) for Paul there would have been no gospel only preaching. It is not that the miraculous was simply a proof or demonstration of the gospel; it was integral to it. In the gospels coming or establishment it is clear that at heart the gospel is Gods salvation--the presence of God himself--in Christ experienced in the symbiotic relationship between Pauls message about Gods Son Jesus Christ and the activity of God in the miraculous. Not surprisingly then Paul rarely talks of preaching the gospel. He sees himself as gospelling.