Theology Of Paul

THEOLOGY OF PAUL
CHAPTER ONE
CHRISTOLOGY OF PAUL
Pauline Christology
Pauline Christology is probably the most misunderstood in the theological circles essentially because of our lack of
understanding of the Pauline mind. I have discussed the essential background of Paul as an integration of the
highest education in both Greek and Hebrew traditions in my book on Apostle Paul’s “Life and Mission”. Today
looking at his epistles from our modern points of view we often get misled and this has led to very wrong deviant
understanding of Paul’s Christology.
The essential question asked in Christology is, Who is this Jesus of Nazareth?
Here is an interpretation of some Evangelicals as they have reasoned out.
“The Apostle Paul espouses different, yet quite complementary Christologies in his New Testament letters. Yet
none of them identify Jesus as God, and some of them indicate that Jesus cannot be God.
First, Paul writes of “Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4.4), adding that “He is the image of the
invisible God” (Colossians 1.15). Some Christians have thought that Jesus being “the image of God” indicates that
he is God. On the contrary, “God created man in His own image,” (Genesis 1.27), but that did not make Adam and
Eve Gods. Geza Vermes rightly states, “Paul described Christ as the ‘likeness,’ or icon, of God … it cannot be taken
as being anywhere close to inferring divinity.” Logically, Jesus cannot be both the image of God and God Himself,
who is invisible to mortals.”
http://servetustheevangelical.com/doc/What_Was_the_Paul's_Christology.pdf
Sounds reasonable. But what is Paul trying to establish? The full text reads:
Col 1:15-20 “He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities--all
things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the
head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be
pre-eminent. For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
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