An imagined series of letters from St. Paul to today’s churches
Among the most read books of the Bible are the letters written by St. Paul to young churches in Rome and scattered around the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. Whether in private reading or in study groups, millions of Christians and even nonbelievers often ask themselves, “What did this mean to those who first read it?” and, “What does this mean for me?”
To help people answer that question, scholars have written careful analyses of Paul’s letters and provided new translations that seek to provide Paul’s words in our own language. Nevertheless these translations and paraphrases continue to give us Paul’s opinion on issues of importance to first century Christians and these are not always the same as the issues that concern us.
These, then, are letters Paul might write to the churches of America today. They are offered to the churches and individuals for study in confidence that those who study these letters with open minds and prayerful hearts can grow in understanding and make a better witness to others as a result.
For almost two thousand years, Christians have asked two essential questions: What would Jesus do?” and What would Paul say?” Paul wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else did, and he dealt with the basic problems of his day: What should Christians do about marriage? What should the relationship be between Jews and Christians? What is the Christian responsibility to the state? What about ethnic differences? What about male and female relationships? But Paul did not answer the specific questions many Americans are now asking about marriage, interfaith relationships, illegal immigrants, and the authority of government.
Now, one respected Christian writer has put suggested answers in the form of new letters from Paul to Americans. Following the pattern of Paul’s letters to Rome, Corinth, and Galatia, a priest of the Episcopal Church has written letters in Paul’s name to Washington, California, Texas, and other American cities and states. Whether encouraging, insightful, useful, or controversial, these letters are a serious attempt to make Paul directly relevant to our time and issues. This book is a call for American Christians to think more carefully about the relationship between faith and society, and to seek purposeful, biblical living.
