How to Read the Letters of Paul

The writings of the Apostle Paul, also known as the Epistles, hold immense significance in Christian theology. Perhaps among the most influential writings of human history, it's plausible that, at times, Paul's letters have received more study than most other books in the Bible.

His letters receive so much attention partly because they seem to contain timeless instructions for the church, as Paul is often considered the first Christian convert.

These assumptions face challenges through Paul's continued observance of Shabbat and the Jewish holidays, though this is a topic for another article¹.

The dimension we will explore in this work is that Paul's letters fall neatly within a category of Rabbinic legal correspondence known as Responsa². Not only does this highlight Paul's continued connection to the Jewish oral Tradition, but it also changes how we read his letters.

Paul the Pharisee

Paul, known as Sha'ul in Hebrew, was a highly educated Jew with intense Pharisaic training. His background as a student of Rabban Gamliel underscores his intimate familiarity with Jewish law, tradition³, and Pharisaic hashkafa (worldview).

Whether written himself or under his name, Paul's Epistles display a comprehensive understanding of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), Rabbinic metaphors, and mystical frameworks. In other words, precisely what you'd expect from a Rabbi, scholar, and mystic.

What is Responsa?

Responsa, or, "Questions and Answers" (She'elot u-Teshuvot), typically involves written correspondence from a community to a rabbinic authority regarding various legal and theological matters.

Responsa follow a structured format, beginning with a greeting, the context, and the particular question raised, followed by the analysis of relevant Jewish legal sources, scriptural references, and discussions of precedents.

Similarly, Paul's Epistles contain these core elements. Paul's letters are unique because they are aimed generally towards a diverse Gentile audience to whom the world of Torah is alien.

Answering these queries required a Rabbi well-versed in scripture, Jewish law, and the halachic process. For instance, one might write a question to a learned Rabbi to resolve an acute situation, seek clarity regarding the observance of mitzvot, understand a challenging passage of scripture, or seek guidance on unprecedented community challenges.

One did not, however, have to be the leading authority of that generation to answer these questions. Expertise or experience navigating a particular challenge might warrant their advice. As MyJewishLearning states:

"A Rabbi was qualified to act as a Respondent simply because his peers looked upon him as a reliable authority.

In pre-Mishnah times, some viewed Paul as a leading Rabbi for Gentile inclusion. His Pharisaic training and professional experience gave him the credentials to figure out where to begin integrating Gentiles into the synagogue communities in the diaspora. This was not a simple matter, as discussed in another article⁴.

Earlier Responsa in Corinth

In 1 Corinthians, we see evidence that earlier correspondence had already occurred regarding the matters that the community faced. In 1 Corinthians, we realize that this was not the first letter:

“I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people...” - 1 Corinthians 5:9

and also;

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman” - 1 Corinthians 7:1

The people writing to Paul were likely community Rabbis or lay leaders seeking guidance, particularly when things were not going well. This seems to be the case in many of his letters.

Ultimately, navigating these problems became too much for Paul at one point. Following the process, he elevated the issues to the leadership based in Jerusalem for clarity.

Ethics and Customs

If we were to categorize the content of Paul's letters, we find he mostly stays within the genre of Mussar (Ethics) and Derech Eretz (manners and customs). There is a good reason for this.

As the Gentiles had not been assigned the full yoke of the Torah's commandments, Paul did his best to instill foundational ethics from the Torah. Though non-legal, they were crucial to building unity in the community.

Striking parallels can be found in "Mishnah, Ethics of the Fathers"⁵ and various works in the Talmud⁶.

Re-reading Paul

So, what does all of this mean?

If indeed Paul's letters are responsa, there are a few considerations.

1. The Oral tradition's validity is proven and demonstrated through Paul's letters, his methodology, and the content of his instructions. When he had reached the limit of his ability, he sought council from a higher authority - demonstrating an ongoing adherence to the Rabbinic process.
   
2. Responsa aims to provide instructions for a particular situation, time, and place - for a particular community to whom the Rabbi is connected. Though they may contain maxims and Torah wisdom, they themselves are not intended to be timeless - uniformly applied across all generations, cultures, and geographic boundaries.
   
   New situations inevitably arise, and new problems need new insights for which new Responsa must be written.
   
3. As a teacher once told me, "When we read the Epistles, we are reading someone else's mail." Though the church later canonized these letters into scripture - we should consider them a snapshot from one Rabbi to a particular community of antiquity with its unique struggles.
   
   I believe this is why many have struggled to harmonize Paul's letters. They are not meant to be used as scaffolding for framework or systematic theologies.
   
4. Paul's advice is not sufficient for proper Torah observance in modern times. Predominantly because they addressed specific problems of his Gentile audience. Further, his audience had the ability to seek clarity if they had trouble understanding Paul's words. Modern readers do not.
   
   For Jews, they lack instructive halachic information for Torah observance (dietary laws, how to keep Shabbat, etc.), which needs continual reconfiguring for new challenges that arise.
   
5. It is doubtful Paul could foresee our times as our context differs almost completely from his. For one, the world is no longer devoid of monotheism as in Paul's day; Messianic communities now exist apart from the synagogue setting - and have for some time; these messianic communities are spread across the globe into regions and cultures that did not exist in Paul's time.
   
   The modern world poses different problems and realities than Paul imagined.

In conclusion, when we explore the Epistles of Paul from the perspective of Rabbinic Responsa, we can begin to properly frame them, understand them, and appreciate their wisdom and brilliance, marvel at the awesome task Paul sought to resolve. And we can appreciate their limitations.

We can appreciate the Jewishness of Paul, his thought process, and the validity of the Jewish tradition - which is still unfolding - offering wisdom to those seeking. With the influx of Gentiles seeking an on-ramp to Torah, it feels we are overdue new insights and instruction in our time.

Notes:

¹ https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/pauls-eagerness-to-observe-shavuot/

² https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/responsa/

³ https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/the-oral-torah/
and https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/is-the-oral-torah-biblical-pt-2/

⁴ https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/the-missing-context-of-the-new-testament-pt-1/

⁵ https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot?tab=contents

⁶ https://www.sefaria.org/Tractate_Derekh_Eretz_Zuta?tab=contents