“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”

Saint Paul is absolutely vital to the New Testament. In fact, he wrote more than half of the New Testament. “Certainly, after Jesus, he is one of the originals of whom we have the most information. In fact, we possess not only the account that Luke gives in the Acts of the Apostles, but also a group of Letters that have come directly from his hand and which, without intermediaries, reveal his personality and thought.” [1] Within his writings we learn a lot from Paul. Most notably his love for God. “In St. Paul’s Letters, after the Name of God which appears more than 500 times, the name most frequently mentioned is Christ’s (380 times). Thus, it is important to realize what a deep effect Jesus Christ can have on a person’s life, hence, also on our own lives.” [2]
 
How are the letters arranged in the Bible? The letters are arranged not by the time they were written (i.e. chronologically). They are divided into two parts: communities and individuals. The letters that were written to various churches or communities again were not put in chronological order, but based from the longest written letter to the shortest written letter (although Galatians is slightly shorter than Ephesians). The second part are to the individuals Paul wrote to.
 
How many letters did Paul write? Who did Paul write to? In the New Testament, Saint Paul wrote thirteen letters: nine of them were for communities or churches in various places (Romans, 1^st and 2^ndCorinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians) and four were for specific people (1^st and 2^nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon). There are scholar that debate whether or not Saint Paul wrote the letter to the Hebrews, but the majority consensus is Paul personally did not write that letter.
 
Why did Paul write these letters? What was the message of the letters? Why Saint Paul wrote each of the letters and the message of his letters varies from letter to letter. Let’s give a little detail for each of the letters Saint Paul wrote.
 
Romans
“Of all the letters of Paul, that to the Christians at Rome has long held pride of place. It is the longest and most systematic unfolding of the apostle’s thought, expounding the gospel of God’s righteousness that saves all who believe…” [3] Saint Paul wish to write to the Christians of Rome in hopes to inspire support for him as he wished to evangelize to the western parts of the Roman world, Spain. The letter was probably written some time between 56-58 AD and is sometimes coined as the gospel of Paul. The letter at a glance is broken into these areas:

• Address (1:1-15)
• Humanity Lost without the Gospel (1:16-3:20)
• Justification through Faith in Christ (3:21-5:21)
• Justification and the Christian Life (6:1-8:39)
• Jews and Gentiles in God’s Plan (9:1-11:36)
• The Duties of Christians (12:1-15:3)
• Conclusion (15:14-16:27)

Popular verse from Romans: “I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Rm. 12:1-2)  BONUS: “What then shall we say? Shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? Of course not! How can we who died to sin yet live in it? Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.” (Rm. 6:1-4)
 
1^st Corinthians
Saint Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians in 56 AD mainly to the Gentile Christians in Corinth. Corinth was a city on the coast of Greece. He helped establish the Church there and saw to take care of the Christians there like a father. There were many problems facing Corinth at that time in Corinth, especially sexual immorality. He helped them understand the liturgy, morality, and mystery of the Body of Christ.

• Address (1:1-9)
• Disorders in the Corinthian Community (1:10-6:20)
  • Divisions in the Church
  • Moral Disorders
• Answers to the Corinthian’s Questions (7:1-11:1)
  • Marriage and Virginity
  • Offerings to Idols
• Problems in Liturgical Assemblies (11:2-14:40)
  • Women’s Headdresses
  • The Lord’s Supper
  • Spiritual Gifts
• The Resurrection (15:1-11)
  • The Resurrection of Christ
  • The Resurrection of the Dead
  • The Manner of the Resurrection
• Conclusion (16:1-24)

Popular verse from 1^st Corinthians: “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially. But when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:1-13)
 
2^nd Corinthians
The second letter to the Corinthians was written out of response from backlash of the first letter. It was written around 57AD and is “the most personal of all of Paul’s extant writings, and it reveals much about his character.” [4] He writes in response to the attacks false prophets had said about him; that he was crazy, a bad speaker and not trustworthy. Paul shows true emotion of frustration and frankness but also shows great affection towards the church of Corinth. Here is the breakdown:

• Address (1:1-11)
• The Crisis between Paul and the Corinthians (1:12-7:16)
  • Past Relationships
  • Paul’s Ministry
  • Resolution of the Crisis
• The Collection for Jerusalem (8:1-9:15)
• Paul’s Defense of His Ministry (10:1-13:10)
• Conclusion (13:11-13)

Popular verse from 2^nd Corinthians: “…he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:9-10)  BONUS: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Cor. 13:13-14)  (The reason this one is put in is because this is what the presider says always at the opening of every mass! Another point to show people how the Mass is scriptural.)
 
Galatians
The letter to the Galatians was probably written sometime between 54-55AD. Galatia was a region in the middle of modern day Turkey. The converts he personally brought into the Christian church were exclusively gentiles or pagans. After he had to leave there were other missionaries who came in to Galatia to tell these Gentile Christians that they must follow parts of the Jewish Law, for example be circumcised, in order to be Christian. Saint Paul wrote this letter in defense of what he originally taught, and that the Galatians do not have to follow the Jewish Law because of what was discussed at the Council of Jerusalem. This letter is one of the most emotionally charged letters Paul writes. Here is the breakdown:

• Address (1:1-5)
• Loyalty to the Gospel (1:6-10)
• Paul’s Defense of His Gospel and His Authority (1:11-2:21)
• Faith and Liberty (3:1-4:31)
• Exhortation to Christian Living (5:1-6:10)
• Conclusion (6:11-18)

Popular verse from Galatians: “For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:26-29)  BONUS: “Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:1-2)
 
Ephesians
The Letter to the Ephesians is one of the older letters that was written for the churches in Asia Minor or Turkey. Ephesus was a city off the western coast of Turkey. The Letter is all about the unity of God and His Church. Paul “emphasize the unity in the church of Christ that has come about for both Jews and Gentiles within God’s household and indeed the ‘seven unities’ of church, Spirit, hope; one Lord, faith, and baptism; and the one God.” It is also important to note that Saint Paul also speaks on being saved and good works. That we are saved by Grace through faith acted out in good works. (cf. eph. 2:1-10) Lastly, we see how Paul writes about husbands and wives, and children and parents. He shows the depth and imagery of what it means to be a faithful spouse to each other. Here’s the breakdown:

• Address (1:1-14)
• Unity of the Church in Christ (1:15-2:22)
• World Mission of the Church (3:1-4:24)
• Daily Conduct, an Expression of Unity (4:25-6:20)
• Conclusion (6:21-24)

Popular verse from Ephesians: “Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are member of his body. ‘For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery but I speak in reference to Christ and the church. In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband.” (Ephesians 5:21-33)
 

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[1] Pope Benedict XVI, The Apostles pg. 123-124
[2] Pope Benedict XVI, The Apostles pgs. 127-128
[3] Introduction to Romans, NAB pg. 1261
[4] Introduction to Romans, NAB pg. 1303