The Sources
The primary sources
The primary texts that document Paul, Tarsus and the early Church — what each one is, how it is dated, and where to read the full text.
Scripture — New Testament letter (undisputed Pauline)
The First Epistle to the Corinthians
A source entry on 1 Corinthians — one of Paul's seven undisputed letters, its dating from Ephesus (c. AD 53-55), what it reveals about Paul and the early Church, the earliest written statement of resurrection belief, and where to read the full public-domain text.
Read →Scripture — New Testament letter (undisputed Pauline)
The First Epistle to the Thessalonians
A source entry on 1 Thessalonians — an undisputed letter of Paul and, on the standard dating, the earliest surviving Christian document of any kind. What it is, why its dating (c. AD 50-51) matters, what it tells us about Paul's manner of mission and the earliest Christian hope, and where to read the full public-domain text.
Read →Scripture — Pauline epistle (undisputed)
The Second Epistle to the Corinthians
A source entry on 2 Corinthians — one of Paul's seven undisputed letters. What it is, the debate over whether it is a single letter or a later composite, its dating to about AD 55-57, and why its catalogue of hardships and personal disclosures make it a primary source for the life of Paul in his own words.
Read →Scripture — New Testament narrative
The Acts of the Apostles
A source entry on the Acts of the Apostles — what it is, the debate over its Lukan authorship and its dating (c. AD 62 versus c. AD 80–90), why it is the primary continuous narrative for the life of Paul, and where to read the full public-domain text.
Read →Church Father — Apostolic Father (1 Clement)
Clement of Rome — 1 Clement
A source entry on 1 Clement, the letter from the church of Rome to the Corinthians (c. AD 95–96) — what it is, the debate over its authorship and dating, and why chapter 5 is the earliest external testimony to the death of Paul and to the tradition that he reached the far west.
Read →historian
Eusebius of Caesarea: Ecclesiastical History
A source entry on Eusebius of Caesarea and his Ecclesiastical History (c. AD 313-325) — the earliest surviving history of the Church, its method of quoting lost writers, and the early traditions it preserves about Paul's later years, Roman martyrdom under Nero, and beheading.
Read →Scripture — Pauline epistle (undisputed)
The Epistle to the Galatians
A source entry on Paul's Letter to the Galatians — an undisputed Pauline letter, the debate over its dating (c. AD 48 versus the mid-50s), and why its first two chapters are the single most valuable autobiographical source for Paul in his own hand, naming Cilicia, the region of Tarsus.
Read →church-father
Ignatius of Antioch: The Seven Letters
A source entry on the seven letters of Ignatius of Antioch — what they are, the three recensions and the debate over their authenticity and dating (c. AD 107-117), why Antioch matters for Paul, and what the letters tell us about Paul's early authority and the Peter-and-Paul tradition at Rome.
Read →Church Father — patristic homilies and commentary on Paul
John Chrysostom: Homilies on Paul
A source entry on John Chrysostom's homilies on Paul — the largest surviving body of ancient verse-by-verse preaching on the Apostle, why it is evidence for Paul's reception rather than new biographical facts, its dating, and where to read the public-domain text.
Read →Historian — first-century Jewish, writing under Roman (Flavian) patronage
Flavius Josephus — Antiquities of the Jews and The Jewish War
A source entry on Flavius Josephus (c. AD 37 – c. 100), the first-century Jewish historian whose Antiquities of the Jews and The Jewish War reconstruct the Judean and Roman world Paul moved in. What the works are, the debate over their reliability and famous disputed passages, and where to read the public-domain Whiston translation.
Read →Scripture — New Testament epistle (undisputed Pauline letter)
The Epistle to the Philippians
A source entry on Paul's Letter to the Philippians — a warm letter of friendship written from prison, undisputed as authentically his and dated about AD 54 to 62, what it tells us about Paul's Pharisaic and Benjaminite background and his equanimity facing death, the Christ-hymn of chapter 2, and where to read the full public-domain text.
Read →Scripture — New Testament epistle (undisputed Pauline letter)
The Epistle to the Romans
A source entry on Paul's Letter to the Romans — the longest and most systematic of his letters, undisputed as authentically his and dated about AD 55 to 58, what it tells us about Paul's self-understanding as apostle to the gentiles and his plan to reach Spain, and where to read the full public-domain text.
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