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Paul the Missionary: Realities, Strategies and Methods
Biblical Foundations Book Award Eckhard Schnabel's two-volume Early Christian Mission is widely recognized as the most complete and authoritative contemporary study of the first-century Christian missionary movement. Now in Paul the Missionary Schnabel condenses volume two of the set, drawing on his research to provide a manageable study for students of Paul as well as students and practitioners of Christian mission today. Schnabel first focuses the spotlight on Paul's missionary work--the realities he faced, and the strategies and methods he employed. Applying his grasp of the wide range of ancient sources and of contemporary scholarship, he clarifies our understanding, expands our knowledge and corrects our misconceptions of Paul the missionary. In a final chapter Schnabel shines the recovered light of Paul's missionary methods and practices on Christian mission today. Much like Roland Allen's classic Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours? of nearly a century ago, Schnabel offers both praise and criticism. For those who take the time to immerse themselves in the world of Paul's missionary endeavor, this final chapter will be both rewarding and searching.
518 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
31 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Eckhard J. Schnabel
41 books17 followersEckhard J. Schnabel (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) is professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has taught previously at Freie Theologische Akademie (Giessen, Germany), Wiedenest Bible College (Bergneustadt, Germany) and Asian Theological Seminary (Manila, Philippines).
His books include Early Christian Mission (volumes 1 & 2) and Der erste Brief des Paulus an die Korinther, and he is the author of numerous articles, including "Luke" (with David W. Pao) in Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament and contributions in InterVarsity Press's Dictionary of Paul and His Letters and Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments.
His books include Early Christian Mission (volumes 1 & 2) and Der erste Brief des Paulus an die Korinther, and he is the author of numerous articles, including "Luke" (with David W. Pao) in Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament and contributions in InterVarsity Press's Dictionary of Paul and His Letters and Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments.
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October 10, 2024
“Paul the Missionary” was a very helpful and thorough read. Schnabel covers the entirety of the Pauline corpus (to some extent), evaluating the Paul’s perspective of the missionary task, work, message, goals, methods. And closes the book out with a chapter sketching a few applications and critiques relevant for the modern context of world missions. This is an update to the much shorter book by Roland Allen “Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours?”, which my dad read back in the day so was great to discuss the differences and changes in missions since then.
If you want a super long review keep reading...
Schnabel defines mission as such “The term “mission” or “missions” refers to the activity of a community of faith that distinguishes itself from its environment in terms of both religious belief (theology) and social behavior (ethics), that is convinced of the truth claims of its faith, and that actively works to win other people to the content of faith and the way of life of whose truth and necessity the members of that community are convinced” (22). Says his goal with the book is to ““to provide a close reading of the relevant New Testament texts that help us understand Paul’s missionary work—proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and establishing communities of believers—in terms of the goals that he had and in terms of the methods that he used” (30).
Schnabel’s outline and discussion of Paul’s movement was very thorough, tediously so at times but I came to find the discussion really helpful later on in the book. I’m not convinced of his perspective on Paul’s time in Arabia or possible travels to Spain, but that was interesting to consider. And who doesn’t love nice maps! The Author also helpfully points out the length of time Paul spent, that he did not move willingly but was normally forced out, and that he was eagerly developing the churches he was living with. It may not be prudent to aim to plant a church and leave after a few months if you are not Paul. He was not leaving churches in their infancy intentionally and seems to have well equipped them in his time with them. Contra “Salvation to the Ends of the Earth” by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Peter T. O'Brien, Schnabel does not think that the call of the servant of the lord in Isaiah 66 framed how Paul understood his own calling and sequence of locations visited.
Similar to “Salvation to the Ends of the Earth”, I appreciated the emphasis on Paul's missionary efforts being focused on the production of mature church members, not mere conversion. The aspect that Schnabel adds to the conversation seems to be the specifics of the moral and theological formation that Paul considered essential for the gentile and Jewish believers in the churches that he visited. In considering Paul's evangelistic proclamations to non-Christians, he says “The central emphasis of Paul’s missionary preaching was the proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah of the Jewish people and the Kyrios of the world” (183). And that though Paul contextualized his message it “was, ultimately, not accommodation but confrontation” (182) that he proclaimed.
His discussion of contextualization was very helpful. The comparison and contrast of various evangelist statements by Paul helped to show that Paul was unwilling to compromise on the offensiveness of the message regardless of the audience. Paul's gospel convictions meant he was eager to share the gospel wherever God placed him, without much long-term planning but with much dependence on God's provision materially and in working in the hearers’ hearts. Schnabel drew out the idea that “the medium is the message”: the message of the gospel requires recognizing that the methods used in missions and evangelism are not neutral and must be submitted to the authority of God, not just the contents of the message. In this way we see that God is sovereign in drawing people to himself and is glorified to use the offense of the cross to call the nations to his great name.
Schnabel comments on cross cultural ministry were great and challenging. I appreciated how he emphasized that even within a unique time and location there can be diverse cultures: “A more general definition understands culture as a shared set of assumptions about the way things are, a worldview. However, the problem with such definitions is that "worldviews may vary considerably depending on peoples' age group, socioeconomic status, ethnic identity, religion, education, or family background" (quoting Hiebert)” (317). Schnabel considers the question of whether Paul was a cross-cultural missionary to be a modern construct that is not helpful for understanding his work (330). The only steps that Paul took to reduce contrast between faith in Jesus and pagan false religion were linguistic (341). Our modern world is incredibly more complex culturally, especially with the diffusive boundary of the internet. Language differences even are diluted with modern tools. But Schnabel emphasized a localist perspective that I really value. Paul evangelized the people who were his neighbors when he was in a specific place.
I especially appreciated Schnabel's work through the argument in 1 Corinthians. Considering the contrast between the rhetorical forms common to the Greco-Roman thinkers who would travel seeking converts/adherents, Paul is starkly different. The rhetorical strategies of Greco-Roman rhetoricians were useless to preachers whose message centered upon a crucified Jewish man. Schnabel notes how Paul self-consciously rejects rhetorical strategies common to his peers and emphasizes how the message of the gospel really is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. The theology of the cross determines which methods are and are not appropriate for Christian mission and does not allow him to compromise or use strategies that manipulate. “Methods are not simply neutral tools but routines that influence the way human beings live and behave. In the case of the proclamation of the news of Jesus, methods influence the content of what is being communicated.” (453) He gives a warning to the temptation to culturally compromise. Authentic biblical contextualization does not exploit a culture “for the Church’s own gain even as Christian faith is not about exploiting God for what we want.” Paul’s willingness to “become all things to all people” (1 Cor. 9:22) is governed by the truth and the logic of the gospel: “I do it all for the sake of the gospel” (1 Cor 9:23).
Schnabel has strong criticism for many of the strategies/methods employed in modern missions “people group principle“ (406-407), “seeker-driven churches“ (431-437), “short-term mission trips“ (439-440) or “signs and wonders“ as a “method“ of mission (451-458). He warns of evangelical missions’ tendency to expect that ‘correct’ methods will produce results automatically. “Paul established local assemblies of followers of Jesus irrespective of their ethnic, cultural, or social identity, insisting on the unity of the local expression of the people of God” (409–10). He rightly stresses that ministry methods must not be adopted based on effectiveness but on faithfulness to the gospel message, since methods are not neutral, but “influence the content of what is being communicated” (453).
After engaging with a list of explanations for Paul's success, Schabel emphasized how the message Paul proclaimed was so offensive and against the lifestyle of his various audiences the only sufficient explanation is a Divine work. Paul preached, and tried to reach the people, but it is God who saves, God who regenerates, God who convinces and transforms the heart and mind. “None of these factors and no combination of some individual factors explain the expansion of the Christian mission – not in the first century or in later centuries. To believe the Christian message that the missionaries or Christian relatives, friends and neighbors proclaimed was not easy. To accept faith in a crucified Savior as [a] necessary condition for salvation was rationally impossible, as was faith in a bodily resurrection. And to join a local congregation of followers of Jesus was potentially dangerous…He relies on the power of God, which is present in the preaching of the gospel of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ…Paul does not rely on a ‘method’ understood in terms of ‘a defined, and regular plan’ for the success of his missionary preaching[,] but, rather, on the power of God, he regularly asks for prayer.” (371) Paul's dependence on God for evangelism and effectiveness is something he shared with other believers and churches and Paul includes them in his dependence and prayers to God.
Quibbles:
-Schnable doesn't spend a large amount of time discussing Paul's perspective on the law, but in the few instances it comes up I read him as quite dispensational. Some examples on these pages:125, 162, 201-02, 217-18
-Schnabel claims that Jesus, like Paul after him, “preached before as many people as possible” is questionable to me (282). Jesus addresses crowds and synagogues, but his main ministry focus was the disciples, and he ministered almost exclusively within Israel. He seemed ok with a message that was hidden from those under judgment and disguised in parables. And he refrained from extensive evangelism in gentile cities when he visited them. Paul traveled to major cities throughout the empire and preached to large crowds and speaks of have a different motivation that involves some consideration of quantity reached.
-I don't remember Schnabel dealing with the recurring theme of suffering and persecution in Paul’s missionary life. These topics seem increasingly relevant for the present day, but also pervasive throughout Paul's life. Schnabel includes such events in his summaries of Paul's life but doesn't engage with suffering as a significant part of Paul's mission or witness.
-Schabel speaks strongly against a dependence on methods and thinking that by them success in missionary efforts can be taken out of God's hands (“the search for a method that will guarantee success in our attempt to convince listeners of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is misguided” (401)). However, I think the right and wise use of different tools and methods can be a prudent decision. Without making such things a rule, the use of some kind of ‘method’ is inevitable.
-Schnabel sets up a false dichotomy when he claims in one instance that Paul and Barnabas “are not sent by the church but by the Holy Spirit” (392). Acts 13:3 records in a different instance that the church prayerfully and obediently sent them off. Being sent by the holy spirit does not exclude a work of the church nor the other way around.
If you want a super long review keep reading...
Schnabel defines mission as such “The term “mission” or “missions” refers to the activity of a community of faith that distinguishes itself from its environment in terms of both religious belief (theology) and social behavior (ethics), that is convinced of the truth claims of its faith, and that actively works to win other people to the content of faith and the way of life of whose truth and necessity the members of that community are convinced” (22). Says his goal with the book is to ““to provide a close reading of the relevant New Testament texts that help us understand Paul’s missionary work—proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and establishing communities of believers—in terms of the goals that he had and in terms of the methods that he used” (30).
Schnabel’s outline and discussion of Paul’s movement was very thorough, tediously so at times but I came to find the discussion really helpful later on in the book. I’m not convinced of his perspective on Paul’s time in Arabia or possible travels to Spain, but that was interesting to consider. And who doesn’t love nice maps! The Author also helpfully points out the length of time Paul spent, that he did not move willingly but was normally forced out, and that he was eagerly developing the churches he was living with. It may not be prudent to aim to plant a church and leave after a few months if you are not Paul. He was not leaving churches in their infancy intentionally and seems to have well equipped them in his time with them. Contra “Salvation to the Ends of the Earth” by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Peter T. O'Brien, Schnabel does not think that the call of the servant of the lord in Isaiah 66 framed how Paul understood his own calling and sequence of locations visited.
Similar to “Salvation to the Ends of the Earth”, I appreciated the emphasis on Paul's missionary efforts being focused on the production of mature church members, not mere conversion. The aspect that Schnabel adds to the conversation seems to be the specifics of the moral and theological formation that Paul considered essential for the gentile and Jewish believers in the churches that he visited. In considering Paul's evangelistic proclamations to non-Christians, he says “The central emphasis of Paul’s missionary preaching was the proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah of the Jewish people and the Kyrios of the world” (183). And that though Paul contextualized his message it “was, ultimately, not accommodation but confrontation” (182) that he proclaimed.
His discussion of contextualization was very helpful. The comparison and contrast of various evangelist statements by Paul helped to show that Paul was unwilling to compromise on the offensiveness of the message regardless of the audience. Paul's gospel convictions meant he was eager to share the gospel wherever God placed him, without much long-term planning but with much dependence on God's provision materially and in working in the hearers’ hearts. Schnabel drew out the idea that “the medium is the message”: the message of the gospel requires recognizing that the methods used in missions and evangelism are not neutral and must be submitted to the authority of God, not just the contents of the message. In this way we see that God is sovereign in drawing people to himself and is glorified to use the offense of the cross to call the nations to his great name.
Schnabel comments on cross cultural ministry were great and challenging. I appreciated how he emphasized that even within a unique time and location there can be diverse cultures: “A more general definition understands culture as a shared set of assumptions about the way things are, a worldview. However, the problem with such definitions is that "worldviews may vary considerably depending on peoples' age group, socioeconomic status, ethnic identity, religion, education, or family background" (quoting Hiebert)” (317). Schnabel considers the question of whether Paul was a cross-cultural missionary to be a modern construct that is not helpful for understanding his work (330). The only steps that Paul took to reduce contrast between faith in Jesus and pagan false religion were linguistic (341). Our modern world is incredibly more complex culturally, especially with the diffusive boundary of the internet. Language differences even are diluted with modern tools. But Schnabel emphasized a localist perspective that I really value. Paul evangelized the people who were his neighbors when he was in a specific place.
I especially appreciated Schnabel's work through the argument in 1 Corinthians. Considering the contrast between the rhetorical forms common to the Greco-Roman thinkers who would travel seeking converts/adherents, Paul is starkly different. The rhetorical strategies of Greco-Roman rhetoricians were useless to preachers whose message centered upon a crucified Jewish man. Schnabel notes how Paul self-consciously rejects rhetorical strategies common to his peers and emphasizes how the message of the gospel really is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. The theology of the cross determines which methods are and are not appropriate for Christian mission and does not allow him to compromise or use strategies that manipulate. “Methods are not simply neutral tools but routines that influence the way human beings live and behave. In the case of the proclamation of the news of Jesus, methods influence the content of what is being communicated.” (453) He gives a warning to the temptation to culturally compromise. Authentic biblical contextualization does not exploit a culture “for the Church’s own gain even as Christian faith is not about exploiting God for what we want.” Paul’s willingness to “become all things to all people” (1 Cor. 9:22) is governed by the truth and the logic of the gospel: “I do it all for the sake of the gospel” (1 Cor 9:23).
Schnabel has strong criticism for many of the strategies/methods employed in modern missions “people group principle“ (406-407), “seeker-driven churches“ (431-437), “short-term mission trips“ (439-440) or “signs and wonders“ as a “method“ of mission (451-458). He warns of evangelical missions’ tendency to expect that ‘correct’ methods will produce results automatically. “Paul established local assemblies of followers of Jesus irrespective of their ethnic, cultural, or social identity, insisting on the unity of the local expression of the people of God” (409–10). He rightly stresses that ministry methods must not be adopted based on effectiveness but on faithfulness to the gospel message, since methods are not neutral, but “influence the content of what is being communicated” (453).
After engaging with a list of explanations for Paul's success, Schabel emphasized how the message Paul proclaimed was so offensive and against the lifestyle of his various audiences the only sufficient explanation is a Divine work. Paul preached, and tried to reach the people, but it is God who saves, God who regenerates, God who convinces and transforms the heart and mind. “None of these factors and no combination of some individual factors explain the expansion of the Christian mission – not in the first century or in later centuries. To believe the Christian message that the missionaries or Christian relatives, friends and neighbors proclaimed was not easy. To accept faith in a crucified Savior as [a] necessary condition for salvation was rationally impossible, as was faith in a bodily resurrection. And to join a local congregation of followers of Jesus was potentially dangerous…He relies on the power of God, which is present in the preaching of the gospel of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ…Paul does not rely on a ‘method’ understood in terms of ‘a defined, and regular plan’ for the success of his missionary preaching[,] but, rather, on the power of God, he regularly asks for prayer.” (371) Paul's dependence on God for evangelism and effectiveness is something he shared with other believers and churches and Paul includes them in his dependence and prayers to God.
Quibbles:
-Schnable doesn't spend a large amount of time discussing Paul's perspective on the law, but in the few instances it comes up I read him as quite dispensational. Some examples on these pages:125, 162, 201-02, 217-18
-Schnabel claims that Jesus, like Paul after him, “preached before as many people as possible” is questionable to me (282). Jesus addresses crowds and synagogues, but his main ministry focus was the disciples, and he ministered almost exclusively within Israel. He seemed ok with a message that was hidden from those under judgment and disguised in parables. And he refrained from extensive evangelism in gentile cities when he visited them. Paul traveled to major cities throughout the empire and preached to large crowds and speaks of have a different motivation that involves some consideration of quantity reached.
-I don't remember Schnabel dealing with the recurring theme of suffering and persecution in Paul’s missionary life. These topics seem increasingly relevant for the present day, but also pervasive throughout Paul's life. Schnabel includes such events in his summaries of Paul's life but doesn't engage with suffering as a significant part of Paul's mission or witness.
-Schabel speaks strongly against a dependence on methods and thinking that by them success in missionary efforts can be taken out of God's hands (“the search for a method that will guarantee success in our attempt to convince listeners of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is misguided” (401)). However, I think the right and wise use of different tools and methods can be a prudent decision. Without making such things a rule, the use of some kind of ‘method’ is inevitable.
-Schnabel sets up a false dichotomy when he claims in one instance that Paul and Barnabas “are not sent by the church but by the Holy Spirit” (392). Acts 13:3 records in a different instance that the church prayerfully and obediently sent them off. Being sent by the holy spirit does not exclude a work of the church nor the other way around.
August 3, 2020
A biblical, and, therefore, a sane missiology of Paul cleanly laid out. The girth of the book masks the encouragement this book is to Christians, particularly pastors, church planters, and evangelists who want to make Jesus known to all peoples. As an added bonus, Schnabel offers a helpful analysis of contemporary deviations plaguing the church in the West and the East as it pertains to the mission of the church!
September 28, 2020
A thorough examination of the missionary work and methods of Paul. The attempt at an inductive approach results in much repetition, but the value of his material and conclusions make it worth the reader's time.
Schnabel emphasizes that Paul did not have a target audience, but rather shared the gospel with everyone he could regardless of class, race, or gender (317). The apostle did not have a one-size-fits-all strategy (401), but rather he "moved to geographically adjacent areas that were open for missionary work" (287). While we may find paradigms from Paul's work to help us adapt our approach in different contexts, we also learn that Paul was unwilling to adjust the content of the message to appeal to different audiences.
Schnabel concludes with good, but seemingly disjointed, conclusions, including critiques of the seeker-sensitive movement, short-term missions trips, and using TV for evangelistic work.
One minor critique: Schnabel had a penchant for including his odd hyper-dispensational view of the law (125, 162, 201-02; 217-18, 396-97), which is not only incorrect but also was unnecessary given the topic of this book.
Schnabel emphasizes that Paul did not have a target audience, but rather shared the gospel with everyone he could regardless of class, race, or gender (317). The apostle did not have a one-size-fits-all strategy (401), but rather he "moved to geographically adjacent areas that were open for missionary work" (287). While we may find paradigms from Paul's work to help us adapt our approach in different contexts, we also learn that Paul was unwilling to adjust the content of the message to appeal to different audiences.
Schnabel concludes with good, but seemingly disjointed, conclusions, including critiques of the seeker-sensitive movement, short-term missions trips, and using TV for evangelistic work.
One minor critique: Schnabel had a penchant for including his odd hyper-dispensational view of the law (125, 162, 201-02; 217-18, 396-97), which is not only incorrect but also was unnecessary given the topic of this book.
Read
August 3, 2011Schnabel, professor of New Testment at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, presents a distinctive and thorough treatment of the Apostle Paul by focusing on Paul as a missionary. There can be no doubt that keeping Paul's missionary motivations in mind helps illumine Paul's thinking and writing, and furthermore, that investigating the way Paul carried himself as a missionary has bearing on what it means to be a Christian and more specifically a missionary in our twenty-first-century context.
Relying heavily on what must be an even more exhaustive treatment in his two-volume Early Christian Mission, Schnabel first sets out to describe the mission Paul undertook (dividing Paul's "travels" into fifteen different "periods" of mission), the task he set for himself (or maybe better, the task he saw himself as being given), and the message he preached. He then synthesizes this material in two chapters that discuss Paul's strategies and his methods for carrying out that mission. In the final chapter, he brings the study to bear on questions of mission in the current context, both in understanding why and how a church should grow and in what way current missionary endeavors should be informed by Paul.
I found the descriptive portions of the book to be informative, and though keeping track of fifteen "periods" of mission over Paul's career is cumbersome, it also helpfully breaks up the more traditional missionary "journies" in a way that better reflects the reality of Paul's undertaking. Easily lost in the old scheme are the significant periods spent in various locations in sustained ministry, whether the two years in Ephesus or the six months in Athens, the sorts of durations that are more obscured than illumined when talking about "travels" or "journies."
Schnable focuses repeatedly in the book on a couple important themes. One is the primacy of God in Paul's mission. Paul saw himself as called and appointed by God, in his service, dependent upon him, and ultimately accountable to him. No other responsibility, no other obligation, and no other message could supplant this one in the apostle's thinking. A second emphasis is that it is the gospel itself that dictates Paul's strategies and methods, not a grand itinerary or a finely-honed rhetorical presentation. Paul understood the deep need of all humanity to come to faith in Jesus Christ, and he undertook whatever ministry was expedient to bring about that end. He may have developed some patterns of ministry (such as going first to the synagogue), but these were always subservient to the message he proclaimed.
Schnabel's final chapter is an application of the study to the modern situation in the church and in missions. Some of the critique, such as his discussion of the "homogeneous unit principle" or of church planting, proves quite insightful, as is his caution against the search for the right "method" for church growth or evangelism instead of focusing on the gospel message. But at other points, his critique seems quite disconnected from the five substantive chapters on Paul, such as his discussion of "seeker-driven" churches or "atonement," where very little discussion of Paul is actually brought to bear on the matter at hand. While I would agree with many of his comments regarding "mega-churches," his discussion is very heavily dependent on David Wells and Os Guiness, and I think unfairly equates mega- or seeker-sensative churches with a dearth of theology. Criticism aside, though, the final chapter ends with some very helpful discussion of how study of Paul can and should inform how we do "missions" in the twenty-first century, and much wisdom can be gleaned here by pastors and missionaries. In all, Schnabel has written a detailed study of Paul that focuses on his missionary context and undertakings and it is helpful both in illuminating Paul and his thought as well as in guiding our application of the gospel message in our own day.
A final, reluctant but necessary note is in order here. This book desperately needed a good proofread before going to press. I was distressed by how many errors remained in the printed edition, and though I was just annoyed by inconsistencies in the footnote style or confused punctuation, there were numerous instances were the sense of a sentence was indecipherable. While I'm usually annoyed when reviewers point out one or two typos in a book, in this case, it really did detract from this worthwhile book.
Relying heavily on what must be an even more exhaustive treatment in his two-volume Early Christian Mission, Schnabel first sets out to describe the mission Paul undertook (dividing Paul's "travels" into fifteen different "periods" of mission), the task he set for himself (or maybe better, the task he saw himself as being given), and the message he preached. He then synthesizes this material in two chapters that discuss Paul's strategies and his methods for carrying out that mission. In the final chapter, he brings the study to bear on questions of mission in the current context, both in understanding why and how a church should grow and in what way current missionary endeavors should be informed by Paul.
I found the descriptive portions of the book to be informative, and though keeping track of fifteen "periods" of mission over Paul's career is cumbersome, it also helpfully breaks up the more traditional missionary "journies" in a way that better reflects the reality of Paul's undertaking. Easily lost in the old scheme are the significant periods spent in various locations in sustained ministry, whether the two years in Ephesus or the six months in Athens, the sorts of durations that are more obscured than illumined when talking about "travels" or "journies."
Schnable focuses repeatedly in the book on a couple important themes. One is the primacy of God in Paul's mission. Paul saw himself as called and appointed by God, in his service, dependent upon him, and ultimately accountable to him. No other responsibility, no other obligation, and no other message could supplant this one in the apostle's thinking. A second emphasis is that it is the gospel itself that dictates Paul's strategies and methods, not a grand itinerary or a finely-honed rhetorical presentation. Paul understood the deep need of all humanity to come to faith in Jesus Christ, and he undertook whatever ministry was expedient to bring about that end. He may have developed some patterns of ministry (such as going first to the synagogue), but these were always subservient to the message he proclaimed.
Schnabel's final chapter is an application of the study to the modern situation in the church and in missions. Some of the critique, such as his discussion of the "homogeneous unit principle" or of church planting, proves quite insightful, as is his caution against the search for the right "method" for church growth or evangelism instead of focusing on the gospel message. But at other points, his critique seems quite disconnected from the five substantive chapters on Paul, such as his discussion of "seeker-driven" churches or "atonement," where very little discussion of Paul is actually brought to bear on the matter at hand. While I would agree with many of his comments regarding "mega-churches," his discussion is very heavily dependent on David Wells and Os Guiness, and I think unfairly equates mega- or seeker-sensative churches with a dearth of theology. Criticism aside, though, the final chapter ends with some very helpful discussion of how study of Paul can and should inform how we do "missions" in the twenty-first century, and much wisdom can be gleaned here by pastors and missionaries. In all, Schnabel has written a detailed study of Paul that focuses on his missionary context and undertakings and it is helpful both in illuminating Paul and his thought as well as in guiding our application of the gospel message in our own day.
A final, reluctant but necessary note is in order here. This book desperately needed a good proofread before going to press. I was distressed by how many errors remained in the printed edition, and though I was just annoyed by inconsistencies in the footnote style or confused punctuation, there were numerous instances were the sense of a sentence was indecipherable. While I'm usually annoyed when reviewers point out one or two typos in a book, in this case, it really did detract from this worthwhile book.
February 27, 2018
An excellent and very detailed study on the apostle Paul's methods and priorities in his mission work. It covers his letters as well as the Acts of the Apostles, giving some surprising insights into his work (eg. the 15 periods of missionary work he engaged in throughout his life) and helpful analysis of what his message was.
January 21, 2011
Exhaustive, authoritative, insightful, and an excellent reference!
September 7, 2013
Amazingly exhaustive look at the Apostle Paul. Covers timeline, methods, strategies and application for today's world and work. A great read and a great future reference.
November 1, 2023
Schnabel provides a careful, thorough examination of the apostle Paul's ministry.
Schnabel is a careful and helpful guide in considering how we ought to understand, interpret, and apply Paul's practices in his own ministry. Full of useful historical context from extra-biblical sources, and also by reading Paul's own letters alongside Acts. THe final chapter is worth the price of the book, where Schnabel basically demonstrates how modern 21st century Western sensibilities have shaped so much of our approach to evangelism and the church.
I have two quibbles with Schnabel, both places where he seems uncharacteristic in making conclusions based more off of assumptions rather than biblical evidence. One, he assumes that Paul's time in Damascus, Arabia, and Antioch should be considered part of his missionary activity. This suffers from a failure to clearly distinguish his 'missionary' work from normal ministry, that the other apostles also partook in, even in Jerusalem. This assumption also leads him to really downplay the significance of Paul and Barnabas' commissioning out of Antioch (which seems to go against the emphasis of Luke, the Spirit inspired narrator). Secondly (with less knock-on implications) he asserts that Paul likely did travel to Spain after an initial arrest period in Rome. But the evidence provided for this is Paul's expressed desire to go to Spain, and then that a church father in a letter seems to assume Paul reached Spain (and the quote seems to suggest the church father wasn't operating from any personal knowledge or tradition other than Paul's expressed desire). These seem to undercut Schnabel's own exegetical care and precision that defines much of the book, by going beyond what Scripture has revealed, and building some conclusions based off supposed events, instead of what we know for sure from Scripture he did.
That said, Schnabel's consideration of Paul's life will help guard you from making cheap imitations of Paul's behavior, as though his success springs from his tactics, rather than the power of God. He demonstrates thoroughly what we most need to learn from Paul is what he actually taught us: his character and his doctrine.
Schnabel is a careful and helpful guide in considering how we ought to understand, interpret, and apply Paul's practices in his own ministry. Full of useful historical context from extra-biblical sources, and also by reading Paul's own letters alongside Acts. THe final chapter is worth the price of the book, where Schnabel basically demonstrates how modern 21st century Western sensibilities have shaped so much of our approach to evangelism and the church.
I have two quibbles with Schnabel, both places where he seems uncharacteristic in making conclusions based more off of assumptions rather than biblical evidence. One, he assumes that Paul's time in Damascus, Arabia, and Antioch should be considered part of his missionary activity. This suffers from a failure to clearly distinguish his 'missionary' work from normal ministry, that the other apostles also partook in, even in Jerusalem. This assumption also leads him to really downplay the significance of Paul and Barnabas' commissioning out of Antioch (which seems to go against the emphasis of Luke, the Spirit inspired narrator). Secondly (with less knock-on implications) he asserts that Paul likely did travel to Spain after an initial arrest period in Rome. But the evidence provided for this is Paul's expressed desire to go to Spain, and then that a church father in a letter seems to assume Paul reached Spain (and the quote seems to suggest the church father wasn't operating from any personal knowledge or tradition other than Paul's expressed desire). These seem to undercut Schnabel's own exegetical care and precision that defines much of the book, by going beyond what Scripture has revealed, and building some conclusions based off supposed events, instead of what we know for sure from Scripture he did.
That said, Schnabel's consideration of Paul's life will help guard you from making cheap imitations of Paul's behavior, as though his success springs from his tactics, rather than the power of God. He demonstrates thoroughly what we most need to learn from Paul is what he actually taught us: his character and his doctrine.
November 1, 2020
A thorough analysis of Paul's missionary methods, message, and goals drawn out from the book of Acts, Paul's epistles, and historical sources. Many of my preconceptions of Paul's ministry were challenged. For example, in his analysis of the 15 stages of Paul's ministry, Schnabel argues that his 15 years in Arabia were not a pause between his life as a Pharisee and an apostle, but actually his first missionary journey.
More importantly, Schnabel shows us both the consistency and diversity in Paul's mission, and helps us identify those things that are unique to Paul and those things that can shape missionary service today.
I particularly found helpful the chapter on Paul's message, as that was the foundation of his ministry and the churches he planted.
My only ctiticism is that Schnabel doesn't give much attention to the role of the Holy Spirit in Paul's ministry. This is a significant oversight considering the prominant role the Spirit played in Acts and Paul's epistles.
More importantly, Schnabel shows us both the consistency and diversity in Paul's mission, and helps us identify those things that are unique to Paul and those things that can shape missionary service today.
I particularly found helpful the chapter on Paul's message, as that was the foundation of his ministry and the churches he planted.
My only ctiticism is that Schnabel doesn't give much attention to the role of the Holy Spirit in Paul's ministry. This is a significant oversight considering the prominant role the Spirit played in Acts and Paul's epistles.
October 11, 2017
Finished reading my last text book for this unit and my degree. What an epic read! This book was as frustrating as it was brilliant. The author provided a thorough and insightful overview of St. Paul’s mission strategies and methods. However, his narrow definitions of culture and contextualisation led to some inconsistent and overly critical conclusions. He would have done well to have included Kraft’s ‘Anthropology for Christian Witness’ in his 33 pages of bibliography and taken a closer look at Niebuhr’s ‘Christ and Culture’.
February 5, 2021
Eckhard Schnabel's greatest strength in this book is that it is comprehensive; however, it is also very wordy and sometimes repetitive. As I skimmed through it, it felt very elementary, and I don't felt like I learned much. Perhaps it would shine in an entry level undergrad glass. Schnabel does include plenty of sources for further reading.
May 4, 2021
An excellent scholarly work, tracing through all the letters and journies of Paul. Accessable but you must work at it. Worth all the time I put into it! Great job of taking us back to scripture to answer the question of what our mission should be and how to go about it.
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June 6, 2025This is a splendid book for serious students who want to examine Paul's missionary career and apply it (or not) today. It is definitely more academic in nature, but nevertheless, there is much gold here.
April 27, 2017
Paul the Missionary is another epic undertaking by Schnabel. He examines Paul's mission, looking at questions of strategy and method. His chronology of Paul's life and mission is worth the price of the book.
His examination follows Paul's chronology twice, at least, but doesn't get repetitive. That in itself is amazing.
The final chapter, of 6 thick chapters, draws conclusions from the preceding material for missions in the twenty-first century. While he has some good observations, this wasn't my favorite part of the book. He has an extensive rant against megachurches, church growth sociology, and the Purpose Driven model. While I think his concerns are valid, he didn't clearly connect his rant to Paul the Missionary. Rather, it read like a soapbox protest.
I also found his work to be light where prayer is concerned. You can't read Paul's writing and Acts without realizing how much prayer was a part of Paul's life and mission - he prayed without ceasing. One would think such dedication to prayer would draw serious attention and be woven throughout a book examining Paul as a missionary. Not so in this work.
Still, this book is a massive undertaking that few people could write. Somewhere around page 419, Schnabel comments that the book is already too long. Then he writes another 40 pages. It is an epic scale book and I am grateful to have it in my library and for the opportunity to learn from Schnabel's years of study and writing.
If you're interested in Paul and missions, get this one. Enjoy!
His examination follows Paul's chronology twice, at least, but doesn't get repetitive. That in itself is amazing.
The final chapter, of 6 thick chapters, draws conclusions from the preceding material for missions in the twenty-first century. While he has some good observations, this wasn't my favorite part of the book. He has an extensive rant against megachurches, church growth sociology, and the Purpose Driven model. While I think his concerns are valid, he didn't clearly connect his rant to Paul the Missionary. Rather, it read like a soapbox protest.
I also found his work to be light where prayer is concerned. You can't read Paul's writing and Acts without realizing how much prayer was a part of Paul's life and mission - he prayed without ceasing. One would think such dedication to prayer would draw serious attention and be woven throughout a book examining Paul as a missionary. Not so in this work.
Still, this book is a massive undertaking that few people could write. Somewhere around page 419, Schnabel comments that the book is already too long. Then he writes another 40 pages. It is an epic scale book and I am grateful to have it in my library and for the opportunity to learn from Schnabel's years of study and writing.
If you're interested in Paul and missions, get this one. Enjoy!
September 14, 2017
Outstanding. This should be the standard textbook for mission's courses in seminaries. It is a comprehensive overview of the mission work of the Apostle, and it contains calculated exegesis and a shrewd evaluation of some contemporary "missiologies."
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