The Letters of Paul include some of the oldest writings in the New Testament. The dates of his earliest letters most likely fall in the period A.D. 50–60 and were written before the Gospels, Acts, and other New Testament writings.

Paul studied the Jewish Scriptures and was a member of the Pharisees, a group devoted to teaching and living according to God’s Law  (Gal 1:14; Phil 3:5). In his letters, Paul admits that at one time he openly made trouble for the followers of Jesus, because he believed they were questioning the authority of God’s Law and living instead by Jesus’ new teachings. But when God showed Paul who Jesus really was (Gal 1:15,16), Paul began to preach and teach the good news about Jesus.

Several themes are found throughout the letters of Paul. For example, Paul taught that God sent “Christ to be our sacrifice” and to set us “free from our sins” (Rom 3:24-26). He also said that no one could please God or become acceptable to God by obeying the Law (Gal 3:11; Rom 3:23), but rather, “God accepts only those who have faith in Jesus Christ“ (Gal 2:16). Those who put their trust in Jesus benefit not only from the sacrifice Christ made but also share in the new life he received when he was raised from death (Rom 6:5-11). Paul told Christians to live according to God’s Spirit, who gives gifts for serving others (Rom 12:6-21; 1 Cor 12–13; Gal 5:16-25). He looked forward to Christ’s return (Phil 3:20; 4:5; 1 Thes 4:13-18), and so he encouraged Jesus’ followers to live as if Jesus might return any day (1 Thes 5:1-8; 1 Cor 7:29-39).

The apostle Paul is named as the author of nearly half of the books in the New Testament. His name appears in the greeting of thirteen New Testament letters, but many scholars today believe that he did not actually write all of them. All agree that Paul wrote Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon. Three other letters include many of Paul’s basic teachings described above but introduce ideas that are not found in the seven letters Paul most certainly wrote. This, along with differences in writing style and vocabulary, has led some scholars to present other theories about who may have written Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians. Finally, the three letters to early church leaders (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) address issues of church leadership that some scholars feel did not become important until a generation or two after Paul’s death when local churches had more members and the number of churches had increased. So, while these are traditionally seen as Paul’s writings, it is possible that they were written by persons very familiar with Paul’s letters and teachings, and who wanted to apply what they had learned from Paul to new problems being faced by the church.

Paul was certainly one of the most influential leaders in the early days of Christianity. He preached and taught in many places as he journeyed about the regions bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Some of his letters were written to churches and people he had already met in his travels and had taught the good news about Jesus Christ. Others were written to those he hoped to meet in the future. Paul’s letters provide a picture of life among many groups of early Christians who struggled to understand what Jesus and his teachings meant for life in this world and the world to come. Paul’s teachings reflect the culture and society of his day. They also show his understanding of the Jewish Scripture as well as his knowledge of Greek philosophy. Paul used everything he knew and all he had experienced to tell the good news of Christ Jesus. He felt he was chosen to spread “God’s powerful way of saving all people who have faith” (Rom 1:16).