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Reviewed by Old Coot
11/27/2006 9:19:34 PM
Thomas A. Wayment is an associate professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University who earned his PhD in New Testament studies from Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California. He has written a helpful book for those interested in the life of the dynamic Apostle Paul.
The book consists of eight chapters ranging from "Early Experiences" to "Paul Arrives in Jerusalem." There is a handy chronology of Paul's life included, as well as a list of "Works Cited" and a six-page index.
I learned a lot. For instance, Wayment states the names "Saul" and "Paul" indicate "traces of a servile background. . . . Paul likely descends from an ancestor named 'Paulus' meaning 'short' or 'stubby.'" Given Joseph Smith's description of the apostle (see "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith"), the name is rather appropriate.
I've wrestled with the concept of Paul "kicking against the pricks" (Acts 9:5). Professor Wayment helps clarify the passage by having Jesus ask, "Is it difficult to kick against a cactus?" Having once done that very thing, I can appreciate the image. My opinion is that it is a very simple but very stupid thing to do.
As this book is primarily aimed at members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the author is sensitive to the history and teachings of the modern church. I was touch by the comparison drawn between Paul's sufferings in a Ephesian prison to that of Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail.
Speaking of Ephesus, Wayment explains that Paul's epistle to the saints at Ephesus was likely not written to that city specifically but to the general area in Asia. He notes that early manuscripts do not contain the title "Ephesus." This clarification is important when we consider Paul's letter seems to be directed to a community that did not know him. A rather confusing situation since Luke reports Paul spent two years there.
This paragraph is a gem: "Realizing how desperate their circumstances really were, the crew abandoned ship near Malta, on an island inhabited by barbarians. To the Greeks and Romans, barbarians were any society or people who spoke a language other than the widely recognized languages of the Roman empire. Anciently, someone had described them as people whose speech was 'bar, bar, bar.' Eventually the description was used to designate any culture that spoke a foreign language and the term 'bar-bar-ians' stuck. The native people of Malta were considered barbarians and the crew was surprised to see how well the people treated them."
While this book is not exhaustive in the treatment of the life and times of Paul, it certainly is a good introduction to the subject. It belongs on your bookshelf.
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