Paul the Arrogant?

Wow. Brad alerted us to an experiment where five unchurched folks were paid to attend a service. http://drewmarshall.ca/blog.html Interesting concept; sort of a twist on the Ship of Fools Mystery Worshipper idea. http://ship-of-fools.com/Mystery/index.html

Here's what one woman named Taylor Parkes had to say:

"I am not of a church background and have very little experience with scripture and therefore don’t believe I can critique the pastors understanding of the verses he used within the service however I can comment on how I perceived them as a result of his presentation. The verses used were 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 verses 1-12 which was written by Paul if I remember correctly. The Pastor really tried to emphasis the confidence that Paul uses within this section and I don’t know if it was successful in getting his point across, as we all know there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance and its was definitely being flirted with which tainted his 'God makes the difference' theme."

Taylor is being quite generous here, but this makes the second time in a month that I have heard Paul called "arrogant." The previous time was by A., our former Moslem friend, who has been reading the NT with a magnifying glass in her thirst to know more about Jesus. That two so different people could come to the same conclusion invites further analysis.

While I don't want to endorse a canon with the canon, I do think that practically our theologies end up preferring one voice or set of voices to others. The Reformation emphasized Paul. For example, witness how important the book of Romans has been for Protestants, from Luther to Barth. It has been the point of entry for countless Christians, particularly those of modernist bent. If you are focused on words, preaching and argument, Paul is your man. But what if you aren't focused on those things? Then it seems to me that it might be quite possible to perceive Paul as arrogant.

Why a Postmodernist may see Paul as arrogant....

I have no way of knowing for sure, but I suspect that Taylor Parkes may be representative of the postmoderns among us. If so, she'll be looking primarily for meaning and relationship rather than truth and teaching; and charisma will speak louder than content. She will be deeply suspicious of anyone who speaks authoritatively, for what others take as magisterial she will take as tyrannical.

IMO, Paul will not be the best way "in" to the gospel for her simply because Paul is too didactic and dogmatic. Lacking much interest and experience in argumentation, folks like Taylor will likely take Paul to be on a power trip: contentious, boastful and "intolerant."

Why a Moslem may see Paul as arrogant...

But what about A.? She called Paul "arrogant" as well. Certainly A is no postmodernist; as she battles stage IV stomach cancer she is heavily invested in what is true, and is hungry to learn all she can about Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Her tradition presented her with an entirely transcendent God who is in total control; whose will cannot be thwarted, and who demands total obedience. She feared Allah, but when she met Jesus in the gospels she fell in love. Yet she is no antinomian. So why should she have a problem with Paul, apostle to the Gentiles?

One obvious reason, given the current political climate, might be his Jewishness. But that can't be the only reason: after all, Paul was in trouble with the Jews more than he was with the Gentiles.

Another reason might be that pesky epistle to the Galatians, wherein Paul challenges legalism--Moslems can be a target for that as well as Jews and Christians. The idea of freedom in Christ has always been difficult for fallen human beings to grasp, and it can seem so much easier to live life according to duty rather than according to virtue.

But in my conversations with A, these are not factors at all for her. A.'s complaint about Paul has been the same as Taylor's: his arrogance. But instead of viewing Paul as domineering and close minded, A. takes him to be self-centered: "He talks too much about himself!" Instead of confidence, she sees conceit.

A is very sensitive about individualism, as she greatly misses the crowds and hospitality of her native Tehran. When she first came to Eugene she asked her husband, H. why there weren't any people on the streets. "It's a holiday," H. explained. But then the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, the sidewalks were still not bustling and full. "What is going on?" she demanded. "Where are all the people?" H. sheepishly admitted,"this is Oregon. There aren't as many people here as there are in Iran. Or even in Los Angeles."

Yes, here in the Pacific Northwest rugged individualism has been our heritage, and Eugene --"where the old hippies go to die" --is renowned for its unique personalities. (Okay, fine. Some folks call them anarchists.But we also have our share of yuppies and self-absorbed New Agers.) A. has been bewildered. To her, Paul appears to be yet another narcissist in a long parade of European individualists.

I find all this fascinating and troubling. As I work with both groups of people, the Taylors and the A's, I want to work with their grain as much as possible, rather than against it. So with A, I have spent a lot of time focusing on John instead of Paul, and that strategy seems to be effective. "I am the vine, you are the branches" and "Little children, love one another" are easy for A. to digest. But at some point, if God allows, we will need to come to terms with Paul. And how will we do so? Here are some ways I think I might win him a hearing:

1) discuss his experiences of conversion and persecution for Christ, focusing on another side of Paul that they might not be aware of. Experiences are narratives rather than arguments, so hopefully that might defuse the resistance to truth/teaching. Only when that resistance is overcome will the ears be ready to hear and the eyes be ready to see. A. is already able to understand the persecution part, because she has told me that if the Lord heals her so that she can go back to visit her mother, she will be jailed for becoming a Christian.

2) discuss the genre of epistle (as opposed to gospel) and Paul's vocation as a missionary/church planter (as opposed to John's, as "elder statesman," "beloved apostle" and mystic.

Any further ideas are welcome!