We learned last month of the death of James D G (Jimmy) Dunn who was for many years Professor of Divinity in the University of Durham. Jimmy Dunn wrote many insightful and helpful books in New Testament studies.
I first came across his book Unity and Diversity in the New Testament, from which I learned that there are many voices and perspectives even in the earliest Christian sources and that there is also a unity that holds this diversity together. When I was studying in England in the 1980s he was spoken of with some suspicion by other scholars: for one thing he was popular with students and another he was so clearly a spiritual person. How sad that those things were considered cause for disdain. I have appreciated his work for all the years since and now write in his honour.
I thought to offer a series on ‘Terrific Tomes’, meaning some helpful larger works—books that it’s worth spending months with, even a year. Not everything needs to or should be read in a hurry!
Once I decided to do that, the first book I thought of was Dunn’s The Theology of Paul the Apostle, first published in 1997 and re-published 2006. One review praised it as ‘a synthesis of great power and beauty. Every page betrays the excitement of dialoguing with Paul.’
Amongst the really helpful themes of this book I want to mention just three. First, that Dunn sees the heart of Paul’s theology in the Apostle’s commonly used phrase ‘in Christ’. The Gospel is about a quality of life, in which humans are drawn into that life which became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth and continues through the work of the Spirit. The Christian life is just that: life in Christ. Paul’s theology, then, centres upon the idea of participation, from a word which might also be translated ‘communion’ or ‘fellowship’ of ‘life together’ (to use Bonhoeffer’s idea).
What is given to us in the resurrection of Jesus is an incorporated life, a life in which we belong to Christ (by virtue of his victory over the destructive power of sin and death) and ‘in Christ’ we belong to a new creation. The body of Christ is, then, not an institution, not first of all a voluntary congregation of people: it is the new creation of life together, the incorporation, embodiment in time and space of this new life.
A strong feature of Paul’s letters is his drawing of ethical implications from theological foundations, and so too with Dunn’s work. In a later section of the book, Dunn deals with Paul’s personal testimony to his apostolic ministry. Dunn gathers a series of ‘principles’ from across Paul’s letters, which can be seen as criteria or tests of authentic ministry. In Paul’s case they are tests of apostolic ministry, but I suggest we can use them as guiding principles for all Christian service. These are guidelines for our own practice and also for the way we might encourage and advise others.
1.The first principle is the primacy of the gospel: apostleship and ministry are ‘wholly in service of the gospel’. Leadership and authority are subject to the truth of the gospel and have no other basis.
2. Apostolic authority is exercised not over the Christian community but within it. Authority is not about domination or control, but the power of the Spirit, made perfect in weakness. Paul offers pastoral guidance to the Corinthians, for example, but urges them to take responsibility for their actions.
3. The principle of ‘accommodation or adaptability’: With Paul there is an interaction between authority and freedom,which is worked out in missionary practice. He must be adaptable and flexible, whilst maintaining his focus on the gospel mission. Paul was an inventive pastor and leader, adapting to the needs of situations as they arose.
4. Dunn notes that for Paul the apostle’s authority is related to a particular situation and gospel task . He saw each church as having its apostles or founders, who have responsibilities and rights in relation to that community.
5. Finally, for Paul ‘the true mark of apostolic ministry is the shared experience of Christ’s sufferings. Suffering with Christand with others is a necessary part of engagement in what Dunn calls ‘the process of salvation’. This is not to say that suffering is a desirable thing, but rather it is one of the expected indications of genuine engagement with Christ’s mission in the world.
After identifying these principles and discussing various ministries in the churches, Dunn gathers his findings into a series of tests for genuine Christian ministry, for ‘testing the spirits’. These are so easy to say but so difficult to live and to apply!
The first is the criterion of the gospel;
second is the criterion of love—for God and for neighbour;
third is the principle of ‘community benefit’, that which will build up the community of faith.
Here we see Paul the Pastor, who has learned the value of these things from difficult experiences at times. We are called upon to judge character, schemes and ideas, and the people who maybe promote them (and sometimes themselves): wisdom is needed and here are some helpful elements for that discernment.
Dunn also turned to the many complex ethical issues with which Paul had to deal. Consistent with the principles already identified, he finds a combination of local response and core values. These values need to be applied to the issue at hand,but to know what the basic principles means that we will never go too far wrong.
To consider just one example: in Romans 12 and 13, Paul is dealing with the issue of how Christians relate to the civil authorities (and taxes!). Dunn identifies four key principles in Paul’s response here:
- The first is love: the charismatic community cannot exist without love.
- But this love must be genuine: it is more than a nice feeling or good intention. It requires a definite intention and persistent action.
- Thirdly, Dunn notes that Paul draws upon his heritage of Jewish law and wisdom, and upon the teachings of Jesus. These show us how we are to love God and neighbour.
- Finally, Paul appeals to the social situation—as the first principle, but as a source of guidance. Paul asks what will be respected and honoured in the wider community, ‘in the sight of everyone’? (Rom. 17). It is wise to keep peace with the local community wherever we can, within the demands of the gospel.
There is great value in Dunn’s scholarship here. He has gathered together the wisdom of Paul and invites us to study the texts and discern the Spirit’s presence and invitation to life ‘in Christ’.
The one thing I want to add, however, to this summary is this: so much of what I’ve drawn from Dunn might sound as if Paul offers guidance and principles for us to follow, as if it is all up to us, as if Christian life is deeply, seriously ethical—which it is—but without much joy, hope and celebration. If that is the impression, I’ve offered a misrepresentation of Dunn, of Paul and of life ‘in Christ’. Paul writes with hope and joy, even in suffering. He writes of the power of the Gospel, by which he means a dynamic life, enabling, making possible in us, amidst all the struggles and ambiguities of this life, a new creation, even now. Thus, Paul the Apostle saw Christian faith as hope and love: amidst diverse cultures, struggles and new efforts in mission, he and his communities lived in the hope of Christ’s presence with them being real, not just an idea but an experience of new creation transforming the pain and angst so many endured. That hope engendered love and the community expressed that love in practical support for each other and in the breaking of bread. For Paul, this life together was life ‘in Christ’, a body of faith, hope and love.