The Henson Journals

["]In fact, with regard to all that Paul the tentmaker has to say about labour, we ought to place ourselves as it were within St Paul's own class, the artisan class of the Imperial age, and then feel the force of his words. They all become more life–like when restored to their original historical milieu.["]

v Deissmann 'Light from the Ancient East'. p. 313

The chapter 'St Paul the Man' in Deissmann's 'St Paul A study in Social and Religious History' emphasizes the unimportance of St Paul in his own age. Yet in Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible, I read as follows:– 'The wealth of Paul's father we may fairly infer from the education given him: his occupation as a tentmaker is no disproof of this, for well–to–do Jews wisely taught their sons some handicraft'. I prefer to think of S. Paul as the only 'gentleman & scholar' in the Apostolic college, &, therefore, its most influential teacher: for even 'the Prince of the Apostles' learned from him. The admirable Deissmann exaggerates the certainly considerable contribution he has made to N.T. studies, & his enthusiasm for the testimony of papyri and ostraka almost creates a 'bee in his bonnet'.