Abstract
Of all the books in the New Testament, only the letters of Paul are referred to so directly within the Bible itself as a difficult body of teaching that readers must approach with care—with fear and trembling even (2 Pet 3:14–18). In fact, difficulties in interpreting Paul’s thought and teaching arose even before the writing of 2 Peter. Paul himself had to correct the understanding of an early letter to the church in Corinth (1 Cor 5:9–13). Indeed, the history of the interpretation of Paul is a history of conflict. He is one who regularly evokes strong