The Versatility of Paul began in a 2021 lecture series at the Asia Pacific Theological Seminary. Robert Banks, former Professor at Fuller and honorary Professor at Alphacrucis, examines Paul from various angles, exploring (as the title indicates), his radical versatility.

People regularly comment on Paul’s apostleship, but how often do we consider Paul’s role as an evangelist, prophet, pastor, or teacher? Banks argues that Paul functioned effectively in all of these roles, depending on what the context required.

There is one area where I disagree with Banks. He writes: “Instead of the language of leadership, references to ‘servanthood’ pervade his writings” (104). Rather than viewing him as a ‘servant leader,’ we should consider him a ‘leading servant’” (108). While I have no problem with viewing Paul as a servant—a slave!—of Christ, this arbitrary distinction between leadership and servanthood is misleading. In the ancient near Eastern context, people understood shepherding (i.e., pastoring) as the primary leadership metaphor. To be sure, this type of leadership doesn’t always align with modern leadership theory in the West (although there are intriguing connections). Still, Paul’s versatility and utter commitment to his Messiah in no way minimized his leadership capacity or style—rather, it profoundly shaped it.

Issues of leadership aside, these lectures-turned-chapters provide a helpful if brief overview of the ministry of Paul, apostle (prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) extraordinaire!

Banks, Robert. The Versatility of Paul: Artisan Missioner, Community Developer, Pastoral Educator. Wipf and Stock, 2022. APTS Press Occasional Papers Series 3.