Few people in the history of Christianity have had as large an impact on the church as the apostle Paul. Yet few Christians understand much about the complex personality of this man. Many know something of his teaching about love, but few realize the brooding and fretful personality traits of Paul or the way he frequently used sarcasm when dealing with insubordinate converts. Paul was a zealot with fiercely held convictions. And zealots inspire both intense loyalty and strong opposition. You love them or hate them.

In the first session Paul's explosive personality is explored along with how he turned from being a zealot for the laws of Moses to being a zealot for Jesus Christ. We will consider why he was the center of an intense controversy in the early church and how he addressed his followers and his opponents. The second session looks at some of the difficulties of understand writing in his context and ours. Finally, the third session examines why Paul's theology is so controversial.