B&H recently released what is sure to be a very popular textbook on the life of Paul for some time to come. Charles Quarles’ The Illustrated Life of Paul is both aesthetically beautiful and substantively rich. Quarles writes with an obvious love for his subject and provides a very accessible survey of Paul’s life, writings, and theology for today’s reader, published on high-quality glossy pages with photos decorating about every other page.
Books At a Glance will feature a review of this new work also, but today we talk to the author, Dr. Charles Quarles, about his work and his new book.
Books At a Glance (Fred Zaspel):
Beginning on a very personal level, would you explain for us the specific circumstances that led you to dedicate this book to your wife, Julie? It’s a wonderful story, and our readers will love to hear it.
Quarles:
Julie honored the Great Commission and took three small children to Romania where she labored tirelessly to make a home for our family in difficult circumstances. During the final of our three years in Romania, Julie remained faithful even when the entire family nearly died from carbon monoxide poisoning and when opponents slashed our tires, rigged blowouts, and then violently attacked members of the family on two different occasions. She ultimately developed a rare condition called Cauda Equina Syndrome that left her partially paralyzed. A risky emergency surgery left her completely paralyzed from the waist down and our spine specialist in the US was convinced that the paralysis was permanent. Throughout the ordeal, Julie’s concern was not for herself, but for her family. Her great fear was that the family she wanted to care for would now have to take care of her. God graciously restored her ability to walk normally, but she still struggles with almost constant pain. As I wrote in the Preface: “During this period she became more than my wife. She became my hero, a hero whose faith, tenacity, and undying commitment to me and her family inspire me to this day. Throughout it all, Julie displayed the great courage and the amazing resilience that was the essence of the apostle to the Gentiles. This book would not be complete without a dedication to her, just as I would not be complete without her at my side.”
I appreciate you asking this question, Fred. I am honored to have the opportunity to introduce readers to this remarkable woman who so often works quietly and humbly behind the scenes.
Books At a Glance:
Tell us something of how this book came about, your own interest in the subject, and perhaps the work and travels involved in the research.
Quarles:
I first proposed writing such a book to an evangelical publishing company back in 1998. Somewhat to my surprise, the publisher offered me a contract. But the offer arrived when we were in the final stages of appointment by the International Mission Board. The IMB warned that it would be virtually impossible to write the book while I was attempting to adapt to a new culture and learn a new language sufficiently well to evangelize, preach, and teach at a graduate level in that new language. I had to decline the contract. I knew that missionary service involved saying “no” to some of my personal dreams, but this was a difficult decision for me. I thought at the time that I was giving up my only opportunity to write a book like this. But when we had to return to the US, Steve Bond contacted me at his own initiative and invited me to write The Illustrated Life of Paul for B&H. So the book is a beautiful example of God’s gracious providence. I am constantly astonished by God’s mysterious ways.
Although much of my writing over the last several years has been in the field of Gospel studies, I love the entire New Testament too much to seek to become a specialist in one narrow area of New Testament studies. I enjoy studying and teaching the life and letters of Paul. After the Lord Jesus, of course, the apostle Paul seems to be the most significant figure in human history. It is fair to say that I am more than interested in him. I have the deepest love and respect for the man and I am captivated both by his story and his writings.
Over the last several years I have had the opportunity to retrace Paul’s steps during trips to Israel, Turkey, and Greece. These trips were far more illuminating than I expected them to be. Insights from these travels mark many of the pages of the book. For example, I changed my position regarding the symbolism of the Great Artemis statue when my personal examination discovered details that are not obvious in most photographs. Seeing the ancient Roman roads that Paul traveled by foot through the mountains of Turkey and Greece confirmed that Paul was amazingly strong even in his senior years. Nevertheless, my most important research involved poring over Acts and Paul’s epistles. Writing this book has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life. During my research the object of my study became a dear and familiar friend.
Books At a Glance:
Characterize for us the significance of the apostle Paul in Christianity. Can you summarize?
Quarles:
A couple of excerpts from the book should suffice:
“As providence would have it, this one son of Tarsus would be the instrument God would use to build and sustain his church. In the first century the kingdom of God was extended throughout the known world through the missionary labors of Paul and those whose lives he touched. In the fourth century Paul’s letters would mold the mind of Augustine, whose writings would exercise enormous influence on succeeding generations of believers. In the sixteenth century Paul’s epistles would prompt the conversion of a Catholic monk and spark a reformation of the church that would restore the teaching of the true gospel in pulpits, palaces, and public squares throughout Europe.
Paul’s voice is still heard in those churches that faithfully proclaim the gospel of justification by grace through faith alone. His missionary passion still motivates the thousands of believers whose ‘aim is to evangelize where Christ has not been named’ (Rom 15:20) and who blaze trails through steamy jungles or risk the dangers of Islamic persecution to carry the gospel to those who have never heard it.”
Books At a Glance:
Paul was obviously a very well-informed man – what can we know about his educational background, religious and otherwise?
Quarles:
We can know more than many assume. For example, Paul was trained at the feet of rabbi Gamaliel I. The Mishnah records a number of details about Gamaliel’s teaching and the book discusses these and their influence on Saul of Tarsus. Even after the completion of his rabbinic training, Paul continued to study both the Scriptures and the important philosophical and religious writings of the cultures that he was attempting to reach. His letters and his sermons in Acts are clearly the product of a brilliant and well-trained mind.
Books At a Glance:
Would you characterize Paul’s missionary method for us briefly?
Quarles:
Paul’s strategy was to focus on large urban centers where he could reach greater numbers of people. New disciples of Jesus would then carry the gospel from these centers to more rural areas in the vicinity. Paul was also committed to pioneer missions. He had no intention of building on another’s foundation, but desired to carry the gospel to those areas in which it was not previously known. Paul recognized the importance of mentoring young Christian leaders and continuing to shepherd new congregations even after he moved on to focus his work on other areas.
Books At a Glance:
Paul was a rising star in first century Judaism. What indications does the New Testament give us regarding his stature in that world before his conversion?
Quarles:
Because of his zeal, intellect, training and political connections, Paul was poised to become the foremost leader of first century Judaism. He gladly counted all this as loss for the sake of the great joy of knowing Jesus as his Lord. His conversion from being the most vehement opponent of the Christian faith to become the most ardent of Christian missionaries is so amazing as to be deemed incredible by those who are unfamiliar with God’s powerful grace. Imagine a Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden believing the gospel and enduring severe persecution in order to share the gospel and you will begin to understand the astonishing transformation that God wrought in his man’s heart.
Books At a Glance:
Having studied the life, as well as the teaching, of the apostle Paul, how would you characterize him? What stands out in your mind as his leading traits? In what ways should we – as he himself suggests, on occasion – try to emulate him?
Quarles:
I suspect that most attempts to psychoanalyze Paul get him completely wrong. They assume that his amazing accomplishments are due to his forceful personality, his courage, his stubbornness, or his intellect. I understand that temptation and sometimes fall prey to it. While writing this book, I struggled to avoid idolizing Paul. I believe that I will face him one day and I would expect a serious scolding if I glorified him. The Apostle sincerely hoped that the “Paul fanatics” died out in Corinth and he shunned any tendency to give to him the glory that properly belongs only to Christ. We should see Paul as a beautiful example of strength made perfect in weakness. He recognized himself as the “chief of sinners” and threw himself upon the grace of God. He recognized his foolishness and relied on the wisdom of God. He was painfully aware of his frailty and depended on the power of God. We all need a dose of Pauline humility that will drive us to our knees in absolute reliance on the Almighty.
Books At a Glance:
Many books have been written about the apostle Paul – what distinguishes yours among them? What contribution are you hoping to make? And who is your intended audience?
Quarles:
Some books on Paul are just plain boring! There is no excuse for that and I hope that this one is not. As I mentioned in the Introduction: “The plots to assassinate the apostle, the brutality of the tortures he suffered, the courage he displayed in the presence of kings, the brushes with death he experienced, and the betrayal of friends that grieved him make Paul’s story one filled with an intrigue and suspense that even modern thrillers cannot match.” When we read about Paul we should be instructed by his doctrines, inspired by his commitment, awed by his missionary fervor, and overwhelmed by the depths of his sacrifice. And we should glorify the Savior who produced all this in such an unworthy instrument. If this book is boring, throw it away. It could not possibly be a faithful portrayal of Paul and cause readers to yawn.
I wrote this book for ordinary people including students who are just beginning formal New Testament studies. Although I carefully researched Paul’s life and teaching and consulted scholarly literature in the process, I did not want this book to be a scholarly tome that only those in the academy would understand. My goal was that the book would be both understandable and interesting to the average guy on the street and to the average person in the pew.
Books At a Glance:
One last question of the “We’re just curious” sort. Your book is a beautiful volume and beautifully illustrated. The dozens of maps, photos, and various illustrations – did you come up with all these yourself, or was that a team effort?
Quarles:
I was asked to suggest photos and illustrations that were appropriate to the text. My friend, Steve Bond of B&H, is responsible for gathering the photos and illustrations. Steve did an outstanding job and his work made an enormous contribution.
