A THEOLOGY OF GOOD WORKS: THE APOSTLE PAUL’S CONCEPT OF GOOD WORKS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM

The apostle Paul lived and ministered within the context of Second Temple Judaism. Following just over three decades of adherence to and immersion in Pharisaic Judaism, Saul of Tarsus converted to Jesus Christ and in consequence, conducted several missionary journeys proclaiming the gospel of Christ and writing letters to the newly established churches. While the Hebrew Scriptures provided the theological foundation for the apostle Paul’s teaching, his concept of good works was forged within the historical context of Second Temple Judaism. Inasmuch as this is the case, it is essential to explore the concept of good works within the OT and Second Temple Literature in order to accurately assess the apostle Paul’s theology of good works. This inquiry will assess Paul’s theology of good works in comparison to the Old Testament (OT) Pseudepigrapha, OT Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, and Philo.