THE ORIGIN OF PAUL'S RELIGION THE JAMES SPRUNT LECTURES DELIVERED AT UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN VIRGINIA BY J. GRESHAM MACHEN, D.D. _Assistant Professor of New Testament Literature and Exegesis in Princeton Theological Seminary_ New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1921 _All rights reserved_ PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Copyright, 1921, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and printed. Published October, 1921. Press of J. J. Little & Ives Company New York, U. S. A. TO WILLIAM PARK ARMSTRONG MY GUIDE IN THE STUDY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT AND IN ALL GOOD THINGS THE JAMES SPRUNT LECTURES In 1911 Mr. James Sprunt of Wilmington, North Carolina, gave to The Trustees of Union Theological Seminary in Virginia the sum of thirty thousand dollars, since increased by his generosity to fifty thousand dollars, for the purpose of establishing a perpetual lectureship, which would enable the institution to secure from time to time the services of distinguished ministers and authoritative scholars, outside the regular Faculty, as special lecturers on subjects connected with various departments of Christian thought and Christian work. The lecturers are chosen by the Faculty of the Seminary and a committee of the Board of Trustees, and the lectures are published after their delivery in accordance with a contract between the lecturer and these representatives of the institution. The ninth series of lectures on this foundation is presented in this volume. W. W. MOORE, _President_. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION 3 II. THE EARLY YEARS 43 III. THE TRIUMPH OF GENTILE FREEDOM 71 IV. PAUL AND JESUS 117 V. THE JEWISH ENVIRONMENT 173 VI. THE RELIGION OF THE HELLENISTIC AGE 211 VII. REDEMPTION IN PAGAN RELIGION AND IN PAUL 255 VIII. THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS 293 INDEX 319 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION THE ORIGIN OF PAUL'S RELIGION CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION