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Paul's
Ethos:
Prof.
Michael R. Cosby
When Paul asserts his theological perspectives, he defends his apostolic identity as well as his gospel message. When under attack, sometimes he employs autobiographical summaries to assert his credibility (e.g., Galatians 1–2; 2 Cor. 10:1–12:13; Phil. 3:4-11; 1 Thess. 2:1-12). At other times he caustically contrasts his own knowledge and spiritual maturity with the ignorance and immaturity of his addressees (e.g., 1 Cor. 2:6–4:21). In Romans, which is far less confrontational than Galatians, he begins by connecting his own credibility with that of God’s gospel (Rom. 1:1-6). Regardless of his means of defending his character, modesty plays a very small role when he exalts his authority and virtues. Even when he boasts of his own weakness (e.g., 2 Cor. 11:28–12:13), he does so in a contest for restoring his honorable position as apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul is not bashful about telling Christians to “keep on doing the things that you have learned and heard and seen in me” (Phil. 4:9). This paper explores Paul’s use of ethos in his argumentation methods.
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