Book Reviews and More: Companion to Saint Paul - J.B. Midgley

Companion to Saint Paul
CTS Companions Series
J.B. Midgley
Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 9781860822407

CTS Booklet Do718

A few of years ago I encountered the works of J.B. Midgley and was very impressed with his writing. I have worked at tracking all his books down. It took me a few years. I now have all of his books, or at least the ones I am aware of. This volume was the last I had left to read. I have read his works a total of 31 times so far; with a few having been read more than once. It has been worth tracking down all 28 books by J.B. Midgley. Twenty-six of those books were published by the Catholic Truth Society. And 6 of those were from the CTS Great Saints Series. And 7 are from the CTS Companions Series. He also wrote books in the CTS Biographies and also Saints of the Isles Series. He even contributed to one of the CTS Devotions volumes. I have loved most of them. I first read a book by Midgley almost just over 4 years ago, almost to the day. This volume is a great book, by an excellent author in a wonderful series! It is much a little more academic than some of his other offerings. But how could you look at Paul and Pauline studies and not become academic to some extent.

The description on the back of the book is:

“This ‘Companion’ sketches a dramatic panorama of the amazing life, work and legacy of Saint Paul. The story of his life, with his major journeys, failures and successes, is told. Importantly, the author identifies the central themes of his many ‘Letters’, with helpful summaries and assessments of their significance. The feasts and devotions surrounding Saint Paul are also explained.”

The chapters in this volume are:

Introduction

Legacy of Saint Paul

Devotion to Saint Paul

The Life of Saint Paul

Those who worked with Paul

Themes of Saint Paul’s Letters

1 and 2 Thessalonians AD 50-51

1 and 2 Corinthians AD 57

Galatians, Romans AD 57-58

Philippians c.AD 59

Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians c. AD 61-63

1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Timothy c. AD 65-5

Hebrews C.AD 65

Acknowledgements

Some of the passages I highlighted my first time through this volume are:

“Paul’s enduring message is about the freedom which Christ brings to God’s people in whom He lives, and which He has achieved by His sacrifice on the Cross with the Holy Spirit and in charity. It is a freedom so unrestrained that the opportunities to serve him are limitless.”

“We find salvation when we use our lips to say that Jesus is Lord, and our hearts to believe that God has raised Him from the dead. WE have received the Spirit of adoption so that, as His children, we are able to call God Abba, Father and, as His heirs, we share Christ’s inheritance, participating in His sufferings and His glory.”

“Those who doubt their personal qualifications to carry the Gospel, may be comforted that, at first glance, Paul seems an unlikely addition to the ranks of the Apostles. This Pharisee, who was a legal adviser to the hostile Sanhedrin, a cruelly efficient persecutor of Christ’s followers, and a citizen of an occupying foreign power could be opinionated, short-tempered, censorious, and disruptive, but he became consumed with love for Christ and his Church whose members he referred to tenderly as his “little children”. Though he trembled at the thought of speaking in public, he did so with a certainty that the Lord would make good his deficiencies. He showed heroic courage in the face of danger and welcomed the severity of sufferings which united him with those of Christ whom he followed to the death, rejoicing in His Resurrection.”

He is the Patron Saint of Greece, Malta and the city of London. In England fort-three churches were dedicated to him and, with Saint Peter, another two hundred and eighty three, but perhaps it is his cathedral in London which best exemplifies the great Apostle’s enduring influence.

““God our Father, you taught the Gospel to all the world through the preaching of Paul your Apostle. May we who celebrate his conversion to the faith follow him in bearing witness to your truth, and experience the power of his intercession.” (Opening Prayer, January 25th and Collect, June 30th adapted.)”

“Saul had always believed he was acting in good faith but now the grace of God began to work in him, enabling him to understand that in persecuting the members of His Body he was persecuting Jesus. The Pauline doctrine begins its life: Salvation through faith and the grace of God, and Jesus is one with His followers.”

“The New Testament lists Paul’s letters in an order of diminishing length which opens with Romans until concluding with Hebrews. The order in which they were written, however, shows the development of his theological thought as he articulates the depth and meaning of the Gospel.”

“Christ is the object of Paul’s constant love and heartfelt praise, and nothing is going to separate him from that love, not even hunger, nakedness, suffering and persecution. For him life is Christ and death a wonderful triumph. Because he has been crucified with Christ, he does not live his own life now, but the life of Christ who lives in him, and no one on earth can disturb him because he carries on his body the marks of Christ.”

“Paul condemns such teaching as more daemonic than divine, and foresees the dangers of an asceticism which enslaves rather than liberates, and an arrogant spirituality which is contemptuous of others.”

“Paul again sees the Church won by Christ through His atoning sacrifice as a Mystical Body subject to the Head who nourishes her. She is ONE body with one Head, and is one in faith, doctrine, government and worship. She is HOLY because her members are sanctified and saved by her Founder, the all holy God who commissions her to teach a holy doctrine and provide all the means to holiness.”

“Paul’s background, education, and intellect. Certainly, over the next thirty years of Pope St Clement, St. Polycarp, and St Justin never doubted that the letter was from Paul, and it was considered of such theological importance that the earliest canons placed it immediately after Romans.”

When I returned to university as a mature student the first course I did was Paul’s Life and Letters RS209 in the spring term of 1998, This was followed by an independent reading course on Paul and Pauline Theology RS398. I have had an interest in Paul since that first course. And try and read at least one book a year on Paul. This year I discovered that 2008 was the year of Saint Paul and the CTS published at least a few booklets for that year. This one predates that by three years and would have been an excellent resource that year, or for anyone interested in Paul and Pauline Studies. I would have loved to have had this booklet as a supplemental resource for both of the courses on Paul I did. And I plan to try and track down the specific booklets that are part of the ‘Year of Saint Paul’ to read.

This book is excellent for the scholar or the casual reader. It lines up very closely with my own reading of Paul and the works he penned. It is a great primer. It is a volume well worth tracking down and reading.

This book is a great read in an excellent series. It is a different than the most of the others and more academic. That is not a criticism just an observation. I have been blessed by all of the books from Midgley’s pen, and Know that I will likely reread them all, but this one on Paul will hold a special place for me. I highly recommend this book, the series and many of the works from the Catholic Truth Society.

(Note I was able to use the Way Back Machine and look at the CTS website from 2008-2009 and compile a list of books that were part of the Year of St Paul, see below.)

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.