--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first Christian author we have is the…" description: "\"“The first Christian author we have is the Apostle Paul”\" — Bart D. Ehrman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/bart-d-ehrman-3928_apostle-paul_the-first-christian-author-we-have-is-th_1651028.png" --- # The first Christian author we have is the Apostle Paul ![“The first Christian author we have is the Apostle Paul” quote by Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/bart-d-ehrman-3928_apostle-paul_the-first-christian-author-we-have-is-th_1651028.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/bart-d-ehrman-3928_apostle-paul_the-first-christian-author-we-have-is-th_1651028.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/bart-d-ehrman-3928_apostle-paul_the-first-christian-author-we-have-is-th_1651028.png) > ““The first Christian author we have is the Apostle Paul”” [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes that Paul is the earliest known Christian author, underscoring Paul’s foundational role. **In simple terms:** Paul is the first known Christian author. Key Takeaway Acknowledge foundational figures in history. Themes history religion authorship Mood academic informative Type historical educational When to use this quote - theological study - historical analysis - education Key Concepts Christianity early texts Questions to Reflect On - Why is Paul’s authorship significant? - How does this shape Christian origins? A Different Perspective Early authors may be unknown. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apostle paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apostle-paul/) [Author Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/author-apostle-654558/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christian Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-author-654557/) [Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paul/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [I am not a "Christian author." I am an author who is a Christian. While my books reflect my faith, they are not intended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-andrews/i-am-not-a-christian-author-i-am-an-author-who-is-a-christian-while/) [Andy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-andrews/) > [“Hey girl, I saw the Apostle Paul and he said for you to greet me with a holy kiss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-pierce/hey-girl-i-saw-the-apostle-paul-and-he-said-for-you-to-greet-me-with/) [Matthew Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-pierce/) > [“Richard Dawkins regards faith as an evil to be eliminated; he takes all religious faith to be blind faith. (Dawkins says) ‘Scientific belief is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennox/richard-dawkins-regards-faith-as-an-evil-to-be-eliminated-he-takes/) [John Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennox/) > [If God's love for his children is to be measured by our health, wealth, and comfort in this life, God hated the apostle Paul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/if-god-s-love-for-his-children-is-to-be-measured-by-our-health-wealth/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“They may call you "Stupid" because of what you've done in the past. Hey, you are going to be "Prominent" because of what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/they-may-call-you-stupid-because-of-what-you-ve-done-in-the-past-hey/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who empowers, enriches, equips, enlightens, energizes, recreates, revives, promotes, strengthens, purifies, sponsors, and prepares me! Yes, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/i-can-do-all-things-through-christ-who-empowers-enriches-equips/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“The apostle Paul similarly had loyal friends. “No man in the New Testament made fiercer enemies than Paul, but few men in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-oswald-sanders-2/the-apostle-paul-similarly-had-loyal-friends-no-man-in-the-new/) [J Oswald Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-oswald-sanders-2/) > [“The apostle Paul?” “Yes. The name Paul or Paulus comes from the root word pauo, which means to pause, to stop, to desist, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-cahn/the-apostle-paul-yes-the-name-paul-or-paulus-comes-from-the-root-word/) [Jonathan Cahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-cahn/) > [“The apostle Paul often appears in Christian thought as the one chiefly responsible for the de-Judaization of the gospel and even for the transmutation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaroslav-pelikan/the-apostle-paul-often-appears-in-christian-thought-as-the-one/) [Jaroslav Pelikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaroslav-pelikan/) > [Of course, my biblical hero apart from the Lord Jesus Christ is the Apostle Paul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/of-course-my-biblical-hero-apart-from-the-lord-jesus-christ-is-the/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“This is God's beauty! The Elegant nature of Esther, The Meek nature of Moses, The Pius nature of Paul, The Passionate nature of Peter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/this-is-god-s-beauty-the-elegant-nature-of-esther-the-meek-nature-of/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [The Apostle Paul did what he had to do to spread the message of God. I realize that that is what I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-norris/the-apostle-paul-did-what-he-had-to-do-to-spread-the-message-of-god-i/) [Chuck Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-norris/) > [The first duty of a Christian, of a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, is to deny himself. To deny oneself means to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innocent-of-alaska/the-first-duty-of-a-christian-of-a-disciple-and-follower-of-jesus/) [Innocent of Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innocent-of-alaska/) > [“Paul, by the way, never says that Jesus declared himself to be divine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/paul-by-the-way-never-says-that-jesus-declared-himself-to-be-divine/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [ Listen to these words of \[apostle\] Paul: "We war not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and the rulers of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/listen-to-these-words-of-apostle-paul-we-war-not-against-flesh-and/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) ## More by Bart D. Ehrman > [“If you get fired from your job, that’s outside your control, so you shouldn’t be personally invested in your job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/if-you-get-fired-from-your-job-that-s-outside-your-control-so-you/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“It’s like what some Episcopalians say about themselves today: get four in a room and you’ll find five opinions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/it-s-like-what-some-episcopalians-say-about-themselves-today-get-four/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“The Synoptics simply accept a Christological view that is different from Paul’s. They hold to exaltation Christologies, and Paul holds to an incarnation Christology.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/the-synoptics-simply-accept-a-christological-view-that-is-different/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“If Jesus really were equal with God from “the beginning,” before he came to earth, and he knew it, then surely the Synoptic Gospels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/if-jesus-really-were-equal-with-god-from-the-beginning-before-he-came/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“Moreover, this earlier tradition has a different view of Christ than the one that Paul explicates elsewhere in his surviving writings. Here, unlike in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/moreover-this-earlier-tradition-has-a-different-view-of-christ-than/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“Origen delved into theological areas that had not yet been examined by any of his predecessors in the faith .. Later theologians questioned his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/origen-delved-into-theological-areas-that-had-not-yet-been-examined/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“Later orthodox theologians would have found this view completely inadequate. In stressing that the Father was “greater” than the Son, Tertullian articulated a view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/later-orthodox-theologians-would-have-found-this-view-completely/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“What we think of as the twenty-seven books of “the” New Testament emerged out of these conflicts, and it was the side that won…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/what-we-think-of-as-the-twenty-seven-books-of-the-new-testament/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“Paul, by the way, never says that Jesus declared himself to be divine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/paul-by-the-way-never-says-that-jesus-declared-himself-to-be-divine/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [I have such a fantastic life that I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for it. . . . But I don't have anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/i-have-such-a-fantastic-life-that-i-feel-an-overwhelming-sense-of/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“similarity among all the speeches in Acts suggests that they were written by the same person—Luke.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/similarity-among-all-the-speeches-in-acts-suggests-that-they-were/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“pastors don’t want to make waves; or they don’t think their congregations are “ready” to hear what scholars are saying;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/pastors-don-t-want-to-make-waves-or-they-don-t-think-their/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“This is one of the hard-and-fast ironies of the Christian tradition: views that at one time were the majority opinion, or at least that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/this-is-one-of-the-hard-and-fast-ironies-of-the-christian-tradition/) [bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“If Jesus predicted that the imminent apocalypse would arrive within his own generation, before his disciples had all died, what was one to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/if-jesus-predicted-that-the-imminent-apocalypse-would-arrive-within/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [“In Galatians 4:14 Paul is not contrasting Christ with an angel; he is equating him with an angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/in-galatians-4-14-paul-is-not-contrasting-christ-with-an-angel-he-is/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) [Explore all 118 Bart D. Ehrman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) ## More Apostle paul quotes > [“Richard Dawkins regards faith as an evil to be eliminated; he takes all religious faith to be blind faith. (Dawkins says) ‘Scientific belief is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennox/richard-dawkins-regards-faith-as-an-evil-to-be-eliminated-he-takes/) [John Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennox/) > [“Hey girl, I saw the Apostle Paul and he said for you to greet me with a holy kiss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-pierce/hey-girl-i-saw-the-apostle-paul-and-he-said-for-you-to-greet-me-with/) [Matthew Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-pierce/) > [The first duty of a Christian, of a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, is to deny himself. To deny oneself means to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innocent-of-alaska/the-first-duty-of-a-christian-of-a-disciple-and-follower-of-jesus/) [Innocent of Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innocent-of-alaska/) > [ Listen to these words of \[apostle\] Paul: "We war not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and the rulers of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/listen-to-these-words-of-apostle-paul-we-war-not-against-flesh-and/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [“What the apostle Paul is saying here is that the evidence the Holy Spirit dwelling in a person is the fact that he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-mendez-ferrell/what-the-apostle-paul-is-saying-here-is-that-the-evidence-the-holy/) [Ana Mendez Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-mendez-ferrell/) > [Millions of people profess and call themselves Christians, whom the Apostle Paul would not have called Christians at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/millions-of-people-profess-and-call-themselves-christians-whom-the/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [Go, all of you poor people, in the name of God the Creator, and let him forever be your guide. And henceforth, do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/go-all-of-you-poor-people-in-the-name-of-god-the-creator-and-let-him/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [What kind of authority can there be for an 'Apostle' who, unlike the other Apostles, had never been prepared for the Apostolic office in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-christian-baur/what-kind-of-authority-can-there-be-for-an-apostle-who-unlike-the/) [Ferdinand Christian Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-christian-baur/) > [The healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ-whether it removes our burdens or strengthens us to endure and live with them like the Apostle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/the-healing-power-of-the-lord-jesus-christ-whether-it-removes-our/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [Wherefore, by the authority of Apostolic power, We declare inventors of novel notions, which as the Apostle Paul has said are of no edification,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-innocent-i/wherefore-by-the-authority-of-apostolic-power-we-declare-inventors-of/) [Pope Innocent I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-innocent-i/) > [The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans said that those who pass judgment on others are 'inexcusable.' The moment we judge someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/the-apostle-paul-in-his-letter-to-the-romans-said-that-those-who-pass/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [Well, I take great comfort in the words of the apostle Paul who said, ‘What I will to do, that I do not practice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/well-i-take-great-comfort-in-the-words-of-the-apostle-paul-who-said/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [“True apostles do not speak to flatter people. True apostles are not self seeking. True apostles do not seek praise from mere men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brother-billy/true-apostles-do-not-speak-to-flatter-people-true-apostles-are-not/) [brother Billy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brother-billy/) > [“If you tend to focus on the particular events in your life, try to put things into perspective. When you do, you'll be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/if-you-tend-to-focus-on-the-particular-events-in-your-life-try-to-put/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the eighth century prophets left their little villages and carried their "thus saith the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-am-in-birmingham-because-injustice-is-here-just-as-the-eighth/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) [Browse all 69 Apostle paul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apostle-paul/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The first Christian author we have is the Apostle Paul”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bart D. 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