“Question & Answer”

Question:
“How are the Greek elements in Paul’s background revealed in his correspondence?
Answer:
Since Paul spoke and wrote in Greek (he gives no indication that he knew Aramaic), he knew and used the Septuagint. Although Paul’s letters did not regularly reveal his life experiences, on occasion these experiences served his missionary needs, and so he included them.The apostle Paul definitely spoke Greek. He preached the gospel in Athens, read Greek literature and quoted Greek poets. Since he wrote his letters in Greek, his written Greek is extremely good, and he demonstrates a knowledge of Greek rhetoric. It is also important that metaphors played an important role in Hellenistic rhetoric mainly because of their philosophical traditions. So, as some of listeners of Paul were Hellenistic he had to “speak in their language”. Also, he had to trust me to the same doctrine those who had Jewish faith.