Why should 21st-century readers bother with Paul? Some people find his letters abstract, complex, and unrelated to real life. Others cringe at the passages that address relationships within the household. In a culture that values stories, Paul's letters appear to be concerned mostly with doctrine.

Jacob W. Elias highlights the ways in which Paul draws on narratives as he ministers via letters to congregations throughout the first century Mediterranean world. Paul frequently alludes to his own personal story as a Jew who encountered the risen Christ. Repeatedly Paul reminds his readers about Jesus's life and faithfulness, although he nowhere shares that story in any detail. Paul draws on Old Testament stories and the narratives and images of the Greco-Roman world. And Paul demonstrates his awareness of each congregation's story.

"This book is clearly a labor of love by an experienced theological educator and pastor who aims to give a full account of the pastoral theology of Paul. Deeply conversant with recent scholarship on Pauline theology, Elias takes a narrative approach to Paul’s letters, attempting to bring together the story of the people in the churches and Paul’s account of God’s work in the past, present, and future. This future dimension is given particular emphasis. Elias highlights the story of the people by beginning most chapters with an imaginative portrait of a person from the featured congregation. The basic organizing principle of the book is thematic and the individual letters are discussed within this framework. This structure tends to privilege the coherence of Paul’s theology over the distinctiveness of each letter. Elias recognizes that letters such as Ephesians and the Pastorals are probably not by Paul, yet he includes them in his account of Paul’s theology, again tending to downplay what is distinctive about these letters. Although this is not a groundbreaking work of scholarship, it is a competent and highly readable account of Paul suitable for a wide range of persons looking for a reliable and up-to-date guide."