Paul the missionary. Paul the tentmaker. Paul the evangelist. Paul the apologist. Paul the teacher. Paul the mentor. Paul the church planter. Paul the theologian.
But what about Paul the writer?
Paul’s 13 New Testament epistles share many similarities in their nature, scope, and function. These theological letters invite and empower the church—God’s new people—to be fundamentally transformed in both being and action.
Meant to be delivered by a messenger, each of these epistles was written on papyri—bound, tied, carried, opened, read, and heard. Paul may have used the wages from his tent making to purchase papyri and ink. With these ordinary tools in hand, he set out to equip, encourage, and, when necessary, reprimand the church.
Even a beginning Greek student can quickly surmise that Paul was a thoughtful wordsmith in his day, at times even seeming to coin some new Greek words. He curated and crafted his writing to press the ultimacy of the gospel on the dozens of young churches in the first decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
In my reflections on Paul’s writings to these churches and in respect to my role as publisher of a Christian imprint, I’m convinced Paul offers a model for Christian publishing. We can call this the Pauline paradigm, which includes the following:
- Paul drew on cultural forms of writing: prose, poetry, hymns, and early church confessions. In short, he borrowed several rhetorical practices and tools of his day.
- He was familiar with common cultural narratives, even quoting pagan literature to connect with his readers.
- He was extraordinarily familiar with the Hebrew Bible.
- He used his letters to intentionally shape and form both individuals and churches.
Unlike any modern writing, Paul’s words bear the unique authority of the Spirit’s inspiration. That authority gives his letters a quality that transcends all human publishing capabilities. Yet the principles above offer a kind of literary foundation, or Pauline paradigm, that can shape and define the ethos of Christian publishing: biblically grounded, culturally engaged, and passionately committed to spiritual formation.
Every Christian publication, from academic monographs to popular devotionals, should be rigorously faithful to the Scriptures—not by merely tacking on references but by allowing the biblical narrative and theology to shape both the medium and the message. At B&H Academic, we’re currently developing a liturgical project, aptly named Creator to Crown: A Christ-Centered Catechism—designed to guide readers in worship and reflection, from Genesis to Revelation. The project combines written and visual elements to invite wonder, meditation, and prayer, offering an example of how medium and message can work together to form the reader’s imagination.
To be culturally engaged means publishers cannot retreat into an insular bubble. They must enter the conversation with today’s prevailing cultural stories and intellectual currents. As Kevin Vanhoozer relates, “To make disciples is to teach people how to keep the faith. One keeps faith by following Jesus’ words rather than merely knowing faith’s content.” Just as Paul borrowed rhetorical tools and quoted pagan poets to communicate the gospel effectively, so should Christian publishing answer the world’s questions with distinctly Christian perspectives spoken in ways that are accessible and relevant to readers.
To be passionately committed to spiritual formation means the ultimate aim of every publication is to move beyond mere information transfer or business success. Paul’s letters sought to transform individuals and churches. In the same way, publishers should desire to see their readers grow in Christlikeness, deepen their communion with God, and be equipped for faithful living and ministry. This vision should drive every decision, from acquisitions to author care to cover design.
But what has publishing to do with the church?
In the second century, the theologian Tertullian raised a cultural question to the church when he asked, “What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” He was drawing both a distinction and a connection. If I could bend his quote for today, I would say, What has publishing to do with the church? Or more pointedly, What have Nashville, Grand Rapids, or Downers Grove to do with the church? Each of these publishing hubs has played a prominent role in equipping the church through books.
As a bivocational pastor of a small, rural church in West Tennessee, I’m never surprised by how books often fill a gap where pastoral discipleship feels thin. They become ministerial mentors for leaders and laypeople who may lack direct guidance within their own congregations. For our adult Sunday School class at Hickory Grove, I regularly use books as a tool to extend discipleship and care throughout the week. These resources nurture, nourish, and strengthen both individuals and the wider church in their spiritual growth.
Christian books invite us deeper into the biblical texts while also linking us to other believers. They have the remarkable ability to bridge what French philosopher Paul Ricœur called the “hermeneutical gap”—that space between the biblical world and our own. Books have a way of transporting us into new—or even eschatological—worlds.
Telos, treasures, and testaments
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21). These words of Jesus come from his Sermon on the Mount, where he answers a deep question: What does it mean to be the people of God?
To be God’s people, Jesus implies, is to treasure the things that cannot be destroyed or stolen. When God himself is our treasure, our hearts—the deepest core of our identities and desires—enter into communion with him.
We have a word for this connection between goals and aims: telos. A telos is more than a goal; it’s an ultimate end that draws us toward itself, shaping our lives around its transcending purpose. In Every Member Matters, Josh Wredberg and Matt Capps describe the church as a building, a family, and a body—and the Bible is the divine plotline that guides our life together toward the final feast with the Father, Son, and Spirit.
Christian publishing may pursue many aims—and often does. But its most profound witness is to craft books that do more than merely inform. The best books invite this living building, family, and body into an intimate experience with Scripture and a deeper union with Christ.
Christian publishing can and does pursue many aims. But its most profound witness is to craft books that do more than merely inform—books that invite readers into an intimate experience with Scripture and foster a deeper union with Christ.
Books are not lifeless texts. At their best, they become living testaments, helping us relentlessly strive toward the ultimate telos of knowing Christ, our incomparable treasure.
Devin Maddox, publisher at B&H Publishing Group, often uses an insightful metaphor: “Books are missionaries.” Missionaries are emissaries, or assigned representatives, speaking for a king or kingdom. They are not the king, but they testify on his behalf. In this way, when churches receive resources commissioned by Christian publishers, they are equipped and encouraged for formation into the image and likeness of Christ.
Like Paul’s own literary writings, today’s books can function as ministerial tools—means through which God invites his people to take up their crosses and live out Christ’s transformative reign.
May we, then, recover something of that ancient, burning compulsion Augustine felt when he heard the simple chant from a few children on the other side of a wall: Tolle, lege (“Take up and read”).
Augustine’s journey toward solace and salvation in Christ began with that call and the book he opened. Let ours do the same—and may pastors be the ones who hand the book across the table.
Pastor, I invite you to put good words in your people’s hands. Guide them to read slowly and thoughtfully. Whether it’s a letter from Paul, a line from Augustine, or a paragraph from a missionary’s memoir, books still shape the saints like few other things can.
They don’t disciple in place of the church, but they come alongside her, echoing the voice of the Shepherd, reinforcing the gospel truth that is preached each Lord’s day.
So take up and read. And help your people do the same.
Michael McEwen is publisher for B&H Academic and pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Trenton, Tennessee.
