By Charles Jardine
Sports Editor
Professor of theology Scott Hahn said the friendship between Saint Paul and Saint Luke is a beautiful and important aspect of the New Testament during his talk on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
Hahn, whose talk centered on the theology of St. Paul, first spoke about Paul’s identity in the early Church. He asked the students present to list words that come to mind when they think of St. Paul, with the prevailing answer being “works of the law.”
Hahn said that St. Paul dealt with Gentiles entering the early church, a controversy where the question of the works of the law was constantly disputed.
Hahn went on to say that the idea of friendship is subtly present in Paul’s letters. Hahn said that Biblical scholars have determined that the “person known by all” referred to in these letters is in fact, St. Luke.
Hahn continued by saying that it is fitting that the two most influential New Testament authors travelled and spent time together.
Hahn said the importance of Paul and Luke’s work cannot be underestimated, adding, “The Gospel of Luke, Acts—written by St. Luke—and the 13 letters of St. Paul account for half of the New Testament.”
The talk concluded with a discussion among the students present about aspects of St. Paul’s theology and points from Hahn’s talk.
Junior Tyson Smith said of the event, “It is very interesting because I had never realized that St. Paul and St. Luke would have been companions, nor did I realize that their combined works accounted for so much of the New Testament.”
Hahn’s talk was hosted by the St Jerome Fellowship, which is a student-led initiative of the St. Paul Center. The fellowship’s main focus is diving deeper into discussions on biblical theology and encouraging better understanding of scripture among Catholics.