A review of Paul—A Pastor’s Heart by Paul Barnett. Published in Australia by Aquila Press.

Conflict is unfortunately all too common in our churches. Differing goals, methods, and personalities can strain relationships and harm our churches. Unsurprisingly, this problem was known in the ancient world, and we don’t see it more clearly than in Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian church. We’re used to thinking of Paul as a hero of the faith, the bold apostle to the Gentiles. Yet in Paul—A Pastor’s Heart, Paul Barnett shows us a Paul almost breaking under the emotional strain of pastoral conflict. Powerful members of the church revelled in their sin, and the church had welcomed false teachers into their fellowship. Barnett explains that Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to warn the church away from these intruders and to urge the Corinthians to reconcile with him. As a result, the letter is emotionally raw, as Paul cajoles and pleads with the church. The way Paul handles himself in this worst-case scenario shows us the quality of his character, and reveals his selfless and pastoral heart.

Paul—A Pastor’s Heart, recently short-listed as Australian Christian Book of the Year, explains the message of 2 Corinthians, rather than going through the book verse by verse. Barnett handles the letter very well, summarising passages and highlighting the key themes without getting bogged down in the detail. In particular, he explains and applies the parts of the letter that deal with Christian ministry. Having set the scene in the first chapter, Barnett explains the meaning of the major sections of 2 Corinthians. He then examines the false teachers’ challenge to Paul’s authority and how Paul defends himself agains their charges. Paul’s pastoral heart is seen in the sections on reconciliation and love, where Barnett shows that Paul’s main aim was to build the church up. Paul wrote the letter so that he might be reconciled with the Corinthians, and to encourage them to continue collecting money for the Jerusalem church. And he was successful; the Corinthians heard Paul’s message and joined in the collection.

Paul’s commitment and dedication to the church shine through Barnett’s book. Paul bears his heart, but isn’t willing to compromise on the things he thinks are important. And instead of just trying to win the Corinthians over, he explains himself theologically. Everything he writes is ultimately grounded in the gospel. Barnett applies these themes adeptly, carefully considering how Paul’s role compares to the modern pastor’s job. We can apply Paul’s wisdom through promoting unity and peace, acting above reproach, building up the universal church rather than merely our own congregations, and proclaiming the gospel truly with actions as well as words.

Paul—A Pastor’s Heart is succinct and easy to read; Barnett explains Paul’s meaning and motives clearly and helpfully. The straight-forward explanation of Scripture is perhaps this book’s biggest strength. Barnett’s application is helpfully nuanced and shows just how relevant Scripture is today, though there is definitely room for readers to explore the application further. It will provide a helpful encouragement for pastors, and in fact anyone involved in church ministry. It is particularly helpful when read alongside 2 Corinthians, and would make an excellent prompt for discussion in ministry leadership teams. In sum, Paul—A Pastor’s Heart is a succinct, helpful explanation of how we can learn from one of the Biblical giants. It takes a powerful piece of Scripture and makes it accessible and applicable to today’s church.

Kirsten Mackerras is a graduate of the Brisbane School of Theology. She wrote her honours thesis on 2 Corinthians.