For Paul, Christ’s person and his work are intimately related: it is because of who Christ is that he was able to accomplish what he did, so examining what he accomplished gives us a picture of who he is. Having focused on Paul’s understanding of the work of Christ, the redeemer and creator of the new humanity, in parts 1 and 2, we now devote our attention in parts 3 and 4 to Paul’s understanding of the person of Christ. Various affirmations in the Apostle’s letters indicate that Paul’s understanding of Christ’s person is twofold: Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, is (1) the preexistent Son of God and (2) the exalted Lord now seated “at the right hand of God” (Rom. 8:34)—in the ultimate position of authority next to God himself.
Paul’s twofold understanding of the person of Christ is based in part on the Jewish Psalter. In Psalm 2:7 God declares that the Messiah is his “son,” while in Psalm 110:1 God tells the Messiah, “Sit at my right hand.” In part 3, we examine the first part of Paul’s understanding of Christ, as the Jewish Messiah and Son of God, by describing how Jesus is anticipated in the story of Israel (chap. 5), fulfills the role of the Davidic Son of God (chap. 6), and is the eternal Son of God (chap. 7).