How to Study the Apostle Paul’s Letters with Logos

Dr. John Fallahee opens the webinar by introducing his study bundles, dissertation, and digital courses available through Lagos (www.lagos.com) and his personal website. He emphasizes that the webinar provides practical training on using Logos Bible Software to study Apostle Paul’s letters, with all sessions recorded for offline review and presenter notes included in a personal Logos book. Viewers are encouraged to check the 2026 training schedule at learnlogos.com/events and submit topic requests via webinars@learnlogos.com for potential free webinars.

Building a Comprehensive Biography of Paul

Fallahee demonstrates the “personal book” feature in Logos, which serves as a centralized hub for organizing study materials. To navigate to Paul’s story in Acts 9:4, he types “Acts 94” without punctuation. Instead of generic name searches, he uses the “Paul Person” tool by right-clicking “Saul” and selecting “Paul Person.” This generates a list of 1,445 verses mentioning Paul—directly or indirectly—across all books, including Acts (written by Luke). This list forms the foundational step for Paul research.

To refine results, Fallahee shows how to intersect terms. Searching “Saul” yields 159 verses (pre-conversion), while switching to “Paul” focuses on post-conversion references. He also demonstrates using “and equals” to link “Paul equals Saul,” though he cautions this limits results to only those explicitly named “Saul.” The “Fact Book” is introduced as a key tool, organizing information into categories: People, Places, Things, and Biblical Events. Each category reveals relationships, locations, objects, and timelines—such as Paul’s conversations with centurions, Claudius, or the Philippian jailer, and whom he heard from (Jesus, Ananias, Antonius Felix). These tools help users “build a biography” by connecting events, people, and themes.

For organization, Fallahee recommends creating a “notebook” via the Tools menu, naming it “Paul’s biography.” He creates a new note titled “biography,” then adds a page called “Paul’s Conversion” with a heading above Acts 9:1–9. Using the chain link icon, he embeds passage references directly into the notebook. He also demonstrates creating a “clippings document” named “Paul’s biography” or “c for clippings” to save insights from commentaries or study bibles. By selecting text, copying its location, and pasting it into the notebook via the chain link, users build a hub for cross-references and insights. He suggests adding “additional cross references” as a labeled section within the notebook for easy organization.

Fallahee introduces the “timeline tool” (Tools > Advanced Timeline), where typing “Paul” generates a detailed, collapsible timeline of his life. Collapsing categories reveals specific events like “Paul’s conversion” or “Paul goes to Arabia,” with links to external resources like HarperCollins publications. He concludes this segment by stressing that the personal book, fact book, and timeline are essential for managing the vast information on Paul and building a structured, comprehensive study.

Organizing Insights with Clips and Headings

Fallahee shows how to copy content from external sources (e.g., AI responses) and paste directly into Logos. He uses “Add from Clipboard” to extract multiple passages (e.g., Paul’s conversion and imprisonment) into a passage list. He notes that copying entire columns may not paste correctly, so creating headings first in Logos is a better workflow. To construct a concise chronology of Paul’s life—from conversion through his Roman imprisonment, Acts, and the 13 Pauline epistles—he uses a search prompt like “Construct a concise chronology of Paul’s life from his conversion through his Roman imprisonment, Acts, and the 13 Pauline epistles, identifying uncertain dates.” He references F.F. Bruce’s Paul Apostle of the Free Spirit (linked in Logos) for a chronological table, though dates may vary slightly by author.

Leveraging the Library and Subject Tags

Using the library’s subjects column, Fallahee filters books about Paul (e.g., “Paul, the Apostle, Saint”) to gather all relevant resources. He checks book details, such as the table of contents, for background on historical contexts like Rome under foreign rule or the historical Jesus. Some books, like Paul Apostle of the Free Spirit, include tagged dates that enable precise timeline building.

Creating Collections for Targeted Study

He demonstrates creating a new collection (e.g., “Apostle Paul Resources”) via Tools > Collections. He adds books related to Paul’s life, conversion, and journeys, then searches within the collection for specific terms like “conversion” + “Paul” to narrow results. For example, “Paul near conversion” locates passages where Paul is explicitly linked to his conversion (e.g., Acts 9). He also inserts Bible verses (e.g., Acts 9) into the collection to create a centralized study hub.

Tracing Paul’s Missionary Journeys

Right-clicking on Paul’s second missionary journey in Acts 15:40–18 generates a verse range (Acts 15–18), which Logos identifies as related to passages in 2 Corinthians and 1 Thessalonians 3. The Fact Book is used to search “Paul’s missionary journeys,” then expand media to access maps, images, and videos. Searching “Paul and map” in the media tool reveals visual aids like route maps through Galatia and Phrygia. The Advanced Timeline visualizes Paul’s journeys as a connected sequence of events, including his three missionary journeys.

Bible Browser for Contextual Searches

The Bible Browser (Tools > Bible Browser) links tags to show relationships, such as Paul being the author or involved in specific events. Filtering verses by combining tags (e.g., “Paul” + “Acts 13–14”) locates passages about his early ministry. This tool helps users explore context beyond isolated verses.

AI Integration and Personal Books

Fallahee notes that AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) can be used to refine search terms or analyze data, then paste results into Logos. He encourages storing AI-generated insights or curated notes in a personal book for easy access. For example, AI responses about Paul’s churches (e.g., Aquila and Priscilla in Acts 18:2) can be added to organize a “ministry network” within the personal book.

Intertextual Analysis and End-of-Letter Insights

Using the Intertext tool (accessible via the “outside little bar” in Logos), he searches for Old Testament citations in the New Testament, specifically quoting Psalms in Ephesians. He notes this tool provides a “goldmine of information” for comparing NT and OT relationships. As an alternative, he suggests the List tool (under the “List” menu) to view key elements like key verses, people, and places—e.g., Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul, and Ephesus. While the Intertext tool shows relationships, the List tool offers a more user-friendly summary.

He explains three citation types: Quotes (tight, direct connections like “the Lord said”), Illusions (looser connections), and Echo (thematic or conceptual links). Clicking any citation reveals refinement options in the left-hand menu.

He stresses examining the end of Paul’s letters (e.g., Romans 16) for details about individuals, their roles, and contributions. Using the Factbook, he searches “Romans” → “People” to identify significant figures like Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla. The Atlas tool provides geographic context, showing maps of routes (e.g., Paul from Athens to Corinth; Aquila/Priscilla from Rome; Silas and Timothy from Macedonia). Green, red, and orange lines illustrate travel paths and relationships.

Exploring Background and Theological Context

Fallahee uses the Factbook to search “slavery” and access key passages like Galatians 3:28. He clarifies that biblical slavery (e.g., Exodus 21) was a social welfare system for debt repayment or family support, distinct from the transatlantic slave trade. Third-party tools (dictionaries, commentaries) deepen understanding, and the Topic Guide provides curated insights on cultural, historical, and theological dimensions.

For studying Paul’s use of the Old Testament, he uses the Passage Guide (Tools > Passage Guide) to input a passage like Romans 4:3. Parallel Passages show Old Testament quotes (marked by ▲), such as Genesis 15:6 in Romans 4:3. He references E. Early Ellis’s Paul’s Old Testament Use and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (icon in Factbook) for quick cross-reference checks.

Organizing Resources with Collections

He creates a collection called “NT Surveys and Introductions” via Tools > Collections, adding books like New Testament Survey or Lexham HD NT Introduction. Searching within the collection for “slavery” or “Galatians 3:8” helps locate relevant passages or topics. This approach keeps resources organized and accessible.

AI Prompts and Argument Structure

AI prompts like “trace structure and arguments of Paul’s letters” help aggregate insights. He suggests using prompts such as “structure near argument near Ephesians” to analyze argument flow. The Study Assistant runs these prompts to identify themes, cross-references, or structural patterns, streamlining the study process.

Passage Guide for Cross-References

The Passage Guide (Tools > Passage Guide) is used to input a passage (e.g., Romans 4:3). Parallel Passages reveal Old Testament quotes (marked by ▲), and clicking them explores context. The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge in the Factbook allows quick cross-reference checks. He encourages frequent cross-referencing and using AI strategically to aggregate information before drilling down into specific texts with Logos’ library.

Practical tips include checking the end of Paul’s letters for interpersonal and contextual details, cross-referencing often, using AI to aggregate data, and verifying historical context (e.g., slavery in Paul’s time) to avoid anachronistic interpretations. These steps help move beyond isolated text study to rich, integrated insights.

Fallahee emphasizes that Paul’s unique role in Scripture creates an abundance of information about his identity, actions, and writings. Logos’ tagged resources—sermons, commentaries, dictionaries—leverage this data for deep study. He concludes by praying for blessings and promising future webinars, encouraging viewers to explore further resources.