Paul's "Friends": Rethinking Paul in Light of His Social Network

Paul is viewed by many scholars as an independent missionary, and some even suggest he was purposely isolated. These scholars contend Paul and his churches were cut off from the rest of the early church until they brought their gift to Jerusalem. This study argues that understanding Paul’s social network corrects this imbalance. While Paul may have been independent, neither he nor the churches he founded were cut off from the rest of the early church.