The body of a longer letter of Paul also often contained some of the elements found in the literary letter of a Classical philosopher, such as containing a section of instruction or teaching followed by a section of exhortation. The Power and Provision for Our Walk (5:14-18), C. The Believers Walk in the World (5:19-6:9), 1. In these two chapters Paul demonstrated convincingly that his apostleship and his message came by revelation from the risen Christ. Instead, it is to be dated during Pauls first imprisonment in Rome, where he spent at least two years under house arrest (see Ac 28:16-31).58. Second, Timothy and Titus undoubtedly possessed the gifts needed for pastoral ministry and while there was an element of pastoral care in what they did, they were not elders or pastors who are given by the Lord to various churches for more long-term ministries (1 Pet. Contrary to modern notions of letter writing, Paul did not sit alone at a desk quietly composing his epistles. These individuals can be viewed as collaborators in the composition process and may have contributed substantively to much of the initial material that the scribe, under Pauls direction, later wove into the final draft. Misunderstanding of Gods message of the cross (1:182:5), 2. The Proof and Reason for Our Walk (5:8-13), 5. Exhortation Regarding the Methods of False Teachers (2:4-5), 2. Since there is such a divergence of opinion does this mean we should give up on matters of church government? As a devoted and loyal Jew of the Pharisee sect, his attention was given primarily to a detailed analysis of the requirements set forth in the Mosaic Law. The supremacy of love over gifts (13:1-13), 4. This is, of course, fitting, for sound doctrine should lead to godly conduct. The letter to the Galatians, conventionally dated AD 5455 but perhaps composed as early as AD 48 if it were written before the Council of Jerusalem in AD 49, was written in response to a very specific and real problem in the churches spread throughout the southern or northern parts of the Roman province of Galatia. Though accused by the Jews before the Roman governor Gallio (a charge that was dismissed) Paul remained 18 months in Corinth (Acts 18:1-17; 1 Cor. Twice, the writer calls himself Paul (1:1; 3:1). These three have traditionally been attributed to John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee and one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Provo, UT 84602 569-70) and immorality. The B represents the Greek letter beta, the second letter of the Greek alphabet. [32] The letter was then dispatched, sometimes being carried by a friend or associate traveling to the recipients destination but sometimes just sent with some traveler who was found going to the intended destination. 1-7); (2) he sought to remind the believers of their commitment to the offering for the Christians in Judea (chaps. Of course not. 6, 46; Sanders, Paul, 6576; Joseph A. Fitzmyer, Romans (New York: Doubleday, 1993), 2536; Brown, Introduction to the New Testament, 55975. 2. 3). WebThree of the seven letters are anonymous. That Colossians is a genuine letter of Paul is not usually disputed. In addition to early patristic authors such as Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Origen, later reformers such as Martin Luther and John Wesley subscribed to some degree of supersessionism. The Problem of Litigation in Heathen Courts (6:1-8), C. The Warning Against Moral Laxity (6:9-20), IV. Once there, they functioned in an official capacity to deal with special situations and meet special needs. Vocabulary used to describe church organization, for instance, would be expected to be different from that used to teach the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Any date assigned will have to be approximate, though probably A.D. 51-52. Pauls Prayer for the Colossians Growth (1:9-14), 3. It has also been pointed out that because all three are so closely connected in thought and style that they usually are either all accepted or all rejected as being written by Paul. II. The church is a spiritual body, an organism, and each believer is a member with special functions and tasks to carry out, but the primary need so essential to functioning as God has designed the church is right theology (teaching) and understanding of the Word, along with its personal application for Christ-like living. Thus, in the synagogues of Damascus, he proclaimed Christ as Savior. In 1 Cor.6:12+ Pauls reasons against having sex with prostitutes by citing Christian doctrine. Instructions Concerning Worship (2:1-2:15), A. [9] Sperry, Pauls Life and Letters, 15871; F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians, NIGTC (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), 1932; Anderson, Understanding Paul, 15258; George A. Horton Jr., Concern, Correction, and Counsel for Converts (Galatians), in Millet, Studies in Scripture, Vol. Second Thessalonians 3:17, The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write, is a clear example of an authoritative postscript, and it is particularly interesting since the authenticating postscript seems also to have been a device used to prevent forgery by a letter purporting to be from Paul. In reaction to the false teaching of these libertines, a second emphasis is found in a strong ethical section of the letter, where Paul enjoins the Galatians to reject the works of the flesh in favor of the fruits of the Spirit (see 5:1626). First, Paul was released from his house arrest in Rome (where we find him at the end of Acts). Salutation. In summary, then, these books were designed by God to aid us in our pastoral responsibilities and in organic development and guidance for the life of local churches. In fact, the situation is even worse than that, for the knowledge that one ought not to do certain things often acts as a stimulus creating the desire to do it. Familiar with both Jewish customs and scripture on the one hand and Greek philosophy and lifestyle in Corinth on the other, he may have been particularly sensitive to the problems facing the congregation there. [11] Furthermore, Paul wrote this letter with over a decade of preaching and writing behind him, including the letters to the Thessalonians, Galatians, Corinthians, and perhaps to the Philippians and to Philemon. A key word in concept is correction as Paul sought to correct the problems in Corinth, but wisdom, contrasting Gods wisdom with mans, is also a key word of the book. The Coming of the Day of the Lord (5:1-5), C. Concerning Deportment in the Congregation (5:12-28). Several passages stand out in pointing us to the person and ministry of the Savior. However, as noted above, Pauls letters were unusually long, and he adapted the standard letter format to meet each occasion. A few examples must suffice: the doctrine of justification by faith (Rom 3:20-22; Gal 2:16); the church as the body of Christ appointed to represent and serve him through a variety of spiritual gifts (Rom 12; 1 Cor 12); the collection for the poor saints at Jerusalem (Rom 15:25-28; 2 Cor 8-9). Pauls epistles may be divided into four groups: 1 and 2 Thes. Regardless, external and internal evidence support Paul as the author. [10] Accordingly, Paul devoted considerable portions of his letter to dealing with problems in Corinth such as factions (see 1 Corinthians 1:104:21); moral misbehavior, including problems of sex and property (see 5:16:20); problems regarding marriage and celibacy (see 7:140); Christian freedom and its abuse (see 8:111:1); correct and incorrect Christian worship, including the veiling of women (see 11:216); abuses of the Lords Supper (see 11:1734); misunderstanding and misusing spiritual gifts (see 12:114:40); and doctrinal correction regarding the nature of the Resurrection and its application to Christians (see 15:158). This would include such things as: qualification for elders and deacons (chap. Web Colossians: A Letter that encourages authentic faith and authentic Christian life in face of the commingling of religions and new ideas. WebThe reports are exclusively narrative until July 1867 when a printed form first came into use. A mixed congregation of converted Jews and Gentiles in the cosmopolitan Roman capital of the province of Achaia (Greece), this branch had been established during Pauls second missionary journey, AD 5052, when he had stayed there for eighteen months (see Acts 18:711). Miller understands the value of an education and the importance for students to graduate. Download PDF Word. 2:5) is nowhere mentioned in these chapters. 1:1, Tit. [31] Sperry, Pauls Life and Letters, 102, 1045, notes, A careful reading of [2 Thessalonians 2:2] . Thus, Paul writes about the believers wealth, walk, and warfare. For more detailed discussion, see note 2 on this at this verse in the NET Bible. Paul presents Jesus Christ as the Second Adam whose righteousness and substitutionary death have provided justification for all who place their faith in Him. 1:13). Accordingly our passage is included in the request section as part of the paraenesis, which starts 19-19). Ryrie has an excellent summary of the theme and contents: More formal than Pauls other letters, Romans sets forth the doctrine of justification by faith (and its ramifications) in a systematic way. In the early church, all who speak on the subject of authorship ascribe it to Paul. In Romans he was addressing a church founded by others and one in which Jewish Christians had been significant but were no longer dominant. The Propagation of His Work (1:24-2:3), II. As a result, in this letter Paul provides a masterful survey of many of the issues he treated in earlier letters to other congregations, producing in the process what is perhaps his most systematic treatment of the issue of justification by faith (see Romans 1:168:39).[12]. Certainly, there has never been a greater explanation of love written. 8-18), III. There he met Titus, who brought good news about the general well-being of the Corinthian church but bad news about a group who were standing in opposition to Paul and his apostleship. The Greek noun dikaiosune, righteousness, occurs 34 times, the noun didaioma, a righteous deed, acquittal, ordinance, five times, the noun dikaiokrisia (righteous judgment) once, the adjective dikaios, righteous, occurs seven times, the noun dikaiosis, justification, acquittal, twice, and the verb dikaioo, declare or show to be righteous, occurs 15 times for a total of 64 occurrences. Key words in this book are supremacy and sufficiency.. It was perfectly evident that these Christians possessed that which Paul desired more than anything else: the peace of mind that comes with a clear conscience and a deep conviction that they are living in harmony with the will of God. They taught, among other things, that a number of the ceremonial practices of the Old Testament were still binding on the church. [24] Murphy-OConnor, Paul the Letter-Writer, 2024, reviews carefully both 1 Corinthians and considerable commentary on said letter to try to discern what contributions Sosthenes indeed made to the letter. Onesimus had made his way to Rome, where, in the providence of God, he came in contact with the apostle Paul, who led him to trust in Christ (v. 10). Petition of Paul for Onesimus (vv. Directions Regarding Gods Grace (2:11-15), V. Final Instructions and Greetings (3:12-15). Sanctification: Righteousness Imparted and Demonstrated (6:18:39), C. Sanctification and the Holy Spirit (8:1-39), V. Vindication: Jew and Gentile, the Scope of Gods Righteousness (9:111:36), A. Israels Past: Election of God (9:1-29), B. Israels Present: Rejection of God (9:3010:21), C. Israels Future: Restoration by God (11:1-36), VI. When He comes, He will deliver us from wrath (undoubtedly a reference to the Tribulation) (1:10; 5:4-11), give rewards (2:19), perfect us (3:13), resurrect us (4:13-18), and sanctify (set apart) all those who have trusted in Him (5:23). These, then, are the first Roman imprisonment letters, whereas 2 Timothy is the second Roman imprisonment letter.52. [21] But more significantly, his letters frequently included in their opening formula references to coauthors, who are different from others, such as scribes, who, if mentioned by name, are usually noted in the conclusion. Of course, organization and order is important. His Heart for the Thessalonians (2:17), 3. Practical: The Practice of the Believer in Christ (3:5-4:6), 2. Negative: Emancipation from Legalistic and Gnostic Practices (2:16-19), 2. In addition, a number of historical allusions in the book fit Pauls life as recounted in Acts and in his own letters (cf. Click the card to flip . In this epistle, we see Him as our comfort (1:5), triumph (2:14), Lord (2:4), liberty or freedom for a new life (3:17), light (4:6), judge (5:10), reconciliation (5:19), gift (9:15), owner (10:7), and power (12:9). Chapter 2 is key in that it corrects a serious error that had crept into the Thessalonian church which taught that the day of the Lord had already come. Everton lost 4-1 to Newcastle United at Goodison Park on Thursday and are second bottom in the Premier League ahead of Mondays visit to fellow strugglers Leicester City.. In these verses, the great themes of the epistle are gathered togetherthe gospel, the power of God, salvation, everyone, who believes, righteousness from God, Jew and Gentile. This new religious movement was promulgated by a group of people who claimed to be followers of Jesus, a man who had been crucified but who, they now believed, had risen from the dead, ascended to heaven, and would return to earth in power and great glory. The basic theme of the letter is how the Christians new life, sanctified in Christ and saints by calling, is to be applied to every situation of life. Whether he was imprisoned once or twice in Rome is debated, though two imprisonments seem to fit the facts better. Pauls letters often do. 1 and 2 Thessalonians In essence, then, their case was lost by default, and Paul was freed. The average letter of Paul, however, was 2,495 words long! This new life in Christ calls for a new way of living through the Holy Spirit (3:16, 17; 6:11, 19-20). 59 A.T. Robertson, Paul and the Intellectuals, rev. With the coming of the Lord mentioned in every chapter, Christ is presented as the believers hope of salvation both now and at His coming. In his campaign against Christians, both men and women, he traveled with letters of arrest from the high priest and went to other cities to waste the church of Jesus Christ (Acts 26:10-11; Gal. Titus was written around A.D. 65 and 2 Timothy in A.D. 66. No passage is clearer and more declarative regarding the nature, fact, and purpose of the incarnation of Christ as is found in this book, the great kenosis passage (2:5f.). Ancient letters began with an opening formula, identifying the sender (which we saw above could include coauthors) and the recipient (which could be a local congregation, specific members of a branch, or an individual). In view of Pauls statement in Rom. Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12). With few exceptions, these letters were written in response to conditions that existed in the particular churches with which Paul was associated. He was born of Jewish parentage in the city of Tarsus of Cilicia. 253-60. But not to be outdone, is the concept of conduct or godliness, which occurs nine times (cf. This provides us with the spiritual and moral foundation on which we base our methods, strategy, and administration. 8-9), the writing of Romans must follow that of 1 and 2 Corinthians which is dated about A.D. 55. He wrote: (1) to give an incentive for the Thessalonians to persevere by describing the reward and retribution that will occur in the future judgment of God (1:3-10), (2) to clarify the prominent events belonging to the day of the Lord in order to prove the falsity of the claims that the day had already arrived (2:1-2), and (3) to give detailed instructions covering the disciplinary steps the church should take in correcting those who refuse to work (3:6-15). After the postscript was added, the letter was either folded or rolled and then sealed. Then, in chapters 3 and 4 he contended for the true doctrine of grace, the doctrine of justification by faith alone. [34] Murphy-OConnor, Paul the Letter-Writer, 4555; Brown, Introduction to the New Testament, 41315. They are secondary. The key words or concepts are judgment, retribution, and destruction all revolving around the return of the Lord in the day of the Lord. Evidently at a young age, he went to Jerusalem, and according to his testimony, studied under the well know Gamaliel I, a noted teacher in the School of Hillel (Acts 22:3). While a postscript could in fact be additional information added after the close of a letter, as is often the case today, in antiquity an author more generally used a postscript to guarantee that the contents written by a scribe reflected his thinking. Paul then made his third visit to Corinth during the winter of A.D. 56-57 (Acts 20:2-3). 1013), A. Pauls Defense of His Apostolic Authority and the Area of His Mission (ch. WebThese things are visible in the epistles not by sharp distinction, but by the gradual shift of emphasis. Pauls letter to the Philippians begins by following standard Hellenistic letter-writing conventions of sender, addressee, salutation, and thanksgiving, but with distinctive glosses (in Christ, grace and peace, God our Father, Lord Jesus Christ). The playwright Philetaerus (Athenaeus 13. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. First, they were official representatives of the apostle Paul whom he dispatched to various churches like Ephesus and Crete. .), he identified himself with a new, spiritual household and identified his position to emphasize his authority (e.g., Paul, a servant or apostle of Jesus Christ as in 12 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, 12 Timothy, and Titus). The Prize of the Christian Life: Having the Knowledge of Christ (3:1-21), A. Rather, in Ephesians, Paul sets forth the glorious mystery, the church which is Christs body, Christ as the head of the Church (1:22, 23), and believers as co-members of one another and blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (1:3; 2:11-22). As the first of two canonical epistles to the church at Thessalonica, this book was called in the Greek text, Pros Thessalonikeis A, First to the Thessalonians.. 1 Thess. Warnings Against False Doctrine (1:3-11), III. Chapter 3 then builds on this as root to fruit or cause and effect. Later, he returned to Tarsus and probably attended the Greek university located in that city, although we have no direct information about this. [23] Richards, Paul and First-Century Letter Writing, 3233. Chapter 2 is certainly a key chapter in the way it sets forth Christ as our example in putting others before ourselves by having the mind of Christ. On the other hand, Paul may have had a second group of opponents, because his letter later seeks to counter the efforts of those who think that the grace of Christ had made all obedience and law unnecessary. Pauls missionary journeys occupied approximately the years A.D. 48-56. Because of their close relationship in thought and focus, the attestation and authorship of all three pastoral epistles will be dealt with here. Removing #book# Understandably, Paul makes fewer references to himself and to his readers in Romans than in 1 and 2 Corinthians and Galatians, since he had not founded the Roman church and guided its struggles to maturity as he had the others.39. So, while our methods will often vary, they must never contradict the moral or spiritual principles of the Word of God. (See Colossians 4:16. Jesus was alive after all! As to Ones Self and the Church (5:19-21), D. The Believers Walk in Warfare (6:10-20), 2. Because the historical circumstances are very similar to those of 1 Thessalonians, most believe it was written not long after the first letterperhaps about six months. From there the apostle sent him to Corinth where he helped that church with its work (see 2 Cor. Paul could easily say, I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some (1 Cor. Concerning the Day of Christ: The Comfort of His Coming (4:13-18), 1. Thus, the Epistles answer these questions, give the interpretation of the person and work of Christ, and apply the truth of the gospel to believers. The title is Pros Galatas, To the Galatians. Being addressed to the churches of Galatia, it is the only epistle of Paul addressed to a group of churches. When a specific occasion influenced Paul to write regarding certain topics, he employed the basic letter form common in the Mediterranean world at that time. Naturally, many questions would arise as to the meaning and application of the gospel for Christians. [41] Brown, Introduction to the New Testament, 412. WebLook for connection between doctrine and ethics in the body of the letter. Giving, for instance, is a corporate and individual responsibility, but our giving and the collection of money must be so done that it does not violate certain biblical principles such as giving voluntarily rather than by methods that employ coercion or manipulation. Nevertheless, these are still considered real letters because they were written to specific individuals or communities and addressed practical and theological issues relevant to their recipients. Pauls letter to Philemon and his family, for instance, reads very much like a personal letter about a particular subject of concern to the sender and recipientnamely how Philemon should treat his slave, Onesimus, who is also Pauls convert. He was not only a Jew, but by his own testimony, he was a Pharisee and a son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), was a Hebrew of Hebrews (spoke Hebrew or Aramaic), was of the tribe of Benjamin (Phil. Onesimus was condemned by law but saved by grace.72, I. 19-21). But out of the 13 letters of Paul, skeptical critics like Bart Ehrman say that only 7 of them were truly written by the apostle. Thus the approximate dates for 1 Timothy and Titus are perhaps 63-66. 1:7; Col. 4:10; Philemon 9). One can certainly see, then, how the immoral and religious conditions of Corinth had negatively impacted the life of the church spiritually and morally. The Commendation of the Thessalonians (1:1-10), 3. Paul did not deny the rights of Philemon over his slave, but he asked Philemon to relate the principle of Christian brotherhood to the situation with Onesimus (v. 16). That the apostle is the author of Ephesians is strongly supported by both internal and external evidence. The impact must have necessitated great psychological and intellectual readjustments. Even when indicative and imperative sections alternate or are otherwise spread throughout the body of a letter, the modern reader must always keep in mind that Pauls letters not only teach doctrine but also call to action and insist that Christians must live according to the highest ethical and moral standards, that their whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Only at Hebrews 13:125 does it read like a letter or epistle. It also appears Titus worked with Paul at Ephesus during the third missionary journey. 61 The outline used here is taken from an outstanding series of 12 studies by Dr. S. Lewis Johnson in Bibliotheca Sacra, Studies in the Epistle to the Colossians, beginning Vol. Accordingly, Paul explained in his first letter that the dead in Christ shall rise first to be followed by those who were alive at His coming who would be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:1617). II. 3:1-2, 8-11 with Acts 15:36; 2 Cor. You are a Instructions Concerning Various Responsibilities (5:1-6:10), E. Concerning the Heretical and Greedy (6:3-10), VII. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. They are in Christ (1:1), blessed with every blessing in Christ (1:3), chosen in Him (1:4), adopted through Christ (1:5), in the Beloved (1:6), redeemed in Him (1:7), given an inheritance in Him (1:11), have a hope that is to the praise of His glory in Christ (1:12), sealed with the Spirit through Him as an earnest installment of their inheritance (1:13-14), made alive, raised, and seated with Him in the heavenlies (2:5-6), created in Christ for good works (2:10), partakers of the promise in Christ (3:6), and given access to God through faith in Christ (3:12). and 2 Cor.). After being recaptured and once again imprisoned, Paul wrote Timothy a second letter, 2 Timothy. Paul, as is his custom, uses his Greek name Paulos rather than his Hebrew name Shaul. Originally, they were regarded as mere personal letters and were classified with Philemon, but because of their strong bearing on the life of the church, they began to be called the Pastoral Epistles. Though addressed to individuals, these books are not only not limited to personal and private communications, but they are more official in character. His Hope in the Thessalonians (2:19-20), E. The Confirmation of the Thessalonians (3:1-10), 1. . In this regard there is an important observation that might be made. WebThe reports are exclusively narrative until July 1867 when a printed form first came into use. Prayer for Wisdom a Revelation (1:15-23), 1. 202-03. Concerning the Day of the Lord (5:1-11), 1. At least five clear purposes can be seen in 1 Timothy. That Paul is the author of this epistle is supported by both external and internal evidence. Paul was also a Greek by culture having evidently received a Greek education (cf. 10-17). . Pauls theme or seed plot in Romans is clearly stated in 1:16-17. In both cases, they seem to have been fellow Christians who were competent in letter writing. Paul addressed them to Timothy and Titus to guide them in matters concerning the pastoral care of the church, which is the household of God (cf. For instance, the weighty doctrinal section of Romans (1:1611:36) is followed by a shorter but still significant imperative or hortatory section (12:115:13) that includes important discussions of Christian ethics (12:113:14) and relations between the strong and the weak (14:115:13). While ancient Greek letters consistently included the salutation chairebe well or rejoicein the opening formula, here Paul seems to have changed the conventional greeting by substituting charis, or grace, a typically Pauline usage that immediately called to mind the saving work of Jesus Christ. Phil. [2] This is partly because the letters of Paul, by and large, are not treatises of systematic theology, a fact that undercuts the efforts of some to establish extensive theological positions based largely upon the Apostles writings alone. [17] First proposed by Adolph Deissmann, Bible Studies (Edinburgh: Clark, 1901), 359, the strict distinction between an actual letter and a literary epistle has largely been abandoned by New Testament scholarship. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25). Thus, the book is titled Pros Philemona, To Philemon.. Overviews of the reception of Pauls letters in the early church can be found in the relevant volumes of Oden 2001. However, Pauls authorship of this epistle has been questioned more often than that of 1 Thessalonians, even though it has more support from early church writers. Further, there is no evidence for so partitioning 2 Corinthians.45. In fact several fathers mentioned Paul as the author of this epistle in their writings. As with Ephesians, this epistle was written while Paul was imprisoned. omit the words at Ephesus in 1:1. The Beauty of Unity. [38] See Brown, Introduction to the New Testament, 416n16. Paul did eventually get to Rome, but as a prisoner. 4-33; and Henry Clarence Theissen, Introduction To The New Testament, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1943, pp. and ed. WebPauls Letters, Then and Now. Hampton wrote many articles for the Biblical Studies Foundation and on More. 15-16). This means he wrote it in A.D. 60-61 (see the discussion on the date of Ephesians and Philippians).
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