As a result, he is less strident and more diplomatic about some of the same principles. They are secondary. ), and (3) to deal with the way some were responding to belief in the imminent return of the Lord. The purpose of gifts: unity in diversity (12:12-31), 3. In this letter Paul had two major purposes in mind. The primary purpose of this letter, the most personal of all Pauls letters, was to ask Philemon to forgive Onesimus and accept him back as a beloved brother and fellow servant in the gospel (see vv. [3] Instead, the letters were written to congregations or individuals in response to specific circumstances or problems and therefore emphasize or apply specific aspects of gospel principles in response to the original situation. [37] Murphy-OConnor, Paul the Letter-Writer, 6061. In the early church, all who speak on the subject of authorship ascribe it to Paul. Tit. Then she was caught plagiarizing. In addition, Paul was a Roman citizen, being Roman born (Acts 22:28). Eric D. Huntsman was an assistant professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was published. When we turn to 2 Timothy we find a very different atmosphere. Phil. Two key words and concepts stand out in this short epistle: sanctification (4:3, 4, 7), and the coming of the Lord, which is referred to in every chapter of the epistle (1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23). The Illustration of Righteousness (4:1-25), C. The Blessings of Righteousness (5:1-11), D. The Contrast of Righteousness and Condemnation (5:12-21), IV. . For two years, 61-62, Paul was held under house arrest in Rome, at the end of which time, it can be surmised, he was released. Paul did not establish the church in Rome, but as the apostle to the Gentiles, he had longed for many years to visit the believers in Rome (15:22-23) that he might further establish them in the faith and preach the gospel there as well (1:13-15). The letter is written to Philemon, the owner of Onesimus, one of the millions of slaves in the Roman Empire, who had stolen from his master and run away. The simple concluding formula of a Greek or Roman letter is considerably developed in New Testament letters. Titus was written around A.D. 65 and 2 Timothy in A.D. 66. The theme of Philippians might well be joy and unity in Christ.. From Macedonia (northern Greece), he wrote 1 Timothy (1 Tim. About the New Testament of the Bible. 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. 19-19). 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 frequent personal greetings often appended to the end of Pauls letterssuch as the list of twenty-six individuals and five groups in Romans WebThe Pauline Letters; Galatians; 1 and 2 Thessalonians; 1 and 2 Corinthians; Romans; Letters Written in Captivity; The Synoptic Gospels and Acts; The Gospel of Mark; The Romans, which has been called his greatest work or his magnum opus, gets its title from the fact it was written to the church in Rome (1:7, 15). Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXXVII Date & Time. 8-9), the writing of Romans must follow that of 1 and 2 Corinthians which is dated about A.D. 55. The theme of 1 Timothy, as with Titus and 2 Timothy, is twofold, one involving the individual and the other the church. Those who hold to the Pauline authorship reply: (1) there is no compelling reason to believe that Acts contains the complete history of the life of Paul. When we try to run an organization based on tradition or background, we end up with an organization that is not only not biblical, but which will lack the spiritual fervor and capacity to function as God intends. As a young Pharisee, he was present when Stephen was stoned and murdered (Acts 7:58-83). It outlines the format of Paul's letters in the New Testament. . It seems clear by comparing Acts with the epistles that 1 Timothy and Titus belong to the period after Pauls first release and acquittal in Rome. The Expression of Thanks for Timothy (1:3-7), III. 1:1). Instructions Concerning Men and Women (2:8-15), IV. These congregations also consisted largely of Gentile converts, but in Pauls absence a subsequent group of missionaries had disturbed the new converts by teaching them a different gospel (see Galatians 1:610). Chapters 2 is key in that it demonstrates why and how the believer is complete in Christ and needs nothing added to the saving person and work of Christ. The apostle was not only ready to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome (1:15), but he wanted them to have a clear understanding of its meaning and ramifications in all of lifepast (justification), present (sanctification), and future (glorification). The key words or concepts are judgment, retribution, and destruction all revolving around the return of the Lord in the day of the Lord. 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 this letter we have a wonderful example. To understand the contents of these letters, it is necessary to know something about the man who wrote them, as well as about the particular circumstances under which they were written. This preoccupation with Jesus return, however, seems to have been at the heart of Pauls second letter, where he needed to moderate the enthusiasm of the Thessalonians, noting some of the significant signs that would precede the Parousia (see 2 Thessalonians 2:112) and encouraging the Saints with admonitions to work that seem to have been occasioned by the disorderly walk (ataktos peripatountos) or idle behavior of Saints whose indolence seems to have been the result of an unrealistic expectation of an imminent Second Coming (see 2 Thessalonians 3:615). He had denied the Christian claim that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. Our freedom must never be used as an opportunity to indulge the flesh but rather as a basis for loving one another by walking in the strength of the Spirit (5:13, 16, 22-25). 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. . Brigham Young University His zeal as a religious Jew was carried over into the way he zealously sought to persecute the church. The last major group of Pauls epistles have generally been called the Pastoral Epistles, a term used to designate the three letters addressed to Timothy and Titus (1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus). with the leaders there, he took Titus (a Gentile) with him (Gal. 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). Priscilla and Aquila, whom Paul met in Corinth, were Jewish Christian refugees from Rome (see Acts 18:13; Romans 16:34). It also appears Titus worked with Paul at Ephesus during the third missionary journey. Instead, the composition process was a more lengthy procedure that involved others at every step. Only at Hebrews 13:125 does it read like a letter or epistle. It is possible that Philemon did free Onesimus and send him back to Paul (v. 14). It appears that Phoebe, who belonged to the church at Cenchrea near Corinth (16:1), carried the letter to Rome. In the Home and Household Life (3:18-4:1), IV. The first epistle was written during the earlier part of that period just after Timothy had returned from Thessalonica with news of the progress of the church. This is, of course, fitting, for sound doctrine should lead to godly conduct. If the letter was written to Christians in South Galatia, the churches were founded on the first missionary journey, the letter was written after the end of the journey (probably from Antioch, ca. I. The theme of the epistle is the righteousness of God (1:16-17). For instance, the indicative section of Galatians (1:65:1) takes the form of a courtroom speech in which the introduction of Pauls argument that there is no other gospel (see 1:610) is followed by a formal apologia or defense (see 1:1121) and a series of six proofs demonstrating that one is indeed saved by the faith of Jesus Christ and not by the works of the law (see 3:15:1).[41]. In this sense, chapter 5 is a key chapter. They promoted their own ideas and at the same time sought to discredit both the person and message of the apostle. He opened them by identifying the That would be 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1+2 Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon, and Romans, in case you were wondering. 2 Cor. )[16] This concept of an encyclical, or circular letter, is further developed in 1 Peter and in the other general epistles. Some scholars, in fact, have tried to reserve the term epistle for letters of this type, comparing them to the literary letters of classical authors such as Cicero and Pliny, who, even when they were writing real letters to specific individuals, expected their letters to be more widely published and so often wrote with a broader audience in mind. Some early manuscripts of Ephesians 1:1 lack at Ephesus, opening the possibility that the letter was meant for more than just the branch at Ephesus. In his studies, he had advanced in the religion of the Jews beyond many of his fellows as one extremely zealous for his ancestral traditions (Gal. A.D. 49, making it the earliest of Pauls epistles), and the Jerusalem council (Acts 15) convened shortly afterward. Putting an end to this movement was what Paul now devoted himself to with the utmost zeal. In this analogy, we are as Onesimus. 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). 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). The superiority of prophecy over tongues (14:1-25), 5. letters originally written by Paul where each individual letter does correspond to the original Pauline pattern. As the letter states, Paul is the author (see 1:1). Instructions Concerning Prayer (2:1-7), B. Q. Paul calls them his co-workers (Rom 16:3), a term he also uses of four other women who have worked hard in the Lord: Mary (Rom 16:6), Tryphaena, Tryphosa and Persis (Rom 16:12). How the involvement of Sosthenes and his concerns for Corinthian customs might have affected some of the more controversial sections of 1 Corinthians (e.g., the role of women) is unrecoverable. Because Ephesians gives no hint of Pauls release from prison, as in Philippians (1:19-26) and Philemon (v. 22), many believe that Ephesians was written in the early part of his imprisonment about A.D. 60, while Paul was kept under house guard in his rented quarters (Acts 28:30). While engaged in these missionary activities, he wrote the letters that are preserved in the New Testament. Closely related to this is another concept. Regardless, external and internal evidence support Paul as the author. . Because of this, he could appeal to Caesar as a citizen of Rome while imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:37-39). 3:14-15; 4:6-15 with 2 Tim. Thus, in the synagogues of Damascus, he proclaimed Christ as Savior. Being anxious to minister in Rome, he wrote Romans to prepare the way for his visit (15:14-17). Unlike some of his other epistles, Romans was not written to address specific problems. Marked social and economic differences existed among them (7:20-24; 11:21-34); some of them had even been steeped in pagan vices (6:9-11). 38 This material is taken from J. Sidlow Baxter's Explore the Book, pp. Concerning the Day of Christ: The Comfort of His Coming (4:13-18), 1. 56 The NIV Study Bible Notes, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, electronic media. Since, in reality, all believers are called to full-time ministry in one way or another, this chapter would be more than beneficial for all Christians. In the upcoming Letter from the Producer LIVE, well be covering information on whats to come in Patch 6.4! Contained therein are the principles for giving (8:1-6), the purposes for giving (8:7-15), the policies to be followed in giving (8:16-9:5), and the promises to be realized in giving (9:6-15).47. This may well account for the period spent in Arabia and Damascus before his first visit to Jerusalem (Gal. This belief was still being used as a basis for shirking their vocational responsibilities. Letters often went through several drafts before the author reviewed it and then either applied his seal or signed it with a postscript at the end. In 1 Cor.6:12+ Pauls reasons against having sex with prostitutes by citing Christian doctrine. 10-13). Part of this is a result of the fact that New Testament letters vary according to intended audience and how widely the authors expected them to be circulated beyond their original audiences. If the letter was written to Christians in North Galatia, the churches were founded on the second missionary journey and the epistle was written on the third missionary journey, either early from Ephesus (about A.D. 53) or later (about 55) from Macedonia. The second theme flows out of the first, namely, the believers responsibility to know, grasp, and walk in a manner that is fitting with his heavenly position and calling in Christ (1:18-23; 3:14-21; 4:1). 1:5f.). The Description of Righteousness (3:21-31), B. WebThe letter proceeds from a greeting to a warning against false teachers who mishandle the law. Rather, three clear purposes unfold for the writing of Romans. Pauls Greeting to the Colossians (1:1-2), 2. [23] Richards, Paul and First-Century Letter Writing, 3233. 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). Application: the Practice of Righteousness in Service (12:115:13), F. In Relation to Other Christians (14:115:13), VII. It was likely sent first to Ephesus by Tychicus (Eph. Prayer o Most often provides a thanksgiving for the efforts and successes Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timothy had come to Thessalonica early in the Second Missionary Journey, about AD 50, and had spent only a few weeks in the city where they had established a largely Gentile congregation. Paul had several obvious purposes in writing this letter to the Philippians: (1) He sought to express his love and gratitude for the gift they had sent him (1:5; 4:10-19); (2) to give a report about his own circumstances (1:12-26; 4:10-19); (3) to encourage the Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution and rejoice regardless of circumstances (1:27-30; 4:4); (4) to exhort them to live in humility and unity (2:1-11; 4:2-5); (5) to commend Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippian church (2:19-30); and (6) to warn the Philippians against the legalistic Judaizers and the libertarian antinomians who had slipped in among them (ch. After serving this church for a brief period, Paul began a series of missionary journeys to spread the news of salvation offered through Jesus' physical death. But the point is simply this: regardless of the type of church government, within certain limits, of course, if Gods Word is being consistently and accurately proclaimed with prayerful dependence on the Lord, and if the people take it to heart, a church will be alive, in vital touch with Christ, and effective for the Lord. 559a) titled a burlesque play Ho Korinthiastes, which basically means The Lecher. Aristophanes coined the verb korinthiazomai, to act as a Corinthian, which came to mean, to practice fornication. According to Strabo much of the wealth and vice in Corinth centered around the temple of Aphrodite and its thousand temple prostitutes. At the time of writing, Paul had not visited there, the letter says (Col 1:4; 2:1).The community had apparently been established by Epaphras of Colossae (Col 1:7; 4:12; Phlm 23).Problems, however, had To compensate for his failure to carry out his original plans, he was anxious to find something of real merit that he might do, which he believed he found in the need for suppressing a new religious movement that he regarded as both dangerous and heretical Christianity. Instead, Paul enumerates character qualities demonstrating that true leadership emanates from our walk with God rather than from achievements or vocational success.67. 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. Not until some time passed after Paul's death were these letters circulated among the churches and read along with the Old Testament Scriptures as a part of regular worship services. The Importance of the Resurrection (15:1-11), B. 2 shows that the heresy there referred to is noticeably less developed than the Gnosticism of leading Gnostic teachers of the second and third centuries. 1 Cor. Dubbed the art of persuasion, Classical rhetoric involved both the pleasing use of languagewhich was meant to help it be both understood and rememberedand appropriate use of argumentation. Having finished the survey of the historical books (the Gospels and Acts), we now come to the twenty-one epistles of the New Testament, twenty-two if one includes Revelation as an epistle (which in reality it is [see Rev. His Hope in the Thessalonians (2:19-20), E. The Confirmation of the Thessalonians (3:1-10), 1. Polemical: The Heretical Problems in Light of Union With Christ (2:4-3:4a), A. The impact must have necessitated great psychological and intellectual readjustments. After being recaptured and once again imprisoned, Paul wrote Timothy a second letter, 2 Timothy. As we face the various dilemmas of life, we must all learn to find our comfort in God who is the God of all comfort. 2:12-13; 7:5-6; 8:6). Finally, (5) he wrote to warn against the evils of materialism (chap. Justification: The Imputation of Gods Righteousness Through Christ (3:215:21), A. Exhortation to Progress in the Life of Faith (2:6-7), 3. (8:1-13), VI. Application error: a client-side exception has occurred (see the browser console for more information). 2. Undoubtedly, because of their religious and immoral background, aberrant beliefs and practices of an extraordinary variety characterized this church. Ephesians along with Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon are sometimes referred to as the prison epistles because they were each written while Paul was confined or in chains. WebPauls epistles fall into two categories: nine epistles written to churches (Romans to 2 Thessalonians) and four pastoral and personal epistles (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus and [7] Lacking Pauls later focus on righteousness by faith rather than by the works of the law, much of these letters consist of ethical exhortations as Paul endeavors to teach these new Christians how to live as Saints (see 1 Thessalonians 4:112; 5:1222; 2 Thessalonians 3:615). The Prayer That Their Hearts Might Be Established in Holiness (3:13), II. Paul lists the keys to an enduring successful ministry: A reproducing ministry (1-2); an enduring ministry (3-13); a studying ministry (14-18); and a holy ministry (19-26).68. Promise of Paul to Philemon (vv. Out of this, two great purposes emerge in the epistle. Various forms of the words righteous and righteousness are sprinkled abundantly throughout Romans. Traditionally, Pauls relationship to Judaism has been regarded as oppositional. While the general focus of this epistle is Pauls defense of his ministry and authority, a key word that surfaces is comfort (occurring 11 times in 9 verses). Since it was written during Pauls first imprisonment in Rome, it was written around A.D. 61. [22] Murphy-OConnor, Paul the Letter-Writer, 1619; Richards, Paul and First-Century Letter Writing, 3336. 3:4-5), and had evidently been taught the trade of tent-making as a youth (Acts 18:3). Because of their close relationship in thought and focus, the attestation and authorship of all three pastoral epistles will be dealt with here. The Coming of the Day of the Lord (5:1-5), C. Concerning Deportment in the Congregation (5:12-28). As also mentioned, it is believed that Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon were also written during the same time period (cf. The Previous Walk of the Old Life (4:17-19), 2. 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. To order How to Write Letters for All Occasions, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby Letter Booklet, P.O. While not written to be remedial or to correct any specific errors, Paul designed this epistle as a prevention against those problems that so often occur because of a lack of maturity or a failure in grasping and applying what believers have in Christ. Hebrews, which has been closely associated with Paul in both ancient tradition and Restoration teaching despite being significantly different in style and theme from the secure Pauline letters, has been identified as a work that begins like a treatise, proceeds like a sermon, and closes like an epistle.[19] Nevertheless, it is not simply a theological treatise but rather has an apologetic purpose, defending the superiority of Christ and preventing the readers from lapsing back to the Mosaic system. You are a [35] Murphy-OConnor, Paul the Letter-Writer, 4553; Richards, Paul and First-Century Letter Writing, 12829. From 56-60 Paul was slowly making his way through the Roman courts, arriving ultimately at Rome. The scribe then composed, or in the case of a dictated letter, revised the letter and set it down in a neat, professional hand on a good paper, usually papyrus (for a detailed discussion of the involvement of scribes in the writing of an ancient letter, see Lincoln Blumells chapter in this volume). He suggests that the more theologically involved passages, such as 1:1831 and 2:616, may possibly represent Sosthenes presumably exegetical and philosophical bent, whereas Paul insisted on pragmatic counsel. In the earliest Greek literature it was linked with wealth (Homer Iliad 2. The Instruction of the True Teaching (2:9-15), 1. There are two main views, The North Galatian View and The South Galatian View. 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 imperial post carried only official government correspondence, so it was not available to Paul and other New Testament letter writers. Because of the greetings in 1:2, Colossians became known as Pros Kolossaeis, To the Colossians. As with the other epistles of Paul surveyed thus far, both the external and internal evidence strongly support Pauls authorship. Raised in a Jewish home, he was taught the Old Testament Scriptures and brought up in strict accordance with the beliefs and practices of the Pharisee sect. He wrote (1) to urge Timothy to come to Rome as soon as possible in view of his impending death (cf. After the postscript was added, the letter was either folded or rolled and then sealed. Wisdom occurs 29 times in 22 verses. The New Position in the Heavenlies (2:1-10), 2. It is a cosmic book, presenting the cosmic Christ: the Creator/Sustainer and Redeemer/Reconciler of man and all the universe. Further, due to the large portion of these epistles that deal with church order and discipline, the term pastoral is accurate. By Philemons gracious act, Onesimus is restored and placed in a new relationship (vv. Those things that characterize Paul are evident throughout (cf. . Kent P. Jackson and Frank F. Judd Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006), 190207. WebWhen interpreting the Pauline letters, we must grasp both the contingency and the coherence of the Pauline gospel. 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). It is not surprising, therefore, that even in a book stressing endurance in ministry, the doctrine of Christ is prominent. Download PDF Word. The theme, then, is the life-changing power of the gospel to reach into the varied social conditions of society and change our relationships from bondage to brotherhood. Nevertheless, Pauls final doxology, or expression of praise, at the end of his letter to the Romans reminds us that his fervent testimony is as vital and true today as it was then: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever.
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