This means he had already been at Corinth and since he had not yet been at Corinth when he wrote to that church (cf. [3] Morna D. Hooker, A Preface to Paul (New York: Oxford University Press, 1980), 89, 1618. (See Colossians 4:16. The New Position in the Heavenlies (2:1-10), 2. Several things indicate that Ephesians was a circular letter, a doctrinal treatise in the form of a letter, to the churches in Asia Minor. In the case of Pauls scribe Tertius, he may have been a professional secretary who was able to take dictation in ancient shorthand and had volunteered his services since Romans has many oratorical features that seem to reflect spoken composition. 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. In the early church, all who speak on the subject of authorship ascribe it to Paul. 16:5-9; Acts 20:31). WebPauls Letters, Then and Now. Moreover, the books declare Paul as the author (1 Tim. The Mechanics of Writing an Ancient Letter. The Condemnation of the Immoral Man (the Gentile) (1:18-32), B. Further, his authorship is virtually unchallenged. Eventually, he was invited by Barnabas to come to the church at Antioch and assist in the work being done there. This means he wrote it in A.D. 60-61 (see the discussion on the date of Ephesians and Philippians). Follow the tabs above to get Again, as is so consistent with the teaching of Paul, we see how good works or the conduct of the Christian is so connected with the person and work of Christ, past, present, and future. 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. Good deeds are not to be the product of human ingenuity or dead religion, but the work of Gods grace through faith in the power of God as manifested in Christ, the Savior. The letter contains a number of historical references that agree with known facts of Pauls life and the doctrinal content of the book is consistent with the other writings of the apostle, a fact quickly evident by a comparison with his other letters. 3. In 1 Cor.6:12+ Pauls reasons against having sex with prostitutes by citing Christian doctrine. He had denied the Christian claim that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [27], Because parchment and especially finer quality papyrus were expensive, scribes may have first taken notes and even written initial drafts on tablets of wood or ivory coated with wax. The Present Walk of the New Life (4:20-32), 4. As with many of Pauls epistles, picking a key chapter is difficult, but perhaps chapter 6 stands out because of its very important revelation regarding the nature of our warfare with Satan (6:10-18). 3:14-15; 4:6-15 with 2 Tim. Warnings Against False Doctrine (1:3-11), III. These, then, are the first Roman imprisonment letters, whereas 2 Timothy is the second Roman imprisonment letter.52. The Condemnation of the Moral Man (2:1-16), C. The Condemnation of the Religious Man (the Jew) (2:173:8), III. Paul wrote: (1) to encourage and boost the spirit and courage of Timothy by reminding him of his charge or duty (1:3), of his spiritual gift (4:14), his good confession (6:12), and of the deposit of doctrine entrusted to him (6:20); (2) to give Timothy biblical insight in dealing with the errors of false teachers and to encourage Timothy himself to continue in sound doctrine (1:3-11, 18-20; 4:1-16; 6:3f); (3) to give direction concerning proper church conduct in worship (chap. This provides us with the spiritual and moral foundation on which we base our methods, strategy, and administration. [20] Paul probably stayed with other Christians in his travels and would have enjoyed little privacy. However, he simply moved next door to the house of Titius Justus where he continued his ministry (Acts 18:7). 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. [36] A short example from what is perhaps Pauls earliest extant letter illustrates the thanksgiving section of one of his letters: We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God (1 Thessalonians 1:24). 17), B. Thanksgiving for Divine Comfort in Affliction (1:3-11), C. The Integrity of Pauls Motives and Conduct (1:122:4), D. Forgiving the Offender at Corinth (2:5-11), E. Gods Direction in the Ministry (2:12-17), F. The Corinthian Believersa Letter From Christ (3:1-11), G. Seeing the Glory of God With Unveiled Faces (3:124:6), I. Though Titus is never mentioned in Acts, the many references to him in Pauls epistles (13 times), make it clear he was one of Pauls closest and most trusted fellow-workers in the gospel. 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. Duties and Defenses Against the Dangers (4:6-16), VI. But as he did so, he could not help but be impressed by the way in which the Christians met the persecutions inflicted upon them. Closely related to this is another concept. bookmarked pages associated with this title. [25], Most of Pauls letters, however, were probably not the result of such transcription, which would have taken hours of continuous dictation: by some estimates 1 Thessalonians and Philippians could have been dictated in about two and a half hours, but 1 Corinthians would have required over ten hours, and Romans itself over eleven if an expensive professional not using shorthand were transcribing it. It has been argued that the vocabulary and style are different from other Pauline Epistles, but this overlooks Pauls flexibility under different circumstances (cf. Phrases in Ephesians like in Christ or with Christ appear some 35 times. The key words or concepts are judgment, retribution, and destruction all revolving around the return of the Lord in the day of the Lord. Practical: The Practice of the Believer in Christ (3:5-4:6), 2. with the leaders there, he took Titus (a Gentile) with him (Gal. Most of Pauls letters to Christians of different cities and towns begin with three things. 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). In favor of this is the fact that Luke seems to use Galatia only to describe North Galatia (Acts 16:6; 18:23). 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 brought into a position of liberty. . Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12). The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. A more utilitarian approach to remembering the most vivid parts of your life. 11, 18), is motivated by Pauls love to intercede on his behalf (vv. There is some debate as to the title and destination of this epistle. According to some calculations, Romans (979 manuscript lines) would have cost $2,275 in 2004 U.S. dollars, and even short Philemon (44 lines) would have cost $101! 49 Merrill F. Unger, The New Ungers Talking Bible Dictionary, Original work copyright 1957 The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, electronic media. As a result, students of the Word have debated certain issues for years like the exact form of government or how we select and appoint men to leadership. [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. This may well account for the period spent in Arabia and Damascus before his first visit to Jerusalem (Gal. 62 NIV Study Bible Notes, Zondervan, 1985, electronic media. YouTube Live; Niconico Live; Twitch After he was released he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus, was arrested again, wrote 2 Timothy, and was martyred in Rome. To meet the needs that occasioned this epistle, Paul wrote this epistle to comfort and correct. The Coming of the Day of the Lord (5:1-5), C. Concerning Deportment in the Congregation (5:12-28). Again as indicated in the opening salutation, Paul is the author of this letter. There is no evidence among the writings of the early church fathers that his authorship was ever doubted. Download PDF Word. He shows acquaintance with Greek culture and their thinking. Positive: Aspirations for the Heavenly Life (3:1-4), III. 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. Application error: a client-side exception has occurred (see the browser console for more information). Has God set the Jew aside? In the earliest Greek literature it was linked with wealth (Homer Iliad 2. 1. In the process, he made a preliminary stop at Troas hoping to rendezvous with Titus (2 Cor. It is thought that there are differences in the vocabulary (ten words not used elsewhere), in the style (it is said to be unexpectedly formal) and in the eschatology (the doctrine of the man of lawlessness is not taught elsewhere). WebWhen interpreting the Pauline letters, we must grasp both the contingency and the coherence of the Pauline gospel. The purpose and burden of the apostle in writing to the Thessalonians can be summarized as follows: to express his thankfulness for what God was doing in the lives of the Thessalonians (1:2-3), to defend himself against a campaign to slander his ministry (2:1-12), to encourage them to stand fast against persecution and pressure to revert to their former pagan lifestyles (3:2-3; 4:1-12), to answer a doctrinal question pertaining to the fate of Christians who had died (4:1-13), to answer questions regarding the Day of the Lord (5:1-11), and to deal with certain problems that had developed in their corporate life as a church (5:12-13; 19-20). Paul died in A.D. 67, according to the early church father, Eusebius. The first is to set forth something of the wealth of blessings that believers have in Christ, and how, through them, the eternal purposes of God are summed up in the person of Christ, the things in heaven and on earth (1:3-12). This new life in Christ calls for a new way of living through the Holy Spirit (3:16, 17; 6:11, 19-20). 3:1-2, 8-11 with Acts 15:36; 2 Cor. At the same time, Paul offered to pay personally whatever Onesimus owed. 1:1). o Is highly complimentary. During this time, Paul had ample opportunity to rethink his religious conceptions, systematize his understanding of the meaning of Jesus' career on earth, and formulate plans for spreading Christianity throughout the world. WebThe occasional nature of the Pauline letters b. Paul's dominance in the canon c. The Pauline traditions in Acts d. The Pauline pseudepigrapha. The Consequences of Denying the Resurrection (15:12-19), E. The Christians Victory Through Christ (15:51-58), VIII. 2 Cor. The date when Paul penned this letter depends on the destination of the letter. In the first two chapters Paul vindicated his apostleship and message. So now both Onesimus and Philemon were faced with doing their Christian duty toward one another. The background of the Roman church itself influenced both how Paul approached the issue of justification and why he also introduced another topic, Gods promises to Israel. The power of the cross provides deliverance from the curse of the law, from the power of sin, and from self (1:4; 2:20; 3:13; 4:5; 5:16, 24; 6:14). [5] While the principles that these letters teach are abiding and applicable in our age, understanding the original occasion of each letter is especially important for understanding and interpreting it,[6] as can be seen particularly in some of the early letters of Paul such as those written to the Saints in Thessalonica, Galatia, Corinth, and Rome. 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]. W. C. Strickland (Nashville: Broadman, 1959), p. 12. In fact, in this epistle, 18 out of 47 verses (38 percent) deal with this subject. Consequently, these letters have been labelled the Johannine epistles, despite the fact that none of the epistles mentions any author. One must try to understand the circumstances in which these individuals and groups found themselves in order to understand what and how Paul was trying to teach them. 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. Wisdom occurs 29 times in 22 verses. Within a few months the form reports superseded the narrative reports, although the informational content remained similar. WebLook for connection between doctrine and ethics in the body of the letter. Though all three of these letters have been attacked more than any other of Pauls epistles, both the external and internal evidence supports Paul as the author. 19-19). Paul wrote to multiple bodies of believers of its paramountcy in the health of the church. School attendance is a major issue. This section of the letter is often considerably extended in Christian letters, particularly the letters of Paul, where it includes expressions of gratitude to the one true God, doxologies or expressions of praise, and even extended prayers. Because believers are complete in Christ (2:10) and are thereby risen with Him, they now have all they need for Christ-like transformation in all the relationships of life (3:1f.). About the New Testament of the Bible. A crucial turning point in Paul's career came after he returned to Jerusalem and began studies in preparation for becoming a rabbi. 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). A recap of the events pertinent to this epistle will help give some idea of a probable date for Titus, though the exact time is unknown. Both 1 and 2 Thessalonians were written from Corinth during the apostles eighteen-month stay in that city (cf. A 19-year-old TikToker made 6 figures teaching people how to write essays. WebAFT acted quickly by pursuing four main goals: first, safeguard the health and lives of students, families and frontline workers in education, healthcare and public service. That Colossians is a genuine letter of Paul is not usually disputed. 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). Briefly analyzing this format and the rhetorical structure of Pauls letters allows a reader to see how Paul used, and in many instances changed, the conventional letter format in order to emphasize certain points. As mentioned previously, it was from Rome, during this second imprisonment in the dungeon that he wrote 2 Timothy. The fact that believers are not under the Law in no way means the freedom to do as one pleases, but the power to do what we should by Gods grace through the Spirit.
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