what are the four parts of a pauline letter
I am convinced that Wilkinson and Boa are on target when they write: The second chapter of Second Timothy ought to be required daily reading for every pastor and full-time Christian worker. Rather, three clear purposes unfold for the writing of Romans. The Call to Remember Timothys Responsibilities (1:8-18), IV. For those who were themselves illiterate and needed someone to write for them, a scribe usually took down notes regarding the subjects that concerned the sender and then employed a standard format and used conventional expressions to write the letter. Eric D. Huntsman was an assistant professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when this was published. 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). The playwright Philetaerus (Athenaeus 13. Ryrie summarizes this and writes: At the time of the writing of this letter the term Galatia was used both in a geographical and in a political sense. In Ephesians and Colossians, however, there are indications that Paul expected the letters to be circulated among a broader audience. I. Salutation and Thanksgiving for the Philippians (1:1-11), II. So, while our methods will often vary, they must never contradict the moral or spiritual principles of the Word of God. Gods wisdom manifested to us in Christ is to change believers on both the individual and social level. Liar! they cried and stoned him. Undoubtedly, because of their religious and immoral background, aberrant beliefs and practices of an extraordinary variety characterized this church. 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. The Believers Walk in Righteousness (4:17-5:18), 1. A careful study of Acts and the Epistles reveals the following summary of Pauls involvement with the Corinthian church: (1) there was the first visit to Corinth followed by, (2) the first letter to Corinth (now lost). 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. The average letter of Paul, however, was 2,495 words long! Picking out key chapters in Romans is indeed difficult for in this great treatise on doctrine and its application to life, one wants to say every chapter is key. [40] The classical point of discussion begins with Aristotle, Ars rhetorica, 1.3 (1358b) and includes Quintillian, Institutio oratorio, 3.4.1215. The Importance of the Resurrection (15:1-11), B. 1:1). 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). When we think of Christ we dont always reflect on the stunning power that comes from the perfect unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but it is picture of unity Christ desires for his church. The Expression of Thanks for Timothy (1:3-7), III. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Pauls Gratitude for the Colossians Faith (1:3-8), 3. According to these divisions, Galatians, meant to defend both Pauls teaching of the gospel and his own authority, is an example of judicial oratory; 1 Corinthians, intended to correct behavior, is an example of deliberative writing; and Romans, which sought to introduce Paul, affirm his doctrine, and gain the support of the Saints in Rome, serves as an example of demonstrative rhetoric. [28] Murphy-OConnor, Paul the Letter-Writer, 11013; Brown, Introduction to the New Testament, 419; Richards, Paul and First-Century Letter Writing, 17175. It was written from Corinth, while completing the collection for the poor in Palestine. This means he wrote it in A.D. 60-61 (see the discussion on the date of Ephesians and Philippians). 1:1; 2 Tim. [13] Consequently, in Romans, Paul addresses many of the same issues as he did in Galatians, but here the situation is reversed. 10-17). This is then followed by eight Hebrew Christian epistles (Hebrews to Jude). He was a descendant of the Hebrew tribe of Benjamin and originally was named Saul, after Israel's first king. The Doctrine of the Resurrection (15:1-58), A. 15:26, it appears Paul had already received contributions from the churches of Macedonia and Achaia (where Corinth was located). Perhaps because Paul was a Roman citizen and they could not prove the charges, his accusers did not choose to press charges against him before Caesar (see Acts 24-25; 28:30). For more discussion see Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 270-78, esp. 1:4]). They taught, among other things, that a number of the ceremonial practices of the Old Testament were still binding on the church. Instructions Concerning Public Worship (11:214:40), C. The Use of Spiritual Gifts (12:114:40), 2. And, of course, the letters themselves claim to have been written by Paul.65, The Greek titles for 1 and 2 Timothy are Pros Timotheon A and Pros Timotheon B, First to Timothy and Second to Timothy. Timothys name means, honoring God.. [19] H. E. Dana, Jewish Christianity: An Expository Survey of Acts I to XII, James, I and II Peter, Jude and Hebrews (New Orleans: Bible Institute Memorial, 1937), 201. 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). [36] Murphy-OConnor, Paul the Letter-Writer, 5559; Richards, Paul and First-Century Letter Writing, 12930. The rest are forgeries. 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. The date when Paul penned this letter depends on the destination of the letter. Instructions Concerning Various Responsibilities (5:1-6:10), E. Concerning the Heretical and Greedy (6:3-10), VII. The remainder of Pauls letters either fall into different generic categories or combine different types of writing. Here the apostle taught them that the day of the Lord had not come and could not until certain events had taken place, not for the rapture of the church which is imminent, but for the day of the Lord, Daniels seventieth week. The imperial post carried only official government correspondence, so it was not available to Paul and other New Testament letter writers. 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. WebThirteen letters are attributed to Paul: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 A.D. 49, making it the earliest of Pauls epistles), and the Jerusalem council (Acts 15) convened shortly afterward. That Colossians is a genuine letter of Paul is not usually disputed. The writer calls himself Paul in several places (cf. Organization, or better, the organic and unified growth of a church, must be based on right teaching, which is based on rightly handling the Word, i.e., Gods objective truth along with the use of those people who are qualified and spiritually right with God. He was born of Jewish parentage in the city of Tarsus of Cilicia. Contrary to modern notions of letter writing, Paul did not sit alone at a desk quietly composing his epistles. 3:4-5), and had evidently been taught the trade of tent-making as a youth (Acts 18:3). [27] Murphy-OConnor, Paul the Letter-Writer, 816, 3435; Richards, Paul and First-Century Letter Writing, 5993. No doubt this conviction was growing upon him for some time, but the climactic turning point in his career came while he was journeying to Damascus. In the process of this, Paul asks Philemon to charge this to his own account. I. Further, in view of all Christ was, is, has and will accomplish, Paul declares Christ as the believers life, for to me to live is Christ (1:21), that He is the perfect model of humility and sacrificing love (2:4-5), that He is the one who will transform our humble bodies into the likeness of His glorious body at the resurrection (3:21), and He is our means of enablement in any and all circumstances of life (4:12). Personal: The Gospel of Grace, Justification by Faith Defended (1:1-2:21), B. Their Love for the Brethren, an Expression of Being God Taught (4:9-10), C. Their Love for the Lost Expressed in Godly Living (4:11-12), III. Then, in chapters 3 and 4 he contended for the true doctrine of grace, the doctrine of justification by faith alone. The beneficiaries of thorough gospel instruction, upon Pauls departure the Corinthian Saints developed internal divisions arising from factionalism, pride over special knowledge and gifts, and moral misbehavior arising from doctrinal speculation. In addition, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria, and the Muratorian Canon do as well. As to external evidence, several church fathers (Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, Clement of Alexander, and others) either quote from or use language closely resembling that found in Ephesians.53, In recent years, however, critics have turned to internal grounds to challenge this unanimous ancient tradition. Paul and The Pauline Letters. In addition, the doctrinal teaching and autobiographical details fit with the life of an aged Paul at the close of his ministry (see 1:12-17; 2:7; 2 Tim. Download PDF Word. Brigham Young University bookmarked pages associated with this title. 2:3). WebLaodicea.11 However, in view of several points of contact of this letter with the Letter to Philemon, which is genuinely Pauline, it is possible that Paul wrote to the Colossians from his Roman imprisonment (around the years 61-63).12 In this letter the Church is described as a new creation the vocabulary used throughout the letter 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). The Pauline Letters. 4. The early church was unanimous in its testimony that Philippians was written by the apostle Paul (see 1:1). Since these books deal with church order, ministry, and organization, why were they not first? [39], While formal divisions into indicative and imperative sections may have helped a listening audience follow one of Pauls letters, what was even more significant to an ancient audience was his use of rhetorical styles. The Commendation of the Thessalonians (1:1-10), 3. . Negative: Emancipation from Ascetic Ordinances (2:20-23), 3. 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). [38] See Brown, Introduction to the New Testament, 416n16. In 1 Timothy and Titus, Paul was free and able to travel, but here he is a prisoner in a cold dungeon and facing death. . [29] For instance, the subscription to 1 Thessalonians reads: The first epistle unto the Thessalonians was written from Athens. First Thessalonians 3:16, taken together with Acts 18:15, make it clear that Paul wrote the letter from Corinth, after he had left Athens and when Timothy had come to Corinth with news about the Church in Thessalonica (see Anderson,Understanding Paul, 72). The New Position in the Household (2:11-22), 1. that included southern districts and those cities just mentioned. These books are called the Pauline letters: the name Pauline is derived from Paul's name. 3). 43 Henry Clarence Thiessen, Introduction to the New Testament, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1943, pp. These, then, are the first Roman imprisonment letters, whereas 2 Timothy is the second Roman imprisonment letter.52. 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. [26] While scribes are not named in any Pauline epistle other than Romans, they can be presumed in the other letters, where their involvement in the actual composition of the letter and the degree to which they were involved in wording of the final draft could vary greatly. The internal evidence is obvious. 1:7; Col. 4:10; Philemon 9). Further, there is no evidence for so partitioning 2 Corinthians.45. Accordingly, Philemon is termed a real letter, as opposed to a literary or philosophical exercise intended for wider publication. 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. It outlines the format of Paul's letters in the New Testament. To distinguish this letter from the First Epistle to the Corinthians, this letter received the title, Pros Corinthians B. In place of a simple expression of affection and the occasional wish for strength and health for the recipient, the letters of Paul, for instance, frequently include a final blessing, greetings to various individuals in the community receiving the letter, sometimes the instructions to greet with a holy kiss, and a final peace wish. In Galatians, Paul addressed a congregation that he had founded but which had subsequently been infiltrated by Judaizers bringing with them old practices of the Mosaic law. 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. Apr 25, 2023, 2:52 AM PDT. But the authorship of this epistle has been doubted by some on the grounds of the vocabulary and the nature of the heresy refuted in this epistle. You are a In the process, he made a preliminary stop at Troas hoping to rendezvous with Titus (2 Cor. was a 1966 graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and a former pastor of 28 years. To grasp the theme and purpose, a little background is necessary. 48 This outline was taken from The Expositor's Bible Commentary, New Testament, Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1976-1992, electronic media. 2:2). ( A.D. 60, 62) Titus, 1 and 2 Tim. The term, pastoral, is an 18th century designation that has stuck down through the years,63 and though not entirely accurate, it is a somewhat appropriate description of these three letters. 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. Brooke Lim, 19, apologized for Important issues discussed in the letter include qualifications for elders (1:5-9), instructions to various age groups (2:1-8), relationship to government (3:1-2), the relation of regeneration to human works and to the Spirit (3:5), and the role of grace in promoting good works among Gods people (2:11-3:8). Within a few months the form reports superseded the narrative reports, although the informational content remained similar. Closely associated with this is a short section on the believers warfare with the onslaughts of Satan (6:10-18). 39 Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, New Testament, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1976-1992, electronic media. 2:1-3) as an example of one accepted by grace without circumcision, which vindicated Pauls stand on this issue (Gal. 5:1f.). Further, it is because sound teaching and spirituality are what ultimately produce ministries that are effective according to Gods standards and that manifest the spirit and character of Christ in ministry and outreach. Thus, chapters 5 and 6 show that Christians must learn to live by the power of the Spirit and that the Spirit controlled walk will manifest not the works of the flesh but rather the fruit of the Spirit. Application error: a client-side exception has occurred (see the browser console for more information). No specific purpose is stated and no particular problem or heresy is addressed. In the early church, all who speak on the subject of authorship ascribe it to Paul. 9. From Macedonia Paul wrote a fourth letter, 2 Corinthians. [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. (5) Then there was a third letter to Corinth (now also lost). He became familiar not only with the Law itself but with the explanations and commentaries made by the leading rabbis of the Jewish faith. The cost of the finished letter included both the cost of the papyrus and secretarial labor and could be quite high. Add an RSC shortcut to this device's Homescreen, In the menu, scroll past any icons and tap. There is no evidence among the writings of the early church fathers that his authorship was ever doubted. Petition of Paul for Onesimus (vv. Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXXVII Date & Time. In them Timothy and Titus are given instructions for the selection and appointment of Church officials, warnings against false teachings, and practical advice on community behavior and belief. 10-13). As such a student, he was familiar with many of the sayings of classical and contemporary writers. Chapters 89 are really one unit and comprise the most complete revelation of Gods plan for giving found anywhere in the Scriptures. The frequent personal greetings often appended to the end of Pauls letterssuch as the list of twenty-six individuals and five groups in Romans 16:316remind us that these were actual letters written to real people in the first century AD. 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. Having energetically and consistently persecuted the church of Jesus Christ, while on the road to Damascus, Paul had an encounter with the glorified resurrected Christ, which had revolutionary effects on his life. Naturally, many questions would arise as to the meaning and application of the gospel for Christians. 3), proper behavior toward the various age groupstowards elders and widows (chap. [22] The involvement of Silvanus and Timothy in the Thessalonian correspondence makes particular sense because they had been involved with Paul in the initial evangelizing of Thessalonica, and Timothy was often Pauls messenger to the congregation there, as he was in the case of other letters where he is listed as coauthor. The Exhortation Against False Teaching (2:4-8), 1. 16 as part of an epistle sent to Ephesus. Of all Pauls letters, 2 Corinthians is the most personal and intimate. 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. 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. Both 1 and 2 Thessalonians were written from Corinth during the apostles eighteen-month stay in that city (cf. This was not carried out in a self-protecting spirit but because Paul knew that acceptance of his ministry and message were intimately bound with the Corinthian churchs own spiritual well-being.46. E.g. The regulations for the use of gifts (14:26-40), VII. Finally, (5) he wrote to warn against the evils of materialism (chap. 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. 2:1). I. He then visited Crete, leaving Titus there to put in order the remaining matters in the churches of Crete. 1:13). Furthermore, it is more of a homily, which is an explication closely connected to scriptural text, rather than a sermon, which is generally more topical. The Collection for Jerusalem (16:1-4). [18] 12 Peter, 23 John, and Jude do not divide the body of the letter into the two usual sections of instruction and admonition. However, such arguments have not convinced current scholars. Jesus was alive after all! (See Colossians 4:16. 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. Paul presents Jesus Christ as the Second Adam whose righteousness and substitutionary death have provided justification for all who place their faith in Him. YouTube Live; Niconico Live; Twitch 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 content of the reports was specified in a circular letter issued by the Assistant Commissioner on December 31, 1866. In a later epistle, Paul will stress how we are complete in Christ (Col. 2:10). It was not until the 19th century that certain questions were raised about the authorship of this epistle. The theology of Ephesians in some ways reflects later development, but this must be attributed to Pauls own growth and meditation on the church as the body of Christ. This was then followed by (3) the second letter to Corinth (1 Cor.). Onesimus, guilty of a great offense (vv. Prayer of Thanksgiving for Philemon (vv. The Pattern of the Christian Life: Having the Mind of Christ (2:1-30), D. The Examples of Humility Seen in Timothy and Epaphroditus (2:19-30), IV. Later, he returned to Tarsus and probably attended the Greek university located in that city, although we have no direct information about this. In scope, Colossians presents the all supremacy, all sufficiency, uniqueness, and the fullness of the person and work of Jesus Christ as the God-man Savior, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and the total solution for mans needs both for time and eternity. Wisdom occurs 29 times in 22 verses. And further, he must be the Son of God. 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. Second, assess and advocate for the science-based measures needed to resume in-person schooling safely because of the vital importance of in-person schooling. So Paul explains Gods program of salvation for Jews and Gentiles. 6). With almost no exception, from the early church this epistle has been credited to Paul. He Corrects and Challenges Regarding the Day of the Lord (2:1-17), C. In Relation to the Man of Lawlessness (2:3b-4), IV. [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. These three have traditionally been attributed to John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee and one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. 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). 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). Two other key words are grace (1:4; 2:11; 3:7, 15) and faith (1:1, 4, 13; 2:10, 13, and 3:15). 2:9). [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. 2:3-5). [16] Brown, Introduction to the New Testament, 6001, 62627, 63133. 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.). Two New Testament scribes are identified by name: Tertius in Romans 16:22 and Silvanus in 1 Peter 5:12. The Gospel of Grace Came by Revelation (1:10-24), C. The Gospel of Grace Was Approved by the Church in Jerusalem (2:1-10), D. The Gospel of Grace Was Vindicated in the Rebuke of Peter, the Chief of the Apostles (2:11-21), II. In such a postscript, the author might summarize the contents and then sign his name or affirm the contents in some other fashion. 15:19). That Paul is the author of this epistle is supported by both external and internal evidence. Has God set the Jew aside? Part 1. 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). According to this rule, in the article-noun-kaiv-noun construction the second noun refers to the same person described by the first noun when (1) neither is impersonal; (2) neither is plural; (3) neither is a proper name. (7) Finally, there was a third visit to Corinth (Acts 20:2-3). Pauls only other long series of greetings is in Colossiansa letter also sent to a church he had not visited.40. A second purpose was to present a complete and detailed statement of the gospel message God had called him to proclaim.
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