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 The Letters of Paul
 
Portrait of St. Paul by Rembrandt
Portrait of St. Paul
by Rembrandt
(larger image)
The Pauline epistles are the thirteen or fourteen letters in the New Testament of the Christian Bible traditionally believed to have been written by the apostle Paul. Among them are some of the earliest extant (still existing) Christian documents. They provide an insight into the beliefs and controversies of formative Christianity and, as part of the biblical canon of the New Testament, they have also been, and continue to be, hugely influential in Christian theology and Christian ethics.
Name Greek Latin Abbreviations: Full Min.
Romans Προς Ρομαιος Epistula ad Romanos Rom Ro
First Corinthians Προς Κορινθιους Α Epistula I ad Corinthios 1 Cor 1C
Second Corinthians Προς Κορινθιους Β Epistula II ad Corinthios 2 Cor 2C
Galatians Προς Γαλατας Epistula ad Galatas GalG
Ephesians Προς Εφεσιους Epistula ad Ephesios Eph E
Philippians Προς Φιλιπποις Epistula ad Philippenses Phil Phi
Colossians Προς Κολοσσεις Epistula ad Colossenses Col C
First Thessalonians Προς Θεσσαλονικεις Α Epistula I ad Thessalonicenses 1 Thess 1Th
Second Thessalonians Προς Θεσσαλονικεις Β Epistula II ad Thessalonicenses 2 Thess 2Th
First Timothy Προς Τιμοθεον Α Epistula I ad Timotheum 1 Tim 1T
Second Timothy Προς Τιμοθεον Β Epistula II ad Timotheum 2 Tim 2T
Titus Προς Τιτον Epistula ad Titum Tit T
Philemon Προς Φιλημονα Epistula ad Philemonem Philem P

The Epistle to the Romans

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The Epistle to the Romans is one of the letters of the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. When it is clear that the Bible is being discussed, it is often referred to as simply "Romans". Romans is one of the seven currently (as of 2004) undisputed letters of Paul and even among the four letters accepted as authentically his (in German scholarship, the Hauptbriefe) by F. C. Baur and the Tübingen School of historical criticism of texts in the 19th century.

History

It was probably written at Corinth or possibly in nearby Cenchrea, transcribed by Tertius.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives 22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. (Romans 16:21-23)
Phoebe (Romans 16:1) of Cenchrea, the Aegean port of Corinth, conveyed it to Rome, and Gaius of Corinth entertained the Apostle Paul at the time of his writing it (Romans 16:23; 1 Cor 1:14), and Erastus was chamberlain of the city, that is, of Corinth (2 Tim 4:20).

The precise time at which it was written is not mentioned in the epistle, but it was obviously written when the collection for Jerusalem had been assembled and Paul was about to "go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints", that is, at the close of his second visit to Greece, during the winter preceding his last visit to that city (Rom. 15:25; cf. Acts 19:21; 20:2, 3, 16; 1 Cor 16:1–4) early in 58.

Probably, Christianity was planted in Rome by some of those who had been at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10). At this time the Jews were very numerous in Rome, and their synagogues were probably resorted to by Romans also, who in this way became acquainted with the story of Jesus as reported among the Jews. Thus a church composed of both Jews and Gentiles was formed at Rome. Many of the brethren went out to meet Paul on his approach to Rome. There are evidences that Christians were then in Rome in considerable numbers, and had probably more than one place of meeting (Rom 16:14, 15).

Purposes of writing

The purposes of the apostle in writing were fivefold and are articulated in the second half of chapter 15.
  1. Paul asks for prayers in his coming journey to Jerusalem and that the offering collected from the Gentile churches would be accepted there.
  2. Paul is planning to come to Rome from Jerusalem and spend some time there before moving on to Spain. He hopes the Roman church will support his mission to Spain.
  3. In that Paul has never been to Rome, he writes the letter to outline his gospel so that his teaching will not be confused by that of "false teachers".
  4. Paul is aware that there is some conflict between Gentile and Jewish Christians in the Roman church, and he writes to address those concerns (chs. thirteen and the first half of fourteen).
  5. While the Roman church was presumably founded by Jewish Christians, the exile of Jews from Rome in AD 49 by Claudius resulted in Gentile Christians taking leadership positions. Upon the return of Jewish Christians after Claudius's death in AD 54, tensions resulted over the keeping of Biblical food laws and observance of High Holy Days.

Content

The main theme of the letter is the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16–17). Paul argues that all humanity is guilty and accountable to God for sin and that it is only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that humanity can attain salvation. God is therefore both just and the one who justifies. In response to God's free, sovereign and graceful action of salvation, we can be justified by faith. Paul uses the example of Abraham to demonstrate that it is by faith not works that mankind can be seen as righteous before God.

Assurance of salvation

In chapters five through eight, Paul argues that believers can be assured of their hope in salvation, that believers have been freed from the bondage of sin. Paul states that, through faith (Romans 3:28; 4:3), the faithful have been joined with Jesus (Romans 5:1) and freed from sin (Romans 6:1–2, 18). Believers should celebrate in the assurance of salvation (Romans 12:12). This promise is open to everyone, as everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23) and Jesus paid for all these sins (Romans 3:24).

In chapters nine through eleven, Paul addresses the faithfulness of God to Israel, wherein he says that God has been faithful to His promise. Paul hopes that all of Israel will come to realize the truth (Romans 9:1–5), since he himself was also an Israelite (11:1) and had in the past been a persecutor of Christ. In Romans 9–11 Paul talks about how the nation of Israel has been cast away, and the conditions under which Israel will be God's chosen nation again: when the Body of Christ (believers in Christ's payment for sin) stops being faithful (Romans 11:19–22).

The gospel transforms believers

In Romans 7:1, Paul says that humans are under the law while we live: "Know ye not . . . that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?" However, Jesus' death on the cross makes believers dead to the law (Romans 7:4, "Wherefore, my brethren, ye are also become dead to the law by the body of Christ").

In chapter 12 through the first part of chapter 15, Paul outlines how the gospel transforms believers and the behaviour that results from such a transformation. He goes on to describe how believers should live: not under the law, but under the grace of God. If believers live by what the Bible says (Romans 12:9–21; 13:8–10) and love everybody, study the scriptures (and share them with others), believers are not going to need to sin. As Paul says in Romans 13:10, "love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of law."

Paul is not telling believers that love is all that matters: without first accepting Christ's gift (Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus", and Romans 5:1: "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"), everyone is still under the bondage of sin (Romans 5:12–17: "and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned") and cannot experience that true love.

Concluding verses

The concluding verses contain a description of his travel plans and personal greetings salutations. One-third of the twenty-one Christians identified in the greetings are women, an indication that women played an important role in the early church at Rome.

General characterisation

Paul sometimes uses a style of writing common in his time called a "diatribe". He appears to be responding to a "heckler", and the letter is structured as a series of arguments. The letter is addressed to the church at Rome, which consisted of both Gentile and Jewish Christians. In the flow of the letter, Paul shifts his arguments, sometimes addressing the Jewish members of the church, sometimes the Gentile membership, and sometimes the church as a whole.

Protestant treatment of the text

Martin Luther described Romans as "the chief book of the New Testament . . . it deserves to be known by heart, word for word, by every Christian."

The Romans Road refers to a set of scriptures from the book of Romans that Christian evangelists use to present a clear and simple case for personal salvation for each person.

The Book of Romans has been at the forefront of several major movements in Protestantism. Martin Luther's lectures on Romans in 1515–16 were probably the crucial moment in which he developed his criticism of Catholicism which led to the 95 theses of 1517, signalling the start of the Protestant Reformation. In 1738, while reading Luther's Preface to the Epistle to the Romans, John Wesley famously felt his heart "strangely warmed", a conversion experience which is often seen as the beginning of Methodism. In 1919 Karl Barth's commentary on Romans was the publication which is widely seen as the beginning of neo-orthodoxy.

Catholic treatment of the text

Catholics accept the necessity of faith for salvation, but point to Romans 2:5–11 for the necessity of living a virtuous life as well:
Who [God] will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.
Those who argue against this (many Christians) point out that God will bring wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey "the truth", indicating that they are not believers anyway. They also point out Romans 4:2–5: "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted unto him for righteousness." They point out that these verses specifically downplay the importance of actions in regard to salvation and righteousness in God's eyes.

They also point out that in Romans 2, Paul says that God will reward those who follow the law (as opposed to antinomianism) and then goes on to say that no one follows the law perfectly (see also Sermon on the Mount: Interpretation). Romans 2:21–25:

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

The First Epistle to the Corinthians

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The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. 1 Corinthians is a letter, or a conflation of several letters, from Paul of Tarsus and Sosthenes to the Christians of Corinth, Greece. It is one of the core group of Pauline epistles whose authenticity has never seriously been questioned. In fact, due to its early date (mid to late 50s) which predates all but the earliest dates for the Gospels, this text is often used to bolster the authenticity of the Gospels in terms of the historical proof of Jesus and the development of the early Christian beliefs. As many historians would generally agree, it is unlikely that legends or myths about individuals to develop over as short of a period as two decades, while many eyewitnesses would still be alive. Furthermore, ascribing Paul's conversion to Christianity to any earlier date additionally reduces the possibility for any significant legend development before Paul accepted the doctrine. Therefore, the brief comments Paul makes about Jesus's actual life and ministry carry notable historical weight. While this is by no means proof of the legitimacy of the Gospels and general Christian doctrine, the authenticity of 1 Cornithians should be considered with the canonical Gospels for the purpose of comparing to other religious claims (notably xxxJudaisma> and Islam) that conflict with this interpretation of the historical Jesus.

Time and Place

It was written from Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:8) about the time of the Passover in the third year of the apostle's sojourn there (Acts 19:10; 20:31), and when he had formed the purpose to visit Macedonia and then return to Corinth (probably AD 57). The news which had reached him from Corinth, however, frustrated his plan.

The traditional subscription to the epistle, translated in the Authorized Version, states that this epistle was written at Philippi, perhaps arising from a misinterpretation of 16:5, "For I do pass through Macedonia," as meaning, "I am passing through Macedonia." In 16:8 Paul declares his intention of staying in Ephesus until Pentecost.

Outline

The epistle may be divided into six parts.
  1. Salutation (1 Corinthians 1:1-9)
  2. Division in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:10–4:21)
    • Facts of division
    • Causes of division
    • Cure for division
  3. Immorality in Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:1–6:20)
    • Discipline an Immoral Brother
    • Resolving personal disputes
    • Sexual purity
  4. Difficulties in Corinth (1 Corinthians 7:1–14:40)
    • Marriage
    • Christian liberty
    • Worship
  5. Doctrine of Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-58)
  6. Closing (1 Corinthians 16:1-24)

Content

He had heard of the abuses and contentions that had arisen among them: first from Apollos (Acts 19:1) and then from a letter they had written him on the subject, and also from some of the "household of Chloe," and from Stephanas and his two friends who had visited him (1:11; 16:17). (Since there was no regular postal service in the Roman Empire, some of those people probably brought the letter with them.) Paul thereupon wrote this letter, urging uniformity of belief ("that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you," 1:10) and correcting the erroneous opinions that had sprung up among them, and remedying the many abuses and disorderly practices that prevailed. Titus and a brother whose name is not given were probably the bearers of the letter (2 Cor 2:13; 8:6, 16–18).

This epistle "shows the powerful self-control of the apostle in spite of his physical weakness, his distressed circumstances, his incessant troubles, and his emotional nature. It was written, he tells us, in bitter anguish, 'out of much affliction and pressure of heart . . . and with streaming eyes' (2 Cor 2:4); yet he restrained the expression of his feelings, and wrote with a dignity and holy calm which he thought most calculated to win back his erring children. It gives a vivid picture of the early church.. It entirely dissipates the dream that the apostolic church was in an exceptional condition of holiness of life or purity of doctrine." The apostle in this epistle unfolds and applies great principles fitted to guide the church of all ages in dealing with the same and kindred evils in whatever form they may appear.

The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

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The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible New Testament.

Textual Analysis

Textual evidence within 1 and 2 Corinthians suggests that they are only two of four letters written by Paul to the people of Corinth, Greece.

Shortly after writing his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul left Ephesus, where intense excitement had been aroused against him, the evidence of his great success, and proceeded to Macedonia. Pursuing the usual route, he reached Troas, the port of departure for Europe. Here he expected to meet with Titus, whom he had sent from Ephesus to Corinth, with news of the effects produced on the church there by the first epistle; but was disappointed (1 Corinthians 16:9; ;&version=31;" target="_new_window">2 Corinthians 1:8; 2:12, 13). He then left Troas and proceeded to Macedonia; and at Philippi, where he delayed, he was soon joined by Titus (2 Corinthians 7:6, 7), who brought him good news from Corinth, and also by Timothy. Under the influence of the feelings awakened in his mind by the favourable report which Titus brought back from Corinth, this second epistle was written. It was probably written at Philippi, or, as some think, Thessalonica, early in the year AD 58, and was sent to Corinth by Titus. This letter he addresses not only to the church in Corinth, but also "to the saints which are in all Achaia", i.e., the Roman province of Achaea.

There is some discussion over whether the letter was originally one letter or a combination of 2 letters. That other letters were written is known as Paul refers to the "letter of tears" in 2 Corinthians 2:3-4 and 7:8. The abrupt change of tone from being previously harmonious to bitterly reproachful in 2 Corinthians 10-13 has led many to speculate that these chapters form part of the tearful letter which were in some way tagged on to Paul's main letter.

Uniqueness

This epistle, it has been well said, shows the individuality of the apostle more than any other. "Human weakness, spiritual strength, the deepest tenderness of affection, wounded feeling, sternness, irony, rebuke, impassioned self-vindication, humility, a just self-respect, zeal for the welfare of the weak and suffering, as well as for the progress of the church of Christ and for the spiritual advancement of its members, are all displayed in turn in the course of his appeal."--Lias, Second Corinthians.

Effects

Of the effects produced on the Corinthian church by this epistle we have no definite information. We know that Paul visited Greece (Acts 20:2, 3), where he then stayed for three months. In his letter to Rome, written at this time, he sent salutations from some of the principal members of the church to the Romans.

Structure

  • Chapters 1-7: Paul speaks of his spiritual labours and course of life, and expresses his warm affection toward the Corinthians.
  • Chapters 8 and 9: Paul gives specific directions regarding the collection that was to be made for their poor brethren in Judea.
  • Chapters 10-13: Paul defends his own apostolic claim , and justifies himself from the charges and insinuations of the false teacher and his adherents.

The Epistle to Galatians

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The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia. It is principally concerned with the controversy surrounding Gentile Christians and the Mosaic Law within Early Christianity. Along with the Epistle to the Romans, it is the most theologically significant of the Pauline epistles, and has been particularly influential in Protestant thought.

Galatia

Paul's letter is addressed "to the churches in Galatia" (1:2), but location of these churches is a matter of debate. A minority of scholars have argued that the "Galatia" is an ethnic reference to a Celtic people living in northern Asia Minor, but perhaps the majority opinion is that it is a geographical reference to the Roman province in central Asia Minor, which had been settled by immigrant Celts in the 270s BC and retained Gaulish features of culture and language in Paul's day. Acts of the Apostles records Paul travelling to the "region of Galatia and Phrygia", which lay immediately west of Galatia.

Historical Background

The churches of Galatia were founded by Paul himself (Acts 16:6; Gal. 1:8; 4:13, 4:19). They seem to have been composed mainly of converts from paganism (4:8). After Paul's departure the churches were visited by individuals whom Paul regarded as troublemakers preaching a "different gospel" from that preached by Paul (Gal. 1:6–9). The Galatians appear to have been receptive to the teaching of these newcomers, and the epistle is Paul's angry response to what he sees as their willingness to turn from his teaching.

The identity of these "opponents" is disputed. We do not have a record of their activity, but are left to reconstruct it from Paul's response. However, the majority of modern scholars view them as Jewish Christians (i.e. Judaizers), who taught that in order for pagans to belong to the people of God, they must be subject to some or all of the Jewish Law. The letter indicates controversy concerning circumcision, Sabbath observance, and the Mosaic Law. It would appear, from Paul's response, that they cited the example of Abraham, who was circumcised as a mark of receiving the covenant blessings (Genesis 17). They certainly appear to have questioned Paul's authority as an apostle, perhaps appealing to the greater authority of the Jerusalem church governed by James the Just.

It appears the teachers made some headway among Paul's converts. Sociological research has suggested that converts from dominant paganism may have suffered a "loss of identity", and found the clarity offered by a Jewish identity and a law-observant lifestyle attractive.

Paul responds angrily. He rehearses his conversion and apostolic credentials, records his relationship with the Jerusalem Church, and engages in a halakic argument over the interpretation of the Abraham story. It is important to keep in mind that the halakah of Rabbinic Judaism was still under development at this time, for example: the Jewish Encyclopedia article on Jesus notes: "Jesus, however, does not appear to have taken into account the fact that the Halakah was at this period just becoming crystallized, and that much variation existed as to its definite form; the disputes of the Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai were occurring about the time of his maturity."

Authenticity

Virtually all scholars agree that Galatians is one of the most certain examples of Paul's writing.

The main arguments in favor of the authenticity of Galatians included its style and themes, which are common to the core letters of the Pauline corpus, and the historical connection to Acts of the Apostles. Moreover, Paul's description of the Council of Jerusalem (Gal 2:1–10) gives a different point of view than the description in Acts 15:2–29, whereas a forger writing in later decades would most likely have stuck close to the account in Acts to convince his audience that this was an authentic writing by Paul.

The central dispute in the letter concerns the question of how Gentiles could convert to Christianity, which shows that this letter was written at a very early stage in church history, when the vast majority of Christians were Jewish. This puts it during the lifetime of Paul himself.

There is no hint in the letter of a developed organization within the Christian community at large.

Date and audience

There are two main theories about when Galatians was written and to whom. The North Galatian view holds that the epistle was written very soon after Paul's second visit to Galatia (Acts 18:23). The visit to Jerusalem, mentioned in Gal. 2:1–10, seems identical with that of Acts 15, and it is spoken of as a thing of the past. Consequently, the epistle seems to have been written subsequently to the Council of Jerusalem. The similarity between this epistle and that to the Romans has led to the conclusion that they were both written at the same time, namely, in the winter of AD 57–58, during Paul's stay in Corinth (Acts 20:2–3). This to the Galatians is written on the urgency of the occasion, tidings having reached him of the state of matters; and that to the Romans in a more deliberate and systematic way, in exposition of the same fundamental doctrines of the gospel.
Acts: Paul’s first and second Missionary journeys, courtesy Biblical Foundations for Freedom
Acts: Paul’s first and second Missionary journeys, courtesy Biblical Foundations for Freedom
(larger image)
The South Galatian view holds that Paul wrote Galatians before or shortly after the Council of Jerusalem, probably on his way to it, and that it was written to churches he had presumably planted during either his time in Tarsus (he would have traveled a short distance, since Tarsus is in Cilicia) after his first visit to Jerusalem as a Christian (Acts 9:30), or during his first missionary journey, when he travelled throughout southern Galatia.

Contents

This epistle addresses the question, was the Mosaic Law binding on Christians? The epistle is designed to counter the position that men cannot be justified by faith without the works of the law, see also the Epistle of James and the Expounding of the Law. After an introductory address (Gal. 1:1–10), the apostle discusses the subjects which had occasioned the epistle.

In Chapter 1 he defends his apostolic authority (Gal. 1:11–19; 2:1–14). Chapters 2, 3, and 4 show the influence of the Judaizers in destroying the very essence of the Gospel. Chapter 3 exhorts the Galatian believers to stand fast in the faith as it is in Jesus, and to abound in the fruit of the Spirit. Chapter 4 then concludes with a summary of the topics discussed and with the benediction, followed by 5; Gal. 6:1–10 teaching about the right use of their Christian freedom. For example, it is clear that some took "freedom in Christ" as justification of antinomianism.

The Epistle to the Galatians and that to the Romans taken together "form a complete proof that justification is not to be obtained meritoriously either by works of morality or by rites and ceremonies, though of divine appointment; but that it is a free gift, proceeding entirely from the mercy of God, to those who receive it by faith in Jesus our Lord" (Easton).

  • Justification before God
    • Promised in Christ (Isaiah 45:25;53:11)
    • Is the act of God (Isaiah 50:8; Romans 8:33)
    • The wicked shall not attain to (Exodus 23:7)
    • Typified (Zechariah 3:4,5)
    • Illustrated (Luke 18:14)
    • BY FAITH » Revealed under the Old Testament age (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17)
    • BY FAITH » Excludes boasting (Romans 3:27;4:2; 1 Corinthians 1:29,31)
    • BY FAITH » Does not make void the law (Romans 3:30,31; 1 Corinthians 9:21)
    • Exemplified » Abraham (Genesis 15:6)
    • Exemplified » Paul (Philippians 3:8,9)
    • UNDER LAW » Requires perfect obedience (Leviticus 18:5; Romans 10:5;2:13; James 2:10)
    • UNDER LAW » Man cannot attain to (Job 9:2,3,20;25:4; Psalms 130:3;143:2; Romans 3:20;9:3)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » Is not of works (Acts 13:39; Romans 8:3; Galatians 2:16;3:11)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » Is not of faith and works united (Acts 15:1-29; Romans 3:28;11:6; Galatians 2:14-21;5:4)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » Is by faith alone ( John 5:24; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:30;5:1; Galatians 2:16)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » Is of grace (Romans 3:24;4:16;5:17-21)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » In the name of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » By imputation of Christ's righteousness (Isaiah 61:10; Jeremiah 23:6; Romans 3:22;5:18; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Corinthians)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » By the blood of Christ (Romans 5:9)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » By the resurrection of Christ (Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:17)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » Blessedness of (Psalms 32:1,2; Romans 4:6-8)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » Frees from condemnation (Isaiah 50:8,9;54:17; Romans 8:33,34)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » Entitles to an inheritance (Titus 3:7)
    • UNDER THE GOSPEL » Ensures glorification (Romans 8:30)
  • Atonement, The » Justification by (Romans 5:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
  • Faith » Justification is by, to be of grace (Romans 4:16)
  • Faith » Excludes self-justification (Romans 10:3,4)
  • Grace » Justification by, opposed to that by works (Romans 4:4,5;11:6; Galatians 5:4)
  • Obedience to God » Justification obtained by that of Christ (Romans 5:19)
  • Peace, Spiritual » Follows upon justification (Romans 5:1)
  • Righteousness » No justification by works of (Romans 3:20;9:31,32; Galatians 2:16)
  • Righteousness » Unregenerate man seeks justification by works of (Luke 18:9; Romans 10:3)
  • Works, Good » Justification unattainable by (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16)
  • Faith » THROUGH IT IS » Justification (Acts 13:39; Romans 3:21,22,28,30;5:1; Galatians 2:16)
  • Grace » IS THE SOURCE OF » Justification (Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7)
  • Redemption » PROCURES FOR US » Justification (Romans 3:24)
  • Resurrection of Christ, The » WAS NECESSARY TO » Justification (Romans 4:25;8:34)
  • Seeking God » INCLUDES SEEKING » Justification by Christ (Galatians 2:16,17)
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Romans 3:20-25 ESV)
In the conclusion of the epistle (Gal. 6:11), Paul writes, "Ye see how large a letter I have written with mine own hand." It is implied that this was different from his ordinary usage, which was simply to write the concluding salutation with his own hand, indicating that the rest of the epistle was written by another hand. Regarding this conclusion, Lightfoot, in his Commentary on the epistle, says: "At this point the apostle takes the pen from his amanuensis, and the concluding paragraph is written with his own hand. From the time when letters began to be forged in his name (2 Thess 2:2; 3:17) it seems to have been his practice to close with a few words in his own handwriting, as a precaution against such forgeries.. In the present case he writes a whole paragraph, summing up the main lessons of the epistle in terse, eager, disjointed sentences. He writes it, too, in large, bold characters (Gr. pelikois grammasin), that his hand-writing may reflect the energy and determination of his soul."

Galatians also contains a catalogue of vices and virtues, a popular formulation of Christian ethics.

An interesting literary interpretation of this period of Christianity and the character of Paul can be found in Rudyard Kipling's short story "The Church that was at Antioch". A Roman soldier and follower of Mithraism discovers the faith on his death bed, after having tried to diffuse tension between the Gentile and Jewish Christians over issues of Mosaic Law such as circumcision and the preparation of food.

Textual Criticism

No original of the letter is known to exist. The earliest reasonably complete version available to scholars today, named P46, dates to approximately the year 200 A.D., approximately 150 years after the original was presumably drafted. This fragmented papyrus, parts of which are missing, almost certainly contains errors introduced in the process of being copied from earlier manuscripts. However, through careful research relating to paper construction, handwriting development, and the established principles of textual criticism, scholars can be rather certain about where these errors and changes appeared and what the original text probably said.

The Epistle to the Ephesians

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The Epistle to the Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New Testament. It is traditionally said to be written by Paul while he was in prison in Rome (around 63 A.D.). This would be about the same time as the Epistle to the Colossians (which in many points it resembles) and the Epistle to Philemon. More recently, however, biblical scholars have questioned the authorship of the letter, and suggest a much later date for its origin.

It was described by William Barclay as the "Queen of the Epistles".

Purpose

Ephesians does not seem to have originated in any special circumstances, but is simply a letter springing from the author's love to the church. It is an indication of his desire that they should be fully instructed in Christian doctrine. However, unlike Romans, which is an exposition by Paul of the gospel of salvation, Ephesians unfolds the consequences of salvation, particularly in relation to the church.

Outline

Ephesians contains:
  • Ephesians 1:1, 2. The greeting
  • Ephesians 1:3–2:10. A general description of the blessings that the gospel reveals. This includes the source of these blessings (Jesus Christ), the means by which they are attained, the reason they are given and their final result. The first part of this section (Eph 1:3–1:14) is one continuous sentence in the original Greek. It ends with a fervent prayer for the further spiritual enrichment of the Ephesians.
  • Ephesians 2:11–3:21. A description of the change in the spiritual position of Gentiles as a result of the work of Christ. It ends with an account of how Paul was selected and qualified to be an apostle to the Gentiles, in the hope that this will keep them from being dispirited and lead him to pray for them.
  • Ephesians 4:1–16. A chapter on unity in the midst of the diversity of gifts among believers.
  • Ephesians 4:17–6:10. Instructions about ordinary life
  • Ephesians 6:11–24. The imagery of Spiritual Warfare, the mission of Tychicus, and valedictory blessings.

Founding of the church at Ephesus

Paul's first and hurried visit for the space of three months to Ephesus is recorded in Acts 18:19–21. The work he began on this occasion was carried forward by Apollos (24–26) and Aquila and Priscilla. On his second visit early in the following year, he remained at Ephesus "three years," for he found it was the key to the western provinces of Asia Minor. Here "a great door and effectual" was opened to him (1 Cor 16:9), and the church was established and strengthened by his assiduous labours there (Acts 20:20, 31). From Ephesus the gospel spread abroad "almost throughout all Asia" (Acts 19:26). The word "mightily grew and prevailed" despite all the opposition and persecution he encountered.
  • On his last journey to Jerusalem, the apostle landed at Miletus and, summoning together the elders of the church from Ephesus, delivered to them his remarkable farewell charge (Acts 20:18–35), expecting to see them no more.
  • The following parallels between this epistle and the Milesian charge may be traced:

    Author and audience

    The first verse in the letter, according to later manuscripts, is:
    Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus. (Eph 1:1)
    Hence the letter would in this case explicitly designate the Ephesian church as its recipient and Paul as its writer.

    However, there are a few problems with this:

    • The earliest and best known manuscripts omit the words "in Ephesus", rendering the phrase simply as "to the saints .. the faithful in Christ Jesus" (NIV alternative translation).
    • The letter lacks any references to people in Ephesus, or any events Paul experienced there.
    • Phrases such as "ever since I heard about your faith" (1:15 NIV) seem to indicate that the writer has no firsthand knowledge of his audience. Yet the book of Acts records that Paul spent a significant amount of time with the church in Ephesus, and in fact was one of its founders.
    There are several theories which try to explain these problems.
    • Ephesians was not written by Paul. The letter was written by someone who used Paul's writings extensively, hailing him as the author in order to give him proper credit. However, this theory fails to explain the omission of the phrase "in Ephesus."
    • Ephesians is a circular letter. Paul sent several copies of the letter to several churches in Asia Minor, changing the greeting as was fit.
    • The lack of any reference to Ephesus in the early manuscripts led Marcion to believe that the letter was actually addressed to the church at Laodecia.

    Place, date, and purpose of the writing of the letter

    If we accept that Paul was the author, then it was probably written from Rome during Paul's first imprisonment (Ephesians 3:1; 4:1; 6:20), and probably soon after his arrival there. This was around the year 62, four years after he had parted with the Ephesian elders at Miletus. However, modern scholars who dispute Paul's authorship more likely date the letter at approximately 85-95. In the latter case, the possible location of the authorship could have been within the church of Ephesus itself.

    There seems to have been no special occasion for the writing of this letter, as already noted. Unlike his epistle to the Colossians, which was written to refute doctrines which had sprung up in that church, Paul's object in writing Ephesians was plainly not polemical.

    Ephesians could have been written to sum up Paul's teaching to the church in Ephesus, or even to several churches he had founded in Asia Minor. The major theme in the letter is the Church and, in particular, its foundation in Christ as part of the will of the Father.

    In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul writes from the point of view of justification by the imputed righteousness of Jesus; here he writes from the point of view specially of union with Christ, who is the head of the true church.

    Relation between this epistle and that to the Colossians

    The style and subject matter of this epistle is very close to that of the epistle to the Colossians. Thre are about 42 passages in Ephesians which appear to be expansions from the epistle to Colossae. Some of these parallel passages are given below:Two explanations for this are commonly given:
    1. If we accept that Ephesians was written by Paul at about the same time as he wrote Colossians, then he may have written Colossians first as a more specific letter to deal with particular problems in the Colossian church. He then may have expanded on some of the material in this letter in order to write a more general letter to either the Ephesian church or to a group of churches.
    2. If the letter were written by someone else in Paul's name or style, then that person may have used material from Paul's letter to the Colossians.

    Style

    The letters of the apostle are the fervent outburst of pastoral zeal and attachment, written without reserve and in unaffected simplicity; sentiments come warm from the heart, without the shaping out, pruning, and punctilious arrangement of a formal discourse. There is such a fresh and familiar transcription of feeling, so frequent an introduction of colloquial idiom, and so much of conversational frankness and vivacity, that the reader associates the image of the writer with every paragraph, and the ear seems to catch and recognize the very tones of living address. Is it then any matter of amazement that one letter should resemble another, or that two written about the same time should have so much in common and so much that is peculiar?

    The style of this epistle is exceedingly animated, and corresponds with the state of the apostle's mind at the time of writing. Overjoyed with the account which their messenger had brought him of their faith and holiness (Eph 1:15), and transported with the consideration of the unsearchable wisdom of God displayed in the work of man's redemption, and of his astonishing love towards the Gentiles in making them partakers through faith of all the benefits of Christ's death, he soars high in his sentiments on those subjects, and gives his thoughts utterance in sublime and copious expression.

    Theology

    Ephesians is notable for its treatment of women. Ephesians 5:21 commands not only that women should submit to their husbands but that husbands should love their wives. Some who espouse a feminist theology have argued that submission is also included in the text because of verse 21, but this is unlikely since it would break the symmetry of wives' submission and husbands' love in the passage (cf also Col 3:18 written around the same time that speaks only to wives' submission). This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.

    The Epistle to Philippians

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    The Epistle to Philippians (or just Philippians) is a book included in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is a letter from St. Paul to the church of Philippi.

    Authorship

    Pauline authorship of Philippians is "universally accepted" (Beare, p. 1) by virtually all Bible scholars, ancient and modern, with the exception of the kenosis passage in Philippians 2:5-11. According to some theologians this may have been an early Christian hymn that Paul quoted, rather than an original Pauline composition.

    Paul is traditionally believed to have written Philippians during the two years when he was "in

    Background

    The letter was written to the church at Philippi, one of the earliest churches to be founded in Europe. They were very attached to Paul, just as he was very fond of them. Of all the churches, their contributions (which Paul gratefully acknowledges) are among the only he accepts. (Acts 20:33-35; 2 Cor. 11:7-12; 2 Thess. 3:8). The generosity of the Philippians comes out very conspicuously (Phil. 4:15). "This was a characteristic of the Macedonian missions, as 2 Cor. 8 and 9 amply and beautifully prove. It is remarkable that the Macedonian converts were, as a class, very poor (2 Cor. 8:2), though the very first converts were of all classes (Acts 16); and the parallel facts, their poverty and their open-handed support of the great missionary and his work, are deeply harmonious. At the present day the missionary liberality of poor Christians is, in proportion, really greater than that of the rich" (Moule).

    Historical background

    The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus, their messenger, with contributions to meet the needs of Paul; and on his return Paul sent back with him this letter. With this precious communication Epaphroditus sets out on his homeward journey. "The joy caused by his return, and the effect of this wonderful letter when first read in the church of Philippi, are hidden from us. And we may almost say that with this letter the church itself passes from our view. To-day, in silent meadows, quiet cattle browse among the ruins which mark the site of what was once the flourishing Roman colony of Philippi, the home of the most attractive church of the apostolic age. But the name and fame and spiritual influence of that church will never pass. To myriads of men and women in every age and nation the letter written in a dungeon at Rome, and carried along the Egnatian Way by an obscure Christian messenger, has been a light divine and a cheerful guide along the most rugged paths of life" (Professor Beet).

    Contents

    The contents of this epistle give an interesting insight into the condition of the church at Rome at the time it was written. Paul's imprisonment, we are informed, was no hindrance to his preaching the gospel, but rather "turned out to the furtherance of the gospel." The gospel spread very extensively among the Roman soldiers, with whom he was in constant contact, and the Christians grew into a "vast multitude." It is plain that Christianity was at this time making rapid advancement in Rome.

    The doctrinal statements of this epistle bear a close relation to those of the Epistle to the Romans. Compare also Phil. 3:20 with Eph. 2:12, 19, where the church is presented under the idea of a city or commonwealth for the first time in Paul's writings. The personal glory of Christ is also set forth in almost parallel forms of expression in Phil. 2:5-11, compared with Eph. 1:17-23; 2:8; Col. 1:15-20. "This exposition of the grace and wonder of His personal majesty, personal self-abasement, and personal exaltation after it," found in these epistles, "is, in a great measure, a new development in the revelations given through St. Paul" (Moule). Other minuter analogies in forms of expression and of thought are also found in these letters that Paul is believed to have written while he was in prison.

    Of particular importance to professed Christians are:

    • Philippians 1:15-18 "It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice." (NIV)
    • Philippians 2:5-11 "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (NIV)
    • Philippians 3:7-9 "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith" (ESV)
    • Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (NIV)
    • Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (NIV)
    • Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (NIV)
    • Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (NKJV)

    The Epistle to the Colossians

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    The Epistle to the Colossians is a book of the Bible New Testament. Although its authorship is disputed, the book takes the form of a letter from Paul to the church in Colossae.

    Occasion of writing

    It was written by Paul at Rome during his first imprisonment there (Acts 28:16, 30), probably in the spring of AD 57, or, as some scholars think, 62, and soon after he had written his Epistle to Ephesians.

    Like some of his other epistles (e.g., those to Corinth), this seems to have been written in consequence of information which had somehow been conveyed to him of the internal state of the church there (Colossians 1:4-8). Its object was to counteract false teaching. A large part of it is directed against certain speculatists who attempted to combine the doctrines of Eastern mysticism and asceticism with Christianity, thereby promising the disciples the enjoyment of a higher spiritual life and a deeper insight into the world of spirits. Paul argues against such teaching, showing that in Christ they had all things. He sets forth the majesty of his redemption. The mention of the "new moon" and "sabbath days" (Colossians 2:16) shows also that there were here Judaizing teachers who sought to draw away the disciples from the simplicity of the gospel.

    Content of the letter

    Like most of Paul's epistles, this consists of two parts: a doctrinal and a practical.

    The doctrinal part comprises the first two chapters. His main theme is developed in chapter 2. He warns them against being drawn away from Him in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Christian Godhead, and who was the head of all spiritual powers. Christ was the head of the body of which they were members; and if they were truly united to him, what needed they more?

    The practical part of the epistle (3-4) enforces various duties naturally flowing from the doctrines expounded. They are exhorted to mind things that are above (Colossians 3:1-4), to mortify every evil principle of their nature, and to put on the new man (Colossians 3:5-14). Many special duties of the Christian life are also insisted upon as the fitting evidence of the Christian character.

    Tychicus was the bearer of the letter, as he was also of that to the Ephesians and to Philemon, and he would tell them of the state of the apostle (4:7-9). After friendly greetings (10-14), he bids them interchange this letter with that he had sent to the neighbouring Laodicean Church. (The apocryphal Epistle to the Laodiceans is almost universally believed to be a forgery based on this instruction.) He then closes this brief but striking epistle with his usual autograph salutation. There is a remarkable resemblance between this epistle and that to the Ephesians.

    Authorship

    According to Raymond Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament [New York: Doubleday, 1997], p. 610), "At the present moment about 60 percent of critical scholarship holds that Paul did not write the letter." The disagreements concern language, style, and the presence or absence of characteristic Pauline concepts. However, the differences between these elements in this letter and one commonly considered the genuine work of Paul (e.g. 1 Thessalonians) can also be explained by human variability. For more details, see the article Authorship of the Pauline epistles.

    This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.

    The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

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    The First Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the First Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible.

    The first letter to the Thessalonians was likely the first of all Paul's letters, probably written by the end of A.D. 52. It was written after Timothy had returned from Macedonia, relating the state of the church in Thessalonica (Acts 18:1-5; 1 Thes. 3:6). For the most part, the letter is personal in nature, with only the final two chapters spent addressing issues of doctrine, almost as an aside. Paul's main purpose in writing is to encourage and reassure the Christians there. Paul urges them to go on working quietly while waiting in hope for the return of Christ.

    Church members

    The church is believed to have been composed almost exclusively of gentiles. This would reflect the ethnic and religious makeup of Thessalonica, and is supported by Paul's brief remark in 1:9 that they "turned to God from idols," something Paul would not have been liable to say of Jews.

    Occasion

    • Paul Preaching in Athens, artist RAFFAELLO Sanzio, 1515. Victoria and Albert Museum, London
    Paul Preaching in Athens, artist RAFFAELLO Sanzio, 1515. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
    (larger image)
    Paul was concerned because of the infancy of the church. He had only spent a few weeks with them before leaving for Athens. In his concern, he sent his delegate, Timothy, to visit the Thessalonians and to return with a report. While, on the whole, the news was encouraging, it also showed that important misunderstandings existed concerning Paul's teaching of Christianity. Paul devotes part of the letter to correcting these errors, and exhorts the Thessalonians to purity of life, reminding them that their sanctification is God's will for their lives.

    Outline

    The letter might be outlined in this way:
    • Salutation and thanksgiving (1 Thes. 1:1-10)
    • Past interactions with the church (1 Thes. 2:1-20)
    • Regarding Timothy's visit (1 Thes. 3:1-13)
    • Specific issues within the church (1 Thes. 4:1-5:25)
    • Relationships among Christians (1 Thes. 4:1-12)
    • Mourning those who have died (1 Thes. 4:13-18)
    • Preparing for God's arrival (1 Thes. 5:1-11)
    • How Christians should behave (1 Thes. 5:12-25)
    • Closing salutation (1 Thes. 5:26-28)

    Content

    He gives thanks for the news about their faith and love; he reminds them of the kind of life he had lived while he was with them. Paul stresses how honorably he conducted himself, reminding them that he had worked to earn his keep, taking great pains not to burden anyone. He did this, he says, even though he could have used his status as an apostle to impose upon them.

    He goes on to answer some concerns which have arisen in the church. Notably, there was some confusion regarding the fate of those who die before the arrival of the new kingdom. Many seem to have believed that an afterlife would only be available to those who lived to see the kingdom. Paul explains that the dead will be resurrected, and dealt with prior to those still living. Thus, he assures, there is no reason to mourn the death of fellow Christians, and to do so is to show a shameful lack of faith.

    Authenticity

    The vast majority of New Testament scholars hold 1 Thessalonians to be authentic, with dissent from this position being minuscule at best. 1 Thessalonians matches other accepted Pauline letters, both in style and in content, and its authorship is also testified to by 2 Thessalonians.

    The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

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    The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is normally attributed to Paul.

    The second epistle to the Thessalonians was probably written from Corinth, Greece not many months after the first. Apparently the first letter was misunderstood, especially regarding the second advent of Christ. The Thessalonians had embraced the idea that Paul had taught that "the day of Christ was at hand", that Christ's coming was about to occur. This error is corrected (2:1-12), and the apostle announces what first must take place before the end times. The "Great Apostasy" is first mentioned here.

    This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.

    The First Epistle to Timothy

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    The First Epistle to Timothy is one of the three Pastoral Epistles, normally attributed to Saint Paul and part of the canonical New Testament. It consists mainly of counsels to Timothy regarding the forms of worship and organization of the Church, and the responsibilities resting on its several members, including episcopi (translated as "bishops") and diaconi ("deacons"); and secondly of exhortation to faithfulness in maintaining the truth amid surrounding errors (iv.iff), presented as a prophecy of erring teachers to come.

    The epistle's "irregular character, abrupt connections and loose transitions" (EB 1911) have led critics to discern later interpolations, such as vi.20–21, read as a reference to Marcion of Sinope, and lines that appear to be marginal glosses that have been copied into the body of the text.

    Questions on Authorship

    The author of this letter names himself as Paul and early church fathers like Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria, Clement of Rome and Polycarp support this view. Some criticism has arisen because of uncertainty of how this epistle as well as the other “pastoral” epistles fits in the chronology of the book Acts. Also critics complain the vocabulary seems more second century, and lastly that Gnosticism seems to be a second century problem not present at the time of Paul’s life. However, conservative scholars counter back that not being mentioned in Acts does not exclude it from Pauline authorship, and not enough is known about the vocabulary style of the second century to date it at that point in the churches history not to mention that much of the same style is found in other New Testament books. Lastly, it is a repeated concern in many of Paul’s writings that Gnosticism is creeping into the church, the apostle John also dealt with these same issues. Thus, there is no scholarly reason to openly embrace the idea that this is not Paul's work.

    Date

    This epistle is most likely written after Paul’s release from his first imprisonment from Rome and was most likely to have been written around 62 A.D but some scholars have placed late as 66 or 67 A.D. Without a more direct understanding of how it fits into Acts or if it is a part of a 4th missionary trip (not mentioned in Acts) all we can really know is it was written just prior to Paul’s death.

    Historical Background

    This historical relationship between Paul and Timothy is one of mentorship. Timothy is first mentioned in Acts 16:1. His mother Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, are mentioned are mentioned in 2 Tim. 1:5. All that we know of is father is that he was a Greek not a Jew (Act 16:1). Paul's second visit to Lystra is when Timothy first connected with Paul (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 3:11). Paul not only brought Timothy into the faith but he was Timothy’s main mentor in Christian leadership (Acts 16:3), having had done church planting and missionary journeys together. Timothy would have got his authority to preach in the churches directly from Paul who of course was the greater known and accepted of the two and an apostle. Timothy’s official position in the church was one of an evangelist (1 Tim. 4:14) and he worked with Paul in Phrygia, Galatia, and Mysia, Troa, Philippi and Berea (Acts 17:14) and continued on too do even more work in Athens, and Thessalonica for the church (17:15; 1 Thess. 3:2) not to mention his work in Corinth, Macedonia, Ephesus and greater Asia. Timothy was also noted for coming to Paul’s aid when Paul fell into prison (Phil. 1:1, 2 Tim. 4:13). It is note worthy that despite not being required due the ruling of the Jerusalem council; Timothy took circumcision himself to be a better witness among the Jews. According to church traditional he was loyal to Paul’s wishes and stayed and worked in Ephesus until he finally suffered the Martyrs death himself.

    Circumstances

    Regardless of whether this epistle is seen as a 4th missionary journey not recorded in Acts or as being written at some other point of Paul’s life, its intent seems clear that Paul is writing to encourage Timothy on his own ministry. Timothy is now pastoring in the Ephesus Church and Paul writes him to tell him to stay there and continue his good work there. Paul had planted the Ephesus church himself putting over 3 years of his blood and tears in to the effort (Acts 19:10; 20:31) and he is well pleased his former student is currently taking the post there. This is most likely a letter written in Paul’s late life and can be seen as being among his departing advise to his former student who has risen up in the ranks of church leadership himself. As Paul becomes more aware of his impending end, soon to be at he hands of Nero, he is setting things in order for the next generation.

    Key Themes/words

    The themes in this book circulate around church structure more then any other issue in the letter. Paul gives ample warning to Timothy not to let false doctrine take hold. The structure for the role of women in the Church at Ephesus is laid out as well as a detailed list of qualifications for who can and cannot serve as Elders and Deacons in the church. It is a notably a hotly debated issue in the church as to what Paul meant in this book in regards to the women’s role in the church. Some feel he clearly teaches that women are not to have authority over men in the church structure (1 Tim 2:12) and that this is why he clearly excludes them from the roles of Elder/Bishop and Deacon in chapter three. People who hold to this ideology point out that Paul’s use of the phase “Husband of one wife” is gender specific and excludes women from that role. They would point out that in the Greek text it literal reads Man of one woman. However, more liberal scholars debate this stating that this is a product of the time in which Paul lives and it is a cultural reffrence not meant to be eternally binding on the church after such a culture is long pasted away. Many churches have now embraced woman clergy based on this modern scholarly outlook. The Treatment of widows, elders, masters, youth, and church members are also well spelled out as well as healthy warning of greed to rich is addressed. Key words and phrases in this book include; “fight the good fight”, “This is a faithful saying”,” let no one despise your youth”, doctrine, elder/bishop, deacon, fables, guard.

    Outline of 1 Timothy

    I. Salutation (1:1-2)

    II. Negative Instructions: Stop the False Teachers (1:3-20)

    A. Warning against False Teachers (1:3-11)
    1. The Charge to Timothy Stated (1:3)
    2. Their Wrong Use of the Law (1:4-7)
    3. The Right Use of the Law (1:8-11)
    B. Paul’s Experience of Grace (1:12-17
    C. The Charge to Timothy Repeated (1:18-20)

    III. Positive Instructions: Repair the Church (2:1–6:10)

    A. Restoring the Conduct of the Church (2:1–3:16)
    • 1. Instructions on Public Worship (2:1-15)
      • a. Concerning Prayer (2:1-7)
      • b. Concerning the Role of Men and Women (2:8-15)
        • 1) Men: Pray in a Holy Manner (2:8)
        • 2) Women: Quiet Conduct (2:9-15)
    • 2. Instructions on Church Leadership (3:1-13)
      • a. Qualifications of Overseers (3:1-7)
      • b. Qualifications of Deacons (3:8-13)
    • 3. Summary (3:14-16)
      • a. Conduct of the Church (3:14-15)
      • b. Hymn to Christ (3:16)
    B. Guarding the Truth in the Church (4:1-16)
    • 1. In the Face of Apostasy (4:1-5)
    • 2. Timothy’s Personal Responsibilities (4:6-16)
    C. Dealing with Groups in the Church (5:1–6:10
    • 1. Men and Women, Young and Old (5:1-2)
    • 2. Widows (5:3-16)
      • a. Older Widows (5:3-10)
      • b. Younger Widows (5:11-16)
    • 3. Elders (5:17-25)
      • a. The Reward of Elders (5:17-18)
      • b. The Reputation of Elders (5:19-20)
        • 1) The Reputation of Elders Protected (5:19)
        • 2) The Sins of Elders Publicly Rebuked (5:20)
      • c. The Recognition of Prospective Elders (5:21-25)
    • 4. Slaves (6:1-2)
    • 5. False Teachers (6:3-10)

      • IV. Personal Instructions: Pursue Godliness (6:11-21)

      • A. Fight the Good Fight (6:11-16)
      • B. A Final Word to the Wealthy (6:17-19)
      • C. Guard What has been Entrusted (6:20-21)

    The Second Epistle to Timothy

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    The Second Epistle to Timothy is one of the three Pastoral Epistles, normally attributed to Saint Paul, and is part of the canonical New Testament. In it, Paul entreats Timothy to come to him before winter, and to bring Mark with him (cf. Phil. 2:22). He was anticipating that "the time of his departure was at hand" (4:6), and he exhorts his "son Timothy" to all diligence and steadfastness in the face of false teachings, with advice about combatting them with reference to the teachings of the past, and to patience under persecution (1:6-15), and to a faithful discharge of all the duties of his office (4:1-5), with all the solemnity of one who was about to appear before the Judge of the quick and the dead.

    The Epistle to Titus

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    The Epistle to Titus is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the three so-called "pastoral epistles" (with 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy). It is offered as a letter from Paul to the Apostle Titus.

    Authorship and date

    Traditional view

    According to Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), "Paul's Authorship was undisputed in antiquity, as far as known, but is frequently doubted today. It was probably written about the same time as the First Epistle to Timothy, with which it has many affinities."

    William Paley wrote in Horae Paulinae (1785), "Both letters were addressed to persons left by the writer to preside in their respective churches during his absence. Both letters are principally occupied in describing the qualifications to be sought for in those whom they should appoint to offices in the church; and the ingredients of this description are in both letters nearly the same. Timothy and Titus are likewise cautioned against the same prevailing corruptions, and in particular against the same misdirection of their cares and studies.

    "This affinity obtains not only in the subject of the letters, which from the similarity of situation in the persons to whom they were addressed might be expected to be somewhat alike, but extends in a great variety of instances to the phrases and expressions. The writer accosts his two friends with the same salutation, and passes on to the business of his letter by the same transition (comp. 1 Tim. 1:2, 3 with Titus 1:4, 5; 1 Tim.1:4 with Titus 1:13, 14; 3:9; 1 Tim. 4:12 with Titus 2:7, 15)."
    Traditionalists date its composition from the circumstance that it was written after Paul's visit to Crete (Titus 1:5). That visit could not be the one referred to in Acts 27:7, when Paul was on his voyage to Rome as a prisoner, and where he continued a prisoner for two years. Thus traditional exegesis supposes that after his release Paul sailed from Rome into Asia, passing Crete by the way, and that there he left Titus "to set in order the things that were wanting." Thence he would have gone to Ephesus, where he left Timothy, and from Ephesus to Macedonia, where he wrote the First Epistle to Timothy, and thence, according to the superscription of this epistle, to Nicopolis in Epirus, from which place he wrote to Titus, about A.D. 66 or 67.

    Critical view

    On the basis of the language and content of the Pastoral Epistles, many scholars today doubt that they were written by Paul, and believe that they were written after his death. Critics examining the text fail to find its vocabulary and literary style similar to Paul's unquestionably authentic letters, fail to fit the life situation of Paul in the epistles into Paul's reconstructed biography, and identify principles of the emerged Christian church rather than those of the apostolic generation.

    Conversely, those who ascribe the books to Paul find their placement fits within his life and work (as above), and see the linguistical differences as complementary to differences in the recipients. Other Pauline Epistles have fledgling congregations as the audience, the Pastoral Epistles to assert Pauline authorship to them. However, evidently scholars have seen the arguments against Pauline authorship as significantly convincing, since over two thirds contest it.

    Epimenides

    One of the secular peculiarities of the Epistle to Titus is the inclusion of text which has become known as the Epimenides paradox. According to the World English Bible translation, Titus 1:12-13 reads (in part) "One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons." This testimony is true." The statement by a member of a group that all members are liars is now a famous logic problem.

    The Epistle to Philemon

    [«]

    The Epistle to Philemon is a book of the Bible in the New Testament.

    Philemon is now generally regarded as one of the undisputed works of Saint Paul, although it was questioned in the past by F.C. Baur. It is the shortest of Paul's extant letters, consisting of only 335 words in the original Greek text, and 25 verses in modern English translations.

    The letter and its reconstruction

    Paul, who is apparently in prison (probably in either Rome or Ephesus), writes to a fellow-Christian Philemon and two of his associates. (If the letter to the Colossians is authentic, then Philemon must live in Colossae.) Paul writes on behalf of Philemon's slave, Onesimus. Beyond that, it is not self-evident as to what has transpired. Onesimus is described as having been 'separated' from his master, once having been 'useless' to him (a pun on Onesimus' name, which means 'useful'), and having done him wrong.

    The dominant scholarly consensus is that Onesimus is a run-away slave: a fugitivus, who has encountered Paul and become a Christian believer. Paul now (apparently) sends him back to face his aggrieved master, and strives in his letter to effect reconciliation between these two Christians.

    What is more contentious is how Onesimus came to be with Paul. Various suggestions have been given: 1) Onesimus being imprisoned with Paul; 2) Onesimus being brought to Paul by others. 3) Onesimus deliberately seeking Paul out, as a friend of his master's, in order to be reconciled.

    Paul's letter is cryptic. He tactfully addresses Philemon (Luther spoke of 'Holy flattery'), speaking of Philemon's Christian compassion, but at the same time Paul subtly reminds Philemon of his authority over him, and the (spiritual) debt Philemon owes to him. He also points out that Onesimus's conversion has brought about a new state of affairs. And so Onesimus is returned "no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother" (vs. 16).

    It is less than clear what that critical phrase means, and what Paul wants Philemon to do. Is Onesimus simply to be forgiven, or freed. Is Onesimus now Philemon's 'brother' as well as his 'slave', or does his position of 'brother' supplant that of 'slave'. The letter is unclear and scholars are divided. But this interpretation is important for an understanding of the social impact of Paul's gospel.

    There is no way of knowing what happened to Onesimus after the letter. Ignatius of Antioch mentions an Onesimus as Bishop of Ephesus in the early second century. Onesimus was not an uncommon slave name, leading some commentators to assert that the connection between the slave mentioned by Paul and the Bishop of Ephesus is merely speculative. Yet, there is circumstantial evidence to link the two, including Paul's veiled request in the letter that Philemon allow Onesimus to return to work with Paul, the Bishop's role in preserving the letters of Paul, as well the inclusion of the letter within the canon (all of which would be consistent with the slave Onesimus becoming Bishop of Ephesus in his later years).

    Significance

    Philemon has been of only marginal interest in Christian theology and ethics. The German Protestant theologian and reformer Martin Luther saw a parallel between Paul and Christ in their work of reconciliation. However, Luther insisted that the letter upheld the social-status quo: Paul did nothing to change Onesimus' legal position as a slave - and he complied with the law in returning him.

    The letter was a cause of debate during the British and later American struggles over the abolition of slavery. Both sides cited interpretations of Philemon for support. Modern scholarship has tended to assume that either Paul did undermine slavery in this letter, or that he would have, had circumstances permitted.[«]

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    Short Description
    The Pauline epistles are the thirteen or fourteen letters in the New Testament of the Christian Bible traditionally believed to have been written by the apostle Paul. Among them are some of the earliest extant (still existing) Christian documents. They provide an insight into the beliefs and controversies of formative Christianity and, as part of the canon of the New Testament, they have also been, and continue to be, hugely influential in Christian theology and ethics. ... more
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