RLGN1302 New Testament History

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RLGN1302New Testament History

• The Pauline Epistles

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians
• May have been written as a circular letter
• Intended to be read in several different churches
• The words e? ?fes? are not in the oldest MSS
• More general in nature
• These characteristics have led some scholars to
  conclude that Ephesians is not really a genuine
  letter of Paul

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• The first half of the letter deals with the
  indicative of Christian existence in Christhow
  God views believers
• The second half deals with the imperative of
  Christian existence in Christthe goal toward
  which all Christians should press through the
  empowerment of the Holy Spirit

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• In the opening sections of the letter, most of
  the verbs describing the believers relationship
  with or standing before God are past or perfect
  tense verbs.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• In this section of the letter, Paul describes the
  exalted status of the believer and explains how
  believers have come to attain it.
• 28-10 is one of the most succinct statements of
  the source, method, and purpose of salvation in
  all of Pauls writings

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• These three verses clearly state that salvation
  cannot be earned and that it is given for the
  purpose of conforming the life of the believer to
  the example of Christ.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• In 211, Paul begins a section that describes the
  benefits of the believers association with
  Christ
• 211-13-Inclusion in the covenant relationship
  with God from which they had formerly been
  excluded
• 214-15-??? and unity

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• 216-22-Reconciliation with God
• Chapter 3 is an extended doxology (word of
  praise) that serves as a transition to the
  practical application that Paul will make of the
  believers status with God through Christ.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• Chapter 4 begins the imperative section of the
  letter. Here Paul lays out the responsibility of
  each believer to appropriate the presence of God
  in his or her life in a responsible manner that
  demonstrates the character of God, embodied in
  Jesus as the Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit
  (Trinitarian Ethic)

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• All believers are enjoined to live a life worthy
  of their calling by God, demonstrating the unity
  that God models and desires for His people.
• God also places specially chosen persons in the
  churches to facilitate growth among His people

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• These specially gifted persons are tasked
  (412-13)with the responsibility to either
• Equip the saints, do the work of ministry, and
  build up the body of Christ (Catholic
  interpretation) or
• Equip the saints for the work of ministry to
  build up the body of Christ (Protestant
  interpretation)

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• The goal is maturity which is Christlikeness
  manifested in a?ap? (413-16)
• Paul develops the metaphor of the Church as the
  Body of Christ
• For this reason, believers must abandon the old
  way of life and put on the new way of life
  (417-24)
• This new way of life is sketched in 425-519

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• In 521-69 Paul adapts a Greco-Roman convention
  called the haustafel or house table. It is the
  list of rules provided by the owner of the house
  (the man) outlining his expectations for the
  various members. Because the man writes the
  rules, he is never addressed.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• In Pauls adaptation of this convention, which he
  uses to address the issue of interpersonal
  relationships, the man is actually addressed more
  than any of the others. By implication, this
  means that the man is responsible for providing a
  Christlike model for other members of the
  household to follow. This is the essence of
  leadership.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• The whole section begins with 521 in which Paul
  enjoins mutual submission upon all members of the
  community of faith without regard to status or
  gender or age. This submission is voluntary and
  is the basis of unity.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• In its particulars Paul says that women should
  submit to the leadership of their husbands who
  are responsible for demonstrating Christlike
  a?ap? for their wives (522-33)
• Submission is not based on gender superiority and
  subordination
• ??ap? precludes the abuse of the wives voluntary
  submission by the husbands

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• Children are commanded to obey their parents
  (fathers) who are, in turn, commanded to teach
  their children by word and example so that they
  are prepared for the Lords service (61-4),
  c.f., (Dt. 64-9).
• Paul recognizes the need for fathers to model
  faith
• He also recognizes the role that children have to
  play in the stability of the family and the
  society.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• Slaves are commanded to be genuinely obedient to
  masters, who are commanded to bear in mind that
  such earthly distinctions have no bearing with
  God who is the Master par excellence of all
  persons (65-9)

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The Pauline Epistles

• Ephesians (Continued)
• Finally, Paul challenges his readers to avail
  themselves of all the provisions God has made for
  themthe whole armor of Godwhich will enable
  them to withstand evil and stand firm in their
  faith
• The armor that is Pauls model is Roman armor
• It is suitable only for forward movement and
  offers no protection for retreat

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The Pauline Epistles

• Philippians
• The literary form of this letter is a thank you
  note
• Paul uses the occasion, however, to address a
  much more serious issue a lack of unity
• Paul uses the thanksgiving section to affirm his
  confidence in his friends

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The Pauline Epistles

• Philippians (Continued)
• In 127, however, Paul changes the tone to issue
  a mild challenge for the Philippians to be
  faithful in their conduct. He gently reminds
  them that their personal conduct is a powerful
  validation (or invalidation) of their faith.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Philippians (Continued)
• In Ch. 2, Paul gets to the real meat of the
  letter. He reminds them that unity in the
  fellowship is one of the marks of Christlikeness
  that is essential to their testimony.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Philippians (Continued)
• In 25-11 Paul uses a hymn fragment to show his
  readers that their model for the behavior Paul is
  espousing is no less that the Lord Himself
• In 212-18 Paul teaches them that the application
  of the pattern of Christs humility is personal
  humility in their relationships with each other
  in the fellowship.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Philippians (Continued)
• In 219-30 Paul gives an update on Epaphroditus,
  who was the Philippians emissary to Paul and
  actually carried their financial gift to Paul.
• To make his point about the need for humility,
  Paul cites his own example. Here he gives a
  brief résumé of his Jewish pedigree.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Philippians (Continued)
• Paul concludes, however, that his human and
  Jewish status profits nothing. He had come to
  realize that the only thing that was important
  pursuing Christlikeness. This was the goal of
  his faith.
• He challenges all of them to follow his example
  and to be wary of those who dont.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Philippians (Continued)
• Finally, in 42-3, Paul directly addresses the
  two women whose dispute in the fellowship has
  polarized the congregation. And attempts to
  enlist the help of other mature Christians in the
  community to help them resolve their
  difficulties.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Philippians (Continued)
• In 44-9 Paul lays out an approach to life in
  community that will produce unity in the
  fellowship and personal Christlikeness. This
  includes

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The Pauline Epistles

• Philippians (Continued)
• An Awareness of the perception of those outside
  the community
• An awareness the Lords presence and coming
• Constant prayer
• Determination to pursue high ideals personally
  and to look for these same ideal in others

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The Pauline Epistles

• Philippians (Continued)
• In 410-20 Paul finally and formally thanks the
  Philippians for their gift. In a very
  Stoic-sounding section, Paul tells his friends
  that he has learned to be content in all of
  lifes circumstances because of the strength he
  receives from the Lord.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Colossians
• In this letter, Paul challenges a heresy that
  devalues the deity of Christ
• Paul refers to Christ as the head of the church
• The macro-issue of this letter is the supremacy
  of Christ

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The Pauline Epistles

• Colossians (Continued)
• Some scholars have challenged the Pauline
  authorship of this letter because of its high
  christology.
• All that is known of the so-called Colossian
  heresy is what can be discerned from the issues
  Paul addresses.

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The Pauline Epistles

• Colossians (Continued)
• Some of the issues that Paul addresses in this
  section (26-23) are
• Christological
• Jesus as the image of the invisible God (115)
• Supreme over creation (115)
• The agent of creation and sustenance of all of
  creation (116-17)

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The Pauline Epistles

• Colossians (Continued)
• Issues (Continued)
• Christological (Continued)
• The Head of the Church
• The fullness of God ((119)
• The agent of human reconciliation to God
  (120-23)
• Ritual issues-The heresy appears to have been an
  eclectic mixture of several religious and
  philosophical traditions. Paul warns his readers
  not to be swayed by such speculation. He reminds
  them that

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The Pauline Epistles

• Colossians (Continued)
• Issues (Continued)
• Ritual Issues (Continued)
• Christ is the fullness of divinity in bodily form
• Believers should not allow themselves to become
  entangled in ritual issues or fall prey to the
  temptation to mistake participation in such
  rituals for genuine spirituality

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The Pauline Epistles

• Colossians (Continued)
• In ch. 3 Paul turns to the practical expressions
  of faith that validate the testimony of the
  community and its members
• Put away old habits that belong to a worldly
  lifestyle (31-11)
• Give practical expression to Christian character
  (312-14)
• Make sure that ??? flourishes (315-17)

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The Pauline Epistles

• Colossians (Continued)
• Practical expressions (Continued)
• A brief Haustafel (318-41) gives direction to
  interpersonal relationships
• Constant prayer
• Wisdom in relation to non-believers
• Concluding Remarks

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The Pauline Epistles

• 1 Thessalonians
• The macro-issue of both 1 and 2 Thessalonians
  is eschatology and events leading up to the
  pa???s?a (parousia) or Second Coming of Christ.
• 1 Thessalonians may be the oldest of all writings
  in the Christian New Testament
• According to Acts, Paul only spent about three
  weeks in the city before he was forced to move
  on.

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The Pauline Epistles

• 1 Thessalonians (Continued)
• In the first chapter, Paul writes to compliment
  them on their faithfulness during persecution so
  soon after their conversion.
• He also reminds (26-12) them of his gentle
  ministry among them.

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The Pauline Epistles

• 1 Thessalonians (Continued)
• Through Chapter 3, Paul discusses his joy at
  learning of their faithfulness in spite of
  persecution and assures them of his desire to
  return to complete the teaching he had begun,

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The Pauline Epistles

• 1 Thessalonians (Continued)
• Chapter 4 begins the practical section of the
  letter. Paul gives several admonitions about the
  nature of the Christian lifestyle. It includes
• The avoidance of sexual immorality
• The practice of a?ap?
• The need to live in a responsible manner

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The Pauline Epistles

• 1 Thessalonians (Continued)
• In 417, Paul begins a section on eschatological
  issues sparked, evidently, by the death of some
  members and their status.
• Paul reminds them that those who die in the Lord
  are secure. They will be resurrected when the
  Lord comes back. This assurance should give
  grieving loved ones comfort.

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The Pauline Epistles

• 1 Thessalonians (Continued)
• As an aside, the word a?pa?? in 417, translated
  caught up, is the basis of the doctrine of the
  rapture of the church. This is the only place in
  the New Testament where this word is used with
  this meaning.

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The Pauline Epistles

• 1 Thessalonians (Continued)
• In relation to the certain return of Christ, in
  ch. 5 Paul gives some admonitions concerned with
  everyday living. Primarily, Christian living
  should be qualitatively different and morally
  superior to that of their non-Christian neighbors.

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The Pauline Epistles

• 1 Thessalonians (Continued)
• This means that Christians must be model citizens
  who work to earn their own living while they wait
  on the Lord.
• They should allow ??? to blossom and flourish
  among them, along with joyfulness, prayerfulness
  and thankfulness

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The Pauline Epistles

• 1 Thessalonians (Continued)
• They should not put out the Spirits fire by
  disregarding prophetic admonitions. The should
  assess them carefully, implementing the good
  (that which facilitates ???) and reject that
  which is destructive either to the individual or
  the community.

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The Pauline Epistles

• 1 Thessalonians (Continued)
• In his concluding remarks, Paul reminds his
  readers Gods aim is to produce ??? in the
  community as the evidence of His work among them.
  If this happens, they will be ready to meet the
  Lord when He comes.

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The Pauline Epistles

• 2 Thessalonians
• Paul opens this letter by offering a word of
  encouragement to his readers
• God will punish their persecutors
• God will give them relief
• Paul continues to pray for them

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The Pauline Epistles

• 2 Thessalonians (Continued)
• Eschatological issues
• When will the end come?
• Not until the man of lawlessness is revealed
• The man of lawlessness is part of the
  antichrist tradition in Jewish theology and
  religious speculation
• For Paul, this person is the embodiment of
  everything that opposes God. (As opposed to the
  same concept in 1 and 2 John where it seems to be
  a prevailing attitude)

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The Pauline Epistles

• 2 Thessalonians (Continued)
• Paul contends that this person has not yet been
  revealed because he is being restrained. Paul
  does not specify what the restraint is. Some
  suggestions that have been offered are
• The Church (which will eventually be taken up,
  c.f. 1 Thes. 417)
• The Holy Spirit
• Human government (Which God has ordained
  precisely to restrain evil, c.f., Rom. 134-5)

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The Pauline Epistles

• 2 Thessalonians (Continued)
• Other admonitions
• Paul challenges them, in the mean time, to be
  steadfast
• He asks them to continue to pray for Paul and his
  entourage

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The Pauline Epistles

• 2 Thessalonians (Continued)
• He warns themagainagainst idleness as they wait
  on the Lord (c.f., 1 Thes. 411-12, 514)
• Such behavior is contrary to Pauls example
• It is a negative representation of Christian
  faith to outsiders
• Persons who will not work, should not eat
• Shun those who disregard this admonition