Paul

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Pauls Letters and Third Missionary Journey

• Intergenerational Seminary
• New Testament
• Session 2

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Review and recap
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Evolution of the New Testament

• First form was letters (fit with eschatology)
  Pauline
• I Thessalonians, Galatians, Philemon,
  Philippians, I II Corinthians, Romans
• By the mid-60s the first generation had mostly
  died, so letters took on a more enduring tone
  (Deutero-Pauline)
• II Thessalonians dont focus too much on the
  Second Coming
• Colossians/Ephesians talks about the Church
• I II Timothy, Titus discuss bishops, priests,
  deacons

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Chronology of Pauls letters
1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians Philippi
ans Philemon 1 2 Corinthians
Romans

Ephesians
Mark Matthew/Luke-Acts John
50 60 70 80 90 100
1 2 Timothy Titus
Galatians Colossians
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Luke-Acts

• Originally one book
• Luke addressed to Theophilus (11-4)
• Acts In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote
  about al that Jesus did and taught. (11)
• Two main characters
• Peter (chapters 1-12)
• Paul (chapters 13-28)

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Life of Paul
Year Event
36 Conversion to Christ
39 Visit to Jerusalem after Damascus
40-45 In Cilicia Antioch
46-49 1st Missionary Journey
49 Jerusalem Conference
50-52 2nd Missionary Journey I Thess
54-58 3rd Missionary Journey Gal, Phil, Phlm, I/II Cor, Romans
58-60 Arrested imprisoned in Caesarea
60-61 Journey to Rome
61-63 Prisoner in Rome
64 Death in Rome
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Pauls Earlier Missionary Journeys
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Pauls First Missionary Journey (46-49)

• Antioch
• Cyprus
• Confrontation with magician
• Pisidian Antioch (Asia Minor)
• Many converted proclamation of Gentile mission
• Galatia (Iconium, Lystra Derbe)
• Unbelieving Jews in Iconium try to stone Paul
• People in Lystra Derbe think hes a Greek god
• Jews from Iconium show up and do stone him
• Antioch

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Pauls First Journey
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Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15)

• Issue of Gentile Christians addressed in Acts 11
• Then it was a few Gentiles joining a large number
  of Jews
• Now the question of big, mostly Gentile churches
• Peter and James agree to accept uncircumcised
  Gentiles
• What argument is missing?
• Some rules abstain from food sacrificed to
  idols, from blood, and from what is strangled
  and from incestuous relationships
• But what of Galatians 2?

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Pauls 2nd Missionary Journey (50-52)

• Philippi dear to Pauls heart, 1st church in
  Europe
• Conversion of Lydia, Paul and Silas freed from
  prison
• Thessalonica
• Many converts, but Jews chased him out of town
• Athens, speaking on Mars Hill (Areopagus)
• Acknowledges the peoples thirst for God
• Quotes secular poets (Epimenides, Aratus)
• Tells them Jesus is who theyve always been
  looking for
• Sends Timothy back to Thessalonica to check on
  converts
• Corinth
• Origin of tentmaker
• Came to focus exclusively on the Gentiles
• Stayed there for 18 months (wrote 1 Thessalonians
  after receiving Timothys report)

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1 Thessalonians

• Background
• Indisputably Pauline
• First NT book written (51 CE)
• Style
• Warm and welcoming (19-10)
• Brothers used 14 times
• Affirming and encouraging (49-12)
• Written to a Greek, Gentile community
• Only one reference to Judaism (214-16)
• No Old Testament reference

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1 Thessalonians (contd)

• Content
• Paul does not anticipate dying (415-18)
• Contrast Philippians 120-23
• Influence on modern apocalyptic literature
• Apocalyptic predictions (51-11)

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Pauls Third Missionary Journey (54-58) (Acts
1823-2126)

• Galatia/Phrygia
• Education of Apollos, who followed John
• Ephesus (western Turkey)
• Spoke for 3 months in the synagogue
• Spoke for 2 years in lecture hall of Tyrannus
• Power to cast out demons
• Riot by idolatrous artisans
• Wrote Galatians, Philemon, Philippians, 1
  Corinthians

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Pauls Third Missionary Journey (Acts 1823-2126)

• Through Macedonia (northern Greece)
• Encourages believers along the way
• Wrote 2 Corinthians
• To Corinth (stayed 3 months winter)
• Intended to go on to Jerusalem
• Jewish plot forces him north and overland through
  
• Turkey (Asia Minor)
• Resurrects Eutychus
• Speech to Ephesian elders (only Christian
  audience)
• Jerusalem, where he is arrested in the Temple

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Why this route? The Via Egnatia
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Via Egnatia in Philippi
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Galatians

• Most Pauline of Pauls writings
• Basic message 215-21
• Law used 32 times, freedom 11 times
• Anger caused Paul to say what he really thought?
• 16-9 31-5 48-11
• Galatians 2 vs. Acts 15
• Martin Luthers pet epistle
• Written during his 3 year stay in Ephesus on his
  3rd (final) journey
• Context
• After Paul left Galatia, Jewish preachers came
  from Jerusalem and told the people that they had
  to abide by the Law (i.e., be circumcised and
  observe Jewish feasts)

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Pauls Six Arguments about the Law

1. The Galatians originally received the Holy Spirit
   without observing the Law
2. God promised Abraham that all nations would be
   blessed (Gen. 123)
3. A ratified will cannot be annulled (i.e., the Law
   came 430 years after Abraham)
4. The Galatians were freed from slavery why seek
   to be slaves again?
5. The Galatians treated Paul well how could he
   have become their enemy?
6. Hagar doesnt represent the Gentiles she
   represents the enslaving Law given on Mt. Sinai.

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Remainder of Pauls Letters

• Philippians
• Philemon
• 1 2 Corinthians
• Romans

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Philippians

• Written from prison in Ephesus 56 CE
• Much reflection on suffering
• More wonderings about death than 1 Thess
• Extremely self-revelatory
• Reprimands 3 distinct attitudes
• Dissension secondary to pride (chapter 2)
• External opposition from non-Christians (128-29)
• Workers of evil who demand circumcision (32-11)

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Christological Hymn (Philippians 25-11)

• Most like a pre-Pauline hymn
• Two sections
• Lowliness/abasement (vv. 6-8)
• Exaltation (vv. 9-11)
• Christological dispute (vv. 6-7)
• In the form of God
• Equivalent to God (as in John 11) or
• In the image of God (as in Genesis 127)?
• Divine figure, or second Adam who chose the right
  course?
• Is the movement downward (begin as God, then
  emptying) or upward (begin in Gods image, then
  exalted)?

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Philemon

• Shortest Pauline letter (335 words)
• Written about Philemons escaped slave, Onesimus
• Pauls request
• Take Onesimus back without punishment
• Free him
• Receive him as you would receive me. (v. 17)
• Christianity and slavery
• Positive Paul asked a great deal of Philemon,
  and with Christ expected imminently, certain
  social structures can remain
• Negative Slavery as an institution not
  criticized

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Corinth

• Paul stayed in Corinth for 18 months, around 52
  CE
• Worked as a tentmaker
• Wrote 1 Thessalonians
• Harbor city, known for its sexual immorality
• Written
• I from Ephesus (56 CE)
• II from Macedonia (57 CE)

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Corinth
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Corinthian Canal
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Outline of 1 Corinthians

• 11 9 Address and greetings
• 110 421 The factions
• 51 1134 Problems of behavior
• 121 1440 Problems and charisms
• 15 Resurrection of Christ and Christians
• 16 Conclusion

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Important Parts of 1 Corinthians

• Church unity (110-17 31-23 1212-31)
• Instructions regarding marriage (7)
• Gift of love (13)
• Resurrection (15)

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Outline of 2 Corinthians

• 11-11 Introduction and greetings
• 112 716 Pauls relationship to Christians
  at Corinth
• 112 213 Pauls deferred visit and the
  tearful letter (which we have no record of)
• 214 716 Pauls ministry
• 81 915 Collection for the church in
  Jerusalem
• 101 1310 Pauls response to challenges to
  his apostolic authority
• 1311-13 Conclusion and blessings

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To Read for Next Week

• Review
• Christological hymn of Philippians 25-11
• Romans