...1. How were the churches in the Lycus Valley founded? (Polhill pp. 330-331) The churches appear to have been established by Paul’s coworker Epaphras, who was a native Colossian. Luke indicated that during Paul’s ministry in Ephesus all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. Paul followed his usual missionary strategy of establishing himself in a major city with his coworkers fanning out into the countryside to establish churches in the wider region. The Lycus Valley churches were a product of Paul’s Ephesian ministry. Epaphras served as Paul’s coworker, establishing the churches there. Paul did consider them his churches, as they were the product of his apostolic ministry. When difficulties arose in them, Epapharas turned to Paul for guidance and assistance. Colossians is the product of that relationship. 2. Describe each of the three cities in the Lycus Valley. (Pohill pp. 331-332) Laodicea was a new fairly city, having been founded by the Seleucid king Antiochus II in 250 B.C. and then under direct Roman rule in 133 B.C. when the last of the kings of Pergamum bequeathed his kingdom in Rom. In Paul’s day, Laodicea was the most prominent city of the Lycus Valley; it was the tax-gathering and judicial center for the whole administrative area, which consisted of twenty-seven towns, including Hierapolis and Colosse. It was prosperous, boasting a thriving industry in black woolen goods and a famous medical center...
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...purpose and occasion for writing each of the Prison Epistles The first letter that Paul writes to the Ephesians, he starts out praising God and giving glory to Jesus. The Ephesians have always supported him on his ministry by giving him money. So I feel that he had a special love for them since they had done so much for him. I guess you could say he felt a little obligated to make sure that they were walking the path of Christ. He also wanted to remind them that good works are the outcome, not meritorious cause, of God’s forgiveness and gift of a new life [Colossians 2:10] He also did not want them to forget about the poor and to remember to love one another. Also in this chapter he makes mention of how the relationship between a man and a woman should be conducted as well as the relationship with Christ and the church. In Paul’s second letter that he writes to the Philippians, he was concerned about their enemies of the gospel. There must have been a rise of false prophets that came around and misleading the people. The people were not being taught the proper message that Jesus had left for the people. Paul calls these people troublemakers in his letter. Paul felt that the people were becoming selfish as well as heartless with each other. There were two women that were fighting each other that he knew. He just felt that things were not as they should be. [Philippians 4:2]. In Paul’s third letter to the Colossians, there are two reasons why he is writing them. First: He wants them...
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...Daniel C. Dobson L24964692 BIBL 104 20120706 Summary of the book of Acts, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians and Revelations Acts The book of Acts is a narrative written by Luke describing the history and conversions that took place in the infancy stages of the Church. The key themes that are depicted in this book are the instructions left by Jesus to be followed, the building of the Church in Jerusalem, the expansion of the Church and the missionary work of Paul. The main focus in this book is how Luke was to spread gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit. The major events discussed here were how Saul was converted to Paul and the ministries of Peter in Judea. Luke describes three missionary journeys of Paul that concluded with Paul arriving in Rome and getting thrown in prison. Other events discussed were the persecution that continued to plague the Church as it was growing and expanding throughout the land. The influence of the Holy Spirit is infused through the book of Acts and Luke describes many of the events in exceptional detail. Philippians The genre of the book of Philippians is a gospel letter of thanks written by Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome. The key theme in this book is Paul writing about his wanting to serve as Christ served but also sends a warning about the unity of the Church against those who would bring about false teachings from certain converts. The major events discussed revolve around Paul and his circumstances while in prison...
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...Acts. Paul’s frequent reference to him as his son may indicate that he was a Pauline convert, but the evidence is not clear. It is believed that Paul may have used the expression “son” to refer to Timothy as his “son in the ministry”. Timothy was the recipient of the letter in second Timothy from Paul and when Paul refers to him as his “dear son” it is an expression of affection. Historical A. Date According to Frank Gaebelein in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, “It is obvious that the second Epistle to Timothy was written no later than A.D.67. He also states that it may have been as early as 65 and if we assume omitted details in the book of Acts account, earlier dates might be possible. B. Location/Setting Frank Gaebelein says, Second Timothy was written from prison in Rome, shortly before the Apostle Paul’s death. He goes on to state that Timothy was in Ephesus when Paul wrote to him. It is often alleged that the church structure in the Pastoral Epistles reflects the church in the early second century instead of the first. C. Authorship The authenticity of Paul’s correspondence with Timothy and Titus went unchallenged until the nineteenth century. According to Philip Towner, the greeting first identifies the writer and then redefines the identification of Paul. Thomas Lea states that many contemporary interpreters feel that the name “Paul” in all three Epistles (I & II Timothy, Titus) is a pseudonym and feel that an admirer of Paul penned the letters at a...
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...and sometimes substituted Greek words for Hebrew. John Author: John, the apostle Intended Audience: Non-Jewish believers and unbelievers who were struggling with the acceptance of Greek philosophies. John’s primary purpose for his writing is stated in chapter 20 verse 31, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.” It is most likely a compilation of the oral traditions and theology of the apostle John that became published by a companion after his death. Acts Author: Luke Intended Audience: Addressed again to Theophilus, but intended for all believers It contained a historical account to of the origins of Christianity. The book of Acts also helps to bridge the divide between the Gospel narrative and the letters to the church. Romans Author: Paul the apostle Intended Audience: Gentile church in Rome The book was written with an emphasis on the sinful nature of man and God’s plan to...
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...The new testament has a number of thirteen letters dedicated to paul and his findings. Most scholars today agree that paul has forsure wrote 7 out of the 13. The six other letters credited to paul were probably not physically written by him. The scholars came to this conclusion by evaluating the different styles in the letters and the anachronisms described in the rejected batch of letters. The 7 authentic letters are the earliest christians documents to survive, which shows their importance. Another big importance is that we actually know that paul is the author of at least 7 of these letters, which is hard to say about any other scripture in the bible. The 6 “pseudepigraphical” letters also have an importance because it sheds light on the...
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...evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ Historical Analysis In regards to authorship and recipient, there are disagreements in the many opinions of scholars. In the thought of authorship, “a good number of scholars have esteemed Ephesians as “the crown” of Paul’s thought.” However, according to O’Brien, “contemporary scholars, who have claimed that Paul was not the author of Ephesians, have maintained that the writer of the letter used the literary device of Pseudonymity.” Yet O’Brien indicates the external evidences which cannot be denied. Irenaeus quotes Ephesians 5:30, with the introduction ‘as blessed Paul declares in his epistle to the Ephesians.’ In fact, Irenaeus attributed Ephesians to Paul on a number of occasions…In the third century it was regularly attributed to Paul by both the orthodox and their...
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...characteristics that set Paul apart from all other missionaries, as these are used today. As Paul went about fulfilling the great commission his legacy can be identified by these key characteristics. Paul ministry was focused on planting a church, his goal to spread the Gospel and convert individuals not just preach to local crowds. Paul’s method of operation was to come into a community begin to evangelize, establish the congregation and the church. These communities of Jews and Gentiles formed by Paul and his team established the local church and he moved on to another location. The path chosen by Paul in his commitment to preaching Jesus Christ to those in the who would listen. Paul preached to all that Christ died for all sinners and every person was in an equal position before God as a sinner. Paul preached redemption through Christ Jesus for all. One the important characteristics Paul had was that he preached to the crowd, he had an understanding that the message would identify with the audience as the Gospel related to that community, by no means did Paul change the word of Christ, he was an educated man and used it in his work spreading the Good News. Throughout Paul's travels he was willing to endure hardships and persecution in his mission to the proclamation of the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Paul understood that he would suffer for the message we was destined to deliver, even unto to his death. The missionary objectives for Paul were facilitated by recruits who were trained by...
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...accepting of the new love they found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Q-What three main advantages were there in Paul being a prisoner? The three advantages of Pauls’ stay in prison is chronicled in Stott’s book “The message of Acts” where he gives three compelling examples. The first is the belief that while being locked up his ministry was expanding. It is believed that Paul presented the gospel to Agrippa, Felix and even Nero himself. The second advantage was Paul’s witness was increased during a two year stay in Caesarea prison. Stott wrote that Paul had five years of comparative inactivity. Two years of prison, two years under house arrest in Rome. Six months of travel between Caesarea to Rome. These events totaled five years of a detained life for the Apostle Paul. The third thing that was attributed to the Apostle Paul was his suffering for the gospel The Apostle Paul while incarcerated Paul wrote three awesome letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Paul gave some great instructions in these three letters to the Christians in these three...
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...Book : 2 Corinthians Principle: A great leader stands behind his or her team in success and defeat. Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 1:7 (ESV): “Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.” Explanation/Illustration of the principle: In his writing to the Corinthian church, Paul’s aim is to encourage and strengthen the believers. Paul realizes that there will be both easy and difficult times for the followers of Jesus Christ as they face strengthening persecution. To the church at Corinth, it was important to understand that they were not facing what was ahead alone. For this purpose, Paul expresses his own experiences as an authentication of how familiar is with suffering. In doing so, he is able to offer the church comfort. As one commentator writes, the comfort is not mediated directly to both parties, but given in the first instance to Paul, that he might “comfort” them. Likewise, a leader is in the position to convey the good and buffer the bad that will be coming his team’s way. By protecting those he or she leads from immediate impacts, he or she lets the team focus on execution and what they need to deliver, rather than exposing them directly to sometimes difficult political´ discussions that are being held at the top level of an organization. By freeing the team from needing to invest emotionally in topics that are possibly still undecided or that need refining, the leader sets his...
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...Apostle Paul forms the main character in relation to examining the respective entities attached to the issue. He was charged with three different assignments which were; preaching the gospel to the gentiles, providing the church leaders with the biblical instructions and encouragements, and lastly to teach the Christian community ways to live righteously in an unsaved world. Through endless efforts and dedication, Paul was able to accomplish these tasks via his ongoing missionary journeys plus the letters he wrote to various churches. It is evident that while Jesus’ life and teachings tend to offer Christianity with the required foundation, the letters that Paul wrote availed the structure on the foundation. However, the Gentiles urgently embraced the message of salvation, the conflicting ideas on how to live righteously altered their faith. The complexity of the cultural differences however, didn’t stop Paul from managing to address some of the areas of contention using the letters that he wrote to the Romans. The assumptions...
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...1. Know the things that Jews were looking for at the time of Jesus. Messiah/ Davids King Prophet like Moses New Exodus Coming of Elijah God to come to his temple God to pour out his spirit over all flesh All Nations to worship on God’s holy mountain God’s kingdom to fill the whole earth 2. Know the differences between the beliefs and practices of the people groups of Jesus’ day A. Sadducees Believed in the 1st 5 books of the OT Did not believe that God still preformed miracles or that man would rise from the dead Were influential because they had control of the Jewish temple Disbanded after the temple was destroyed B. Pharisees 1. Believed whole OT was authoritative 2. OT Law to changing circumstances of everday life 3. Believed God still preformed miracles C. Essenes 1. 4000 people 2. withdrew from society (communal living) 3. Thought Pharisies and sadducess were corrupt so they did not offer sacrifices at the temple 4. Helped to preserve scruipture by copying it. 3. Know the difference different approaches to Bible translations covered in Class (For example- Formal Equivalent, Functional Equivalent, etc.). Formal Equivalent- (literal)- keeping orginal words, word order, and grammar. The problem is different word order can make sentecnes awakward and slightly change...
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...us all to fulfill his eternal plan and defeat Satan. God created us in His image and He has given us a choice of freedom. We can choose to give into the unearthly things of this world or give glory to the only Holy Spirit which is God. In Romans 12:2 it is said, “do not conform yourselves to this age but transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect”. God put us on this earth so we could follow his will, by putting our faith in God completely and defeating Satan and his lies. BACKGROUND Paul is the author of the book of Romans, and the date of composition was between 57-58 C.E. The book of Romans was one of the most significant and influential theological letters written because of it pertaining to the “righteousness of God”. Although, it is much debate over whether it is righteousness which God bestows on persons on the basis of Christ’s work, or meaning the righteousness of God is the activity of God (Butler 1204). When the righteousness of God is truly understood, it is God setting things right through life, death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ. Paul explains to us that God proclaims that the person is righteous and takes all their sins away. The book of Romans was to many a plan of salvation. Paul relayed what God has done in Christ and then explains how important it is...
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...Feminists do not always agree, as Judith Plaskow a Jewish feminist proposes that by Christian’s claiming Jesus’ importance, it rejects and disparages Judaism. Feminist scholars also focus on Mary Magdalene and the women as the predominant witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection . Paul’s letters provide historical evidence for the leadership roles of women in the early church. In the New Testament there is the mention of women in leadership such as Phoebe, Priscilla, Junia, Euddia, Syntyche, and in the Old Testament there is Deborah . Yet, in 1 Timothy 2:8-15 is a more stringent text seemingly opposing the right for women to hold any church office positions. The traditional exegesis is the implication, of 11-12, “let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent”....
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...is an attempt to look at Pastoral Care in action through the example of the Apostle Paul and his dealings with Philemon and Onesimus. 2. The Apostle Paul: A Model for Pastoral Care A study on Apostle Paul in the New Testament will further enhance our understanding of Pastoral Care in the church. It is surprising how little attention has been directed to the apostle Paul as pastor.1 This is unfortunate, particularly because Paul’s letters are themselves the product of his pastoral activities and offer us direct and immediate access to them. 2 Moreover, we have Paul’s own testimony that his pastoral concerns loomed large in his apostolic work. After presenting a lengthy recital of his apostolic hardships he adds, ―And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches‖ (II Cor. 11:28). This is not mere rhetoric; the truth of this comment is validated on every page of the apostle’s letters. There, one sees him dealing with the needs of those for whose nurture in Christ he obviously cares very deeply. 3 All Paul’s writings, even Romans, were written in response to pastoral needs, although not always in response to specific pastoral problems. 4 They demonstrate more explicitly than any other part of Scripture the connection between Christian living and Christian truth. We also see in Paul a compassionate counselor and pastoral care giver....
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