Name: Myles E. Owens Jr.
Student ID: L26434425
Course: BIBL 104 B52
Date: 10/05/2014
New Testament Bible Dictionary Project:
I Corinthians
The First Corinthians was written in historical literary genre (Zodhiates, 2001). The apostle Paul wrote the First Corinthians around 50 A.D. in the city of Ephesus. (Acts 19:10), (Acts 20:31) (Mitchell, 2004). Following three years of preaching the gospel, he wrote first Corinthians and sent it to the church in Corinth by Stephanus, Fortunatus and Achaicus (Beitzel, 2009). His missionary tactic was to establish a church in the main towns, recognizing that rehabilitated guests, migrant salesmen, and seamen would spread the holy word (Mitchell, 2004). The home church was responsible for the evangelism and discipleship of their area (Zodhiates, 2001). The Apostle Paul, Timothy and also Chloe were the main personalities of this book (Mitchell, 2004). Paul’s drive in transcribing this letter to the church in Corinth was to talk to and modify the wickedness and separations happening amongst them (Zodhiates, 2001). Paul obtained information of difficulties in the church in Corinth and consequently dealt with their troubles and disarrays, “there are quarrels among you” (1 Corinthians 1:11). Paul requests disciples to ''consider your calling'' (1 Corinthians 1:26-30). He uncovers the wickedness that was happening in the church at Corinth; they consist of lawsuits against other followers, sexual debauchery, problems of marriage (Zodhiates, 2001). Paul warns believers to be careful how you live, "For you have been bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20).
Paul
Saul was the apostle Paul original name; he changed it after his transformation to Christianity (Mitchell, 2004). Nevertheless, he was the first major evangelist to preach the Gospel to Gentiles (Zodhiates, 2001). He was a Roman citizen born in 10 C.E. at Tarus, Turkey (Acts 22:3), (Mitchell, 2004). Paul was fourteen when he was led to Jerusalem for training as a Rabbi (Acts 22:3) (Mitchell, 2004). Well-known Rabbi Gamaliel was his teacher and mentor (Mitchell, 2004). Paul was a man of unchangeable principles and fierce temperament; when he was challenged with a deviation to Judaism, he tried to suppress it (Mitchell, 2004). Christianity was the heresy he was so upset with and he was one of its main persecutors (Zodhiates, 2001). Paul witnessed and encourages the stoning of Stephen; he later participated in persecution of Christians, putting men and women in prison (Acts 7:59), (Zodhiates, 2001) . Paul went to Damascus to continue harassing Christians; but, on the journey, he had a revelation (Acts 1:22), (Zodhiates, 2001). He saw Jesus Christ who asked why he persecuting Him (Act 9:4-5), (Zodhiates, 2001). Jesus Christ appointed Paul to preach the message to the non-Jews (Acts 9:1-9), (Mitchell, 2004). Paul wrote thirteen epistles of the New Testament (Mitchell, 2004). Paul wrote sixteen chapters of Acts centering on his evangelist labor (Zodhiates, 2001). Paul was beheaded on the Ostian Road near Rome in 67 A.D (Chapman, 1983); Paul was ready to go be with Jesus;” I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:6-8)”.

Ephesus
Ephesus was built on a river bend that was ultimately dug up into a harbor near the base of the Cayster River, on the coast of Asia Minor (Beitzel, 2009). It is located between Smyrna to the north and Miletus to the south, the place is approximately six miles from the Aegean Sea (Beitzel, 2009). Romans had control of Ephesus in 190B.C; all through the era of Augustus’s regime around 1-4 A.D., Ephesus was a very rich and lavish city (Chapman, 1983). The population increased and the city became the capital of the new Asia; all the voyagers and the commerce came to the city, from the Cayster and the Maeander Valleys, to Galatia, Euphrates and from Mesopotamia, Ephesus was the highway to Rome (Beitzel, 2009). The apostle Paul first visited Ephesus on the return from his missionary journey where he "entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews (Acts 18:19-21)". Paul came to Ephesus and trained the twelve disciples who had knowledge of only John the Baptist (Acts 19:1-7). Diana of the Ephesians is one of the most famous accounts in Acts (Acts 19:23-41). Paul's evangelization in Ephesus damaged the local silversmiths who made statues of Diana; because of that Paul's companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, were hauled into the theater and beaten (Beitzel, 2009). Ephesus’s Temple of Artemis is believed to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (Chapman, 1983). Paul’s fruitful ministry in Ephesus was deemed a menace to the temple (Acts 19:27)

Bibliography

Beitzel, B. (2009). The Moody Atlas of the Bible. Chicago: Moody Publishers.
Chapman, B. (1983). The New International Dictionary. Biblical Archaeology, 320.
Enns, P. (2014). The Moody Handbook of Theology. Peabody: Moody Publishers.
Mitchell, D. (2004). The Book of First Corinthians: Christianity in A Hostile Culture-Twenty-First Century Biblical Commentary. Chattanooga: AMG Publishers.
Spirit, H. (2005). The Holy Bible: King James Version. Lynn: Christian Books.
Zodhiates, S. (2001). Loving Correction: First Corinthians. Chattanooga: AMG Publishers.