Exam 3 Intro. to New Testament
What do we hear about the opponenets?
"Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting the faith of some." (2 Timothy 2:16-18) He calls them out by name! Paul didn't even do that for the guy sleeping with his stepmom in Corinth! The information about their teaching on the resurrection is interesting, since we had suspected that maybe that was part of what was going on in Corinth. "There are also many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision; they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for sordid gain what it is not right to teach. It was one of them, their very own prophet, who said, 'Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy gluttons.' That testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply, so that they may become sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths or to commandments of those who reject the truth." (Titus 1:10-14) "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God's word and by prayer." (1 Timothy 4:1-5)
Galatians on Paul's Conversion
"For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord's brother. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only heard it said, "The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy." And they glorified God because of me." Galatians 1:11-24
Letter husband to wife
"Hilarion to his sister Alis very many greetings, likewise to my lady Berous and Apollonarion. Know that we are still in Alexandria. Do not be anxious; if they really go home, I will remain in Alexandria. I beg and entreat you, take care of the little one, and as soon as we receive our pay I will send it up to you. If by chance you bear a child: if it is a boy, let it be; if it is a girl, cast it out....
Phoebe and Junia
"I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was." (Romans 16:1-7)
Opponents?
"I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith." (1 Timothy 1:3-4) "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions (antitheses) of what is falsely called knowledge (gnosis); by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith." (1 Timothy 6:20-21)
Test Case: Pastorals and Undisputed Letters on Women
"Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty." (1 Timothy 2:11-15) "The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man." (Genesis 2:20-22) "The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate." (Genesis 3:11-13) "To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.'" (Genesis 3:16)
Obeying the authorities
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; for it is God's servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, busy with this very thing. Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due." The Roman Christian community has already experienced disruption by the authorities. In the mid-50s, the Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome after disturbances. So Paul may be thinking here that it's best for Christians to keep their heads down and remain good citizens. The disastrous persecution of Christians by Nero in 64 is still about 7 years away. Would Paul have had such positive things to say about the authorities in the wake of such a persecution? Regardless of what Paul was trying to do here, the fact remains that this passage has been read by later Christians to forbid rising up against oppressive regimes (such as in Nazi Germany).
Paul's advice stay are you are because time is short
"Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. I think that, in view of the impending crisis, it is well for you to remain as you are. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Yet those who marry will experience distress in this life, and I would spare you that. I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. 1 Cor 7:25-31
A letter of admonishment
"Sempronius to Maximus his brother, many greetings. Before all I pray for your welfare. I learned that you are treating our revered mother harshly. Please, sweetest brother, do not cause her grief in any way. If any of the brothers talk back to her, you ought to hit them...."
But...
"So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.'" (Genesis 1:27-28)
Other passages in Paul's letters help clarify position on slavery?
"There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) But does this equality extend outside the Christian community, into the real world? Elsewhere Paul does seem to accept certain status distinctions (1 Cor 11:5). "Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called. Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make use of your present condition now more than ever. For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is a slave of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of human masters. In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters, there remain with God." (1 Corinthians 7:20-24) Is he encouraging slaves to seek their freedom, or not? How are Paul's social ethics affected by his apocalyptic outlook? "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free. And, masters, do the same to them. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality." (Ephesians 6:5-9) Pretty clear, but did Paul write this? Maybe, maybe not. "Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to talk back, not to pilfer, but to show complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior." (Titus 2:9-10) Again, pretty clear, but very few scholars think that Paul wrote this letter. Ultimately, we might say that when Paul feels strongly about something, he tends to make that crystal-clear in his letters (like Gentiles not observing the Jewish Law). So if he really believed that slavery was totally immoral and needed to be completely abolished, he probably would have said so. How troubling is it if we don't know what Paul's opinion was about slaves, or, worse, if he approved of it for whatever reason?
Does Romans 5:12-14 contradict 1 Tim 2:14
"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned— sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come." (Romans 5:12-14)
1 Cor written by Paul
"Women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church." (1 Corinthians 14:34-35) Note, however: several important ancient manuscripts place these verses after verse 40 after verse 33. Why?
Emperor Trajan to Pliny
"You observed proper procedure, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those who had been denounced to you as Christians. For it is not possible to lay down any general rule to serve as a kind of fixed standard. They are not to be sought out; if they are denounced and proved guilty, they are to be punished, with this reservation, that whoever denies that he is a Christian and really proves it--that is, by worshiping our gods--even though he was under suspicion in the past, shall obtain pardon through repentance. But anonymously posted accusations ought to have no place in any prosecution. For this is both a dangerous kind of precedent and out of keeping with the spirit of our age."
Acts
-We still need to be cautious about certain things. -Acts never mentions Paul writing letters, but this seems to have been a pretty important part of his missionary strategy. -Acts always presents Paul as first taking his message to the Jews, and only after they inevitably reject him, he preaches to Gentiles. But the evidence from Paul's letters suggests his ministry was overwhelmingly focused on bringing his "gospel" to the Gentiles. -Acts seems inclined to present Paul as getting along wonderfully with the leadership of the Jerusalem Church (Peter and James, the brother of Jesus), but Paul's letters reveal there was plenty of friction
"South Galatia" versus "North Galatia"
1. Acts 13-14, first of Paul's three missionary journeys through the southern portion of the Roman province of Galatia. 2. Galatians could actually be the earliest of Paul's letters (ca. 47-48 CE), leapfrogging over 1 Thessalonians. 3. The fact that he refers to his addresses as "foolish Galatians" in 3:1 raises problems for the "South Galatian" hypothesis. 4. Why? Many scholars believe that "Galatians" makes more sense as an ethnic designation, not as a political designation for people living in a specific Roman province. 5. If it's these (tribal/ethnic) Galatians that Paul is addressing, they were based in the Kingdom of Galatia in north-central Asia Minor. This is the "North Galatian" hypothesis. 6. What's the evidence for Paul doing missionary work up there? 2nd journey, Acts 16:6-8 says: "And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas." Cryptic, not a lot of details about what he did here.
Why should we care about Paul?
1. Arguably more important to Christianity than Jesus: both as the (inadvertent) creator of an independent religion (of Gentile, not Jewish Christians) and as a theological thinker. 2. Gives us the earliest writings in the NT several decades earlier than the canonical gospels. We can see what was being said about Jesus several decades before the gospels 3. Provides us the opportunity to see how early Christian communities functioned on a daily basis and what sorts of issues came us—and it wasn't always pretty. In Corinth and Galatia, things are especially messy. His letters aren't "friendly letters" or theological treatises—they're meant to put out fires (scholars refer to them as "occasional letters"). 4. His writings are a source of endless fascination (for me, anyway), since virtually every interpretative issue is up for grabs. Did he write all of the letter, part of it, or none of it? What did he mean? Is he totally consistent in his advice and beliefs? What had happened in the community before he wrote his letter? How did the community respond to his letter? Did Paul write other letters that we don't have anymore? (Yes!) If we found one of these other letters, what would we do with it? And how did we end up with the collection of letters we've got anyway? 5. Even though his letters are rhetorical pieces meant to persuade, there's some very "human" stuff in them. For example: he forgets, mean to people he doesn't like, call out Peter in public (Cephas) 6. Fierce debate within churches whether he is appealing or appalling
North Galatia vs. South Galatia Debate
1. Not much. The biggest consequence is when it fits in Paul's career: either super- early (47-48) for the "South Galatian" hypothesis, or mid-to-late (54-55) for the "North Galatian" hypothesis. 2. But, Galatians is even more interesting if it's written to "barbarians" in the hinterlands of Asia Minor rather than the much more Hellenized/Romanized inhabitants of the southern part Galatia.
What most likely happened (Paul's Conversion)
1. Paul did persecute Christians, and he did have a conversion experience in or around Damascus. 2. But, he was persecuting Christians in Damascus, NOT Jerusalem/Judea, because he lived in Damascus. 3. Tougher to know how long Paul goes without integrating himself into an existing Christian community. Hard to imagine he only started talking to Christians in Jerusalem three years after conversion. Likely became part of community in Damascus before that.
Paul's opponents in Galatians
1. Unlike in 1 Cor, there was an outside group of missionaries to whom Paul was particularly hostile. 2. What does he say about them in the letter? a. "...there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ." (1:7) b. "Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?" (3:1-2) c. "Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace." (5:2-4) 3. The best guess is that these are Jewish-Christian missionaries who are urging Paul's converts in Galatia to become circumcised as a mark of Jewish identity, to keep other portions of the Jewish Law as well. 4. Given how much time Paul spends in ch. 2 on his struggles with the Jerusalem Church over the requirements for Gentile membership in the Church, these rival missionaries may have been from the Jerusalem Church, or at least have considered themselves under its authority
Questions if Paul is writing to "ethnic Galatians"
1. Why did Paul choose to do missionary work there, it was pretty far off path of 2. How much would Paul have known about the religious background of the Galatians, who didn't worship the same gods found in Greco-Roman cities? 3. Why did the Jewish-Christian opponents choose to follow Paul to such a remote location? 4. What became of the Galatian Christian community after Paul's letter? We don't hear much more about Christianity in this region for some time afterwards
What is Paul asking Philemon to do for Onesimus?
1. first choice for Philemon to allow O to stay with Paul in prison to help him 2. how long-Paul possibly wanted O as his slave, transfer ownership? not sure 3. asking Philemon to change O's status (beloved brother) 4. asking Philemon to manumit (release from slavery) O -treat O more nicely -Paul wants Philemon to set O free
Galatians 2:11-14
11. But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned; 12. for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. 13. And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14. But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?"
Galatians 2:15-21
15. We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16. yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. 17. But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18. But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. 19. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20. and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
Paul's Beatitudes
1:13 Blessed are they who keep their flesh undefiled; for they shall be the temple of God. 1:14 Blessed are the chaste; for God will reveal himself to them. 1:22 Blessed are the bodies and souls of virgins; for they are acceptable to God, and shall not lose the reward of their virginity; for the word of their heavenly Father shall prove effectual to their salvation in the day of his Son, and they shall enjoy rest for evermore. The stories from APTh were probably circulating in the first half of the second century—might the Pastorals have been written (at least in part, to oppose their teachings on asceticism and women's leadership)? 1:13 Blessed are they who keep their flesh undefiled; for they shall be the temple of God. 1:14 Blessed are the chaste; for God will reveal himself to them. 1:22 Blessed are the bodies and souls of virgins; for they are acceptable to God, and shall not lose the reward of their virginity; for the word of their heavenly Father shall prove effectual to their salvation in the day of his Son, and they shall enjoy rest for evermore. The stories from APTh were probably circulating in the first half of the second century—might the Pastorals have been written (at least in part, to oppose their teachings on asceticism and women's leadership)?
Galatians 2:6-10
6. And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those leaders contributed nothing to me. 7. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised 8. (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles), 9. and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10. They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.
Disputed Paulines (Deutero-Paulines)
75% believe Paul did not write Colossians Ephesians 2 Thessalonians
Pastoral Epistles
98% biblical scholars believe Paul did not write 1 and 2 Timothy Titus bear no resemblance to the authentic letters of Paul Have been termed the Pastoral Epistles since the eighteenth century. Why? Because they are especially concerned with the "shepherding" of the churches discussed in them. They are written to the leaders (Timothy and Titus), not to the assembly as a whole.
Who are the Galatians?
A tribal group closely related to the Celts of Ireland that migrated into Asia Minor (i.e., Turkey) several centuries before Paul. These folks considered barbarians by the Romans, and probably weren't that Hellenized
Acts 15 The Jerusalem Conference
Acts 15:1 Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." 2. And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. [decree from James] 19. Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, 20. but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood.
Acts vs. Galatians on Paul's Conversion
Agree 1. Paul persecuted Christians before his conversion. 2. Conversion seems to have happened near Damascus. 3. Paul eventually has some contact with Christian leaders in Jerusalem.
So why is Paul writing to Romans?
Basically, he wants to use Rome the same way he used Antioch earlier in his ministry: as a home-base of support (financial and otherwise) for his missionary work in uncharted territory...in this case, Spain. That is why he spends so much time explaining his gospel to them: it's a "letter of introduction" for him. Moreover, given the fights he's had with the Jerusalem Church, some Christians in Rome may have a bad impression of him (so we see a lot of the same discussion of "justification by faith" that was in Galatians). And Spain was really uncharted territory: it was considered the edge of the world, far more "barbarian" than anyplace he had previously worked (even northern Galatia). Greek wasn't common, Latin and indigenous Iberian languages were, and there were no Jewish populations (and hence, no synagogues where he could find interested Gentiles).
Are the antithesis a reference to Marcion's writing of the same name?
Creator known the Father except the Son Creator did not know where Adam was, but Christ knew thoughts of men Joshua was violent, Christ forbade violence preached mercy and peace God restored sight of Isaac, opened eyes of many blind men
Paul on appearance of resurrected Jesus
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 1 Cor 15:3-8
Origins of same-sex attraction
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error." 1. homosexuality-punishment inflicted by God for idolatry, not something they choose 2. not talking about all humanity, those where idolatry is rampant 3. mean that most Jews/Christians who do not engage in worship of other gods CANNOT experience same-sex attraction 4. punishment fits crime, desire unnatural 5. unnatural passions he considered too much of any kind of sex, or penetration by another man/woman on top
Paul inadvertently caused problems from descriptions of baptism
Gal 3:27: "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." 2 Cor 5:17: "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!"
Galatians 2:1-5
Gal. 2:1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2. I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain. 3. But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4. But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us— 5. we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you.
What you need to know about 1 Corinthians?
Had problems Some seem to have been the result of Gentile cultural norms being different than the vision of society that Paul had ex. Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 1 Cor 1:10-13
Why was the Apostle Paul so important for the development of Christianity?
He was the first person to create a non-Jewish Christian communities
What's Paul's problem here?
His fight with the Jewish Christians isn't over whether someone could be saved by doing good deeds. Most Jews of Paul's time didn't believe that doing good deeds was how you got saved. Rather, following the laws of the Torah was how part of being God's chosen people. Paul did think that the Gentiles were capable of following these laws adequately So whether the Law could be "fulfilled" wasn't the issue. Rather, the issue for Paul is that if Gentiles are required to adopt Jewish practices in order to be members of the Christian Church, that means that Christ's sacrifice on the cross wasn't sufficient in and of itself.
If I am a "new creation" what am I permitted to do?
I can eat meat sacrificed to idols, because I know that those gods don't really exist! 1 Cor 8:4-6 1 Cor 8:6-13 Shack up with stepmom 1 Cor 5:1-5 Okay to visit prostitutes because all things are lawful 1 Cor 6:12-18 New creation become celibate 1 Cor 7:1-5
Is Paul unique in using letters to oversee religious communities?
It's hard to say, since we only possess a small fragment of all the writings, Christian or otherwise, produced in the Roman world. Maybe other Christian missionaries were doing this before and during Paul's work. But we have no record of this. That said, within Judaism there seems to have been a practice of representatives of the Jerusalem Temple sending out decrees and judgments to communities of Jews outside of Israel.
Why did Paul write letters?
Letters were a fairly common in the Roman world. Letters were written to communicate between family members (for a variety of reasons), to facilitate business transactions, and to address administrative matters by government officials.
Why is Pauline authorship doubted?
Non-Pauline vocabulary: "Savior" used 10x (only once in undisputed letters, in ref. to Second Coming); eusebia ("piety, godliness, religion") used 8x (never in undisputed letters). Non-Pauline usage: "Faith" in undisputed means "the action of believing and trusting in God or Jesus" (cf. Gal 2:16). In Pastorals "the Faith" refers to the Christian religion and its participants (cf. 1 Tim 4:1, 5:8). Odd phrases not found elsewhere: "The saying is sure." Appears 5x (1 Tim 1:15, 3:1, 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8). strongly suggests that all three were composed by the same author also P46 earliest copy of Pauline Epistles contained all letters except Pastoral There's an emphasis on the qualifications of church bishops and deacons (cf. 1 Tim 3:1-13) and on the conduct of specific groups in the church, like the "widows" (cf. 1 Tim 5:3-16) that is unlike discussions about church order and authority found in the undisputed Paulines (or the disputed Paulines, for that matter!). "The saying is sure: whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task. Now a bishop must be above reproach, married only once, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way— for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil." (1 Timothy 3:1-7)
What does this mean?
Paul is probably not talking in Galatians 2 about whether one can be saved by doing good works or only by faith in Christ. This reading of Paul is referred to as the "Old Perspective," or "Lutheran Perspective." It's how Paul's doctrine of "Justification by Faith" has traditionally been interpreted in Protestant Christianity. Instead, he is talking about the question of social identity: "Do you have to become a Jew and adopt Jewish ritual practices in order to become a Christian? ?" This reading of Paul is referred to as the "New Perspective." Not everyone in Protestant Christianity is happy with this interpretation. So then how important are good works for Paul? Very important, according to 2 Cor 5:10! "For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil."
How likely Onesimus was a runaway slave?
Philemon regards Onesimus as useless Paul says that O was separated from Phil for a while, refer to O running away O might have wronged Phil in some way or owed something to him (stole/didn't do work) not an open-and-shut case-Greek word for useless is achrestos "without use" stereotypical expression useless slave doesn't do anything unless told O typical slave Paul using play on words achristos "without Christ" reference to conversion of O in prison
Onesimus
Philemon's slave, why? Above all, v.16: "no longer as a slave but more than a slave." But even if we didn't have v.16, we'd still be pretty sure that he was a slave, since "Onesimus" was a fairly common slave name in the Roman Empire—it literally means "useful." Romans had an unpleasant habit of giving their slaves names like this, or "Felix" (which means "happy/lucky").
Are the myths and endless genealogies and the falsely called knowledge a reference to Apocryphon of John?
Realm of Light/Darkness
Undisputed Paulines
Romans 1 Cor, 2 Cor Galatians Philippians 1 Thessalonians Philemon
Luke Timothy Johnson
The PEs have some key differences from the undisputed Paulines, but the PE are not quite as similar to one another as scholars tend to assume (especially 2 Timothy). Have to treat each PE on its own terms. Audiences are different. In the undisputed, Paul is writing to communities as a whole, whereas the PEs are directives to trusted underlings. "Authored" doesn't always mean, "written down or dictated." The PEs could be "authored" by Paul in the sense that he "authorized" them.
So, might some of the problems at Corinth have been Christians who believed that they had become a new form of creation in which the old rules of how things were done didn't apply to them anymore?
The bottom line: It's tempting to think that there was a sort of proto-gnosticism at Corinth, where people believed that Christian wisdom had liberated them from the world and its usual ways of doing things. But it's important to realize that a lot of the problems in Paul's communities originate with his proclamation of the Christian message, which people interpreted in different ways after he left the community.
If it wasn't written by Paul
They shouldn't be simply lumped together with Colossians and Ephesians in an undifferentiated group of "letters that scholars think Paul didn't write." Why not? Remember that there's virtually no discussion of specific issues going on in the community in Ephesians (unlike in the undisputed Paulines). But this isn't the case for the Pastorals. Rather, there is a lot said about the opponents that the author believes are causing problems in the community.
Gallio Inscription
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, invested with tribunician power for the 12th time, acclaimed Imperator for the 26th time, Father of the Fatherland....For a long time have I been not only well-disposed towards the city of Delphi, but also solicitous for its prosperity, and I have always guarded the cult of the Pythian Apollo. But now since it is said to be destitute of citizens, as L. Junius Gallio, my friend and proconsul, recently reported to me....
Lord's Supper as Greco-Roman banquet
When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord's supper. For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you! 1 Cor 11:20-22
Good Paul
Women Leadership in Church-all are one in Jesus Christ Gal 3:28 Slavery-no longer slave but brother Phil 15-16, Gal 3:28 Homosexuality-not really big fan of sex in general Jews don't Believe Jesus as Messiah-all Israel will be saved Rom 11:25-26
Bad Paul
Women Leadership in Church-women should be silent 1 Cor 14:34-35 Slavery-obey earthly master as Christ Eph 6:5-6 Homosexuality-received due penalty for their error Rom 1:26-27 Jews don't Believe Jesus as Messiah-God's wrath 1Thess 2:14-16
Formal elements of Greco-Roman letter
Writer Recipient Greetings Thanksgiving Body
Found in Corinthians
[Writer] Paul [Recipient] To the church of God that is in Corinth [Greetings] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. [Thanksgiving] I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus... [Body] Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 1 Cor 1:1-4, 9-11
Paul's Letters Parallel
administrative letters sent by emperors and other Roman officials to provinces and cities In both cases, there was a "network" of communities that owed their existence and identity to an authority figure. Interestingly, Paul uses a number of "administrative" terms in his letters—such as his word for "church" (ekklesia), which had long been used to refer to a "town hall," an assembly of citizens. But a key difference is that an emperor's authority seems to be much more unquestioned than Paul's is
What is Paul trying to do in his letters?
all of Paul's letters are written to communities of Christ-followers that he established (except Romans) Paul is writing "occasional letters" to address specific problems in his communities, to persuade the members of the community to do what he wants. Any other cases where a religious/philosophical leader is founding a network of communities and then using letters to "govern" them? Not really. Part of the issue is that most religions in the Roman world weren't aggressively seeking converts and establishing new communities in the way Christianity was.
Acts vs. Galations on Paul's Conversion
biggest differences 1. Acts: Paul integrates himself in the Christian community in Damascus right after his conversion, and then (shortly thereafter?) goes and meets the leadership of the Jerusalem Church. Gal: Paul doesn't talk to ANYONE after conversion, stays away from Christian communities as long as possible. 2. Acts: Paul goes right into Damascus after his revelation from Jesus. Gal: Paul goes away into "Arabia," and then only after some time does he go "back" to Damascus. 3. Acts: Paul departs Damascus and goes to Jerusalem "after some time had passed." Gal: Paul doesn't go to Jerusalem for three years after his conversion. 4. Acts: When he is in Jerusalem, he meets with "the apostles" (all twelve?). Gal: When he is in Jerusalem, he only meets with Cephas and James, the brother of Jesus. And he swears that he's not lying about this! 5. Acts: Paul takes a very active role in the persecution of the Christians based in Jerusalem and the surrounding Judean environs. Gal: The churches in Judea have never actually seen Paul. They only know that he was a persecutor.
How did Onesimus end up in prison with Paul?
coincidence sent by Philemon to assist him in prison, then stayed longer run away from Philemon went to Paul to intercede with his master MOST POPULAR Paul converted him to Christianity
Paul must first
go to Jerusalem to deliver collection he had made from his Gentile Christian communities to Jerusalem Church, anxious about what will happen did not get it to Spain, got arrested when he went to Jerusalem, sent to Rome as prisoner, implies his death in Rome Romans thought to be last letter of Paul's
Who is Philemon?
head of household in which Christian church meets, churches met in homes until 4th century when legalized in Roman Empire converted to Christianity by Paul lives in/around Colossae, individuals mentioned in Colossians
Important to remember
if Onesimus way a runaway slave action was punishable by death Paul knew Philemon would do what he wanted but was placing O in dangerous position
Romans Paul's definitive theological treatise explaining his gospel
many greatest Christian theologians have read Romans this way has more abstract theological discussion less specific issues of community Philemon-specifics Galatians and 1 Cor-both Romans-opposite spectrum
Part of unusual feature of Romans dues to relationship between Paul and the Christians in Rome
never met Romans, letter to church he did not found Christianity came to Rome very early due to Jewish population doesn't talk about community issues as much because he does not know them
Where is Paul when writing this letter?
prison v.1: "a prisoner of Christ Jesus." v.9: "and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus." v.10: "I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment." Also vv.13 and 23. where-Rome or Caesarea Maritima in Palestine many scholars believe imprisoned in Ephesus during mid-50's possibly where he wrote Philemon, Philippians, and Colossians must read between the lines
Compared to rest of Paul's letters, Philemon is unusual
shortest letter only undisputed Pauline that is addressed to individual focuses on a special social situation, less theological discussion than other letters, very specific why was it one of the Pauline epistles included in the NT
Interesting passages in 1 Corinthians
tells women to wear veils 1 Cor 11:3-15 Paul knows Jesus' words of institution from the Last Supper 1 Cor 11:23-32
Galatians
the epistle to the Galatians Paul's most confrontational letter
How did Paul feel about institution of slavery in general?
we don't know what Paul wants Phil to do for O are murky enough that both pro-slavery and anti-slavery advocates in the antebellum US appealed to Philemon to justify their position JANT 404 says, no one else in the Roman Empire seems to have argued that slavery should be abolished (even if a few writers said that slaves should be treated better), so that makes it inherently unlikely that Paul would have believed that slavery should be entirely abolished. And, advocating the abolishment of slavery would potentially have been disastrous for Christian communities in the Roman Empire.
What does Paul really wish they would do?
wish that they were all like him unmarried widows to remain unmarried unless the cannot practice self-control wife should not separate from husband, husband should not divorce his wife (1 Cor 7:6-11)
Acts on Paul's Conversion
• According to Acts 8:1-3 and 9:1-31, here's what the circumstances were surround Paul's conversion. 1. He was persecuting Christians in and around Jerusalem. 2. He asked the high priest of the Jerusalem Temple for letters to bring Christians from synagogues in Damascus back to Jerusalem under arrest. 3. On his way to Damascus, Jesus appears to Paul in a blinding flash and commands him to enter the city. 4. God tells a Christian in Damascus named Ananias to find Paul and heal his blindness. Ananias then baptizes Paul. 5. Paul joins the Christian community in Damascus, and stays there until "some time had passed." 6. Jews are plotting to kill him, so he escapes from Damascus, and goes to meet the Christian community in Jerusalem. 7. In Jerusalem, he meets "the apostles." He then spends an unspecified amount of time in Jerusalem before Jews there threaten his life. Then he goes back to Tarsus in Cilicia (a province in modern-day Turkey).
Importance of Gallio Inscription
• Because Acts 18:12 mentions that when Paul was visiting Corinth, Gallio was the proconsul: "But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal." • And thanks to the fact that the year of the Emperor Claudius's reign is mentioned in the inscription, we know that this inscription was made in the year 52. • And, we know that proconsuls only had one-year terms, so Gallio was only the proconsul for the year in which the inscription was mad. -That Paul was in Corinth in 52, and wrote 1 Corinthians shortly thereafter! And we can use this peg to date all of Paul's letters!!!
Why do they have such differing accounts?
• Luke is especially concerned to show the harmony of the various groups in early Christianity. He wants a "united front." And he probably knows that Paul has a reputation as someone who "goes rogue." • Paul is probably being more accurate, but he is also highly emphasizing how his own mission is totally separate from and not dependent upon the leaders of the Jerusalem Church, several of whom had been with Jesus from the very beginning. Since Paul wasn't a follower of Jesus during his ministry, he had to fight an uphill battle for credibility.
Reconstructing Paul's Life
• Problem using Paul's letters to reconstruct his life and career. If all we had was his letters, we would be quite unsure about what order the letters were written in. • Moreover, Paul does give us some information about his background, his itinerary, but not enough to form a coherent picture. • What about using the Acts of the Apostles? Yes, this helps, but as we'll see, we have to be cautious about how much of the information in Acts is reliable. • And, Acts does provide us with what seems like a fairly reliable account of the sequence for Paul's missionary work (i.e., the order in which Paul visited cities). • But this only gives us a relative chronology, not an absolute chronology. In other words, just using Acts, we can't say, Paul was in this city on such-and-such a date.
So can we use Acts as a historical source for Paul's life?
• We sort of have to! We don't really have any other resources. • As long as we take Luke's information about Paul with a grain of salt. • Without Acts, and more specifically Acts 18:12, we don't have a firm chronology about Paul's missionary work.
