When one views the life of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament it is evident that he had a heart to disciple others. The evidence at hand identified Paul as more than an individual who had doctrinal knowledge, for he was the quintessential model for living out the standards of Christian behavior. In his letter to the Church of Philippi Paul encourage them to “Whatever…
Unlike in the letter to the church at Ephesus, in this letter Christ gives no praise to the church. To understand why one must understand the history of Laodicea. The Seleucid King Antiochus 2 found Laodicea, during the third century BC. The city was the richest in the region and connected Ephesus to the western region of the Asia Minor. The city was well known for its industry, banking and textile, which contributed to its wealth. Unlike in Ephesus there was a large community of Jews, which lived in the city and seemed to have been inflicted with some of the ill behavior that their Christian counterparts possessed. Worth stated “Just as John speaks censorious word of the Christian population, rabbis spoke similarly stern rebukes of the wealth and luxuriousness of the Jewish community” (Worth 213). It would seem…
In the epistle of Romans Paul is introducing himself to the Romans and explains the message he plans on teaching before he arrives in Rome. The epistle was sent from Corinth before Paul had sailed of for Troas during Paul’s second missionary journey. Paul had friends in Rome, whom he had planned to visit on several occasions, but had always been prevented from doing so. He had several reasons for being interested in the Roman church: his desire to see the imperial city, their need for instruction, his desires to stop any Judaizing activity, and his hope for possible support for mission to Spain. The central theme of Romans is the revelation of the righteousness of God to man, and its application to mans spiritual needs (Tenney 1985, 304–305).…
Paul’s argument in Romans is foundational to the Biblical/Christian Worldview. Paul brings to realization of what God is revealing to the Christian World. Most Christians do not understand the consequences of not obeying the moral laws and its values. Christians are influenced by other religions because of the lack of understanding the expectations and the fact of being accountable for their actions. Paul is presenting specific directions as how to live a godly life and to show consideration to others. This is imperative for Christians in today’s society as well as it was to the Romans. Acquiring a good foundation in the word of God is important for all Christians.…
Often times, new believers are encouraged to read through the book of Romans. This is because Paul is able to break down essential aspects of the Christian life in a way that is both probing and encouraging. It covers aspects of the natural world, human identity, relationships, and culture. As with every word of the Bible, this book transcends time and culture and speaks as much in todays’ time as it did to the Roman church to who Romans was originally written. As believers in Christ, it is important to live these truths so that He may use our lives for His glory and honor.…
In verses ten through seventeen, as a response to these evil men, Paul gives Timothy two vital resources to help him defend against any kind of attack. The first resource being Paul’s personal lifestyle example, and the second being the Word of God. Paul begins unpacking Timothy’s arsenal of resources by bringing into remembrance nine specific qualities that the young minister had observed in the life of the apostle, and that stand in contrast to the list in the preceding verses. Heading the list are teaching (doctrine) and conduct, both of which are at the root of the problems faced in Ephesus and as a result are “the most significant aspects of Paul’s ministry relative to Timothy’s historical situation.” It is also important to note that the remainder of the list: purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness, persecutions and suffering, are an outflowing of these two and make up a complete package of Paul’s character. It is not with pride, but excessive humility, that Paul offers his life as an example to Timothy and wishes him to emulate it. By pursuing a godly lifestyle, Timothy will be able to stand against any assault on his character. Paul follows this by noting locations where he had received harsh treatment for proclaiming the…
The New Testament begins with Paul’s three missionary journeys, in which his mission was to plant churches and teachings about the Lord. It is safe to say there were many other great church planters after the death of the apostle Paul, such as Peter and John. I plan to elaborate on the main issues facing each of the churches addressed by the General Epistles.…
Though the Book of Romans is not a systematic theology, when one reads through Paul’s letter to these believers there is no doubt that Paul has delivered his message of grace with direction. As Paul opens this letter in chapter one he clearly explains his call, his…
Jesus was Pauls Lord and saviour, the one he was proud to serve. Paul wrote many writings which we will never understand unless we fully appreciate that the heart of Paul’s mission to convert Jews to Christians was his sense of being close to Christ and being loved by him.…
Paul’s tone in his letters to the Corinthians is one of warmth, connection, and endearment as he refers to the congregation as “those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints” (NRSV, 1 Corinthians 1:2). Apocalyptic Christianity believes that one did not need to be circumcised in order to become a follower of Christ and receive salvation. Proof of this is found in Paul’s letter B when he states “…Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing … Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called” (NRSV, 1 Corinthians 7:18-20). They follow the example of Jesus who died for their sins, not Jesus the Jew, and therefore the only requirement to become a follower of Christ was “baptism and resurrection, dying to oneself and becoming alive in Christ … identifying oneself with Jesus and the resurrection” (Ford). Paul clearly speaks this message in his letter to the Romans, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? … we have been buried with him by…
In this paper Dulcincea Boesenberg, is explaining the letters that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, to explain what practices this church should and should not do. Especially when it comes to their dining and sexual habits.…
How do scholars proceed with reconstructing the conversational exchange between Paul and the churches in Corinth? What is the role of Chloe’s people? How do letters play a part? How do we know (what is the evidence for these letters and their…
Disputing such an entrenched way of life and structure, such as that of the Romans, with a young religion proved to be both difficult and frustrating for Paul. For Paul bringing the message of the messianic identity of Jesus to the people of Corinth was important, as well as how this message produced a societal shift in those who followed it. Paul emphasized the social consequences of believer’s actions and urged people to be wary of how their knowledge affects their brothers, “Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to sin.” (1 Corinthians, 8:13) Despite the neutral moral and social implications within the Roman world there is a disparity between the Christian view that eating meat that has passed through pagan ceremonies is harmful. Working with the basic understanding of shame and pride Paul touches upon issues such as sexual immorality, marriage and virginity, and the covering of women’s heads during prayer. While these issues are not directly affecting the Roman society as a whole they shape how early Christians fit into society while still working to abide by these new ideas. As the difference between the thoughts of the Romans and those of the Christians grew, so did the tensions between them. Eventually…
In Paul’s First letter to the Corinthians he discusses spiritual gifts, saying, “Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” The NIV text notes define a spiritual gift as “a manifestation of the Holy Spirit enabling one to minister to the needs of Christ’s body, the church.” According to the Evangelical dictionary of theology, Spiritual Gifts are “Gifts of God enabling the Christian to perform his or her service.” Spiritual gifts are given by God for the benefit of the church. They are distributed by the Holy Spirit for the service of the Body. There are many spiritual gifts that are used to benefit the body. “Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” John Walvoord said that spiritual gifts are “divinely given capacities to perform useful functions for God, especially in the area of spiritual service.” Every member of the body serves a purpose, and…
In Chapter 13 of Corinthians Paul talked about spiritual gifts. Then in Chapter 13, he continues to write and talk about love. After reading verses 4-7, my eyes were opened. I observed that Paul was saying, spiritual gifts, talents, and riches are all good. But, if it doesn’t show or have love it is considered worthless.…