New Testament Synopsis Essay

New Testament Synopsis Essay
The basic story of the New Testament is that Jesus Christ is God incarnate as our Savior. All the
Gospel authors, whether first–hand witnesses or faithful writers, described ways in which Jesus of
Nazareth fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah to come. The death and resurrection
of Jesus are pivotal to the story of the Old and New Testament, as the climax and fulfillment of the
salvation hopes expressed from the beginning of recorded history. The Gospels not only describe the
birth and death of Jesus of Nazareth, but detail his life and teaching including minutiae which
parallel portions of the Old Testament – and one would think this truth would have been recognized
by more of His contemporaries. The rejection that was ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The letters to the early churches were written to assist God's people in navigating life; providing
instruction so that we may live in a way that is pleasing to our Savior and Lord, while we are
actively awaiting His glorious return . While the Apostle Paul was in Corinth (ca. A.D. 57), he sent a
letter in which greets at least twenty–six people by name and describes his plans to visit then in
Rome, desiring their assistance with his upcoming mission trip to Spain. Romans was a letter to the
church in Rome, full of instruction and exhortation written by and setting forth that the apostle
Paul's understanding of church – Jew and Gentile together – form one people of God because God
bestowed His righteousness and His Spirit on all who believe. From Ephesus (ca. A.D. 53–54), Paul
replied to reports and a letter received, with this (1 Corinthians) letter of correction to the church in
Corinth. His goal in writing was to redirect the Gentile believers to make wise behavioral choices
rather than fighting their way up the Spiritual ladder that their pagan leaders were accustomed to
"preaching". They needed to conduct themselves in ways that were yielding to the leading of the
Holy Spirit and consistent with the gospel of the Messiah who demonstrated his own subjection to
God's wisdom and power, through his death on the cross, and who guarantees resurrection for the
dead in Him . 2 Corinthians,
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Date and Destination of Galations
Grace School of Theology NORTH OR SOUTH: Destination and Date of Galatians A Paper
Submitted to Gregory P. Sapaugh, Th.M. Ph.D In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of RS–
503: Research Methods, Writing, and Technology by William (Brant) Wallace Houston, Texas
February 25, 2015 Contents Introduction 1 General Debate 1 Geography of Galatia 2 Diversity
and Strategy 2 Advantage for Missional Activities 3 The North 3 Evidence for the Northern Theory
4 History 4 Biblical Reference 4 Character 5 The South 5 Evidence for the Southern Theory 6
Establishment of Churches 6 Inclusion of Galatian Churches 6 Judaizing Controversy 7 The ...
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Given its vast size and thenorthern territory, known as Galatia proper; and, (2) the southern cities of
Lycaonia, Pisidia, and Phrygia.10 Chapters 13 and 14 of the book of Acts indicate that Paul traveled
within the southern cities of Galatia on his first missionary journey.11 Although there is no explicit
mention of Paul visiting the northern territory, some believe that Acts 16:6 and 18:23 provide clear
indications that Paul was in the North not the South. 12 The North Many believe that the letter of
Galatians was written to those who lived in the northern territory of Galatia. Although this view was
once the predominant view, there are three problems with the northern theory: 1. Testament. 2. Very
little is known of recipients and churches in the North. 3. The conditions of North were more
dangerous and strenuous than that of the South. 10 F. F. Bruce, "Galatian Problems. 2. North or
South Galatians?" Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, no. 52 (Spring 1972): 243. 11 12 Ibid., 244.
William M. Ramsay, The Church in the Roman Empire Before A.D. 170, 3rd ed. (London: Hodder
& Stoughton, 1894), 78.  Despite these problems, there is evidence to support the northern
theory.13 Evidence for the Northern Theory Evidence for the northern theory fall into the categories
of history, biblical

Analysis of the Message of the New Testament
THE MESSAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
__________________
A Book Review
Presented to
Dr. Richard T. Vann, Jr.
Dallas Baptist University
__________________
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for MALA 5366
__________________
by
Travis G. Gothard
April 14, 2013
Bruce, F. F. The Message of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973. 120 pp. $10.71.
"What is the New Testament?" "Is there one New Testament Message?" F. F. Bruce addresses these
questions in his book, The Message of the New Testament. He answers the first question quickly in
the prologue stating, "To Christians, it is the second and shorter division of their sacred scriptures,
'God's Word written'" (11). Bruce dedicates this work to answering the ... Show more content on
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All of Paul's epistles speak to God's grace, but in these pastoral letters, Bruce views the main
contribution to be the church as a firm foundation on which God stands, a church not merely as "an

institution for the dispensing of the means of grace," (44) but a church as a community instructed,
practiced, organized and administered as it grows as a "community of ordinary men and women:
who have the saving grace of Christ in common and await Jesus' return. In chapter five of his book,
Bruce turns to Luke's writings in the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the apostles where Luke
declares Christianity as a faith for the whole world, not just the Jews who pressured the Roman
government to execute Jesus. The Gospel of Luke, itself is the gospel to the underprivileged. In
defending the faith and Jesus' place in it, Luke presents accounts of Stephen and Paul as a part of his
history with Stephen's account launching the Gentile mission (53) and Paul underscoring this
mission as the major theological theme of Luke when he voices near the end of his history in Acts
28:28 "Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will
listen." In fact, though some Romans found it difficult to accept the lordship of Jesus because he
was convicted and executed on a charge of sedition against Rome, Luke begins with an emphasis of
the Gentile mission by recounting Simeon of

Pneumatology: Spiritual Gifts
Sharon Holmes
Theo 201
Short Essay #4
Short Essay on Pneumatology: Spiritual Gifts
It's been quite a while, since we last spoken. I understand that you have some questions concerning
Spiritual Gifts, in particular speaking in tongues. Unfortunately this is a widely debated subject in
the body of Christ. This subject is so controversial it has split churches, and continues to separate
denominations. However the bible tells us in Proverbs "In all thy getting, get an understanding." The
Bible also tell us that "My people parish because of the lack of knowledge." So to answer your
questions, let's see what the word has to say concerning Spiritual Gifts, and speaking in tongues.
Before we can speak to a subject we must first ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The book of Acts is its foundation stone. If the book of Acts were excluded from the discussion
there would be no other source of information since the only other passage in the New Testament
that discusses tongues at any length is 1 Corinthians 12–14 which clearly teaches all do not speak in
tongues. Also, Paul examines tongues as one of many differing spiritual gifts that are given freely by
the Spirit after one has been baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). No "initial
evidence" is then present in the Epistles.
God place the gifts in the body for edification of the church, however there is no substitute for love
according to 1 Corinthians 13:8–10. Paul goes on to commend charity, and show how much it is
preferable to the gifts on which the Corinthians were so apt to pride themselves, to the utter neglect,
and almost extinction, of charity. Spiritual gifts such as prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will
cease at the end of this age. That time is described as "when that which is perfect is come" at the end
of history, when the believers knowledge and character become perfect in eternity after Christ's
second coming. Until then we need the Holy Spirit in our churches. There is no indication here or
elsewhere in scripture that the manifestation of the Spirit through His gifts would cease at the end of
the first century.
Word Count–908
Bibliography
R.S. Wallace and

The Genre Of Ephesians 2 : 1-10
The genre of Ephesians 2:1–10 is an Epistle. The Epistles were letters teaching specific churches or
groups of people; often inspired by God. They are split into two categories: Pauline Epistles, written
by Paul and traditionally Paul was the first word of the book in Greek, and General Epistles, often
referred to as the Catholic epistles and were written to the universal Church. The Pauline Epistles
consist of: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2
Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. The General Epistles consist of: Hebrews,
James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John, and Jude. The interpretive principles of this genre are that it is
meant to be read as a whole and in one sitting in order to get the main idea of the passage, one must
view the paragraphs as the main unit of thought in the passage, one must know the structure to
understand the letter, and one must do background reading to fully comprehend the main concept
and the history and culture of the setting. Author & Purpose The author of this passage is Paul. Paul
was one of the Apostles who spent most of his ministry in prison where most of his letters were
written. He was specifically residing in Roman prison while writing Ephesians (61 A.D). Paul was
often persecuted during this time period even before he himself believed. In Acts, Paul travels from
Jerusalem to Damascus on a mission where Jesus appears to him. This inspires him to preach about
Jesus being

The Wisest Things
One of the wisest things we can do for ourselves as people is walk in integrity. Walking in integrity
means that we are constantly walking in truth and doing things according to God's plan, rather than
following the mischievous plan of the enemy. To walk in integrity also means to do what is
righteous in the eyes of God, even behind closed doors. We have to be mindful that as believers in
Christ, we are "living epistles" (2 Corinthians 3:2); we are the story of who Christ is to many,
therefore we have to do our best to exemplify Christ through our lifestyle and make sure He is being
glorified. When we share Christ with others, we should be able to use our lifestyle to back up what
we are saying.
When we look at the word of God, we learn that from John 10:10 that the enemy comes to "steal,
kill, and destroy". If he can come up against our character and demolish it, he has gotten one step
closer to building up His kingdom by causing us to lose our witness and potential to win souls for
the Kingdom of God.
True enough, there will be people who may lie and diminish your character through their lies, but
the word tells us what Jesus is the truth, and us being Kingdom believers in Christ, the truth will
eventually be illuminated. When we walk in integrity, who we are will always overshadow who
people say we are.
When we look in the book of Acts, one of the qualifications of the men chosen to help with
Kingdom work was that they had to have a good repor (Acts 6:3). As people of

The Resurrection Is The Redemption From Sin Through Christ...
According to theologian Maja Weyermann, "the resurrection is the redemption from sin through
Christ and therefore the nullification of death." In his biblical epistles to the Corinthians and the
Romans, the apostle Paul considers how the acts of Jesus Christ purge humanity of the previous
exploits of Adam, bringing salvation and life to all where there was previously sin and death. The
initial parallels that Paul draws between Adam and Jesus Christ became the building blocks by
which church fathers developed their own soteriology and theories of recapitulation. The most
famous of which is St. Irenaeus of Lyons, whose writings developed an early understanding of
Christian theology in the late second century. Drawing on Paul's biblical writings, Irenaeus further
developed his theory of atonement, or recapitulation, that focuses on the idea of a "do–over" that
undoes previously committed sin. Based on the theological assertions made by Paul and Irenaeus,
recapitulation in the greater doctrine of salvation is achieved through Christ as the second Adam, the
Virgin Mary as the second Eve, and the Church as the second Eden.
The central claims concerning recapitulation are found in the Pauline epistles of First Corinthians
and Romans in the New Testament. The first biblical discussion of Paul's doctrine of salvation is
found in 1 Corinthians 15. Paul claims, "For since death came through a human being, the
resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. For just as in

Undisputed Letters Dbq
As stated there are many letters said to be written (ascribed) Paul, but were not. There are two major
categories: the undisputed letters of Paul and the disputed pseudonymous letters. Scholars look at
the style of the letter to determine if Paul wrote it. In order to decide whether the letter was written
by Paul or not you must look at history during the time of Paul's letters and compare letters ascribed
to Paul with letters written by others of the same time. According to our class lecture, The Jewish
War happened just as the letters of Paul were beginning to circulate and the gospels were being
written down. Therefore, an understanding of the Jewish war is essential to understanding the New
Testament. Scholars as well as Iliff students ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The author of Colossians has experienced the resurrection of Christ. How can this be since the
undisputed letters indicate believers have not experienced the resurrection of Christ. Colossians was
written after the resurrection of Christ, therefore Paul did not write it (Ehrman, 444). According to
Ehrman, even more scholars are convinced that Ephesians was not written by Paul just as Second
Thessalonians and Colossians were not written by Paul. The primary issue with Ephesians is the
letter is written to the "Saints in Ephesus" (Eph1:1). When reviewing the best Greek manuscripts of
the letter it appears that scribes added this later. The original was to the saints who are faithful. The
change was so that those in Ephesus would think the letter was written directly to them (Ehrman,
445). Undisputed –– One key characteristic of Paul's letters was they were written to deal with
different situations. On example is the disputes at Corinth. If you look at the undisputed epistles,
Paul is addressing issues in those churches. Those issues are wide ranging. Some of the issues are
theological issues and others of practical problems encountered during that day and time in the
church. Paul appears to write with an urgent need to address each one of

Ephesus : Acts 18 : 23-Mount Of Jesus
THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY
(Acts 18:23–Acts 20:38)
Paul remained in Antioch of Syria for only a short time before he set out on his third missionary trip.
It followed the same path as the previous journey until he reached Antioch in Pisidia. He visited
churches in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. From Antioch, he traveled through Laodicea on his
way to Ephesus,
EPHESUS
Ephesus was founded in 1044 B.C. by Greeks. In 53 A.D. the city's population was about 500,000
and their amphitheater could seat 25,000 people. The impressive Temple of Artemis [Diana], one of
the seven wonders of the ancient world, stood just outside the city. Nonetheless, even in all of her
glory, the Lord's message to Ephesus was, "...you have left your first love. Remember therefore from
where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove
your lampstand from its place–––unless you repent." (Rev. 2:4–5) The lampstand was removed;
Ephesus and the Temple were laid waste.
When Paul arrived in Ephesus, he encountered believers who had been baptized according to the
teaching of John the Baptist, but they had not been baptized for the remission of sins, so Paul taught
them the baptism of the Great Commission and baptized them. The second baptism was necessary
because they had been baptized with John's baptism after the baptism of the Great Commission had
been ushered in and John's baptism was no longer valid. (Acts 19:1–6)
Paul preached in the synagogue for about three months, "But when some were hardened and
disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated
the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus." Paul preached there for two years and
during that time many churches were established in western Asia Minor. (Acts 19:9 & 20))
In all, Paul preached in Ephesus three years (Acts 20:31) while living with Aquila and Priscilla. His
stay in Ephesus was the longest continuous period of time that Paul preached in the same location,
and it may very well have been his most successful work.
The people of the city of Ephesus were very proud to be the temple guardian of the great goddess
Diana. Many of them worshipped there regularly.

Luke's Essay: The Conversion Of Jesus
In Acts 9, Luke describes the conversion of Saul. Before this experience, Saul heavily persecuted the
Church and those that followed it. He was on his way to Damascus to find people that he could
arrest for their faith. Suddenly he was struck down by a bright light and heard a voice that identified
itself as the risen Jesus. Saul was then called to obey Jesus and was blinded for three days and
couldn't eat or drink. Ananias, a man Jesus appeared to in a vision, was later called to lay his hands
on Saul in order to restore his sight. Although hesitant at first, Ananias obeyed and Saul could see
again and was baptized. This began Paul's mission, just as Jesus' baptism began his.Although
credited with all thirteen epistles, or letters, Paul is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Paul would write an introduction, have a body, and then wrap up his letter in a conclusion. In his
introduction he would identify himself as well as a companion and address the community by the
phrase "to the church in ___". He would then go on to greet the people by saying "Grace to you and
peace" and would later offer thankfulness. His body included the issues he wanted to address and
ways to solve them. Finally, in his conclusion, he would often mention where he was traveling to
and then end with a prayer.Around the time Paul's letter to the Romans was written, many were
being persecuted. Rome had a long history of persecuting not only Gentile Christians but Jews as
well. For example, Emperor Claudius expelled Jews that associated themselves with "Chrestus" or
Christ in A.D. 49. This was just one of the conflicts of beliefs that Saint Paul sought to resolve. In
his writings, he expresses how the Romans needed to remain firm in their faith during that time and
how God would save those who were being persecuted. Another reason for the writing of this letter
was for Paul to gain the support of this audience so they could help him possibly spread his mission
to Spain and the West.Saint Paul was once again responding to reports he had heard regarding the
people and the church in

Taking a Look at the Pauline Epistles
The Pauline epistles are very crucial to the understanding of how a church and a Christian should
act. Throughout all the letters, different subjects have been touched creating almost a guide of "how
to's". The farewell is especially important as noted in Second Corinthians 13 explains the depth of
God's love to the people and the wrath of doubtfulness. "since you are demanding proof that Christ
is speaking though me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you" (13:3). With
corrections in the beginning of the letter, or a defense towards Paul's teachings, shows the
continuation of the struggle of Corinth, yet they were doing better as spoken by Titus. Paul's final
request towards the people of Corinth is found in his second letter (2 Corinthians). The last chapter
however is similarly a conclusion, or overview of the letter. Although there are some differences
throughout the translations, Paul's final message/warning is evident and clear. The passage is split up
into two or three sections, depending on the translation used. Within the New King James Version
(NKJ), the breakdown is evident by how the paragraphs are structured to set apart main ideas.
Verses 1–4 are thought of as the reminder of what's Paul's message entailed. No matter the
translation Paul quotes Deuteronomy 19:15, "One witness shall not rise against a man concerning
any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be
established" (NKJ; 2

Paul's Missionary Journeys and Epistle Correlates
Paul's Missionary Journeys and Epistle Correlates The missionary journeys of Paul cover a major
portion of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles (commonly shortened to Acts). Acts demonstrates, at
least in part, how the journeys relate to the writing of the Epistles or letters to various congregations
that needed encouragement or some other word from Paul, and when they were written. The three
journeys happened in close relation to one another and were meant to spread the Gospel message to
the unsaved and encourage those who had come to believe on the Son of Man. The letters were
written as an inspiration from the Father to further the understanding of believers regarding the
perfect life of a Christian. This papers describes in short form the three missionary journeys of Paul
and how they relate, chronologically, to Paul's writing of the epistles. Missionary Journeys The first
element of the journeys was who traveled with Paul. He went on the first with Barnabas and Mark.
Barnabas was regarded as a coworker and Mark as an apprentice or helper according to Niswonger
(1992, 209). The second journey was much longer, as concerns distance, but did not take as much
time and was accomplished with Silas. The third journey is a solo one apparently (McGee, 1998).
The approximate dates of the three journeys are First from 45 AD to 47 AD, Second from 51 AD to
53 AD and Third from 54 AD to 58 AD (McGee, 1998). Of course all of these dates are somewhat
speculative, but they are

A Study On Sexuality And Brotherly Love
More specifically, this passage followed First Thessalonians 4:1–12. This was the clear turning point
in the letter where Paul went from being happy about the Thessalonians faith to instructing them on
how to do better. In verse one, Paul wrote, "Finally," which marked the transition, and went on to
write, "we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk
and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more." Paul then went on to
clarify some teachings about sexuality and brotherly love (1 Thessalonians 4:2–12). Presumably,
Paul instructed on these topics specifically because some of the Thessalonians had been struggling
in these areas. This section immediately followed First Thessalonians 3:6–13 which detailed
Timothy's report to Paul on his visit to Thessalonica. Since Timothy would have told Paul the
problems the Thessalonians had been dealing with, it would make sense that Paul would have
addressed them after discussing Timothy's report. Since First Thessalonians 4:13–18 followed this
section of the letter, Paul would have continued to discuss problems the Thessalonians were facing
at the time. First Thessalonians 4:13 would confirm this thought because Paul stated in it, "we do
not want you to be uninformed." Clearly, this section was about correcting misinformation that was
a problem in the Thessalonian church at the time. Immediately following this passage was First
Thessalonians 5:1–11. First Thessalonians

The As A Practical Handbook For Christians
INTRODUCTION
Relational associations are typically pointed out between Jesus and God the Father, but often
overlooked is the fact that Jesus had brothers. The brothers of Christ, or half–brothers, were used
greatly by God and went on to do many great things in His name. One such brother of Jesus was
named James, and he became a great leader in the name of Christ.
He was not always a Christ–follower and his relationship with Jesus began in a strained state. He did
not accept Christ until after the resurrection of Jesus. Through an encounter with the Holy Spirit,
and his newfound belief in Christ, James became the leader of the Christian church. He advised
many characteristics regarding the church and imparted insight to the description of the bride of
Christ in Acts as well. James even authored an Epistle is recognized as a practical handbook for
Christians.
The book of James describes practical truths concerning wisdom and working faith. Shortly after
completing this book, the active and public role that James took in Jerusalem's church eventually led
to his martyrdom. According to the writings of Josephus, he was accused by the High Priest and
given the opportunity to renounce his faith.
James the Just serves as a great example to all Christians, for when he was sentenced and given the
opportunity to recant his faith, he refused and consequently was stoned. This outcome and heroic
stand made for Christ, seems unlikely when examining the life of James before the

A Survey Of The New Testament
A Survey of the New Testament The New Testament is defined as "part of the Bible concerned with
the life and teachings of Christ and his earliest followers" (American Century Dictionary 387). The
Son of God comes to Earth to save us from our sins and to teach us a new way of serving the Lord.
Animal sacrifice is done away with because Jesus died for our sins as a perfect sacrifice and his
sacrifice is everlasting. Jesus explained, "for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3.17). This collection consists of
twenty–seven books, in which I will break down into five sections. First are the Gospels of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the book of Acts, which is commonly classified as a book of
history. Next are the epistles of Paul which are the book of Romans through Philemon, the general
epistles of Hebrews through Jude, and the prophecy book of Revelation. 1. The Gospels The book of
Matthew provides a detailed account of the life of Jesus and establishes that Jesus Christ is "the
Messiah who fulfills the Old Testament prophesies" (Wiersbe 627). The author Matthew is primarily
aiming his writings at the Jews to let them know that he is the savior who is referred to several times
in the Old Testament (Isiah 7:14, 53:5, 53:12). This book is also the longest of the four gospels
having twenty–eight chapters. Mark is the shortest of the four gospels having 16 chapters, but is
equally important as the

Analysis Of Paul Pleas With The Corinthians
Putting pen to paper, Paul pleas with the Corinthians to better themselves through Christ Jesus.
While in discourse with the Corinthians, the polemic language of Paul becomes, at times, difficult to
digest. While pursuing a better relationship with the believers in Corinth, the apostle often used
terms such as 'we,' 'our,' and 'us.' These pronouns can be understood in multiple ways; however, the
manner in which they are comprehended sheds light on Paul's agenda. In the analysis of 2
Corinthians 4: 8–18, the pronouns are best understood as being inclusive in terms of Paul, his
followers, and the believers in Corinth.
According to a study by Brown, the apostle Paul was likely born in approximately 5 to 10 AD which
was during the reign of the emperor Augustus . Paul was a melting pot of several different cultures.
At the time, the Hellenistic movement was sweeping the Roman empire; thus the Greek and Roman
cultures both had their influences on citizens. So, too, Paul's parents were of Jewish descent; while
he was young, they sent him to Jerusalem to study under a Pharisaic instructor . The intermingling
of a multiplicity of cultures renders Paul a very diverse teacher.
With the ability to assimilate to various aspects of the universal Roman society, the apostle is able to
relate to and address many different types of people. This aspect of his life makes Paul able to apply
the collective 'we' when instructing believers of opposing backgrounds. Likewise, after his
conversion

Similarities Between The Book Of Acts And 2 Corinthians
Though there are not too many books in the bible which speaks on prison overcrowding however
two biblical texts that would be relevant to our topic of prison overcrowding or prisoners experience
are the books of Acts and 2 Corinthians. During the period of which 2 Corinthians was written in the
year 52 AD the apostle Paul was reaching the end of his second missionary journey, and he had just
spent about a year and a half in Corinth where he made many disciples (Acts 18:10, 11). Later on his
third missionary journey he spent about three years in Ephesus, from about 54 to 57 AD. During this
time Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians from the city of Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:8). It was
around this time that Paul almost lost his life during ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
But probably the most renowned (and recidivist) prisoner of them all was the apostle Paul, who had
a veritable career in the penal system, Prior to his conversion; Paul was someone who imprisoned
other people. He locked up countless Christian believers, both male and female, and on occasions
cast his judicial vote for their execution. After his conversion however, the imprisoner became the
imprisoned, an experience which so stamped Paul's identity that he could refer to himself as a
"prisoner of Jesus Christ". In 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks of enduring numerous "afflictions,
hardships, calamities beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger". The book of
Acts records Paul being locked up on three occasions – at Philippi, Caesarea, and Rome. Later
Christian tradition speaks of him being imprisoned on at least seven occasions. Paul was not alone
in this experience. Peter and John were also repeatedly thrown in jail, and, like Paul, they too were
sometimes busted out of jail by divine intervention. The early church was actually led by a bunch of
jail birds, and God was primary accomplice in their escape! Now in examining this biblical material
for guidance on a Christian perspective on prisons, we

'How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth'
Reading and understanding the Bible can be a difficult task. However gaining a better understanding
as to how to interpret and read the scriptures can make the Bible more impactful in our lives.
Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of the Fee and Stuart text, "How to Read the Bible for all its worth"
discusses the use of exegesis and hermeneutic to develop our understanding of the context of the
Epistles and how the words of the Epistles can be applied to our lives today (Fee, Stuart, 2003).
We learn that the nature of the Epistles are scriptures not written in documentary or novel form.
They are letters meant to be read as a whole letter to help understand their context. Fully
understanding their content is made more difficult by not having the correspondences ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Without this specific information we cannot come to a certain conclusion as to what the passage was
specifically about. In these cases we may want to consult other sources to gain a greater
understanding as to what others best scholarly guesses could be regarding the biblical text (Fee,
Stuart, 2003).
Chapter 4 of the Fee and Stuart text is written for us to gain a better understanding of how biblical
text can be applicable to our lives. Hermeneutics is our interpretation of texts, specifically biblical
text. We use common sense hermeneutics frequently through life to determine our interpretation of
text and events (Fee, Stuart, 2003). However, when we use common sense hermeneutics we are
swayed by our own experiences and impacts made by our own cultural, societal and faith

I Corinthians 14: 33-36
Silence of the Women. Part 1
To prophesy or not to prophesy, that is the question in considering the climate and understanding of
the reviewed text for this paper. The chosen pericope for this topical paper will review I Corinthians
14:24–34 [NRSV]. Oftentimes, I Corinthians 14 verses 33–36 are under strict review because of its
negative connation towards women and their plausible activities within church. The attack on
Apostle Paul is increasing in much of his writings in the Epistles as an effort to discredit his writings
and to state that he degrades the functionality of women in the church. Some traditions and
interpretations use this as an attempt to cast doubt upon women who are in traditions, faiths and
beliefs that do not view the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In other words, this was a time in which the Jews and Gentiles were coming together in common
spaces of worship. She further posits that the request for the women to be silent could be a mere
request for the silence because the "noise and confusion occasioned by the commingling of so many
different gifts" made the gathering less "profitable to the church". Theologian Wayne Grudem
suggests that Paul is saying women could not give spoken criticisms of the prophecies. It was
suggested that this action would cause a disruption in the church and confuse unbelievers.
Theologian Ben Witherington suggests that Paul argues that Christian prophecy differs from oracle
of fortune–tellers in with Corinth church was accustomed to. He further suggests that Paul
reverences prophets and prophetesses speak in response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, without
any human instruction. John Mark Hicks shares that Paul not only approved of praying and
prophesying by women in the assembly, but he encouraged it according to I Corinthians 11 with a
literal, active voice instead of the presumed, passive voice seen in I Corinthians

The Cultural Context Of The Epistle Of James
Introduction The epistle of James considered the greatest practical Christian living in the New
Testament comparable to Proverbs in the Old Testament. Throughout the epistle, there are over
twenty references to the Sermon on the Mount, making the epistle a small commentary on the
sermon given by Jesus.
The Author One of the most discussed subjects about the epistle of James is who wrote it. The
author identifies himself James as a servant of God, without giving any other clues to who he is.
Three possible people could be the author of this epistle: the first and least likely is James the son of
Alphaeus, the second is James the son of Zebedee and brother of John, and the last is James the
brother of Jesus. No evidence in history to suggest ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, just what does this mean, James explained in verse 18 that they are new creatures or the
firstfruits of his creatures through the word. Firstfruits, being the best of a crop that the master
would get for himself before giving away or selling any. These would have been the best, most
perfect of the crops. This is also something the Jewish people would understand being mostly
farmers. Now that we know that they are to understand the word so we can be those firstfruits, what
do they need to do to understand? James instructed "be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger"
It is interesting that James placed, quick to listen first, why did he do this, to ensure the reader
understands the importance of listening to the whole word not just hearing what they wanted to hear.
James is encouraging the reader to listen to scripture whenever they get the chance for it is a sign of
being a true Christian. Slow to speak, first, they needed to listen, but they could not listen if they
were speaking. The need to hold their tongue until the end was essential to prevent them from
looking like a fool (Proverbs 17:28). Slow to anger, why is this last on the list?

Paul Of Tarsus: The Humanity And Resurrection Of Jesus
Paul of Tarsus had a tremendous impact upon Christian beliefs composing of The Humanity and
Divinity of Jesus, Nature of God and the Trinity, Death and resurrection, Revelation and Salvation.
Through his teachings, he spread his knowledge about Christ.
Paul had mainly elucidated the theology of Christ and the church through his epistles, which consist
of the Divinity and Humanity of Jesus, Nature of God and the Trinity and Revelation. He established
the notion of Jesus as the Son of God after he had converted, joining the disciples. The Epistle to the
Galatians describes his conversion as a divine revelation, with Jesus appearing to Paul. It was at
Damascus where he had a personal encounter with Christ where he received the supernatural truth
of the gospel through divine revelation. His theology comprises of Jesus being the Son of God, the
concept of Atonement and reunification of the Law of the Torah. Paul conserved the Jewish legacy
by sustaining Gods call to Jewish adherents, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
As seen in his letter to Thessalonians (1:9–10), the resurrection of Jesus was of primary importance.
Resurrection brought the promise of Salvation to believers. Paul taught that those who had died in
the belief in Christ as the Savior will be "caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the
Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:7). In many of his writings, he taught about the nature of Jesus as
human and divine. In the Epistles to the Hebrews, 2:10–15, Paul states that since humans are
comprised of flesh and blood, so is the Son and Word of God. He says that Christ died by a man of
flesh and blood. Paul's conversion is significant due to his encounter with the risen Christ, which
formed the basis of his preaching. Corinthians 15:3–5 accentuates Paul's apprehension of the
importance of the death and resurrection of Christ being supreme for affiliation in the emerging

Paul's Letter To The Corinthians
throughout his letter Paul did not fall offended, instead he focused on the comfort received from
God and that of the Corinthians as well. Personally, I assume this must have taken a toll on Paul.
Again, he fell afflicted with sickness. Paul was disgust with anxiety about the church of
Thessalonica which he was forced to abandon due to threats of looming persecution, and attacks
fluctuating from previous illnesses. Now approximately 56 A.D. Paul begins to write another
(Epistle) letter to the Gentiles at Corinth, Galatia, Rome and Thessalonica and a few others . He also
was writing to Philemon, Timothy, Titus, and the Saints at Rome. His utterly and unbearable illness
reappeared, at Paul's, Third Missionary Journey 53– 57 A.D. Paul felt he had received the sentence
of death. Being arrested, imprisoned– accused of violating the sanctity of the temple by bringing in
Gentiles was only a few ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
But consciously and unconsciously under the direction of God who constantly directed his steps.
Paul provides to the church reassurance in God's word that He prepares the way by promise,
discipline and wrath– suffering. As Christ remains the center of his faith. Paul thoughts of his
experiences were more theological meaning it began with and ends with God. Paul take a form of
deliverance form suffering, he pronounce his gift of divine power that enables one to endure by
abiding circumstances. Paul wanted to give the people, the church new and important information.
He opens the second Epistle with his usual greeting and thanksgiving. He tells of personal
experiences in a way that gains the attention of readers, of his troubles through which he had been
passing. Through all of his trails he had learned to lean of God more. He stressed that God becomes
real to us in our times of sorrow. We find that God never fails. Paul exemplifies God source of
comfort to us, God says

The Nations Case Study
The Nations.
There is no greater school in life, then to go out into the nations & get to know one self.
If I think back on 2014 – the year I did Global Challenge – and people would ask me if it was a
good– or bad year, I would reply. It was not one of the two. It was a year that I have learned so much
– about myself, about people, about life and above all else, about Father's heart for the nations.
You see we as humans love our comfort zones, and comfort zones is equal to "building a wall" for
yourself. And it is so much harder for us to do something on the other side of the "wall", then when
we are at home in our own countries, as when we are in some foreign country abroad.
Why? Why, is that so?
One other thing that made me think ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Now I would say, to be comfortable out of your comfort zone, does not happen in one days
outreach, but in more then 40 days of serving, and traveling with a bunch of people that you have
never met, all with their different ways, and some of there ways will irritate you until the end of
days, but I guess that will be for the better.
I really think the Apostle Paul, was quite right when he said, in his book the Epistle to the Romans,
in the 12th chapter, that it all starts to and I quote, "be transformed by the renewing of your mind".
How do we renew our minds? By living out love? In the 13th chapter of the First Epistle to the
Corinthians, also written by Paul the Apostle, is written a great summary of how love looks like.
1 Corinthians 13 (ESV)
The Way of Love
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging
cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all
faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on
its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the
truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all

A Very Brief Look at the New Testament
The New Testament is an anthology of twenty–seven ancient writings that describe the life of Jesus
Christ and the beginning of the Christian Church. This anthology was not written by just one person,
but rather, has several authors, most of whom are known and some of whom are not distinctly
known. All of these writings are believed to have been written in the first and second centuries AD
from roughly 50AD to 125AD(class notes). The New Testament was mainly written in Greek with
some small bits of Aramaic (class notes), but has since been translated into various other languages.
This group of writings has been used as both a theological and historical document, while there are
no clear lines distinguishing the two. It becomes apparent in studying the New Testament that it is a
group of texts discussing Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the origin and spread of Christianity
while including a heavy influence of the societies of the authors.
The New Testament comes from at least eight different authors who lived during and after the life of
Jesus. Each of the writings, while dealing with Jesus, his teachings or the spread of Christianity, has
a historical undertone. There are clear bits of historical context throughout the anthology that allow
the books to be dated and provide insight to the world of the authors. When the prophetic
destruction of the temple in Jerusalem is being discussed in the gospels, it is clear that the authors
are discussing the threat of the

The Paul Of The Apostle Paul
The apostle Paul was known to many as Saul of Tarsus. There is no doubt he was born to Jewish
parents whose residence was in the city of Tarsus of Cilicia. In the Book of Acts 23:6, his own
admission relates that he was a Hebrew of Hebrews, but he was also a son of a Pharisee. In Phil.
3:4–5, Paul states that he was from the tribe of Benjamin. At an early age, Paul was taught in tent–
making according to Acts 18:3. At an early age, he was sent to Jerusalem to study under a well–
known teacher by the name of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Paul was an expert in the Jewish religion,
which he followed through his family (Gal. 1:14). Once Paul graduated, he became a very zealous
religious Jew. The aim of Paul's trade was to see the church persecuted. In Acts 7:58–83, readers are
reminded that Paul was present when Stephen was stoned and killed. Saul carried a warrant from the
High Priest so he could go against the people of the early Christian church (Acts 26:10–11). Paul
might have been a Roman citizen, but he was cultured in the Greek way of doing things. This can be
found in Acts 17:28. Paul knew the mindset of many Greek thoughts and sayings in his time. The
conversion of Saul to Paul was a dramatic one. In one of his missions on the road to Damascus, Paul
encounters the risen Jesus Christ, which changed his entire life from then on. He was never the same
person that people had known before. Jesus enters into Paul's life and he decides to dedicate the rest
of his life for the service

Christianity : The Early Church And The Dawn Of The...
Since its inception, various leaders have contributed to the overall development of the Christian
Church, thereby effecting change and defining the trajectory of the Church as it stands today. In The
Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, Justo González points to
two apostles–Peter and Paul, or Saul–as exemplars of such leadership, and the evidence suggests
that both of these men had a considerable influence on the evolution of the Church. Concerning
credentials, both apostles were more than qualified to drive the advancement of the Church. Paul,
for instance, writes in Galatians 2:9 that Peter–whom the Roman Catholic Church considers the first
pope–was an "acknowledged pillar" in the early Church (González, 28). Likewise, Christian
scripture demonstrates the importance of Paul, mainly evidenced by the Epistles that he wrote such
as First Thessalonians, Philippians, Philemon, First Corinthians, Galatians, Second Corinthians, and
Romans. González, therefore, argues that the Pauline epistles merit the Apostle's "greatest and most
unique contribution to the shaping of early Christianity," even contending that these letters "have
had a decisive and continuing impact on the life and thought of the Christian church" (33). While
one could clearly assert that either apostle has had a great impact on the development of the Church,
Paul has played an extensive role concerning the beginning of Christian philosophy and the study
and practice thereof,

Apostle's Closing Admonitions
The Apostle's Closing Admonitions and Benediction (16:10–24)
E. Harrison (p. 275) summarizes the message of the Epistle in these words: The greatest single
overall emphasis seems to be on the unity of the local church as the body of Christ, which is brought
out not only in connection with the discussion of the groups (i.e.; the factions within the church), but
also in relation to the Lord's Supper and spiritual gifts. A corollary is the sanctity of the church as
members of Christ, both corporately and individually, (note, especially, such passages as 1 Cor.
3:16–17 and 6:15–20.) We may add, it is in this Epistle that the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul
most eloquently sets forth the supremacy of love as "the most excellent way," which the Christian is
called to follow (1 Cor. 12:31b–13:13
The Mystery Surrounding the Missing Letters
The References to Two Other Letters
Sometime after his initial visit to Corinth, probably while he was ministering in Ephesus, Paul wrote
a letter to the church, a letter to which he alludes in 1 Cor. 5:9, "I wrote to you in my epistle not to
have any company with fornicators." As D. Guthrie points out (p. 426), the gist of the contents of
that previous letter may be inferred from 1 Cor. 5:9–13.
The apostle had evidently issued a warning to the Corinthians to maintain a clear separation from
those persons who continued to exhibit the pagan lifestyle that was characteristic of Corinth. (As we
have seen, the city was renowned for its

St Paul: A Hellenistic Jew
A Hellenistic Jew, St Paul is known worldwide as one of the earliest Christian missionaries, along
with Saint Peter and James the Just. He was also known as Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul and
the Paul of Tarsus. However, he preferred to call himself 'Apostle to the Gentiles'. Paul had a broad
outlook and was perhaps endowed as the most brilliant person to carry Christianity to varied lands,
such as Cyprus, Asia Minor (modern Turkey), mainland Greece, Crete and Rome. St Paul's efforts to
accept gentile converts and make Torah unnecessary for salvation was a successful task.
Childhood
Paul was born in Tarsus, in 10 AD, and was originally named Saul. Raised as a pharisaical Jew, he,
in his initial years, even persecuted Christians, taking part in the stoning of St. Stephen, the first
Christian martyr. Being ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Thereafter, he headed towards Ephesus, an important center for early Christianity since the 50s
(AD). The next 2 years of Paul's life were spent in Ephesus, working with the congregation and
organizing missionary activity into hinterlands. However, he was forced to leave on account of
several disturbances and imprisonment. Paul's next destination was Macedonia, where he went
before going to Corinth. After residing in Corinth for three months, he made a final visit to
Jerusalem. Arrest & Death
In 57 AD, Paul arrived in Jerusalem with money for the congregation. Though reports state that the
church welcomed Paul gladly, James had given a proposal that led to his arrest. Retained as a
prisoner for two years, Paul had his case reopened when a new governor came into power. Since he
appealed as a Roman citizen, Paul was sent to Rome for trial, by the Caesar. However, on the way,
he was shipwrecked. It was during this time that he met St. Publius and the islanders, who showered
kindness on him. When Paul reached Rome, in AD 60, he spent two years under house arrest, after
which he died.

peter and paul
Nickesha Larmond
Paul and Peter
Background information about Paul Paul whose name was Saul was an early Christian missionary
and theologian, known as the Apostle to the Gentiles was born a Jew in Tarsus, Rome. As a minor,
he was trained as a rabbi but earned his living as a tentmaker. A zealous Pharisee, he persecuted the
first Christians until a vision of Jesus, experienced while on the road to Damascus, converted him to
Christianity. Three years later he met St. Peter and Jesus ' brother James and was henceforth
recognized as the 13th Apostle. From his base in Antioch, he traveled widely, preaching to the
Gentiles. By asserting that non–Jewish disciples of Christ did not have to observe Jewish law, he
helped to establish ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Background information about Peter Saint Peter the Apostle, original name Simeon, or Simon (died
AD 64, Rome), disciple of Jesus Christ, recognized in the early church as the leader of the disciples
and the Roman Catholic Church as the first of its unbroken succession of popes. Peter a fisherman,
was called to be a disciple of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. He received from Jesus an
Aramaic appellation Cephas which means "Rock." This was translated into Greek as Petros (from
the Greek Petra, "rock") and became a Latin Petrus and the English Peter. Jesus told Peter he was
the Rock upon whom the Christian Church would be built. Throughout the public life of Jesus, Peter
is represented in the Gospel as the Spokesman and principal member of Jesus' followers. He is the
first named in the entire list given of these followers and was present with a privilege at few special
occasions, example, the daughter of Jairus brought back to life by Jesus. He was also the first to see
Jesus after his resurrection from the dead. Peter baptized the Roman pagan Cornelius and at the
council of Jerusalem he gave his support to preaching to gentiles. He was imprisoned by King
Herod Agrippa and escaped with the help of an angel. Peter died in Rome during the reign of
Emperor Nero. It is said that Peter was crucified on the Vatican Hill upside down because her
declared himself

First And Second Corinthians Summary
Commentaries on First and Second Corinthians, Bill Jackson, Abilene, TX, Quality Publications,
281pp. Commentaries on First and Second Corinthians by Bill Jackson is written to give the reader a
better understanding of the books First and Second Corinthians. The introduction gives a
background of each book; it describes the time and place in which the letters were written and the
location. It also tells about the governing body and ruler of the time. Both books were written a year
apart between 54 – 56 A.D., by the inspired apostle Paul. First Corinthians was written while Paul
was in Ephesus and Second Corinthians was written while Paul was in Macedonia. They were
written to the church in Corinth during very difficult times. "Corinth became a synonyn of
debauchery. It followed the course it did in these steps: (1) Commerce, (2) Wealth, (3) Luxury, and
(4) Immorality. To follow an immoral course then became, in the language of the time, 'to
Corinthianize' " (First Corinthians p III). I enjoyed the way Brother Jackson sectioned off the
introductions. Both books have six parts: I. The City of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He broke down each chapter by section of verses. The section of verses are then broken down verse
by verse and discussed for easier understanding of the each verse. Each scripture was broken down
in a way for us to better understand Paul's thought pattern while he wrote to the church in Corinth.
Brother Jackson also explained words that the reader may have a problem understanding. I wish the
outline was repeated before each the chapter. Unfortunately, I had to keep flipping back and forth
from the outline to my spot in the chapter. I found it was annoying and an outline repeated would
have been very useful. At the end of each chapter is the "In Sum". It is a review of what you just
studied. I liked it as a reminder if what I read and it reinforces the

What Is True Love?
What is true love? Is love defined by the college athlete towards his or her sport, or the teenagers to
video games, or the love of a mother towards their child? According to Krishna Sechadri, "Love
could be considered as a collection of activities associated with the acquisition and retention of
emotions needed to survive and reproduce." For this reason, humans need love in order to survive.
Moreover, love is a feeling reproduced by the neurotransmitters in our brain; thus, this means that
human nature craves to give and receive affection. However, this also means that our emotions
constantly guide our behavior. Because of this, in our conscious it relates to our lust, attractions, and
attachments. So what is true love?
Human nature tends to be selfish, judgmental, greedy, and resentful. This can be seen throughout
history: generation after generation, decade after decade. In our everyday life we can see people's
actions representing how we can sometimes be all of these bad characteristics, but sometimes we
can do it because we are unaware or unconscious of our actions. Yet, not everyone is as bad as
others, but no one is perfect as they say they are. We also tend to divide ourselves. We divide
ourselves because of gender, ethnicity, age, or even political view. The list can go on and on, like we
divide ourselves by economic class, ethical differences, and religion. The divisions of today are the
same as in A.D. 55 in Corinth. Paul wrote letters to a church in Corinth

The New Testament : Paul 's Life
Throughout the New Testament we get stories about Paul but not every story that we read in these
verses are particularly good. Paul being one of the most influential figures in the beginning of
Christianity the only other to beat him in influence was Jesus himself . Of the 27 books of the New
Testament, 13 are attributed to Paul. These are the main sources that are at our disposal to really
reconstruct Paul's life. One of the biggest stories of Paul's early life start as Paul was a young man
drafted by his fellow Pharisees to actively investigate and prosecute the early followers of Jesus. He
stood by as the first Christian martyr, Stephen, was stoned to death. But while traveling to Damascus
in Syria to find and arrest more of Jesus' ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The people of early Christian movement simply couldn't see this complete turn around in Paul's
values and the change in his way of life. Though no one believed that this change was genuine this
was an act. Early on Paul had a supernatural encounter with Jesus and soon underwent the utter
transformation in his mind and heart, which he describes in his epistles as repentance. The road to
acceptance wasn't easy as the other apostles found it difficult to have this persecutor in their midst,
much less endorse him as a teacher. But over the years Paul eventually set out on his first great
journey.
To gain great understanding of Paul's life and teachings we have to look at the sources provided to
us from Corinthians and Galatians. Every epistle was written to a specific audience and for a
specific purpose. If we dig around Starting with Paul's Early life In his childhood and youth, Paul
learned how to "work with his own hands" (1 Corinthians 4:12). "and we grow weary from the work
of our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we speak
kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day This
which he continued to practice after his conversion to Christianity, This is crucial to our
understanding of some of the important

New Testament Chapter 13
Summary of An Introduction to the New Testament Chapter One–Thinking About The Study of the
New Testament The authors of the textbook intend chapter one to be a baseline or at least a starting
point for scholars that are possibly studying the New Testament for the first time. The stated "aim"
of the chapter is "to provide enough of a framework to make the rest of this textbook, and a lot of
other books on the New Testament, a little easier to understand." (23) Highlighted in the chapter are
some of the more common criticisms used by scholars today (e.g., form criticism, redaction
criticism, textual criticism, and historical criticism, just to name a few), along with some of the key
figures throughout history that have utilized such criticisms to help shape scholarly study of the
New Testament canon. Chapter ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Carson and Moo make the reader aware of the authorship dispute regarding Ephesians. They point
to seven arguments that support the traditional view that Paul wrote it. Likewise, they then draw
attention to five argument used by modern scholars to deny Pauline authorship. After the
controversies surrounding authorship are covered Carson and Moo move on to another controversy.
The section tiled "Destination" is where it is found. Modern scholars argue several theories as to
where Paul or whoever they claim the author to be, may have written the letter for. Once claim that
has gained traction over the years is that the letter was meant to be a circular letter–a letter circulated
among churches. Another claim is that the letter was intended for the Laodiceans, as Marcion
thought. Even still, another theory suggests the letter was written as an introduction to all the other
letters Paul wrote. After the destination controversy is discussed Carson and Moo close the chapter
with a brief discussion regarding Ephesians contribution to

The Influence Of The On The Church Of Corinth
Looking back in world history, one can notice the high significance that the notion of wisdom had in
the interpretations of philosophers and theologians. Most of them imagined wisdom as an ideal form
of human knowledge, desired and praised by all. Even the Corinthians were wisdom seekers. As a
result, the "secular" Corinth heavily influenced the church in Corinth. The church encouraged
attitudes associated with what would presently be called consumerism, postmodernism and audience
pleasing rhetoric. This paper will examine how Paul uses this aspect (wisdom), how he sets forth a
formative understanding of the cross, a Christomorphic re–definition of the word "spiritual", a four–
step analysis towards the hidden wisdom of God, a comparison ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
He made a conscious decision to put the emphasis on Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He probably
thought about the enormous task to preach the gospel in a city like Corinth. Knowing the need and
his own limitations made him weak and afraid. Yet it kept him from the poison of self–reliance, and
let God 's strength flow. Paul's rhetorical depreciation of his person and his oratory so as to highlight
the power of God at work in the gospel is reflective of his view that the messenger and the message
are as one in the proclamation of the gospel .
The word "wisdom", based on its usage within the bible, can be rendered to its occasional uses in
the Old Testament to refer to mechanical dexterity, while its dominant uses within the New
Testament generally refers to an attribute of God or as divine knowledge . In the predominant
context of the New Testament, the word "wisdom" can be interpreted through the Greek word
"Sophia", which can be rendered as practical wisdom or wisdom personified; the English translation
of the word is divine/holy wisdom and was widely used by early churches . Paul uses the word
"wisdom" (sophia) several times in chapters 1–3; the word "wisdom" appears sixteen times and
"wise" appears ten times hinting on the predominance of the word in these chapters. This suggests
that wisdom was fundamentally a Corinthian issue, which Paul was forced to address in a corrective,
ad hoc manner. Hence it is reasonable to argue that Paul's notion of wisdom in

Early Christianity
Justin Bowman
Early Christianity
The old testament is the first part of the Christian Bible, comprising thirty–nine books and
corresponding directly to the Hebrew Bible. Most of the books were originally written in Hebrew
between about 1200 and 100 BC. They comprise the chief texts of the law, history, prophecy, and
wisdom literature of the ancient people of Israel. The old testament and the new testament
connection between the two is the covenant. (McFarland 1/12) The new testament is the second part
of the Christian Bible, written originally in Greek and recording the life and teachings of Jesus and
his earliest followers. It includes the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, twenty–one epistles by
St. Paul and others, and the book of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Resurrection and the delay of parasouia was a key event in the New Testament. The way he
described the people of Jerusalem was that they were looking through colored glasses to see the
Resurrected Jesus Christ. Jesus was supposed to have the everlasting live. The disciples experienced
Jesus being reborn or resurrected. It was the first they have ever seen to have life after death. The
New Testament has four main Gospels; Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. A Gospel is a teaching of
Christ. Each Gospel is telling about how Jesus worshiped God and his disciples. The New Testament
was not written at one time and that it was not written by one man. At least eight different men
wrote different parts of the New Testament over a period of many long years. Although, we know
that we do not have all the writings of even these eight men. For example, Paul mentions in 1
Corinthians 5:9 that he had written an earlier epistle to the church at Corinth. That letter has not
been preserved for us. It is likely that some other writings of Paul, as well as those of Peter, James,
Matthew, etc., are not included in the New Testament and have been lost

Kim's Anti-Imperial Interpretations
The chapters of the book under consideration are chapters one thru five. The book in its' entirety
deals with Luke as well as Paul, but for our study, but we will only deal with the writings of Paul.
Kim's desire is to critically examine scholars and theologians who ascribe to an anti–imperial
interpretation of some of Paul's letters.
Kim's methodology is direct; he articulates the arguments of the anti–imperial scholars, exegetes the
arguments, and then explains why their interpretation is incorrect. Kim first begins with the readings
of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Scholars like Donfried and Hendrix point to salient features like; honoring
Roman benefactors, honoring the gods, and minted coins bearing the image of the emperor, to
"illustrate ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Kim addresses more scholars of the anti– imperial, political interpretations; Richard Horsley, and
Neil Elliott and their interpretations of First Corinthians. In essence, Kim refutes their
interpretations of passages in First Corinthians because the terminology Paul used in First
Corinthians is indicative of the evil system of the world and not the Roman Empire. Kim argues that
although the terms may seem to be referring to the Roman Empire, the Roman Empire is just an
instrument being used in the hands of a more evil force. Elliott's arguments along with Horsley's end
up being contradicted within the epistle itself. Kim ultimately concludes that Wright, Georgi, Elliott,
and Horsley all have a problem with their

How Are The Gospels Reliable
Topic: Reliability of the Gospels Since we know that God does exist, it would make sense for Him
to create something to teach us His ways. There are multiple religions that claim Divine Revelation
and have a human founder. Only one of them says that their founder is divine and human. We know
that God established that religion if what the gospels say is true. The founder of that religion is Jesus
Christ. People learn many things about Him from the New Testament and more specifically, the
Gospels. Many people ask and question whether the Gospels are reliable. They are reliable and there
is a lot of evidence to back them up. In order for any historical document to be proven reliable and
real there are three tests. The three tests which it has ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Ephram. (Laux p. 63) All of those go together and agree with the early fathers of the Church and the
oldest translations of the Gospels. The Gospels are incredibly truthful. The authors knew everything
they were writing about. Matthew and John were friends of Jesus and wrote the truth about what he
did. Mark and Luke were disciples of the apostles and were with them a lot. Everything they wrote
about was something that had happened recently and was extraordinary. Jesus did everything openly
and even did His miracles in the middle of the day. Even people who did not like Him never denied
His works. The authors of the Gospels wrote all the facts honestly. They were all good men and also
God–fearing. Many times they would condemn liars and hypocrites so if they were lying when they
wrote, then they would be just as bad or worse as the people they condemned. The authors of the
Gospels had to tell the truth. They wrote when Jesus was still alive and many people knew the good
things that He had done, so if they had lied they would have been in trouble. If they lied, they had
nothing to gain from it. They would not be rich or

Chapter 1 Corinthians
Chapter sixteen of 1 Corinthians is a freshener of countless items. There appear to be a few final
issues with which Paul wishes to deal. Two of these include the collection for the Jerusalem church
and the return of Apollos to Corinth. The second part of verse six may be seen as an attempt to meet
the Corinthian desire to give Paul some financial support. He will not accept support for preaching
there or an offer of investment that would make him someone's in– house teacher. What Paul did
accept was provisions and aid so that he could get to his next destination. Having these boundaries
would help him from violating his plan to offer the gospel for free. Paul asks the Corinthians to take
up a collection that he can deliver to the church in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He argues that everything should be done in love. People should be considerate of others. He also
reminds and encourages the Corinthian church to stand fast, be brave and stand firm in their faith.
He uses this time as a final attempt to put a stop to rebellion in the Corinthian congregation, and
amplifies some key point that he wishes to recap. Paul also mentions that Apollos will be coming
sometime in the future. Paul reminds the Corinthian church, in strong language, that not loving
Christ is the ultimate sin. I think one thing Paul would encourage the Corinthian church, and even
us, to do is think before you speak or act in certain ways. Paul believes that the Christian family of
faith discipline should be exercised at times, but in love, just as one would hope it would be in the
physical family. In Paul's eyes some of the Corinthians, while highly gifted, were also notably
immature in the way they practiced their faith. Paul gives them a lot of advice about their future
course of action. This strongly suggest that he believes that they can grow up and has hope that they
will do

I Corinthians : 50 Shades Of Sanctification
I Corinthians: 50 Shades of Sanctification
I Corinthians offers the reader an insight into the early beginnings of the New Testament church, its
structure, methods, and message. I Corinthians is Paul's answer to a previous letter he has written to
the Corinthians regarding the conditions in the Corinthian church. The picture Paul painted of the
early church also includes a problematic, non–typical congregation (Utley 18). Paul is not
questioning their salvation per say but challenging their sanctification (Wallace). The goal of this
paper is to communicate Paul's dilemma of how a Christian is supposed to conduct himself and live
in an appallingly ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They have been cowardly and acting like children (3:1–2), as well as full of strife (1:11). Paul
desires, on behalf of the Corinthians, the pardoning mercy, sanctifying grace, and comforting peace
of God, through Jesus Christ (Henry). Paul references Our Lord Jesus Christ six times in the
salutation to remind the Corinthians to not make too frequent or too honorable mention of him
(McGee). By the time Paul reached Corinth, it was a booming Roman town, having been colonized
by Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. Paul ministered in Corinth for 18 months, probably in A.D. 51 and 52.
When others depict a person as Corinthian, the implication is one of lust, lasciviousness, and luxury.
Corinth was ignorant of the true God, entirely self–governing as a Roman colony, and self–centered
in her own world. The city was going in the opposite direction that God had planned for his church
(Constable). Much of this discourse was caused by the fact Corinth had become a crossroads for
both land and sea trade. Much of the sea trade of the Mediterranean from east to west passed
directly through Corinth. Such trade venues made Corinth a vast commercial center with great
wealth. With great luxuries comes sin and discourse (Deffinbaugh). Paul begins by addressing the
divisiveness in the church (1:10–4:21). The divisiveness was a result of loyalty to a person and the
influence of their own distinct

New Testament Synopsis Essay

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