1 Thessalonians – Hebrews

Question 1

1 Thessalonians – Content

Answer 1

A letter of thanksgiving, encouragement, exhortation, and information for very recent Gentile believers in Christ

Question 2

1 Thessalonians – Author

Answer 2

the apostle Paul, joined by his traveling companions Silas and Timothy

Question 3

1 Thessalonians – Date

Answer 3

A.D. 50 or 51, while Paul is in Corinth, probably the earliest document in the New Testament

Question 4

1 and 2 Thessalonians – Recipients

Answer 4

• quite new converts to Christ in Thessalonica, mostly Gentile (1:9-10)
• Thessalonica was a northern Aegean seaport that also sat astraddle the Egnatian Way
• in the time of Paul it was the chief city of Macedonia

Question 5

1 Thessalonians – Occasion

Answer 5

• the return of Timothy to Paul and Silas in Corinth

- Timothy had been sent to Thessalonica to see how the new believers were doing (see 3:5-7)

Question 6

1 Thessalonians – Emphases

Answer 6

1. Paul’s loving concern for his friends in Thessalonica
2. Suffering as part of Christian life
3. Holiness regarding sexual matters
4. The need to do one’s own work and not live off the largesse of others
5. The resurrection of the Christian dead
6. Readiness for Christ’s coming

Question 7

2 Thessalonians – Content

Answer 7

A letter of further encouragement in the face of suffering, of warning against being misled regarding the coming of the Lord, and of exhortation for some to work with their own hands and not sponge off others

Question 8

2 Thessalonians – Author

Answer 8

the apostle Paul, joined by his traveling companions Silas and Timothy

Question 9

2 Thessalonians – Date

Answer 9

A.D. 51 (probably), very shortly after 1 Thessalonians (although some would reverse the order of our two letters)

Question 10

2 Thessalonians – Occasion

Answer 10

Paul has received word that some (probably by prophetic word) have spoken in Paul’s name to the effect that the day of the Lord (=the coming of Christ) has already taken place, plus the fact that the disruptive loafers spoken to in 1 Thessalonians have not mended their ways

Question 11

2 Thessalonians – Emphases

Answer 11

1. The sure salvation of the Thessalonian believers and the sure judgment of their persecutors
2. The day of the Lord is still ahead and will be preceded by “the rebellion”
3. Those who are idle and disruptive should work for their food

Question 12

1 Timothy – Content

Answer 12

An indictment of some false teachers—their character and teachings—with instructions on various community matters these teachers have brought to crisis, interspersed with words of encouragement to Timothy

Question 13

1 Timothy – Author

Answer 13

the apostle Paul (although doubted by many)

Question 14

1 Timothy – Date

Answer 14

A.D. 62-63, from Macedonia (probably Philippi or Thessalonica), apparently after his (expected) release from the imprisonment noted in Philippians 1:13 and 2:23-24

Question 15

1 Timothy – Recipient(s)

Answer 15

Timothy, a longtime, younger companion of Paul, and (ultimately) the church in Ephesus (the grace-benediction in 6:21 is plural)

Question 16

1 Timothy – Occasion

Answer 16

• Paul has left Timothy in charge of a very difficult situation in the church in Ephesus, where false teachers (probably local elders) are leading some house churches astray
• Paul writes to the whole church through Timothy in order to strengthen Timothy’s hand in stopping these straying elders and some younger widows who have followed them

Question 17

1 Timothy – Emphases

Answer 17

1. The truth of the gospel as God’s mercy shown toward all people
2. Character qualifications for church leadership
3. Speculative teachings, asceticism, and love of controversy and money disqualify one from church leadership
4. Timothy, by holding fast to the gospel, should model genuine Christian character and leadership

Question 18

2 Timothy – Content

Answer 18

An appeal to Timothy to remain loyal to Christ, to the gospel, and to Paul, including a final salvo at the false teachers (of 1 Timothy)

Question 19

2 Timothy – Author

Answer 19

the apostle Paul (although doubted by many)

Question 20

2 Timothy – Date

Answer 20

ca. A.D. 64, from a prison in Rome (the lion in 4:17 is an allusion to Nero or to the empire itself)

Question 21

2 Timothy – Recipient(s)

Answer 21

Timothy primarily; secondarily to the church (the first “you” in 4:22 is singular, the final one is plural)

Question 22

2 Timothy – Occasion

Answer 22

• Paul has been once more arrested and taken to Rome (most likely from Troas and at the instigation of Alexander, 4:13-15 [probably the same man who was disfellowshiped in 1 Tim 1:19-20])
• the letter urges Timothy to come to Paul’s side, but mostly offers him a kind of last will and testament

Question 23

2 Timothy – Emphases

Answer 23

1. The saving work of Christ, “who has destroyed death and brought life through the gospel” (1:10)
2. Loyalty to Christ by perseverance in suffering and hardship
3. Loyalty to Paul by recalling their longtime relationship
4. Loyalty to the gospel by being faithful in proclaiming/teaching “the word” the gospel message)
5. The deadly spread, but final demise, of the false teaching
6. The final salvation of those who are Christ’s

Question 24

Titus – Content

Answer 24

• Instructions to Titus for setting in order the church(es) on Crete,
• including the appointment of qualified elders
• and the instruction of various social groups,
• set against the backdrop of some false teachers

Question 25

Titus – Author

Answer 25

the apostle Paul (although doubted by many)

Question 26

Titus – Date

Answer 26

ca. A.D. 62-63, apparently from Macedonia at about the same time as 1 Timothy (see 3:12; Nicopolis is on the Adriatic coast of Macedonia)

Question 27

Titus – Recipient(s)

Answer 27

Titus, a Gentile and sometime traveling companion of Paul (see Gal 2:1-3; 2 Cor 7:6-16; 8:6, 16-24; 12:17-18); and the churches on Crete (Titus 3:15, "you all")

Question 28

Titus – Occasion

Answer 28

- Paul had left Titus on Crete to finish setting the churches in order, while he and Timothy (apparently) went on to Ephesus, where they met a very distressing situation (see 1 Timothy). - But Paul had to go on to Macedonia (1 Tim 1:3; cf. Phil 2:19-24); - perhaps the Holy Spirit reminded him while writing 1 Timothy that some similar problems had emerged in Crete, so he addressed the churches through a letter to Titus

Question 29

Titus – Emphases

Answer 29

1. God's people must be and do good – this is especially true of church leaders 2. The gospel of grace stands over against false teachings based on the Jewish law

Question 30

Philemon – Content

Answer 30

The sole purpose of this letter is to secure forgiveness for a (probably runaway) slave named Onesimus

Question 31

Philemon – Author

Answer 31

The apostle Paul, joined by his younger companion Timothy

Question 32

Philemon – Date

Answer 32

probably A.D. 60-61

Question 33

Philemon – Recipient(s)

Answer 33

- Philemon is a Gentile believer in Colosse (see Col 4:9), in whose house a church meets - the salutation and final greeting indicate that Paul expected Philemon to share the letter with the church

Question 34

Philemon – Occasion

Answer 34

- Onesimus has recently been converted and has been serving Paul, who is in prison - now Onesimus is being sent back to Philemon, accompanied by Tychicus, who is also carrying letters to the churches in Colosse (Colossians) and Asia (Ephesians)

Question 35

Philemon – Emphasis

Answer 35

1. The gospel reconciles people to one another, not only Jew (Paul) and Gentile (Philemon), but also (runaway) slave and master, making them all brothers!

Question 36

Hebrews – Content

Answer 36

A "word of exhortation" (13:22) sent in letter form, encouraging faithful perseverance in light of the superlative final word God has spoken in Christ

Question 37

Hebrews – Author

Answer 37

unknown; a second-generation believer (2:3), who was a skilled preacher and interpreter of Scripture, with an excellent command of Greek (it came into the canon among Paul's letters, but definitely not by him)

Question 38

Hebrews – Date

Answer 38

unknown; guesses range from A.D. 50 to 90; probably before 70 (since the author gives no hint that the Jewish temple has been destroyed)

Question 39

Hebrews – Recipients

Answer 39

unknown; guesses range from A.D. 50 to 90; probably before 70 (since the author gives no hint that the Jewish temple has been destroyed)

Question 40

Hebrews – Occasion

Answer 40

- the community is discouraged because of suffering (10:35-39) and perhaps from doubts about whether Jesus really took care of sin - the author writes to convince them to "not throw away your confidence" (10:35; cf. 2:1; 4:14)

Question 41

Hebrews – Emphases

Answer 41

1. God has spoken his absolutely final word in his Son 2. To abandon Christ is to abandon God altogether 3. Christ is superior to everything that went before—the old revelation, its angelic mediators, the first exodus (Moses and Joshua), and the whole priestly system 4. God's people can have full confidence in God's Son, the perfect high priest, who gives all people ready access to God