things for lesson 8: Paul and his apocalyptic mission

Question 1

the first of Paul’s surviving works to be written

Answer 1

1 Thessalonians

Question 2

the oldest book of the New Testament

Answer 2

1 Thessalonians

Question 3

the earliest surviving Christian writing of any kind

Answer 3

1 Thessalonians

Question 4

when does 1 Thessalonians date to?

Answer 4

around 49 C.E.

Question 5

to whom is 1 Thessalonians written to?

Answer 5

to a congregation for which Paul has real affection and in which no major problems have arisen

Question 6

what is 1 Thessalonians mostly about?

Answer 6

Paul spends most of the letter renewing his bonds of friendship with the congregation, largely by recounting aspects of their past relationship

Question 7

the analysis method used for 1 Thessalonians

Answer 7

socio-historical

Question 8

Thessalonica

Answer 8

a major port city, the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia

here, the Roman governor kept his residence, and one of the principal targets chosen by Paul for his mission in the region

Question 9

one of the principal targets chosen by Paul for his mission in Thessalonica

Answer 9

the Roman governor

Question 10

Paul generally chose to stay where?

why?

Answer 10

in relatively large urban areas where he would have the greatest opportunity to meet and address potential converts

Question 11

how does the Book of Acts explain how Paul would convert people?

Answer 11

Paul would go to the local synagogue, where as a traveling Jew he would be quite welcome

–> using the worship service there as an occasion to speak of his belief in Jesus as the messiah come in fulfillment of the Scriptures

Question 12

Does Paul mention the jewish synagogue in Thessalonica in his letter?

Answer 12

nah bruv

Question 13

difference between who Paul converted in Thessalonica according to Acts, and 1 Thessalonians?

Answer 13

Acts: other jews

1 Thessalonians: the Christians that he brought to the faith were former pagans

–> he never mentions the presence of any Jews, either among his Christian converts or among their opponents in town

Question 14

according to 1 Thessalonians, how would Paul preach his faith?

Answer 14

he had been working full time and had used his place of business as a point of contact with people to proclaim the gospel

–> Paul preached while on the job

Question 15

Paul as accompanied in Thessalonica by who else?

Answer 15

Timothy and Silvanus

Question 16

what would philosophers at the time of Paul preach to the people they wanted to convert to their way of thinking?

Answer 16

they wanted them to change their perspective on what makes their followers happy

they wanted to make them stop making their happiness dependent on material and uncontrollable aspects of life

Question 17

Was Paul and his two companions seen as a new religion or as a new philosophical ideology in Thessalonica?

Answer 17

as a new philosophical ideology

Question 18

did Paul and his two companions rely on patrons?

Answer 18

nah

they chose to work with their own hands rather than rely on the resources of others

Question 19

was Paul educated

Answer 19

yeee boy

Question 20

Paul’s first step to convert people?

Answer 20

to have them realize that the many gods they worshipped were “dead” and “false” and that there was only one “living” and “true” God

–> he first had to win converts to the God of Israel

Question 21

a central component of the converts’ faith that Paul needed to preach?

Answer 21

the belief that Jesus died “for them”

the converts needed to believe in the death and ressurection

Question 22

What appears to have been the most important belief about Jesus to the Thessalonians

Answer 22

that he was soon to return from heaven in judgment on the earth

Question 23

what kind of message did Paul preach to the Thessalonians?

Answer 23

a strongly apocalyptic message

Question 24

from what Thessalonian social class were the converts from?

Answer 24

usually not from the upper class, but some were

Question 25

did christian converts in thessalonica appear as an open or closed group?

Answer 25

closed group

Not just anyone could come off the street to join

Question 26

who could join the christian group in thessalonica?

Answer 26

membership was restricted to those who accepted Paul’s message of the apocalyptic judgment that was soon to come and the salvation that could be obtained only through faith in Jesus, who died and was raised from the dead

–> Paul instructs his converts that they too should expect to suffer

Question 27

what made the consolidation of Thessalonians christians stronger?

Answer 27

A shared experience of suffering

They were brothers and sisters bonded together for a common purpose, standing against a common enemy, partaking of a common destiny, and connected with other communities of like purpose and destiny who all shared the history of the people of God, as recorded in the traditions of the Jewish Scriptures

Question 28

Associations in the greco-roman world

Answer 28

privately organized small groups that met periodically to socialize and share a good meal together

they would often perform cultic acts of worship together

many of them were concerned with providing appropriate burial for their members

Question 29

where did Paul and his companions go after staying in Thessalonica?

which of the companions was sent to check on the young church?

Answer 29

they journeyed to Athens

Timothy

Question 30

what does Timothy say about the young Thessalonians church when he reports back to Paul?

Answer 30

the congregation was still strong and deeply grateful for the work they had done among them

Question 31

The closest analogy to 1 Thessalonians from elsewhere in Greco-Roman antiquity

Answer 31

a kind of correspondence that modern scholars have labeled the “friendship letter”

a letter sent to renew an acquaintance and to extend friendly good wishes,

Question 32

one important issue that has arisen in the Thessalonian church since Paul’s departure

Answer 32

it is a question pertaining to the events at the end of time

something troubling had happened: some of the members of the congregation had died

–> These deaths caused a major disturbance among some of the survivors

–> The Thessalonians had thought that the end was going to come before they passed off the face of the earth

Paul instructs them that they shouldn’t worry, for those that died are the first to meet Jesus

Question 33

where the Thessalonian Christians eventually prosecuted?

Answer 33

ye bruv

like 60 years after 1 Thessalonians

Question 34

Does Paul expect his followers and himself to stay alive until the rapture?

Answer 34

yeee bruv

the end of time was imminent

Question 35

Paul’s three-storied universe

Answer 35

the world consists of an “up” (where God is, and now Jesus)

–> a “here” (where we are),

–> and a “down” (where those who have died are)

Question 36

what did people generally believe of secret societies then that could have negatively affected the Thessalonians?

Answer 36

if people meet together in secret or under the cloak of darkness, they must have something to hide

Question 37

Why were the Thessalonian Christians surprised that some of their members had died, and why didn’t they know that at Jesus’ return he would raise the dead to be with him forever? Had Paul simply neglected to tell them that part? Morever, why was Timothy unable to answer their question? Why did he have to return to ask Paul about it, leaving them in uncertainty for some weeks at the least? Didn’t Timothy know what was supposed to happen at the end?

The Thessalonians’ Perplexity

Answer 37

One possibility is that when Paul was with the Thessalonians his own views were in a state of flux

If he himself didn’t realize how long it would be before Jesus returned, he might not have discussed the matter with either the Thessalonians or his own close companions, Silvanus and Timothy

Question 38

The members of the Thessalonian church had unusually strong bonds of cohesion, reinforced by which factors?

Answer 38

(1) the insider information they had as those who understood the course of history here at the end of time
(2) the mutual love and support that they showed one another
(3) the common front they projected in the face of external opposition from those who did not know the “truth”
(4) the rules that governed their lives together

Question 39

how are the thirteen New Testament epistles attributed to Paul arranged?

Answer 39

roughly according to length, with the longest coming first and the shortest last

Question 40

longest epistle

Answer 40

Romans

Question 41

shortest epistle

Answer 41

Philemon

Question 42

the latest arriving Epistle we have

Answer 42

Romans

Question 43

the canonical chronological order of Paul’s epistle

Answer 43

1 Thessalonians

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Philippians

Philemon

Romans

Question 44

Corinth

Answer 44

a large and prosperous city south of Thessalonica

in the Roman province of Achaia, of which it was the capital

a major center of trade and communication

Question 45

why was Corinth’s image intentionally tarnished by the citizens of Athens?

Answer 45

because it was one of its nearby rivals and the intellectual center of ancient Greece

Question 46

Corinthianize

Answer 46

word invented by an Athenian

meant to engage in sexually promiscuous activities

Question 47

The problems of the congregation that Paul addresses in 1 Corintihans

Answer 47

interpersonal conflicts and ethical improprieties

some of its members were at each others’ throats, claiming spiritual superiority over one another and trying to establish it through ecstatic acts during the course of their worship services

At their periodic community meals, some had been gorging themselves and getting drunk while others had been arriving late to find nothing to eat

Some of the men in the congregation had been frequenting prostitutes and didn’t see why this should be a problem

Question 48

difference between the narrative of Acts and what Paul himself says about his main convert targets in Corinth

Answer 48

Acts: Paul devoted himself chiefly to evangelizing the Jews in the local synagogue until he was dismissed with the left foot of fellowship

–> Even after leaving the synagogue, Paul principally converted Jews

Letters: Most of his converts, appear to have been non Jews

Question 49

were some of the Corinthian converts wealthy?

Answer 49

yeee

Question 50

why did Paul not want to deal with rich patrons?

Answer 50

he saw it as putting his gospel up for sale

Question 51

problems created by wealth differences in the christian community of Corinth

Answer 51

the upper classes would have seen things differently from the lower classes

–> this most likely led to some differences of opinion in the community

ex: some members may have thought that eating meat offered to idols was a real and present danger, in view of the demonic character of the pagan gods (possibly a lower-class view), while others took such scruples as baseless superstition (possibly the view of some of the more highly educated)

Question 52

were people in Corinth easier to convert than in Thessalonica?

why?

Answer 52

ye bruv

they had a higher degree of education

Question 53

what message did the Corinthians not take as seriously as the Thessalonians?

Answer 53

to await God’s Son

Question 54

Paul’s principal message to the Corinthians

how did the Corinthians grasp this?

Answer 54

was about Jesus as the crucified Christ

It appears to be a message that the Corinthians, or at least a good portion of them, didn’t absorb

Question 55

main differences in the messages Paul preached in Thessalonica and Corinth

Answer 55

the message itself

the other in the way that it was received

Question 56

how did Paul preach his message in Thessalonica and Corinth?

Answer 56

Thessalonica: Paul directly linked his gospel message with the Jewish religion, but never does he quote the Jewish Scriptures or assume that his followers are personally conversant with them

Corinth: Paul had taught them that Jesus’ death and resurrection were both anticipated in the Scriptures

–> throughout this letter he appeals to the Scriptures in order to make his points

–> he emphasizes that the Scriptures were not written only, or even especially, for Jews in times past, but even more particularly for Christians in the present

Question 57

true or false

If the Thessalonians had insider knowledge, the Corinthians have even more;

Answer 57

true

Question 58

how did Thessalonians and Corinthians interpret Paul’s message

Answer 58

Thessalonians: saw Jesus’ resurrection as the beginning of the major climax of history

–> when he would return and remove the Christians from this world before God’s wrath destroys all his enemies

Corinthians: some interpreted Jesus’ resurrection in a more personal sense

–> his exaltation to glory that they themselves, as those who have participated in his victory, have come to share

–> some of the Corinthians came to believe that they had already begun to enjoy the full benefits of salvation in the here and now, as members of Christ’s resurrected and exalted bod

Question 59

Paul states that he has learned about the activities of the Corinthian congregation from whom?

Answer 59

“Chloe’s people”

Question 60

Paul’s perspective in 1 Corinthian

Answer 60

he is reminding them of something they already know: that Jesus was raised bodily from the dead

–> For Paul, Jesus’ resurrected body was a glorified spiritual body

–> Christians do not yet have the full benefits of salvation

Question 61

the problems that Paul attacks in 1 Corinthians

Answer 61

the divisions within the church that were caused by leaders claiming to be spiritually superior to one another and to adhere to the teachings of various predecessors

–> Paul insists that all of the sides (even his) are in error

The “wise and powerful” leaders of the community have been unable to deal with the most rudimentary issues

–> They have not recognized how shameful it is for a man to sleep with his stepmother or for others to visit prostitutes or for others to rely on civil law courts instead of the “wise” judgment of those in the community

They do not see that there are still evil forces in the world, which will infect the congregation if allowed to enter

they use too many ecstatic pleasure and forgot christ would give them gifts if they were good followers

–> Anyone who has all of the gifts that can be given by the Spirit but who fails to love the brothers and sisters in Christ is still in total poverty

Question 62

in 1 Corinthians, why does Paul think all of the sides that were formed are in error (even his)

Answer 62

because they have elevated the status of individual leaders on the basis of their superior wisdom and superhuman power

–> the leaders claim that wisdom and power indicate the superior standing of those who have already been exalted to enjoy the privileges and benefits of the exalted life in Christ

–> For Paul, though, a high evaluation of wisdom and power represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the gospel

–> God works not through what appears to be wise and powerful but through what appears to be foolish and weak

Question 63

the different ways that Paul’s opponents conceived of life after death

Answer 63

Annihilation

Disembodied Existence

Bodily Resurrection

Question 64

Annihilation in life after death

Answer 64

a person who dies ceases to exist

Question 65

Disembodied Existence in life after death

Answer 65

life apart from the body

Question 66

Bodily Resurrection in life after death

Answer 66

the body is not inherently evil or problematic but has simply become subject to the ravages of evil and death

–> Paul maintained this view

Question 67

was the message gave to the Corinthians different from the Thessalonians?

Answer 67

not very much

Question 68

the change in the tone between 1 and 2 Corinthians

Answer 68

Paul’s tone changes even within his second letter, and rather severely

–> scholars are convinced that 2 Corinthians does not represent a solitary letter that Paul sat down one day and wrote but a combination of at least two letters that he penned at different times for different occasion

Question 69

explain the change in tone in 2 corinthians

Answer 69

In chapters 1–9 Paul appears to be on very good terms with this congregation

–> He is overflowing with joy for them, almost as much as he was for the Thessalonians even though he acknowledges that their relationship has been more than a little stormy in the past

in chapters 10–13, everything seems to change, or rather, to revert

–> No longer is Paul joyful in this congregation that has returned to him

–> Now he is bitter and incensed that they have come to question his authority and to badmouth his person

Question 70

in 2 corinthians, which parts were written first and last

Answer 70

chapters 10–13 were written first

–> the letter that was written soon after Paul’s public humiliation and before his reconciliation with the Corinthians

chapters 1–9 are the reconciliation

Question 71

Paul’s First Visit in Corinth

Answer 71

when Paul and Silvanus and Timothy first arrived in Corinth

–> set up shop

–> preached the gospel

–> won a number of converts

–> provided them with some rudimentary instruction before leaving for other areas ripe for mission

Question 72

Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians

Answer 72

has been lost

refers to it in 1 Corinthians

appears to have dealt, at least in part, with ethical issues that had arisen in the community

Question 73

The Corinthians’ First Letter to Paul

Answer 73

Some of the Corinthians, either in response to Paul’s first letter or independently of it, wrote Paul to inquire further about ethical matters

–> for example, about whether Christians should have sex with their spouses

Question 74

Paul’s Second Letter: 1 Corinthians

Answer 74

wrote as a response to the Corinthians’ queries and in reaction to information that he received from “Chloe’s people”

Paul announced his plans to travel through Macedonia south to Corinth, where he hoped to spend the winter

Question 75

Paul’s Second Visit to Corinth

Answer 75

a painful visit for Paul

–> he was not well received

–> someone in the congregation did something to cause him pain and possibly public humiliation

Question 76

The Arrival of the Superapostles in Corinth

Answer 76

other apostles of Christ arrived in town, claiming to be true spokespersons of the gospel

were of Jewish ancestry

appear to have appealed precisely to that aspect of the Corinthians’ views that Paul found most repugnant

–> their notion that life in Christ was already an exalted, glorified existence

They and Paul did not see eye to eye

Question 77

The Partitioning Theory of 2 Corinthians

Answer 77

chapters 1–9 are not a unity but are made up of several letters spliced together

Question 78

Paul’s Third Letter to the Corinthians

Answer 78

After his second visit, Paul wrote a letter in which he went on the attack against the superapostles

Those who boast of their power and wisdom do not understand that the end has not yet come, that this is an age of weakness in which God’s wisdom appears foolish

the superapostles are not apostles at all

Paul also used this letter to attack the person who had publicly humiliated him and to warn the congregation to deal with him prior to his arrival in judgment

Question 79

Paul’s Fourth Letter to the Corinthians

Answer 79

After hearing the good news from Titus, Paul wrote a friendly letter to express his pleasure at the Corinthians’ change of heart

He also wanted to explain why he had not come for another visit

Question 80

why does Paul go to such lengths to “boast in his weaknesses” in 2 Corinthians?

Answer 80

to prove that all apostles of Jesus must suffer like he did

to show that those relying on their abilities are in collusion with evil forces and Satan

for Paul these are signs that he is the true apostle of Christ, who himself suffered the ignominious fate of crucifixion

Question 81

is there a question concerning the unity of the Galatian epistle?

Answer 81

no

it is just one letter, written completely at one time, to address one problem

Question 82

the problem addressed by Galatians

Answer 82

After Paul converted a number of Gentiles to faith in Christ in the region of Galatia, other missionaries arrived on the scene, insisting that believers must follow parts of the Jewish Law in order to be fully right before God

–> Specifically, the men in these congregations had to accept the Jewish rite of circumcision

–> Paul was absolutely outraged at this proposal

Question 83

Paul’s thoughts about circumcision made on Gentiles

Answer 83

Gentiles who underwent circumcision showed a complete and absolute misunderstanding of the meaning of the gospel

–> it was an affront to God and a rejection of the justification he has provided through Christ when Gentiles did it

Question 84

the only letter in which Paul does not begin by thanking God for the congregation

Answer 84

Galatians

Question 85

How does Paul claim to have converted the Galatians?

Answer 85

He had taken seriously ill and was nursed back to health by the Galatians

–> In this context, he preached the gospel and converted them

Question 86

Differences between Acts and Galatians

Answer 86

Acts:

–> Paul converted in the southern regions of Galatia

–> Paul converted when passing through as was planned

–> Paul got his mission form the Jerusalem apostles

Galatians:

–> Paul never mentions southern regions

–> Paul fell ill and Galatians took care of him. It was unexpected, and there, he preached the Gospel

–> Paul got his mission form Jesus himself

Question 87

Paul’s Response to His Opponents in Galatians

Answer 87

he claims he is an apostle who has been “sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father”

–> He has been commissioned by God himself

Paul begins with a rebuke: the Galatians have deserted God by adopting a gospel that differs from the one that Paul preached to

Paul gives an autobiography to legitimize his claims

he wants to show that the Jewish Law has no role in a person’s right standing before God and that, as a consequence, his opponents in Galatia are in error not only for doubting his authorization but also for perverting his gospel

Question 88

what was the basic issue in Galatians?

Answer 88

a person’s right standing (“justification”) before God does not come through doing the works of the Jewish Law but through faith in Christ

–> If a person could be made right with God through the Law, then there would have been no reason for Christ to die

the Galatians, former pagans who converted to faith in Christ, have begun to adopt the view that Paul opposes, namely that doing works of the Law (in particular, circumcision) is important for one’s standing before God

Question 89

why does Paul cite the Jewish Law to the Galatians in order to show that the Law even though it plays no role in a person’s standing before God?

Answer 89

He maintains that the Scriptures themselves teach that the Law was not given in order to bring about a right standing before God

–> For Paul, the true children of Abraham are those who have faith

It is also possible that Paul makes such a lengthy appeal to the teachings of the Torah to show that he himself is quite capable when it comes to interpreting the Jewish Scriptures

Question 90

Why does Paul not want gentiles to follow the law?

Answer 90

because anyways, nobody can follow it at 100%

–> this puts everyone in a curse

the Law cannot place someone in a right standing before God because the Scriptures indicate that a person will find life through having faith

Question 91

Why Then Did God Give the Law in the First Place According to Paul?

Answer 91

to provide instruction and guidance to the Jewish people

informing them of God’s will

keeping them “in line” until God came to fulfill his promise to Abraham to “bless his offspring”

–> this would be Jesus

served as a “disciplinarian” until the arrival of Christ

Question 92

Who Then Are the True Descendants of Abraham According to Paul?

Answer 92

Paul understands that the Jews and Gentiles who have faith like that of Abraham are his true descendants

–> In Paul’s view, Abraham’s son Isaac, born of the promise, represents the Christian church

–> his son Ishmael, born of the flesh, represents Jews who do not believe in Christ

Question 93

If the Law was given in order to provide direction and discipline to God’s people, but Gentile believers don’t have to keep it, aren’t they liable to turn to wild and reckless behavior?

Answer 93

For Paul, nothing could be further from the truth

Paul indicates that Gentile believers in Christ, who are not obligated to keep the Law are to be totally committed to one another in love because in so doing, they fulfill the Law

–> Christians must be enslaved to one another in love precisely because “the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’”

Question 94

Why do we not know very much about the Christian community in Philippi?

Answer 94

because Paul does not provide as many explicit reminders of their past relationship

Question 95

where did Paul send the letter Philippians from?

why did he write the letter?

Answer 95

from prison

to keep the Philippians informed of his situation and to express his pleasure that all had turned out well

Question 96

how does the Philippians letter go into a complete 180?

Answer 96

he starts well in a very friendly tone

neat the end, he completely angers himself and roasts his opponents hardcore

Question 97

how can we explain the odd nature of the timing in the Philippians letter?

Answer 97

One solution is that there are two or possibly even three letters that have been edited together here, letters that come from different times and were written for different occasions

Question 98

main themes of Philippians?

Answer 98

1. apocalyptic message

2. love thy neighbor

Question 99

the “Christ hymn” of Philippians

Answer 99

one of the most poetic and beloved portions of all of Paul’s letters

–> readers have long observed the striking cadences of the passage, its balanced rhythms and exalted views

–> basic message is rather than striving to be equal with God, Christ humbled himself, becoming human and submitting to a death on the cross

Question 100

what does the letter of Philemon concern itself with?

Answer 100

with a single man, the runaway slave Onesimus, and his fate at the hands of his master, Philemon

Question 101

the occasion and purpose of Philemon

Answer 101

Paul writes from prison

he met and converted Philemon’s runaway slave Onesimus

he would serve as a mediator between the slave and the master

–> the slave could have used this a method to escape punishment because he is now converted to christianity

Question 102

who was Philemon

Answer 102

slave master of Onesimus

he must have been a relatively wealthy Christian

he evidently had valuable property that could be stolen, as Paul thinks that Onesimus might have run off with some of it, or else embezzled some of the funds entrusted to his charge

was a leader of the church in the town of Colossae

he appears to have stood in Paul’s debt

Question 103

why was Paul unconcerned with social change and equality?

Answer 103

because the end was coming soon anyways