Intensive New Testament

Dr. Greene

Who were the four major people groups reached by the gospel in the book of Acts?

To which of these groups will Paul have a ministry?

Jew, Samaritans, Gentile God-Fearers, and Gentile Pagans.

Paul had a ministry to all groups except Samaritans.

How many times is Paul’s conversion recounted in Acts?

Do the accounts vary?

3

The first is a narrative story of the event, while the other two accounts are in Paul’s defense speeches given in Jersalem.

Where were the disciples first called “Christians”?

Antioch

Give the significance and the issues dealt with at the Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15).

What was the “Apostolic Decree”?

Salvation and Fellowship

Was it necessary to be circumcised in order to be saved?

Was it necessary to observe Jewish food laws of the Old Testament to have table fellowship with Gentile Christians?

Acts 15:28-29

“28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.”

List four cities of importance for understanding the life of Paul which are not among cities in which he established churches.

Tarsus–his place of birth.

Jerusalem–a place of growth and education (Acts 22.3).

Antioch–a church that sent him out on mission (Acts 13.3).

Caesarea–a place he was imprisoned (Acts 23-26).

Rome–place of imprisonment and execution (Acts 28).

List four mission centers of Paul in which he worked or established churches which are not to be numbered among the cities in the prior question.

Think of the letters of Paul and the churches to which they are addressed.

Philippi

Thessalonica

Corinth

Ephesus

Galatia (a region).

Other places are mentioned in the book of Acts.

How does the concept of missionary “centers” help to understand Paul’s ministry rather than the more customary missionary “journeys” perspective?

“Journey” implies constant movement, as though Paul moved every couple of weeks.

Mission “centers” reminds that Paul settled into a place to establish a church or to use as a headquarters for an extended time.

Why did Paul, “the missionary to the Gentiles,” typically begin his work in Jewish synagogues?

He was a Jew who saw Christianity as the fulfilment of Judaism, could speak to Jews on the basis of Old Testament background and fulfillment. There were also Gentile God-fearers in Jewish synagogues, who could introduce him to Gentile pagan friends.

What seems to have been the relationship between Paul and the church at Jerusalem?

Paul worked independently of the Jerusalem church, according to his own letters, although Acts portrays him as somewhat subject to Jerusalem.

Paul recognized the Jerusalem church as a central and important church, as the place of beginnings and of fulfillment.

What were the “Egnatian” and “Appian” Ways? Where was each located?

Two major Roman roads or highways. The Egnatian Way is found in Macedonia, the Appian Way in Italy.

Who were the “Judaizers”? Why were they a problem? What issues are involved?

The Judaizers were a conservative Jewish-Christian group who believed Gentiles must become Jewish in order to become Christian.

The issue involved was the keeping of Jewish Old Testament Law, particularly circumcision and food laws.

They preached a different gospel than the one Paul preached, one of salvation on the basis of keeping the law instead of faith in Christ.

What seems to be the significance of the church at Antioch in the overall presentation of the book of Acts?

The church at Jerusalem was conservative and Jewish, while the church at Antioch was more universally and missionary minded. It sent Paul and Barnabas out to reach the Gentiles for Christ.

Why did Paul write letters at all? What is the nature of his letters, generally speaking?

Paul wrote letters as a substitute for a visit, when he was working to establish a new mission field.

Paul’s letters are occasional correspondence written to various churches at various points in time to deal with issues the particular church was facing. Paul was not writing “systematic theology,” such that he writes different things to different churches.

Who was Timothy?

Timothy was a young convert and associate of Paul (see Acts 16), who proved to be an invaluable and able associate.

Who was Silas?

Silas accompanied Paul after Paul and Barnabas went separate ways (Acts 15.40), also known as Silvanus (1 Thess. 1.1; 2 Thess. 1.1).

Who was Titus?

Titus, who is not mentioned in Acts, was a Gentile pagan converted by Paul in Greece or Corinth (Gal. 2.3). He was very helpful to Paul in dealing with contentious Corinthians (2 Cor. 8.16).

What three problem groups does Paul have to deal with at Thessalonica?

The (morally) weak, the faint-hearted, and the idle (1 Thes. 5.14; see 1 Thes. 4).

The weak had Gentile moral standards that needed to be changed.

The faint-hearted were concerned about loved ones who had died before the return of Christ.

The idle were those who had quit work to wait for Christ’s return.

How many visits did Paul make to Corinth?

How many letters did he write to Corinth at a minimum?

List them and identify their nature.

Paul made three visits to Corinth–a founding visit, a “painful” visit (2 Cor. 2.1), and a “collection” visit (2 Cor. 13.1)

4 letters at minimum

Previous Letter - Stern and Corrective

1 Corinthians - Addressing problems of division and morality and also answering questions

Painful Letter - painful for Paul to write, about his love for them.

2 Corinthians - defending his and the gospel’s credibility, as well as their participation in the collection visit.

List four concerns about which the Corinthians apparently wrote to ask Paul and to which he responds in 1 Corinthians.

Sex and marriage, food offered to idols, Paul’s own apostleship, spiritual gifts, the resurrection, the collection for the saints. (See 1 Cor. 7.1-16.1)

What was the Jewish concept of the “Two Ages”? What are the characteristics of each of the Two Ages?

The Jews thought of the time of fulfillment in terms of a “Two Ages” concept.

The “Present Evil Age” was characterized by the “powers” of Sin, Law, Death, and (Flesh).

The “Age to Come” was characterized by other operative powers–Righteousness, Grace, Life, and (Spirit).

Why did Paul write the Galatian letter? What problem does he combat?

Some Galatians were being led away from the truth by a false gospel being proclaimed by the Judaizers (gnostics) who were insisting upon observance of circumcision, Jewish food laws, and calendars.

Paul saw that if anything else was necessary for salvation other than Christ, that was not the true gospel.

What letter of Paul has been called the “Magna Charta of Christian liberty”?

Galatians, where Paul emphasizes Christian freedom.

What are the four so-called “Pillar Epistles” of Paul contained in the New Testament?

Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, and Galatians.

List the four Prison Epistles of Paul.

Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon.

List three places or cities where Paul was imprisoned.

Philippi, Jerusalem, Caesarea, Rome, and probably Ephesus.

What are the twin themes of the Philippian letter?

Joy and unity.

List the three letters which Paul wrote to Christians living in the Lycus Valley region of Asia Minor.

Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon

Who was Onesimus?

Onesimus was a runaway slave who had run away from his owner Philemon.

Who was Philemon?

Philemon was the owner, who had been won to Christ by Paul. Paul appeals for Philemon to take Onesimus back as a Christian brother.

Why did Paul write the letter to the church at Rome?

In what ways does this letter differ from letters like those to Corinth and Thessalonica?

Know the purpose, theme, and content of the letter.

Paul wrote Romans to introduce himself to the Roman church, in hopes he could visit there and they would support him when he went on to Spain.

While Paul had founded the churches at Corinth and Thessalonica and wrote to deal with their problems, he did not found the church at Rome and had never visited there.

The theme of the letter is the “righteousness of God.” Paul sets forth his understanding of the gospel, treats the issue of disobedient Israel, and encourages the Roman Christians to faithfulness.

What does the phrase “justification by faith” mean?

One is “justified” or made right with God on the basis of faith, not on the basis of works. In other words, one is “saved” by trusting in what God has done in Christ, not by doing “works” that would merit or “earn” salvation.

What was the purpose and importance of the “Collection” for Paul?

One cannot understand Paul and the years of his later ministry (the second campaign) apart from his taking up an offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem.

He takes up the collection among his gentile churches to meet real physical needs, but most importantly to unify a divided church at the eastern end of the Mediterranean before he seeks to begin a new ministry in the west to Rome and Spain.

To what extent are Paul’s letters “books of theology”?

Paul basically wrote as a pastor and missionary, not as a “systematic theologian.” He sets forth his understanding of the gospel in relation to church problems, but he does not intend to just sit down and write a bunch of “theology” for theology’s sake.

What was the foundation stone of Paul’s Christian faith as presented in class?

What God has done in Christ. The professor would say “freedom in Christ,” with all that that means.