Exam 2: Acts, Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Romans, Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, & Philemon

(T/F) _______________ The writing of Acts probably dates to the early 60s.

TRUE

____________________ To whom is the book of Acts written?

Theophilus

(T/F)_______________ Acts was most likely written in Ephesus.

FALSE probably Rome

(T/F) _______________ Paul is the main character in the first half of Acts; Peter is the main character in the second half

FALSE. Switch

_______________ The purpose of the Book of Acts is to demonstrate the gospel moving outward from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth by the power of the Holy Spirit.

TRUE

(T/F) _______________ Because he was a gentile, the author of Acts demonstrates little knowledge of the Old Testament.

FALSE

__________________ Who is the author of Acts?

Luke

(T/F) _______________ The "we passages" offer some proof that the author of Acts was a traveling companion of Paul.

TRUE

(T/F) _______________ Paul was a Roman citizen

TRUE

____________________ What was Paul's Hebrew name?

Saul

_______________ Which letter is probably the first letter Paul wrote?

a. Galatians b. Romans c. 1 Corinthians

a. Galatians

(T/F) _______________ Paul received extensive rabbinical training

TRUE

(T/F) _______________ It is likely that Paul suffered from some sort of ear disease

FALSE some sort of serious eye disorder

(T/F) _______________ Paul had no encounters with Christians until his conversion

FALSE

(T/F) _______________ Paul was converted to Christianity after seeing a vision of Christ

TRUE

______________________ Which letter is probably the last letter Paul wrote?

2 Timothy

(T/F) _______________ Galatians was probably written in AD 48 or 49.

TRUE

(T/F) _______________ Peter is the author of Galatians

FALSE

(T/F) _______________ Almost all scholars agree on the authorship of Galatians

TRUE

_______________ What does the word "Judaizers" mean?

a. an early Christian heresy that believed you have to keep the Law of Moses in order to be saved.

b. an early word used to describe the Christian mission to Jews.

c. a modern word used to describe early Jewish Christian

a. an early Christian heresy that believed you have to keep the Law of Moses in order to be saved

(T/F) _______________ Your textbook prefers a "south Galatian" destination for the letter we call Galatians.

TRUE

(T/F) _______________ Paul wrote Galatians to defend the idea that salvation is by faith alone

TRUE

(T/F) _______________ Galatian was most likely written after AD 70

FALSE

_______________ What do we call the false teachers in Galatians?

a. Pharisees

b. Orthodox

c. Judaizers

c. Judaizers

(T/F) _______________ 2 Thessalonians was probably written in AD 50

TRUE

________________________ Who is the author of 1 Thessalonians?

Paul

_______________ Where is Thessalonica?

a. Macedonia

b. Turkey (Asia Minor)

c. Rome

Macedonia

(T/F) _______________ The believers in Thessalonica were being persecuted.

TRUE

(T/F) _______________ 1 Thessalonians was probably written in AD 50

TRUE

________________________ Who is the author of 2 Thessalonians?

Paul

(T/F) _______________ 1 Thessalonians was most likely written from Rome

FALSE (Corinth)

(T/F) _______________ The Thessalonians were confused about Paul's teaching on the end of the world (eschatology).

TRUE

_______ What is the most likely date for the writing of 1 Corinthians?

a. AD 54

b. AD 48-50

c. AD 70

a. AD 54

________________________ In what modern day country is Corinth?

Greece

_______________ When did Paul first visit Corinth?

a. First Missionary Journey

b. Second Missionary Journey

c. Third Missionary Journey

Second Missionary Journey

________________________ Where was Paul when he wrote 2 Corinthians?

Macedonia, perhaps Philippi

______________ What is the most likely date for the writing of 2 Corinthians?

a. AD 54 or 55

b. AD 48-50

c. AD 70

a. Ad 54 or 55

_________________________ How many letters did Paul write to the Corinthians that we know about?

4

_________________________ Where was Paul (what city) when he wrote 1 Corinthians?

Ephesus

(T/F) _______________ Paul wrote 1 Corinthians on his first missionary journey?

FALSE

______________________ Where was the author when he wrote Romans?

a. Greece, b. Rome, c. Antioch, d. Asia Minor

a. Greece

_____________ Who is the author of Romans?

Paul

____________ Unlike the other biblical letters, Romans does not have a both a doctrinal and practical section.

FALSE

(T/F) _______________ Chapter 16 was most likely not originally a part of the letter to the Romans

FALSE

______________ Where was the author when he wrote Romans?

a. 1st missionary journey, b. 2nd missionary journey, c. 3rd missionary journey

c. 3rd missionary journey

_______________________ Paul was planning to launch the fourth missionary journey from Rome. Where did he plan to go?

Spain

(T/F) _______________ The ongoing Jew-Gentile dispute is not in view in Romans.

FALSE

(T/F) _______________ Unlike the other biblical letters, Romans is addressed to a specific church and a specific set of problems, instead of being addressed to all the churches in Rome

FALSE

_________________________ Who is the author of Philippians?

Paul

_______________ Where was the author when he wrote Philippians?

a. 1st missionary journey, b. 2nd missionary journey, c. 3rd missionary journey,

d. In prison in Rome

d. In prison in Rome

______________ When was Philippians written?

a. Around AD 49, b. Around AD 59, c. Around AD 69, d. After AD 70

b. Around AD 59

(T/F) _______________ The Philippians were one of the few churches that did not support Paul's mission to the gentiles financially

FALSE

______________ Where is Ephesus?

a. Greece, b. Italy, c. Asia Minor (Turkey), d. Middle East

c. Asia Minor (Turkey)

______________ Where was the author when he wrote Philippians?

a. Philippi, b. Rome, c. Ephesus, d. Corinth

b. Rome

________________________ Where is the city of Philippi?

a. Greece, b. Italy, c. Asia Minor, d. The Middle East

a. Greece (Macedonia)

(T/F) _______________ Unity in the churches at Philippi appears to be one of the reasons that the letter was written.

TRUE

(T/F) _______________ There is an easily identifiable concern or occasion for the writing of Ephesians

FALSE

(T/F) _______________ Almost no scholars doubt the Pauline authorship of Colossians

FALSE

______________ Where was Paul, most likely, when he wrote Colossians?

a. Athens, b. Rome, c. Ephesus, d. Jerusalem

b. Rome

(T/F) _______________ Throughout the history of the church, many Christians have doubted that Paul wrote Colossians.

FALSE

_______________ Where is the city of Colossae?

a. Greece, b. Italy, c. Asia Minor (Turkey), d. Middle East

c. Asia Minor (Turkey)

_______________ Which of the following is most likely the best date for the writing of Colossians?

a. Mid AD 50s, b. Around AD 59, c. Late AD 60s, d. After AD 70

b. Around AD 59

(T/F) _______________ According to your textbook, false teaching is most likely the occasion for the writing of Colossians

TRUE

______________ The city of Colossae was destroyed by . . .

a. Fire, b. Earthquake, c. Military Siege, d. Flood

b. Earthquake

_________________________ Who wrote Philemon?

Paul

______________ Where was the author when, most likely, he wrote Philemon?

a. Athens b. Rome c. Ephesus d. Jerusalem

b. Rome

_______________ Who is the slave in Philemon?

a. Philemon b. Onesimus c. Epaphroditus d. Timothy

b. Onesimus

_______________ To what city was the letter Philemon sent?

a. Ephesus b. Philippi c. Colossae d. Rome

c. Colossae

_____________ Who is the slave owner in Philemon?

a. Philemon b. Onesimus c. Epaphroditus d. Timothy

a. Philemon

_____________ Where did the runaway slave and Paul first meet?

a. Ephesus b. Philippi c. Colossae d. Rome

d. Rome

1st Missionary Journey

-Paul wrote Galatians

-Paul's first major missionary undertaking was from AD 47-48 to the Roman province of Galatia. He wrote Galatians shortly after.

Jerusalem Council

-In AD 49 Paul was instrumental in helping to settle the theological dispute in Jerusalem (Acts 15 - the Council of Jerusalem)

-The Council of Jerusalem:

-The question that arose on Paul's first missionary journey was over the nature of the salvation that Jesus offers

-When we look closer at Acts 15, there are two big questions that come to the forefront:

1. What must we do to be saved?

2. Must we keep the Law of Moses in order to be good Christians (i.e. must Christians become Jewish in their practice)?

-The question is further complicated by the fact that false teachers (the Judaizers) had infiltrated the churches in Galatia and Antioch to spread a false gospel of salvation by works. Paul writes Galatians to the Galatians to answer the false teachers, and the missionaries and apostles gathered in Jerusalem to answer both of those questions and add a third consideration

Second Missionary Journey

-Paul wrote 1st & 2nd Thessalonians

-Paul's second major missionary undertaking was from AD 49-51 to the Greek peninsula. On this journey he wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

Third Missionary Journey

-Paul wrote 1st & 2nd Corinthians and Romans

-Paul's third major missionary undertaking was from AD 51-54 to Ephesus where he spent most of the three years. On this journey he wrote 1 and 2 Corinthians and Romans.

Acts

Author: Luke the Physician

Date: The most likely date, around AD 60, is arrived at by trying to estimate when Luke would have time to take off from his travels with Paul to research and write. The Pauline imprisonments, therefore, seem to be the best guess as to when Luke and Acts were written

Provenance: If Luke was written during Paul's second imprisonment, as appears most likely, then Acts was written in Rome. Acts was written to someone named Theophilus, as a follow-up to the Gospel of Luke. Evidence from Luke and Acts indicates that Theophilus was a man of some rank who had been taught the story of Jesus and who perhaps needed some encouragement in his faith

Purpose: Acts, like the Gospel of Luke, also focuses on texts that highlight non-Jews, outcasts, and women in order to illustrate that the gospel is for everyone. He focuses on texts that show the move of the Gospel from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth. Acts, like Luke, focus on the role of the Holy Spirit as the proof that Jews and Gentiles are both equally included in God's plan and that God's intent is for the gospel to go to the whole world.

ACTS IN A SENTENCE: Acts is the story of the good news about Jesus making its way from Jerusalem to Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth

Paul & His Life

(AFTER MISSIONARY JOURNEYS)

-In AD 55, Paul was arrested in Jerusalem after returning from his third missionary journey. He remained in prison in Caesarea until around AD 58.

-Between AD 58-60 Paul was in prison in Rome. While in prison he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

-Sometime between AD 60 and 66 Paul was released from prison and resumed his travels in preparation to take the gospel to Spain. It is during this time that Paul wrote 1 Timothy and Titus.

-Around AD 66 Paul was rearrested and was executed by AD 67. During this short second imprisonment, Paul wrote 2 Timothy.

Galatians

Author: Paul the Apostle

Date: the best evidence indicates that Paul wrote Galatians very early, just after he returned from his first missionary journey and before the gathering of all the apostles, pastors, and missionaries in Jerusalem to deal with the "Judaizer" heresy aroundAD 48-49.

Provenance: If the conclusions above about the date are correct, then Paul most likely wrote Galatians from Antioch, Jerusalem, or somewhere on the road between.

Purpose: While Paul and crew were traveling through Asia Minor on their first missionary journey, the church began encountering the "Judaizers" a heretical Jewish Christian sect that taught a different gospel than what Paul taught. In Galatians Paul describes the Judaizers as preachers of a different gospel who trouble the church and distort the truth. After Paul left, the Judaizers moved into Galatia and the Galatians were persuaded by them. Galatians is Paul's appeal to those Christians to return to the true gospel of Jesus and the doctrine of justification by faith.

(Galatia is in modern day Turkey/Asia Minor)

GALATIANS IN A SENTENCE: Galatians is about the unbelievable truth that salvation is by the grace of God in Jesus and not by human effort.

1 & 2 Thessalonians

Author: Paul the Apostle

Date & Provenance: Paul first preached in Thessalonica on the second missionary journey. Paul was there for at least three weeks (said he was there for 3 sabbaths), probably longer (6 months). Large number of gentile converts. After Paul left Thessalonica he went to Berea, Thessalonian Jews tracked him down there and incited the Bereans to expel him from the city. Paul continued his travels and was apparently reached with news of the Thessalonians by Timothy while in Corinth. Paul corresponds with the Thessalonians to answer questions and accusations brought by Timothy, most likely around AD 50

Purpose: 1 Thessalonians: the unbelieving Jews had stirred up questions and accusations against Paul and the other missionaries. Paul answers those questions. He addresses the accusation that the missionaries were preaching in order to fatten their wallets. Paul also addresses several key misunderstandings about the end of the world, and Paul defends the authority of the apostles. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul commends the church for enduring persecution, and he continues to correct their mistaken notions about the end of the world.

-You should also be able to think your way through the major factors and sequence that influenced the writing of 1-2 Thessalonians (the riots in Thessalonica and Berea and the resulting persecution, the accusations made against Paul, the theological questions about the end times).

(Thessalonica modern day in Greece/Macedonia)

1 & 2 THESSALONIANS IN A SENTENCE: 1-2 Thessalonians are about placing our hope in the fact that one day Jesus will return to fix the world

1 & 2 Corinthians

Author: Paul (no debate)

Date:

1. First Visit- Paul, on his second missionary journey, plants the church in Corinth (Greece) in AD 50-52

2. First Letter - Paul, probably on the third missionary journey, writes the Corinthians a short letter about sexual immorality in the church. Scholars call this letter "Corinthians A." That letter is now lost to us, though the contents of the letter are clearly explained in 1 Corinthians.

3. Second Letter - Paul writes 1 Corinthians on the third missionary journey from Ephesus in AD 53-54. 1 Corinthians is a follow-up to and expansion of Corinthians A.

4. Third Letter - Paul gets word that the churches in Corinth were ignoring his teachings in 1 Corinthians, so he writes them a third letter. Paul calls this the "severe letter" and so do scholars. This letter also is now lost to us. A brief summary of its contents are in 2 Corinthians.

5. Second Visit - Paul visits Corinth to confront the churches on the problems there. Some scholars think this "painful visit" happens before the "severe letter" is sent.

6. Fourth Letter- Paul writes 2 Corinthians as an attempt to reconcile with the churches after his serious scolding of them. He is on his third missionary journey, probably in Macedonia around AD 54 or 55.

7. Third Visit- Paul visits Corinth for a third time (see Acts 20).

Purpose: The purpose of 1 and 2 Corinthians is somewhat involved. Paul had a long and difficult relationship with the churches in Corinth. Those churches were a mess. They were divided. They were theologically infantile. They were antagonistic toward Paul. And at the heart of all of their problems was an issue of sexual immorality. The churches had become accepting of a man who was "shacking up" with his step-mother. All of the other problems—the divisions, the bad doctrine, and the antagonism—developed as Paul tried to get the churches to deal with the issue.

Paul wrote them letters and visited them, and many of his visits and letters were, by all accounts, quite unpleasant. By the time Paul writes 2 Corinthians, the problem is mostly solved and the churches are coming around to accepting of Paul's authority again

(Modern day Greece)

-Be able to answer some basic questions about the "meat offered to idols" issue in 1 Cor. (e.g. What was the issue? What were Paul's instructions? etc.)

1 CORINTHIANS IN A SENTENCE: 1 Corinthians is about the dangers of spiritual immaturity

2 CORINTHIANS IN A SENTENCE: 2 Corinthians is the book that tells us that true ministry is about helping people reconcile with God in Jesus Christ. RECONCILE is key word

Romans

Author: Paul the apostle (Romans is the highpoint of Christian theology)

Date & Provenance: Romans was written near the end of the third missionary journey. Paul travelled through Macedonia and Achaia on the way back to Jerusalem, and he apparently stayed in Greece for about three months along the way. It was during this stay that Paul wrote Romans. This would put its writing at the mid to late 50s. ANYTHING IN 50s ON EXAM

Purpose: Paul wrote Romans at the end of the third missionary journey. His plan was to begin preparation for the fourth missionary journey to Spain. As Paul looked around the known world, he saw three things very clearly. First, he saw that Jews were continuing to reject Jesus and gentiles were getting saved in droves. Second, he saw that Jerusalem was ceasing to be the center of Christianity and that in the future Rome would be the hub of the Christian mission. And third, Paul saw that there were gentiles in Spain and the rest of southern and western Europe who needed to hear about Jesus. Paul wrote Romans, a lengthy discourse on the gospel, to the churches in Rome to prepare them to be the launching pad for reaching the rest of the world with the good news about Jesus.

-Know the basic components of the gospel in Romans (man's sinfulness, God's grace, the death of Christ, righteousness as a gift, and we receive it by faith).

-Know the three components of biblical faith (proper object, knowledge, and response)

ROMANS IN A SENTENCE: Romans is the book that tells us that God in his mercy sent Christ to be righteous in our place, and now he offers us that righteousness as a gift by faith

Philippians

Author: Paul the Apostle (Pauline authorship of Philippians is undisputed. Paul's theology is, however, more comprehensively formulated in the prison epistles, and his writing shows signs of maturity. His writing in the prison epistles also reflects a much more established church situation)

Date & Provenance: Philippians, along with Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, was written while Paul was in prison, either in Caesarea or, more likely, Rome. These prison epistles clearly demonstrate Paul's captivity, but they are optimistic. Paul was expecting to be released in the near future. Thus near the end of the first Roman imprisonment (AD 59) is probably the best suggestion for the timing of their writing. If the conclusions above about the date are correct, then Paul most likely wrote Philippians while he was under house arrest in Caesarea or, more likely, Rome.

Purpose: Paul's letter to the Philippians has several pastoral concerns: a call to unity, a concern for false teachers, and a thank you for the gift the Philippians gave to help the poor saints in Jerusalem. Paul's letter also has more than a few personal concerns. First, Paul wants to update the Philippians on his circumstances and on the health of Epaphroditus. Paul wants the Philippians to be encouraged by his current circumstances even though he is in prison and Paul wants the Philippians to be encouraged by the fact that Epaphroditus' health has improved. Second, Paul wants to commend Timothy to them, so they will receive Timothy when he comes to prepare them for Paul's visit(Know that the authorship, date, and provenance for all four of the prison epistles (Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon) are the same)

-Know the basics of the description of Jesus in Philippians 2 (Jesus was God. He became a human being in the person of Jesus. He died for our sins, and ascended into heaven.)

(a city in Macedonia/modern day Greece)

PHILIPPIANS IN A SENTENCE: Philippians is the book that tells us that Christians are to be unified in our mission so that we may live lives worthy of Christ.

Ephesians

Author: Paul the apostle (some think it is a forgery, but ample evidence)

Date & Provenance: Ephesians, along with Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, was written while Paul was in prison, either in Caesarea or, more likely, Rome. These prison epistles clearly demonstrate Paul's captivity, but they are optimistic. Paul was expecting to be released in the near future. Thus near the end of the first Roman imprisonment AD 59 is probably the best suggestion for the timing of their writing.If the conclusions above about the date are correct, then Paul most likely wrote Ephesians while he was under house arrest in Caesarea or, more likely, Rome

Purpose: Ephesians is an important statement of the gospel, but its occasion is not readily evident. Some scholars have suggested that perhaps Ephesians was designed to circulate among many churches, and that's why it doesn't appear to them to address any particular problems in any particular church. (we know what it's about, we just don't know the OCCASION...why did the author write it?)

-Know that Ephesians is the Prison Epistle with no clear occasion. "generic"

-Know that the authorship, date, and provenance for all four of the prison epistles (Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon) are the same.

-Know the basics of the "adoption" metaphor that Paul uses in Ephesians.

-Know that Ephesians has that extensive section on Christian relationship

(modern day Asia minor (Turkey)

EPHESIANS IN A SENTENCE: Ephesians is the book that tells us that if we believe in Jesus we have been adopted into God's family

Colossians

Author: Paul the Apostle (some think it is a forgery, but ample evidence)

Date & Provenance: Colossians, along with Philippians, Ephesians, and Philemon, was written while Paul was in prison, either in Caesarea or, more likely, Rome. These prison epistles clearly demonstrate Paul's captivity, but they are optimistic. Paul was expecting to be released in the near future. Thus near the end of the first Roman imprisonment (AD 59) is probably the best suggestion for the timing of their writing. If the conclusions above about the date are correct, then Paul most likely wrote Colossians while he was under house arrest in Caesarea or, more likely, Rome.

Purpose: Paul had tremendous concern for the Colossians. A church had been planted there by lay-missionaries, led by Epaphras, from Ephesus. Paul had heard great things about the church, but because he had never been there to teach them himself, he was worried about them. Paul knew that there were many cultural voices in Colossae that were contrary to the gospel—Greek philosophy, gnosticism, Jewish mysticism, mystery cults, asceticism, etc. Paul wanted to be sure the Colossians were grounded in their faith, so they could properly filter out those voices and live a life worthy of the gospel. In other words, because Paul couldn't be there to teach them, he wanted them to be self-theologizing.-Only church Paul had never been to

-Know that though your textbook says "false teachers" for the occasion, this isn't a specific group of false teachers in the church as in Galatians.

-Know that the authorship, date, and provenance for all four of the prison epistles (Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon) are the same

(Modern day Asia minor/Turkey)

COLOSSIANS IN A SENTENCE: Colossians is the book that tells us we have to submit every thought, idea, and piece of our culture to the truth of the gospel of Jesus

Philemon

Author: Paul the apostle (clearly)

Date & Provenance: Philemon, along with Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians was written while Paul was in prison, either in Caesarea or, more likely, Rome. Thus near the end of the first Roman imprisonment AD 59 is probably the best suggestion for the timing of their writing. The personal details between Colossians and Philemon may suggest that Philemon was written before Colossians. If the conclusions above about the date are correct, then Paul most likely wrote Philemon while he was under house arrest in Caesarea or, more likely, Rome, some months before he wrote Colossians.

Purpose: Philemon was the Colossian owner of the runaway slave named Onesimus. Onesimus apparently robbed Philemon and then ran away. Divine providence brought Onesimus to Paul while Paul was still under house arrest. Paul led Onesimus to Christ, and Onesimus became a lay minister of the gospel and helper of Paul. When Paul found out about Onesimus' past, under Roman law, Paul had two options for how to deal with a known runaway slave: 1) sell the slave and send the money to Philemon as compensation or 2) send the slave back. Paul opted for the latter, and sent Onesimus back to Philemon with this letter. In the letter Paul never mentions manumission of Onesimus. He does, however, demand his treatment as a brother. Philemon is to receive Onesimus as he would receive Paul. The implication is that Philemon was to free Onesimus.

Destination: Philemon (in Colossae)

-Know that the authorship, date, and provenance for all four of the prison epistles (Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon) are the same.

-Know the basic story of the slave owner and the slave and what Paul told Philemon to do and why

PHILEMON IN A SENTENCE: Philemon is the book that tells us that we should always view other human beings through the lens of the gospel of Jesus

Major Categories in the New Testament

-Gospels

-Letters written on missionary journeys:

1st missionary journey: Galatians

2nd: 1st & 2nd Thessalonians

3rd: 1st & 2nd Corinthians and Romans

-Prison letters: Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon

-Pastoral Epistles: 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus

-The General Epistles and Revelation: Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, Jude, 1-3 John, Revelation