REL 105 - Chapter 7: Letters of Paul

Overview of the letters

* Most written by a scribe (Galatians 6:11)
* Written to the community
* Don’t be using the law to fit in with an accepted religion to avoid persecution

Seven undisputed letters

* All believed to be written by Paul
* Similar vocabulary, style, and theology
* Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon, 1 Thessalonians, Galatians

Six disputed letters

* Not fully written by Paul - Maybe on his behalf after he died
* Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians
* Pastoral letters
* How to manage a church

Paul’s epistles are …

* Occasional documents
* You have to think about the culture of the place they’re written to
* Ancient documents
* Again, you have to think about the culture of the time

Historical context of Paul’s letters

* Locale of the recipents
* What are the issues and concerns facing that church?
* You can read that right in the text or from Bible dictionaries

Literary context of Paul’s letters

* Read the whole letter
* Think paragraphs: content and context