final study guide

needed for each book:

*is the letter disputed/why?

*date the letter was written

*place written/details, if known

*makeup of church(es)/audience

*purpose of writing, structure of book

*any textual issues

*key themes/concepts

(see gospels/other exam notes for more details)

𝓂𝒶𝓉𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓌 😇

author: traditionally apostle matthew (aka levi/tax collector)

• disputed due to his views on jews, age at writing time, languages spoken, etc

date: 60s-80s ad, written after mark

audience: jewish christians (w/universal outlook)

purpose: encourage persecuted christians

themes:

• Jesus as messiah/king, teacher

• prophecy fulfilled in Him

• importance of heart attitudes

• discipleship

• confrontation/conflict with religious leaders

• wisdom/authority of Jesus

• supernatural intervention

• some gentile/universal outlook

𝓂𝒶𝓇𝓀 🦁

author: anonymous, traditionally john mark (companion of paul and barnabas)

date: around 60s ad, during/before jewish war

audience: gentile christians in rome (?)

purpose: convince audience that Jesus is the Messiah

themes:

• identity of Jesus misunderstood

• Christ’s raw emotions

𝓁𝓊𝓀𝑒 🐂

author: traditionally apostle luke → also author of acts!

date: late 60s-early 90s, depending on date of mark

audience: theophilus

purpose: gives an orderly account so theophilus can know with certainty what is true

themes:

• Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises

• promised restorer

  • heals the sick

  • helps the poor

  • restores those w/little social status

• journey motif → to jerusalem

• temple

• Holy Spirit

• prayer, witnesses

• universal gospel

• ascension of Christ

𝒿𝑜𝒽𝓃 🦅

author: apostle john (disputed, like others)

date: end of 1st century → ephesus

audience: ?

purpose: help others believe Christ is the Messiah

themes:

• light and darkness

• the relationship between the Father and the Son

  • Son’s authority comes from the Father

• kindness of Jesus vs the harshness of the jewish leaders

• good shepherd and his sheep vs hired workers and robbers

• Jesus the Word of God

𝒶𝒸𝓉𝓈 ⛪

author: luke (not specifically named in text)

date: early 60s, more likely 70s/80s

audience: theophilus

purpose: a faithful account of the fulfillment of God’s plan

• apology for christianity and/or paul

themes:

• salvation, Holy Spirit

• jerusalem as center from which gospel spreads to the rest of the world

• unity of jews and gentiles

𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓈 ✝

author: paul (undisputed)

date: 57 ad → corinth

audience: gentile christians in rome

• house churches

• mostly current/former slaves

purpose: concerns about jew-gentile relations

• paul’s upcoming missionary journey to spain

• his desire to visit rome

• prayer for his trip to jerusalem

themes:

• the old and new lives compared

• God’s faithfulness to his promises

• human sin vs God’s solution

• being a living sacrifice

𝟣 𝒸𝑜𝓇𝒾𝓃𝓉𝒽𝒾𝒶𝓃𝓈 🥀

author: paul (undisputed), sosthenes

date: 55 ad → ephesus

• during 3rd missionary journey

audience: mostly gentile church

• paul founded corinthian church

• social strife

• several rich patrons, most others were poorer

• moral issues

purpose: correct members’ extreme views (?)

themes:

• wisdom of God is foolishness to the world

• finding a balance between libertine and ascetic beliefs

• importance of sexual morality

• knowledge vs love → don’t cause anyone to stumble!

• monotheistic emphasis (pagan rituals don’t really affect food etc)

• propriety in worship

  • interdependence of man and woman

• spiritual gifts and unity of body of Christ

• bodily resurrection of dead

• Christ’s ultimate triumph and reign w/God

𝟤 𝒸𝑜𝓇𝒾𝓃𝓉𝒽𝒾𝒶𝓃𝓈 💪🏻

author: paul (undisputed), timothy

date: a few months after 1 cor → 55 ad

audience: see 1 cor

purpose: rejoice in corinthians’ repentance

• appeal for collection for poor in jerusalem

• defend his apostolic authority

themes:

• reconciliation with God

• worldly grief vs godly grief

• accountability

• giving is a privilege, not an obligation

• God is strong in paul’s weakness

𝑔𝒶𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝒶𝓃𝓈 ⛓‍💥

author: paul (undisputed)

date: probably 48-49 ad

• north galatia → acts 15 = gal 2 → 56 ad

• south galatia → gal 2 = acts 11 → 48-49 ad

audience: gentile christians influenced by judaizers

purpose: rebuke heresy in galatian church

• encourage audience to live a holy life in the Spirit

• defend paul’s apostleship

themes:

• justification by grace through faith → NOT WORKS OF LAW

  • law was never meant to save God’s people, only point out their sin

• the role of the Spirit in a believer’s life

• paul’s apostleship is from God

𝑒𝓅𝒽𝑒𝓈𝒾𝒶𝓃𝓈 🛡

author: paul (disputed)

• very similar content to colossians

• differences in theology, grammar, style

date: ~61 ad if paul → roman imprisonment

• if pseudonymous, late 1st century

audience: gentile christians

• ephesians is likely a circular letter sent to churches across asia minor

purpose: reveal mystery of Christ

• reinforce salvation by faith and themes of unity among all believers

  • power of God

themes:

• gospel unites jew and gentile

• lordship of Christ

  • head of the church

• salvation by faith

• unity!!

• armor of God for the body of Christ

• power of God

𝓅𝒽𝒾𝓁𝒾𝓅𝓅𝒾𝒶𝓃𝓈 ☀

author: paul (undisputed), timothy

date: ~62 ad, assuming it was written from rome

audience: mostly gentile church

• many prominent women and generous donors

purpose: urge philippians to turn away from judaizers

• encourage unity

• encourage believers to stand firm in midst of persecution

• thank them for their gifts

themes:

• joy

• permanence of Jesus’ reign over current circumstances

• kenosis (self-emptying) of Christ

• humility and service

• EVERYTHING is loss compared to the privilege of knowing Christ

• growth and sanctification

𝒸𝑜𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓈𝒾𝒶𝓃𝓈 👗

author: paul (disputed), timothy

• differing language, theology from other letters

• v similar to ephesians

date: early 60 ad → roman imprisonment

• if pseudonymous, 80s/90s ad

audience: mostly gentile church

• congregation stable and growing

• paul had not visited; church was founded by epaphras

purpose: combat heresy beginning to make its way into the colossian church

themes:

• supremacy of Christ

• new life in Jesus

• renewal of the mind

• clothing oneself with holiness

𝟣 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒶𝓁𝑜𝓃𝒾𝒶𝓃𝓈 ☁

author: paul (undisputed), silas, timothy

date: 51 ad → corinth

audience: gentiles

• church founded by paul on his 2nd missionary journey

purpose: celebrate thessalonians’ faith in the midst of persecution

• remind church of his previous teachings

• clarify details of end times

themes:

• faith amidst persecution/difficulty

• the thessalonians’ relationship w/paul

• discussion of ethics

• details of Christ’s return

𝟤 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒶𝓁𝑜𝓃𝒾𝒶𝓃𝓈 🔥

author: paul (disputed), silas, timothy

• different tone and eschatology between the two letters

date: 52 ad → corinth if genuine

• if fake, 80s ad

audience: see 1 thess

purpose: encouragement to remain faithful despite persecution

• clarify teaching on end times

• warning to avoid idleness

themes:

• diligence/persistence in work and faith

𝟣 & 𝟤 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒽𝓎, 𝓉𝒾𝓉𝓊𝓈 📖

(pastoral epistles)

author: paul

• most scholars believe all (but 2 tim?) are pseudonymous

date: if pauline, 62-64 ad

• if fake, late 1st century

audience: timothy in ephesus, titus on crete

purpose: give advice on handling congregations

• combat false doctrine

• 2 timothy is paul’s farewell

themes:

• battling false doctrine

• requirements for church officers

• ethics

• role of the Spirit to inspire and empower

𝓅𝒽𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓃 🏛

author: paul

date: ?

• roman imprisonment

audience: philemon → slave owner in colossae

purpose: encourage philemon to take back his slave onesimus favorably

themes: respectful behavior towards all regardless of status

𝒽𝑒𝒷𝓇𝑒𝓌𝓈 🍇

author: none given

• well-educated w/very good greek; knowledge of rhetoric and jewish exegesis

• not an eyewitness of Christ

• speculated to be paul, barnabas, priscilla, apollos, etc

date: could be before 70 ad, must be before 96 ad

• written from jerusalem or rome?

audience: unknown

• author did have a specific community in mind

• spiritually immature

• backsliding; had been faithful amidst past persecution

purpose: encourage the hebrews to maintain a stronger faith

themes:

• superiority of Christ

  • greater than prophets, angels, moses, joshua, high priests, and any aspect of jewish religious system

• exhortation to faith

  • heroes of the faith

• apostasy is possible ^-^

𝒿𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓈 👷🏻‍♂️

author: probably Jesus’ half-brother james

• leader of jerusalem church

date: before 62 ad (james’ death), probably 50s → jerusalem

audience: jews throughout diaspora

purpose: instruct believers in how to live out the gospel

themes:

• trials and Christian maturity

• true faith seen through its works

• addressing dissensions in community

𝟣 𝓅𝑒𝓉𝑒𝓇 🌟

author: apostle peter (disputed)

date: early 60s → rome

audience: gentile christians in asia minor

purpose: encouragement in midst of persecution

themes:

• blessings of life in Jesus

• call to holiness

• living in harmony

• believers as royal priesthood

• submission to gov’t authorities

• acceptance of suffering

• exhortations to slaves, wives, husbands

𝟤 𝓅𝑒𝓉𝑒𝓇 🔎

author: peter (disputed)

date: 60s if petrine → probably rome

• 80s-90s if pseudonymous

audience: undesignated churches, probably same as 1 peter

• churches were familiar with paul’s letters

purpose: combat h̷̢̪̲͋͆͛̽̏e̶̹̙̜̩̩͚̣͝ŗ̷̫̦̤̩̮̮͐̾͑͑̅̄͐̿̂̀e̸̞̹̩͙̻̣̋̀́ś̸̭͖̮̥͕̘̦͒͒̆̈́̍̐̂̓̕ý̷̦̝̬̞̥̦̣̠͍̓͌̓͒̚͝͝

themes:

• call to persevere in holiness

• refutation of heresy

• apology for delay of parousia

• call to live a blameless life

𝟣, 𝟤, 𝟥 𝒿𝑜𝒽𝓃 💗

author: traditionally, author of the gospel of john (disputed)

• 2 & 3 john → “the elder”

• 1 john may have a different author (anonymous)

• letters could be thoughts compiled by johannine community

date: ~90-110 ad

audience: churches within johannine community

purpose: strengthen divided churches within john’s following

themes:

• Christ is both fully divine and fully human (came in flesh!)

• walking as children of light

• love → God’s defining attribute

𝒿𝓊𝒹𝑒 🐐

author: jude, half-brother of Jesus (disputed)

date: 50s ad if authentic

• 80s or so if pseudonymous

audience: probably jewish christians

• author quotes jewish pseudepigrapha

purpose: battle heresy

• heretics rejected church leaders

• immoral

• greedy

themes:

• sovereignty of Jesus

• imminent expectation of parousia

• ethics are necessary

𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 🐉

author: john

• could be author of gospel and epistles, could be another john

date: ~96 ad → patmos

audience: 7 churches in asia

• pergamum, smyrna, thyatira, sardis, ephesus, philadelphia, and laodicea but you don’t need to know that

purpose: encourage christians that God has everything in control & will conquer his enemies

• exhort readers to stay exclusive and faithful to Jesus

themes:

• repetition of number 7

• corruption of society

• God will bring judgment → stay faithful!

𝖈𝖍𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖞

𝔩𝔞𝔱𝔢 40𝔰/𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔩𝔶 50𝔰

• galatians (s. gal theory)

• 1 thessalonians

• 2 thessalonians

𝔪𝔦𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔩𝔞𝔱𝔢 50𝔰

• 1 corinthians

• 2 corinthians

• galatians (n. gal theory)

• romans

• james

• jude

𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔩𝔶 60𝔰

• colossians

• ephesians

• philemon

• philippians

• 1 timothy

• 2 timothy

• 1 peter

• 2 peter

• hebrews (early date)

𝔪𝔦𝔡 60𝔰

• gospel of mark

70𝔰/80𝔰

• gospel of matthew

• gospel of luke

• acts of the apostles

• hebrews (late date)

80𝔰-90𝔰

• any pseudonymous books → 2 thess, james, jude, colossians, ephesians, 1 tim, titus, 2 tim, 1 peter, 2 peter

90𝔰

• gospel of john

• revelation

90𝔰-110

• 1 john

• 2 john

• 3 john

ꪶꪮᥴꪖꪻ꠸ꪮꪀ

corinth

• 3rd largest city in roman empire (after rome, alexandria)

• controlled nearby waterways → monopolized shipping industry

• reputation for immorality

• temples to many gods/goddesses

rome

• pop. 1 million

  • 40,000-50,000 jews in city

• jews had some legal protections but were expelled at least twice

  • 49 ad → claudius expels jewish leaders for fighting over “chrestus”; they return in 55

• many gentile God-fearers and proselytes (semi-converts)

colossae

• known for its textile industry

philippi

• roman military colony