BIB-114 Exam 2 Study Guide

Exam Overview

• Course: BIB 114/HUM 114 New Testament

• Professor: Seth M. Rodriquez, Ph.D.

• Focus: Lecture notes, Study Maps handout

Key Content Areas

• Books to Study:

  • Acts

  • Colossians

  • Romans

  • 1 Thessalonians

  • 1 Corinthians

  • 2 Thessalonians

  • 2 Corinthians

  • 1 Timothy

  • Galatians

  • Titus

  • Ephesians

  • 2 Timothy

  • Philippians

  • Philemon

Essential Study Topics

• Acts:

  • Basic storyline: The Church Comes into Existence in Jerusalem, the Church’s Witness Spreads to Judea and Samaria, the Church’s Witness Spreads to the Ends of the Earth

  • Occasions of writing: written by Luke after he wrote his gospel, a follow-up to Luke’s gospel, explaining how the apostles carried out the work of Jesus’s earthly ministry and how the Church rose and spread across the Roman Empire. The Roman officials allowed the Church to carry out its work and even helped them sometimes

  • Role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' ministry and church: the Holy Spirit was involved in Jesus’ incarnation, descended on Jesus at His baptism, Jesus did His works by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was said to be full of the Spirit, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to his disciples

  • Peter and the keys to the kingdom: Peter was the leader of the apostles when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the first Jewish believers at the Day of Pentecost, believers in Samaria first received the Holy Spirit when Peter and John laid hands on them, God gave Peter a vision of clean and unclean animals and Peter shares the gospel with Cornelius and the Holy Spirit falls on all who hear the word

  • Salvation from sin according to Acts: Salvation is given to those who believe in Jesus (confident about what the Bible teaches and obedience to Jesus’ commands) and repenting from sin (turning beliefs, behavior, and allegiance)

• Paul’s Missionary Journeys:

  • General overview of the three missionary journeys: see essay prompt

    • First Journey

    • Second Journey

    • Third Journey

  • Last journey recorded in Acts: significant events

Letters of Paul

• Prison Epistles: Identify letters written during imprisonment.

  • Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon

• Pastoral Epistles: Identify letters written to pastoral figures.

  • 1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Timothy

Main Ideas of Paul’s Epistles

• Romans: the basic doctrines of the Christian faith, the gospel, how to live faithfully as a Christian (GOSPEL)

• 1 Corinthians: a wide variety of theological and practical issues that are relevant to the Christian life today (LOVE)

• 2 Corinthians: defending himself against false teachers and encouraging the church to continue collecting the funds to send to persecuted believers in Jerusalem (MINISTRY & GLORY)

• Ephesians: thanking God for the faith of the believers in Ephesus, reminding them of basic doctrines, and providing instruction on basic practices (HEAVENLY PLACES)

• Galatians: to counter the Judaizers teaching that the Law of Moses is necessary for salvation, emphasizing grace through faith (LAW)

• Philippians: a personal letter to the church at Philippi, thanking them for support and concern, encouraging them to rejoice in everything and serve each other humbly (TO THINK, MIND, HAVE A CERTAIN ATTITUDE)

• Colossians: correcting a false teaching, emphasizing the preeminence of Christ, the futility of works, urging them to lead holy lives (PREEMINENCE)

• 1 Thessalonians: assure the church of his love for them and correct a misunderstanding about the second coming of Christ (SANCTIFICATION)

• 2 Thessalonians: correct additional false teachings about the coming of Christ that confused and distressed other believers (LAWLESSNESS)

• 1 Timothy: written to Timothy to encourage him to press on and give him instructions on how the Ephesian church should function (FIGHT)

• 2 Timothy: written about the departure from the truth in Ephesian church (BE STRONG)

• Titus: provide instructions about church organization and practice (GOOD WORKS)

• Philemon: exhortation for Philemon to forgive his runaway slave Onesimus and accept him as a brother (BROTHER)

• Outline of Romans: Familiarize with main headings (not subheadings).

  • Salvation (Romans 1-8)

  • Israel (Romans 9-11)

  • The Christian Life (Romans 12-16)

Justification and Salvation

• Understand what justification involves (not just forgiveness): forgiveness of sin and imputation of righteousness

• Romans 7 in relation to Romans 8: Romans 7 talks about how Christians will still struggle with sin everyday, BUT Romans 8 describes the position of every Christian, which will never change because Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to us

• Addressing God’s plan for Israel in Romans: new believers would question God’s plan for Israel, His chosen people (Israel’s rejection of the Messiah, attempt to establish their own righteousness, Israel’s bright future)

Specific Issues in 1 Corinthians

• Sexual Practices: Issues faced; general teaching derived.

  • Specific issues: permitting sexual immorality because of freedom in Christ, cultic prostitution in Greek temples, questions about marriage/divorce, questions about proper sexual practices within marriage, should Christians marry?

  • General issues: Christians not exempt from sexual sin, some take things too far and some are too restricted

  • Teaching: Christians should follow God’s standard of sexual purity (within a committed marriage), though marriage isn’t for everyone

• Food Offered to Idols: Specific church issues and teachings.

  • Specific issue: should Christians eat meat offered to idols in the temple? (mature believers vs new believers)

  • General issue: how should mature believers interact with those who are weaker in their faith?

  • Teaching: mature believers are correct that eating this meat is okay, but confronts them about their lack of love toward weaker believers (all things are lawful, but not all things are helpful), build up your brother or sister before you exercise your freedom in Christ

• Resurrection: Issues around resurrection teachings.

  • Specific issue: some believed that there would be no resurrection

  • General issue: the doctrine of resurrection is critical to the Gospel

  • Teaching: Christ has risen from the dead, and His followers will be resurrected at the End Times in resurrection bodies (gives us peace and hope)

• 1 Corinthians 13 (Love Chapter): Context and surrounding topics.

  • Love in the context of spiritual gifts

  • every other spiritual gift is meaningless without love

Authority and Empowerment in 2 Corinthians

• Describe the Christian's work as per Paul’s teachings in 2 Corinthians 5.

  • Christians are ambassadors for God, reconciling two enemy parties

  • Christian’s are sent by the King of Heaven to deliver a message of peace (GOD’s message)

• Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” and insights on prayer and divine response.

  • Paul’s thorn in the flesh is used by God to keep him humble

  • God doesn’t always answer yes, but uses His “no” to reveal His own purposes in our lives

Challenges in Galatians

• Problem prompting Galatians’ writing; Paul’s emphasis in response.

  • Issue: Judaizers teaching that the Mosaic Law is required for salvation

  • Salvation is by grace through faith, not the law (circumcision as an example)

• Salvation and living the Christian life dynamics as described.

  • Salvation is by grace through faith

  • Live out the Christian life through the power of the Holy Spirit

• Use of Old Testament examples in Romans and Galatians.

  • Paul uses Abraham as an example of being declared righteous by faith

  • Abraham was saved by faith before the law, therefore the law cannot make people righteous

• Purpose of the Mosaic Law in Galatians.

  • the law was given to show that people are sinful and need a savior

Concepts in Paul’s Theology

• “In Christ” phrase usage revisited (individually and corporately)

  • God’s Eternal Plan

  • During Christ’s life on earth

  • we have died and been raised with Christ

  • we have new life in Christ

  • all our actions can be down in Christ

  • all Christians make up one body in Christ

• Mystery: Clarifying Paul’s use of the term.

  • something that was previously hidden in the OT but has now been revealed in the NT period

  • doctrines: hardening of the hearts of the Jews (rejecting the Messiah), resurrection body at the return of Christ, Gentiles can have salvation by the Jewish Messiah, Christ Himself, incarnation and ascension of Jesus

Circumstances of Paul’s letters

• Philippians: Event prompting this epistle and emphasis: Paul planted the church at Philippi on his Second Missionary Journey and sent Epaphroditus with the letter and financial support, emphasizes that believers can experience living out the mind of Christ with the body of Christ

  • When Paul encouraged the church at Philippi to have the same mind as Christ Jesus, what characteristic of Jesus was he calling them to imitate?

    • imitate the humility of Christ

  • Based on what he writes in Philippians 3:7-21, did Paul consider himself to be a perfect Christian? In light of that, how did he live his life?

    • did not consider himself perfect, but pursued resurrection and eternal rewards, setting his mind on true citizenship

• Colossians: False teaching about the importance of circumcision, kosher food, the Sabbath, laws of purification, worshipping angels, and asceticism

  • As he was combating this false teaching, what did Paul teach the Colossians about Jesus?

    • taught that Jesus fulfills the law and is seated higher than any angel and that we have died to the things of this world though Him (power to overcome sin)

• Ephesians & Colossians: Key concepts for living the Christian life.

  • “put off” the old self and “put on” the new self

  • we are new creatures in Jesus

Evangelism and Second Coming of Christ

• 1 Thessalonians: Evangelism strategy outlined.

  • good works and a holy lifestyle should be a testimony to the truthfulness of the Gospel

  • Paul and Timothy set the example of working to support themselves so that they didn’t burden people in Thessalonica

  • Christians should be model citizens; the way you live your life affects others and what they think about Jesus

• Teachings about the Second Coming

  • 1 Thessalonians: dead Christians have “fallen asleep”, the dead will be resurrected at Christ’s return with new bodies, it will come like a thief in the night, sudden destruction for unbelievers, because of this we have an everlasting hope

  • 2 Thessalonians: the “man of lawlessness” (empowered by Satan) will come first, Jesus will defeat the man when He returns

Pastoral Guidance in Timothy and Titus

• First Letter to Timothy: Circumstances and concerns.

  • Paul met Timothy on his second missionary journey in Lystra, and Timothy was an apprentice to Paul

  • Paul placed Timothy over the Church at Ephesus

• Letter to Titus: Circumstances addressed

  • Paul left Titus on the island of Crete, helping a brand new church get off the ground

  • Titus accompanied Paul of various journeys and assisted him in various ways

    • Roles of elders and deacons in the church context

• Second Letter to Timothy: Circumstances and concluding truths about Christian life.

  • farewell letter, Paul knows his execution is drawing near and wanted to pass on his knowledge to future generations

  • the Christian life is fight

  • the Christian life requires endurance

  • the Christian life requires faithfulness to Jesus

Slavery Context

• Contrast between Roman slavery and U.S. slavery.

  • Roman law believed slaves to be people, but were economically significant as property. They had more opportunity for social advancement than peasants and could work for freedom

  • US slave owners did not want their slaves to be Christian, lest Biblical ideas compel their freedom

• Philemon: Teachings about slavery within the Christian context.

  • practically eliminated slavery between Christian masters and Christian slaves

  • treat a slave as a brother, no longer treat him as a slave

  • eliminate harsh practices by slave owners