Acts and Epistles Semester 2 Review
Quarta Religion Semester II 2026 REVIEW
1 CORINTHIANS
The city of Corinth
Theme: BECAUSE OF CHRIST
A. Location and importance
• Crossroads of the north-south trade route and the east-west trade route
• Two excellent harbors
• Population over 500,000 (slave and free), 4th largest city in the Roman empire
• Extremely prosperous and wealthy
The congregation at Corinth
• Founded on Paul's second mission journey
• Paul's initial stay with Aquila and Priscilla
• After opposition, Paul stays with Titius Justus for 18 months
• Gallio, the local Roman governor, gives Christianity a legal right to exist with the protection of Roman law; Corinth was one of the few places in which Christians faced no serious persecution from those outside the church.
• Apollos later arrived and served as the pastor of the congregation
Romans
Theme RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD
Date and place
Near the end of Paul’s third missionary journey (A.D. 57)
Written in Corinth
The congregation in Rome
Groups of Christians that met in private homes.
Mostly Gentiles, but also some Jews
Teaches the basic doctrines of Christianity
Righteousness - Man’s lack of righteousness, God’s gift of righteousness, living a life of righteousness
1 TIMOTHY
Theme: FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT
Recipient: Timothy
Timothy was a young man from Lystra when he joined Paul’s mission team on the second mission journey. From that time on he rarely left Paul’s side and proved to be a very beneficial companion. When Paul needed to send a trustworthy man to deliver a message or check up on a congregation, he often sent Timothy. Timothy was also in Rome for at least part of Paul’s first imprisonment. After that imprisonment, Paul placed him in charge of the congregation in the important city of Ephesus.
Reason for writing: Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus and was not certain when he would next be able to visit. Therefore, he wrote this letter to give Timothy advice and instructions about carrying out the work of the ministry and how to oppose false teachers and guide the people of the congregation.
1 PETER
Theme: HOPE IN CHRIST
Recipients: Christians in Rome undergoing persecution
Reason for writing: Christians in Asia Minor were facing persecution just like Christians everywhere at this time. Paul may have been on his journey to Spain at this time, so Peter took the opportunity to write, probably from Rome. He wrote to encourage those undergoing persecution.
1 JOHN
Theme: GOD’S GIVES ABSOLUTE TRUTH
Recipients: Christians in Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus
Reason for writing: The believers in and around Ephesus were mature Christians with a deep understanding of doctrine, so John could write about more complex issues. In this letter he writes against a heresy called “Gnosticism,” and gives the readers assurance of salvation.
TITUS
Recipient: Titus
Theme: DO WHAT IS GOOD
Titus was another young pastor who proved valuable to Paul during his mission journeys. After Paul was released from his first imprisonment in Rome, he set out on another mission journey that included a stop on the island of Crete. He left Titus in charge of the congregation there to continue organizing it and to correct troublemakers.
Reason for writing: Titus was not as young as Timothy, but he was left in a difficult situation on Crete and would certainly welcome any words of advice and encouragement that the apostle Paul could give him. Paul wrote to Titus to guide, instruct, and warn him as he finished the work Paul had started.
COLOSSIANS
Theme: CHRIST IS SUFFICIENT
Recipients: The congregation in Colosse - Locate it on a map.
This congregation is not mentioned in the book of Acts. It was probably not founded by Paul, but rather by a man named Epaphras . He is mentioned 3 times in Paul’s writings. What character sketch can you put together based on these references?
This letter was delivered by Tychicus, who also carried the letters to Philemon and the Ephesians. Find 5 Bible references to him and write them here.
Reason for writing: Paul was writing to combat a specific heresy. This false teaching in Colossae used Christian terms, but it combined elements of Judaism and paganism.
Can you think of any false religions in our day that use Christian terms but are not Christian?
Quarta Religion list of basic terms to know:
Gentiles anyone not Jewish by birth
Righteousness the perfection that God demands / provides
Minister one who serves
Salvation the state of being saved
Predestined chosen by God for salvation / a gospel teaching
Sanctify the call to faith and then to live in faith
Justify to declare not guilty
Sanctification living your life in love for God
Means of grace a vehicle / method by which God gives us His grace
gospel in Word and sacrament
Dead to sin the effect of conversion
Dead in sin man’s state without Jesus / before conversion
Natural knowledge of God what we can know about God from the world around us
The foolishness of God The way God’s plan of salvation appears to the unbeliever
Universal justification the fact that Jesus paid for the sins of all people of all time
Universalism the false idea that all people will be saved in the end
Tongues understandable language
Total depravity complete moral corruption
Absolute truth something that is always true i.e.truths based upon God’s
Word
Relative truth a “truth” based upon an individual’s worldview
(biblical) Prophecy speaking God’s Word
“Different gospel” a work righteous “good news” / no gospel at all
Legalism demanding certain works to be considered a Christian
Judaizer those who required circumcision of Christians
Giving offense leading someone into sin by your words or actions
The mystery of God God provides the same way to be saved for Jew and
gentile
Adiaphora something neither commanded or forbidden by God
Conscience an inner voice that guides us (not always correct)
Christian freedom freedom to and freedom from; because I can doesn’t mean
I have to or always will
The seal of the Holy Spirit faith in Jesus
Holy without sin
Persistent errorist someone refusing to turn from a particular sin
The moral law God’s commands that never change - 10 Commandments
Elder in the NT church pastor
The body of Christ all believers; the holy Christin Church
Ceremonial law The OT laws dealing with things like worship and sacrifice
Doxology a hymn of praise
Clique a snobbish group of friends
Atheist someone who says there is no god
Agnostic someone unsure if there is a god
Scriptural principles what we “know for sure” help us answer questions
Gnostic 1st century heretic who doubted the person of Christ
Scriptural divorce allowed in cases of sexual immorality / malicious desertion
Romans The righteousness from God
I Timothy Fight the good fight
I Corinthians Because of Christ
Titus Do what is good
I Peter Hope in Christ
I John God gives absolute truth
Ephesians The Church is the Body of Christ
Colossians Christ is Sufficient