The next several books we will study were written by Paul. He wrote 13 of our New Testament books including Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Romans, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon, 1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus.
There are only 27 books in the New Testament, so Paul wrote almost half of them. That’s why we need to know who he was and why we should put so much stock in what he had to say.
Without some knowledge of the circumstances, the motives, and the addresses, from which Paul writes, his letters would be difficult to understand. However, once you understand the situation in which the letters were written, his message becomes clearer.
Paul was born around AD 10. Most scholars think he was born just prior to the time Jesus visited the temple as a boy of 12. He was a Jew by birth and was born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia (now a part of Turkey).
Tarsus was famous for its university, its gymnasium, theatre, art school, and stadium. Within this environment of typically Greek institutions, Paul grew up to speak and think in the colloquial Greek of the eastern Mediterranean. Tarsus was a provincial capital of the Roman Empire, so his Roman citizenship gave Paul the right to vote, exemption of degrading punishments, the right to appeal to the emperor himself, and dignity. He was extremely proud of being a Roman citizen.
Yet above all, he was a Jew. He retained a deep and abiding love for his kinsmen by race up until the end of his life. He was the son of a devout Jew and proclaimed himself to be of pure Jewish blood, ‘a Hebrew born of Hebrews’. He was a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
He grew up exposed to both his family’s Jewish religious heritage and the non-Jewish culture around him. He had a strict upbringing and his education was based almost entirely on the Old Testament scriptures as he was being groomed to be a rabbi. At the age of 18, about the year AD 28, he went to Jerusalem and studied Judaism under the famous rabbi Gamaliel, who was a member of the Sanhedrin. It is thought Paul probably lived with his sister while in Jerusalem attending school. He must have been a good student of the scriptures because his letters include some 200 scriptural quotations.
So here he was:
---a Roman citizen with a Greek culture and a Jewish faith.
He was described by a writer from the 2nd century, Onesiphoros (o nay see’ for us) as being rather small in size, bald-headed, bow-legged, with eyebrows that met in the middle, and a large, red, and somewhat hooked nose. Obviously not a handsome man by today's standards.
Yet, Onesiphoros went on to say Paul was strongly built and full of grace, for “at times he looked like a man, at times like an angel.”
While in Jerusalem, Paul met Jews who had become Christians and they believed that Jesus, who recently had been crucified, was the Messiah, the promised Savior of the Jews.
Paul began to persecute these Jews because their beliefs and behavior offended him. He rejected the Messiahship of Jesus and was commissioned by the high priest to travel north and arrest any followers of “The Way” he could find. So Paul set out for Damascus, filled with a fanatical determination to defend the honor of God and to destroy this heresy.
But as he traveled to Damascus, Paul encountered the risen Christ.
But as he traveled to Damascus, Paul encountered the risen Christ.
His amazing conversion story is told in
Acts 9:4-28.
Paul is considered an apostle, although not one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. In fact, he probably never actually met Jesus face to face.
Paul is considered an apostle, although not one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. In fact, he probably never actually met Jesus face to face.
He was known as Saul of Tarsus as a Roman citizen, which was his Hebrew (Jewish) name. He became know as Paul later (a Greco-Roman name), which was more appropriate at the time he began to be an apostle to the Gentiles.
He was a Pharisee and an enemy of the early Christians until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. After his conversion, he preached the Good News to non-Jews.
Before his death in AD 67, Paul helped to create a worldwide Church in the space of only 37 years after the crucifixion of Christ.
Acts 13-28 tells about his exciting missionary journeys, his arrest in Jerusalem, and his trip to Rome to stand trial. We may study these more the future if we study Acts. For now, we’ll skim over a summary of his journeys and writings and his life and death.
It is now AD36 and Paul is about 26 years old and has recently been converted by his encounter with the resurrected Christ. Remember, at this point, none of the New Testament books have been written. They are still living by the Old Testament and what they know by word of mouth from the disciples.
(Galatians 1:17) Immediately after his conversion, he went to an area of Arabia, which is now in Jordan, and then returned to Damascus.
Before his death in AD 67, Paul helped to create a worldwide Church in the space of only 37 years after the crucifixion of Christ.
Acts 13-28 tells about his exciting missionary journeys, his arrest in Jerusalem, and his trip to Rome to stand trial. We may study these more the future if we study Acts. For now, we’ll skim over a summary of his journeys and writings and his life and death.
It is now AD36 and Paul is about 26 years old and has recently been converted by his encounter with the resurrected Christ. Remember, at this point, none of the New Testament books have been written. They are still living by the Old Testament and what they know by word of mouth from the disciples.
(Galatians 1:17) Immediately after his conversion, he went to an area of Arabia, which is now in Jordan, and then returned to Damascus.
Galatians 1:18 tells us that after 3 years he traveled to Jerusalem.
Acts 9:28-30 tells us that in Jerusalem he preached in the name of the Lord until he angered the Jews enough for them to want to kill him, so he fled back to Tarsus and then to Syria and Cilicia. This took about 4 years. There is nothing recorded about his mission trip to Syria and Cilicia other than Galatians 1:21 where he tells us he went there.
We learn in Acts 11:25-26 he then was an assistant to Barnabas in Antioch where they taught a great number of people and met with the church. This was the first time the disciples of Christ were called ‘Christians’.
Note: This takes us to about AD44, and it was right about this time Jude wrote the book of Jude.
(Acts 13:1-5) Two more years have passed and Paul is about 36 years old when he takes his first missionary journey, which covers about 1400 miles. He sailed to the island of Cyprus with two other Christians, Barnabas and Mark (also known as John-Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark). After winning many to Christ and succeeding in having almost the entire city following them to hear about Jesus, the Jews again became angry with them and chased them from the city.
We learn in Acts 11:25-26 he then was an assistant to Barnabas in Antioch where they taught a great number of people and met with the church. This was the first time the disciples of Christ were called ‘Christians’.
Note: This takes us to about AD44, and it was right about this time Jude wrote the book of Jude.
(Acts 13:1-5) Two more years have passed and Paul is about 36 years old when he takes his first missionary journey, which covers about 1400 miles. He sailed to the island of Cyprus with two other Christians, Barnabas and Mark (also known as John-Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark). After winning many to Christ and succeeding in having almost the entire city following them to hear about Jesus, the Jews again became angry with them and chased them from the city.
Then he and Barnabas continued on to the southern coast of Asia Minor. He moved quickly from place to place, preaching first in the synagogues and then to gentiles. He gave bold and controversial speeches, angering a lot of people, so he was frequently mistreated and occasionally imprisoned.
Note: This takes us to about AD48 and this is about the time James wrote the book of James.
There were obviously a lot of events in Paul’s life that are not recorded. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 he writes of some of these.
About AD49, the Jewish-Christians were thrown out of Rome. It was about this same time, we are told in Acts 15, that Paul and Barnabas were sent from Antioch to Jerusalem to council the Christians there. Here they joined Peter and James.
At about age 40, Paul starts out on his second missionary journey covering about 2800 miles, accompanied by Silas. Barnabas wanted to take Mark, but Paul disagreed because Mark had quit on them on the prior trip. So Barnabas took Mark and they traveled to Cyprus while Paul and Silas went to Antioch and on to Tarsus, Derbe, and Lystra. Here young Timothy joined them.
On this trip, they traveled to northwest Asia Minor and then crossed to Macedonia, bringing Christianity to Europe.
Note: This takes us to about AD48 and this is about the time James wrote the book of James.
There were obviously a lot of events in Paul’s life that are not recorded. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 he writes of some of these.
About AD49, the Jewish-Christians were thrown out of Rome. It was about this same time, we are told in Acts 15, that Paul and Barnabas were sent from Antioch to Jerusalem to council the Christians there. Here they joined Peter and James.
At about age 40, Paul starts out on his second missionary journey covering about 2800 miles, accompanied by Silas. Barnabas wanted to take Mark, but Paul disagreed because Mark had quit on them on the prior trip. So Barnabas took Mark and they traveled to Cyprus while Paul and Silas went to Antioch and on to Tarsus, Derbe, and Lystra. Here young Timothy joined them.
On this trip, they traveled to northwest Asia Minor and then crossed to Macedonia, bringing Christianity to Europe.
Then about AD51, Paul and his two companions visited Thessalonica, the capital of Macedonia. Here they preached for several weeks, then were forced by enemies to leave the city.
They fled to Berea (Acts 17:10). Once again, the crowds became angry and Paul fled to Athens, leaving Timothy and Silas behind. Then he sent word to them to join him in Athens. Although it is mentioned Timothy joined him there, Silas is not mentioned. It is believed he went to Philippi.
After a brief visit with Paul, Timothy was sent to Thessalonica to help within the church.
Paul preached in the synagogue and the market place, but his message conflicted with the Greek conception of the human body as a tomb imprisoning the spirit of man, and his audience rejected the idea of the resurrection of the body. So Paul made very few converts in Athens and, filled with disappointment, he moved on to Corinth.
Corinth was a city of great commerce, wealth, and squalor, famous for its culture and notorious for its immorality. Paul stayed there for 18 months, working as a tentmaker and living with Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. Aquila and Priscilla were Jews who had been expelled from Rome by the edict of Claudius in the year AD49.
As a result of Paul’s teaching in the synagogue and private homes, a large Church was formed in Corinth, mostly from the poor and slave classes.
Paul remained anxious about the immature congregation he'd left behind in Thessalonia, now deprived of its leadership and persecuted by the opposition. After getting a report from Timothy about AD52, Paul wrote the two letters of encouragement and instruction known as 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Acts 18: 18), then went to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquilla. He had his hair cut off in Cenchrea and then went on to Ephesus, where he left Priscilla and Aquilla. At the end of his second missionary journey, Paul returns to Antioch by way of Caesarea.
(Acts 18:23) This is when he probably wrote the book of Galatians.
Galatians was written around AD53, probably from Antioch, and is the cornerstone of Christian freedom. Paul tells of his own conversion and of how he stood firm in his belief that Christ is the Savior of people everywhere, not only those who observe every detail of the Jewish law.
1 & 2 Corinthians were written from Ephesus about AD57. The Christians of Corinth have found it hard to live as they know they should and question Paul about their difficulties.
Corinth was a city of great commerce, wealth, and squalor, famous for its culture and notorious for its immorality. Paul stayed there for 18 months, working as a tentmaker and living with Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. Aquila and Priscilla were Jews who had been expelled from Rome by the edict of Claudius in the year AD49.
As a result of Paul’s teaching in the synagogue and private homes, a large Church was formed in Corinth, mostly from the poor and slave classes.
Paul remained anxious about the immature congregation he'd left behind in Thessalonia, now deprived of its leadership and persecuted by the opposition. After getting a report from Timothy about AD52, Paul wrote the two letters of encouragement and instruction known as 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Acts 18: 18), then went to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquilla. He had his hair cut off in Cenchrea and then went on to Ephesus, where he left Priscilla and Aquilla. At the end of his second missionary journey, Paul returns to Antioch by way of Caesarea.
(Acts 18:23) This is when he probably wrote the book of Galatians.
Galatians was written around AD53, probably from Antioch, and is the cornerstone of Christian freedom. Paul tells of his own conversion and of how he stood firm in his belief that Christ is the Savior of people everywhere, not only those who observe every detail of the Jewish law.
1 & 2 Corinthians were written from Ephesus about AD57. The Christians of Corinth have found it hard to live as they know they should and question Paul about their difficulties.
In 1 Corinthians Paul answers their question, points out what they have done wrong, and encourages them with his message, “You are Christ’s.”
2 Corinthians contains Paul’s message of thanksgiving and love. Then he goes on to describe the tribulations he has suffered while preaching the gospel of Christ.
Romans was written from Corinth about AD58. The purpose was to secure the active support of the church in Rome for his missionary program. Paul stresses how ALL men are guilty of sin, but God saves us all through faith in Christ. He discusses the place of Israel in God’s plan of salvation and how Christians should conduct themselves.
After Paul returned to Jerusalem, he was arrested due to opposition from hostile Jews. He spent two years in prison and then demanded his right as a Roman citizen to have a trial in the emperor’s court. Paul was sent to Rome, where he remained a prisoner for two more years.
Ephesians was written about AD60 and seems to be a general letter to the churches of Asia Minor. This was about the time Paul was imprisoned in Rome, but we don’t know if he wrote this before or during his imprisonment. Here Paul presents God’s eternal purpose to save men through faith in Christ; “the dividing wall of hostility” between Jews and Gentiles has been broken down through the cross of Christ. Paul extols us to live as worthy, true Christians.
Colossians also was written around AD60 while he was imprisoned in Rome and is written to the Christians at Colossae in Asia Minor. Paul writes to encourage them with real truth – that through Christ they have the everlasting love of God.
Philemon was also written while Paul was a prisoner and is a personal letter in which he beseeches Philemon to take back a runaway slave, Onesimus. The slave had come to Rome and been converted by Paul.
This (AD60) is also about the time John-Mark wrote the book of Mark. Remember, he had accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey and gone with Barnabas on the second one.
Philippians was written around AD61 while he was a prisoner in Rome. This is Paul’s farewell message and is filled with gratitude and affection for his Philippian friends, the church which was perhaps dearest to him.
1 & 2 Timothy were written to Paul’s friend Timothy at Lystra around AD63. These letters tell of the conditions in the church and describe the qualifications and duties of church officers. 2 Timothy contains Paul’s request that Timothy come to Rome to see him.
Titus was written about the same time as Timothy encouraging Titus, Paul’s “true child in a common faith”, to lead the church in Crete.
This is about the time Hebrews was written. We don’t know who wrote this book, but it could possibly have been written by Barnabas.
Eusebius, a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea, records that Paul was taken to Rome again in the year AD67 (he would have been 57 years old) and killed in Nero’s persecution. Tertullian, ‘the Father of the African Church’ in the 2nd century, records that Paul was beheaded. St. Gregory the Great, and later writers, record his execution was on the left bank of the Tiber, some three miles from Rome on the road to the port of Ostia. The place became known as the “Three Fountains”, following the legend that where Paul’s head bounced three times, three fountains appeared. His body was traditionally believed to be buried in a cemetery near Rome, by the Ostia Way, on the site of which now stands the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls – dedicated to the most powerful personality in the history of the Christian Church.
Romans was written from Corinth about AD58. The purpose was to secure the active support of the church in Rome for his missionary program. Paul stresses how ALL men are guilty of sin, but God saves us all through faith in Christ. He discusses the place of Israel in God’s plan of salvation and how Christians should conduct themselves.
After Paul returned to Jerusalem, he was arrested due to opposition from hostile Jews. He spent two years in prison and then demanded his right as a Roman citizen to have a trial in the emperor’s court. Paul was sent to Rome, where he remained a prisoner for two more years.
Ephesians was written about AD60 and seems to be a general letter to the churches of Asia Minor. This was about the time Paul was imprisoned in Rome, but we don’t know if he wrote this before or during his imprisonment. Here Paul presents God’s eternal purpose to save men through faith in Christ; “the dividing wall of hostility” between Jews and Gentiles has been broken down through the cross of Christ. Paul extols us to live as worthy, true Christians.
Colossians also was written around AD60 while he was imprisoned in Rome and is written to the Christians at Colossae in Asia Minor. Paul writes to encourage them with real truth – that through Christ they have the everlasting love of God.
Philemon was also written while Paul was a prisoner and is a personal letter in which he beseeches Philemon to take back a runaway slave, Onesimus. The slave had come to Rome and been converted by Paul.
This (AD60) is also about the time John-Mark wrote the book of Mark. Remember, he had accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey and gone with Barnabas on the second one.
Philippians was written around AD61 while he was a prisoner in Rome. This is Paul’s farewell message and is filled with gratitude and affection for his Philippian friends, the church which was perhaps dearest to him.
1 & 2 Timothy were written to Paul’s friend Timothy at Lystra around AD63. These letters tell of the conditions in the church and describe the qualifications and duties of church officers. 2 Timothy contains Paul’s request that Timothy come to Rome to see him.
Titus was written about the same time as Timothy encouraging Titus, Paul’s “true child in a common faith”, to lead the church in Crete.
This is about the time Hebrews was written. We don’t know who wrote this book, but it could possibly have been written by Barnabas.
Eusebius, a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea, records that Paul was taken to Rome again in the year AD67 (he would have been 57 years old) and killed in Nero’s persecution. Tertullian, ‘the Father of the African Church’ in the 2nd century, records that Paul was beheaded. St. Gregory the Great, and later writers, record his execution was on the left bank of the Tiber, some three miles from Rome on the road to the port of Ostia. The place became known as the “Three Fountains”, following the legend that where Paul’s head bounced three times, three fountains appeared. His body was traditionally believed to be buried in a cemetery near Rome, by the Ostia Way, on the site of which now stands the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls – dedicated to the most powerful personality in the history of the Christian Church.
I hope this gives you some background about Paul so you will better understand his letters as we begin studying Colossians. Our study of the first chapter will be posted on, or soon after, November 15.
Any comments? If so, please click on "COMMENTS" below.
Thanks for visiting!
No comments:
Post a Comment