Notes on 1 Corinthians
Written around 56 AD
See the background of the journey in 1 Thessalonians
After Paul's planting of the church in Corinth, a man named Apollos comes and teaches. Peter also visits and begins to encourage the believers. After a second trip to Corinth, Apollos shares some of the stories of believers returning to their previous lives of sexual sins, idol worship and stealing from everyone.
Paul writes a letter to address some of these issues, but this letter has been lost. We have no copies, only the comments from Paul about this letter. This letter is delivered to the city with Titus. The letter is accepted, money given for the people in Jerusalem and Titus returns to Ephesus.
Soon, a believer named Chloe visits Corinth then meets Paul in Ephesus and shares even greater sexual sins, lawsuits between Christians, Dualistic ideas that encourage people to pervert worship into time with prostitutes, sick and dying people, and slaves who come late to meetings only to have the food and drink for their common meal consumed by the wealthy who are drunk by the time the slaves are free to join.
Questions come from other people that the Church in Corinth wants Paul to answer. Paul finally stops and writes 1 Corinthians to address the problems and answer the questions.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Notes and Intro to 2 Thessalonians
Notes on 2 Thessalonians
See Notes on 1 Thessalonians
Written around 52 AD (1 year later than 1 Thessalonians)
Paul is happy with the encouragement of his first letter to Thessalonica, but now needs to challenge an unhealthy focus on the Day of the Lord and Jesus' return. He makes his teaching to them clear for them and corrects men who have quit their jobs to wait for Jesus. He encourages the whole church to continue to serve and love and not to grow tired of serving.
See Notes on 1 Thessalonians
Written around 52 AD (1 year later than 1 Thessalonians)
Paul is happy with the encouragement of his first letter to Thessalonica, but now needs to challenge an unhealthy focus on the Day of the Lord and Jesus' return. He makes his teaching to them clear for them and corrects men who have quit their jobs to wait for Jesus. He encourages the whole church to continue to serve and love and not to grow tired of serving.
Notes and Intro to 1 Thessalonians
Introduction to Thessalonians 1
Written around 51 AD
After the council in Jerusalem in 49 AD, Paul and Barnabas start on their next Journey. They traveled for roughly 2 years from 50 to 52 AD. They traveled around 1230 miles (1968km) on the sea and another 1570 miles (2512km) over land.
Starting with a trip through the churches planted on the first trip, they pick up Timothy in Lystra to join their team. Paul and Barnabas separate after a fight about John Mark (writer of the book of Mark). Paul now joins Silas to lead the new journey.
During this time they planted churches in 4 main cities, Philippi (spending 2-3 months), Thessalonica (spending 2-3 months), Berea (spending 1 month) and Corinth (spending 18 months).
They arrive in Thessalonica, the capital of Macedonia, in 51. They continue to start with Synagogues where present. As he preaches and starts the church, he supports himself by making tents. Soon, the Jewish leaders become jealous, spread lies and try to arrest Paul and Silas. They are secretly taken out of the city but leave Timothy behind to continue to teach.
Timothy leaves shortly after this, and the new group of believers is left alone, without Bibles, without teachers but with the Holy Spirit. After a few months, Timothy returns to check on the church and then Paul writes with excitement about the state of the church from Timothy's report. It seems that some people are going back to living like unbelievers as though Christianity has no meaning to them.
Written around 51 AD
After the council in Jerusalem in 49 AD, Paul and Barnabas start on their next Journey. They traveled for roughly 2 years from 50 to 52 AD. They traveled around 1230 miles (1968km) on the sea and another 1570 miles (2512km) over land.
Starting with a trip through the churches planted on the first trip, they pick up Timothy in Lystra to join their team. Paul and Barnabas separate after a fight about John Mark (writer of the book of Mark). Paul now joins Silas to lead the new journey.
During this time they planted churches in 4 main cities, Philippi (spending 2-3 months), Thessalonica (spending 2-3 months), Berea (spending 1 month) and Corinth (spending 18 months).
They arrive in Thessalonica, the capital of Macedonia, in 51. They continue to start with Synagogues where present. As he preaches and starts the church, he supports himself by making tents. Soon, the Jewish leaders become jealous, spread lies and try to arrest Paul and Silas. They are secretly taken out of the city but leave Timothy behind to continue to teach.
Timothy leaves shortly after this, and the new group of believers is left alone, without Bibles, without teachers but with the Holy Spirit. After a few months, Timothy returns to check on the church and then Paul writes with excitement about the state of the church from Timothy's report. It seems that some people are going back to living like unbelievers as though Christianity has no meaning to them.
Notes and Intro to James
Introduction to James
Written around 48 AD, probably around the same time as Paul's letter to Galatia.
With the disagreement going around the churches about Jewish and Gentile issues, and the full understanding of what it means to be Christian and not just Jewish, James writes his letter to help their understanding.
James uses the Sermon on the Mount (quoted approximately 20 times) and also the Psalms & Proverbs to connect the truth of the Old Testament to the New Testament believers in Jesus. He is trying to separate the Christians from Jewish through the difference in their faith and their lives.
Written around 48 AD, probably around the same time as Paul's letter to Galatia.
With the disagreement going around the churches about Jewish and Gentile issues, and the full understanding of what it means to be Christian and not just Jewish, James writes his letter to help their understanding.
James uses the Sermon on the Mount (quoted approximately 20 times) and also the Psalms & Proverbs to connect the truth of the Old Testament to the New Testament believers in Jesus. He is trying to separate the Christians from Jewish through the difference in their faith and their lives.
Notes and Intro to Galatians
Introduction Notes to Galatians:
Written probably in 48 AD
Around the Year 47 AD Paul and Barnabas travel through Galatia and plant churches in several areas. Antioch of Pisidia, Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe are all listed in Acts. There are some of the first Churches Paul helps plant on his first journey. Sadly in each city starting in Antioch of Pisidia, they are run out of the city by the Jews in the Synagogues who do not like Paul's teachings about Jesus. Eventually Paul and Barnabas and return to Antioch in Syria.
These new churches, planted in probably 3-5 months time, do not have Bibles. The NT has not been written, and so far, none of the Gospels have been recorded. Because of the great persecution of the Jewish people, access to the Jewish scrolls stored in the Synagogue will be limited.
After some time it is believed that Peter visited Antioch in Syria where Paul was sent out. Peter begins his time with both Jewish & Gentile believers. BUT some Jews from Jerusalem did not believe the two groups should be together and quickly traveled to Antioch to stop Peter. Their arguments are so convincing even Barnabas stops sitting with the Gentiles. This leads to Paul getting very upset and confronting Peter publicly.
Having lost the argument in Antioch of Syria, these Jewish men then choose to travel to Antioch of Pisidia, Lystra, Iconium and Derbe to spread their view of Jewish conversion being required for new Christians. This is strongly supported by the Jewish Synagogues as it elevates their standing in the community and makes the new Christian churches dependent on the Synagogues to exist.
To answer these ideas, Paul writes Galatians.
Written probably in 48 AD
Around the Year 47 AD Paul and Barnabas travel through Galatia and plant churches in several areas. Antioch of Pisidia, Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe are all listed in Acts. There are some of the first Churches Paul helps plant on his first journey. Sadly in each city starting in Antioch of Pisidia, they are run out of the city by the Jews in the Synagogues who do not like Paul's teachings about Jesus. Eventually Paul and Barnabas and return to Antioch in Syria.
These new churches, planted in probably 3-5 months time, do not have Bibles. The NT has not been written, and so far, none of the Gospels have been recorded. Because of the great persecution of the Jewish people, access to the Jewish scrolls stored in the Synagogue will be limited.
After some time it is believed that Peter visited Antioch in Syria where Paul was sent out. Peter begins his time with both Jewish & Gentile believers. BUT some Jews from Jerusalem did not believe the two groups should be together and quickly traveled to Antioch to stop Peter. Their arguments are so convincing even Barnabas stops sitting with the Gentiles. This leads to Paul getting very upset and confronting Peter publicly.
Having lost the argument in Antioch of Syria, these Jewish men then choose to travel to Antioch of Pisidia, Lystra, Iconium and Derbe to spread their view of Jewish conversion being required for new Christians. This is strongly supported by the Jewish Synagogues as it elevates their standing in the community and makes the new Christian churches dependent on the Synagogues to exist.
To answer these ideas, Paul writes Galatians.
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