Introduction to Saint Paul
Lesson 11
I. Identity: practical info and organizational aspects
a. Chronology (AD)
i. 5/10—birth
ii. 35/36—vocation/conversion
iii. 45-60—missions
iv. 60/67—death under Nero, just before the destruction of Jerusalem
b. Ethnic background (Phil. 3; 2 Cor.11)
i. Judaism
ii. Roman citizen
iii. Greek (Hellenistic culture/language surrounded him)
iv. Apostle of the Gentiles
II. Paul and the collection of letters: epistolary literary genre, language, and style
a. Letters were the most common/important type of communication at the time
i. Different from Jewish culture which used oral tradition
ii. St. Paul’s letters were not about evangelization, but about governance of the communities he had already evangelized
b. Structure of a Pauline letter
i. Intro (sender, receivers, greeting), recommendation to grace, which has blessing and thanksgiving
ii. Corpus
1. Doctrinal part
a. Directed toward the particular communities’ problems
i. This makes St. Paul’s letters theology in context rather than an abstract answer to a question nobody is asking
2. Exhortation
a. The indicatives of the doctrine become imperatives here
iii. Conclusion—greeting, blessing
1. Often ends with a doxology
III. Theme of each letter
a. 1 Thess.—hope
b. 1 Cor—Church
c. 2 Cor—Ministry
d. Philippians—Joy
e. Philemon—freedom from slavery
f. Galatians—Freedom
g. Romans—Gospel
h. Colossians—Primacy of Christ
i. Ephesians—peace
j. 2 Thess—judgment of God
k. 1 Tim/Tit—the pastor
l. 2 Tim—Testament of Paul