Bible 9: KtB101 chapter 10

1. Bible 9: KtB101 chapter 10 The Epistles: The Bible Mailbag

2. Memory Verse 1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

3. Memory Verse 1 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look on you because you are , but set an  for the believers in , in conduct, in , in faith and in .”

4. What’s An Epistle? • Of the 27 books of the New Testament, 21 are epistles. • An epistle is a personal letter that was written to churches and individualsin cities throughout the Mediterranean region. • Paul was a teacher and like a spiritual big brother to many of the new Christians. It must have been difficult for everyone when he had to leave a city. To stay in touch with these churches, Paul wrote letters to them. • These letters weren’t intended to be purely social. • Instead, Paul used his letters as a chance to give further instruction about God and godly living. This

5. What’s an Epistle? Cont’d • Paul wrote 13 of the 21 epistles. • The ones he wrote are named for the groups of people to whom he was writing (such as “Romans” to the Christians in Rome, or “Corinthians” to the Christians in the city of Corinth) or for an individual recipient such as “timothy” and “Titus.” • Seven of the other epistles are named after the authors (James, Peter, John, and Jude).

6. What’s an Epistle? Cont’d • Disciple means “follower,” and Apostle means “messenger.” • After the death and resurrection of Christ, the 12 disciples were referred to as apostles because they had the special assignment of spreading the message of Jesus Christ to the world. • Paul qualified as an apostle, however, because the resurrected Christ revealed Himself to Paul, so Paul had an opportunity to walk and talk with Jesus. • Hebrews is the only epistle written by an unknown author.

7. Mail Slots • Romans through Galatians: “Christ in You.” Christians are different from the rest of the world because God lives in them through the Holy Spirit. • Ephesians through Philemon: “You in Christ.” Every Christian belongs to God and is part of the “body of Christ.” • Hebrews through Jude: “Walking by Faith.” Faith is more than just theory. It translates into power, which equips Christians to handle all of the circumstances of life.

8. Class Discussion Question if someone could write an epistle Today on any given topic, what would You want it to cover?

9. Memory Verse 1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

10. Memory Verse 1 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look on you because you are , but set an  for the believers in , in conduct, in , in faith and in .”

11. Memory Verse 1 4:12 “Don’t let look on you because are , but set an  for the in , in , in , in ,and in .”

12. Lots of Learning Going ON • Top Topic #1: How to be a Christian Remember that the epistles were written primarily to new Christians. • Sin: If someone asked you to describe what sin is, how would you answer? • Salvation: If someone asked you how to be saved, how would you answer? • Faith: What does it mean to believe in Jesus? How do you get faith, and how do you know if you’ve got it? • Holy Spirit: How does the Holy Spirit “happen”? What can you expect to happen in your life when God is living in it? • The Return of Jesus: Jesus is coming back…but how and when?

13. Memory Verse 1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

14. Memory Verse 1 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look on you because you are , but set an  for the believers in , in conduct, in , in faith and in .”

15. Memory Verse 1 4:12 “Don’t let look on you because are , but set an  for the in , in , in , in ,and in .”

16. Lots of Learning Going ON • Top Topic #2: You Wanna Live Right, You Gotta Think Right. • Right Living comes from Right Thinking. • Right thinking comes from understanding and obeying the Scriptures. • Understanding and obeying the Word of God requires both an offensive and defensive response. • Top Topic #3: You can Experience Inner Peace. • Contentment • Hope • Comfort • Tranquility • Peace

17. Lots of Learning Going ON • Top Topic #4: Secrets to Lasting Friendships • Sympathy • Forgiveness • Acceptance • Love

18. Small Group Discussion Question which of the “Secrets to a Lasting Friendship” do you find the hardest to express and why? challenge each other with practical steps to overcome those barriers, recognizing that it takes a whole lot more than a 5-minute discussion in class. (p. 268)

19. Lots of Learning Going ON • Top Topic #5: All in the Family • How to have a successful marriage • How to raise good kids • Top Topic #6: How to Build a Church • The Church is like a body. • The Church is a family of Christians.

20. Paul Writes to the Churches • Romans: Christian Faith in a Nutshell • We were spiritually dead. • Christ made us spiritually alive. • The struggle between dead and alive exists. • 1 and 2 Corinthians: Instructions to Immature Christians • Arguing with each other and ignoring blatant sexual immorality among Christians. • Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 12) • Love (1 Corinthians 13)

21. Paul Writes to the Churches • Galatians: Born (Again) to be Free • Freedom from religious rules • Freedom from the power of sin • Ephesians: A Part of the Body • Paul devotes almost the entire first half of this letter to reminding Christians of God’s limitless love for them. • As different parts of “the body of Christ,” Christiansmay each have various roles, but they should act in unity, withChrist in control as the “head.” • Our faith in Christ should affect our lifestyle, particularly our relationships at home and at work.

22. Paul Writes to the Churches • Philippians: A Cause for Rejoicing • Paul emphasizes the joy that a Christian has despite difficult circumstances. • Colossians: Back to Basics • Paul wrote to tell them to cut through all of the garbage because Jesus is all that matters. • He reminds them about Christ’s preeminent role in Creation, in salvation, and in the life of Christians. • He then explains how a Christian should reflect the influence of Christ at home, at work, and in the church.

23. Paul Writes to the Churches • 1 and 2 Thessalonians: Hang in There • In his first, Paul gives the Christians there encouragement and comfort. • IN his second, Paul is emphatic about the return of Jesus, but he says that no one knows the time. Consequently, he tells the Christians to keep working diligently in their jobs and ministries until it happens.

24. Paul Writes to the Churches Pair then Share: With your partner, you are to read through your assigned section and prepare about a two-minute summary of the key things from your section. Feel free to use the text directly, but don’t just read the entire section. Think about what really matters and how best to summarize it. Things to think About: Author, Audience, Purpose of the Letter, Message 1 and 2 Timothy: Bradley & DanielJames: Tia & Kylan Titus: Emiley & Nicole 1 and 2 Peter: Thomas & Emily Philemon: Jordynne & Samantha M. 1, 2, 3 John: Zack, & Leslie Hebrews: Michaela, Samantha V., & Cody Jude: Lauren, Josiah, & Elizabeth

25. Paul Gets Personal • 1 and 2 Timothy: Pursue a Godly Life • Timothy was one of Paul’s closest friends. Paul was the mentor, and Timothy was his protégé. • Paul entrusted Timothy with forming the leadership in the church at Ephesus. • In 1 timothy, Paul covers the subjects of • Worship • Criteria for church leaders • Warnings against false doctrine • In 2 Timothy, Paul was in prison. Rome had declared Christianity illegal, and Paul’s enemies used the decree to look him up for good. The theme of this letter is encouraging Timothy to “remain faithful to the things you have been taught.”

26. Paul Gets Personal • Titus: Doing Right is the Result of Thinking Right • Titus was a young pastor and disciple of Paul. • Character counts. • Follow sound teaching; avoid false doctrines. • Submit to civil authorities. • Philemon: Freedom in Christ • This letter was written to Philemon, a prominent member of the Colossian church. Philemon was a slave owner, which was common in those days, even for Christians. • the subject of this letter is one of Philemon’s slaves, Onesimus.

27. General Correspondence • Hebrews: A Bible in the Bible • The letter of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were perhaps drifting away form the truth they had heard. • Remember, No one knows the author of Hebrews for sure. • James: Real Faith • James and Jesus were half brothers. • James wrote to Jewish Christians who were living in the regions outside of Palestine. • Real faith produces good deeds. • Although good deeds are not the sources of salvation, James says They are proof of salvation.

28. General Correspondence • 1 and 2 Peter: Life is Tough • Peter wrote two letters to Jewish Christians who had been scattered because of persecution for their faith. • 1, 2, and 3 John: Love Letters • John the apostle wrote these three letters (plus the Gospel of John and Revelation). • 1, 2, and 3 John are three letters that follow John’s trademark of love. • They talk about loving God, loving God’s Word, and showing love to others. • Jude: Defend the Truth: • Jude was a half brother of Jesus. • HE wrote this short letter to Jewish Christians to motivate them to protect the pure truth of the Christian faith. • He says that Christians should aggressively defend their faith against those who seek to pervert or pollute it.