Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God ’ s Word

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s Word • Letters Attributed to Paul • St. Paul: The Source of the New Testament Letters • The Thirteen New Testament Letters • The Letter to the Hebrews

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Paul’s Letters 1. There are a total of twenty-one letters or epistles in the New Testament 2. Fourteen have been traditionally attributed to St. Paul 3. Hebrews does not claim to be a work of Paul but was attached to the Pauline letters at the time it was accepted into the canon 4. Among the thirteen letters that claim Paul as their author, there is debate about his role in the authorship of six of these

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Paul’s Letters 5. Literary form of Paul’s letters: 6. The letters are arranged in a rough approximation of longest to shortest – beginning with Romans and ending with Philemon 7. In Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon there is a consistency of style, vocabulary, and theological emphasis 8. Possible pseudonymous works include 2 Thessalonians, Colossians, and Ephesians Opening address Thanksgiving Body of the Letter Final Salutations

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Background on St. Paul 1. Paul is known through his own letters and the Acts 2. He was born a Jew and was a persecutor of the Church 3. He defended his role and authority as an Apostle 4. He had an eyewitness experience of the Risen Jesus 5. Paul expended himself for the rest of his life in his ministry to the Gentiles, experiencing both successes and defeats, triumphs and great suffering 6. Ancient custom suggests he died in Rome during the persecutions

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters The Theology of St. Paul Salvation is a free gift from God that demands faith. We cannot earn Salvation on our own merits. The brothers and sisters of Christ should treat others with dignity. We must love one another. Christians are bound together in one Body, the Church, of which Jesus is the head. Christians will participate in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. After the Last Judgment, the universe will be renewed. The Kingdom of God will come in fullness. The just will reign with Christ forever. God will then be “all in all”in eternal life. The Holy Spirit is the life of the Church who enables us to call God Abba. Following Jesus means that we must suffer for him gladly. The heart of the Gospel is the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters The Letter to the Romans 1. This is Paul’s longest and deepest theological letter 2. He is concerned that missionaries in Rome with Jewish roots are directing Gentiles to keep Jewish Law 3. He teaches it is faith in Christ’s Death and Resurrection that reconciles us to God, not “works of the Law” 4. Christ’s work brings:  justification,  peace with God,  the Holy Spirit,  reconciliation with God,  salvation from God’s wrath,  hope of a share in God’s eternal glory,  God’s superabundant love poured out on us 5. We don’t earn Jesus intervention in history, nor can we earn our Salvation by any human means

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters First and Second Corinthians 1. In Ephesus Paul received news that the church in Corinth had broken into rival groups with different leaders and many had fallen back into pagan practices 2. First Corinthians (c. AD 56) is a reaction to this 3. Second Corinthians (AD 57) is Paul’s response to the good news that the Corinthians were beginning to reject false teachers and respond to Paul’s teachings

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Themes in 1 Corinthians Love never fails Jesus’ teachings called for even greater respect for the human body and the most important and intimate relationships The institution of the Lord’s Supper Women may certainly pray and prophesy in the assemblies, but must dress respectably No believer should do anything to damage another person’s faith Since there are no real gods behind pagan idols, eating meat sacrificed in religious rites is fine The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit where all parts of the Body of Christ are joined together with Christ as the head The presence of the Spirit of God not only joins us together with others, but also wants us to recognize and preserve our duty to care for one another

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Themes in the Other Letters • Galatians • Paul defends his ministry and his place as an Apostle as well as his message that Gentiles are free from the Law • Only faith in Jesus Christ, not observance of the Jewish Law, guarantees Salvation • Baptism incorporates all Christians into the Church as children of God • Being set free from the Law by faith does not mean license to do what you want • 2 Corinthians • Paul tries to make peace with the Corinthians • Christian principles are contrasted with the Old Covenant

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Themes in the Other Letters • Ephesians • Paul blesses God (in a hymn) not only for having blessed humans in every way, and especially for having revealed to us his eternal plan to unite everything in his name under Heaven and earth • It is your responsibility to work towards the fulfillment of God’s plan • Philippians • Joy in the Lord for those who live in the Church • The need for Christian harmony, peace, and humility • It is necessary to imitate Christ in his sufferings • There is no true love without the giving of one’s self, and that truth is the only foundation for real honor

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Themes in the Other Letters • Colossians • If you want to see God, look at Jesus because Christ is the very image of God • It may possibly address some false teachings of the Gnostics • 1 Thessalonians • Remain holy, especially avoiding sexual immorality • Christians who have died with Christ will one day rise and live with him forever • Remember the end of the world • Commendation for their great progress in the practice of their faith • Refrain from sexual immorality and promote love and concern for one another

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Themes in the Other Letters • 2 Thessalonians • Jesus will not come again until certain signs take place • Christians need to prepare themselves for his return • Those who ignore his advice to go to work and earn money for their food should be avoided, so in shame they will return to the Church • 1 Timothy • Corrections of false teachers in the church of Ephesus • The Church is the pillar and foundation of truth • Directives on the kind of people who should be chosen to hold key positions in the Church • “True” widows should be cared for by the community

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Themes in the Other Letters • Titus • Bishops should hold“fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able to both exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents “ • Rules for the behavior of differing age groups, particularly urging self-control • 2 Timothy • Reflections on a Christian facing loneliness in the midst of distress, and the near possibility of death • Paul’s imprisonment and death are not dishonorable • Do not get lost in the pointless disputes, or be swayed by false teachings • Dire warnings that wickedness will precede the end times

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Themes in the Other Letters • Philemon • Rather than fight a system that was going to fade away at the Lord’s return, slaves should remain as they are and be the best slaves possible • Masters should remember that they too will have to answer to the true Master in Heaven for their treatment of slaves • Philemon should not punish Onesimus and should treat him as a brother in Christ

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Background on the Letter to the Hebrews 1. While the author is anonymous, evidence suggests it was not Paul 2. The author possesses a classic education and was almost certainly a Jewish Christian 3. The community seems to have endured terrible suffering 4. Written as a homily, it was composed some time in the last twenty years of the first century 5. This letter was controversial because of its hard–line stance against apostasy

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God’s WordPart 2B The New Testament Letters Themes in Hebrews 1. Christ is the high priest and the model of our faith 2. Christ both is, and offers, the sacrifice on our behalf 3. Christ’s Death on the Cross perfectly achieved, once and for all, the reconciliation between humanity and God that the yearly Temple sacrifices could not 4. Unlike the Jewish high priests, Christ was “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens”

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God ’ s Word