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Pauline Literature. Fr. Chris Shocklee, MA. Syllabus. Course: Pauline Writings Instructor: Fr. Chris Shocklee, MA Contact info Texts Objectives Assignments & Grades Short Papers (next slide). Short Papers. 1-2 pages Format Introduction When and to whom? Relationship to audience
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Pauline Literature Fr. Chris Shocklee, MA
Syllabus • Course: Pauline Writings • Instructor: Fr. Chris Shocklee, MA • Contact info • Texts • Objectives • Assignments & Grades • Short Papers (next slide)
Short Papers • 1-2 pages • Format • Introduction • When and to whom? • Relationship to audience • Context of passage/pericope • Explain its meaning (exegesis) • Apply its meaning • Sources – texts for the course • Topics • Note: Choice of Passage (encouraged not required)
Course Format • Part 1 - Overview of Pauline Letters • Part 2 - More Thorough Analysis of Ephesians
Topics for the Day • Biography of St. Paul • Introduction to Pauline Letters • 1st Thessalonians • Galatians • Introduction of Ephesians • Authorship, Date, & Community
Biography – Paul of Tarsus • Birth • Saul of Tarsus • Born first decade A.D. • Jewish – tribe of Benjamin (same tribe as King Saul) • Pharisee • “Hebrew” (speaking) • Roman Citizen by Birth (Tarsus) • Greek Speaking • Tarsus – Mark Antony & Augustus grant citizenship • City of Education
Youthful Years • Youth • Educated by Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) in Jerusalem • Gamaliel – member of the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:34ff) • School of Hillel (Pharisee) • (Other famous Gamaliel at Jamnia) • Still quotes the OT via the LXX • First Recorded Christian encounter • Martyrdom of St. Stephen (Acts 7:58ff) • A recognized Teacher • Authority for legal decisions (Acts 9:1-2, 22:4-5, 26:12) • Probably not officially a Rabbi (unmarried) (NJBC) • though possibly widowed
Conversion • Conversion (Acts 9:1-19, 22:5-16, 26:12-18) • Road to Damscus • Bright Light • “Why are you persecuting Me?” • Left Blind • Damascus • Ananias • Vocation to the Gentiles • Withdraws to Arabia (Gal 1:17) • Begins to Preach in Damascus • Has to escape (Acts 9:23-25)
Mission Begins • Missionary years • Spends time with “Cephas”/ “Peter” (Gal 1:18) • Circa 46 AD sent with Barnabas and begins to be called Paul (through remainder of Acts) (Acts 13:2,9) • Saul/Paul • Hebrew/Gentile name • Name for family / Name for outside (Gentile) world • Paul = Gentile name (mission to the Gentiles) • Change of name = change of mission in OT & NT
1st Missionary Journey • Begins and ends in Antioch • Timeframe 46-49 AD (est.) • Perga – Parting with John Mark • Stoned to death in Iconium • Cured a cripple in Lystra • Large response of the Gentiles (Acts 14:27) • Question raised: Need you be Jewish to be Christian? • Antioch (Peter vs Paul) (Gal 2:11-2) 49 AD • Leads to Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-11) 49 AD
2nd Missionary Journey • Going out further (AD 50-52) • Sets out with Silas • Joinedby Timothy at Lystra (Acts 16:1ff) • First convert in Philippi – Lydia (Acts 16:14f) • Imprisoned for exorcising “spirit of divination” (Acts 16:16ff) • Athens – Philosophers – unmoved • Corinth (more than a year) (Acts 18:1ff)
3rd Missionary Journey • Circa 54 – 58 AD • Asia Minor • Ephesus (two years) (Acts 19:4ff) • Writes 1st Corinthians • Those making idols run him out of Ephesus (Acts 19:23ff)(silversmiths) • 2nd Corinthians, Romans • Heads to Jerusalem to help suffering Christians • Ephesus on the way
Imprisonment • Rescued by Romans from Jewish crowd(Acts 21:27ff) • Sanhedrin (Pharisees vs Sadducees) (Acts 22:30ff) • Roman citizenship rights – trial in Caesarea • Felix (two years in prison, circa 58 – 60 AD) • Porcius Festus (successor), Paul appeals to Caesar • Sent to Rome • Rome • House arrest for years • Writes many of his letters • Possibly released for a time to be rearrested • Probably beheaded around 67 AD under Nero • Burial spot is where St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls now is
Pauline Letters • Romans • 1st & 2nd Corinthians • Galatians • Ephesians • Philippians • Colossians • 1st & 2nd Thessalonians • 1st & 2nd Timothy • Titus • Philemon • (Hebrews)
1st Thessalonians • Earliest NT writing • AD 50 – 51 (When in Paul’s Life?) • Who are the Thessalonians • Thessalonica – trade city • Church founded by Paul, Silvanus, & Timothy (2nd MJ) • Forced out of the city by Jews • Timothy came back to follow up • Majority were Gentiles • Format of Letter • Greeting • Shared Memory & Purpose of the Letter • Exhortation • Conclusion/Farewell
Chapter 1 • 1:1 “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” • Thanksgiving • “your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope” (faith, love, hope) • Turning away from Idols • Conversion
Chapters 2 & 3 • Paul’s time in Thessalonica • “not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God” (2:13) • Time cut short • “For you are our glory and joy” • Timothy’s Report • “I sent that I might know your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor would be in vain” (3:5) • Blessing 3:11ff
Chapter 4 • Purity, Love, & Labor • 4:3f “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body* in holiness and honor” • 4:6 “wrong his brother” • 4:9-12 – loving and working to earn respect of outsiders • Coming of the Lord • Why were they concerned? • “God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep” 4:14 • Continues into Chapter 5, why?
Chapter 5 • Coming of the Lord (cont.) • 5:1 – “the times and the seasons” • 5:2 – “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” • 5:5 – “sons of the light and sons of the day” • 5:8 – “breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation” • 5:11 – “encourage one another and build one another up” • Final Exhortation & Blessing • 5:16ff “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances” • 5:23 “may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” • 5:26 “Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss” • 5:28 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
Galatians • Early to mid 50’s AD • Galatian – ethnic and territorial term • Format (commentators disagree) (ICSB:NT) • Introduction 1:1-9 • Paul’s Apostolic Authority (1:10-2:21) • Paul’s Apostolic Gospel (3:1-4:31) • Christian Life & Liberty (5:1-6:10) • Conclusion (6:11-18)
Chapter 1 • Introduction • 1:1 – “Paul an apostle” • 1:3 – “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ” • 1:6 – “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel” • What’s missing from 1st Thessalonians? • What kind of tone does this set? • 1:9 – “If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.” • Paul an Apostle • 1:12 – “I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ” • 1:16f – “to reveal his Son to me” – “went away into Arabia” • 1:18 – “went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas” (Mt 16:18) • Why see Cephas?
Chapter 2 • 2:1ff – the Gospel as open to the Gentiles • 2:10 “only they would have us remember the poor” • 2:11ff – Paul & Peter at Antioch • 2:15ff – “We ourselves … who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” – (Joint Declaration on Justification) • 2:21 “if justification were through the law, then Christ died to no purpose”
Paul’s Apostolic GospelChapter 3 • 3:1 – “O Foolish Galatians” • 3:6 – “Abraham ‘believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’” • 3:19 – “Why then the law?” • 3:24 – “So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith” • 3:27 – “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” – Faith & Baptism? • 3:28 – neither Jew nor Greek, slave/free, male/female – “you are all one in Christ Jesus”
Chapter 4 • We were children under the Law • What is the Law? NT usage: Law & Prophets? • OT in light of the NT • 4:5 – “so that we might receive adoption as sons.” • 4:7 – “So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.” • 4:21ff – Hagar & Sarah – who? What? Why?
Chapter 5 • 5:1 – “Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” • 5:6 – “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.” • 5:12 – “I wish those who unsettle you would mutilate themselves” • 5:13 – “only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another” • 5:15 – “but if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another.” – (to chew/tear flesh) • 5:16ff – Flesh vs Spirit
Chapter 6 • 6:9 – “let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” • 6:11ff – “I am writing to you with my own hand” • 6:18 – “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren”
Ephesians • Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture • Midlevel commentary • Not heavy academic, not just reflection either • Heavier Commentaries • The Navarre Bible, Sacra Pagina, New Jerome Biblical Commentary, Anchor Bible Commentary
Authorship • Principle: The held opinion holds weight • Burden of proof lies with those presenting a new view of authorship / dating • Questions raised: differences in vocabulary, style, and theology • Answers to these questions: use of scribes and Paul’s own educated background (see CCSS website) • Held opinion – St. Paul • Significance of the argument – effects on Interpretation and Protestant view of authority
Paul’s Relationship to the Community • Three years (Acts 20:31) • 4th Largest city in Roman Empire • Artemis – main deity • Among others • Significant Jewish Community • Paul begins with the Jewish Community – why? • Significance of Paul having success with those practicing magic? (Acts 19:19)
Ephesians • Not just those in Ephesus • Region around as well • Circular letter (encyclical) • Jews & Gentiles • Addresses the Gentiles particularly
Format • Ch 1 – Greeting • Ch 1 – 3 – Content of Faith (indicative) • Ch 4 – 6 – Advice & Exhortation (imperative) • Ch 6 – Conclusion
Themes • Christ – who He is, what He has done • Union with Christ –past, present, future connection to Christ • Christian Identity – Identity before / Identity after • Holy & Righteous conduct (define Holy? Righteous?) – Living the faith • The Church – Church as universal, Church asChrist’s body