The aim of this paper is to uncover the context, meaning, and application behind the subsequent Paul’s-meaning in the passage of 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. First, the meaning in the context of Paul will be explored. Then the structure of the passage will be briefly examined, which will lead to an in-depth look at its two sections: The Application of 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and …show more content…
Paul wrote this Epistle from Macedonia in the spring, has led to this belief. John MacArthur observes that, “when Paul penned this letter he was facing death on a daily basis. Hostility surrounded him, animosity was constant, and was the reality and threat of the opposition and persecution. The unbelieving Jews and Gentiles wanted to take his life, observing him as a danger to their religion and their economic affluence.” Paul was constantly fearing that he was always close to imminent death throughout repeatedly in this Epistle. Paul clearly had a burden for the lost, he always defended his integrity, he had a passionate burden for the unsaved Paul started verse 17, with the word ‘Therefore’, he was deriving his conclusion from verse 15, Paul went to write “if any man is in Christ, he is new creature”. The context of this verse means That God’s grace and mercy is more enough for everybody even the vilest sinner could be new in Christ. MacArthur further comment that “His substitutionary death becomes their death, and His resurrection life in their life.” The rest of the verse talks about the conversion from the old to the new, the old means that values, ideas, plans, loves, desires, and
... Paul wanted to get out of the war. Maybe Paul died on the right day; he loves quiet, and he dies on possibly the quietest day of the whole war. Maybe he just wanted to end his misery. In any case, Paul cannot accept the philosophy of war and thus gives himself up for death.
Paul the Apostle is the central figure in many New Testament writings. Many historians have attributed fourteen New Testament letters to Paul’s writing; seven of these letters are uncontested meaning historians are sure that Paul wrote them, the remaining seven are contested. Paul was not always a Christian; in fact, he persecuted Christians before Christ came and temporarily blinded him. Upon seeing Christ, Paul devoted his life to Christianity and set out to spread the teachings of Christ. Scholars often credit Paul’s leadership to the ability of the Church to become Hellenistic in one generation. Paul also answered specific worries and questions that his converters may have had in many of his writings; one of these writings is 1 Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians, Paul set out to deal with the many believers in Corinth who are divided into the followings of Paul or Apollos rather than Christianity as a whole. The converts of Paul in 1 Corinthians 12-14 were divided during times of worship because of jealousy invoked by the spiritual gifts received from the “Spirit”; the worships and the church became a place to boast who is closest to God, instead of a place of worship, interpretation, and love. In 1 Corinthians 14:26-33, Paul set guidelines in times of worship to heal the divide among his converts present in 1 Corinthians 12-14.
In this passage of the second letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses several concerns. He is addressing the situation of a man who has sinned not only against himself, but against the Corinthian Church as well. He explains why he wrote a letter rather than bringing sorrow upon them. Paul is sensitive to the Lord’s leading, and in love, writes to the church encouraging them to discipline this man in love for the purpose of restoring him. He urges the Corinthians to be obedient and love the man through forgiving and encouraging him. Paul shares with them his trust in the Lord for the outcome of this matter and how burdened he was for restoration to take place. He warns them of the need to not allow Satan a foothold through this matter. Finally, Paul puts the focus on Christ; for it is in Him that we are adequate thereby becoming His fragrance to others.
Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians was both his way of showing gratitude and to give further instruction to his early Christian followers on how to maintain their faith in Jesus Christ, they now all possessed. The Thessalonians had not always been followers of Christ they were previously Gentiles who then converted to Christianity. Paul gave thanks and further instruction to the Thessalonians so that they could stay prepared for the Advent. I believe that Paul was aware that the followers of Christ what be subjected to temptation and suffering for spreading the Gospel. The Gentiles and Satan could have a great influence on followers of Christ if they are not prepared. Paul knows the struggle of being converted and in result prepared the Thessalonians through ministry and prayer.
One of the major thinkers from late antiquity is Saint Paul, a convert and leader of the early Christian Church. He was once known as Saul of Tarsus before his religious conversion, but afterwards Paul used his background as a Jew and Roman citizen to evangelize all Roman citizens. He ministered to church communities he formed in Europe and what was then Asia Minor by writing letters to these communities he formed, one of which is called Corinth. Corinth is a Southwestern Greek city located against a gulf, which infers its participation in trade and its immersion in many cultures. Corinth was rebuilt as a Roman colony after the Greeks rebelled years before Saint Paul formed a church there, and its citizens popularly worshiped the goddess of love, Aphrodite, which explains why Saint Paul addresses the topics of love and sexuality in his first letter. Corinth was also a disobedient city in the eyes of Saint Paul, as it had many communal problems that were so culturally engrained. The first letter to the church of Corinth, was written by
The main idea of this passage expresses the restoration or redemption of man, through Christ, as an original plan or intention of a graceful, fulfilling God, who wants to give riches to his flock when the time is fulfilled. In verse 7, it speaks of God’s grace being the cause and the effect being redemption. Verses 8 and 9 both speak of God’s wisdom and purpose as if it was a plan that had been laid out beforehand. This entire passage frequently refers back to he, him, and his. It is frequently referring to God and Christ throughout the passage.
"For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the lord of both the dead and the living." (Ro 14:9). The first distinction I want to make about this passage is the wording Paul used to describe Christ. He states that Christ died and than lived. His resurrection is what gives Him grounds to rule over the living and the dead. His power is as mighty in the living world as it is in the afterlife. We are never going to be on our own for he is there to reign over us for all of eternity.
Christianity falls under the category of Theism, which is the belief in only one personal god. Christian worldview believes that God sent humanity His only son so that we can learn about God and how He wants us to act. Jesus is crucified later in His life on a cross, which relieved us from losing a relationship with God due to our sins. When analyzing the Christian worldview, we learn that God came to earth in human form as Jesus Christ to experience life with humanity and restore earth back to harmony. In this paper I will discuss God, Jesus, and humanity individually, how restoration will occur, and finally, analyze and reflect on the Christian worldview.
Chapter four addresses the divisions within the Corinthian church, such as jealousy, quarrelling and their defective view of the church. The apostle Paul links their view of the church to church leadership stating “If they had a true view of the church, they would have a true view of the leaders of the church” (p79). The situation was that their view was lower for the church and higher for the leaders thus they were boasting about the leaders. Paul’s view was that the Corinthian church was spoon feed Christians not maturing as they should. Paul’s reference to addressing the church as worldly did not mean they were unregenerate because they did possess the Spirit but they were not being spiritual, not being controlled by the Holy Spirit. He goes on to say “They have experienced new birth by the Spirit but have remained babies in Christ; they have not yet become mature in Christ” (p80) The Apostle most likely would express the same opinion about many Church congregations today. Many churches are elated with their church growth, but it is often superficial. If the church does not offer a real growth opportunity the journey is short lived. The church fills up with Christians not participating in the sanctification process. As with many churches today the Corinthians had a self-serving attitude about themselves and their church. The Corinthians would have never behaved the way they did if they had a higher view of the church and what it stood for and a lesser view of the leaders. Paul outlines three visions of the church “each of which has important implications” (p82). The first metaphor is agricultural: God’s field (v9) 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God...
...of mockery and insults directed towards God. By attacking the Christian faith in this way, the king of Assyria was trying to prove the Christian’s God was just like all other gods, powerless. Similarly, Paul persecuted Christians by going to Damascus to capture them and bring them back to Jerusalem. He hated the Christian faith and persecuted it without mercy. He, however, converted to Christianity later and became an awesome tool of God’s for spreading the Gospel. Living such a life against God in his past, Paul could have easily compare himself with the king of Assyria. Paul would gain great peace and thankfulneess when he realized God’s punishment to the king of Assyria was death, and that he escaped such punishment and was saved by God. Additionally, seeing the successes of Hezekiah, like returning Judah to the luxury it once experienced, being saved from the Assyrians, and being given 15 extra years to live after his illness, Paul would soon realize that the only reason God was so gracious and merciful with Hezekiah was because he kept his eyes on Him. This would teach Paul that, if he were to be successful, he must keep his focus in life on God.
...main obedient as Christ did, then God will exalt them as well in the Kingdom of heaven, and that is the point that Paul is trying to communicate with the use of this hymn.
As we have looked in to the Christian worldview of God, our humanity, the Son of God, and the restoration of our lives back into God’s purpose. Now we have a better understanding of what it means to be a member of the Christian community. God wants believers to dwell in union and in community having the same mind that is in Jesus Christ (Phil 2:1-11). This paper showed how God and Jesus Christ are at the fundamental core of all Christian beliefs regardless of the countless differences many Christians may
Harris calls Paul “the most influential apostle and missionary of the mid-first-century CE church and author of seven to nine New Testament letters” (H G-33). It would be quite an accolade to receive such recognition, but what makes it even more remarkable is that Paul, or Saul, (Saul was his Judean name and Paul was his Roman name (footnotes B 1943)) originally persecuted the ekklesia or “church”. Paul went from persecuting the ekklesia or “church” to being its “most influential apostle and missionary”. Why and how did Paul make such a drastic change? The answer to the question can be found in various books of the New Testament including some of the letters that Paul wrote. This answer also aids in the explanation of how and why Paul argue with the Ioudaioi.
Jesus and Paul are two crucial characters in the New Testament. They both depict the Gospel on which Christianity is based upon, but there is debate about rather these two versions of the Gospel are complementary. Scholars like George Shaw claim that Paul is “anti-Christian,” and he “produced a fantastic theology” (Shaw 415-416). On the other hand, I believe that even though Jesus and Paul may present the Gospel different at times, they are still advocating the same religion. Through the understanding of the Gospels and Paul’s letters it is clear that Jesus and Paul have the same underlining goals and values.
As with most other Pauline attributed documents, 1 Corinthians is believed to be a single document that addresses salient topics and rationalizes Paul’s view of faithfulness to Christ with Corinth citizens. The newly founded church of Corinth was in correspondence with Paul requesting his answers to questions they posed on topics ranging from marriage to the resurrection of the dead; the latter being one of the most highlighted in 1 Corinthians. Paul’s assurance of resurrection illustrates a concern for Corinth as he admonishes their disbelief in resurrection of the dead with a series of explanations as to why such doubt would render the faith of Christ “in vain”. Given the context of the time, Paul’s correspondence with Corinth clearly had an original intent of educating and admonishing Corinth on their views on resurrection. However, modern Christianity in its many forms has established an interpretation that slightly strays from its original inscription. Regardless, Paul’s letters not only shaped the ideals of Corinthians believers but influenced the Christian ideals of post mortem resurrection or eternal life as well.