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Biblical analysis essay
Literary analysis paper on the bible
Biblical analysis essay
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- Author: Paul writing from prison in Rome is what most scholars agree upon as clearly the letter itself comes from him (1:1). Additionally, the writings of the early church fathers attest to Pauline authorship (Walvoord & Zuck, 1984). There are indubitable echoes of the epistle in Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians, with earlier allusions in the letters of Ignatius and Clement (Martin, 2009). The letter itself was comprised of 221 lines by ancient line count (stichoi) in each (McRay, 2003).
Paul’s prison letters are Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon written while in prison, however, there is not positive proof whether the letters were from his imprisonment in Rome or possibly Ephesus or Caesarea (Gundry, 2003).
- Date: The approximate date of this letter is A.D. 61 or 62 from Rome (Holman Bible Publishers, 2004). Paul writes Philippians toward the end of his imprisonment and expects to be released soon and visit the church of Philippi. This is apparent as one of the church’s members, Epaphroditus, who brought him financial help, and Paul thanks him for this in this letter (Gundry, 2003).
- Major Themes Living the Christian Life, Joy in hardship, Mentality, Beware Judaizers, Fellowship, Pressing Towards the Goal, Words of Encouragement
Living the Christian Life
Out of concern for members of the church of Philippi, Paul encourages them in their Christian Life. According to Paul, living means, living for Christ. Helping each other grow and experience the joy of faith. Praise for their constant witness (1.3-6). Praise for their concern for the Gospel (1.7) and praise shown by his love for them (1.8).
Joy in Hardship
Another theme of this epistle is joy. Paul rejoices in the furtherance of the gosp...
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...ot worry about anything; instead pray about everything, tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done (4.6). Experiencing God’s peace, exceed all understanding. His peace will guard our hearts and minds as we live in Christ (4.7).
Works Cited
The Wayfinding Bible. (2013). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
Goodrick, E., & Kohlenberger, J. (1999). The Strongest NIV exhaustive concordance. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Gundry, R. (2003). A Survey of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Holman Bible Publishers. (2004). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. (C. Brand, C. Draper, & A. England, Eds.) Nasville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
McRay, J. (2003). Paul: His Life and Teaching. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Walvoord, J. F., & Zuck, R. B. (1984). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook.
Paul wrote Ephesians when he was in prison in Rome. He was there because Jews attacked him after his third missionary journey, but he was the one that got arrested. The epistle was written to the church in Ephesus, to help them with their unity. Thychicus deliver...
Throughout many of Paul’s letters there are many debates pertaining to the authorship, destination, date, and the purpose. In the book of Ephesians many scholars debate on the authorship and if Paul actually wrote the letter, or if it was a scribe. Although there are some debates on whether Paul actually wrote it or not, he does refer to himself twice in the letter. In 1:1 and in 3:1 Paul states himself, 1:3 states, “For this reason, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles” (NIV) In verse 1:3 Paul states that he is a prisoner, therefore it is debated that he did not specifically write this because he was imprisoned in Rome at this time. According to Wallace “This, of course, is not to say that the letter must be by Paul, but it is to argue that without such internal testimony, no such claim could be made” (Wallace). Many scholars also debate on the vocabulary usage and the structure of the letter. Some believe that the structure is similar, but the vocabulary seems to be different than his New Testament epistles. Hoehner claims that,” Though the book has a close affinity with Colossians, critics claim that Ephesians is uncharacteristic of Paul” (Hoehner 613). The destination of Ephesians is somewhat debated, but many do believe that the letter was sent to the church of Ephesus. “Some to claim that Ephesus is a better starting point, others suggest Caesarea.” (Wallace) Although this is an argument that has many valid points, it is obvious that Paul was imprisoned in Rome while he wrote Ephesians. It is said by Hoehner that “Ephesians was probably delivered by Tychicus (Eph. 6:21-22), who also took Paul’s letter to Colossians (Col. 4:7-9)” (Hoehner 613). As for the date goes m...
Romans is unique among Paul's letters, because it is the first letter written to a church which Paul or his colleagues did not start. Paul had never paid a visit to the Christians in Rome. The tone of the letter is more neutral and reserved than in his other letters where the tone was more disturbed.
Philemon is a personal letter from the Apostle Paul written approximately AD 61 while Paul was under house arrest in Rome. It was here in prison where he met Onesimus, a runaway slave from Colossae. Apparently, he had stolen money from his master, Philemon, and fled to R...
Grayston, Kenneth. The Letters of Paul to the Philippians and to the Thessalonians. CBC. London: Cambridge U.P., 1967.
Sakenfeld, Kathaine Doob, ed. The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible: D-H: Volume 2. Vol. 2. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2007.
The books of I and II Thessalonians, which are in the New Testament, are both letters to a church that Paul the apostle helped establish in the city of Thessalonica. First Thessalonians is agreed by biblical scholars to be written by Paul. The author of II Thessalonians, however, is still being debated about.
Bromiley, Geoffrey William, Fredrich, Gerhard, Kittel, Gerhard. “Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.” Struttgart, Germany. W. Kohlhammer Verlag. 1995. Print.
People who are able find joy in their faith and trust in God are less likely to abandon it in the face of trouble. That is why the overarching tone of the letter is one of encouragement. Thus, in many ways Paul’s message climaxes when he proclaims, “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me” (Phil 4:13). This verse has become one of the most commonly shared among the modern Christian community, as its message of unwavering trust and an omnipotent God comforts those in times of hardship. At the writing of this letter, Paul is conscious that he appears weak. Yet in this moment of weakness, he becomes fully aware of Christ’s power resting upon him. At Paul’s weakest, he was actually at his strongest due to Christ. Christians in similar situations can look to Paul’s steadfastness in Christ during his time of hardship as an example for their own action. The letter insinuates that God will not give his children more than they can handle. Servants were intended to go through struggles, but they will be rewarded for believing in the strength of the Lord with eternal
The book of Philippians was written by Paul in 60 AD. Philippians is one of the four prison epistles that were written during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. This letter was written for the church of Philippi to address what they were struggling with at the time and to bring about encouragement to them to keep pressing on for the Gospel. Paul address what living for Christ looks it, the proper attitude Christian should have, and the warns the church of the dangers of false teachers, disunity of the church, and ends with encouragement for the church. In Chapter one, Paul is describing his present circumstance in which he thanks the church for staying diligent in spreading the Gospel while he has been in jail.
Carson, D, & Moo, D. (2005) An introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Although Peter’s letter was not written primarily to inform his intended audience (or modern readers) about the culture and politics of the first century, he did use certain ideas and phrases that offer hints about these topics. More important than historical clues, though, is the fact that these significant words, when combined with corresponding background information, help us understand both Peter’s original meaning and how God wanted the recipients to live out the faith in their communities. When properly interpreted, these words also help us as we try to identify with these Christians and to be obedient to Christ in our own culture.
The letter to Philemon is unique in the Bible and in history. I hope this article will help us to understand and gain an appreciation of why this short letter by the Apostle Paul made its way into the Bible.
Wall, Robert W., Robert W. Wall, N. T. Wright, and J. Paul. Sampley. The New Interpreter's Bible. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2002. Print.
Paul, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, wrote a letter to believers in Rome. The letters is now known today as the book of Romans. In Romans, chapters 1-8, Paul addresses some of the challenges and situations the Roman believers were dealing with. Some of the things he touches upon are the natural world, culture, human relationships, and human identity. Paul’s letter gives the believers in Rome a ray of hope when there seems to be no hope.