Paul's Letters: Recent Episodes
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As Paul had sent Timothy to Ephesus, he gives exhortations and practical instructions for the life of the people in that church, as expected to be imparted by Timothy, its appointed pastor. (ESV)
The central content of this letter is largely accepted as one pertaining to Paul's theology of justification by faith, and rightly so. But recent scholarship sees something more happening, by a highly plausible reconstruction of its historical context. The Jews, after the time of Maccabees enjoyed a kind of religious immunity from the requirement of the Roman Imperial Cult since the time of the Seleucid empire. For the recent converts into Christianity who did not enjoy the same kind of religious protection that the Jews had, to receive circumcision and to go by the way of Jewish law could have been a mighty tempting avenue by which to avoid both the Imperial cult, or religious persecution for its refusal. This bit of context is tremendously helpful in interpreting the whole of Galatians and all the subsequent letters from Paul.
In this letter, the apostle Paul sends to Titus, instructions on how to set up the leadership within his faith community in Crete.
1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.[a] 7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus,[b] whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant[c] but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
In this letter, Paul writes about the mystery of the Gospel that had been sealed until the time of Christ, and the nature of the church in its expected unity, as well as the conduct of the Christian both as a church and in the home. It is the most developed picture of the church (ecclesiology) in one epistle.
In Philippians, Paul writes about three chief concerns:
1) that they would be able to discern the will of God, His superior ways
2) that they would be of one mind, heart and in accord
3) that they would be like Jesus in their humility.