Lesson 1
THE RELATIONAL APOSTLE-INTRO
Paul wrote 2 Timothy a few weeks or months before his execution. This is the last book written by Paul.
2 Timothy 4:3-8 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."
THE WRITER
Paulus Corpus - Ten (10) books undisputedly written by Paul. Romans, Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon and Philippians.
Four others attributed - 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews.
Page #7-8, Goodwin Harmony of Life of Paul is the outline of Paul's life.
HIS EFFECTS
Paul's theology has shaped much of our culture. The Corpus Paulus contain most, if not all, pertinent theology wrangled over for 2,000 years.
Luther on justification by faith in Romans split the Catholic Church.
Roman Emperor quote - "One day men will call their dogs Nero and their children Paul."
Paul is a world man able to speak through 2,000 years. Transcultural - def.?
Remarkable characteristics of Paul seen in scriptures:
1) Gregarious, approachable, leader, took charge in every situation (ie. Titanic ex.)
2) Small in stature, bald head, not good looking
3) Super abundant zeal
4) Single minded in fulfilling his mission
5) As John the Baptist knew his calling - "Prepare the way of the Lord", so Paul knew his calling after the Damascus road experience
He spanned the three (3) divergent cultures of his day:
1) Brought up a Hebrew. Tutored by the finest Jewish teachers
2) Citizen of a city whose language was Greek
3) Able to move into the Latin culture due to his Roman citizenship
Roman culture - civil law and administration
Greek culture - philosophy, arts and culture
Hebrew culture - morality, a great religion (monotheism)
Paul interacted with all three. Socrates or Shakespeare cannot say that. They have not touched the whole world continually for the last 2,000 years.
SUMMARY
In a little more than ten years Paul established the church in four providences of the empire, Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia, & Asia. Before 47 AD there were no churches in these providences, in 57 AD Paul could speak as if his work there was done.
BACKGROUND - JEWISH POLITICS & RELIGION
Diaspora of Dispersion - 6th century B.C. Jews carried away to Babylon.
63 B.C. Pompey entered the gates of Jerusalem. Jerusalem became an annexed state of Rome.
Hasmoneans ruled under Rome.
After Herod the Great, Rome instituted the two-tier form of government.
Inept governors generally ruled Palestine.
Two-tier form of government:
1) Procurator - administers civil government and collects tribute for Rome.
2) Sanhedrin or council of 70. They gained appointment from Rome through purchasing it. They regulated and interpreted the law by applying it moral tones.
69 - 70 A.D. Romans destroy Jerusalem and razed it to the ground. They built another city on top and dedicated it to Zeus. Why destroy it? They were a pain to Rome.
FOUR RELIGIOUS/POLITICAL GROUPS
Zealots - most conservative. They were ultra conservative fanatics who wanted the land purified by annihilating their enemies. They were looking for that kind of Messiah.
Essences - separatist that elected to separate themselves from society.
Pharisee - believed that purity and righteous living should change from society within.
Sadducees - they actually ruled Palestine. They considered themselves to be the true adherents of the faith. They considered themselves to be orthodox. They were hated by the people due to their collection of the temple tax and belief in Roman tribute.
Josephus states that only 6,000 Pharisees existed at the destruction of Jerusalem.
Pharisees - Hasidic Jews of today are from the Pharisees. Everything is a ritual. Common life is considered temple service. Their like is lived out as an example of the law. They followed the Rule of Order which evolved into the Pharisaic Oral Law. They saw their oral law as interpreting the written law (Law of Moses). The oral law is what Jesus confronted.
From schools for teaching oral law, great teachers like Gameliel evolved. He stopped the killing of apostles once.
Pharisaic Theology - predestination; believed God controlled all things. They believed in the resurrection and angels.
Sadducean Theology - free will view influenced by Greek philosophy. They were anit-spiritist.
Paul was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. Certain doctrinal truths had a profound effect on his life. He was trained by Gamaliel in his teenage years.
Kerygma - gospel that Paul preached.
1. Arrival of messianic age has come as foretold by the prophets.
2. The inauguration of this age was implemented in the ministry, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
3. Jesus was co-equal with God because He was God.
4. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the church is a sign of the Messiah's power and glory.
5. Return of Jesus will be the consummation of the Messianic age attended by the resurrection of the dead.
6. Call of repentance with an offer of forgiveness and ability to live a holy life in Christ.
Early background of Paul
From Tarsus on river Cydnus in province of Cilicia (SEE MAP)
Tarsus is 30 miles south of Cilician Gates.
Cilician Gates is a mountain pass.
Tarsus then was an important commercial town.
Tarsus was exempt from imperial taxes.
Tarsus was a university town. Stoic university.
Tarsus manufactured a fabric of woven goats hair that repelled water called Cilicium.
Paul was a skenopoios (tent maker) and made tents probably from this Cilicium. It was a trade secret passed from father to son.
Paul's parents were probably wealthy merchants. He had personal family kin in Jerusalem because his nephew warned him of plot to kill him by the Jews.
Cilicia was a Greek-speaking province.
Paul was a Hebraic Jew and Roman.
Three divergent cultures in Tarsus. Greek, Hebrew & Roman
[FYI - Diptych - folded seal that proved Roman citizenship.]
Paul left Tarsus probably in his mid-teens. He entered a school of Pharisees. Gamaliel was Paul's teacher from the school of Hillel. His training influences Paul heavily.
Hillel school of Pharisees - judged a man by the totality of good or bad in his life. If you made a small mistake in the oral law you were ok if there was enough good in your life to outweigh the bad.
Shammai school of Pharisees - believed that if you broke the law in any fashion you were doomed.
Skenopoios - tent making
Cilicium - Water-repellent material
Parousia - second return or second coming of Christ with power
Kerygma - proclamation or the gospel that they preached
Kyrics - Lord
Maranatha - "our Lord, come" or "Lord come quickly"
Phylai - a guild or labor union made up of individual crafts. Skenopoios was Paul's family Phylai.
Syncretism - identification of local gods with the gods of Mt. Olympus. It was how Hellenism took over the Mediterranean world. (Baal/Zeus) Allowed you to worship your god but associated him to the Greek gods. It pointed you toward Mt. Olympus in Greece. It eventually infected your Greek Hellenism.
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