1st century Christianity in the 21st century
While Paul was in prison in Rome, he wrote three letters to churches (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians) and one personal letter to a beloved friend – Philemon (Philemon 1:1). There are several commendable things about Philemon.
Continue reading “Philemon: A Friend of the Apostle Paul – Bible Overview”Titus was a young Greek man (Galatians 2:3) whom Paul called “a true son in our common faith” (Titus 1:4). This description would indicate Paul had brought Titus to the Lord (1 Corinthians 4:15). We do not know where or when Paul met him, but after Paul’s first missionary trip had ended, Titus was among those who went with Paul to Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1-2; Acts 15) to confront the Judaizing teachers who falsely taught the Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved. With Paul’s support, he did not yield to the pressure of the false teachers (Galatians 2:3-5).
Continue reading “Titus: Called To Be Zealous For Good Works – Bible Overview”Timothy was a young man from the city of Lystra. His mother was Jewish but his father was Greek (Acts 16:1). The disciples at Lystra spoke well of Him, and so Paul desired for Timothy to join him as he traveled preaching the gospel (Acts 16:2-3). Paul spoke of Timothy as “a true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Paul took Timothy under his wing and mentored him, serving as a father-figure to him in spiritual things.
Continue reading “1 & 2 Timothy: The Work of an Evangelist – Bible Overview”On his second missionary journey, Paul and his companions went to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1). He spent three Sabbaths at the synagogue teaching the Jews about the suffering and resurrection of the Christ (Acts 17:2-3). The response to the gospel among the Jews was minimal, but many of the Gentiles heard and obeyed the Lord (Acts 17:4-5a). The Jews, out of envy, arranged a mob to cause trouble for Paul and those who were with him, accusing them of having “…turned the world upside down…” (Acts 17:5b-8). For their safety, the Thessalonians sent Paul and Silas away (Acts 17:10).
Continue reading “1 & 2 Thessalonians: Encouraging New Christians – Bible Overview”Colossians is one of Paul’s prison epistles (Colossians 1:7-8; 4:3, 7-14), written while Paul was under house arrest in the city of Rome. The content of this book is very similar to that which was written in the book of Ephesians.
Continue reading “Colossians: Faithful Service to the Lord – Bible Overview”Like the book of Ephesians, the letter to the church at Philippi is a “prison epistle,” written by Paul while he was under house arrest in Rome (Philippians 1:7, 13-14, 16; 4:22).
Continue reading “Philippians: Rejoice in the Lord Always – Bible Overview”The book of Ephesians is part of a group of Pauline letters we commonly call the “prison epistles.” These are letters which Paul wrote while he was imprisoned in Rome (Ephesians 3:1; 4:1).
The book is a companion letter to Colossians. The two books parallel one another in content. Notice a few examples:
Continue reading “Ephesians: Walking in the Way of the Lord – Bible Overview”Most of Paul’s epistles were written to specific churches (ie. “the church of God which is at Corinth,” 1 Corinthians 1:2; “to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,” Philippians 1:1), but this letter was addressed “to the churches of Galatia” (Galatians 1:2). Galatia was not a city, but a geographical region which had churches in the cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, among others.
Continue reading “Galatians: Defeating False Teachings With The Truth – Bible Overview”The apostle Paul began the church at Corinth while on his second missionary journey (Acts 18). He stayed in the city for a year and a half teaching the gospel (Acts 18:11). The two letters were written in close succession while Paul was on his third journey. The first letter was penned shortly before Paul left Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:8-10). The second letter was written while Paul was in Macedonia (2 Corinthians 1:15-16). He would visit the church soon thereafter and then go to Judea with the gift for the saints who were suffering through a famine.
Continue reading “1 & 2 Corinthians: A Powerful Rebuke And Call To Repentance – Bible Overview”The book of Romans is the first epistle (letter) we come to in the New Testament. It was from the apostle Paul (11:1) to the church at Rome (1:7), but was recorded by a scribe named Tertius (16:22).
Continue reading “Romans: Called To Be A Living Sacrifice – Bible Overview”