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New Testament

New Testament. BCM 103 Dr. Dave Mathewson Gordon College/Denver Seminary. The Apostle Paul. Background of Paul’s Epistles. First Pauline epistles: Galatians or 1 Thess.

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New Testament

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  1. New Testament BCM 103Dr. Dave MathewsonGordon College/Denver Seminary

  2. The Apostle Paul

  3. Background of Paul’s Epistles • First Pauline epistles: Galatians or 1 Thess. • The occasional nature of Paul’s letters. Paul’s letters of response to certain problems and situations. Contextually specific letters addressing specific problems.

  4. Reading Paul’s Letters • Two analogies • Phone conversation • Reading someone else’s mail • We must construct a plausible scenario from Paul’s letters that help us to interpret them.

  5. Circulation • Read by more than immediate audience--Colossians • Others more context specific—Corinthians • 1 Peter mentions collection of Paul’s letters

  6. The Person of Paul • Citizen of two worlds: • Jewish: radical, destroy the threat to Judaism of the church [Pharisees with Zealot tendencies] • Citizen of Rome: familiar with Greco-Roman world, citizenship exploited getting him out of trouble

  7. Traditional Paul? • Acts 9—Paul’s conversion • Traditional approach to Paul • Paul tried the law and became frustrated and felt more and more guilty that he couldn’t keep it, failure  accepts salvation through Christ—Is this accurate? • Galatians 1: Persecuting the Church, advanced in Judaism… • Philippians 3: Circumcised, Benjamin, Pharisee, zeal persecuting the church, as to the law blameless– Does this reflect guilt?

  8. Road to Damascus in Acts 9 conversion and commissioning/call of Paul to preach to Gentiles [Acts: Paul Rome]

  9. Introducing Romans • Opening a piece of mail metaphor • Romans had played a significant role in the church

  10. Those who Read Romans

  11. Authorship of Romans • Romans 16:22– I, Tertius wrote this letter. Amanuensis – you dictate letter to them to be written down, author signed it • Romans seems not to reflect a specific crisis or problem like other letters

  12. Reason for writing Romans • 1) Mission – to secure Rome as a base for missionary activity—Rom. 15:23ff • 2) Apologetic – to provide an explanation and defense of his gospel • 3) Pastoral – to unite Jew and Gentile factions

  13. Key Texts on Faith Justification “Now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed…a righteousness of God through faith in Christ” (3.21-22) “For…a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (3.28) What did he mean by this?– Why keeping law doesn’t justify but by faith does?

  14. The “New Look” on Paul • Luther – legalism: trying to earn salvation by performing good works • Sanders – nomism: works of the law were a response to God’s grace • Dunn – nationalism: the promise of salvation was too closely tied to being a Jew

  15. New and Old Perspectives on Paul • Problem: • Old: Human inability (sin) to keep the law • New: Jewish exclusivism • Question: • Old: How is a sinner made right with a holy God? • New: How do Gentiles become the people of God? • Focus: • Old: Individual • New: Communal

  16. Old and New Paul “Solution” • Solution • Paul is addressing the issue of Jewish and Gentile relations. Who are the true people of God? (New Perspective) • But this only raises the issue of what is required for salvation? Is it faith, or reliance on the law? How does one stand righteouss before God? (Old Perspective)

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