Life of St. Paul – Context of Paul’s Ministry

The persecution of ”the Way” that followed the stoning of Stephen spurred a large Jewish Christian diaspora. Jewish Christians living in Jerusalem spread all across the Mediterranean world. While many of them kept solely Hebraic social circles after settling into new homes, the exceptions were the inhabitants of Cyprus and Cyrene (a region in North…

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Life of St. Paul – Preparation for Ministry

Biblical data on Paul’s life in the first years after his conversion can be found only in Acts and Galatians. In the latter source, Paul affirms that the basis of his Gospel is Jesus Christ’s personal revelation coupled with his rabbinical study. No individual, in Jerusalem or elsewhere, taught Paul the Christian way during these…

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Life of St. Paul – Upbringing and Conversion

In His Providence, God equipped Paul with many of the skills that he would need to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, long before he fell off his horse on the road to Damascus. Just a few of these skills included a great Jewish memory, proficiency in Greek, and training in philosophy. Physically, this man…

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Life of St. Paul – Introduction

Analyzing the years during which Passover fell on a Friday, Christ died either in A.D. 30 or A.D. 33. David Higbee tends to lean towards the latter. One of his main reasons is that Pilate would have still had a Roman protector in A.D. 30, thus his capitulation to the Jewish leaders in crucifying Christ…

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2nd Corinthians – Final Review

Certain items stand out from a review of the Corinthian correspondences. So dynamic was Paul’s pastoring of this dynamic and diverse community that in an initial eighteen-month mission and a four-year period of intercession and periodic communication that it has left a mark on Christianity forever. He encourages Christians to separate themselves from the world…

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2nd Corinthians – Context

The epistle provides a sort of living picture of an apostolic Church. In this particular letter Paul’s passionate words rival only those in Galatians. After a summary of the early apostolic period, one can see that Paul suffered much before meeting the Corinthians. A proper context for the Corinthian letter makes for a more comprehensive…

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2nd Corinthians – Concluding the Epistle

Paul’s argument in the 11th chapter of Second Corinthians is similar to the one he uses in Galatians against the Judaizers. He writes ”if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough.” He then derides the so-called ”superlative apostles” and boasts how he provided the gospel free-of-charge…

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2nd Corinthians – Paul’s Bold Counter-Argument

A marked shift in topic and tone appears within the last four chapters of Second Corinthians. Regardless of whether or not these chapters were added to the epistle after its original composition, its apostolic authority is unquestioned. These chapters are a reaction to the Corinthian situation: trouble making evangelists agitating the impressionable church. These missionaries…

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2nd Corinthians – Titus and the Collection for Jerusalem

Returning from his quick diversion to stress that God’s people must be consecrated to the holy and sacred (cf. 6:14-7:1), Paul writes, ”I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. With all our affliction, I am overjoyed” (7:4). He continues by accounting his troubles in Macedonia…

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2nd Corinthians – Holiness: A Serious Separation from Sin

An intensely personal epistle, Second Corinthians has a great deal to say about the Christian life, its requisite hope, and its standards. By itself, the law can only lead to condemnation, as God’s holiness is inaccessible. Yet, the law is always preceded by God’s promise of instruction and grace. After the incarnation, death, and resurrection…

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