NT. SURVEY // UNIT III // LESSON - 3 // ROMANS // I & II CORINTHIANS //

PAUL’S EPISTLE TO ROMANS

INTRODUCTION

This letter is the premier example of the epistolary form of writing, not only in the Pauline body of material and in the New Testament but also in all of ancient literature. It stands first in every list of the Apostle Paul's writings though it was not first in time of composition.

 

Authorship. That Paul is the author of this letter is denied by almost no one. Even the ancient heretics admitted Romans was written by Paul. So do the modern (19^th century and later) radical German critics, who deny many other facts in the Scriptures. Paul identified himself as the author by name, of course (1:1);

 

RECIPIENTS:-

This epistle was addressed to a group of people he had never visited. The nucleus of the assembly at Rome probably had been formed by Romans who were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and who had received the Holy Ghost and been baptized by the apostles. In the intervening twenty eight years, Christians from various parts of the empire had moved into Rome. Some of these were undoubtedly converts and friends of Paul.

THEME:-

The theme of romans is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The word gospel means good news. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news that he came to each, died, and rose again to bring us back into eternal life (I Cor 15:1-4) this is the one and only way of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles. The key though to Romans is Justification by faith.

PURPOSE:- while on his last visit to Corinth, Paul met a Christian lady named Phoeba who was going to Rome. He took advantage of this circumstance and sent a letter to the saints at Rome with her. He wanted to tell the Roman Christians of his planned visit and give them a statement of the distinctive truths which had been revealed to him. The believers in Rome had been on Paul's heart and prayer list for a long time (Rom. 1:9-10) and his desire to visit them and to minister to them, unfulfilled to this point, was finally about to be satisfied (11-15; 15:22-23, 29, 32). Therefore Paul wanted to inform them of his plans and to have them anticipate and pray for their fulfillment (15:30-32). A second purpose Paul had for writing this letter was to present a complete and detailed statement of the gospel message he proclaimed. Paul was eager “to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome” (1:15)

PLACE AND DATE:-

Though Paul never named the city, it is obvious that he wrote this letter from Corinth, Cenchrea (16:1) being its eastern harbor. The letter was written at the close of Paul's third missionary journey during the "three months" he was in Greece (Acts 20:3) just before his return to Jerusalem with the offering from the churches of Macedonia and Achaia for the poor believers there (Rom. 15:26). After leaving Corinth, Paul was in Philippi during the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Acts 20:6) and desired to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost (Acts 20:16). The letter was written, therefore, in the late winter or early spring of A.D. 57 or 58. Paul’s Epistle to the Romas was written during his las visit to Corinth. Probably during the winter of 57-58 AD.

 

OUTLINE

I. Introductory Matters (1:1-17)

A. Epistolary greetings (1:1-7)

B. Establishing rapport (1:8-15)

C. Emphasizing theme (1:16-17)

II. God's Righteousness Revealed in Condemnation (1:18-3:20)

A. Condemnation against pagan humanity (1:18-32)

1. Reasons for condemnation (1:18-23)

2. Results of condemnation (1:24-32)

B. Condemnation according to divine standards (2:1-16)

1. Truthfulness (2:1-4)

2. Impartiality (2:5-11)

3. Jesus Christ (2:12-16)

C. Condemnation against unfaithful Jews (2:17-3:8)

1. Condemnation because of their hypocrisy (2:17-24)

2. Condemnation because of their trust in rites (2:25-29)

3. Condemnation because of their unbelief (3:1-8)

D. Condemnation against all human beings (3:9-20)

1. All are under sin (3:9-18)

2. All are conscious of sin (3:19-20)

III. God's Righteousness Revealed in Justification (3:21-5:21)

A. Provided righteousness explained (3:21-31)

B. Provided righteousness illustrated (chap. 4)

1. By faith not works (4:1-8)

2. By faith not rites (4:9-12)

3. By faith not the Law (4:13-17)

4. By faith in God's promise (4:18-25)

C. Provided righteousness enjoyed (5:1-11)

D. Provided righteousness contrasted (5:12-21)

IV. God's Righteousness Revealed in Sanctification (chaps. 6-8)

A. Ground of sanctification (6:1-4)

B. Attitudes for sanctification (6:5-23)

1. Reckon (6:5-11)

2. Yield (6:12-14)

3. Serve (6:5-23)

C. Conflict in sanctification (chap. 7)

1. The believer and the Law (7:1-6)

2. The Law and sin (7:7-13)

3. The believer and sin (7:14-25)

D. Power for sanctification (8:1-17)

E. Goal of sanctification (8:18-27)

F. Certainty of sanctification (8:28-39)

V. God's Righteousness Revealed in Sovereign Choice (chaps. 9-.11)

A. God's sovereign choice enunciated (9:1-29)

1. Israel's privileges (9:1-5)

2. The choice illustrated (9:6-18)

3. The choice explained (9:19-29)

B. God's sovereign choice applied (9:30-10:21)

1. Israel's stumbling (9:30-10:4)

2. God's gracious offer (10:5-I5)

3. Israel's rejection (10:16-21)

C. God's sovereign choice fulfilled (chap. 11)

1. In election of grace (11:1-10)

2. In Gentiles (11:11-24)

3. In Israel's salvation (11:25-32)

4. To God's glory and praise (11:33-36)

VI. God's Righteousness Revealed in Transformed Living (12:1-15:13)

A. The basic consecration (12:1-2)

B. In Christian ministry (12:3-8)

C. In social relationships (12:9-21)

D. In relation to authority (13:1-7)

E. In light of the future (13:8-14)

F. In dealing with other Christians (14:1-15:13)

1. Without judging (14:1-12)

2. Without hindering (14:13-23)

3. As imitators of Christ (15:1-13)

VII. Concluding Remarks (15:14-16:27)

A. Personal plans (15:14-33)

B. Personal greetings (16:1-16)

C. Final words (16:17-27)

 

1 CORINTHIANS

INTRODUCTION:-

The city was founded by Corinthos (Descendent of Helios (sun god) in 2000 BC. The city was renowned for the temple prostitutes of Aphrodite – the goddess of love. So most people visited Corinth for sexual pleasures. People were not much educated, not much wise, relied heavily on business and were idol worshippers before they accepted Christ. They consisted of Jews, Greeks and Romans. Apostle Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians is one of the most misinterpreted books in the Bible. Different denominations interpret this book differently. Use this wonderful opportunity to interact and understand I Corinthians. Under the Romans, Corinth was rebuilt as a major city in Southern Greece or Achaia. It had a large mixed population of Romans, Greeks and Jews. Paul wrote tow of his epistles to the Christian community at Corinth.

BACKGROUND OF THE EPISTLE:-

When the apostle Paul first visited the city (AD 51 or 52) Paul resided here for eighteen months (Act 18:1-18). Paul became acquainted with Priscilla and Aquila with whom he worked and travelled. Paul goes to Ephesus (Act 19, 20, 21; I Cor 16:8). He writes first letter (Lost epistle I Cor 5 :9) house of Chole reported to Paul (I Cor 1:11, 5 :1) Stephanus, fortunatus and Achaicus was sent by Corinthian assembly to Paul to get clarification on some issues.

AUTHORSHIP:-

Paul was the writer of this book and God was the author. The book itself was written about AD 57 from Ephesus. The reason for its writing were to answer and address some troubling problems in the church.

THEME:- To establish the church in the true gospel. The main contrast that God has Paul make in this book is between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of man. (2:4-8)

 

OUTLINE

I. Introduction (1:1-9)

A. Salutation and description of the writer and readers (1:1-3)

B. Thanksgiving for the effects of Cod's grace (1:4-9)

II. Divisions in the Church (1:10-4:21)

A. The reality of division (1:10-17)

B. The causes of division (1:18-4:5)

1. A misunderstanding of the message (1:18-3:4)

2. A misunderstanding of the ministry (3:5-4:5)

C. The cure of division (4:6-21)

III. Disorders in the Church (chaps. 5-6)

A. Failure to discipline a sinner (chap. 5)

B. Failure to resolve personal disputes (6:1-11)

C. Failure to practice sexual purity (6:12-20)

IV. Difficulties in the Church (chaps. 7:1-16:12)

A. Counsel concerning marriage (chap. 7)

1. Marriage and celibacy (7:1-9)

2. Marriage and divorce (7:10-24)

3. Marriage and ministry (7:25-38)

4. Remarriage and widows (7:39-40)

B. Counsel concerning Christian a liberty (chaps. 8-14)

1. Christian liberty in relation to pagan worship (8:1-11:1)

a. The principle of brotherly love (chap. 8)

b. The regulation of privilege (9:1-10:13)

c. The application to idolatry (10:14-11:1)

2. Christian liberty in relation to Christian worship (11:2-14:40)

a. The state of women in worship (11:2-16)

b. The state of Christians at the Lord's Supper (11:17-34)

c. The state of spiritual gifts (chaps 12-14)

C. Counsel concerning the Resurrection (chap. 15)

1. The certainty of bodily resurrection (15:1-34)

a. Historical argument (15:1-11)

b. Logical argument (15:12-19)

c. Theological argument (15:20-28)

d. Experiential argument (15:29-34)

2. Answers to certain questions (15:35-58)

a. Answers about the resurrection of the dead (15:35-49)

b. Answers about the Rapture of the living (15:50-58)

D. Counsel concerning the collection for the poor (16:1-4)

E. Counsel concerning future visits (16:5-12)

V. Conclusion (16:13-24)

A. Exhortation on appropriate conduct and commendation (16:13-18)

B. Salutation. imprecation, and benediction (16:19-24)

 

 II CORINTHIANS

II Corinthians was written on his third missionary journey about three months or more after I Corinthians. (A.D. 57) Driven from Ephesus, the place from which Paul had written his first letter to the Church at Corinth, he and Timothy are now in Macedonia, probably at Philippi. Anxiously awaiting word from Titus, who was to have met him at Troas with word on the Corinthian situation, Paul is just recovering from a period of sickness and near death (1:8-9) where for a time he had been mentally and physically pressed beyond measure. From Philippi he writes this second preserved epistle to the Corinthians. One unusual feature of this epistle is Paul’s defence of

 

AUTHORSHIP:- Paul was the writer of this book and God was the author. See lesson Thirty-Four for the information on the city, the church, and the Apostle Paul. From Macedonia Paul wrote his 2^nd letter to  Corinthians.

 

Key thought: The comfort of God in Christ is the key thought of the book. (1:3; 13:11)

 

THEME:- II Corinthians is the most personal of Paul’s letters to the young churches, revealing the innermost feelings and deepest motivation of his heart.

 

PURPOSE AND NATURE OF THE LETTER:-  

No letter of Paul's is more personal and intimate in nature than 2 Corinthian. In it he bared his soul and professed his abiding love for the Corinthians despite the apparent fickleness of their affection for him. What concerned Paul pre-eminently was the presence of false teachers, claiming to be apostles, who had entered the church. They promoted their own ideas and at the same time sought to discredit both the person and message of the apostle. Second Corinthians was written to defend the authenticity of both his apostleship and his message. This was not carried out in a self-protecting spirit but because Paul knew that acceptance of his ministry and message were intimately bound with the Corinthian church's own spiritual well-being.

 

OUTLINE

I. Introduction (1:1-11)

A. Salutation and description of writer and readers (1:1-2)

B. Thanksgiving for God's comfort (1:3-11)

II. Apostolic Ministry (1:12-7:16)

A. Changed plans defended (1:12-2:11)

B. Glorious ministry described (2:12-7:16)

1. Triumphant in Christ (2:12-3:6)

2. Glory from the Spirit (3:7-18)

3. Power from God (4:1-15)

4. Eternal perspective (4:16-5:10)

5. Message of reconciliation (5:11-6:2)

6. Marks of the ministry (6:3-10)

7. Anticipated response (6:11-7:16)

III. Gracious Giving (chaps. 8-9)

A. Examples of liberality (8:1-9)

B. Advice and arrangements for the collection (8:10-9:5)

C. Reward of generosity (9:6-15)

IV. Affirmative Action (10:1-13:10)

A. Appeal for obedience (10:1-6)

B. False apostles confronted (10:7-11:15)

C. Apostolic credentials (11:16-12:10)

D. Recommended response (12:11-13:10)

V. Conclusion (13:11-14)

A. Appropriate conduct (13:11-12)

B. Salutations and benediction (13:13-14)