THE BOOK OF MATTHEW

Meaning
Matthew is the gospel written by a Jew to Jews about a Jew. Matthew is the
writer, his countrymen are the readers, and Jesus Christ is the subject. Matthew's
design is to present Jesus as the King of the Jew's, the long-awaited Messiah.
Through a carefully selected series of Old Testament quotations, Matthew
documents Jesus Christ's claim to be Messiah. His genealogy, baptism,
messages, and miracles all point to the same inescapable conclusion: Christ is
King. Even in His death, seeming defeat is turned to victory by the Resurrection,
and the message again echoes forth: The King of the Jews lives.
The Gospel of Matthew is especially important for it is one of the two Gospels
originally written by an Apostle (the other being the Gospel of John). The Gospel
of Matthew was possibly written in Antioch, an early home of Christianity. Indeed,
the Acts of the Apostles (11:26) recorded that the followers of Jesus were first
called Christians in Antioch.

Introduction
Some of the most beloved passages of the Bible are found in the book of
Matthew, including the Sermon on the Mount and many of the parables,
teachings, and miracles of Jesus Christ. Studying this book can help you become
familiar with the ministry and words of Jesus Christ and can strengthen your
testimony of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world and the promised Messiah
spoken of by all the holy prophets.
Although the Gospel of Matthew was not the first gospel written, it is generally
regarded as the most important and was placed first in the collection of writings
that constitute the New Testament. In addition to materials found in the Gospel of
Mark, the Gospel of Matthew contains a large number of Jesus' sayings and
discourses and also a group of stories not found in any of the other Gospels.
Matthew contains an extensive account of Jesus' teachings and as such is
considered the most authentic and fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion.
Readers of the gospel are impressed with certain general characteristics that
distinguish it from other writings in the New Testament, one of which is the
systematic way in which the contents of the gospel have been arranged. For
example, the document as a whole fall into five distinct divisions, with an
introductory section preceding the first division and a concluding section following
the last. Each of the five divisions is composed of a portion of the narrative
concerning Jesus' activities, together with a group of his teachings. The words
"When Jesus had finished saying these things" end each division. This five-fold
division of the Gospel of Matthew corresponds in a general way to the divisions
found in various parts of the Old Testament.
Title
The Gospel According to Matthew is the first book of the New Testament and
one of the three synoptic gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, rejected and
executed in Israel, pronounces judgement on Israel and its leaders and becomes
the salvation of the gentiles.
At an early date this gospel was given the title Kata Matthaion, "According to
Matthew." As this title suggest, other gospel accounts were known at that time
(the word Gospel was added later). Matthew ("Gift of the Lord") was also
surnamed Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27).

Author
Although the first Gospel is anonymous, the early church fathers were
unanimous in holding that Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, was its author.
However, the results of modern critical studies – in particular those that stress
Matthew's alleged dependence on Mark for a substantial part of his Gospel –
have caused some Biblical scholars to abandon Matthean authorship. Why, they
ask, would Matthew, an eyewitness to the events of our Lord's life, depend so
heavily on Mark's account? The best answer seems to be that he agreed with it
and wanted to show that the apostolic testimony to Christ was not divided.
Matthew, whose name means "gift of the Lord," was a tax collector who left his
work to follow Jesus (9:9-13). In Mark and Luke, he is called by his other name,
Levi.

Date and Setting

Some have argued on the basis of its Jewish characteristics that Matthew's
Gospel was written in the early church period, possibly the early part of A.D. 50,
when the church was largely Jewish and the gospel was preached to Jews only
(Ac 11:19). However, those who have concluded that both Matthew and Luke
drew extensively from Mark's Gospel date it later – after the Gospel of Mark had
been in circulation for a period of time. See essay and chart, p. 1943.
Accordingly, some feel that Matthew would have been written in the late 50s or in
the 60s. Others, who assume that Mark was written between 65 and 70, place
Matthew in the 70s or even later. However, there is insufficient evidence to be
dogmatic about either view.
The Jewish nature of Matthew's Gospel may suggest that it was written in the
Holy Land, though many think it may have originated in Syrian Antioch.

Theme
Jesus Christ the King – Jesus is revealed as the Kings. His miraculous birth, His
life and teaching, His miracles and His triumph over death show His true identity.

Purpose
Matthew's main purpose is to prove to his Jewish readers that Jesus is their
Messiah. He does this primarily by showing how Jesus in his life and ministry
fulfilled the OT Scriptures. Although all the Gospel writers quote the OT, Matthew
includes nine proof texts unique to his Gospel (1:22-23; 2:15; 2:17-18; 2:23; 4:14-
16; 8:17; 12:17-21; 13:35; 27:9-10) to drive home his basic theme: Jesus is the
fulfillment of the OT predictions of the Messiah. Matthew even finds the history of
God's people in the OT recapitulated in some aspects of Jesus' life. To
accomplish his purpose Matthew also emphasizes Jesus' Davidic lineage.

Key Phrase
The key phrase in the book of Matthew is “Jesus Christ The King”.

Key Words
The key words in Matthew are “Kingdom” and “Fulfill”.

Key Verses
“Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every
word that comes from the mouth of God.”” Matthew 4:4.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not
come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17.

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find
it.” Matthew 10:39.

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of Matthew is composed of 28 chapters which consist of 1,071 verses
with a total of 18,345 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Matthew

Matthew presents Jesus as Israel's promised messianic King (Matt. 1:23; 2:2,6;
3:17; 4:15-17; 21:5,9; 22:44,45; 26:64; 27:11,27-37). The phrase "the kingdom of
heaven" appears thirty-two times in Matthew but nowhere else in the New
Testament. To show that Jesus fulfills the qualifications for the Messiah, Matthew
uses more Old Testament quotations and allusions than any other book (almost
130). Often used in this gospel is the revealing phrase "that what was spoken
through the prophet might be fulfilled," which appears nine times in Matthew and
not once in the other Gospels. Jesus is the climax of the prophets (Matt.
12:39,40; 13:13-15,35; 17:5-13), "the Son of man" (Matt. 24:30ff.), the "servant"
of the Lord (Matt. 12:17-21) and the "son of David" (the Davidic reference occurs
nine times in Matthew, but only six times in all of the other Gospels).

Survey
Matthew falls into three principle divisions:

1. The manifestation to Israel and the rejection of Jesus Christ the Son of David,
born King of the Jews, 1:1-25:46. The subdivisions of this part are:

 The official genealogy and birth of the King, 1:1-25;

 The infancy and obscurity of the King, 2:1-23;
 The kingdom "at hand," 3:1-12:50 (the order of this subdivision is indicated
in the text);
 The mysteries of the kingdom, 13:1-52;
 The ministry of the rejected King, 13:53-23:39;
 The promise of the King to return in power and great glory, 24:1-25:46;

2. The sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of Abraham, 26:1-28:8

3. The risen Lord in ministry to His own, 28:9-20.

 THE BOOK OF MARK
Meaning
The book of Mark relates the ministry, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ in
a fast-moving account that often focuses on the powerful deeds of the Savior.
Foremost among these is the Atonement, which Mark emphasized as central to
Jesus’s mission as the long-promised Messiah. By studying Mark’s account and
testimony of how the Savior fulfilled His atoning mission, students can become
more converted to the gospel and find courage to follow the Savior.

Introduction
The Gospel of Mark records with as much accuracy as possible the main events
of the life and teachings of Jesus. A record of this kind furnished evidence to
support the belief that Jesus was the true Messiah; by believing in Jesus, people
could obtain salvation. That this gospel has been preserved in the form in which
we have it today testifies to the importance attached to it from its beginning. A
relatively short gospel, most of the material contained in it is reproduced in the
Gospels that were written later. The authors of both Matthew and Luke appear to
have included in each of their gospels all that was necessary to be remembered
from Mark, in which case the oldest of the Gospels would be replaced by later
and more complete accounts. That Mark survived these attempts to replace it is
probably due to the fact that its origin was regarded as more authentic than the
others and that it was highly prized by the church at Rome, which was destined
to become one of the leading churches in the entire Christian movement.

Title
Though the author does not directly identify himself, there is still strong evidence
to attribute the Gospel to John Mark. In addition to Markan composition, church
fathers also state that Mark was the interpreter of Peter, which would give reason
to believe that he wrote his Gospel under the guidance or assistance of the
apostle. Like the other Gospels, the title "According to Mark" (KATA MARKON) is
found in the earliest manuscripts.

Author
Mark (also called John Mark) is the author of this book. Although Mark was not
among the original disciples of Jesus Christ, he later converted and became an
assistant to the Apostle Peter, and he may have written his Gospel based on
what he learned from Peter.
Although there is no direct internal evidence of authorship, it was the unanimous
testimony of the early church that this Gospel was written by John Mark (“John,
also called Mark,” Ac 12:12,25; 15:37). The most important evidence comes from
Papias (c. a.d. 140), who quotes an even earlier source as saying: (1) Mark was
a close associate of Peter, from whom he received the tradition of the things said
and done by the Lord; (2) this tradition did not come to Mark as a finished,
sequential account of the life of our Lord, but as the preaching of Peter—
preaching directed to the needs of the early Christian communities; (3) Mark
accurately preserved this material. The conclusion drawn from this tradition is
that the Gospel of Mark largely consists of the preaching of Peter arranged and
shaped by Mark.

Date and Settings

The majority of scholarship places Mark's Gospel as the first to be composed. In
order to properly date the Gospel, it is important to consider the dating timeframe
of all the Synoptics. If Luke is considered to be the latest of the Gospels, then it is
important to date his Gospel first. The dating of Luke first depends on the dating
of Acts which succeeds Luke (cf. Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1). Because the book of Acts
has an abrupt ending with Paul waiting to go before Caesar, the best explanation
is that Luke wrote it up to the events that had taken place. This would place the
composition of Acts in the early Sixties. With this in mind, Luke could be placed
in the late Fifties to early Sixties, Matthew in the mid to late Fifties, and Mark in
the early to mid-Fifties. These dates are debatable and have a certain degree of
elasticity to them, but for the stated reasons they seem the most likely to the
present author
According to early church tradition, Mark was written "in the regions of Italy"
(Anti-Marcionite Prologue) or, more specifically, in Rome (Irenaeus; Clement of
Alexandria). These same authors closely associate Mark's writing of the Gospel
with the apostle Peter. The above evidence is consistent with (1) the historical
probability that Peter was in Rome during the last days of his life and was
martyred there, and (2) the Biblical evidence that Mark also was in Rome about
the same time and was closely associated with Peter (see 2Ti 4:11; 1Pe 5:13,
where the word "Babylon" may be a cryptogram for Rome).

Theme
The book as a whole is characterized as “The beginning of the gospel” (1:1). The
life, death and resurrection of Christ comprise the “beginning,” of which the
apostolic preaching in Acts is the continuation.

Purpose
The purpose of Mark is to show Jesus as the servant who was human and
compassionate, but at the same time had "power" over evil spirits, disease, and
death. Mark may have been trying to encourage the Christians who were being
persecuted at the time he wrote it.
As it is set forth by the first phrase in Mark's Gospel, Mark intended to compose
"the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." The reason for composing the
Gospel is speculative. Mark's use of Peter while composing his Gospel has
already been mentioned above. With this in mind, one of the purposes of Mark's
Gospel may have actually been to present Peter's account of the life and sayings
of Jesus as an instructional tool for early church practice. Another reason why
Mark would have constructed his Gospel may have been to encourage the
Christians in Rome who would have been under persecution instigated by
Caesar Nero.
Since Mark's Gospel is traditionally associated with Rome, it may have been
occasioned by the persecutions of the Roman church in the period c. a.d. 64-67.
The famous fire of Rome in 64 – probably set by Nero himself but blamed on
Christians – resulted in widespread persecution. Even martyrdom was not
unknown among Roman believers. Mark may be writing to prepare his readers
for such suffering by placing before them the life of our Lord. There are many
references, both explicit and veiled, to suffering and discipleship throughout his
Gospel.

Key Phrase
The key phrase in the book of Mark is “Jesus The Servant”.

Key Word
The key word in the book of Mark is “Immediately” which is used 34 times
causing the reader to move from account to the next rapidly. Other key word is
the “Authority”.

Key Verses
Mark Gospel message can be summed up in one verse, “For the son of man
came not to be served but to served” Mark 10:45.

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of Mark is composed of 16 chapters which consist of 678 verses with a
total of 14,949 words.
Jesus Christ in the Book of Mark
Jesus, in the Gospel of Mark is portrayed as more than a man. Mark, throughout
the Gospel of Mark tells us that Jesus was of flesh and skin but also tells us what
attributes he had that set him apart from the other humans. In the chapter of
Mark 1:7, Mark quotes what John the baptizer said about Jesus; “the one who is
more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie
the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit”. Mark also tells us the testimony of when Jesus healed a
woman. In the passage of Mark 5, it tells us of multiple healings. Mark says that
the woman’s intention is to just touch Jesus so she can heal. Mark also gives us
an understanding of what a Son of God should do and undergo.
In the Gospel we can get an understanding that Jesus was willing to die and feel
all physical attributes. To live under Gods, rule a person needs to give up all
material things that please them and take his cross and all the sufferings and
undergo through all of it. There were also multiple sayings and words that
describe Jesus and Jesus had power to heal other but also have the power to
withstand Satan and other suffering he had to undergo just for people he didn’t
know.

Survey
Mark is in five principle divisions:
1. The manifestation of the Servant-Son, 1:1-11.
2. The Servant-Son tested as to His fidelity, 1:12,13.
3. The Servant-Son at work, 1:14-13:37.
4. The Servant-Son "obedient unto death," 14:1-15:47.
5. The ministry of the risen Servant-Son, now exalted to all authority, 16:1-
20.

THE BOOK OF LUKE

Meaning
The book of Luke provides an additional witness of many truths recorded by
Matthew and Mark and also contains unique content. The Gospel of Luke can
deepen students’ understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ and help them
more fully appreciate His love and compassion for all mankind, as manifested
during His mortal ministry and through His infinite Atonement. It tells of the origin,
birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
Luke is the longest of the four gospels and the longest book in the New
Testament. Together with Acts of the Apostles it makes up a two-volume work
from the same author, called Luke–Acts. The cornerstone of Luke–
Acts' theology is "salvation history", the author's understanding that God's
purpose is seen in the way he has acted, and will continue to act, in history

Introduction
The third Gospel presents the works and teachings of Jesus that are especially
important for understanding the way of salvation. Its scope is complete from the
birth of Christ to his ascension, its arrangement is orderly, and it appeals to both
Jews and Gentiles. The writing is characterized by literary excellence, historical
detail and warm, sensitive understanding of Jesus and those around him.
Although Luke acknowledges that many others had written of Jesus’ life (1:1), he
does not indicate that he relied solely on these reports for his own writing. He
used personal investigation and arrangement, based on testimony from
“eyewitnesses and servants of the word” (1:2)—including the preaching and oral
accounts of the apostles. His language differences from the other Synoptics and
his blocks of distinctive material (e.g., 10:1—18:14; 19:1–28) indicate
independent work, though he obviously used some of the same sources.

Title
The Greek and English titles for the book are named after the man who delivered
the history of Jesus Christ from his perspective as a companion of the apostle
Paul. Luke is the only one that would fit into this mold according to Paul's
epistles. Externally, even the earliest manuscripts support the title "According to
Luke" (KATA LOUKAN). Much of early church tradition also believed that Luke
wrote this Gospel.

Author
The author’s name does not appear in the book, but much unmistakable
evidence points to Luke. This Gospel is a companion volume to the book of Acts,
and the language and structure of these two books indicate that both were
written by the same person. They are addressed to the same individual,
Theophilus, and the second volume refers to the first (Ac 1:1). Certain sections in
Acts use the pronoun “we” (Ac 16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1—28:16),
indicating that the author was with Paul when the events described in these
passages took place. By process of elimination, Paul’s “dear friend Luke, the
doctor” (Col 4:14) and “fellow worker” (Phm 24), becomes the most likely
candidate. His authorship is supported by the uniform testimony of early Christian
writings
Luke – a doctor (Col. 4:14), a Greek and Gentile Christian. He is the only known
Gentile author in the New Testament. Luke was a close friend and a companion
of Paul. He also wrote the Acts and the two books together.

Date and Settings

The Gospel according to Luke was probably the last Synoptic Gospel to be
written. Since Luke precedes Acts, it is essential to date Acts before a date for
Luke can be determined. The abrupt ending of Acts may be the single most
important factor in deriving a date. Luke leaves the reader with Paul being in
Rome and waiting to present his case before Caesar. The best explanation for
this is that Acts was finished before he Paul's final outcome was known. This
would place Acts in the early Sixties with the Gospel of Luke being written in the
late Fifties or early Sixties.
Other factors that support an early date are the uncertainty of where Christianity
fits in amongst the religions of the Roman Empire, Luke-Acts does not mention
the destruction of Jerusalem, and the uncertainty of Jew-Gentile relations at the
same level as in Paul's epistles. 
The place of writing was probably Rome, though Achaia, Ephesus and Caesarea
have also been suggested. The place to which it was sent would, of course,
depend on the residence of Theophilus. By its detailed designations of places in
the Holy Land, the Gospel seems to be intended for readers who were unfamiliar
with that land. Antioch, Achaia and Ephesus are possible destinations.

Theme
The main theme of the Gospel is the nature of Jesus’ Messiahship and mission.
Several other recurring themes form threads through Luke’s gospel. Examples of
these are human fear in the presence of God; forgiveness (3:3; 5:20–
25; 6:37; 7:41–50; 11:4; 12:10; 17:3, 4; 23:34; 24:47); joy (1:14); wonder at the
mysteries of divine truth; the role of the Holy Spirit (1:15, 35, 41, 67; 2:25–
27; 3:16, 22; 4:1, 14, 18; 10:21; 11:13; 12:10, 12); the temple in Jerusalem (1:9–
22; 2:27–38, 46–49; 4:9–13; 18:10–14; 19:45–48; 20:1–21:6; 21:37, 38; 24:53);
and Jesus’ prayers (6:12).

Purpose
Luke's purpose in writing the Gospel has also suffered debate. Some suggest
that Luke set out to make a case for Christianity as not being a threat to the
Roman Empire. Others make the proposition that Luke-Acts was written to
reassure those questioning Jesus' second coming because of its delay. Many
believe that Luke was not writing to Theophilus exclusively, but that the two-
volume work was intended to be distributed for ecclesiastical purposes. There is
also the view, which seems to be growing in popularity, that Luke-Acts was
specifically designed to aid Paul in his trial before Caesar. Also, to create a
historically accurate and chronological account of the life of Jesus Christ through
careful and thorough investigation of the facts.

Key Phrase
The phrase “Jesus The Son Man”, was Jesus’s favorite way to refer to Himself.

Key Words
The key words in the book of Luke is “Son of Man”.

Key Verses
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man,
too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19: 9-10.

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of Luke is composed of 24 chapters which consist of 1,151 verses with
a total of 19,482 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Luke

Just as Matthew portrays Jesus as the King, and as Mark reveals Him as the
Servant, so Luke offers a unique perspective of Jesus as the Son of Man. Jesus
personifies the values of God's kingdom as God's Christ (Luke 20:41), He alone
determines the definition of and membership in that kingdom, whether it's
choosing His inner circle of disciples (Luke 6:12-16), answering questions from
skeptics (Luke 5:33-39), doubts from believers (Luke 7:18-35), or skepticism
about the afterlife (Luke 20:27-38), among others, He skillfully turned any
question or belief into peerless teaching.

Survey
Luke has seven chief divisions:
1. The Evangelist's introduction, 1:1-4.
2. The human relationships of Jesus, 1:5-2:52.
3. The baptism, ancestry, and testing of Jesus, 3:1-4:13.
4. The ministry of the Son of man as Prophet-King in Galilee, 4:14-9:50.
5. The journey of the Son of man from Galilee to Jerusalem, 9:51-19:44.
6. The final offer of the Son of man as King to Israel, His rejection and
sacrifice, 19:45-23:56.
7. The resurrection, resurrection ministry, and ascension of the Son of man,
24:1-53.

THE BOOK OF JOHN

Meaning
John is the gospel of belief, and was written to show the world that Jesus was the
Christ, the "Son of God." Jesus was sent by the Father to give eternal life to
believers.
The Gospel of John is the latest-written of the four biographies of Jesus that have
been preserved in the New Testament. Written by a Christian named John, the
contents of the book indicate quite clearly that the author was not the John who
was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, for it contains no direct personal
references of the type that one would expect from an intimate associate of Jesus.
On the contrary, it presents an interpretation of Jesus that reflects ideas and
situations that prevailed in the Christian community toward the end of the first
century of the Christian era, a time when Christianity was under attack from
several different quarters, including Jews, Romans, skeptics, and others making
charges against it. 
During a time of increasing persecution against Christians, growing apostasy,
and disputations about the nature of Jesus Christ, the Apostle John recorded his
testimony of the Savior. Studying the Gospel of John can help students come to
know Heavenly Father through the ministry of His Son, Jesus Christ. John’s
account teaches that those who live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ
can receive great blessings, including eternal life.

Introduction
John’s Gospel is rather different from the other three. Whether or not he knew
them (or any one of them) continues to be debated. In any event, his witness to
Jesus goes its own way, highlighting matters that in the other Gospels remain
implicit and underdeveloped. The literary style of this witness of Jesus is also
unique among the Gospels; here focus is on the “signs” of Jesus’ identity and
mission and on lengthy, theologically rich discourses.
John begins with the profound announcement that Jesus is the “in the beginning”
creative Word of God who had become embodied (incarnated) as a human being
to be the light of life for the world. After this comes the proclamation that this
Jesus is the Son of God sent from the Father to finish the Father’s work in the
world. God’s own glory is made visible in him (“Anyone who has seen me has
seen the Father,” 14:9), and what he does glorifies the Father. In him the full
grace and truth of God has shown itself. Strikingly, a series of “I am” claims on
Jesus’ lips echoes God’s naming of himself in Ex 3:14, further strengthening the
link between the Father and the Son.

Title
The title of the fourth gospel continues the pattern of the other gospels, being
identified originally as according to John (KATA IWANNHN) like the others “The
Gospel” was added later.

Author
John the apostle, son of Zebedee, brother of James, called a son of thunder. The
brothers James and John were fishermen who were business partners with Peter
and Andrew (Luke 5:10). John was one of the closest friends of Jesus. John was
one of the three who were selected to be with Jesus at the raising of Jairus'
daughter, the transfiguration, and in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Date and Settings

John's Gospel is generally considered to be the last of the four canonical
Gospels to be written. On the other hand, as Michaels points out, "no limit could
be fixed on how early it could have been written" because John does not rely on
the Synoptic Gospels. In the past, some have dated the Gospel in the second
century, but that view has decreased in popularity after the discovery of two
important manuscripts of John's Gospel that are dated in the early part of the
second century (P46 and Egerton Pap. 2). The majority of scholars date the
Gospel in the period AD 90-100, though some have dated it much earlier.
The location of John's Gospel has recently been disputed. The two possibilities
that have gained the most acceptance are Syria and Asia Minor. Syria is
mentioned because of the Gospel's connection with the Odes of Solomon and
Ignatius of Antioch (ca. 110), who had early association with John's Gospel. On
the other hand, early church tradition suggests that that John composed his
Gospel in Ephesus (Asia Minor). An example of this is the testimony of Irenaeus:
"Then John, the disciple of the Lord, who had even rested on his breast, himself
also gave forth the Gospel, while he was living at Ephesus in Asia."

Theme
“Jesus Christ, Son of God”, John shows us that Jesus is unique as God’s special
Son, yet He is fully God because He is fully God. Jesus is able to reveal God to
us clearly and accurately.

Purpose
John’s purpose for writing this gospel was expressly stated in John 20:31, "these
are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
believing you may have life in His name." it is to prove conclusively that Jesus is
the Son of God and that all who believe in Him will have eternal life.

Key Phrase
The key phrase in the book of John is “Jesus is God”.

Key Words
The key words are; Believe, Life, Light, Love, World, Father and Son.
Key Verse
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3: 16.

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of John is composed of 21 chapters which consist of 879 verses with a
total of 15,635 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of John

John emphasized Jesus’s divinity as the Son of God. John recorded over 100 of
Jesus’s references to His Father, with over 20 references in John 14 alone. One
of John’s major contributions is his inclusion of the Savior’s teachings to His
disciples in the hours before His arrest, including the great Intercessory Prayer,
offered the night He suffered in Gethsemane. This portion of John’s account
(John 13–17) represents over 18 percent of the pages in John, providing us with
a greater understanding of the Savior’s doctrine and what He expects of His
disciples.
While the other three gospels portray Jesus as the King, the Servant, and the
Son of Man, John portrays Jesus as the Son of God. John stated his theme more
clearly than any of the other gospel writers. He wrote so that his readers might
“believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,” so that they may have life in
His name (John 20:31). To accomplish that goal, John presented a riveting and
distinctive picture of Jesus Christ, one in complete unity with the portraits in the
other three gospels, but one that also adds significantly to the Bible’s revelation
of Jesus Christ, the God-man.
John used a variety of techniques to communicate to his readers the nature of
Jesus. These include his citation of Jesus’s seven “I am” statements, in which
Jesus spoke of Himself in terms such as “the Light of the world” (8:12), “the
resurrection and the life” (11:25), and “the way, and the truth, and the life” (14:6).
Much of John’s gospel (chapters 2–12) might be called the Book of Signs, as it
recounts Jesus’s performing of seven different miracles—such as the turning
water to wine at Cana and raising Lazarus from the dead at Bethany. These
miracles illustrate His identity as the Son of God.

Survey
The book is in seven natural divisions:

1. Prologue: The eternal Word incarnate in Jesus the Christ, 1:1-14.

 2. The witness of John the Baptist, 1:15-34.
3. The public ministry of Christ, 1:35-12:50.
4. The private ministry of Christ to His own, 13:1-17:26.
5. The sacrifice of Christ, 18:1-19:42.
6. The manifestation of Christ in resurrection, 20:1-31.
7. Epilogue: Christ the Master of life and service, 21:1-25.

THE BOOK OF ACTS

Meaning
The Book of Acts, which continues the narrative that Luke began in his gospel, is
especially important because it was the first written history of the Christian
church. Acts concerns the very vital period in Christian history between the
resurrection of Jesus and the death of the apostle Paul, the time when Christian
ideas and beliefs were being formulated and when the organization of the church
into a worldwide movement was being developed. Only with knowledge of this
background can we understand the writing of the Gospels, as well as the other
New Testament literature that followed.

Introduction
The Acts of the Apostles forms a bridge between the record of Jesus Christ’s life
and teachings in the four Gospels and the writings and labors of His Apostles.
The book of Acts illustrates how the Savior continued to direct His Church
through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost to those who held the keys of the
priesthood. The Holy Ghost revealed truth to the Apostles, who then led and
taught the Church. The Apostles also performed miracles in the name of Jesus
Christ. Through their study of this book, students will learn how the Church of
Jesus Christ began to spread from Jerusalem “unto the uttermost part of the
earth” (Acts 1:8). Studying this book can also help students see the wisdom of
following modern prophets and apostles and can inspire them to boldly stand as
witnesses of Jesus Christ.
Acts is the only biblical book that chronicles the history of the church immediately
after Jesus’s ascension. As such, it provides us with a valuable account of how
the church was able to grow and spread out from Jerusalem into the rest of the
Roman Empire. In only three decades, a small group of frightened believers in
Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had
committed their lives to Jesus Christ, ending on a high note with Paul on the
verge of taking the gospel to the highest government official in the land—the
Emperor of Rome.

Title
The title of the book of Acts comes from the Greek word praxis, a word often
used in early Christian literature to describe the great deeds of the apostles or
other significant believers. This title accurately reflects the contents of the book,
which is a series of vignettes chronicling the lives of key apostles (especially
Peter and Paul) in the decades immediately following Christ’s ascension into
heaven.

Author
Luke’s identification as the author of this work was unquestioned throughout
ancient times. It shows a clear progression from the gospel according to Luke,
picking up just where that book left off. An ancient prologue to Luke’s gospel
indicates that Luke was first a follower of the apostles and then became close
with Paul.1 This is exactly how the book of Acts unfolds, beginning with Peter and
ending with Paul. Luke even began to speak in the first person plural in the latter
portion of Acts, as he traveled the Roman Empire alongside Paul (Acts 16:10).

Date and Settings

Two dates are possible for the writing of this book: (1) c. a.d. 63, soon after the
last event recorded in the book, and (2) c. 70 or even later. Those who prefer the
later date hold that 1:8 reveals one of the purposes Luke had in writing his
history, and that this purpose influenced the way the book ended. Luke wanted to
show how the church penetrated the world of his day in ever-widening circles
(Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the ends of the earth) until it reached Rome, the
world’s political and cultural center. On this understanding, mention of the
martyrdom of Paul (c. a.d. 67) and of the destruction of Jerusalem (70) was not
pertinent. This would allow for the writing of Acts c. 70 or even later.
Determining the location that Luke wrote is a more difficult task than determining
that date. Some speculative suggestions included Antioch and Ephesus. Rome,
however, is a better possibility than the former two. If Luke composed Acts while
Paul was still in house arrest, then Rome would be a great possibility because
Luke was with Paul in Rome (Acts 28:16, Col 4:14, Philem 1:24).

Theme
The theme of his second volume is presented in the words of Jesus: “You will be
my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth” Acts 1:8.

Purpose
The purpose of Luke-Acts may be ecclesiastical or apologetic. For ecclesiastical
purpose, it may have been written in order to edify the church, serving as a
history of both Jesus and his apostles. Or apologetically it may have been
composed to make the case that Christianity was not a threat to the Roman
Empire-more specifically, it seems that it could have been Paul's defense before
Caesar. This last argument seems to fit the abrupt ending the best and is also
supported through the acceptance (or non-conviction) of Paul from governing
officials.

Key Phrase
The growth of the church by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Key Words
The key words in the book of Acts is “Men of the Council”.

Key Verse
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye
shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria,
and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8.

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of Acts is composed of 28 chapters which consist of 1,006 verses with
a total of 18,451 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Acts

Luke’s Gospel was written to reassure Theophilus that Christ’s suffering and
death brought about the inauguration of the kingdom of God and the fulfillment of
his covenant promises. For this reason, the book of Acts places a primary
emphasis on the resurrection and ascension of Jesus; he is the risen-exalted
Lord.
Acts begins with references to Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (1:2-3, 9-11,
22). Along with being the rejected-crucified Christ, the description of Jesus as the
risen-exalted Lord is likewise found in virtually every sermon and on every page
of the book. It is abundantly clear that “the resurrection is the climax of God’s
saving purposes, and it is on the basis of the resurrection that the blessings of
salvation may be offered.” Furthermore, the major emphasis on the Holy Spirit
throughout Acts is the direct result of Jesus’ ascension and exaltation
“Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the
Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves
are seeing and hearing” (Acts 2:33).

Survey
I. Preaching the Gospel "in Jerusalem" and Judea.
1. Preparation for the work (1:1-26).
2. Events of Pentecost (2:1-47).
3. The Church unfolding in miracle and endurance of persecution (3:1-4:37).
4. The Church unfolding in penal power (5:1-16).
5. The Church in the second persecution (5:17-42).
6. The Church forming its economy (6:1-8).
7. The Church in last struggle and dispersion (6:8-8:4).
II. Preaching the Gospel "in Samaria" and about Palestine.
1. The deacon Philip evangelizes Samaria (8:5-25).
2. The new Apostle of the Gentiles called (9:1-30).
3. Gentile induction; new Christian center, Gentile Antioch (10:1-11:30).
4. Desolation of Jerusalem Church by Herod; its avenging (12:1-25).
III. Preaching the Gospel "in the Uttermost Parts of the Earth".
1. Paul's first mission from Antioch (13:1-14:28).
2. Jerusalem Council on Circumcision (15:1-34).
3. Paul's second mission from Antioch (15:35-18:23).
4. Paul's third mission from Antioch (18:23-21:17).
5. Paul in council with James-Arrest-Sent to Caesarea (21:18-23:35).
6. Paul's two years at Caesarea (24:1-26:32).
7. Paul en route for Rome; at Rome (27:1-28:31).

THE BOOK OF ROMANS

Meaning
The Epistle to the Romans is the longest of Paul’s epistles and is regarded by
many people as his greatest. This epistle contains his most complete explanation
of the doctrine of justification by faith in Jesus Christ rather than by the
performances of the law of Moses. It contains many teachings about the
doctrines of salvation and the practical application of those doctrines to daily life.
Though the Epistle to the Romans has played an important role in Christian
history, it has also unfortunately been the source of more doctrinal
misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and mischief than any other Biblical book.
Even among early Christians, Paul’s writings were regarded as “hard to be
understood,” and his teachings were sometimes distorted and misrepresented
(2 Peter 3:15–16).

Introduction
The letter to the Romans stands as the clearest and most systematic
presentation of Christian doctrine in all the Scriptures. Paul began by discussing
that which is most easily observable in the world—the sinfulness of all humanity.
All people have been condemned due to our rebellion against God. However,
God in His grace offers us justification by faith in His Son, Jesus. When we are
justified by God, we receive redemption, or salvation, because Christ’s blood
covers our sin. But Paul made it clear that the believer’s pursuit of God doesn’t
stop with salvation; it continues as each of us is sanctified—made holy—as we
persist in following Him. Paul’s treatment of these issues offers a logical and
complete presentation of how a person can be saved from the penalty and power
of his or her sin.

Title
The Epistle to the Romans or Letter to the Romans, often shortened to Romans,
is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was
composed by Paul the Apostle to explain that salvation is offered through the
gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the longest of the Pauline epistles.

Author
The Apostle Paul is the author of the Epistle to the Romans ( Romans 1:1). In
writing this epistle, Paul used the assistance of a scribe, Tertius, who wrote his
own greeting to the Roman Saints near the conclusion of the epistle ( Romans
16:22).
Paul had never been to Rome when he wrote the letter to the Romans, though
he had clearly expressed his desire to travel there in the near future (Acts
19:21; Romans 1:10–12). The apostle greeted twenty-six different people by
name, personalizing a letter from a man who would have been a personal
stranger to most of the recipients. No doubt they had heard of Paul and would
have been honored by the letter, but Paul always took opportunities to personally
connect with his audience so that the message of the gospel might be better
received.

Date and Settings

Paul wrote the letter to the Romans from the city of Corinth, while he was on his
third missionary journey. At the time he was gathering an offering from the
Gentile Christians for the church in Jerusalem (15:25; Acts 24:17). This would
place the letter's composition date at ca. AD 56.
Paul mentions three people that help to identify the letter's composition with
Corinth: Phoebe (16:1), Gaius (16:23), and Erastus (16:23). He sent Phoebe of
Cenchrea to the church in Rome as the bearer of the epistle. With her being from
Cenchrea, she would have had ties to Corinth because Cenchrea is the port city
for Corinth. There was a Gaius referenced in 1 Cor 1:14 as one who lived in
Corinth and many have identified him as the Titius Justus in Acts 18:7. Erastus
was the city's treasurer (or director of public works) and in Corinth an inscription
was discovered that refers to an Erastus as the city aedile (i.e., an official in
charge of public works, etc.), which some have corresponded to Paul's reference
to him.

Theme
Paul’s primary theme in Romans is the basic gospel, God’s plan of salvation and
righteousness for all humankind, Jew and Gentile alike (1:16–17 ). Although
justification by faith has been suggested by some as the theme, it would seem
that a broader theme states the message of the book more adequately.
“Righteousness from God” (1:17) includes justification by faith, but it also
embraces such related ideas as guilt, sanctification and security.

Purpose
Paul was writing to a church that he had never visited and a casual reading of the
epistle does not convey the idea that he was dealing with situational issues (cf.
the epistles to the Corinthians). Here Paul wrote with regards to the big picture-
laying down the doctrine of soteriology. He wrote that they would know the
gospel of Christ. He also wanted to inform the church regarding his future plans
because those plans would involve them. At the time of writing the epistle, Paul
was about to take the offering that he had collected from various churches to the
poverty-stricken church in Jerusalem. After that, he intended on going to visit the
Roman church for a time to preach the Gospel to them. His subsequent plans
were then to go westward to preach the gospel in Spain.

Key Phrase
The key phrase in the book of Romans is “The righteousness of God”. (Rom
1:17), (Rom 3:5,21,22) and (Rom 10:3).

Key Words
The clause in the beginning of Romans 8:10, Christ is in you, is a great word; it is
the key to the entire book of Romans. God works to such an extent that Christ is
wrought into us, and this Christ who is in us is the Spirit. In Romans this Spirit
has four different titles: first, the Spirit of life; second, the Spirit of
sonship; third, the Spirit of first fruits; and fourth, the Spirit of holiness.

Key Verse
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the
just shall live by faith.” Romans 1: 16-17.

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of Romans is composed of 16 chapters which consist of 433 verses
with a total of 7,111 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Romans

Paul begins by surveying the spiritual condition of all people. He finds Jews and
Gentiles alike to be sinners and in need of salvation. That salvation has been
provided by God through Jesus Christ and his redemptive work on the cross. It is
a provision, however, that must be received by faith – a principle by which God
has always dealt with humankind, as the example of Abraham shows. Since
salvation is only the beginning of Christian experience, Paul moves on to show
how believers are freed from sin, law and death – a provision made possible by
their union with Christ in both death and resurrection and by the indwelling
presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Paul then shows that Israel too, though
presently in a state of unbelief, has a place in God’s sovereign redemptive plan.
Now she consists of only a remnant, allowing for the conversion of the Gentiles,
but the time will come when “all Israel will be saved” (11:26). The letter concludes
with an appeal to the readers to work out their Christian faith in practical ways,
both in the church and in the world. None of Paul’s other letters states so
profoundly the content of the gospel and its implications for both the present and
the future.
The letter to the Romans stands as the clearest and most systematic
presentation of Christian doctrine in all the Scriptures. Paul began by discussing
that which is most easily observable in the world – the sinfulness of all humanity.
All people have been condemned due to our rebellion against God. However,
God in His grace offers us justification by faith in His Son, Jesus. When we are
justified by God, we receive redemption, or salvation, because Christ’s blood
covers our sin. But Paul made it clear that the believer’s pursuit of God doesn’t
stop with salvation; it continues as each of us is sanctified – made holy – as we
persist in following Him. Paul’s treatment of these issues offers a logical and
complete presentation of how a person can be saved from the penalty and power
of his or her sin.

Survey
Romans can loosely be broken down into 4 main sections.
1. The Introduction:
Chapter 1:1-17.
2. Doctrinal Issues:
Chapter 1:18 through 11.
3. Practical Issues:
Chapter 12 through 15:12 How Christians should conduct their lives
and behave.
4. The Conclusion:
Chapter 15:13-33 Some of the reasons for his writing.
Chapter 16:1-23 Personal commendations and greetings from Paul
and his friends.
Chapter 16:25-27 (Verse 24 left out of many modern translations) A
doxology to God.

THE BOOK OF 1 CORINTHIANS

Meaning
First Corinthians contains a frank discussion of the church and the issues that
impacted real people in the first century. The Corinthian church was corroded
with sin on a variety of fronts, so Paul provided an important model for how the
church should handle the problem of sin in its midst. Rather than turn a blind eye
toward relational division and all kinds of immorality, he addressed the problems
head on. In his bold call to purity within the Corinthian church, Paul made it clear
that he was willing to risk the good opinion of some in order to help cleanse the
sin that tainted the church.
Paul had been in Ephesus for more than two years on his third missionary
journey when he received a disturbing report of quarreling within the Corinthian
church, a report he received from people associated with one of its members,
Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11). The church he had founded so recently (Acts 18:1–
17) had already developed deep divisions, a situation that required immediate
action. Paul penned his letter in AD 55, just as he was planning to leave Ephesus
for Macedonia (1 Corinthians 16:5–8).

Introduction
First Corinthians addresses reports that Paul received from Chloe’s household,
as well as a letter he received from the church itself (1 Corinthians 7:1). In this
letter to the church at Corinth, Paul covered a number of different issues related
to both life and doctrine: divisions and quarrels, sexual immorality, lawsuits
among believers, marriage and singleness, freedom in Christ, order in worship,
the significance of the Lord’s Supper, and the right use of spiritual gifts; he also
included a profound teaching on the resurrection.

The line of thought that joins these topics together was Paul’s emphasis on
Christian conduct in the local church. The apostle expected that Christian people
would live according to Christian ideals, or as he told them, “You have been
bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body” (6:20).

Title
The letter is named for the city of Corinth, where the church to whom it was
written was located. With the exception of personal epistles addressed to
Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, all Paul’s letters bear the name of the city where
the church addressed existed.

Author
Paul’s authorship of this epistle is widely accepted in the scholarly community,
though it was not the first letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian people (1
Corinthians 5:9). We know that the Corinthians misunderstood an earlier letter
from Paul (5:10–11), though that letter has not survived. Therefore, it is Paul’s
second letter to the Corinthians that we know as 1 Corinthians—the first letter to
the Corinthians that God inspired.

Date and Settings

Paul wrote the epistle known as 1 Corinthians near the conclusion of his three-
year visit to Ephesus (during his third mission), which likely ended sometime
between A.D. 55 and 56 (Acts 19:10; 20:31; Bible Dictionary, “Pauline Epistles”).
The epistles to the Corinthians were written to the church that resided in Corinth
of Achaia. The city resides on the isthmus that connects the Peloponnesus to the
rest of Greece. While an unavoidable passage for the land-born, north-south
trade, Corinth's location also made east-west trade common because ships that
traveled from the Adriatic Sea to the Aegean Sea would cut through this isthmus
to save hundreds of miles of dangerous sea travel.

Theme
The letter revolves around the theme of problems in Christian conduct in the
church. It thus has to do with progressive sanctification, the continuing
development of a holy character. Obviously, Paul was personally concerned with
the Corinthians’ problems, revealing a true pastor’s (shepherd’s) heart.

Purpose
Paul’s purposes for writing were: (1) to instruct and restore the church in its areas
of weakness, correcting erroneous practices such as divisions (1:10—4:21),
immorality (ch. 5; 6:12–20), litigation in pagan courts (6:1–8) and abuse of the
Lord’s Supper (11:17–34); (2) to correct false teaching concerning the
resurrection (ch. 15); and (3) to answer questions addressed to Paul in the letter
that had been brought to him.

Key Word
The key word in the book of 1 Corinthians is “Love”.

Key Verse
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is
love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13.

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of 1 Corinthians is composed of 16 chapters which consist of 437
verses with a total of 6,829 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of 1 Corinthians

In 1 Corinthians, Paul explained that Jesus Christ had fulfilled the law of Moses.
Paul emphasized the importance of “the keeping of the commandments of God”
(1 Corinthians 7:19) “under the law of Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:21) in order to
receive the blessing of salvation through the gospel.
Survey
1. Introduction: The believer's standing in grace, 1:1-9.
2. The contrast of their present factious state, 1:10-4:21.
3. Immorality rebuked; discipline enjoined, 5:1-6:8.
4. The sanctity of the body, and Christian marriage, 6:9-7:40.
5. Meats, and the limitations of Christian liberty, 8:1-11:1.
6. Christian order and the Lord's Supper, 11:2-34.
7. Spiritual gifts in relation to the body, the church, and Christian ministry,
12:1-14:40.
8. The resurrection of the dead, 15:1-58.
9. Special directions and greetings, 16:1-24.

THE BOOK OF 2 CORINTHIANS

Meaning
This letter offers a great deal of personal insight into Paul’s life that is not present
in any other New Testament book. However, in chapters 8 and 9, his letter also
clearly reveals God’s plan for His people to give to others. Paul first focused on
the generous example of the Macedonian churches, largely Gentile, who gave to
their Jewish Christian brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Then he exhorted the
Corinthian believers to make donations of their own to the work in Jerusalem.
Several realities about Christian giving become clear in these two chapters:
Christians give generously according to, and at times beyond, their financial
abilities; Christians give their money across racial and national lines; Christians
who make commitments to give should follow through with those promises; and
Christians should give cheerfully, rather than under compulsion.

Introduction
The church at Corinth had recently been struggling with divisions and quarrels.
But for a majority of the believers, the problem had been solved by the time Paul
wrote 2 Corinthians. Many had repented of their sinful ways and had come back
into unity with one another and with the leadership of Paul.

However, Paul still felt the need to articulate a defense of his apostleship and his
message. Some in the church had apparently taken his meekness among them
to be a sign of moral weakness or lack of authority (2 Corinthians 10:1–2). These
accusations led Paul to defend himself by arguing that he was on the same level
of importance as the other apostles, that he had deep knowledge of the Christian
faith, that he had suffered profound physical punishment in the name of Christ,
and that he had received visions and revelations from God (11:1–12:13).

Title
This is the second NT epistle the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city
of Corinth (same as  to 1 Corinthians).

Author
Paul is the author of this letter (1:1; 10:1). It is stamped with his style and
contains more autobiographical material than any of his other writings. Paul
wrote 2 Corinthians at a vulnerable time in his life. He had learned that the
church at Corinth was struggling, and he sought to take action to preserve the
unity of that local body of believers. The letter is riddled with personal comments
as Paul revealed details about the persecution he had suffered for the sake of
Christ as well as about a mysterious thorn in the flesh that kept him reliant on
God.

Date and Settings

The available evidence indicates that the year a.d. 55 is a reasonable estimate
for the writing of this letter. From 1Co 16:5–8 it may be concluded that 1
Corinthians was written from Ephesus before Pentecost (in the late spring) and
that 2 Corinthians may have been written later that same year before the onset of
winter. 2Co 2:13; 7:5 indicate that it was probably written from Macedonia.
Paul’s association with the important commercial city of Corinth began on his
second missionary journey (Acts 18:1–18), when he spent 18 months (Acts
18:11) ministering there. After leaving Corinth, Paul heard of immorality in the
Corinthian church and wrote a letter (since lost) to confront that sin, referred to
in 1 Cor. 5:9. During his ministry in Ephesus, he received further reports of
trouble in the Corinthian church in the form of divisions among them ( 1 Cor.
1:11). In addition, the Corinthians wrote Paul a letter (1 Cor. 7:1) asking for
clarification of some issues. Paul responded by writing the letter known as 1
Corinthians. Planning to remain at Ephesus a little longer (1 Cor. 16:8, 9), Paul
sent Timothy to Corinth (1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10, 11). Disturbing news reached the
apostle (possibly from Timothy) of further difficulties at Corinth, including the
arrival of self-styled false apostles.

Theme
Although an intensely personal letter, written by the apostle in the heat of battle
against those attacking his credibility, 2 Corinthians contains several important
theological themes. It portrays God the Father as a merciful comforter (1:3; 7:6),
the Creator (4:6), the One who raised Jesus from the dead (4:14; cf. 13:4), and
who will raise believers as well (1:9). Jesus Christ is the One who suffered (1:5),
who fulfilled God’s promises (1:20), who was the proclaimed Lord (4:5), who
manifested God’s glory (4:6), and the One who in His incarnation became poor
for believers (8:9; cf. Phil. 2:5–8).

Purpose
Paul’s letter addressed both those who desired more of his words (2 Corinthians
1–9) and those who were reluctant to accept his teaching (2 Corinthians 10–13).
In general, the text of 2 Corinthians reveals several purposes of this letter:
1. To express gratitude to and strengthen the Saints who had responded
favorably to his previous letter.
2. To warn of false teachers who corrupted the pure doctrines of Christ.
3. To defend his personal character and authority as an Apostle of Jesus
Christ (2 Corinthians 10–13).
4. To encourage the Corinthian Saints to make a generous financial offering
to the impoverished Saints of Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8–9).

Key Words
The key words in the book of 2 Corinthians are “Ministry” and “Glory”.

Key Verse
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal
through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2
Corinthians 5:20.

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of 2 Corinthians is composed of 13 chapters which consist of 256
verses with a total of 4,477 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of 2 Corinthians

Just as Paul wrote to the Corinthians in the wake of their repentance from
divisions and quarrels, the message for today is clear: living in unity requires us
to humbly forgive one another and to follow our leaders. Second Corinthians
reminds us that even as Christians, we hurt each other and need to forgive those
who wrong us (2 Corinthians 2:7). That Paul was willing to exhort the Corinthian
believers to forgive those who had fallen away and repented, even as he
defended his own apostleship against a vocal opposition, illustrates the apostle’s
commitment to this way of life among God’s people.

Survey
The Epistle is in three parts:
1. Paul's principles of action, 1:1-7:16.
2. The collection for the poor saints at Jerusalem, 8:1-9:15.
3. Paul's defense of his apostolic authority, 10:1-13:14.

THE BOOK OF GALATIANS

Meaning
The book of Galatians stands out as Paul’s most impassioned letter, in which he
delivered a sharp rebuke to both the Church members who were straying and the
false teachers who were leading them astray. Galatians contains Paul’s earliest
written presentation of the doctrine of justification—we are not justified by the
works of the law of Moses but by faith in Jesus Christ. The epistle contrasts “the
works of the flesh” with “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16–25).
In advance of the Jerusalem Council, Paul’s letter speaks wisdom and clarity into
the first real controversy that plagued the church in its early years—the
relationship between Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles. Paul’s aggressive
tone shows just how important it was to him that the people embrace unity in
Christ, no matter their racial distinctions. For him, this was no minor issue, as he
went so far as to call the Galatians deserters of Christ, people turning from the
truth toward a gospel contrary to the one they had received from Paul (Galatians
1:6–9).

Introduction
The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians was written to Jewish Christians who were
straying from the Lord by relying once again on the works of the law of Moses.
The Apostle Paul sought to correct this problem by emphasizing the difference
between the burdensome “yoke” of the law of Moses, which led to spiritual
bondage, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, which leads to spiritual freedom.
When the Galatians fell away so quickly from the gospel of grace Paul had
preached to them, they also made clear their disloyalty to Paul’s authority as an
apostle. Therefore, Paul began the letter to the Galatians by spending two
chapters defending that very issue. Only in chapter 3 did he begin to get to the
heart of their error; namely, that these Galatians sought to be justified by the
Mosaic Law. In contrast, Paul presented his argument that justification comes to
people by faith in Jesus Christ, not by their works under the Law.

Title
Galatians derives its title (pros Galatas) from the region in Asia Minor (modern
Turkey) where the churches addressed were located. It is the only one of Paul’s
epistles specifically addressed to churches in more than one city (1:2; cf. 3:1; 1
Cor. 16:1).

Author
There is no reason to question the internal claims that the apostle Paul wrote
Galatians (1:1; 5:2). Paul was born in Tarsus, a city in the province of Cilicia, not
far from Galatia. Under the famous rabbi, Gamaliel, Paul received a thorough
training in the OT Scriptures and in the rabbinic traditions at Jerusalem (Acts
22:3). A member of the ultra-orthodox sect of the Pharisees (Acts 23:6), he was
one of first-century Judaism’s rising stars (1:14; cf. Phil. 3:5, 6).

Date and Settings

Paul likely wrote his Epistle to the Galatians while traveling through Macedonia
during his third missionary journey in about A.D. 55–57. Upon arriving back in
Antioch from his first missionary journey after eighteen months on the road, Paul
received a report that the churches he had started in Galatia had fallen into hard
times—specifically, they had fallen into error. A group of Judaizers—those who
sought to make living under the Mosaic Law a requirement of the Christian faith
—had gained an influence in the Galatian churches. Paul wrote the book a few
months before his attendance at the Jerusalem Council in AD 49, a meeting
where the apostles would take up this very topic (Acts 15:1–30).

Theme
A group of Jewish teachers insisted that non-Jewish believers must obey Jewish
law and traditional rules. They believe a person was saved by following the law of
Moses “with emphasis on circumcision, the sign of the covenant” in addition to
faith in Christ. Paul opposed them by showing that the law can’t save anyone.

Purpose
The Judiazers had been falsely teaching the Galatians that they needed to keep
the Mosaic law: They were also trying to discredit Paul's apostolic authority. Paul
wrote this letter to refute these teachings. He did this in three steps:
1. To defend his apostolic authority and show that the Gospel he taught was
from the Lord (Chapters 1-2).
2. To define what the Gospel of grace is, and to show that we are justified by
faith, not by works or keeping the law (emphasis on refuting circumcision)
(Chapters 3-4).
3. To exhort the Galatian believers and show them how to practically apply
the Gospel to their lives, as well as how to properly use their Christian
liberty (Chapters 5-6).

Key Word
The key word in the book of Galatians is “Law”.

Key Verse
“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not
justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So, we, too, have
put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by
the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”
Galatians 2: 15-16.

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of Galatians is composed of 6 chapters which consist of 149 verses
with a total of 2,230 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Galatians

Galatians stands as an eloquent and vigorous apologetic for the essential NT
truth that people are justified by faith in Jesus Christ—by nothing less and
nothing more—and that they are sanctified not by legalistic works but by the
obedience that comes from faith in God’s work for them, in them and through
them by the grace and power of Christ and the Holy Spirit. It was the rediscovery
of the basic message of Galatians (and Romans) that brought about the
Protestant Reformation.

Survey
The book is in seven parts:
1. Salutation, 1:1-5.
2. Theme, 1:6-9.
3. Paul's Gospel is a revelation, 1:10-2:14.
4. Justification is by faith without the law, 2:15-3:24.
5. The rule of the believer's life is gracious, not legal, 3:25-5:15.
6. Sanctification is through the Spirit, not the law, 5:16-24.
7. Exhortations and conclusion, 5:25-6:18.

THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS

Meaning
The Epistle to the Ephesians can scarcely be called a pastoral letter since it was
not addressed to a particular church leader. We have no proof that Paul wrote
the letter, although it was supposed for a long time that he did. The evidence
contained in the letter itself suggests very strongly that the letter was written after
Paul's death, probably by one of his disciples who may have wanted it to appear
that Paul wrote the letter because of the added prestige that his authorship would
give to it. Although Paul was with the church in Ephesus for a period of about
three years and would certainly have formed some close personal friendships,
the letter does not contain personal greetings to particular individuals.
“Ephesians is an epistle for all the world, for Jew and Gentile, for husband and
wife, for parent and child, for master and servant. It was the mind and will of God
in Paul’s day; it is the voice of inspiration in our day; it is an epistle of universal
appeal and application.

Introduction
Second Corinthians and Galatians abound with personal touches from Paul,
either about his own life or that of the recipients. Ephesians, on the other hand,
stands at the opposite end of the spectrum as one of Paul’s most formal letters.
While Galatians offers instructions particularly important for those churches
overrun with legalism, Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it
means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice—regardless of any
particular problem in the community.
Ephesians contains many teachings and ideas that are familiar to Latter-day
Saints, including foreordination, the dispensation of the fulness of times, the Holy
Spirit of Promise, the importance of prophets and apostles, the idea of one true
and unified Church, and the various offices, callings, and functions within the
organization of the Church. This letter also contains some of the most sublime
teachings on the family that are found anywhere in scripture.

Title
The letter is addressed to the church in the city of Ephesus, capital of the Roman
province of Asia (Asia Minor, modern Turkey). Because the name Ephesus is not
mentioned in every early manuscript, some scholars believe the letter was an
encyclical, intended to be circulated and read among all the churches in Asia
Minor and was simply sent first to believers in Ephesus.
Author
The author identifies himself as Paul (1:1; 3:1; cf. 3:7,13; 4:1; 6:19–20). Some
have taken the absence of the usual personal greetings and the verbal similarity
of many parts to Colossians, among other reasons, as grounds for doubting
authorship by the apostle Paul. However, this was probably a circular letter,
intended for other churches in addition to the one in Ephesus ( 1:1,15; 6:21–23).
For a brief time at the end of his second missionary journey, and then for more
than two years on his third missionary journey, Paul ministered to the church at
Ephesus (Acts 18:18–21; 19:1–41). During his time in this city that housed the
famous temple to the Greek goddess Artemis, Paul saw many converted to faith
in Jesus Christ and many others who opposed his preaching in the synagogues
and homes. One prominent silversmith, Demetrius, who made implements for the
worship of Artemis, found his business suffering greatly because people were
converting to Christianity. The ensuing near-riot led Paul to leave the city, but
only after the apostle had done much to stabilize and grow the Christian
community there.

Date and Settings

Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same
time he wrote Colossians and Philemon, as he sent all three letters by the hand
of Tychicus, accompanied by Onesimus (Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7–
9; Philemon 1:10–12). It was during this time that Paul sat in Rome undergoing
his first Roman imprisonment (Ephesians 3:1; 4:1), making Ephesians one of the
four epistles commonly known as the Prison Epistles. The others are Philippians,
Colossians, and Philemon. During this time Paul was being held under house
arrest, but he had the freedom to receive visitors and teach the gospel (Acts
28:16–31).
Theme
A key theme of the letter is the mystery (meaning a heretofore unrevealed truth)
of the church, which is “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same
body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel” (3:6), a truth
completely hidden from the OT saints (cf. 3:5, 9). All believers in Jesus Christ,
the Messiah, are equal before the Lord as His children and as citizens of His
eternal kingdom, a marvelous truth that only believers of this present age
possess. Paul also speaks of the mystery of the church as the bride of Christ
(5:32; cf. Rev. 21:9).
Other major themes include the riches and fullness of blessing to believers. Paul
writes of “the riches of His [God’s] grace (1:7), “the unsearchable riches of Christ”
(3:8), and “the riches of His glory” (3:16). Paul admonishes believers to “be filled
with all the fullness of God” (3:19), to “come to the unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of
the fullness of Christ” (4:13), and to “be filled with the Spirit” (5:18). Their riches
in Christ are based on His grace (1:2, 6, 7; 2:7), His peace (1:2), His will (1:5),
His pleasure and purpose (1:9), His glory (1:12, 14), His calling and inheritance
(1:18), His power and strength (1:19; 6:10), His love (2:4), His workmanship
(2:10), His Holy Spirit (3:16), His offering and sacrifice (5:2), and His armor
(6:11, 13). The word “riches” is used 5 times in this letter; “grace” is used 12
times; “glory” 8 times; “fullness” or “filled” 6 times; and the key phrase “in Christ”
(or “in Him”) some 12 times.

Purpose
The purpose of the book of Ephesians was to warn the church elders about the
false teachers that were teaching a false gospel and to maintain their first love
that they held when they first became believers.  Paul doesn’t specify a specific
heresy but does seem to want them to be identified with Christ and one in a
sense of purpose.  Love is an often-repeated verb that Paul uses in Ephesians
and he expresses it as an action verb.
There is also Paul’s emphasis that Jew and Gentile are one in the same in Jesus
Christ and so this ought to be expressed in their love for one another.  Paul is
also interested in the practical implications of Christian behavior.  And the
Christian needs to put on the whole armor of God to be protected from spiritual
warfare.  There is also the importance of the marital relationship and that of the
entire family but that is not said to be one of the primary purposes (Ephesians
5:22 – 6:1-4).

Key Words
The key words in the book of Ephesians are “Grace”, “Riches”, “Walk in Christ”
and “Heavenly Places” or “High Places”.

Key Verses
Ephesians 2:1-2 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in
which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler
of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are
disobedient.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and
this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can
boast.”
Ephesians 4:4-6 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to
one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and
Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Ephesians 4:11-12 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the
evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service,
so that the body of Christ may be built up.”
Ephesians 5:31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be
united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of Ephesians is composed of 6 chapters which consist of 155 verses
with a total of 2,422 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Ephesians

The author of the letter asserts that Jesus' life reveals the divine purpose that has
existed since the creation of the world. The centuries-old disunity is due to
humanity's sin. The Spirit of God made manifest in the life of Jesus here on this
earth has shown how this disunity can be overcome and the original harmony
restored. Overcoming evil in the lives of human beings achieves a unity not only
between humans and God but a cosmic unity that unites all things on earth and
in heaven. Therefore, there is no need for any worship of powers that are
intermediary between heaven and earth, as was taught by Gnostics. Unity has
been achieved between Jews and Gentiles through the person of Christ. The
Gentiles, who at one time were separated from the people of God and who were
in bondage to the evil powers of the universe, are now offered salvation and have
been made one with the children of God through Jesus Christ.
Survey
The divisions are, broadly, four:
1. The apostolic greeting, 1:1-2.
2. Positional; the believer's standing "in Christ" and "in the heavenlies."
3. Walk and service, 4:1- 5:17.
4. The walk and warfare of the Spirit-filled believer, 5:18-6:24.

THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS

Meaning
The Epistle to the Philippians is an informal correspondence that Paul sent in
response to a gift he received from the church at Philippi. Knowing that Paul was
in prison and probably in need of material benefits, the Philippian church sent
one of its members, Epaphroditus, with a gift of money and the intention of
staying with Paul to assist him in any way that Epaphroditus could. However,
Epaphroditus became ill and was forced to return home, and Paul sent this letter
to the church of Philippi with him.

The letter begins with an expression of thanks for the gift and a prayer for the
well-being of the church. With reference to his own personal experience, Paul
says that his only desire is to be free from prison so that he might be of greater
service to the church. Regarding it a great privilege to be counted worthy to
suffer for the cause of Christ, he writes a famous hymn concerning Jesus, "who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being
made in human likeness." Paul commends this spirit of humility and service to
the church at Philippi, urging that its members be of the same mind as that which
was manifest in Jesus.

Introduction
In his Epistle to the Philippians, Paul gave the Saints in Philippi encouragement
and exhorted them to stand fast in unity and work together to defend the faith.
Perhaps one of the most important principles Paul taught in Philippians is that
praying to God and trusting in Him brings “the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding” (Philippians 4:7). Studying Paul’s messages of encouragement in
this epistle can help students in their efforts to endure to the end faithfully. As
students strive to follow Christ, they too can gain confidence and, like Paul,
declare, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians
4:13).
Paul tells the church members that Timothy will visit them in the near future and
asks that they receive him with kindness. Interrupting the main course of his
letter to warn against the propaganda being circulated by Jewish legalists, he
reviews his own experiences with Judaism and his conversion to the Christian
faith. With a few practical admonitions and a prayer for God's blessing on the
Philippian church, Paul closes the letter.

Title
The Epistle to the Philippians, commonly referred to as Philippians, is a Pauline
epistle of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to
Paul the Apostle and a co-author named Timothy, and is addressed to the
Christian church in Philippi.
Philippians derives its name from the Greek city where the church to which it was
addressed was located. Philippi was the first town in Macedonia where Paul
established a church.

Author
Paul ministered at Philippi during his second missionary journey, spending about
three months in the city. The ministry at Philippi marked Paul’s entrance into
Macedonia, which came about as a result of a vision he had in the city of Troas,
just across the northeastern corner of the Aegean Sea from the port city of
Neapolis and its close neighbor Philippi (Acts 16:8–12).

During this first stay in Philippi—he later briefly visited the city on his third
missionary journey (20:6)—Paul brought to faith in Christ people who would form
the core of the burgeoning congregation in the city. Among them were Lydia, a
businesswoman who opened her home to Paul and his coworkers (16:13–15),
and the Philippian jailer, who was converted under Paul’s ministry after an
earthquake miraculously broke open the prison (16:22–34).

Date and Settings

The early church was unanimous in its testimony that Philippians was written by
the apostle Paul (1:1). Internally the letter reveals the stamp of genuineness. The
many personal references of the author fit what we know of Paul from other NT
books.
It is evident that Paul wrote the letter from prison (1:13–14). Some have argued
that this imprisonment took place in Ephesus, perhaps c. a.d. 53–55; others put it
in Caesarea c. 57–59. Best evidence, however, favors Rome as the place of
origin and the date as c. 61. This fits well with the account of Paul’s house arrest
in Ac 28:14–31. When he wrote Philippians, he was not in the Mamertine
dungeon as he was when he wrote 2 Timothy. He was in his own rented house,
where for two years he was free to impart the gospel to all who came to him.

Theme
The magnificent passage describing Christ’s humiliation and exaltation (2:5–11)
contains some of the most profound and crucial teaching on the Lord Jesus
Christ in all the Bible. The major theme of pursuing Christlikeness, as the most
defining element of spiritual growth and the one passion of Paul in his own life, is
presented in 3:12–14. In spite of Paul’s imprisonment, the dominant tone of the
letter is joyful (1:4, 18, 25, 26; 2:2, 16–18, 28; 3:1, 3; 4:1, 4, 10).

Purpose
Paul’s primary purpose in writing this letter was to thank the Philippians for the
gift they had sent him upon learning of his detention at Rome (1:5; 4:10–19).
However, he makes use of this occasion to fulfill several other desires: (1) to
report on his own circumstances (1:12–26; 4:10–19); (2) to encourage the
Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution and rejoice regardless of
circumstances (1:27–30; 4:4); (3) to exhort them to humility and unity (2:1–
11; 4:2–5); (4) to commend Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippian church
(2:19–30); and (5) to warn the Philippians against the Judaizers (legalists) and
antinomians (libertines) among them (ch. 3).

Key Words
The key words in the book of Philippians are “Joy” and “Rejoice” and it is used 16
times in the epistle.

Key Verses
Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Philippians 1:29 “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to
believe in him, but also to suffer for him.”
Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in
humility value others above yourselves.”
Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave
him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue
acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 3:13-14 “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have
taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward
what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has
called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the
peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is
noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Philippians 4:11 “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned
to be content whatever the circumstances.”
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of Philippians is composed of 4 chapters which consist of 104 verses
with a total of 1,629 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Philippians

Paul’s joy at the mere thought of the Philippian church is undeniable in the letter,
and it’s that same joy that he wanted the recipients to possess as well. To lead
the Philippians to this truth, Paul took them directly to Jesus, teaching them that
a community of believers living in harmony with one another comes only through
mutual humility modeled after the Savior. Paul wrote that he poured out his life as
an offering for the sake of Christ, leading Paul to find great joy and contentment
in Christ’s service. His letter to the Philippians showed them that by centering
their lives on Christ, they, too, might live in true joy.
Paul knew, as did the Philippians, that true joy comes only through humble faith
in the saving work of Jesus Christ, joining ourselves in harmony with His
followers, and serving others in the name of Christ. This was the life experienced
by the Philippian believers, and it is a life available to us today.
Survey
1. Christ, the believer's life, rejoicing in suffering, 1:1-30.
2. Christ, the believer's pattern, rejoicing in lowly service, 2:1-30.
3. Christ, the believer's object, rejoicing despite imperfections, 3:1-21.
4. Christ, the believer's strength, rejoicing over anxiety, 4:1-23.

THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS

Meaning
The Epistle to the Colossians is addressed to a church that Paul did not visit.
Epaphras, a visitor from Colossae, came to see Paul and brought news and
greetings from the Christians in that city. Following a series of conversations with
this visitor, Paul wrote his letter to the Colossian church. One of the main
purposes of the letter is to warn the church members about a certain dangerous
philosophy that was making inroads in that community. The particular doctrine
that Paul apparently had in mind was a form of Gnosticism, a mixture of both
philosophical and religious ideas. Believing that matter is evil and only spirit is
good, the Gnostics held that the physical world was not created by a supreme
being because a perfect deity would not have direct contact with an evil world.
The world came into existence through the action of a series of intermediary
beings whose worship was a necessary means toward human salvation. Paul
writes that in Jesus there dwells all the fullness of the Godhead; there is no need
for the worship of these intermediary powers. Furthermore, he rejects the
asceticism and the sensual indulgence associated with the Gnostic conceptions
of salvation.

Introduction
The letters that Paul wrote while a prisoner either in Ephesus or in Rome are the
latest writings of his that are preserved in the New Testament. They represent his
most mature thought concerning the meaning of Christianity and are of special
value for that reason. Although he has some things to say with reference to
particular problems in local churches, he mainly discusses the significance of
Jesus' life in relation to both the salvation of human beings and its place in the
scheme of the universe as a whole. The letters are also of interest because they
reveal the changes that took place in Paul's own thinking during the years
following his conversion to Christianity. Perhaps the most significant change that
can be noted in these later writings lies in the fact that Paul no longer talks about
the end of the age in terms of Jewish apocalypticism. His teaching emphasizes
the quality of living that is made possible when a person's life is transformed by
the indwelling presence of the Spirit of Christ.
Title
The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, (or simply Colossians), is the
twelfth book of the New Testament. Colossians is named for the city of Colosse,
where the church it was addressed to was located. It was also to be read in the
neighboring church at Laodicea (4:16).
Author
Paul is identified as author at the beginning (1:1; cf. v. 23; 4:18), as customarily
in his epistles. The testimony of the early church, including such key figures as
Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, and Eusebius, confirms that
the opening claim is genuine. Additional evidence for Paul’s authorship comes
from the book’s close parallels with Philemon, which is universally accepted as
having been written by Paul.

Date and Settings

In AD 60–61, during his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul penned this letter to the
Colossian church after he had received a report that they were struggling with a
Christological heresy. The report came from Epaphras, likely the leader of the
church at Colossae and a convert of Paul’s from his more than two-year ministry
in Ephesus. Epaphras had come to Rome in part to serve Paul during his
imprisonment (Philemon 1:23) but also to confide in him regarding the dangerous
teachings the Colossians were hearing. So Paul sent this letter, along with the
letters to Philemon and to the Ephesians, with Tychicus, accompanied by
Onesimus (Colossians 4:7; Philemon 1:10–12). Tychicus was a coworker of Paul
who would have been able to help the Colossian believers understand and apply
the apostle’s teachings in the letter.

Theme
The theme of Colossians is the complete adequacy of Christ as contrasted with
the emptiness of mere human philosophy. Christ is God-Jesus Christ is God in
the flesh, Lord of all creation and Lord of the new creation. He is the visible
image of the invisible Gob. He is eternal pre-existent, omnipotent, equal with the
Father. He is supreme and complete.

Purpose
The primary purpose of Colossians was to confront the heresies that were being
taught by false teachers that had invaded the church at Colosse. Paul confronted
these false teachings by focusing on the "preeminence" (Col 1:8: the only time
used in Paul's Epistles) of Christ in all things. He set before the Colossians their
true standing in Christ (exclusive of all other heavenly beings), the majesty of His
person, and the completeness of His redemption. Paul taught that they ought to
be conformed to their risen Lord, and to exhibit that conformity in all areas of life.
Also, Paul’s purpose are to combat errors in the church and to show that the
believers have everything they need in Christ.

Key Word
The key word in the book of Colossians is “Believe”.

Key Verses
Colossians 1:3 “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when we pray for you.”
Colossians 1:10 “so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in
every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”
Colossians 1:13-14 “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and
brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.”
Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and
deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental
spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”
Colossians 2:12 “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were
also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him
from the dead.”
Colossians 2:16 “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or
drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath
day.”
Colossians 3:1 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts
on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
Colossians 3:5-6 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly
nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 
Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”
Colossians 3:13-14 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you
has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all
these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 4:2-4 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may
proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim
it clearly, as I should.”
Colossians 4:6 “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with
salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of Colossians is composed of 4 chapters which consist of 95 verses
with a total of 1,582 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Colossians

To accomplish his goal, Paul exalts Christ as the very image of God (1:15), the
Creator (1:16), the preexistent sustainer of all things (1:17), the head of the
church (1:18), the first to be resurrected (1:18), the fullness of deity in bodily form
(1:19; 2:9) and the reconciler (1:20–22). Thus, Christ is completely adequate. We
“have been given fullness in Christ” (2:10). On the other hand, the Colossian
heresy was altogether inadequate. It was a hollow and deceptive philosophy
(2:8), lacking any ability to restrain the old sinful nature (2:23).
Paul taught of Jesus Christ’s preeminence (superiority, greatness, or excellence)
and warned against false doctrine. He encouraged the Colossian Saints to set
their affections on heavenly things and develop the characteristics of Christ. Paul
also instructed them to be gracious and wise in their interactions with others.

Survey
The Epistle is in seven divisions:
1. Introduction, 1:1-8.
2. The apostolic prayer, 1:9-14.
3. The exaltation of Christ, Creator, Redeemer, Indweller, 1:15-29.
4. The Godhead incarnate in Christ, in whom the believer is complete, 2:1-
23.
5. The believer's union with Christ in resurrection life and glory, 3:1-4.
6. Christian living, the fruit of union with Christ, 3:5-4:6.
7. Christian fellowship, 4:7-18.
 THE BOOK OF 1 THESSALONIANS
Meaning
The First Epistle to the Thessalonians is believed to be the earliest of Paul’s
existing epistles and may be the oldest book in the New Testament. Paul’s
teachings in this epistle are primarily focused on the Second Coming of Jesus
Christ, including the hardships that followers of Jesus Christ will face before His
return (1 Thessalonians 3:3), the Resurrection of Christians at the Second
Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14), and the timing of Christ’s Second Coming
(1 Thessalonians 5:1–2). Through their study of this book, students will learn
about the Second Coming and receive encouragement to remain faithful to the
Lord.
The First Thessalonians provides Christians with the clearest biblical passage on
the coming rapture of believers, an event that will inaugurate the seven-year
tribulation. At the rapture, Christ will return for His people. The dead in Christ
shall rise first, while those still living will follow close behind. All believers will
meet Jesus in the air to begin an eternity spent with the Lord (1 Thessalonians
4:16–18).

Introduction
Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians to the members of the Church in Thessalonica.
Thessalonica was the most populous and prosperous city in the ancient Greek
kingdom of Macedonia because of two important features: the city was built on
the best natural harbor in the Aegean Sea, and it was located on the major
highway that connected Rome and Asia.
The Thessalonian converts were some of the first Europeans to embrace the
gospel, and they faced persecution as a result. They also had many questions
about the Second Coming. Therefore, in his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul
wrote words of encouragement and strength and addressed their questions
about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Title
The First Epistle to the Thessalonians, commonly referred to as
First Thessalonians or 1 Thessalonians, is a Pauline epistle of the New
Testament of the Christian Bible.
In the Greek NT, 1 Thessalonians is listed literally as “To the Thessalonians.”
This represents the Apostle Paul’s first canonical correspondence to the church
in the city of Thessalonica (cf. 1:1).

Author
The Apostle Paul identified himself twice as the author of this letter (1:1; 2:18).
Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy (3:2, 6), Paul’s traveling companions on the second
missionary journey when the church was founded (Acts 17:1–9), were also
mentioned in Paul’s greeting (1:1). Though Paul was the single inspired author,
most of the first-person plural pronouns (we, us, our) refer to all 3. However,
during Timothy’s visit back to Thessalonica, they refer only to Paul and Silvanus
(3:1, 2, 6). Paul commonly used such editorial plurals because the letters came
with the full support of his companions.
Paul’s authorship has not been questioned until recently by radical critics. Their
attempts to undermine Pauline authorship has failed in light of the combined
weight of evidence favoring Paul such as: 1) the direct assertions of Paul’s
authorship (1:1; 2:18); 2) the letter’s perfect correlation with Paul’s travels in Acts
16–18; 3) the multitude of intimate details regarding Paul; and 4) the confirmation
by multiple, early historical verifications starting with Marcion’s canon in A.D. 140.

Date and Settings

The first of Paul’s two letters written from Corinth to the church at Thessalonica is
dated ca. A.D. 51. This date has been archeologically verified by an inscription in
the temple of Apollos at Delphi (near Corinth) which dates Gallio’s service as
proconsul in Achaia to A.D. 51–52 (Acts 18:12–17). Since Paul’s letter to the
churches of Galatia was probably written ca. A.D. 49–50, this was his second
piece of canonical correspondence.
Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonian church from the city of Corinth, just
a few months after having preached in Thessalonica on his second missionary
journey. Upon leaving Thessalonica under duress, Paul, Silas, and Timothy
traveled to Athens by way of Berea. But after a short time in Athens, Paul felt the
need to receive a report from the newborn church in Thessalonica, so he sent
Timothy back to serve and minister to the new believers there. Paul wanted to
check on the state of the Thessalonians’ faith, for fear that false teachers might
have infiltrated their number. However, Timothy soon returned with a good
report, prompting Paul to pen 1 Thessalonians as a letter of encouragement to
the new believers.
Theme
One of Paul’s main themes in his First Epistle to the Thessalonians is the Second
Coming. He focused on the participation of the righteous in the events of the
Second Coming, especially Saints who had died previously. Unlike many of
Paul’s other epistles, 1 Thessalonians does not contain any major rebukes but
instead offers praise and commendation for the Thessalonian Saints.
(1 Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13; 4:13–17; 5:1–10)

Purpose
Paul had left Thessalonica abruptly (Ac 17:5–10) after a rather brief stay. Recent
converts from paganism (1:9) were thus left with little external support in the
midst of persecution. Paul’s purpose in writing this letter was to encourage the
new converts in their trials (3:3–5), to give instruction concerning godly living
(4:1–12) and to give assurance concerning the future of believers who die before
Christ returns (4:13–18).

Key Words
The key words in the book of 1 Thessalonians are “Sanctification” and “Coming
of the Lord”.

Key Verses
I Thessalonians 1:2 “We always thank God for all of you and continually
mention you in our prayers.”
I Thessalonians 1:5 “because our gospel came to you not simply with words but
also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived
among you for your sake.”
I Thessalonians 2:6-7 “We were not looking for praise from people, not from you
or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our
authority. 7 Instead, we were like young children among you.”
I Thessalonians 2:12 “encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives
worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”
I Thessalonians 3:13 “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be
blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus
comes with all his holy ones.”
I Thessalonians 4:3 “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you
should avoid sexual immorality.”
I Thessalonians 4:11 “and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You
should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you.”
I Thessalonians 5:2-6 “for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come
like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction
will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will
not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day
should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the
day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.  So then, let us not be like
others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.”
I Thessalonians 5:9 “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I Thessalonians 5:17-19 “Pray continually. give thanks in all circumstances; for
this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.”

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of 1 Thessalonians is composed of 5 chapters which consist of 89
verses with a total of 1,481 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of 1 Thessalonians

Impressed by the faithfulness of the Thessalonians in the face of persecution,
Paul wrote to encourage the Christians in that community with the goal that they
would continue to grow in godliness. Paul knew that the people had been
exposed to errant teaching from those in opposition to the way of Jesus Christ
and the grace of God. And Paul also understood that unless the young church
continued to mature in its faith, the danger would only increase over time.

With that in mind, Paul taught the people that any spiritual growth would
ultimately be motivated by their hope in the ultimate return of Jesus Christ. Paul
was never interested in simply telling people to pull themselves up by their
bootstraps, for he knew that what ultimately inspired change was a life of
consistently walking in the power of God’s Spirit. And so, to a group of young
Christians with questions and uncertainties, Paul offered the hope of Christ’s
return, providing both comfort in the midst of questions and motivation to godly
living.

Survey

The divisions of the Epistle are sufficiently indicated by the Chapters.

1. The model church, and the three tenses of the Christian life, 1:1-10.
2. The model servant and his reward, 2:1-20.
 3. The model brother, and the believer's sanctification, 3:1-13.
4. The model walk, and the believer's hope, 4:1-18.
5. The model walk, and the day of Jehovah, 5:1-28.

THE BOOK OF 2 THESSALONIANS

Meaning
Second Thessalonians distinguishes itself by the detailed teaching it presents on
the end times. False teachers had been presenting fake letters as if from Paul
and telling the Thessalonian believers that the day of the Lord had already come.
This would have been especially troubling to them because Paul had encouraged
them in his previous letter that they would be raptured before the day of wrath
came upon the earth.

So Paul explained to them that this future time of tribulation had not yet come
because a certain “man of lawlessness” had not yet been revealed (2
Thessalonians 2:3). Comparisons with other passages in Daniel, Matthew, and
Revelation reveal this man to be none other than the Antichrist. But Paul
encouraged the Thessalonians not to worry, because the Antichrist would not
come until a mysterious restrainer—the Thessalonians apparently knew his
identity—was removed from earth (2:6–7). The identity of this restrainer has been
heavily debated, though due to the nature of the work the restrainer does, He is
likely the Spirit of God working redemptive through the church. When the
believers leave the earth in the rapture, all who remain will experience the wrath
of the tribulation.

Introduction
Shortly after writing his first epistle to the Thessalonian Saints, Paul wrote them a
second epistle, in which he clarified truths about the Second Coming. He taught
that the Savior would not come again until after an apostasy had occurred. Paul
then preached against idleness and counseled the Saints to “be not weary in well
doing” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).
Paul deals with persecution in the context of false ideas about the Lord’s return.
The Thessalonians idleness seems to be a concern for Paul because some were
quitting their jobs.  The exhortations that Paul gave were to protect the church
from false beliefs concerning the Lord’s return.  Paul had stern warnings for
those who are idle because they were abandoning their work responsibilities and
their lazy and disorderly conduct was becoming an issue.  Their conduct had
become disorderly because many of them were now having to depend upon
others in the church for support, believing that the Lord’s return was imminent. 
Paul used himself as an example and that he worked to support himself.  He was
not depending upon others for support and was not a burden to any.    Paul
worked despite having the right to be supported by the church for his ministry but
forgoes this right to be an example to believers and the church at Thessalonica
may have been the primary reason Paul did this.
An important insight from II Thessalonians was that prayer is an integral part of
the church.  It is important corporately and to the believer in general.   Paul
emphasized prayer for God’s power so that they could endure the persecution
and enable them to live a life worthy of His calling.   By living worthy lives, they
would be glorifying God.
The Thessalonians should also be praying in thanksgiving for their calling and be
giving thanks for the church members calling.  Paul taught them to pray for one
another and for an open door for the gospel to go through.

Title
Second Epistle to the Thessalonians. The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians,
commonly referred to as Second Thessalonians or 2 Thessalonians is
a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is traditionally attributed
to Paul the Apostle, with Timothy as a co-author.
In the Greek NT, 2 Thessalonians is listed as “To the Thessalonians.” This
represents the Apostle Paul’s second canonical correspondence to the fellowship
of believers in the city of Thessalonica (cf. 1:1).

Author
Paul, as in 1 Thessalonians, identified himself twice as the author of this letter
(1:1; 3:17). Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy, Paul’s co-laborers in founding the
church, were present with him when he wrote. Evidence, both within this letter
and with regard to vocabulary, style, and doctrinal content, strongly supports
Paul as the only possible author.
Just because Paul visited a city, preached the gospel for weeks or even months,
and founded a church by guiding converts to the faith, this did not protect the
new church from scheming heretics. In fact, the immaturity of any new church
presented a perfect target for those who meant to mislead and distort the truth.
Paul, worried about his friends and their troubles with false teachers, wrote this
second letter to the believers at Thessalonica in the hope of encouraging their
young but burgeoning faith.

Date and Settings

The time of this writing was surely a few months after the first epistle, while Paul
was still in Corinth with Silas and Timothy (1:1; Acts 18:5) in late A.D. 51 or early
A.D. 52. Since the subject matter of the second letter has a number of thematic
similarities to the first, Paul probably had received a second report from the city
detailing continuing questions or problems regarding the end times. Several of
Paul’s references indicate that some in Thessalonica were deliberately
misleading these new believers, even to the point of false teachers forging letters
to make them look as if they had come from Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:2). The
apostle, therefore, took extra care in this letter to make sure the Thessalonians
understood not only his views on the end times but also what his handwriting
looked like, so they would be able to identify letters as authentically his (3:17).

Theme
Like 1 Thessalonians, this letter deals extensively with eschatology. In fact, in 2
Thessalonians 18 out of 47 verses deal with this subject. Eschatology dominates
the theological issues. One of the clearest statements on personal eschatology
for unbelievers is found in 1:9. Church discipline is the major focus of 3:6–15,
which needs to be considered along with Matt. 18:15–20; 1 Cor. 5:1–13; Gal.
6:1–5, and 1 Tim. 5:19, 20 for understanding the complete Biblical teaching on
this theme.

Purpose
Inasmuch as the situation in the Thessalonian church has not changed
substantially, Paul’s purpose in writing is very much the same as in his first letter
to them. He writes (1) to encourage persecuted believers (1:4–10), (2) to correct
a misunderstanding concerning the Lord’s return (2:1–12) and (3) to exhort the
Thessalonians to be steadfast and to work for a living (2:13—3:15). Most of the
English-speaking churches have never really seen this type of persecution but in
most of the world, Christians still suffer from it.  Paul tells them to stand firm in
the faith that was delivered to them and that they should be praying to encourage
one another.

Key Words
The key words in the book of 2 Thessalonians are “Judgement”, “Destruction”,
“Retribution” and “Persecution”.

Key Verses
II Thessalonians 1:3 “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and
sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more”
II Thessalonians 1:6 “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble
you.”
II Thessalonians 1:11 “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our
God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to
fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.”
II Thessalonians 2:1-3 “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our
being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily
unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy
or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already
come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until
the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to
destruction.”
II Thessalonians 2:7-8 “For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work;
but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the
way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will
overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his
coming.”
II Thessalonians 2:13 “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and
sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first fruits to be saved
through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”
II Thessalonians 3:1 “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that
the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with
you.”
II Thessalonians 3:6 “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you,
brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive
and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
II Thessalonians 3:10-11 “For even when we were with you, we gave you this
rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat. We hear that some among
you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.”
II Thessalonians 3:14-15 “Take special note of anyone who does not obey our
instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel
ashamed. Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a
fellow believer.”

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of 2 Thessalonians is composed of 3 chapters which consist of 47
verses with a total of 823 words.
Jesus Christ in the Book of 2 Thessalonians
The apostle Paul, in concern for the Thessalonian believers who were trying to
stand firm in their faith under pressure from false teachers, taught the
Thessalonians in this letter that their hope in Christ’s future return should serve
as an encouragement to them in their suffering, motivating them to live
responsibly for Him. Paul always connected his teaching on Jesus with the
practical growth he expected to see as a result of such a deeply held faith.
Discipline and self-control are two qualities that quickly slip away in a society so
focused on the material that its people forget the spiritual realities that should
dictate their lives. Paul knew that hope in Christ would encourage perseverance
in godly living. And hope is exactly what we lack today, one of the great roots of
this gradual slip into increased self-centeredness. As you read the words of 2
Thessalonians, allow them to rekindle your hope and fan into flame your desire to
live in God-honoring, industrious ways.

Survey
The Epistle is in five divisions:
1. Salutation, 1:1-4.
2. Comfort, 1:5-12.
3. Instruction concerning the day of the Lord and the man of sin, 2:1-12.
4. Exhortations and apostolic commands, 2:13-3:15.
5. Benediction and authentication, 3:16-18.
 THE BOOK OF 1 TIMOTHY
Meaning
1 Timothy was written to give instructions in worship and in church
administration, and to warn against false teachings in the churches. Certain
forms of worship should be observed, and certain types of conduct should be
strictly avoided. Because both bishops and deacons were necessarily appointed
in the churches, it was highly important that these offices be respected and that
careful attention be given to the selection of men to fill them. The bishop must be
above reproach, temperate, dignified, of a peaceful disposition, and not a lover of
money. The deacons, too, must be men of serious mind, free from greed, and
conscientious in all of their activities. They should be tested first, and only those
who are blameless should be permitted to serve in that office.
The letter contains a special warning against the false beliefs and practices that
were associated with Gnosticism. For example, the author specifies the
asceticism that was advocated by some Gnostics in their efforts to overcome the
demands of the physical body, and the opposite method that was urged by
others who taught that indulgence in various forms of sensuality would
accomplish the same purpose. Both asceticism and over-indulgence were based
on the Gnostic conception that matter is evil; only that which is spirit is good.
Christians are also warned against being misled by the godless myths that
formed a part of the special kind of knowledge that Gnostics regarded as
essential for salvation. The letter expresses reproof toward those who try to
make a profit out of religion, and it contains instructions concerning the attitude
that Christians should hold in their dealings with widows, presbyters, and slaves.

Introduction
In 1 Timothy, Paul counseled Timothy, a Church leader in Ephesus, to ensure
that sound doctrine was taught and not to allow popular falsehoods to distract
from the teachings of the gospel. He taught Timothy about the offices of bishop
and deacon and discussed the qualifications for those who served in these
positions. Paul also recounted his deep gratitude for the mercy he had received
from Jesus Christ when he was converted.
First Timothy presents the most explicit and complete instructions for church
leadership and organization in the entire Bible. This includes sections on
appropriate conduct in worship gatherings, the qualifications of elders and
deacons, and the proper order of church discipline. Paul advised Timothy on
these practical matters in a way that would have helped the young pastor to
emphasize the purity that should characterize Christian leaders and the
gatherings they oversee.
Paul suggested guidelines to help Timothy identify worthy candidates to serve as
bishops or deacons (1 Timothy 3). Paul’s guidelines helped highlight the
responsibility of Church leaders to provide for members’ temporal and spiritual
needs (1 Timothy 5). Paul also addressed the common false idea of asceticism—
the belief that greater spirituality could be attained through strict self-denial. For
example, Paul warned that some Church members would apostatize and
promote the belief that marriage should be forbidden (1 Timothy 4:1–3). To
counteract this and other heretical influences, Paul gave instructions to Timothy
to teach sound doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3–4, 10; 4:1–6, 13, 16).

Title
This is the first of two inspired letters Paul wrote to his beloved son in the faith.
Timothy received his name, which means “one who honors God,” from his
mother (Eunice) and grandmother (Lois), devout Jews who became believers in
the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 1:5) and taught Timothy the OT Scriptures from his
childhood (2 Tim. 3:15). His father was a Greek (Acts 16:1) who may have died
before Timothy met Paul.

Author
The first of Paul’s final series of letters—which along with 2 Timothy and Titus
are called the Pastoral Epistles—1 Timothy offers practical and pastoral advice
from the aging apostle Paul to a young pastor named Timothy working in the
church at Ephesus. More than a decade prior to writing this letter, Paul had first
met Timothy in the city of Lystra—in Asia Minor—where Timothy was known and
respected by the Christians (Acts 16:1–4). Upon recognizing Timothy’s
impressive qualities, Paul recruited the young man to travel with him as he
continued his second missionary journey. The presence of Timothy would have
met an important need for Paul, their friendship coming on the heels of Paul’s
split with his close friend and partner in missions, Barnabas (15:36–41). Timothy
was not an apostle. It may be best to regard him as an apostolic representative,
delegated to carry out special work (cf. Tit 1:5).
Timothy’s youth no doubt served him well, allowing for the energy and vigor he
needed to serve his people. However, it also caused inevitable difficulties with
older Christians who may not have taken quickly to the leadership of such a
young man because of his lack of knowledge and experience in leadership. It
was important to Paul that Timothy set an example of consistent faith and a good
conscience, remaining above reproach and exercising the spiritual gifts that God
had given him (1 Timothy 4:12–16).
However, Paul knew that such a task would not be easy for the young man.
Therefore, on two occasions Paul encouraged Timothy to “fight the good fight”
(1:18; 6:12). Perseverance in what was good often became a slog for Timothy,
one that required thick skin and a clear purpose.

Date and Settings

Paul’s First Epistle to Timothy was likely written sometime between A.D. 64
and 65, possibly while Paul was in Macedonia. After being released from his first
Roman imprisonment (cf. Acts 28:30), Paul revisited several of the cities in which
he had ministered, including Ephesus. Leaving Timothy behind there to deal with
problems that had arisen in the Ephesian church, such as false doctrine (1:3–
7; 4:1–3; 6:3–5), disorder in worship (2:1–15), the need for qualified leaders (3:1–
14), and materialism (6:6–19), Paul went on to Macedonia, from where he wrote
Timothy this letter to help him carry out his task in the church (cf. 3:14, 15).

Theme
First Timothy is a practical letter containing pastoral instruction from Paul to
Timothy (cf. 3:14, 15). Since Timothy was well versed in Paul’s theology, the
apostle had no need to give him extensive doctrinal instruction. This epistle does,
however, express many important theological truths, such as the proper function
of the law (1:5–11), salvation (1:14–16; 2:4–6); the attributes of God (1:17); the
Fall (2:13, 14); the person of Christ (3:16; 6:15, 16); election (6:12); and the
second coming of Christ (6:14, 15).

Purpose
Paul’s purpose in writing is to encourage Timothy and instruct him on how to
carry out his ministry to the church at Ephesus. Also, in 1 Tim 3:14-15, I am
writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am
delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the
household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of
the truth.

Key Words
The key words in the book of 1 Timothy are “Gave Himself” and “Forever and
Ever” before God pillar and mediator.

Key Verses
1 Tim. 1:3–5, I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain
in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different
doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that
promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith. But
the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good
conscience, and sincere faith.
1 Tim. 2:1–2, First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high
positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
dignity.
1 Tim. 2:8–9, I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up
holy hands without anger or argument; also, that the women should dress
themselves modestly and decently.
1 Tim. 3:2–3, Now a bishop must be above reproach, married only once,
temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a drunkard, not
violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money.
1 Tim. 3:10, And let them first be tested; then, if they prove themselves
blameless, let them serve as deacons.
1 Tim. 3:14–15, I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to
you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the
household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of
the truth.
1 Tim. 4:4–5, For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be
rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God’s
word and by prayer.
1 Tim. 5:1–2, Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a
father, to younger men as brothers, to older women as mothers, to younger
women as sisters — with absolute purity.
1 Tim. 6:2, Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to them
on the ground that they are members of the church; rather they must serve them
all the more, since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved.
1 Tim. 6:17–19, As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not
to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on
God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do
good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for
themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may
take hold of the life that really is life.

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of 1 Timothy is composed of 6 chapters which consist of 113 verses
with a total of 1,591 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of 1 Timothy

Christ is presented in this epistle as the mediator between God and Men (2:5).
As such He is the Savior of all men who believe in Him (4:10). He is the Lord of
the church to whom Timothy is responsible as an under-shepherd. Thus, the
young pastor is to fulfill his duties in light of God’s authority. The 1 Timothy helps
us to gain a clearer understanding of the proper qualifications and roles for
church leaders. Paul’s letter shows us those things he hoped Timothy would
address in his ministry, providing a template of sorts that our leaders can follow
in their own ministries.

Survey

The divisions are five:

1. Legality and unsound doctrine rebuked, 1:1-20.

2. Prayer and the divine order of the sexes enjoined, 2:1-15.
3. The qualifications of elders and deacons, 3:1-16.
4. The walk of the "good minister," 4:1-16.
5. The work of the "good minister," 5:1-6:21.

THE BOOK OF 2 TIMOTHY

Meaning
The second letter to Timothy offers a picture of Paul at the end of his ministry,
just before his death. Certain personal details in the letter reveal a man settling
his accounts and preparing for the inevitable. At the close of the letter, Paul
mentioned a significant number of people—some who had wronged him and
others who had served faithfully alongside him (2 Timothy 4:9–21). It is as if Paul
were giving Timothy a “state of the church” address, updating Timothy on the
current state of their acquaintances and friends so that the young pastor could
carry on after Paul’s departure.
Written by an experienced missionary, 2 Timothy urges Timothy to recognize that
endurance is one of the main qualities essential for a successful preacher of the
gospel. Evidently, situations developed within the churches that were especially
difficult for Christian pastors. Timothy must stand firm and rekindle the gift of God
that is within him. He must be willing to bear hardships when necessary and to
conduct himself as a good soldier for God. He needs both courage and humility
to perform the tasks that have been assigned to him. In combating false doctrine,
he must refrain from all that is ignoble and must show that he can differentiate
words of truth from false doctrine. He can draw help and inspiration from the
example of Paul, who is now at the end of his career and about to receive a
crown of righteousness. The letter closes with personal greetings to the members
of the church.

Introduction
In his second epistle to Timothy, the Apostle Paul taught that fear does not come
from God and counseled Timothy to not be ashamed of his testimony of Jesus
Christ. He encouraged Timothy to faithfully endure trials and instructed him to
teach the Saints to repent. Paul explained that although apostasy and
wickedness would be prevalent in their day as well as in the last days, Timothy
should remain faithful to the truths he had already learned. Paul also taught
about the purposes of the scriptures. He ended his letter by encouraging Timothy
to diligently fulfill his ministry.
The Epistle advocates endurance as the main quality for a preacher of
the gospel. As a good soldier for Jesus Christ, he is to be pure, noble, and ready
to take his share of suffering. In Paul's farewell, he describes himself as at the
end of his career and awaiting the crown of righteousness.

Title
In the New Testament, the Second Epistle of Paul to Timothy, usually referred to
simply as Second Timothy and often written 2 Timothy or II Timothy, is one of the
three pastoral epistles traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. This epistle is
the second of two inspired letters Paul the apostle wrote to his son in the faith,
Timothy (1:2; 2:1). It is titled, as are the other personal letters of Paul to
individuals (1 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon), with the name of the addressee
(1:2).

Author
By the time Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, the young pastor had been
ministering to the church at Ephesus for four years, and it had been almost that
long since he had received his first letter from Paul. Timothy had been a faithful
servant to Paul since he had left home with the apostle more than a decade
earlier. Since then, Timothy had ministered alongside Paul for the duration of
both the second and third missionary journeys, in places such as Troas, Philippi,
and Corinth. Timothy was not unfamiliar to the Ephesians when he settled in
Ephesus to minister, having served there alongside Paul for a period of close to
three years on Paul’s third missionary journey. Paul wrote again to this young
leader in the church at Ephesus to provide him encouragement and fortitude in
the face of difficulties and trials.

Date and Settings

After Paul’s release from prison in Rome in a.d. 62 (Ac 28) and after his fourth
missionary journey, during which he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus, Paul was again
imprisoned under Emperor Nero c. 66–67. It was during this time that he wrote  2
Timothy. In contrast to his first imprisonment, when he lived in a “rented house”
(Ac 28:30), he now languished in a cold dungeon (4:13), chained like a common
criminal (1:16; 2:9). His friends even had a hard time finding out where he was
being kept (1:17). Paul knew that his work was done and that his life was nearly
at an end (4:6–8).

Theme
Since Timothy was well versed in Paul’s theology, the apostle did not instruct him
further doctrinally. He did, however, allude to several important doctrines,
including salvation by God’s sovereign grace (1:9, 10; 2:10), the person of Christ
(2:8; 4:1, 8), and perseverance (2:11–13); plus Paul wrote the crucial text of the
NT on the inspiration of Scripture (3:16, 17).

Purpose
In this letter, Paul encouraged Timothy and offered strength to help him carry on
after Paul’s impending death to exhort Timothy to be faithful, especially under
persecution. Paul was aware that his time was short, and he desired to see
Timothy, whom Paul figuratively called “my dearly beloved son” (2 Timothy 1:2).
At the end of his letter, Paul requested that Timothy and Mark visit him and bring
him a few items that he had left behind (2 Timothy 4:9–13). Although Paul’s letter
was addressed specifically to Timothy, its counsel can be applied to those who
live in “the last days” (2 Timothy 3:1) because Paul taught of challenges and
solutions that are relevant to our day as well as his.

Key Words
The key words in the book of 2 Timothy are “Gospel” and “Doctrine”.

Key Verses
2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power,
of love and of self-discipline.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may
be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season;
correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”
2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith. Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing.”

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of 2 Timothy is composed of 4 chapters which consist of 83 verses with
a total of 1,238 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of 2 Timothy

Paul wrote this letter as he awaited execution. Despite all that Paul was facing-
death, the end of his ministry, abandonment by most of his friends for fear of
persecution-he faithfully directed his spiritual son Timothy to the hope that is in
Christ. As he exhorted Timothy to boldness, endurance, and faithfulness in the
face of false teaching, Paul showed his customary concern for sound doctrine.
Scripture, said Paul, is "breathed out by God" and is sufficient in all things
pertaining to the faith and practice of Christians (3:16-17). Older believers,
therefore, should be eager to pass on their knowledge of Scripture to those who
are younger in the faith (2:2).
This letter contains some of Paul’s reflections about the blessings and difficulties
of serving as “a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles”
(2 Timothy 1:11). Paul declared, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7–8), indicating that he had a personal assurance
that he would inherit eternal life. As one who had ministered for Jesus Christ for
over 30 years, Paul was in an excellent position to instruct Timothy on how to
serve effectively in strengthening the faith of others (2 Timothy 2:15–17, 22–
26; 4:1–2, 5).

Survey
The natural divisions are four:
1. The Apostle's greeting, 1:1-18.
2. The pathway of an approved servant in a day of apostasy, 2:1-26.
3. Apostasy and the Word, 3:1-17.
4. A faithful servant and his faithful Lord, 4:1-22.

THE BOOK OF TITUS

Meaning
This pastoral letter from Paul to Titus was intended to offer encouragement and
wisdom as Titus endured ongoing opposition from the ungodly and from legalists
within his congregations. Paul instructed Titus to complete his assigned job of
establishing overseers (elders) for the churches under his care. He described
what sort of people these leaders should be, and how all believers should live in
relation to each other as well as in their interactions with nonbelievers. Proper
Christian behavior is based on the fact that "the grace of God has appeared,
bringing salvation for all people," and therefore those who believe in Christ are to
"live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives" as they await his return (2:11-13).
This short letter shows that it has always been a challenge to develop a good
church—even in New Testament days. It tells Titus, a young leader of an
argumentative church, to refute false teachers, do away with church disunity, and
find quality leaders. Even with God’s Spirit at work, church life can involve a lot of
sacrificial work! But Paul encourages Titus to persevere. Paul intersperses
doctrine and practice throughout this brief but powerful letter in a way that
integrates eternal truth and day-to-day transformation.

Introduction
In this epistle the Apostle Paul exhorted Titus, who was a fellow missionary then
serving in Crete, to use sound doctrine to teach and correct others. Paul also
counseled Titus to teach the Saints to be righteous examples, to have hope of
redemption through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and to continue in good
works.
Although Luke did not mention Titus by name in the book of Acts, it seems
probable that Titus, a Gentile (Gal. 2:3), met and may have been led to faith in
Christ by Paul (1:4) before or during the apostle’s first missionary journey. Later,
Titus ministered for a period of time with Paul on the Island of Crete and was left
behind to continue and strengthen the work (1:5). After Artemas or Tychicus
(3:12) arrived to direct the ministry there, Paul wanted Titus to join him in the city
of Nicopolis, in the province of Achaia in Greece, and stay through the winter
(3:12).

Title
The Epistle of Paul to Titus, usually referred to simply as Titus, is one of the three
pastoral epistles (along with 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy) in the New Testament,
historically attributed to Paul the Apostle. It is addressed to Saint Titus and
describes the requirements and duties of elders and bishops. Titus, who is
mentioned by name 13 times in the NT (1:4; Gal. 2:1, 3; 2 Tim 4:10; for the 9
times in 2 Cor.). The title in the Greek NT literally reads “To Titus.”

Author
Paul identified himself as the author of the letter to Titus, calling himself a “bond-
servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (Titus 1:1). The origin of Paul’s
relationship with Titus is shrouded in mystery, though we can gather that he may
have been converted under the ministry of Paul, who called Titus “my true child
in a common faith” (1:4). Titus accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey,
during which the apostle sent him to Corinth at least once (2 Corinthians 2:12–
13; 7:5–7, 13–15; 8:6, 16–24). Paul clearly held Titus in a position of great
respect as a friend and fellow worker for the gospel, praising Titus for his
affection, his earnestness, and his bringing comfort to others.

Date and Settings

Paul wrote his letter to Titus from Nicopolis in AD 63, after the apostle’s release
from his first Roman imprisonment. Upon leaving Timothy in Ephesus to minister
there, Paul accompanied Titus to the island of Crete, where he intended Titus to
lead and organize the island’s churches in their early years of existence. While
the gospel had no doubt spread to Crete soon after Peter’s sermon at Pentecost
(Acts 2:11), Paul and Titus likely did a good deal of evangelism on the island in
the weeks before Paul commissioned Titus to a leadership position there.
Following Paul’s release from his first Roman imprisonment (Ac 28), he and Titus
worked briefly in Crete (1:5), after which he commissioned Titus to remain there
as his representative and complete some needed work (1:5; 2:15; 3:12–13). Paul
asked Titus to meet him at Nicopolis (see map, p. 2487) when a replacement
arrived (see 3:12 and note). Later, Titus went on a mission to Dalmatia (see 2Ti
4:10 and note), the last word we hear about him in the NT. Considering the
assignments given him, he obviously was a capable and resourceful leader.

Theme
Several major themes repeat themselves throughout Titus. They include: work(s)
(1:16; 2:7, 14; 3:1, 5, 8, 14); soundness in faith and doctrine
(1:4, 9, 13; 2:1, 2, 7, 8, 10; 3:15); and salvation (1:3, 4; 2:10, 13; 3:4, 6).

Purpose
The Epistle to Titus is known as one of the Pastoral Epistles as are the two
letters to Timothy. This epistle was written by the apostle Paul to encourage his
brother in the faith, Titus, whom he had left in Crete to lead the church which
Paul had established on one of his missionary journeys (Titus 1:5). This letter
advises Titus regarding what qualifications to look for in leaders for the church.
He also warns Titus of the reputations of those living on the island of Crete (Titus
1:12).
Apparently, Paul introduced Christianity in Crete when he and Titus visited the
island, after which he left Titus there to organize the converts. Paul sent the letter
with Zenas and Apollos, who were on a journey that took them through Crete
(3:13), to give Titus personal authorization and guidance in meeting opposition
(1:5; 2:1,7–8,15; 3:9), instructions about faith and conduct, and warnings about
false teachers. Paul also informed Titus of his future plans for him (3:12).
In addition to instructing Titus in what to look for in a leader of the church, Paul
also encouraged Titus to return to Nicopolis for a visit. In other words, Paul
continued to disciple Titus and others as they grew in the grace of the Lord (Titus
3:13).

Key Words
The key words in the book of Titus are "Good Deeds”, “Grace” and “Faith”.

Key Verses
Titus 1:5, “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what
was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you."
Titus 1:16, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They
are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good."
Titus 2:15, “These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke
with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you."
Titus 3:3-6, “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and
enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy,
being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our
Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but
because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal
by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ
our Savior.”

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of Titus is composed of 3 chapters which consist of 46 verses with a
total of 659 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Titus

The deity of Christ is strongly maintained in the Book of Titus: "Looking for the
blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ"
(2:13). Paul refers to God and Christ as the Savior throughout the book,
emphasizing both the person of Christ as God and the plan of salvation (1:3, 4;
2:10, 13; 3:4, 6).
Three summaries of the incarnation dot the pages of Titus, providing a
framework within which the Christian can view the work of God in the world and
in individual lives (Titus 1:1–4; 2:11–14; 3:4–7). All three passages involve the
manifestation, or appearance, of God in Christ, rooting the Christian faith in the
incarnation of Jesus Christ. Only when God the Son took on human flesh in the
person of Jesus was the believer’s faith in God made sure. In other words, since
God poured out His grace on all humanity, He cleanses His people from their sin
and purifies believers for Himself. This grace of God instructs us to live upright
and godly lives in this present age (2:11–3:8).
God and Christ are regularly referred to as Savior (1:3, 4; 2:10, 13; 3:4, 6) and
the saving plan is so emphasized in 2:11–14 that it indicates the major thrust of
the epistle is that of equipping the churches of Crete for effective evangelism.
This preparation required godly leaders who not only would shepherd believers
under their care (1:5–9), but also would equip those Christians for evangelizing
their pagan neighbors, who had been characterized by one of their own famous
natives as liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons (1:12). In order to gain a hearing
for the gospel among such people, the believers’ primary preparation for
evangelization was to live among themselves with the unarguable testimony of
righteous, loving, selfless, and godly lives (2:2–14) in marked contrast to the
debauched lives of the false teachers (1:10–16). How they behaved with
reference to governmental authorities and unbelievers was also crucial to their
testimony (3:1–8).

Survey
There are two divisions:
1. The qualifications and functions of elders, 1:1-16.
2. The pastoral work of the true elder, 2:1-3,15.

THE BOOK OF PHILEMON

Meaning
The Epistle of Paul to Philemon, known simply as Philemon, is one of
the books of the Christian New Testament. It is a prison letter, co-authored by
Paul the Apostle with Timothy, to Philemon, a leader in the Colossian church. It
deals with the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation.
The Epistle to Philemon, a very short letter dealing with only one topic, certainly
was written by Paul. Onesimus, Philemon's runaway slave, had in some way
contacted Paul and come under the influence of the Christian gospel. For Paul,
the situation was in some respects threatening: For a slave to desert his master
was considered a very serious offense legally punishable by death, and anyone
who apprehended a runaway slave was to return the slave immediately to the
slave's master. How long Paul knew about Onesimus we are not told, but
evidently it was long enough for Onesimus to receive instruction concerning the
meaning of the gospel. Once Onesimus accepted the Christian gospel, Paul
insisted that the slave return to his master.

Introduction
The letter to Philemon reminds us that God’s revelation to humanity is intensely
personal. In more formal biblical works such as the Gospels or the epistle to the
Romans or even Paul’s letters to churches at Philippi or Colossae, it might be
easy to get the impression that God does not care or have time for the trials and
tribulations in a single household. Philemon stands as one piece of strong
evidence to the contrary, revealing that lofty doctrines such as the love of God,
forgiveness in Christ, or the inherent dignity of humanity have real and pertinent
impact in everyday life. The book of Philemon illustrates that principles like these
can and should profoundly affect the lives of believers.
Paul’s message to Philemon was a simple one: based on the work of love and
forgiveness that had been wrought in Philemon’s heart by God, show the same
to the escaped and now-believing slave Onesimus. The apostle’s message
would have had extra force behind it because he knew Philemon personally. Paul
had explained the gospel to Philemon and had witnessed the profound result:
new life blossoming in a once-dead heart (Philemon 1:19). Paul knew that
conversion is nothing to trifle with, but that it should be honored and fostered.

Title
The Letter of Paul to Philemon, also called The Epistle of Saint Paul The Apostle
to Philemon, brief New Testament letter written by Paul the Apostle to a wealthy
Christian of Colossae, Asia Minor, on behalf of Onesimus, Philemon's former
slave.

Author
For more than two years during his third missionary journey, Paul ministered in
Asia Minor among the people of Ephesus. This was a successful period for the
apostle to the Gentiles, who saw many converts among both residents of
Ephesus and visitors to the city. One of the visitors converted under Paul’s
teaching was a man named Philemon, a slaveowner from the nearby city of
Colossae (Philemon 1:19). In the Bible book that bears Philemon’s name, Paul
addressed his “beloved brother” as a “fellow worker,” a title given to those who
served for a time alongside Paul. (Gospel writers Mark and Luke also received
this title later in the letter [1:1, 24]). Clearly, a kinship existed between Paul and
Philemon, one that would serve a significant purpose in light of the circumstance
that brought about the letter.

Date and Settings

A slave named Onesimus had escaped from his owner, Philemon, and had run
away from Colossae to Rome in the hope that he could disappear into that
populous, urban environment. Once in Rome, Onesimus, either by accident or by
his own design, came in contact with Paul, who promptly led the runaway slave
to faith in Jesus Christ. Paul had already been planning to send a letter to the
Colossian church by the hand of Tychicus. So, in AD 60 or 61 from a prison cell
in Rome, Paul wrote a personal letter to Philemon and sent Onesimus the slave
back to Colossae.
Paul wrote this short letter probably at the same time as Colossians (c. a.d. 60)
and sent it to Colosse with the same travelers, Onesimus and Tychicus. He
apparently wrote both letters from prison in Rome, though possibly from
Ephesus.

Theme
The rich theological theme that alone dominates the letter is forgiveness, a
featured theme throughout NT Scripture (cf. Matt. 6:12–15; 18:21–35; Eph.
4:32; Col. 3:13). Paul’s instruction here provides the biblical definition of
forgiveness, without ever using the word.

Purpose
The letter to Philemon is the shortest of all Paul’s writings and deals with the
practice of slavery. The letter suggests that Paul was in prison at the time of the
writing. Philemon was a slave owner who also hosted a church in his home.
During the time of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, Philemon had likely journeyed to
the city, heard Paul’s preaching and became a Christian. The
slave Onesimus robbed his master, Philemon, and ran away, making his way to
Rome and to Paul. Onesimus was still the property of Philemon, and Paul wrote
to smooth the way for his return to his master. Through Paul’s witnessing to him,
Onesimus had become a Christian (Philemon 10) and Paul wanted Philemon to
accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ and not merely as a slave.

Key Words
The key words in the book of Philemon are “Forgiveness”, “Prayers”, “Love”,
“Fellowship”, “Good(ness)”, “Heart”, “Refresh” and “Brother”.

Key Verses
Philemon 6: "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will
have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."
Philemon 16: "…no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.
He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in
the Lord."
Philemon 18: "If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to
me."

Chapters, Verses and Words

The book of Philemon is composed of 1 chapter which consist of 25 verses with
a total of 335 words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Philemon

The relationship between Paul, Onesimus, and Philemon presents a beautiful
illustration of Christ’s mediation between the Father and humanity. Paul freely
accepted Onesimus's penalty in order to renew the relationship between
Onesimus and Philemon. his former master. Paul's work of forgiveness also
portrays the strength given to Christians by God to show compassion and mercy.
Paul had warned slave owners that they had a responsibility towards their slaves
and showed slaves as responsible moral beings who were to fear God. In
Philemon, Paul did not condemn slavery, but he presented Onesimus as a
Christian brother instead of a slave. When an owner can refer to a slave as a
brother, the slave has reached a position in which the legal title of slave is
meaningless. The early church did not attack slavery directly but it laid the
foundation for a new relationship between owner and slave. Paul attempted to
unite both Philemon and Onesimus with Christian love so that emancipation
would become necessary. Only after exposure to the light of the gospel could the
institution of slavery die.
Perhaps nowhere in the New Testament is the distinction between law and grace
so beautifully portrayed. Both Roman law and the Mosaic Law of the Old
Testament gave Philemon the right to punish a runaway slave who was
considered property. But the covenant of grace through the Lord Jesus allowed
both master and slave to fellowship in love on an equal basis in the body of
Christ.
Survey
The divisions are four:
1. Greeting, 1-3.
2. The character of Philemon, 4-7.
3. Intercession for Onesimus, 8-21.
4. Salutations and conclusion, 22-25.