Essay about Prison Epistles of Paul - 3240 Words

The Prison Epistles of Paul Apostolic School of Theology Joshua L. Poole Abstract The Epistles of the New Testament are arguably the most spiritually in depth readings in the entire Bible. Paul, the author of the Epistles, gives a detailed account of his life which was centered on the teachings of Jesus Christ. The contents of his writings explain the perils, trials, persecutions, of a devout man determined to finish his course on earth, living in the will of God. Some such writings were the Epistles Paul wrote while in prison for teaching the message of Jesus Christ unto Salvation. These letters written to the churches of that day were instructions given to address the issues of true Christian living. Paul gives his readers the hope†¦show more content†¦This book contributes to the believer’s outlook of what true Christianity really is; it is the complete submission to the government of God in our life through Jesus Christ. Paul teaches that the â€Å"traditions of men† are wayward and contrary to the Government of God in the life of the be liever. Colossians adds to the scripture a high Christology, alluding to the imminent implications of conduct for the believer. Much of Paul’s writing points out the fallacies by which the church at Colossae was infected with at the time of his letter (Dockery, 1992). The Book of Ephesians The book of Ephesians is thought to be written sometime in between 60 and 61 A.D (Tenney, 1985). Many churches had already been formed at the time Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians. Its structure is similar to that of the Book of Colossians. Although, one variation to the book of Ephesians, is that he addressed the issue of spiritual maturity and the sovereign grace of God displayed towards sinners in Christ Jesus. The best news in the entire world was the expression of grace that God showed toward His fallen creation (Dockery, 1992). Structure Although the structure of Ephesians is strikingly similar to that of the Book of Colossians, there were several unique differences to this book. According to the Dockery (1992), some of these differences were the expansion of blessings, confessions of the new life, a theological expansion of household roles,Show MoreRelatedBible Studies: Analysis of Pauls Prison Epistle Books794 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians and Philemon are prison epistle books that Paul wrote during his time when he was imprisoned in Rome. Lord brought Paul in a city called Rome to go and do the mission strategy which was given to the disciples by Jesus just before he ascended into heaven. Pauls task was to complete the mission of making the gospel to come to all corners of the world. Lord told him to take courage since he had testified many things about him in Jerusalem therefore heRead MorePaul The Apostle Was A Very Godly Man One Of Many On Long1738 Words   |  7 Pages Paul the Apostle was a very godly man one of many on long list of godly people who spent their lives serving God’s purpose. Paul was the author of several epistles, writing out the words of God to the people of the church. Have you ever wondered why Paul wrote out the epistle of Ephesians and the effects that the letter had on the congregation in which he wrote too? In the book of Ephesians, it is clearly shown that the Apostle Paul is the indeed the author of the Epistle of Ephesians. Paul’s epistlesRead MorePauls Missionary Journeys and Epistle Correlates901 Words   |  4 PagesPauls Missionary Journeys and Epistle Correlates The missionary journeys of Paul cover a major portion of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles (commonly shortened to Acts). Acts demonstrates, at least in part, how the journeys relate to the writing of the Epistles or letters to various congregations that needed encouragement or some other word from Paul, and when they were written. The three journeys happened in close relation to one another and were meant to spread the Gospel message to theRead MoreHebrews : An Essay Depth Look At The Authorship And Hebrews 111493 Words   |  6 Pagesincluding Judaism. The author demonstrates ways for following Jesus. It speaks to anyone who is wondering why they should follow Jesus. For some twelve hundred years from 400AD to 1600AD the book was commonly called the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews. When we take a look at the letters of Paul. They form some of the most famous yet recognized letters of the New Testament. However, there are another group of eight letters. Hebrews being one of t hose letters. It is thought that these letters are not trulyRead MoreThe Ephesians, One Of Great Intriguing Distinction Essay1937 Words   |  8 PagesThe Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians is one of great intriguing distinction. The letter possesses unique properties in comparison its fellow Prison Epistles namely, Philemon, Philippians and Colossians. The author of this work seeks to further expound upon these unique properties and its implications for how one should interpret the Epistle, specifically Ephesians 1:3-14. Authorship It has been generally accepted that the Apostle Paul is the Author of the Epistle. The Early Church Leaders acknowledgedRead MoreThe Book of Philemon813 Words   |  4 Pages Virtually all scholars accept the Apostle Paul as the author of Philemon. Paul, who was formally called Saul prior to his work as an Apostle, was born in the city of Tarsus, the Capital of ancient Cilicia. Tarsus was declared a free city by Rome, thus making Paul a Roman citizen. He was Jewish by blood from the tribe of Benjamin. Paul studied under the teaching and influence of the rabbi Gamaliel and became a Pharisee. As a Pharisee, Paul possessed a rigid adherence to the letter of theRead MoreBiography Of Paul And The Reasons For His Letters1598 Words   |  7 PagesPhilippians 3:12-21. Before writing this paper I was not entirely familiar with the life of Paul and the reasons for his letters. It was an interesting study once I understood the background and reasoning for Paul’s writings. Paul wrote Philippians while in prison. His priority was always on the advancement of Christ. He was completely unconcerned about his lack of comfort or the situation he was in while i n prison. His thoughts were solely on the cause of Christ and encouraging the Philippians to continueRead MoreThe Significance Of The Apostle Paul s Noteworthy Conversion Of A Transformation By The Blood Of Jesus Christ869 Words   |  4 Pagesconversion from a persecuted to an evangelizing missionary. Paul, in his early life was remembered as religiously zealous, a merciless attacker, and an unyielding persecutor of the early church. It’s in Acts chapter 9 that one begins to see just how ruthless Paul truly was, â€Å"Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest† ( New King James Version, Ac. 9.1) Before starting his travel, Paul had appealed for letters from the high priest to be sentRead MoreThe New Testament Of The Bible985 Words   |  4 Pagesthe believers. The canonization process for the New Testament is easier to trace, even though some questions cannot be fully answered. The Pauline Epistles were collected and considered to be in authoritative in the half of the second century. The four gospels is the gateway of valuable information about Christ Jesus and sets everything in motion for Paul letters to the churches. Ever since the first beginning of man God established covenants with his creation. A covenant is a binding agreementRead MoreAnalysis Of Ephesians 4, By The Apostle Paul Essay1518 Words   |  7 PagesUpon our arrival to Ephesians 4, we come to an epistle that many believe was penned by the Apostle Paul while being held in prison. In writing this letter, his primary audience is to a group of churches in 1st century Ephesus. It is important to note that in the historical context in which this letter is written, Christianity was not the popular religious belief of the nation. But rather, Ephesus was an extremely diverse culture in its religious practices throughout the city. As a result of this

The Evolution of Religion - 1318 Words

INTRODUCTION In The Wizard of Oz (1939), Dorothy and her friends journey to the Emerald City in seek of Oz – the great and powerful wizard. Upon finally reaching him, Dorothy’s dog opens a curtain to reveal that the Wizard is merely an ordinary man speaking into a microphone while using various knobs and levers to create a smoke-and-mirrors effect. In many ways this story is similar to the creation and interpretation of religion by individuals within society. In the following pages I will discuss this metaphor, as well as Rudolf Otto and his theories on the creation of religion, Peter L. Berger’s theory of â€Å"the sacred canopy,† and finally the intermingling of these two theories in the evolution of religion. RUDOLF OTTO AND RELIGIOUS†¦show more content†¦This is the first of the three main aspects of Berger’s â€Å"Sacred Canopy.† â€Å"Externalization,† Berger says, â€Å"is the ongoing outpouring of human being into the world, both in the physical and the mental activity of men,† (4). Every time an individual externalizes himself upon the environment, it changes, thus creating a new set of choices to be made. This imposition of our decisions then leads to objectivation – the second aspect of the sacred canopy. According to Berger, â€Å"the humanly produced world becomes something ‘out there.’ It consists of objects, both material and non-material that are capable of resisting the desires of their producer. Once produced, this world cannot simply be wished away,† (9). In other words, objectivation occurs when the products of what we create impose themselves back upon us and take on a life of their own. Gender roles, for example, are objectivations and are different in varying societies. Berger explains that â€Å"society assigns to the individual not only a set of roles but a designated identity. In other words, the individual is not only expected to perform as husband, father or uncle, but to be a husband, a father, or an uncle† (14). The final aspect of Berger’s sacred canopy is internalization. Internalization is the acceptance of these objecti ve realities that society imposes upon us. In this step, our objectivations become part of who we are. This can be seen in variousShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Evolution of Religion880 Words   |  4 PagesThe Evolution of Religion Near the end of his novel, Darwins Dangerous Idea, Daniel Dennett questions religion and contends that it was an evolutionary process to keep humans entertained. He says they [religions] have kept Homo Sapiens civilized enough, for long enough, for us to have learned how to reflect more systematically and accurately on our position of the universe(519). Dennetts position is a controversial one, and it is difficult to argue because it is such an abstract subjectRead MoreThe Evolution of Religion Essay967 Words   |  4 PagesThe Evolution of Religion As long as humans have walked the Earth, we have sought out answers. Answers for questions like: Why are we here? Where do we go when we die? Where did we come from? and Whats that? How different people answered these questions is important to study because it shows us the spiritual side of human nature. Especially now, a time of conflict between Islam and Western Civilization, it is important to look back and trace the evolution of religion. To see whereRead MoreEvolution of Abrahamic Religions 1022 Words   |  5 PagesEvolution of Abrahamic Religions â€Å"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.† Genesis 17:5. This is a direct excerpt from the king james Bible where God is renaming Abram to Abraham. Abraham became the father of many nations and to day three of the most popular religions that span many people groups and ethnicities can trace the roots of their beliefs back to Abraham. Three main religions sprouted from AbrahamicRead MoreEvolution Vs Religion Vs Evolution921 Words   |  4 PagesDespite what people may think, evolution versus religion has been around for a long time. It is a well known debate topic in hundreds of countries. While being around in numerous centuries, and having an important role in many people’s lives, the controversy rages on. With the argument of evolution versus religion, some people may believe religion is the right answer, however evolution gives a whole new answer to the question due to the unr ealistic nature of an omnipotent figure, supporting factorsRead MoreEvolution Of Science And Religion2915 Words   |  12 PagesEvolution is one of the major concepts in biology that had aroused a struggle between science and religion. There are two different viewpoints that have appeared from this conflict, one from scientists and one from the creationists. The scientists view evolution as a long-term process during which living organisms have developed over time. The teaching method that they see fit to this concept is through material in biology textbooks. These textbooks contain information on how certain species, organismsRead MoreEvolution And Religion : The Disconnection2016 Words   |  9 PagesEvolution and Religion: The Disconnection For years, theologians and scientists have debacled as to which theories could be categorized as correct as opposed to incorrect theologies. On a larger scale, these individuals debate the question of the universe’s origin, as well as the origin of life itself. Some of the most contemplated questions theologians face are those that include thoughts regarding the creation of all living things. Whether or not all things that currently inhabit the world areRead MoreEvolution Of Science And Religion1179 Words   |  5 PagesWhen comparing science and religion there has been a great rift. As long as humanity has believed in a creator there as always been thinkers trying to quantify and evaluate the truth behind religion, trying to disprove or prove a supernatural force. The ancient Greeks were pioneering philosophers which started the great rift we see in the early development of scientific and quantified analysis. This was first started by Aristotle whuch believed that science was a process of trying to understandRead More Evolution: Science and Religion Essay2032 Words   |  9 Pages Evolution: Science and Religion In 1895 Charles Darwin published a book describing his theory of evolution, and his theory of the natural selection process. This theory caused much uproar in the religious community because Darwin’s theory went against the story of creation portrayed in the Holy Bible. His theory claimed that all life currently in place had evolved and adapted from a single organism in the beginning. Over time and by process of natural selection only the dominant species were leftRead MoreEssay about Religion Evolution2362 Words   |  10 Pages(about -270à ¸ C/-454à ¸ F). This relic radiation was detected by radio astronomy in 1965, thereby providing what most astronomers consider to be confirmation of the big bang theory.3 In this statement we have our first of arguments over creationism by evolution. We have the beginnings of a proof that there was a time or rather, I should say, a point in time where there was indeed nothing.Many creationists will argue that the universe is too ordered; the path of the planets (which meant wanderers, or greatRead MoreEvolution Of Religion Studies, Theories, And Criticisms By Tom Sjoblom1284 Words   |  6 PagesInitially, when examining the article, The Evolution of Religion Studies, Theories, Critiques by Tom Sjà ¶blom the author attempts to identify what various actions taken by prehistoric humans mean. Sjà ¶blom begins by explaining that humans are storytelling species and that this storytelling was extremely important to our cognitive evolution as well as the creation of symbolic and cultural behavior. This storytelling ability and cultural behavior he believes arises from, â€Å"a narrative mind which emerged

The Final Steps Into The Ordinary Essay free essay sample

, Research Paper marcus Snell English 101 1:00-1:50 11/6/00 The Final Steps Into The Ordinary ? It? s difficult sometimes to set your finger on the tipping point of tolerance. It? s non normally the Thurgood Marshalls and the Sally Rides, the large headlines and the major narratives. It? s in the little incremental ways the universe stops seeing differences as endangering? And it? s eventually go oning for cheery work forces and tribades. They? re going ordinary. ? In the September issue of Newsweek magazine Ann Quindlen wrote an article entitled The Right To Be Ordinary. In this article Quindlen addresses the issue of homosexuals and tribades going a portion of every twenty-four hours life. The article states that even though there is still a batch of favoritism in our state ; being homosexual or tribade over the old ages has become more widely accepted. The writer efficaciously argues this point by her usage of anecdotes, her tone, and by? . Quindlen successfully uses anecdotes to demo readers how cheery work forces and tribades are going more platitude. She builds her credibleness by usage existent anecdotes that have truly occurred and have been reported in many newspapers. On incident that she reported was the Supreme Court? s determination that the Boy Scouts had a right to maintain out cheery scoutmasters. This seems like a reverse but it was really a approval in camouflage. Even though the homosexual scoutmaster lost his test, it was the Scouting functionaries that truly took the whipping. Work force who had been Eagle Scouts for old ages began to direct back their badges. The United Way would no longer back up them and took away their support. Cities and provinces shortly prohibited the Boy Scouts from utilizing public installations. All this the Boy Scouts lost because of one small act of intolerance for a fellow human being. An extra illustration would be that during the summer in Vermont, about 500 homosexual and sapphic twosomes were united in civil brotherhoods. Even if these brotherhoods were merely a? second-class? type of matrimony, it still meant something to the persons. Unlike how many spiritual leaders have felt, nil atrocious occurred because of these matrimonies? The sky did non fall. The Earth did non split in two. Happy households and happy friends watched happy people pledge their love. ? Anna Quindlen? s tone made the column both successful and unsuccessful in relaying the point of her thesis. In composing her column, Quindlen used a slightly humourous and aggravated tone. Her humourous tone was shown strongest when she was speaking about Dr. Laura Schlessinger a neodymium about the Biblical text. To cite Quindlen about a missive written to Schlessinger, ? It thanks the conservative wireless talk-show host, who has a loyal followers of people who seemingly were non yelled at plenty as kids and are seeking to happen person to do up for it, for educating people sing God? s jurisprudence on homosexuality. ? Quindlen besides addressed a few inquiries that the Bible had raised in her head. The Bible provinces that slaves may be bought from neighbouring states. She was confused because a friend had told her that this stood for Mexicans but non Canadians. Another transition tells her that she is morally obligated to set her neighbour to decease because he works on the Sabbath twenty-four hours. Last of all, she negotiations of how her friend told her that eating shellfish is an abomination ( once more harmonizing to the Bible ) but a lesser abomination that homosexualism. Quindlen disagrees with this statement, along with the 1s before it, and would wish some elucidation. This humourous tone kept the column entertaining and gave a different position on how to see what the Bible has to state precisely. A intimation of exasperation could besides be heard coming through to the reader. Sign of exasperation were uneffective in conveying her thesis. Anna Quindlen? s exasperation illustrated that even with all the advancement the human race has made, with accepting differences ; we still have a long manner to travel. Some of the strongest feelings of annoyance are present near the terminal of the column. ? There are still excessively many homosexuals bias slayings, excessively, and excessively many committed by immature work forces who feel threatened by the very impression of homosexualism. That? s one of the saddest things about the determination by the Boy Scouts, that they send a clear message to those who most need to larn tolerance that homophobia is acceptable, natural, even praiseworthy. ? Small sums of exasperation is expected when covering with a topic every bit of import as this. The statement Quindlen made had to be made so she could demo that even though we have progressed ; we still need to cover with others and ourselves separately. A Third POINT GOES HERE! ! ! ! ! ! ? It is about touchable, the ways in which ordinary people who happen to be gay have become unremarkable. ? Quindlen said this at the terminal of her editorial speech production of the cat who won? Survivor? and how he was a cheery adult male. He was merely an ordinary adult male who made his manner to the top by wining. It merely so happened that he was homosexual, large trade. He was merely another individual wining a million dollars because of his mental and ( in his instance ) physical strength.