Paul's Letters to the Philippians

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Questions and Answers

What is Paul urging the people of Philippi to do in the face of persecution?

Govern their actions through military might

Seek vengeance against their persecutors

Value others above themselves (correct)

Focus solely on their struggles

How does the mindset of Jesus differ from that of ancient world leaders?

Leaders valued equality over servitude

Jesus practiced servant leadership while leaders sought personal gain (correct)

Jesus aimed for authoritarian control like the Caesars

Both sought to establish military power

What does Paul identify as necessary for unity with Christ?

The spirit of God (correct)

A shared political ideology

Access to military resources

Wealth and social status

In what way did Jesus use his equality with God according to Paul?

To benefit humanity and serve others Signup and view all the answers

What challenge do the people of Philippi face as they strive for unity?

Living for others amid their own struggles Signup and view all the answers

What prompted Philip to meet the Eunuch in the desert?

A divine encounter with an angel Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes Cornelius?

A devout Roman soldier Signup and view all the answers

What vision does Peter receive that challenges Jewish dietary laws?

A vision of unclean animals and a command to eat Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary change regarding access to the spirit of God from the Old Testament to the New Testament?

All of God's people now have access to the spirit of God. Signup and view all the answers

What significant event occurs when the Holy Spirit is poured out on the Gentiles?

They speak in their native tongue Signup and view all the answers

How many times does God repeat the vision to Peter?

Three times Signup and view all the answers

What event does the Tower of Babel represent in relation to humans accessing God?

God allowing humans to access Him on their own terms. Signup and view all the answers

What was Peter's response when people asked, 'What shall we do?' after realizing their role in the death of Jesus?

Repent. Signup and view all the answers

What action does Peter take that signifies his acceptance of Gentiles?

He eats with the Gentiles Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was NOT considered an unclean animal according to Jewish law mentioned?

Animals that chew the cud Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the communal life empowered by the Holy Spirit as mentioned in the content?

Communism. Signup and view all the answers

Which miraculous event is NOT mentioned as occurring post-Pentecost?

Paul healing a blind man. Signup and view all the answers

What role does the Holy Spirit play in the acceptance of Gentiles into the early Christian community?

It enables speaking in tongues Signup and view all the answers

What does the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch symbolize?

The inclusiveness of the Gospel to all people. Signup and view all the answers

Where is Ethiopia located in relation to Israel?

Beyond the borders of Israel. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'inclusio' imply in the context of the Ethiopian Eunuch's story?

The theme of inclusion and acceptance in the community. Signup and view all the answers

What is the implication of authorial probabilities when external and internal/transcriptional evidence conflict?

Readings that align with the author's style and vocabulary are likely original. Signup and view all the answers

Why is the King James Version not recommended as a primary Bible for study?

It was created before the advent of text criticism. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a variant reading that has been heavily scrutinized by text critics?

1 John 5:7-8, related to the Trinity passage. Signup and view all the answers

What critical view is taken regarding the woman caught in adultery in John 7:53-8:11?

Its omission is looked upon favorably by text critics. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of scriptural texts does Bruce, a noted text critic, emphasize regarding doubts and controversies?

Most doubts are trivial and do not affect faith practices. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best describes the nature of epistles in the New Testament?

Epistles are ancient letters addressing specific issues or communities. Signup and view all the answers

What critical perspective does Holly express about the transmission of Jewish and Christian scriptures?

The inclusion of humans in the process enriches its beauty and access. Signup and view all the answers

Which approach is less favored when assessing textual variants?

Using a limited number of recent manuscript discoveries. Signup and view all the answers

What is emphasized about God's choice between Jacob and Esau?

God subverts cultural expectations. Signup and view all the answers

What does the phrase 'Jacob I loved, Esau I hated' communicate?

It signifies God’s covenantal commitment and choice. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key misunderstanding addressed in the interpretation of God's selecting process?

The belief that older individuals are always favored. Signup and view all the answers

Which view suggests that God's choice is about predestination?

View 1, which sees God favoring Jacob before birth. Signup and view all the answers

Which perspective suggests excluding cultural expectations in God's choices?

View 2 focuses on subverting established norms. Signup and view all the answers

What does the phrase 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy' imply?

God's mercy operates beyond human comprehension. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of God choosing Isaac over Ishmael?

It shows a deliberate action against human sin. Signup and view all the answers

How is the selection of Jacob and Esau reflected in the larger narrative of Israel?

It symbolizes the dual nature of Israel's identity. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'Works of the Law' primarily refer to?

Specific Jewish legal activities that separate Jews from Gentiles Signup and view all the answers

In what way is circumcision described in relation to faith?

As a sign of faithfulness and a blessing to come Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary question addressed regarding who belongs to God's people?

Who lives faithfully and how can we tell? Signup and view all the answers

What undermines the clarity of membership within God's people according to the content?

The blurry lines and God's knowledge of faithfulness Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated about Paul's views on legalism?

He expresses concern about hypocrisy within legalistic practices Signup and view all the answers

What does 'Parousia' refer to in the context provided?

The second coming and establishment of a new era Signup and view all the answers

How are the perspectives of TPP and NPP differentiated regarding salvation?

TPP works to 'stay in'; NPP works to 'get in' Signup and view all the answers

What influenced the beliefs of believers grieving for those who died from persecution?

Past beliefs in Greek gods like Hades Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

John

Written primarily for Jewish followers, including Jewish tradition
Most explicit in explaining who Jesus is
Focuses on the divinity of Jesus, spirit talk
"The Word" - not having genealogy or human ancestry; focuses on a different kind of ancestry
All New Testament books written to be performed or spoken aloud
The Book of Signs (7) highlights signs intermixed with other narratives
7 is symbolic for creation, completion, being finished
1st sign: water into wine at Cana (2:1-12)
Running out of water—socially bad, shameful, unprepared
Messianic banquet - abundance, imagery of a banquet hosted by the Messiah
Present Age vs. Age to Come (Kingdom of God)
Bad parties (not enough) vs. Messianic banquet (more than enough)
Ceremonial Washing Jars
Jesus interacting with special Jewish things (holidays, temple, jars), and takes them where they were intended to go
Fulfillment, completion, one-upping
2:13-22: the temple and the temple
Disgracing the temple
Where in the Synoptics?
Episode towards the end of Jesus in Jerusalem; he dies after
This episode is earlier in the other gospels
Jesus interacts with the temple, claiming to fulfill it

John 3-4: Nicodemus and the Samaritan Women

Nicodemus ("Nic @ Night"): where is the irony
Pharisee who comes at night to ask serious questions of Jesus
Irony: climbing back into mother's womb, "being born again"—Pharisee doesn't understand the theological meaning
Nicodemus is present at Jesus' burial, so it is assumed he figured it out
Positive portrayals of Pharisees in John and Luke
Samaritan Women: where is the irony?
Woman at the well, “Will you give me a drink?”—misunderstanding
"Living water", she tells the town of her encounter with Jesus
Irony: Samaritan women figured out what Jesus was saying, but Nicodemus couldn't
Jews and Samaritans did not interact much
Worst sinner in town...?
5 husbands
Women have no authority to divorce, husbands probably die or divorce her
Not many men would marry an open adulterer
She was a victim of a system that prioritized men's rights
Women during this time likely needed a man to survive
Jesus says, "I know what happened to you"—He does not treat her any differently
Disciples: where is the irony?

John 2nd and 3rd signs: Healings

Jesus heals on the Sabbath (5:16-17)
Sabbath was a restorative day for both individuals and the community
Leaders built a fence around the Sabbath, so people couldn't even go near crossing a line; Sabbath was more of a legalistic idea where you couldn't work

John 4th and 5th Signs: Feeding 5000+, Walking on Water

Passover festival
Moses (Exodus)
OT Parallels
Messianic Banquet imagery
Jesus feeding people, abundance
Fills 12 baskets—tribes of Israel
Connections to Moses
God feeds Israel through Moses, similar to Jesus
Moses rescues through water, Red Sea—Jesus walks on water
"Don't be afraid, I am"—I am: God's name, Yahweh
Jesus claims to be the bread
Some disciples of John leave; they can't commit

John Teaching at the Festival of Tabernacles

What did the feast commemorate?
Celebrates when Israel comes out of Egypt, wanders for forty years
God was with them in the wilderness
Tracing Israel's story
Water pouring & lamp-lighting/torch-carrying ceremonies
Water and fire
Water: Red Sea comparison, Israel gets water from rock
Fire: fiery tornado, God shows up in fire

Luke and Jews and Gentiles

Theme in Luke: expectation for Gentile inclusion in God's salvation plan
Jews and Gentiles: history, the OT.
Jews had an antagonistic view of Gentiles; Jewish notion of apocalypticism: judgment and destruction of wicked (gentiles)
Theme of Salvation for Gentiles
Simeon (2:25-32)
Simeon - old, ancient, Jewish man; “righteous and devout”, trustworthy
Says there should be inclusion of Gentiles
“A light for revelation to the Gentiles”----Jesus seen as salvation God has prepared

Acts

Whose Acts?: Holy Spirit—powering and compelling humans (trailing behind the Holy Spirit)
Acts 2:1-13—Pentecost (Moses bringing down the ten commandments)
Plot
Who?:the 12 apostles (Matthias), women (Mary), Jesus' brothers, 120 people (120)—Jews who have come to celebrate the festival (not part of the Jesus community)
12 tribes, 10-completion for the tribes: God's people are complete and nothing is missing
When?: day of Pentecost—morning (9am), 50 days after Passover
Day of Pentecost: remembering/renewing first covenant (Moses gets 10 commandments)
started as a harvest festival but with added story (to commemorate the law given on Mt. Sinai)
Holy Spirit doing covenantal stuff again—fulfillment—renewed covenant
Where?: Jerusalem: center of Jewish identity, promise, treaty (parallel to the old covenant)
What?: the Holy Spirit filled followers of Jesus, began speaking in other tongues; Holy Spirit is poured out
How?: Holy Spirit is rushing wind (“like” a wind) and fire (“looked like tongues of fire”)
List of Nations: point?
People from everywhere—Gentile dominant; look what the Holy Spirit is capable of. Holy Spirit is for all people (Gentile inclusion)

Acts 2:14-41 Peter's speech as the "Why?"

Is Peter an Authoritative speaker?
Yes, he is compelling and explanatory
Verses 14-36 of air time
He gets most of the chapter in live time; this is important—use of direct quotes
Joel Quotation • “In the last days” • Present age: spirit and special people; mediated access to God’s spirit • "Last Days", KoG: spirit and all (should be seen as a good thing if you’re on God’s “team”) • Who had the Spirit in the OT and now? • OT: special people/limited, high priests, prophets (Moses), Kings(David, Saul), everyone else through other people • NOW: All of God’s people have access to the spirit of God • “Democratization to the spirit of God" • OT Background of confusion of languages • Tower of Babel--God scrambled everyone to speak in different languages—humans access God on their own terms—bad idea

Post-Pentecost Parallels

Lame man healed (ch. 3, 14)
Peter and Paul both heal a guy who can’t walk
Jesus heals man in Luke 5
Person raised from the dead (ch. 9, 20)
Peter raised Tabitha from the dead
Paul raised Eutychus from the dead
And more...
It means that followers of Jesus are continuing the Kingdom of Jesus

Acts 8-26-40 (Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch)

Geographical, racial/ethnic, class/power questions
Ethiopia-South of Egypt
Beyond the borders of Israel
Eunuch: African person. Works for royal court; powerful/important; question of intimacy not impact of heir. Lost masculinity (no testicles, sometimes dismembered. Kept them undistracted and safe to be around the queen.)

Acts 10-11 (Peter and Cornelius and household)

Visions of the sheet of unclean animals
Plot
Who?—Peter and Cornelius; Jews from circumcision party
Where?—Cesarea, Joppa
When?—3 in the afternoon; Peter's vision at noon
Jews had specific times to pray; 3-hour segments
What?—Cornelius had a vision of Peter and sends 3 people to go get Peter
Cornelius: devout, Roman soldier
How?—Holy Spirit poured out on Gentiles
Just like spirit poured out on us
Speak in tongues—other languages
“Gentile Pentecost”
Climax
When the spirit gets poured out on gentiles ->Peter then at with the Gentiles showing that he accepted them as peers
God says you can't call anything unclean that he's cleaned
When Peter finally gets it—tongues

Galatians

What is the big issue in the Galatian churches?
Big issue—Jews feel entitled to being “good Christians” because they are circumcised. Galatian churches focus on outward appearance (circumcision) than heart (following rules but still hypocrites), ALSO listening to diff. preachers- being swayed
Want gentiles to be circumcised (essentially become Jewish), to get into the Kingdom of God
How does Paul feel about it?
Paul is furious, disappointed, upset, argumentative (asserts authority with explanation)
How does Peter/Cephas fit?
Peter (same as Cephas) had already interacted with gentiles, when he ate with them... but now reverted to seeing Gentiles as unclean
Paul calls him out for being a hypocrite—you are not even “clean” by following all the Jewish laws, but try to make everyone feel bad for not being Jewish (circumcised)
Eating shows “social acceptance”
Calls him Cephas—his hometown “homeboy” name—more personal, also called out publicly
Paul's thoughts on Purpose of the Law
Easier to be extreme and enforce homogeneity, BUT jews can stay Jews and gentiles can stay gentiles while following God (accepting diversity)
Not saying law is bad, it was good, but now outgrown it––into new era/stage because of Jesus (what has come now is better, but the past wasn't terrible)

Romans

Paul uses rhetorical questions and restates and emphasizes important things
Romans 9: Individual Predestination or God’s faithfulness to God’s People
View 1: (has God failed? No, he chose this and chose certain people)
Individual predestination (Calvinist framework)
Argument (embedded in old testament connections)
God decided to choose few individuals for salvation (Isaac, Jacob), but chose to harden some (Pharaoh) and hate some (Esau), make pots (people) for destruction
Why?
View 2 ■ God is sovereign—God knows what he is doing, even if we don't know ■ God's goal is to glorify God’s self ■ Human will has nothing to do with it, it was God that chose them ■ Nobody actually deserves it, but God still chooses Being chosen is an act of God’s grace (he doesn’t need to choose any of us), so we must trust that he is just—even if we don't see his plan (humans: remember that you are human, and God is God)
God chooses not just individual Jews, but also individual Gentiles to be part of God’s people
Our view of justice doesn’t have the right to criticize God’s justice because it is beyond our understanding
God has been faithful to start and continue this “people of God”, even though humans have not been faithful (Israel failed and was unfaithful those who are in are those who are faithful) (in order to be in you need to chose to be faithful to the law)
God’s faithfulness
9:1-5—Paul expresses sadness over Israel—WHY?
View 1: mourning that fellow Jews were not chosen by God for salvation—they used to have access to Jewish privileges
View 2: some of God’s ppl (Jews) had been unfaithful to Jesus, said no to their own choice
9:6-13—There are 2 Israels, though all claim to be God’s children. Has God failed?
No, not God’s fault
Does this prove that...?
View 1: God always chooses individuals for salvation
EX—God chooses Isaac over Ishmael
View 2: God faithfully worked to keep the “ppl of God” thing going w/o human manipulation—thinks ur there if u live faithfully
EX—Two sons be of Abraham's original unfaithfulness, God had Isaac in mind from the beginning (Paul points out—must look @ the whole context—that humans are unfaithful, but God doesn’t let that change his plan)
2 Israels
Descended from Israel (ethnically)
Paul says—just be ur in Israel, doesn’t mean ur a “true” child of Abraham
OT reference: Jesus called them “brood of vipers”—it doesn’t matter who you descended from—God can make anyone a child of God
Smaller group—real, chosen group
Why was it surprising...?

###1 Thessalonians

Gentle warnings, still encouragement
Thessaloniki/Thessalonica: port city, important city

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Why are some believers grieving?
Believers had no hope for those who died from persecution
Past belief in Greek Gods, like Hades (place of the dead) influenced this belief
Parousia—second coming, new era
Ancient World Context
Greeting the new ruler; celebrate

Philippians/Philemon

What does Paul want them to do?: ...Call to be of the same mind
Paul calls for unity, calls the people of Philippi (Neapolis—> port city) to value others above themselves, “nothing in vain conceit”
They are being persecuted
Hard to live for other people when we are going through struggles

Ephesians

V. 5-11—the Christ-Hymn & incarnation
V. 5—motivation again
Have the same mindset as Jesus—because of Jesus
Jesus is equal to God
V. 6: Ancient World Leaders—how do they compare to Jesus Military gave world leaders control (authoritarian)
Claimed to be divine: Caesars, Antiochus, Pharaohs, Alexander the Great
Strength, military might, conquering most of the world—thinks of themselves as divine (“could a mere human accomplish this?”)
Jesus
Servant leadership
Didn't use equality with God to his advantage but to our advantage (while world leaders would use it to their advantage)
Jesus is killed (vs. other world leaders killing others)
“Used to own advantage / Exploit” or “Grasp”
Grasp
Doesn’t mean “couldn’t understand”
Means to grasp things that weren’t theirs, bad/negative connotation
Ex) Jacob grasped Esau’s birthright
V. 7-8—Jesus becoming human and a “slave” Slave—made himself nothing Self-sacrificial, dying on the cross
DEATH on a cross was as low as you could go: criminals, run away slaves, rebels/insurrectionists (resist Romans)
Incarnation: “slave”
In flesh—God taking on human flesh, “God in a bod”

1 Corinthians 1:3

Paul says “Grace and Peace to you”

Body of Letter

Paul's argument, development, main point—What is being communicated?
Pay attention to the development of the argument
"What is the trajectory?"
Personal news/greetings
Paul is expected to do this, collectivistic culture where community is important; relational ties are huge

Thanksgiving

Typical, by including a thanksgiving Paul is doing what people expect (follows the "appropriate” format of the time)
Galations skips thanksgiving
Ex.) 1 Corinthians 1:4—Paul always thanks THE God for them; lumps Jesus into it

Brief/single-word farewell

"...Amen"

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Explore the key themes and challenges in Paul's letters to the Philippians, focusing on how to persevere in faith amidst persecution. This quiz delves into the mindset of Jesus and the necessary steps for achieving unity with Christ. Test your understanding of Paul's teachings and their relevance to the community in Philippi.