Greetings and peace to you all, readers of this blog! As of late, my Bible studies have been temporarily suspended and have now gone into 6 week analysis of St. Paul and his Epistles. Needless to say, it is a totally cool class and I am learning a TON from it. Unfortunately, I accidentally missed the first class so here are my notes on the second class now.
1) Paul is a unique character
a) Born a Roman citizen
b) Practicing Jew
c) Educated
i) Trained in the best Rabbinical school
ii) Studied Greek logic and rhetoric
iii) Spoke 2-3 languages
(1) Greek, Aramaic, possibly Latin
d) Basically, he was a go-between the Jews and the Romans.
i) Could bridge both cultures.
e) Centers everything that he does around his meeting with Christ at
i) Looks at Isiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel to understand his own vocation.
2) Paul’s Journeys
a) Journey one (45-49AD)
i) Shortly after conversion, begins to preach in
ii) Received many death threats from
(1) Didn’t believe his conversion
iii) Goes to Arabia instead of
(1) Reflected for 3 years on his life.
(2) Phillipians 3:7-11 reflects on those three years
(a) “rubbish” is literally “shit” in Greek
(3) Comes to conclusion that nothing on this earth is important, only God is.
iv) If Jewish faith was not all that it once was, he has to rework his ideas of salvation.
(1) Paul never believed in “once saved, always saved”
(a) “That I somehow attain it”
(b) Must suffer to conform to Christ
(2) Goes back to
(a) Apostles refuse to see him
(i) Didn’t trust him
(b) Barnabas had to introduce him to Apostles.
(i) Serves as Barnabas’ 2nd in command.
1. ¼ of Paul’s life was spent not in charge
2. Shows methodology of religious teaching
(ii) Always traveled with 1+ people.
(3)
(a) Third largest community of Jews in the world.
(i) Strong Petrine influence
(ii) Gospel of Matthew written here
(iii) First place for baptized Gentiles
1. Only at
(iv) “Here called Christians”
1. Roman name, Christians didn’t call themselves that.
b) Journey Two
i) Fell asleep for this one… crap
c) Journey 3
i) Timothy and Luke with Paul (Cyril leaves)
ii) 2700 mile trip
iii) More relaxed, settles more often, takes time.
(1) Doesn’t just set up a church and leave
iv) Blamed for riot at
(1) Whole Artemis statue debacle
(2) Brought before another proconsul
(a) Arrested, spent time for a while
(b) Wrote to Galatians, Philemon, etc
v) Goes back to
(1) While here, wrote letter to
3) Book differences
a) Galatians deals with same stuff as Romans
b) Romans
i) Peter is still in charge
ii) Paul is very harsh on Peter
iii) Paul organizing collection in
(1) Paul is warned not to go to
(2) Arrested in
(3) Imprisoned for 2 years awaiting trial
(a) Since Roman, he gets a trial by Emperor
iv) Gets trial by Emperor in
(1) Sent to
(a) Writes Ephesians and Pastorals (1&2 Tim, etc)
(2) Nero becomes Emperor around time of trial
(a) Executes Paul
(b) Peter killed 1 yr before Pail
(c) Was beheaded since he was a Roman citizen
(i) Roman citizen couldn’t be tortured.
4) Pauls 1st view of God.
a) Religion practiced in OT is way different than Judaism
b) Judaism is much different now than then
i) Main function at time of Christ was to sacrifice at the
ii) Modern Judaism actually newer than Christianity since temple was destroyed in 70AD
c) How God is portrayed in the OT
i) This is the summary of a brainstorming session
(1) Jealous
(2) Smiting (my pick, hehe)
(3) Fire
(4) “I am”à YHWH
(5) Creator
(6) Merciful
(7) Rock
(8) Judge
(9) Wrath
(10) Law-Giver
(11) Shield
(12) Holy (the attribute)
d) A note on Hebrew linguistics
i) There are no superlatives in Hebrew
ii) Example is “good, better, best)
(1) Good=good
(2) Better=good good
(3) Best=good good good
iii) This explains why we say “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord” in mass.
e) Paul is thoroughly Jewish
i) Faithful in revelation of God in OT
f) Heart of Jewish understanding of God=EXODUS
i) God reveals self in a personal yet strange way
(1) Bestows a name for Himself on His people (YHWH)
(2) But, he keeps his nature a mystery.
(3) Third commandment taken to mean that you cannot say the name YHWH in public services
(a) Catholic stance as well, at least as of late
(4) The all capital LORD signifies YHWH in translations
ii)
(1) All relates to God wanting to meet His people but people were afraid
(2) Sent Moses instead
(3) Levitical line begun
g) Differences in names of God
i) Elohim=God
(1) Used in self-dialogue
ii) YHWH= personal name
h) Bible verse analysis
i) Deuteronomy 6:4-9
(1) If Jews had a creed, this would be it
ii) Deuteronomy 5:6
(1) Extension of 6:4-9
(a) No idolatry
(b) Monotheism is very ADAMANT
(i) This is VERY important later on in these notes
i) God is the creator, the only One
i) Linguistics checkup
(1) Bara= creator, only used for God
(2) Mahal=maker, ONLY human usage
(3) Points 1 and 2 and are descriptions of God’s GLORY
ii) He must be acknowledged
iii) No idolatry
j) Though he had Chosen People, Jews realized that he was the God of all humanity.
i) Shown as light and fire
ii) These are physical manifestations of God’s GLORY
iii) Paul: I have seen the GLORY of the Lord
(1) Paul gives evidence of a physical manifestation
(2) Remember, everything centers around his meeting with Christ.
k) Paul doesn’t change God.
i) Absolutely accepts God as YHWH, the Covenant, etc.
ii) God is faithful and fulfills promises
iii) Christianity is the fulfillment of God’s promise.
iv) God is righteous.
(1) No longer an ethnic distinction
(2) Even in Prophets, we see God is universal.
v) Deeply affirms Monotheism
(1) Doesn’t attempt to lay down the Trinity for people.
(2) “God is One”
vi) God creates all things and is able to direct creation absolutely.
(1) God cant be surprised
l) Scripture stuff
i) Romans 3:1-9
(1) Even sinners glorify God in the eternity of Hell.
ii) Romans 9: 6-25
(1) Explains why Jews rejected savior
(2) Shows universality if Christianity
(3) Paul doesn’t try to explain this.
iii) Paul and Job both reject what they heard before.
iv) Paul never sets out to prove God’s existence
(1) Sees it as self-evident
(2) Romans 1
v) Ephesians 1: 3-14
(1) Most extensive description of God and His plan
(2) He already knew of us before we were conceived
vi) Ephesians 1:15-16
(1) The Jews and Gentiles are One under God
vii) Galatians 4: 4-7
(1) Sets out Trinitarian doctrine
(2) Sets into motion a familial and Trinitarian dichotomy.
(3) See crappy graphic below for explanation
viii) Slight change in nomenclature
(1) “Almighty Creator” is now also “Merciful Father” (Abba)
(a) Jews used Father in a TRANSCENDENT way (distant)
(b) This is because the Jews do not believe they have the Spirit.
m) Roles of God
i) God=Father of Jesus
ii) God=Father of us (saving way)
iii) God= father of all (as in creator)
(1) Not salvific title, so the lowercase is used.
iv) God is no longer transcendent--> is now intimate
(1) Jesus--> God is with us
v) How everything changed
(1) Almighty--> Merciful Abba
(2) Transcendental--> intimate (Jesus)(Son)
(3) Unapproachable-->biding presence (Spirit)
(a) Promise of Pentecost
(i) No longer a few people getting the Spirit
(ii) Every Christian, through Baptism, begins to have the Spirit flow through them.
(4) TRINITY HERE AGAIN
vi) Jesus is the perfect representation of God (Paul)
vii) Use of Abba
(1) Term that one cries out.
(2) Only one time written out fully in the Bible and that is during the Agony.
n) God is one but in some way contains Jesus and Spirit
i) Colossians 1:1-16
(1) Explains Trinity as well.
(2) Jesus becomes Creator in same way as God is Creator.
(3) No explanation given, it just is.
o) Ascension the most important part of Trinity
i) Returns the full glory to the Father but eternally remains human
ii) God humiliated self forever by becoming human.
(1) 1/3 of the trinity is fully human and fully diving
(a) Jesus is a divine person with a human nature.
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