THE 511 NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY CLASS IV: THEOLOGY OF GALATIANS, 1-2 THESSALONIANS & 1-2 CORINTHIANS.

THE 511 NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY

CLASS IV: THEOLOGY OF GALATIANS, 1-2

THESSALONIANS & 1-2 CORINTHIANS

THEOLOGY OF GAL, 1-2 THESS & 1-2 COR

1.1 Introduction to Paul’s theology

• Some critical issues in Paul’s theology

• Center of Paul’s theology

• Occasional nature of Paul’s letters & theology

• Synthesis or book-by-book

• Coherence & development in Paul’s theology (1Cor 7/1Tim 5)

• Paul the Jew – Paul the Christian

• Disputed and undisputed letters

• The New Perspective on Paul

• “works of the Law” & justification

• Gk. pistis christou “faith[-fulness] in/of Christ”


2.1 Theology of Galatians

• Background & situation briefly

• Judaizers & different gospel (1:6-7)

• Faith in Christ is not enough (cf. Acts 15:1-2)

• Law & salvation

• Circumcision; diet; calendar as requirements for salvation

• Attack on Paul’s character & apostoleship

Jewish religion and ethnicity in addition to Christ


• Paul the apostle & truth of the Gospel

• Questioning Paul’s apostleship & the Gospel

• Paul’s call & gospel through revelation (1:12, 15-16)

• Autobiographical defense of the gospel (1:13-2:14)

• Independent of men but approved by Jerusalem apostles (2:1-10)

• Gospel…

• Sets free from “present evil age” (1:4)

• “Son of God…gave himself for me” (2:20)

• Different gospel - no gospel (1:6; 3:1)

• Conflict in Antioch perverted “truth of the Gospel” (2:11-14)

Social dimension of the Gospel


• True life from Gospel not Law (3:21)

• Why did Christ die? (2:12)

Theological dimension

• Righteousness – correct standing before God

• Through “works of the Law”

OR

• What God has done in Christ

What is the role of Law in the past and the present?

How does one enter into and maintain right standing w/ God?


• Justification & righteousness

• Gentiles not required to do “works of the Law” to be accepted

• Meaning of justify/justification (Gk. dikaioo; dikaiosyne)

• Making/becoming righteous OR declaring righteous

• Right relationship/standing w/ God - “justifies ungodly” (Rom4:5)

Not just forgiveness of past – present reality & future hope (5:5)

• Justification becomes operative by faith in Christ (2:16)*

• Nobody is justified by “works of the Law”

• All the prescriptions in the Law OR Jewish “identity badges”**

• Desire to trust in Christ and Law dangerous (5:4)

• Either “works of the Law” OR “faith in Christ”


• Law of Moses and the Gospel of Christ

• Law cannot imposed on gentiles – cannot save anybody

• Jesus’ death accomplishes…

• “deliverance from the present evil age” (1:4)

• Redemption from “curse of the Law” [substitution] (3:13)

• Redemption from “the control of sin” (4:5)

• Justification and righteousness (2:16; 3:10-16)

• Law unable to bring life (3:12, 21; cf. Lev 18:5)

• Brought death and curse (3:12-13; cf. Deut 27:26; Lev 18:5)


• Scripture bear witness to the Gospel

• Promise to Abraham – “all nations blessed” by faith (3:6-9)

• Justification by faith per Habakkuk (3:11/Hab 2:4)

• Abraham righteous by faith (3:6)

• Law’s purpose – temporary arrangement (3:16-25)

• Law = pedagogue/tutor (3:24); points out/remedy to sin (3:22-23)

• Law-Gospel; Law-faith; Law-promise; faith and blessing; old/new

• Law & the believer - ineffective for justification but…

• Love = fulfillment of Law (5:14; cf. Rom 13:8-10; 8:4; 1Cor 7:19; 9:21)

• Law of Christ (6:2) & “faith working through love” (5:6)


• Life in the Spirit

• Blessing of Abraham – promised Spirit by faith (3:14)

• Experience of the Spirit (3:1-5)

• Miracles (3:4-5) & sonship and freedom (4:6-11)

• Spirit & hope of righteousness (5:14)

• Moral life and the Spirit (5:16-26)

• “live” “be led” “be guided” by the Spirit (5:16, 18, 25)

• Flesh and “works of the Law” vs. Spirit-life

Choice & battle to “crucify flesh” and “live by Spirit ”

• Not enslaved by Law but “enslavement to others” (5:13-14)

• Love fulfills the Law in the power of the Spirit


2.2 Theology of 1 & 2 Thessalonians

• Background & situation of 1 & 2 Thessalonians

• After leaving Thessalonica Paul tried to return (1 Th 2:18)

• Timothy sent to strengthen & learn about the situation (3:1-5)

• Timothy’s returns w/ good news – Thessalonians are…

• Steadfast & firm despite suffering (1Th 1:6; 2 Th 1:5-6)

Social marginalization & suffering for new faith

• Later false teaching “the day of the Lord is at hand” (2 Th 2:2)

Overly eager eschatology corrected in 2 Thessalonians


• Gospel

• “Gospel of God” “Gospel of Christ” “Our Gospel” (1:5; 2:2-9; 3:2)

• Gospel about God and His saving work in Christ

• Turning from idols to God and waiting for Christ’s return (1:9-10)

• Salvation from sin & God’s wrath – waiting for Christ (5:9-10)

• Word of God = Gospel per Paul’s preaching (2:13)

• Power of the Spirit, joy & full conviction (1:5-8)

• Paul embodies the gospel and church imitates Paul (1:6-8)


• Election, salvation & sanctification

• Salvation, sanctification and election (2:12; 4:7; 5:24; cf. 3:3)

• Church as the community of the elect (1:4; cf. 1:1)

• Church destined not for wrath but salvation (5:9) – God’s initiative

• Life of sanctification according to calling (2:12; 4:7; 5:24; 2Th 2:13)

• Work of faith, labor of love, steadfast hope (1:3; 3:2, 6; 4:13; 5:8)

• “work” = faith; love = community; hope = enduring suffering

• Call to holiness - blameless and holy life (3:13; 5:24)

• Esp. sexual immorality (4:3) & brotherly love

• Power of HS & theodidaktoi (4:8-9; 1:5-6; cf. 2 Th 2:13)

• Moral struggle as warfare while waiting for parousia (5:8)


• Hope of the elect and parousia

• Constant and eager expectation (1:9-10)

• Paul’s prayer for readiness – be blameless (3:13; 5:23)

• Specific questions of parousia

• What happened to those who have already died? (4:13-18)

• Are they better or worse off?

Paul’s eschatological teaching as a pastoral response


• “if we believe Jesus died and rose…God will bring with Jesus

those fallen asleep in Him” (4:14)

• Day of the Lord and parousia (4:13-18)

• Lord will descend – cry of archangels & trumpet

• Dead rise first and then the living to “meet in the air”

• Be with the Lord forever

Is this a public or secret event?

• After ‘meeting in the air’ – come down or go up? (4:17)

• Gk. eis apantesin kyriou – honorable escort (cf. Matt 25:6; Acts 28:15)

Timing of the parousia – like a thief in the night (5:2)


• Parousia and its development in 2 Thess

• False teaching or rumors (2:2)

• Overly eager expectation of parousia (2:2)

• “some lazy, not working” (3:6-15) – b/c of imminent end?

• Suffering – sign of the end or “make worthy of call”? (2 Th 1:5-6)

• Signs before the end…(cf. 1 Thess 5:2)

• Apostasy & the mystery of lawlessness – “already working” (2:3, 7)

• Will be destroyed by the Lord “with breath of his mouth” (2:8)

• “restrainer” (2:6-7)

Present affliction not the end


• What/who is the “lawless one”?

• Events in recent history (e.g. Caligula’s statue/alike)

• Antichrist/beast (1 Jh 2:18; 4:3; 2 Jh 7; Rev 11:7; 13:1-18)

• What/who is the “restrainer”?

• God, Holy Spirit; Satan

• Angel Apollyon (Rev 9:11) or Michael (Jude 9; Rev 12:7)

• Church or prominent leader

• Gentile mission (cf. Mark 13:10)

• Roman law and order (Rom 13:1-7)

Augustine: “the meaning…completely escapes me” (City of God 20.19)


• Suffering and persecution

• Suffering not an indicator of the imminent end (2 Thess 1:5-7)

• Purpose of suffering

• Make worthy of the gospel – prove their faith genuine (1:5)

• Life in the midst of suffering

• Live peacefully: work & mind own business (1 Thess 4:11-12)

• Do good to each other and outsiders (5:15)

• God’s justice & ultimate reward (5:9; 2 Thess 1:10; 3:3)


• Conclusion – 1-2 Thessalonians

• Church is a community God’s elect that are called to live life of

holiness and mutual love through the power of the Sprit as they

eagerly wait for Christ coming

• Proclamation of the gospel

• Election of the sanctified community

• Parousia of the Lord


2.3 Theology of 1 Corinthians


• Paul founded the church (Acts 18)

• Paul wrote the “lost letter” (5:9)

• Response to quarrels (1:11) & for further clarification (7:1, 25;

8:1,4; 12:1; 16:1,12; cf. 16:15-18)

From Ephesus AD 52-53


• Problems within the Corinthian church

• Disunity within church (1:11-12)

• Sexual immorality (5:1-13; 6:18-20)

• Abstinence within marriage (7:1-7)

• Litigations (6:1-11) & idolatry (10:1-22)

• Disorder within church services (11-14)

• Lord’s supper

• Spiritual gifts

• The nature of and belief in the resurrection (15:1-58)

Frame for the pastoral & practical theology of 1 Corinthians


• Wisdom of God and Cross of Christ

• Divisions (1:11-15) & boasting in the community (1:28-31)

• Search for wisdom, power, & manifestations of the Spirit

• Wisdom of God and “message of the Cross” (1:18-2:5)

• Folly of the cross to perishing (1:18-22)

• Scandal for Jews, stumbling block for Greeks (1:22)

Saved – perishing; believe – unbelieving; fool – wise; power –weakness

Paradox of God’s revelation that defies human wisdom

• God’s way of saving humanity – folly and weakness of the cross

• Received on the basis of faith: confounds wise & excludes boasting

• Paul’s circumstances & community standing confirm this (1:26-31; 2:1-5)


• God’s wisdom, righteousness, spiritual wisdom through Christ

Available by faith to those w/ Spirit (2:1, 6, 13)

• Wisdom to those who are pneumatikoi – not psychikoi (2:14-15)

• Are there pneumatikoi who do not understand? (3:1, 19; cf. 1:4-9)

• Not all are mature (Gk. teleios) OR not really believers

• God’s power, wisdom & Spirit intimately connected to

• Cross, shame, foolishness manifested in the cross

• At the same time cross is the very wisdom and power of God


• Unity of the sanctified community

• Church as sanctified community

…to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints…

1:4 I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God that was

given to you in Christ Jesus. 1:5 For you were made rich in every

way in him, in all your speech and in every kind of knowledge 7 – 1:6 just

as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed among you – 1:7 so

that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of

our Lord Jesus Christ.1:8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you

will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1:9 God is

faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship with his son,

Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor 1:4-9)

All this in light of problems in Corinthian church

https://net.bible.org/


• Ekklesia as local congregation (6:4; 11:18; 14:4-5; 16:1, 19)

• Church of God (ekklesia tou theou) larger entity (1Cor 15:9; 10:32)

• Sanctified community & theology of cross and election (1:2-3)

• “called to be saints” “set apart” (1:2) objects of God’s love

• Holy and sanctified community – connected to other ekklesiai

• Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification of Christ (1:30)

• “washed, sanctified, justified” through Christ & Spirit (6:11)

• Body of Christ & Temple of the Spirit (10:16; 11:29; 3:16; 6:19)

• Baptism as an entry ritual (1:13; 12:13)

Unity of the body threatened by divisions and sin


• Threats to the unity of the sanctified community

• Spirit-experience & transformed life not in balance

Boundaries that may not be crossed

• Sexual immorality (1 Cor 5:1-3; 6:9-20)

• Church discipline & sanctity of the community

Body as “new batch” free from leaven – “as you really are” (5:6-8)

Temple of HS; “one Spirit w/ Lord”; one body* (6:12-20)

• Sexual abstinence in marriage (7:1-40)

• Danger of falling into sexual immorality (7:2, 7)


• Lawsuits among believers (6:1-8)

• Community disputes & future judgment (6:1-3)* - behave “as if”

• Worship and the sanctity of the community

• Participation in Christ does not guarantee practical holiness

• Israel’s “baptism” & spiritual “food & drink” (10:1-5)

Fell into idolatry

• Church cannot have koinonia w/ Christ and idols/demons (10:10-20)

• Lord’s supper as spiritual koinonia w/ one another (11:17-34; 10:17)

• “one goes hungry, others drunk” (11:21)** – body of Christ & holiness

Unity of the body, proclamation of Christ’s death, resurrection, parousia


• Body of Christ (12:12-31) - metaphor for the church

• Spirit - “Jesus is Lord” (12:3) & “baptism into body” (12:13)

• Spiritual gifts: “same Spirit, same Lord, same God” (12:4-6)

• “manifestation of the Spirit for the common good”

• Roles and variety of gifts (12:29-30)

• Interdependence of the members of the body (12:25-26)

• Orderly use of gifts in the assembly (14:1-19)

• Importance of prophecy over tongues – for common good (14:1-12)

• Orderly contribution according to gifts by all (14:26-40)

God’s character & worship (order, peace, judgment, revelation)

Response: worship, edification, instruction, discernment, repentance


• Resurrection and afterlife (1 Cor 15; cf. 2 Cor 5)

• “no resurrection” (15:12) & “How are the dead raised” (15:35)

• Gospel as a fact attested by Scripture & witnesses (15:1-11)

• Connection b/w Christ’s and believer’s resurrection (15:12-19)

• Affirm one gain the other – deny one loose both

• Christ as “first fruits” – death in Adam, alive in Christ

• Christ’s reign, second coming, and handing of kingdom to Father

(15:24-28)


• Resurrection body (15:35-58)

• Continuity & discontinuity b/w earthy body & resurrection body

• Seed and plant – different types of “bodies”

• Perishable – imperishable; Glory – dishonor; weakness – power

• Sin/death – power & glory

• Physical [psychikon] body – spiritual [pneumatikon] body

• Mortal body – immortality

• Adam (living being & from earth) – Christ (life-giving spirit & heaven)

• Man of dust – man of heaven --- resurrection & “heaven-image”

Mystery of the last trumpet, transformation & defeat of death/evil

• Resurrection & judgment – live a holy life (15:58-16:1-4; 6:14)


2.4 Theology of 2 Corinthians


• After writing 1 Cor from Ephesus (1Cor 16:5-7)

• Change in plans - “painful confrontation” (2 Cor 2:5; 7:12; 13:2)

• Arrival of “super-apostles” (11:5; 12:11) & contest for authority

• “tearful letter” (cf. 1 Cor5:9; 2Cor 2:3-4, 9; 7:12)

• “ultimatum” to the church to discipline (2Cor 2:9; 7:12; regret 7:8)

• Trials in Asia – “deadly peril” (1:8-9)

• Paul to Troas (2:12-13); message from Titus about repentance (7:9-11)

• Paul’s confidence restored (7:16)

Writing of 2 Cor as a response


• God & Lord Jesus Christ

• God and Christ inseparable (1:1-4; 3:4; 8:1; 9:8, 14)

• God – source of peace, grace, apostleship & lord of the church

• Compassion, mercy, faithfulness – experience of hope (1:8-9)

• God in Christ bringing reconciliation (5:18)

• Life-giving power of God & resurrection of Christ (4:14)

• Christ as Lord, “glory” and “image” of God (4:4; 2:8)

Knowledge & glory of God in the “face of Jesus” (4:6)

• Beholding the glory of the Lord/Sprit & transformation (3:14-18)

• Judgment seat of Christ (5:10)

• “New creation”, reconciliation & union w/ Christ (5:17-18)


• Old and New Covenant (6:16; 11:25)

• Ministers of the covenants – Moses & Paul (2:16-4:6)

• “apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God” (1:1; cf. 2:16)

• “competence from God” for new covenant (2:16; 3:5-6)

• Comparison of old and new covenants (cf. Jer 31:31-33; Ezek 36:26)

• Tablet of stone, letter [=Law]; death and condemnation (3:3, 6, 9)

• Revealed [lesser] glory but didn’t impart life; veil (3:7, 10, 12)

• Spirit & tablet of heart; competence from God; justification & glory;

transparency (3:3-11)

• Greater glory in Christ; open face-to-face relationship; freedom;

transformation into Christ-likeness (3:11-18)

• “unveiled glory” (cf. Ex 34:29-35) seen & reflected in Christ (4:4-6)


• Suffering & glory – “momentary affliction…eternal glory”

• Suffering Christ as aroma of death and life (1:5; 2:14-15)

• Christ made “sin for us” (5:21)

• Christ became “poor for us” (8:9)

• Conformity to Christ – paradox of suffering and glory

• Triumphant procession & “sufferings of Christ for us “ (2:14; 1:5)


• Glory in clay jars to demonstrate “extraordinary power”(4:7)

• Affliction & carrying the death of Christ (4:10; 1:8)

Make Jesus visible in his body – Paul as illustration of the gospel

Inner life and renewal through Spirit (4:16)

• Christ’s ambassador of the glorious new covenant (5:20)

• Afflictions for the sake of Christ (6:4-10)

• Power in weakness & God’s grace (11:22-12:10)

• Response to “super apostles”* - boasting of suffering (11:5; 12:11)

• Christ’s power manifested in weakness, suffering, hardships (12:9-10)

God’s glory, power and wisdom through cross and apostolic suffering


• Life beyond death (5:1-10; cf. 1 Cor 15)

• 1 Cor 15 states

• Resurrection of Christ implies general resurrection

• Resurrection body will be transformed by the Spirit

• This will happen at the “last trumpet” in Christ’s coming

• 2 Cor 5 – Resurrection power, suffering & weakness

• Clay jar is “afflicted”, “perplexed”, “persecuted”, “struck down”

“given to death” constantly BUT Spirit invigorates “inner life” (4:6-18)


• Life after death (2 Cor 5:1-10)

• Intermediate state (Phil 1:21-23) or resurrection body (1 Cor

15)

• Earthly tent (groaning) – building from God/heavenly dwelling

• Naked – clothed (cf. 4:16)

• Mortality – (eternal) life through the Spirit

• In the body – home with the Lord

• Earthly tent, naked, in the body = present life

• Building/dwelling, life, “home w/ Lord”

What is the meaning of these phrases and how to combine w/

other Pauline texts (1 Cor 15; 1 Thess 4; Phil 1:20-26)


• Resurrection body only at parousia (cf. 1 Cor 15; 1 Thess 4)

• “being with the Lord” as intermediate state (Phil 1:20-26)

• Resurrection body received at death (2 Cor 5:1-10)

• No intermediate states (cf. Phil 1:21-23)

• “Soul sleep” and resurrection at parousia (1 Cor 15)

Practical exhortation to live godly life because…

Judgment seat of Christ


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THE 511 NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY CLASS IV: THEOLOGY OF GALATIANS, 1-2 THESSALONIANS & 1-2 CORINTHIANS.

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