Prison Epistles of Paul
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 of God even in the most perilous of times. It also shows that even while incarcerated, there are still works to be done for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Paul, through Christ Jesus, overcame the greatest of obstacles to bring future audiences the hope and assurance they would need, believing in the word of God. The structure, message, purpose, and contribution, would reach people from generation to generation, seeking and saving the lost!
The Prison Epistles of Paul
The Book of Colossians
The book of Colossians is believed to written sometime in between 56 and 61 A.D. while Paul was imprisoned in Rome (Tenney, 1985). In this letter to the church at Colossae, Paul addresses the issue of Gnosticism in the church. Gnosticism, according the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus (2013), is the thought and practice especially of various cults’ of late pre-Christian and early Christian centuries distinguished by the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through gnosis or knowledge. Paul’s desire in this prison letter was to correct the false teachings that were rising up in the church at Colossae. The problem of heresy was brought the forefront of the letter and would be the main focus of his
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 of God even in the most perilous of times. It also shows that even while incarcerated, there are still works to be done for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Paul, through Christ Jesus, overcame the greatest of obstacles to bring future audiences the hope and assurance they would need, believing in the word of God. The structure, message, purpose, and contribution, would reach people from generation to generation, seeking and saving the lost!
The Prison Epistles of Paul
The Book of Colossians
The book of Colossians is believed to written sometime in between 56 and 61 A.D. while Paul was imprisoned in Rome (Tenney, 1985). In this letter to the church at Colossae, Paul addresses the issue of Gnosticism in the church. Gnosticism, according the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus (2013), is the thought and practice especially of various cults’ of late pre-Christian and early Christian centuries distinguished by the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through gnosis or knowledge. Paul’s desire in this prison letter was to correct the false teachings that were rising up in the church at Colossae. The problem of heresy was brought the forefront of the letter and would be the main focus of his
References: Bible.org (2013) The Prison Epistles of Paul; Bible.org Retrieved March 14, 2013 from www.bible.org Dockery, David S. (1992) Holman Bible Handbook, Holman Bible Publishers; Nashville, Tennessee Hacker (2013) Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus; Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved March 15, 2013 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hacker Tenney, Merrill C. (1985) New Testament Survey; Wm. B. Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Tyree Jr., Thomas (1995) The Study of Philemon: Mesa, California Retrieved on March 17,2013 from: www.egracebiblechurch.org/philemon.htm