Asking The Right Questions

After four friends lower a paralytic through the roof so that he could be near Jesus and be healed, the scribes that were present ask the right question and make the right accusation, "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone? (Mark 2:7) Their reasoning "serves to notify the reader how incredibly outrageous or how incredibly wonderful Jesus' words are" (Garland 94). As a reader, I am asking myself, "Is the kingdom of God at hand?" "Is the rational conclusion, at only the second chapter of Mark's Gospel, to repent and believe in the Gospel? Jesus announces the forgiveness of sins to a world paralyzed by sin. Not to infer that disease is in direct correlation to sin, but sin does bring with it a heavy load. I am thankful for the friends and family members that bore my load and made a way through the crowds so that I could receive the forgiveness that is offered to all. I would only pray that others, who are like the scribes reasoning in their hearts about who Jesus is, will come to the proper conclusion: repent and believe in the Gospel.

Wait...what was I saying? Demons or something or other.

In my mind right now its hard to put together but I don't really have enough time to bring the idea to fruition so I'm going to try and piece it together as I go. As I've been studying in this class it seems I've only been led to more questions instead of answers. I've been wondering about the relationship between Jesus and demons in Mark. In Chapter 1, Jesus is tempted by satan, which i guess can be considered a demon. My question is, why did Jesus allow himself to be tempted? Surely if Jesus could be tempted by Satan then he could also be tempted by other demons. It's not possible to place the blame of all temptation upon demons but I have had a thought about them. The demons came to Jesus and they were scared, they begged for mercy and called out who Jesus really was. This is probably as far reaching as Queen Elizabeth being represented as a dolphin in A Midsummer Night's Dream, but maybe When they told Jesus his title, even though he was quite aware of what it was, maybe, just maybe there was a temptation to say,"yeah i'm the king of the stinking universe, you're right, I should show these people what I'm really made of." When I hear of some title bestowed to me I wanted to get all bowed up and happy and strut around and be prideful in myself. Maybe that was the temptation that Jesus had to so often fight off. But can you really be prideful if you're God and now I quit and you can quit reading this rambling because it probably doesn't make sense.

FAITH: before & after

I had never thought much about how big a part faith played in the miracles of Jesus until now that I have going through the Gospels again for class. As I read I began to notice that Jesus almost always tells the recipients of His miracles that it is their faith that has healed them. At least this seems to be the case in the synoptic gospels. While reading DJG I again read about how faith seemed to be a prerequisite for faith. John, however seemed to put more emphasis on the faith that came after Jesus performed miracles. All this does not mean that the writers of the synoptics didn't think Jesus' miracles produced faith from all those who observed or that John did not think faith was required before Jesus would perform a miracle. I think that is just shows that the different authors were trying to emphasise different things. John wanted his readers to realize that when Jesus performed miracles faith resulted and Matthew, Mark and Luke wanted their readers to realize that Jesus healed people because of their faith.

-Aaron Abbott

From the Bad guys (scribes, religious leaders) Point of View

I was reading about the oral law and the Dictionary gave me a whole new prospective. Being a product of Lifeway’s Sunday school material, I have always viewed the oral laws as this evil addition to God’s holy and untamperable (might have made that word up) scripture. I do believe that it is wrong, but more justified and less evil now.
This summer I worked with kids. You explain a seemingly simple game of throw this ball in this bucket to 3rd graders and their reply will be 78 questions, all of which would have never crossed your mind. If the bucket tips over does my ball still count? What if I miss but it goes in that teams bucket? What if I miss and it goes in that whole over there? What if he tackles me when I shoot? Do I get another try or can I just hit him?
The Israelites, just like us, are little kids when it comes to God. When He gave them the 10 commandments and other laws they were straight forward, but at the same time vague. So people who feared and genuinely wanted to obey God had 70 times 7 questions about what was or was not permissible. God what do you mean by “work” or “adultery”? Of course Jesus did come along and clarify all that.
Basically, I’m beginning to see why the religious leaders thought what they did, and I’m beginning to wonder if I had been alive then just who’s side I would be on. More than likely not Jesus’. It’s quite scary.

-Dixie Wyllia

Ritual Purity of foods

Once again I am amazed at the Qumran and Essenes. I read "Clean and Unclean" and the part the kept my attention the most is the extremity of their ritual practices. It says that the Essenes and Qumran peoples would not eat or drink anything belonging to non-members. Also the new members of the people groups were not allowed to eat the purified food immediatly. The article did not specify how long they had to be a member to take part, only not immediatly. So this changed my perspective of how odd it was that Jesus was eating with tax collectors and sinners. In the past I thought of it in todays worldview not that land and those people's worldview. They saw it as unclean to eat with the sinners, not just odd. If i was out at Cafe Bueno sipping some hot chocolate, i don't like coffee, with the town druggie, some people now might think i'm either falling away from Christ, or witnessing, but we do not think in the clean vs. unclean standards.

How Powerful?

After reading the section in the dictionary about power and authority, one can only wonder and speculate how powerful and how much authority Jesus actually had. He had enough power to tell the disciples to go out and through his power perform mircles and other actions as well to the public. It would be amazing to have seen these miracles in action, and we see miracles today but i still see it as amazing that Jesus had so much power and authority that he could just tell people to go out and perform miracles and through those actions they were able to, but as well as performing just as miraculous of works elsewhere to on his own.

Andy Miller

is there proof, or even logic, to back up the resurrection?

Historians agree that Jesus' disciples claimed that he came back from the dead shortly after his crucifixion. However, a lot of people claim that the disciples claims were bogus. That seems easy to understand. A group of people running around yelling about a guy raising himself from the dead would come across as weird. But what about defending that? Where's the extrabiblical accounts? I suppose there are some, but I'm not sure. But let's look at it this way:
Let's say a bunch of disciples did go around claiming that Jesus rose from the dead, don't you think the religious leaders would've wanted to put a stop to that? Maybe check it out? OK, let's say they do, if they found something...maybe a decaying body in the tomb, a skeleton even, they would've published those findings for certain. But there's NO record of any discoveries like that.
There are other arguments that could be given for and against the ressurection of Christ. But I'm writing a paragraph long-blog, not a book. If you wanna read more about that you should check out the article "Miracles and Miracle Stories" in the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (p 558-559). Oh, and another good source for that stuff is The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. It's got some great stuff in there, and I think it's important to know the in's and out's of this issue.
"In a profound sense, Christianity without the ressurection is not simply Christianity without its final chapter. It is not Christianity at all." - Gerald O'Collins

Alex H

Faith and Deeds...in regard to Jesus?

Jesus’ miracles were never attributed to his divinity. At every healing he would say, “Your faith has healed you.” This begs the question: if the faith of the inflicted is what healed them, then why were they not healed prior to seeing Jesus? Could it have to do with the James passage in chapter 2: “Faith without deeds is dead”? The paralytic man, who was lowered through the roof, was not healed strictly because of their faith; if that were the case then they would not have had to carry him all the way to Jesus. It is the same with the Centurion with the sick child and the woman with the hemorrhages.

-Zach

The powerlessness of Christ?

I particularly enjoyed the section of the Authority and Power article in DJG that discussed the fact that Jesus seemed to be in a sense powerless against the authorities that performed his execution. The article points out many ideas that should be considered for a proper understanding of this topic, such as the fact that Jesus "identifies himself with the poor and afflicted" by allowing himself to be executed by the seemingly powerful Roman authorities. DJG says that the "divine authority" of Christ is not only the freedom to stop his execution if he wished, but the ability to be used to carry out the will of God, and references Gethsemane. WOW! That is amazing to me. We have always heard from our days in Children's Church or Sunday School that Jesus could have chosen to "call down ten legions of angels" to stop his execution. I suppose that is true, but DJG has really put this in perspective. Christ's freedom not to stop his execution and save himself speaks louder than his ability to stop it.

Huh, just when you think you know everything there is to know about a topic, God goes and shows you that you don't know as much as you thought you did.

-Steven

Shush yo mouth

In this weeks reading of the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels I really enjoyed the section Mark, Gospel of 3.3.1. Silencing the Demons. Alex and I were talking about this section and I found it very interesting about how Jesus showed his authority by silencing the demons. Also this section mentions how exorcist would normally battle with demons for power or control by calling on name different names. But with Jesus it was different, first the ones who were possessed came to Jesus. They did not wait for Jesus to come to them, they came to Jesus and then begged "Please don’t hurt me". Once Jesus spoke the demon would obey and be silenced and the come out. To study about the awesome power of God through Christ plows me away, because Jesus did not have to call up on different names, because he is a part of God.
Matt Justice

John...the first Southern Baptist???

In seminary we heard a lot of corny jokes, from professors and chapel speakers, referring to John being the first Southern Baptist, since he is named John the Baptist. Most of us would just shake our heads at these poor attempts to make a joke. I appreciate how Garland, who has taught and is teaching at Baptist seminaries and schools, handles John by referring to him as John the Baptizer. Garland's reference holds John in higher esteem and places emphasis on what his purpose was. Garland states, "John was calling Israel to acknowledge God's judgment on Israel. Passing through the waters of the promise again, a new, forgiven Israel would emerge. " John was an awesome man, who stated in another gospel that Jesus must become more and he must become less, even if he was not the first Southern Baptist.

For the love of country

Through the reading in the commentary I have been able to better understand the Pharisees. They have good intentions of following the law but they are overly legalistic. They have an affinity for the Sabbath. A unique thing about Christianity is that there are so special days of observance required, such as the Sabbath. The Sabbath is what helped the Israelites have a national identity. The Pharisees felt that they were not just struggling for a strict adherence to the law but they were trying to hold their country together. Then Jesus csme along and in their eyes he seems to be doing all he can to spoil that. Its hard to let go of tradition and to change. Tradition was what made the pharisees feel safe, they knew that some things would always be the same. I think this idea sheds a little more light on the disposition of the Pharisees.

Toby Shelton

Sabbath Smabbath

In the first chapter of Mark Jesus goes to the synagogue and casts out a demon. The people like him and all is well.
“After Jesus left the synagogue…they went to Simon and Andrew’s home.”
Jesus then proceeds to heal Simon’s sick mother-in-law (good for her, for Simon, not so much)
Then Mark makes a point to say “that evening AFTER SUNSET, many sick and demon possessed people were brought to Jesus.”
From this one can infer that Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law on the Sabbath, and little was said against it. In oral law it was permissible for one to heal on the Sabbath if one was in danger of death, and this may have been the case. Possibly the disciples were less strict than the religious leaders. Possibly Mark just did not comment on their questioning of Jesus’ methods. Maybe they were just so happy she was well that it slipped their mind. But I think that the reason this healing on the Sabbath was not addressed here is because it is not an issue, and should not be one.

Mark Who?

I thought the discussion near the end of class last Wednesday was very interesting. It's been over a year since I have had New Testament survey, and I had forgotten that Mark was not neccesarily named after Mark. To hear that the title of Mark was added much later reminded me of truly how much you need to know the history of the text and who wrote it and all of the other important details about the text. Without researching and having a good understanding of those things, it becomes much harder to interpret in most cases. However, in this case Dr. Foster brought up the question of whether knowing or not knowing the author really matters in this case. That is a very intruiging question. I'm looking forward to more little things that I have forgotten from New Testament, going into much more detail on some of those, and even learning a whole lot of new things.

Clothed with camel hair!!

This post was recognized as a poet of the weAk for honoring M. Henry and DC Talk as great academicians. Repent and sin no more. -rlf 1/24/2007

While reading Mark, the fact that John the Baptist was clothed with camel's hair and ate locusts and wild honey stood out to me. What would we think? "Oh there's the preacher man...just eating locusts and wearing camel hair..." Why did he do these things? Perhaps those were his only options, but I believe that self-denial could have been a reason. Matthew Henry says it was for mortification of the flesh and a holy contempt of the world, and non-conformity to it. "The more we sit loose to the body, and live above the world, the better we are prepared for Jesus Christ," says Henry. I think the main idea is self-denial. We live in a world where self-denial equals insanity. But as Christians, we are to deny ourselves daily. Well, in the words of DC Talk, "What will people say when they find out I'm a Jesus freak?" Well....what will they say?

As you are going.......

As I read this week I often caught myself having "oh yeah" moments, particularly on page twenty four of the commentary. I would like to think that I have a good grasp on what the gospel truly is and the significance it holds. However, after reading this section I have realized that "pop-culture" has put a spin on what the gospel's meaning currently consist of. This chapter helped me peel back the layers of loving bunnies and treating mother nature right. Garland says, "the gospel has to do with God's redemptive action in Jesus, which reveals God's love for humans and judgment on human sin and satanic evil." WOW! That made me think for a minute, the fact that God took/takes action for those who are far far from perfect. It amazes me that God can not be held down by mans lack of understanding as it pertains to his Son.

The Good Stuff

My best friend in high school considered herself to be very "religious". She thought if she acted a certain way and did all of the "right" things in life, she was okay in God's eyes. She still hasn't grasped the idea of forgiveness and the true meaning of Christ's death on the cross. I spoke with her the other day for the first time in quite a few months, and I realized just how lost and consumed she is with the idea of living a "good" life in order to earn her way into heaven. I couldn't help but relate this story to part of the introduction of the NIV Commentary. On page 24 it says, "In the religious world, the good news about Jesus Christ is watered down to good advice. People are told to be kind, smile a lot, to love all creatures, to think positively, and to feel good about themselves. But the true gospel about Jesus Christ is far more radical and explosive." The gospel involves my Jesus who offers unfailling love and mercy. The gospel involves my Jesus who bled and was beaten severely JUST to save all of us from the death we so richly deserve. Salvation involves complete faith and surrendering a lifestyle full of sin. I've tried explaining this concept to my friend, but because of her religion, she feels she has to earn every bit of her salvation. It breaks my heart...there's more to it than just being "good." Salvation takes faith and the ablility to step out of the 'number 1' place and let God take over that position in our lives. The message of the gospel is life-changing, and I wish everyone would accept it...

all in God's plan

i like what garland had to say about the beginning of mark. he pointed out that the coming of john the baptist and Jesus seem to be out of the blue, they were in God's plan from the beginning. mark uses the old testament from the torah and both major and minor prophets to make it clear that God had planned this all along. he also refers to isaiah, further emphasizes the fulfillment of prophecy was found in Christ. we must not forget that the original readers of this material were already familiar with the story of Jesus, as well as old testament prophecies. by connecting the two here he makes a connection with his audience and an overall theme that God set Jesus and john the baptist to start the beginning of Christianity.

bobby dixon

A Breath of Fresh Air

Normally, I find little instant gratification from reading a textbook, but Garland's commentary on Mark has been amazing! Reading it alongside the book of Mark is like reading the book of Mark for the very first time. I have even found the occasional use for the Greek I have been learning! I just want to share some of the little things from Garland's commentaries that have impressed me--some were WOW moments. I found that Mark is concerned with details that matter. He has his point, and he makes it. Page 30 contains an awesome testimony to the power of Christ, "When he speaks, the winds cease, demons flee, and the dead rise!" Garland's discussion of baptism was amazing. I'd often wondered about the point of water baptism, both then and now. For these Jews to come and be baptized was for them to say they were completely unclean. There was no self-righteous here... They needed to be cleansed...all of them. John the Baptist was basically saying that Israel was defiled. What a powerful words preceding the ministry of Christ! They speak volumes to me about Israel's need for a savior--about why God came down to us as Christ. Another point that Garland makes that wowed me refers again to Christ's baptism. The heavens were TORN open..not smoothly, or easily. Whether Garland's point is significant or not, the fact that the very heavens were ripped apart at the baptism of Jesus is fascinating! I could go on and on about the new things Garland brought to light. I don't know if he's 100% correct all the time nor do I understand everything he says, but the point is that for the first time in a while, I am excited about reading the scriptures, they are new and fresh, and I want to learn more about the powerful God that I serve!

Melanie Swaty

Qumran....not post of the weAk

i felt the need to read in the Holman Bible Atlas about the Dead Sea Scrolls. it told about the qumran people that lived in the area and how much they were like the essenes. i found it interesting in their views of the coming messiah that they believed there would be 1 prophet and two messiahs. so i wonder what their reaction to Jesus the Messiah was during his ministry. the most intriguing part of the article that i found was to be admitted to the Qumran people group one had to "face a two-or possibly three-year period of examinations, instruction, and discipline." they had to be trained to be a Qumran because i believe it was demanding, they shared everything so that no one was more wealthy than another. I do appreciate the opportunity to come to Williams and be a part of a 4 or possibly 5 year period of examinations (papers!!), instuction and discipline so that i can be more prepared to disciple people i come in contact with. the article didn't say a whole lot about the actual scrolls except they were found after 1947 and onward, "some manuscripts are virtually intact, such as Isaiah; many more are fragmentary. Only Esther remains unrepresented amoung the Old Testament materials."

My Three Sons

Son of God. Son of Man. Son of David. Who is this man? Or better yet, who does this man think He is? Are the messianic expectations of 2nd Temple Judaism in line with the idea of Jesus as the son of God or did this arise in the traditions of the early church? When did Jesus become aware that he was indeed the son of God? At his baptism? At the tranfiguration? At the resurrection? The statement in Mark 1:11 seems to at least confirm or inform Jesus of His messianic status. Or did this statement from God the Father initate Jesus' own self-consciousness of his divine sonship (DJG 772). I have no answers and I will not offer any here, but I do welcome any and every suggestion. This is an interesting debate. When would of Jesus recognized himself as O UIOS TOU THEOU;

Bwasts of the Wilderness! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!

When Jesus went into the wilderness for fourty days, it says that he was there with beasts and as well with satan. What I find interesting is the look at the beasts, or animals whatever you may wish to call, that were there with Jesus. When looking at this since the word beast is udsed it would appear that these were not nice tamed animals that jesus was with but instead mean and untamed animals that most people would be scared to be near. In a way this shows the power Jesus has, because while he was with these so called beast, nothing happened that we know of, other than the fact that Jesus was victorious over satan and these beast while he was there, as he will be again later on. Its just interesting to see that Jesus even had power over the animals while he was on this earth as he also shows he has control of the weather as well. Showing us that there is nothing Jesus can not handle.

Victory In Jesus!

In the twenty-first century the word "gospel" has pretty well been established as a book or story about Jesus, especially in the Bible belt. I found it interesting that the greek word for gospel, evangelizo, was used as an announcement of vicotry after battle. Not only that, but many of the "gospels" first readers would have used the term as the birth of an heir to the empire. I bet calling the stories of Jesus gospels really ruffled some feathers back in the day. For believers, however, I can see how it would give them hope. The savior of the world had come and established Himself as King!
Mark is careful, though, to make sure his readers know what it will be like to live in this Kingdom with Jesus as their king. He wrote down parables and what Jesus had to say about how hard it would be to follow him. Christ did come and His Kingdom is here, but following Christ will be hard. There is no way around it. If life is easy, one should be worried. There is hope for the future, though. Jesus not only told us it would be hard, but He also told us He would be with us and that He is coming back.

Aaron Abbott

Dessert? Well, it would've been more pleasant then the sand.

Why did Jesus go into the desert? I know that in verse 12 it says that the Spirit led him out there, but why on God's green earth did he NEED to go out there? What's in the desert? God's out there. OK. Now Jesus is out there. OK. Good. Now we have God and Jesus out in the desert. What's NOT in the desert? Distractions. Alright, Jesus went out to get away from distractions. So, he just wanted some alone time with God. Why? Was he trying to figure out what his ministry was? Well, in Luke 2:49 Jesus states that God is his father, which would imply that he already knew that he was the son of God. OK, so God wasn't revealing to Jesus that he was divine...we already had that news flash. Was it more of a one man pep rally? "Alright, Jesus! Who's the God?" "I am!" "Who's the God?" "I'm the God!" "What'cha gonna do?!" "Save the people! Save the People!"
Maybe not exactly like that, but possibly God set Jesus out in the middle of nowhere in order for him and him (which is just him) to run over the details, pray, fast (obviously), and just meditate on what he had to do.
But Wait! Verse 13 of Mark 1 says that he was out there and Satan was tempting him! What the heck are you doing out there? Leave him alone! He's studying! Quiet hours! Holy cow!
Not only did it say that he was out there it says, "and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan." Now maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to imply that Satan was on Jesus the entire forty days! I know why Satan would want that, but why did Jesus and God allow it? What was the point? At any point in those forty days Jesus could've said, "Satan, get outta my face!" and that would've been the end of that. But he endured it...not only did he endure it, he withstood it. Hmm... Why? Well, maybe he was trying to prove to us that he was indeed perfect. I mean, really that's the only account of Jesus being tempted. If it weren't for that (and other records of the same instance) we would not have seen how human Christ really was. He faced temptation just like we do. Not only did he face it, he opposed it, which proves his diety as well. Sweet. What a fantastic example of Christ's humanity and deity in one 40 day sitting.
Good job, God.

Alex H

bullington

This post was recognized as Post of the Week! for promting good discussion. -rlf 1/24/2007

Throughout most of the reading I cannot get past the thought that the author or the decleration of an author simply does not matter. Throughout my entire educational career I have never read anything that was not pushed upon me to read where the main innitiative was not the matter of who wrote the book, article, or poem. Very few times have I ever been prompted to read something that was in authorship anonymous. However I find the example of the Gospel according to Mark that the authorship whether stated, implied, or even unknown matters very little to me. The inspiration behind the writing gives great insight as to who truly the author is. Much like the other writings throught the Bible the true author is God! This has now given me great peace in trying to understand why Mark or Paul or even Solomon wrote what they wrote. They wrote through the direction of the Holy Spirit.

checking my motives

Matthew 6:1, in the NASB reads "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in Heaven." This verse stood out to me and it made me think. I had to check my motives on certain things. I guess it is kind of hard for me to do all things for the right reason. And honestly, it's hard for me not to want praise from people after doing something, for example, singing. It is important to do things for Him, I know, but I think that my motive is just as important. For if my motive is to exalt self, then it's not for Him anyway...bye.

Jesus?!? Likes Secrets?!?

In our reading for today, Matthew 6:1-4 jumped out at me. Jesus is preaching the Sermon on the Mount when he touched on the issue of giving to the needy. He presented an idea that was uncommon to the times: “…when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do…” Essentially, Jesus was saying that our acts of kindness should not be publicly displayed. Our rewards should not come from man, but from God. Then Jesus made the statement that the hypocrites who make their acts of kindness public have already received their full award in the honor of men; those who are giving from the depths of their hearts receive the secret rewards for things done in secret. Sometimes it is hard for us as believers to do things in secret for God’s glory when we also desire the approval of men. Jesus wants us to neglect our desire for man’s approval for divine approval…“which is more meaningful, I think”…and harder to live by.

Yes, I know that Christmas was last month!

Growing up I always heard the Christmas story read out of Luke 2. It was not until our discussion of the history of the time prior to Christ's birth that I fully understood what was being said. It is amaizing to me how God worked out all of the details in order for Christ to be born in regards to the distrubition of land and kingdoms and the rulers of such. I guess now having read in New Testament Survey and having contributed to our discussion Monday I can better appreciate the miracle of Christ's birth. Being able to put Caesar Augustus in historical context of how he came to power and the Jewish response to him and other Roman authorities is extremely beneficial for a proper study of the Christmas story.

-Steven

more than it seems

i heard before about the symbols of the gospels as a man, ox, lion and eagle but i had only before assumed that the names came out of the personalities of the gospel writers. while that is true, burridge brings me to the understanding that it had more to do with the portrayals of Jesus. i used to think of the gospels as trying to tell the same stories but they were twisted because of personality, but really they were each trying to show a specific side of Christ. He had several characteristics and for all gospels to point out the same side would be pointless. instead we see the layers of Christ's personality, just as the writers intended.

bobby dixon

Not just Historians but people

I thought Dr. Foster's description of all of those people was great in class on Monday. He made people, that just reading about them in a normal history book might not be all that interesting, become quite interesting and gave them personality. Most of the people that you read about in history books you know what they did, but never can really tell what their personlity was like. An example of one of the people was Archalaus. Dr. Foster described him as a jerk and said no one liked him. Now instead of just knowing that he was a bad ruler and did bad things, we can put another trait with it. It may seem kind of simple, however it made some more things stick out to me about some of the rulers and people discussed on Monday.

what i thought about it

Of all the reading thus far I would have to say that the illustration of our good British prime minister friend is one that has stuck out in my mind as having the most impact. I must admit that when I began reading, I had no idea where the author was going. I wondered if he had a point at all. Then, as if a light popped up above my head, it hit me. Using the idea of the different pictures to illustrate the different characteristics and facets of one man was brilliant. And, as in realtion to Jesus, this ilustration makes even more sense. Each of the authors of the Gospels had their own experiences and encounters with Jesus, so of coarse they're gonna be slightly differnent accounts. It really opened my eyes to the thought of who Jesus is and how the Gospels can be used in coalition and as seperate intities.

BOOM!!!

THIS E-MAIL HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A Post of the weAk! 1/17/07

Repent and sin no more! -rlf

first you hear the tribal drums pounding softly, then a shadow appears on the stage, he has water dripping from his head to make his hair look shiny. he begins to reach to the sky with both arms as if reaching for God's own strength in his upcoming battle. then he thrusts his arms towards the ground, the drums BOOM with excitement and fire begins surround him. and the announcer says "weighing in 240 pounds, 6'3'' Judas THE HAMMER!!! the crowd screams with excitement and little kids hold those blow up hammers that squeak when you hit things, just to show that judas does have a soft side to him. and then judas faught against the world champion Antiochus!! this rivalry has heatened quickly, as antiochus has already put our judas' dad and brothers for their careers of wrestling. .................3 years later Antiochus was defeated!!

I couldn't think of a creative title

I found the reading about the scribes interesting. Our text listed in great detail the duties of a scribe in Jesus' time. They were considered to be lawyers, theologians, guardians, and of course, keepers of the text. In the paragraph about the scribes being "curators", I couldn't help but notice the part that says "Even though the sacred text was known by heart, a written edition had to be before the copyist who would read aloud the text as he worked." If someone were this familiar with the information, wouldn't it make sense that they, of all people, would realize and accept who Jesus is?? Instead, they were considered his opponents, and became jealous if his ministry. Jesus labeled them as hypocrites for knowing how to enter heaven, but they prevented others from entering by placing such a high value on things they shouldn't have been as focused on. They were too consumed with the law to realize they were standing face to face with the Son of God.

I never knew that.

I enjoyed the assigned reading for the last class and the class to come. I especially enjoyed the history lesson(and embarrasment because I did not know half the words) in the DJG and the detail in which the author(s) used to describe the different groups and systems. Knowing the make-up in which groups like the Pharisees where based upon and their basic place in history will allow me to better understand "the world in the text." I had recently forgottten that backgound study is crucial to be able to successfully exsposit text and understand the meaning to the readers then and to readers now. I also enjoy the readings in the Burridge book, I think his example of Winston Churchill was brilliant. It is easier for me to being to comprehind the four pictures of Jesus when I compare them to an example such as this. I enjoyed the bits of Bible "trivia" in the first chapter about which book was probably written first and the comparing and contasting of content. This book will surely be proven helpfull in the study of Christ's life.(or I want my money back on the book.)

Does Anybody Else Feel A Movie Coming On?

The scene opens with a crowded marketplace. Happy Jewish music is playing (I’m thinking something like “Tradition” from Fiddler on the Roof), when all the sudden the music stops, a man falls down dead, and the crowd creates a circle of onlookers surrounding the bloody body. The music picks back up and in the corner of the camera angle a man wipes his sicae and places it back into his coat (or whatever they wear). All the while another man is taking advantage of this distraction to pick peoples coin purses; which you see in the next scene will go to a starving family (possibly of bunnies and he’ll keep some to buy something nice for Maid Miriam)
Okay so Dixie will not soon be going into film making, but how fun was it to read about the different peoples of the Revolutionary Movements? My favorites were the social bandits and the Sicarii. This was not just some story, but it was their way of life. It’s cool to think about their lives, but to really meditate on how much they fought for what they believed in, their freedom. I could endure watching my husband and kids (the hypothetical ones I will hopefully one day have) be killed for the sake of Christ, but to kill them myself?? To murder in broad daylight and watch the number of your friends and allies quickly drop because of execution?? That is either really twisted theology or whole hearted passion.

DIXIE W

Not a Clever Title.

In Reading W. J. Heard's article on Revolutionary Movements in DJG, specifically Messianic Pretenders, I began to wonder what the people of Jesus's day really thought of him. Not too much before Jesus was born numerous upstart revolts began in which the leaders were considered to be the messiah, the kind of messiah that the Jewish people were looking for. All of these preceding and following messianic claims surrounding the life of Jesus were military based. The Jewish people believed that the Messiah would regain their freedom as a people out from under the oppression of the Romans and take his rightful place on the throne of Jesus and in their position I would have thought the same thing. I would have been hoping for the right guy, the perfect military mind that could topple an empire and restore Israel to its former glory. But then came Jesus, a peaceful but powerful teacher with authority, the true Messiah. He is different from all the others and therefore does not even seem to be a candidate for the job. I find it interesting when Jesus was arrested in Matthew 26:55, "At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Everyday I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me."

All of the other messianic canidates talked about in the article seem all to be apart of some group that is revolting and I just find that interesting because Jesus is the one that is completely peaceful and yet they come at him as if he is some sort of violent rebel.


Toby Shelton

.....you thought we were technological

I never had really thought about the tools and metals that the Isrealites would have to be using in their day. I just thought of metal and figured they used what they had, I never really thought about them having copper which would be a poor type of metal to use. As well as their very genious idea involving the well and grain silo which were blocked and made to appear to be apart of the hill so that the enemies would not be able to enter through the cave. Its amazing what a person like myself just never ealized about their culture and how advanced the Isrealites really were for their day. It seems we just go through the bible and forget sometimes about how these people really lived and how amazing it really was for them when they acquired things such as steel, and it was no idiot who thought of up the plan for building such a huge design to get their water. Over all I found the ideas and technology of these people really interesting.

Andy Miller

Sources vs. Personal Experience...some difficult reading

After reading the assignment involving Burridge's book, I was intrigued, and critical. I've gotten to where I overanalze things a tad too much. I'd never really thought of the fact that the gospel writers might have had a source, or that Mark was the first of such gospels. One thing, however, bothers me. Matthew and John were disciples...so why would they need to follow oral tradition, as Burridge discusses. John, especially, walked closely with Jesus. I'd always assumed that John had written his personal experiences with Jesus. Now I find myself reading that he used oral tradition to write his gospel. For example, when referring to the overlapping with other gospels, Burridge writes, "Any overlap is best explained by oral traditions coming to the evangelist independently" Could it not be considered that John knew these stories because he was THERE? (see page 12-13) Even concerning the other gospels, I had the assumption that the writer had spoken with those who were there and had written their first-hand account (or would that also be considered oral tradition?). Overall, the reading was fascinating, I'm just asking the questions that come to mind.

Melanie Swaty

A Land Flowing With Milk and Honey

Maybe I am the only one, but when I have tried to picture "THE PROMISED LAND", you know the land flowing with milk and honey, I have retained a picture of some sort of paradise where the things needed for survival (food, water, shelter) just miraculously appeared. In an effort to process all that went on in class on Monday and the people's connection to the land, the image of my great Uncle William and Aunt Inez came to mind. He was an old-school farmer. My Aunt and Uncle often killed the chicken they would eat for dinner that night, pump the well for water, gather the eggs for breakfast, pick vegetables from the garden, milk the cows, and tend to the smokehouse that contained some of the best pork you will ever put your lips around. I remember their total dependence on the land for everything they needed. My uncle even built their house from lumber that he processed by hand from the timber that was found on their property. Now back to the first century in a time where they did not have some of the modern conveniences that were available to my great Aunt and Uncle and the faith that it took to survive in a place like Israel. I have a new found respect for the people of Jesus' time, the disciples leaving everything to follow Christ, the faith of Joesph and Mary to bring a child into that world, and the ministry of Christ.

Michael Carpenter

in a jew's shoes

I really liked Monday's class. I've heard for a while now that you should look at a biblical text in a historical context. That is a lot easier said than done. Foster did a great job of really laying out what it would have been like to have lived in Israel. It's too easy to think of the gospel stories through a personal frame of reference. The list of forbidden things to do on the Sabbath was especially a nice part of the lecture. It really does make since that the priests would list those things because that is exactly what the people would be doing if they could.
AARON ABBOTT

it takes more than one pic

I do not want it to seem like I am copying straight from Tasha but I kind of had the same thoughts as I was reading Burridge. I liked how he demonstrated that there is a need for several different versions of the gospels, just as one photograph or painting did not fully depict Sir Winston Churchill. The same would be true of any of us because we do not have just one part to our personality. I could be depicted as an archer, artist, sculptor, preacher, brother, son and the list goes on. The same is true for everyone. Which to me makes even more since to show the different perspectives of Christ, which helps us come to know him in a more personal way.
Matt Justice

And it begins...

For posting first,
THIS POST HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A POST OF THE WEEK! 1/17/07
--peace, rlf

Dr. Foster's speach about how difficult the class would be was scary. I, however, am up to the challenge. The reading in Burridge was very interesting. The most pressing point to me was the connection made between pictures of people and their actual dynamic. If I was judged by someone based on only one photo or one story, I would be hated or deified. The truth is though that I am made up of several dynamics that can not be understood through one media. The actual Tasha is in the middle. I am viewed by some as daughter, sister, friend, or boss and not one image is wholely me. This opened up my perspective of the gospels. Each viewed Christ differently as their experiences taught them.

Getting Ready for Another Semester

Greetings to All who are Still on EUTHUS!

If you are not going to be in Life of Christ this Spring, you may want to remove yourself from the list. You are welcome to stay on as long as you only lurk. Please do not comment.

Have a great day!
Peace,
RFoster

a reflection

I really enjoyed Pauline this semester. Thus far in my college experience ministry classes have been my most difficult classes as well as the classes I have enjoyed the most. I have learned that I must have a different attitude when taking one of my core classes. For me to come into it unprepared to learn from the Lord creates a theological mind in me and not a mind set centered on Christ dealing with theology. That has been tough every semester, but this semester God has really helped develop a habit of being prepared when approaching his word. Over the semester several of the most difficult elements of our schedule sparked the greatest amount of change in my life. Beginning with the seminar, I grew closer to some individuals in the class and learned what it meant to be in the shoes of Paul. Attempting to take on his humility and burden for a hurting and wavering church. Polhill and the DPL challenged my consistency, even though I did not completely overcome they were a constant lesson on the Pauline corpus and a lesson on how to handle it with integrity. Winter provided an intellectual exposition on Corinth. One of which stretched my comprehension, but challenged tradition and my life. The lectures from Dr. Foster conglomerated the mass of information for this dumb second year student. Actually he did a lot more than that.
I thought I would end with telling some of what I learned from my paper and some of how Pauline has effected my life. In studying the man of lawlessness of 2 Thess, I learned some of the things that will happen before Christ's return. I learned what this scripture teaches about the Anti-Christ. I learned how I must not shy away from eschatological and apocalyptic texts in the Paul or for that matter the whole bible. Todd Still said something to the extent of, "reading Paul while avoiding eschatology is like eating raisin bread and avoiding the raisins." The Thessalonian letters taught me about how I must live each day in the anticipation of Christ's imminent return. This should probably be another paragraph, but our teacher counted points off my book report for going over. Taking what I learned from the class and being able to teach a bible study over 1 Corinthians the last few weeks a church has been a joy. Not that I have some gold nugget that I can show the guys that they may have never heard before, but being able to teach students the truth of the scripture and how they can be good stewards of it is a blessing.

kevin

One more post...

This semester in Pauline Epistles has been very interesting. When class first started I realized that this class was going to push me more than any other class I had taken and I was right. This class forced me to look at Paul in a new perspective. We started the semester off by doing a background study of Paul’s life before Christ and we learned about the area in which he grew up in. It is surprising how much we truly miss when we just open our bibles and go straight to a commentary for help with the passage. This class showed me the importance of understanding the person that wrote the book withing the bible. Not only did this class force me to learn about Paul, but I will now try to read about the other authors of the bible to get a better understanding of them and what they wrote.
This semester in Pauline Epistles has been fun as well as educational. Even though it is a upper-level course that pushed our abilities and stress level’s, it was still fun. If this class would not have been as tough as it was, I would probably have gotten nothing out of it. Also, I fell good knowing that the grade I get, I earned, because the class was no put on. Overall, I know have the ability to look at Paul’s writing’s and have a better understanding of why he said what he said. I can look at the scriptures and know what group of people he was talking to because, we have done a precise background study of the books he wrote. Pauline Epistles has made me look at Paul in a different light and it will make me a better preacher because of it.

Brother in Christ,
Billy Hardesty

Pualine Epstlies

Hi, Jacob Here!! My semeter in Pauline Epistles has been awesome. I think that my most fovorite part about this semesters class has been the discussions in class. I gained a lot from listening and hearing what people had to say. I value opinions of everyone because there are some many smart people in our class. I think that Io have learned more in this class than I have any other class, and that is encouraging to me as I enter into more of the same classes at Williams.

I have been excited about this class since day one. I feel that the most beneficil assigement was out seminar. This is where i really learned how hard it was to compose a letter that Paul would have composed. I have a new perception of Paul's letters and on Biblical studies that I plane on usining later on in the futre. It's been a great year. Hope everyone has a Wonderful summer. Come by and sign my yearbook.

Overall View of the Class

I have thoroughly enjoyed Pauline Epistles this semester. I have to admit, prior to this class, my knowledge of Paul and his letters was limited. I have enjoyed reading the letters of Paul after gaining more knowledge about the Greco-Roman world and getting a better understanding of how to interpret his letters within the proper context. I also learned a significant amount of information from the Bruce Winter's book. I enjoy studying history, but particularly history from the period and culture of biblical times.

Once again, I also enjoyed the seminar we had this semester. I learned that I did not know as much about scripture from memory as I thought I previously did. The discussions and the freedom to discuss topics of personal interests in the class are appreciated as well. My favorite part of the class is the detailed exegesis of the text. I thoroughly enjoy the lectures and the personal touch added to the class by Dr. Foster, even though I sometimes get frustrated before thinking his comments through. I also am glad I finally learned the chronology of Paul's letters and his missionary journeys. Since this class, I have been able to teach my church members more about the largest portion of the New Testament.

I have learned a lot

I have learned a great deal in this Pauline class. I have gone from addmitedly ignorant about Paul to feeling confident that I could outline his life. He was an inspirational character. He went from completely doubting to completely defending because of an encounter with Jesus. He was obviously favored because Jesus does not show up in person to everybody; Paul was unique. His Jewish Pharisee background made him well versed in the basics and his zealous nature made him a formitable Christian.
Paul wrote many of the books of our New Testament. These books were once just letters to church plants Paul had been involved in while traveling on missionary journies. I learned in Dr. Foster's class that Paul spoke to the Jew first then the gentile. This was a very new idea to me since I assumed everything was written just for me. I enjoyed Dr. Foster's lectures a lot. Though the class was a challenge, I have gained volumes of knowledge that will further my intellect.

REFLECTION!! (IN ALL CAPS SO I CAN KEEP IT IN MY FOLDER..) mo was so much more simple!!

Lyda Turner

It has been a rollercoaster of a semester! I went into this not knowing what to expect and honestly dreaded the most of it. Little did I know my life would be forever changed. I have a greater sense of accomplishment and can definitely tell where I am lacking in responsibility. My favorite thing about the class lectures and reading material had to be just the chance to really dig in to Paul's writings and the purpose for writing them. It was good to read the letters and have the historical background from which he was working. I really enjoyed the study of the people and their culture.

My favorite part of the assignments honestly would be the seminar. It was really a humbling experience. To set down without a bible,and be able to speak like Paul. My own ability really suprised me. I worked with a really great group of kids too. I really have said for a long time that I thought Paul was a good biblical character to follow, but after doing an indepth study of how he wrote I really do strive for that passion.

Some of the toughest parts of the semester were the paper! It was a tough one, and although i could have done better overall, i am proud of what i gained from it. This was a class that forced me to stay on task, and can definitely feel the pull when I havent. I needed the extra mile this semester The internet has not cooperated with us ALL semester, and I have renounced twice!! but God is good and has a forgiving heart!!! ITS BEEN A GREAT SEMESTER!!

Don't be a language bigot!

I have learned so much about Paul and his writings over the semester, mainly the way some of his writings should be viewed in the cultural context as well as how some have been taken out of context. The Pauline seminar. Wow. That experience blew any notion that I had that I was a mini quasi-biblical expert. I'm still not up to par by any means. It was awesome to have been provided the opportunity to combine what knowledge I have with the knowledge of others to write the letter to the Dystopians, sans Bible.

The fiery debates were fun as well. Especially the "called or converted?" debate. I had always thought what I had been taught in Sunday school about a billion and a half years ago that it was Paul's conversion on the Damascus road. I liked Dr. Foster's restatement of the question and then the simple answer of "yes". I had never thought of the event that way. This class has challenged me to think critically; to analyze thoroughly through the historical, grammatical...yada yada yada...those filters we learned about in the hermaneutics section of Bib Interp three forevers ago.

I have to admit that toward the end of the class I got to the point where I didn't want to pick up my Bible and read it simply because there was Paul in it and I viewed it as a textbook. It was because of the Pauline paper that I stood outside of the dorm with my fist up in the air yelling at God. I've taken the stress of these things and turned them into a challenge. I'm thinking that they're an indication that I need to grow spiritually. Wow. I think if I had to boil everything that I learned about this class down, I would have to say that it has taught me that I need to strive even harder to grow in every aspect of my faith and strengthen my relationship with Christ.

Thanks Paul.

Pauline Epistles: A Final Word

Wow! I have been continually amazed at how much I walk away with when I have endured upper-level biblical work while here at Williams, and Pauline Epistles is no exception! The first point I would like to say that I am thankful for is how we have learned much about the ancient world in which Paul's letters were written. When I read Paul now, I read it with an understanding that he was not anywhere near an American in his thinking, and that makes a tremendous difference in interpretation and application. I have came to view it as a foriegn letter that has been translated into my language, and that is exactly what it is. I am thankful for the historical background of Paul's culture that Dr. Foster has painstakingly emphasized.

I would also like to say that I have been reminded once more by this class that biblical studies is a very challenging, difficult task. It requires much diligence, determination, and effort, but the rewards truly are eternal and therefore worth it all. Through the reading, class lectures, the book review, the paper, and even this blog I have learned a tremendous amount about Paul and his letters. This class has encouraged me to continue to push myself to "study to show myself approved." Though I know I am not anywhere where I need to be, I am determined to press on with a motivation that comes from the knowledge I have gained from this class. Ours is a worthwhile calling deserving of our perseverance. This class has given me tools and trained me to continue biblical studies in the future in seminary and then also on my own.

I would like to thank everyone for this experience!
Peace
Wade Drury

Pauline Epistles

Pauline Epistles this semester has been a very interesting experience for me this semester. I have spent most of my life in ignorance of most of whom and what Paul was. I have learned that much of what Paul wrote was very culturally significant. I had always struggled with much of Paul’s teachings because they seemed almost anti Christian in a manner of speaking. Much of what I learned was a result of understanding the cultural significance of Paul.

This class has taught me to look more critically at the text and the understanding of how to interpret the Pauline Epistles. The books that I have obtained for this class will be invaluable resources to me in my coming ministry. This class has armed me with the necessary knowledge to interpret this scripture. The Pauline Corpus has taken on new meaning and will now be a more effective and powerful tool for me both on a ministerial level and on a person level.

Pauline Reflection

I could not think up a clever title as my fellow graduate Mr. Adam B. so that title will have to do. I had high hopes coming into Pauline this semester. The last upper level Dr. Foster class that I took was Life of Christ (which is also recommended if one wants to gain more knowledge of the Gospels). I have always been intrigued by the person of Paul in a very naive sense -- meaning that I never really knew anything about the man. Our class this semester provided a new outlook for me when I examine the letters and teachings of Paul. Moreover, I learned a ton of information regarding history and the importance of context in Biblical studies.

For the most part, I enjoyed my time in Pauline Epistles. The one thing that bothered me the most was my increased stress level because of my anxiety to graduate. But apart from that, I felt that this class was beneficial to my ministry. In the most cheerleader way that I can, I fell that I am a better person because of Pauline Epistles in Spring 2006 (no seriously, B-E-T-T-E-R BETTER!!!!!....with a song and dance to follow). I have enjoyed my time in this class and around the people that encompass the class. I have made new friends through this class and have gained new respect for everyone. Do well in your ministries and God Bless.

Paul and modern Christian Ministry students

I feel that the most helpful and most enlightening aspect of the Pauline class was the seminar. The seminar gave me more of a chance to relate to Paul. The seminar also showed me how much I do not know. I of course thought I knew much more than I did. I have come to the firm conclusion that more classes should have seminars such as we had. My other conclusion is that Galatians 5:1 does still belong in chapter five not four.
My second point is one of disappointment. I spent quite a bit of time with some of my classmates and was horrorstruck by their ethical practices. If you are a Christian Ministry student that cheats, then hopefully you will be operated on by a surgeon who cheated as well. I think that Paul would be knocking some of our classmates out the window if he was in our class. How can you think that cheating does you any good.

A Crab + A Bomb= Ou What A Blast! (Sorry, if you are currently a barbarian, then this falls into the category of TA MUSTHRIA H EKKLHSIA TOU PHOTOS!)

As I reflect on Pauline Epistles, my attitude toward the class is indicative of my time spent here at Williams. My thoughts and feelings about the class are best expressed in a single slogan. This slogan was popularized in the 80's because of its use in a hit song, Patrick Swayze (what a heartthrob) danced his heart out to it on the big screen, God knows who wrote it, but yes--"I"ve had the time of my life, and I've never felt this way before. Yes I swear it's the truth, and I owe it all to you." This has been a tremendous learning experience for me. Through this class I have gained siginificant insight and understanding of the Pauline corpus, my personal Bible study has been enhanced, and I feel that I have progressed intellectually and spirtually. I have also enjoyed this learning exprience alongside my friends and brothers and sisters in Christ amongst the class. This class, and this semester, as well as all my time spent at Williams has truly been a blessing. While my mom may have gotten drug through the mud on a few, well ok several occassions, I still consider to be a better person having had the privelage to attend school at this college. The relationships I have made with students and professors are some that will surely make lasting impressions on me. I hope to be able to continue those friendships as I move on and embrace the next part of my life. So, to sum it up.......it's been a blast (hence the title)!

Pauline Theology

When I started the semester off in this class I had no idea what I was going to get into, nor how little I actually knew about Paul. Paul was a great defender of the faith and he got his point across , and he had a way of going about to doing it that made people realize that he was true. Paul really cared about the people that he was ministering to. I really learned how much trouble besides persecution that Paul really went through in his ministry, he had so many opponents and he use simple things like rhetoric to ask questions. Paul showed Jews and Gentiles alike how they are to be united as one body with one another in the Christian family and that the Gentiles did not have to become Jew first to be saved. Paul showed that it is the an issue of the heart on most controversies that he faced.
By doing the project and writing the reasearch paper I really learned alot about the character of Paul himself, he had his own style of doing things and it worked he was stubborn and hard headed by at the sametime loving and he did let them work together and that was amazing. Paul was good at pointing out the main emphasis to being saved and that was to simply believe in the death, burial , and resurrection of Jesus CHrist and that He is the Savior of the world. Big Bro James

Pauline Theology

When I started the semester off in this class I had no idea what I was going to get into, nor how little I actually knew about Paul. Paul was a great defender of the faith and he got his point across , and he had a way of going about to doing it that made people realize that he was true. Paul really cared about the people that he was ministering to. I really learned how much trouble besides persecution that Paul really went through in his ministry, he had so many opponents and he use simple things like rhetoric to ask questions. Paul showed Jews and Gentiles alike how they are to be united as one body with one another in the Christian family and that the Gentiles did not have to become Jew first to be saved. Paul showed that it is the an issue of the heart on most controversies that he faced.
By doing the project and writing the reasearch paper I really learned alot about the character of Paul himself, he had his own style of doing things and it worked he was stubborn and hard headed by at the sametime loving and he did let them work together and that was amazing. Paul was good at pointing out the main emphasis to being saved and that was to simply believe in the death, burial , and resurrection of Jesus CHrist and that He is the Savior of the world. Big Bro James

Pauline Theology

When I started the semester off in this class I had no idea what I was going to get into, nor how little I actually knew about Paul. Paul was a great defender of the faith and he got his point across , and he had a way of going about to doing it that made people realize that he was true. Paul really cared about the people that he was ministering to. I really learned how much trouble besides persecution that Paul really went through in his ministry, he had so many opponents and he use simple things like rhetoric to ask questions. Paul showed Jews and Gentiles alike how they are to be united as one body with one another in the Christian family and that the Gentiles did not have to become Jew first to be saved. Paul showed that it is the an issue of the heart on most controversies that he faced.
By doing the project and writing the reasearch paper I really learned alot about the character of Paul himself, he had his own style of doing things and it worked he was stubborn and hard headed by at the sametime loving and he did let them work together and that was amazing. Paul was good at pointing out the main emphasis to being saved and that was to simply believe in the death, burial , and resurrection of Jesus CHrist and that He is the Savior of the world. Big Bro James

Pauline Theology

When I started the semester off in this class I had no idea what I was going to get into, nor how little I actually knew about Paul. Paul was a great defender of the faith and he got his point across , and he had a way of going about to doing it that made people realize that he was true. Paul really cared about the people that he was ministering to. I really learned how much trouble besides persecution that Paul really went through in his ministry, he had so many opponents and he use simple things like rhetoric to ask questions. Paul showed Jews and Gentiles alike how they are to be united as one body with one another in the Christian family and that the Gentiles did not have to become Jew first to be saved. Paul showed that it is the an issue of the heart on most controversies that he faced.
By doing the project and writing the reasearch paper I really learned alot about the character of Paul himself, he had his own style of doing things and it worked he was stubborn and hard headed by at the sametime loving and he did let them work together and that was amazing. Paul was good at pointing out the main emphasis to being saved and that was to simply believe in the death, burial , and resurrection of Jesus CHrist and that He is the Savior of the world. Big Bro James

Pauline Theology

When I started the semester off in this class I had no idea what I was going to get into, nor how little I actually knew about Paul. Paul was a great defender of the faith and he got his point across , and he had a way of going about to doing it that made people realize that he was true. Paul really cared about the people that he was ministering to. I really learned how much trouble besides persecution that Paul really went through in his ministry, he had so many opponents and he use simple things like rhetoric to ask questions. Paul showed Jews and Gentiles alike how they are to be united as one body with one another in the Christian family and that the Gentiles did not have to become Jew first to be saved. Paul showed that it is the an issue of the heart on most controversies that he faced.
By doing the project and writing the reasearch paper I really learned alot about the character of Paul himself, he had his own style of doing things and it worked he was stubborn and hard headed by at the sametime loving and he did let them work together and that was amazing. Paul was good at pointing out the main emphasis to being saved and that was to simply believe in the death, burial , and resurrection of Jesus CHrist and that He is the Savior of the world. Big Bro James

Good Times

Pauline Epistles has been one of the most edifying classes I have ever taken. It means a lot to me to finally study and understand Paul’s background and the background of the first century church. There is a number of good things I can say about the class. I Think the Polhill book is the best part about the class because It’s really easy to understand and He does a great job of revealing the background and the meaning of each of the letters of Paul. It is definitely a book that I will keep and refer back to in my ministry studies. The group seminar that we did was another very important part of the class for me because I was broken on my superficial knowledge of scripture and Pauline style. The project has caused me to study more fervently.
Another thing that I really loved about the class was doing the paper. Not that I enjoy papers but the passage really meant a lot to me. I did my paper over the 2 Cor 11:26-33, which is the hardship catalogue. I don’t know how well of a paper I presented but I do know that the passage had an important effect on my heart and I pray that I can apply what I have learned to my life and ministry. I understand that being a servant of Christ may cost be everything but it would truly be worth it for the glory of God.
Stephen Foust

Keep on Keepin' on

There are so many ways that this class has challenged, grown, and interested me. To have a much better grasp of the biblical historical perspective the first century church, as well as the first century itself I will hold as such a avalueable commodoty. Two major parts of the class, besides the lectures, really helped me grow as a student of the Bible: the Paper and the Project.

The project was so much more fun than i thought spending six extra hours of school could be. I was blessed by the hard work of my group and the understanding they conveyed throughout the project. The challenge put forth by my peers was so encouraging. There was a specific point during the project in that i thought to my self "wow, i don't know very much!" this has pushed me to desire a stronger and deeper biblical/historical understanding of God's Word

The Paper, weather or not i did well, was personally rewarding. i truly felt like i was able to apply many things i have learned at college, specifically in my major, to the paper. i used many of the skills learned in bib. interp. to research the text. When finishing the paper i felt like i had when i had finished my bib interp paper, like i had some solid authoritative knowledge of the biblical text. this brought me much joy and satisfaction, but at the same time overwwhelms me at the thought of how much work goes into doing that study on a much larger scale.

So i will keep on, Keepin' on in the work that still lies before me.

a reflection

I really enjoyed Pauline this semester. Thus far in my college experience ministry classes have been my most difficult classes as well as the classes I have enjoyed the most. I have learned that I must have a different attitude when taking one of my core classes. For me to come into it unprepared to learn from the Lord creates a theological mind in me and not a mind set centered on Christ dealing with theology. That has been tough every semester, but this semester God has really helped develop a habit of being prepared when approaching his word. Over the semester several of the most difficult elements of our schedule sparked the greatest amount of change in my life. Beginning with the seminar, I grew closer to some individuals in the class and learned what it meant to be in the shoes of Paul. Attempting to take on his humility and burden for a hurting and wavering church. Polhill and the DPL challenged my consistency, even though I did not completely overcome they were a constant lesson on the Pauline corpus and a lesson on how to handle it with integrity. Winter provided an intellectual exposition on Corinth. One of which stretched my comprehension, but challenged tradition and my life. The lectures from Dr. Foster conglomerated the mass of information for this dumb second year student. Actually he did a lot more than that.
I thought I would end with telling some of what I learned from my paper and some of how Pauline has effected my life. In studying the man of lawlessness of 2 Thess, I learned some of the things that will happen before Christ's return. I learned what this scripture teaches about the Anti-Christ. I learned how I must not shy away from eschatological and apocalyptic texts in the Paul or for that matter the whole bible. Todd Still said something to the extent of, "reading Paul while avoiding eschatology is like eating raisin bread and avoiding the raisins." The Thessalonian letters taught me about how I must live each day in the anticipation of Christ's imminent return. This should probably be another paragraph, but our teacher counted points off my book report for going over. Taking what I learned from the class and being able to teach a bible study over 1 Corinthians the last few weeks a church has been a joy. Not that I have some gold nugget that I can show the guys that they may have never heard before, but being able to teach students the truth of the scripture and how they can be good stewards of it is a blessing.

kevin

I really enjoyed Pauline this semester. Thus far in my college experience ministry classes have been my most difficult classes as well as the classes I have enjoyed the most. I have learned that I must have a different attitude when taking one of my core classes. For me to come into it unprepared to learn from the Lord creates a theological mind in me and not a mind set centered on Christ dealing with theology. That has been tough every semester, but this semester God has really helped develop a habit of being prepared when approaching his word. Over the semester several of the most difficult elements of our schedule sparked the greatest amount of change in my life. Beginning with the seminar, I grew closer to some individuals in the class and learned what it meant to be in the shoes of Paul. Attempting to take on his humility and burden for a hurting and wavering church. Polhill and the DPL challenged my consistency, even though I did not completely overcome they were a constant lesson on the Pauline corpus and a lesson on how to handle it with integrity. Winter provided an intellectual exposition on Corinth. One of which stretched my comprehension, but challenged tradition and my life. The lectures from Dr. Foster conglomerated the mass of information for this dumb second year student. Actually he did a lot more than that.
I thought I would end with telling some of what I learned from my paper and some of how Pauline has effected my life. In studying the man of lawlessness of 2 Thess, I learned some of the things that will happen before Christ's return. I learned what this scripture teaches about the Anti-Christ. I learned how I must not shy away from eschatological and apocalyptic texts in the Paul or for that matter the whole bible. Todd Still said something to the extent of, "reading Paul while avoiding eschatology is like eating raisin bread and avoiding the raisins." The Thessalonian letters taught me about how I must live each day in the anticipation of Christ's imminent return. This should probably be another paragraph, but our teacher counted points off my book report for going over. Taking what I learned from the class and being able to teach a bible study over 1 Corinthians the last few weeks a church has been a joy. Not that I have some gold nugget that I can show the guys that they may have never heard before, but being able to teach students the truth of the scripture and how they can be good stewards of it is a blessing.

kevin

A Walk to Remember

I have truly enjoyed Pauline Epistles over the last semester. There is much more to Pauline studies than I first expected, but the study has opened my eyes to a number of important ideas. First of all, Pauline literature encompasses much more than a text. The occasional letters of Paul respond to specific issues in specific places. We may not be able to completely understand the occasion of a letter, but the study of cultural and religious aspects of the first century world yields important information concerning the context of Pauline letters. Secondly, the field of New Testament literature is not static. The Pauline Corpus has been intact for nearly two millenia, but theories and scholarship continued to change throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century. Scholars such as F.C. Baur develop theories concerning Paul's opponents and controversy within the church. Schools of thought rise and fall with the discovery of new information and the passage of time.

Though scholarship changes over the passage of time, the letters of Paul remain the same. They have persevered as examples of apostolic leadership. While the modern church cannot understand all of the dynamics of the first century church, the Pauline Corpus contains guidance that is still relevant to the modern church. A great professor of mine once said, "begin with the end in mind." Such an admonishment challenges one to begin a course with the intention of finishing strong, and finish without forgetting the original goals or foundation of the course. This weekend, I was thinking about the above statement while I was finishing the reading log. I ran across 2 Timothy 2:14-26, the scripture passage that Dr. Foster addressed in the initial class period. As a young minister of the gospel, I believe that Paul's admonishment is one of the most positive, encouraging, and truthful admonishments that one might receive. If each individual did his best to present one's self to God, a number of the issues that Paul addressed would not exist in the modern church. With this in mind, the most important aspect of Pauline studies is the application of Biblical principles in the context of daily living.

It's been real. It's been fun. It's been really fun,
the other Paul

A Walk to Remember

I have truly enjoyed Pauline Epistles over the last semester. There is much more to Pauline studies than I first expected, but the study has opened my eyes to a number of important ideas. First of all, Pauline literature encompasses much more than a text. The occasional letters of Paul respond to specific issues in specific places. We may not be able to completely understand the occasion of a letter, but the study of cultural and religious aspects of the first century world yields important information concerning the context of Pauline letters. Secondly, the field of New Testament literature is not static. The Pauline Corpus has been intact for nearly two millenia, but theories and scholarship continued to change throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century. Scholars such as F.C. Baur develop theories concerning Paul's opponents and controversy within the church. Schools of thought rise and fall with the discovery of new information and the passage of time.

Though scholarship changes over the passage of time, the letters of Paul remain the same. They have persevered as examples of apostolic leadership. While the modern church cannot understand all of the dynamics of the first century church, the Pauline Corpus contains guidance that is still relevant to the modern church. A great professor of mine once said, "begin with the end in mind." Such an admonishment challenges one to begin a course with the intention of finishing strong, and finish without forgetting the original goals or foundation of the course. This weekend, I was thinking about the above statement while I was finishing the reading log. I ran across 2 Timothy 2:14-26, the scripture passage that Dr. Foster addressed in the initial class period. As a young minister of the gospel, I believe that Paul's admonishment is one of the most positive, encouraging, and truthful admonishments that one might receive. If each individual did his best to present one's self to God, a number of the issues that Paul addressed would not exist in the modern church. With this in mind, the most important aspect of Pauline studies is the application of Biblical principles in the context of daily living.

It's been real. It's been fun. It's been really fun,
the other Paul

A Walk to Remember

I have truly enjoyed Pauline Epistles over the last semester. There is much more to Pauline studies than I first expected, but the study has opened my eyes to a number of important ideas. First of all, Pauline literature encompasses much more than a text. The occasional letters of Paul respond to specific issues in specific places. We may not be able to completely understand the occasion of a letter, but the study of cultural and religious aspects of the first century world yields important information concerning the context of Pauline letters. Secondly, the field of New Testament literature is not static. The Pauline Corpus has been intact for nearly two millenia, but theories and scholarship continued to change throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century. Scholars such as F.C. Baur develop theories concerning Paul's opponents and controversy within the church. Schools of thought rise and fall with the discovery of new information and the passage of time.

Though scholarship changes over the passage of time, the letters of Paul remain the same. They have persevered as examples of apostolic leadership. While the modern church cannot understand all of the dynamics of the first century church, the Pauline Corpus contains guidance that is still relevant to the modern church. A great professor of mine once said, "begin with the end in mind." Such an admonishment challenges one to begin a course with the intention of finishing strong, and finish without forgetting the original goals or foundation of the course. This weekend, I was thinking about the above statement while I was finishing the reading log. I ran across 2 Timothy 2:14-26, the scripture passage that Dr. Foster addressed in the initial class period. As a young minister of the gospel, I believe that Paul's admonishment is one of the most positive, encouraging, and truthful admonishments that one might receive. If each individual did his best to present one's self to God, a number of the issues that Paul addressed would not exist in the modern church. With this in mind, the most important aspect of Pauline studies is the application of Biblical principles in the context of daily living.

It's been real. It's been fun. It's been really fun,
the other Paul

A Walk to Remember

I have truly enjoyed Pauline Epistles over the last semester. There is much more to Pauline studies than I first expected, but the study has opened my eyes to a number of important ideas. First of all, Pauline literature encompasses much more than a text. The occasional letters of Paul respond to specific issues in specific places. We may not be able to completely understand the occasion of a letter, but the study of cultural and religious aspects of the first century world yields important information concerning the context of Pauline letters. Secondly, the field of New Testament literature is not static. The Pauline Corpus has been intact for nearly two millenia, but theories and scholarship continued to change throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century. Scholars such as F.C. Baur develop theories concerning Paul's opponents and controversy within the church. Schools of thought rise and fall with the discovery of new information and the passage of time.

Though scholarship changes over the passage of time, the letters of Paul remain the same. They have persevered as examples of apostolic leadership. While the modern church cannot understand all of the dynamics of the first century church, the Pauline Corpus contains guidance that is still relevant to the modern church. A great professor of mine once said, "begin with the end in mind." Such an admonishment challenges one to begin a course with the intention of finishing strong, and finish without forgetting the original goals or foundation of the course. This weekend, I was thinking about the above statement while I was finishing the reading log. I ran across 2 Timothy 2:14-26, the scripture passage that Dr. Foster addressed in the initial class period. As a young minister of the gospel, I believe that Paul's admonishment is one of the most positive, encouraging, and truthful admonishments that one might receive. If each individual did his best to present one's self to God, a number of the issues that Paul addressed would not exist in the modern church. With this in mind, the most important aspect of Pauline studies is the application of Biblical principles in the context of daily living.

It's been real. It's been fun. It's been really fun,
the other Paul

What a long, crazy ride its been...

It seems like we just started and now it's over. I have to admit when Dr. Foster said during the first day that "this class will haunt you" I was wondering a bit what exactly it was that I had gotten myself into, but this class has been the most informative, yet exhausting academic endeavor I have ever undertaken. I have never leaned so much in my life. I had absolutely no idea about most of the things that we studied, or ever questioned some of the things we debated. The Polhill text has proved to be a very helpful tool in Pauline Studies. I am very glad (now) that we had the reading assignments, for they have been very helpful in bringing issues out in a new light.

When I was registering for classes at the end of last semester I was reminded time and time again that "Pauline is the hardest class offered at Williams." In some respects I am sure it is, however I know that in the years to come I will look back upon my time in Pauline Epistles and realize that it was here that I first gained my knowledge and understanding of the background of the Apostle Paul and the first century world in which he was writing. I am forever greatful for what I have gained this semester in this class.

In Christ,
Steven Price
(Stevo)

Pauline, Pauline... My, how time flys.

When I thought about all of the things that I got from taking this course, I realized that I really have learned alot. My whole view of Paul before his conversion call experience may be one of the biggest changes in my understanding that I have experienced. The fact that Paul wasn't just some kind of monster before he met Christ on the road to Damascus, just someone who was passionate about his beliefs. He was no less passionate about the cause for Christ when he learned the truth.

Also the influences that played a part in the developement of Paul's preaching and teaching techniques was a concept that I hadn't heard of before Pauline. The use of rhetoric and simularities with some of Paul's methods and the apocrypha were very interesting as well.

I will miss the class very much...
The Blogging on the other hand...

What I Have Learned

I have learned tht a paranesis is a moral or value lesson. Paul's outline of his writings include: address, thanksgiving, body, paranesis, greetings, and closing benedition. The social situations and content of Paul's time are very relavant to the interpretation of the text. I realized the importance of knowing the existence of gnosticism and mystery religions in order to have spiritual discernment and understand the context of what Paul was saying. Paul helped them to understand that just to know Christ and Him being crucified, buried, and resurrected enables you to understand the spiritual.

The idea of a slave as understood in Paul's day was different than what we consider a slave to be today. Paul addressed defective wisdom. I discovered that the Patra familia comes from God. In Hebrew theology, God is the Patron who provides divine wisdom. He protects and takes care of His people. God is the Patra familia over Christ who is over the Church. Paul illustrates that patronage is alright, as long as you have the right patron. Human wisom is defective. It took the church and fractured it into four parts: Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ. True wisdom and true church leaders should be servant leaders, and Christ focused and centered. Leaders are formed from servanthood, and not power. A true Christian leader must serve before he/she can lead.

Vicky

Pauline Epistles, An Overview

I think that the class in Pauline Epistles was very effective. It was effective to me not because I was spiritually fed, though at times I was, but because I grew intelectually in my knowledge of first century society. I can read the Bible for myself, yet it was good for me to be taught about the workings of the Mediteranean world and how they impacted Paul. Without fail the best read in this class, and maybe in my whole college career thus far, was Bruce Winter's After Paul Left Corinth. This book was so intriguing and it helped me so much to really discover some of the motives and thoughts of Paul. Another thing that I really enjoyed was the group project. It is by far, the most fun project that I have had here at this school. I enjoyed the oppurtunity to be creative, as well as the challange to set myself in the mind of Paul.
I think so often in Christianity we approach everything with a mythical perspective. We want to feel all warm and fuzzy inside and we do not really challenge ourselves academically. I think this is suicidal for the Christian religion. We must be a people that learn the Word of God, that learn the aspects behind it, that learn the criticism of it. If truly desire to grow the faith and to grow in our faith, I think we must understand this. I enjoyed this class because it did challenge my intellect. To be quite frank: I think the church needs less hocus-pocus and emotion and more in depth study and interpretation of the word fo God.

One last post... (Unless there is another)

This semester in Pauline Epistles has been very interesting. When class first started I realized that this class was going to push me more than any other class I had taken and I was right. This class forced me to look at Paul in a new perspective. We started the semester off by doing a background study of Paul’s life before Christ and we learned about the area in which he grew up in. It is surprising how much we truly miss when we just open our bibles and go straight to a commentary for help with the passage. This class showed me the importance of understanding the person that wrote the book withing the bible. Not only did this class force me to learn about Paul, but I will now try to read about the other authors of the bible to get a better understanding of them and what they wrote.

This semester in Pauline Epistles has been fun as well as educational. Even though it is a upper-level course that pushed our abilities and stress level’s, it was still fun. If this class would not have been as tough as it was, I would probably have gotten nothing out of it. Also, I fell good knowing that the grade I get, I earned, because the class was no put on. Overall, I know have the ability to look at Paul’s writing’s and have a better understanding of why he said what he said. I can look at the scriptures and know what group of people he was talking to because, we have done a precise background study of the books he wrote. Pauline Epistles has made me look at Paul in a different light and it will make me a better preacher because of it.

Brother in Christ,
Billy Hardesty

Reflection of the Past Semester

It has been an amazing semester. The study of Paul’s epistles has challenged my beliefs and the way I look at Paul’s letters. I have learned the value of examining terms and concepts and what they meant to a first century Jewish mind set rather than a 21century understanding. The one lecture that truly made me realize this was the discussion on Paul’s conversion. It never occurred to me before hand that Paul never really had an understanding of conversion like Augustine discusses. I also have gained a better appreciation of the use of primary sources. This class has shown me how to use those sources to gain a better understanding of not only the culture but the literary styles that are found in Paul’s letters. Also, this class has made me think more about sociological studies and their significance on biblical studies. The gentile converts in Paul’s churches still held onto their pagan mind sets after conversion. For the gentile, conversion was a radical life change. Everything they knew and every behavior they formed was called to be altered for the sake of Christ. Before this class, I always viewed the recipients of Paul’s letters to be foolish. Now I realize that they were involved in a radical life change and that kind of altercation toke much effort and was very hard. We today also struggle with being completely Christ like in our behavior after being believers for even several years. We have more in common with the gentiles in Paul’s letters than I realize.
Before this class, I had the mind set that by studying enough resources on the biblical text that I would be able to have a great understanding of exactly what is going on in Paul’s letters and be able to answer all the hard questions that all my youth group kids would ask. The truth is after studying all the reconstructions of Paul’s letters and the debate on the countless possible opponents of Paul, I have more questions than when I started. I have learned that ultimately no matter how hard I try I will not be able to answer all the questions about the bible. I have learned that ultimately Christianity is a faith issue and not the intellectual studies that I have tried to make it at times. It is ok that I do not know everything, because I believe that my God is big enough to provide for me and guide me through the journey of life in ministry and ultimately it is He that changes people and heals their wounds and not me.

Reflection on the Past Semester

It has been an amazing semester. The study of Paul’s epistles has challenged my beliefs and the way I look at Paul’s letters. I have learned the value of examining terms and concepts and what they meant to a first century Jewish mind set rather than a 21century understanding. The one lecture that truly made me realize this was the discussion on Paul’s conversion. It never occured to me before hand that Paul never really had an understanding of conversion like Augustine discusses. I also have gained a better appreciation of the use of primary sources. This class has shown me how to use those sources to gain a better understanding of not only the culture but the literary styles that are found in Paul’s letters. Also, this class has made me think more about sociological studies and their significance on biblical studies. The gentile converts in Paul’s churches still held onto their pagan mind sets after conversion. For the gentile, conversion was a radical life change. Everything they knew and every behavior they formed was called to be altered for the sake of Christ. Before this class, I always viewed the recipients of Paul’s letters to be foolish. Now I realize that they were involved in a radical life change and that kind of altercation toke much effort and was very hard. We today also struggle with being completely Christ like in our behavior after being believers for even several years. We have more in common with the gentiles in Paul’s letters than I realize.
Before this class, I had the mind set that by studying enough resources on the biblical text that I would be able to have a great understanding of exactly what is going on in Paul’s letters and be able to answer all the hard questions that all my youth group kids would ask. The truth is after studying all the reconstructions of Paul’s letters and the debate on the countless possible opponents of Paul, I have more questions than when I started. I have learned that ultimately no matter how hard I try I will not be able to answer all the questions about the bible. I have learned that ultimately Christianity is a faith issue and not the intellectual studies that I have tried to make it at times. It is ok that I do not know everything, because I believe that my God is big enough to provide for me and guide me through the journey of life in ministry and ultimately it is He that changes people and heals their wounds and not me.
Travis Adams

Reflection on the Past Semester

It has been an amazing semester. The study of Paul’s epistles has challenged my beliefs and the way I look at Paul’s letters. I have learned the value of examining terms and concepts and what they meant to a first century Jewish mind set rather than a 21century understanding. The one lecture that truly made me realize this was the discussion on Paul’s conversion. It never occured to me before hand that Paul never really had an understanding of conversion like Augustine discusses. I also have gained a better appreciation of the use of primary sources. This class has shown me how to use those sources to gain a better understanding of not only the culture but the literary styles that are found in Paul’s letters. Also, this class has made me think more about sociological studies and their significance on biblical studies. The gentile converts in Paul’s churches still held onto their pagan mind sets after conversion. For the gentile, conversion was a radical life change. Everything they knew and every behavior they formed was called to be altered for the sake of Christ. Before this class, I always viewed the recipients of Paul’s letters to be foolish. Now I realize that they were involved in a radical life change and that kind of altercation toke much effort and was very hard. We today also struggle with being completely Christ like in our behavior after being believers for even several years. We have more in common with the gentiles in Paul’s letters than I realize.
Before this class, I had the mind set that by studying enough resources on the biblical text that I would be able to have a great understanding of exactly what is going on in Paul’s letters and be able to answer all the hard questions that all my youth group kids would ask. The truth is after studying all the reconstructions of Paul’s letters and the debate on the countless possible opponents of Paul, I have more questions than when I started. I have learned that ultimately no matter how hard I try I will not be able to answer all the questions about the bible. I have learned that ultimately Christianity is a faith issue and not the intellectual studies that I have tried to make it at times. It is ok that I do not know everything, because I believe that my God is big enough to provide for me and guide me through the journey of life in ministry and ultimately it is He that changes people and heals their wounds and not me.
Travis Adams