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Sunday, August 6, 2023
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Book of Philemon
Book of Philemon
Summary of the Book of Philemon
This summary of the
book of Philemon provides information about the title, author(s), date of
writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the
chapters of the Book of Philemon.
Author, Date and Place
of Writing
Paul wrote this short
letter (see vv. 1,9,19) probably at the same time as Colossians (c. a.d. 60;
see Introduction to Colossians: Author, Date and Place of Writing) and sent it
to Colosse with the same travelers, Onesimus and Tychicus. He apparently wrote
both letters from prison in Rome, though possibly from Ephesus (see
Introduction to Philippians: Author, Date and Place of Writing; see also chart,
p. 2261).
Recipient, Background
and Purpose
Paul wrote this letter
to Philemon, a believer in Colosse who, along with others, was a slave owner
(cf. Col 4:1; for slavery in the NT see note on Eph 6:5). One of his slaves, Onesimus, had
apparently stolen from him (cf. v. 18) and then run away, which under
Roman law was punishable by death. But Onesimus met Paul and through his
ministry became a Christian (see v. 10). Now he was willing to return to his
master, and Paul writes this personal appeal to ask that he be accepted as a
Christian brother (see v. 16).
To win Philemon's
willing acceptance of Onesimus, Paul writes very tactfully and in a lighthearted
tone, which he creates with a wordplay (see note on v. 11). The appeal
(vv. 4-21) is organized in a way prescribed by ancient Greek and Roman
teachers: to build rapport (vv. 4-10), to persuade the mind (vv. 11-19) and to
move the emotions (vv. 20-21). The name Onesimus is not mentioned until the
rapport has been built (v. 10), and the appeal itself is stated only near the
end of the section to persuade the mind (v. 17).
Outline
II.
Thanksgiving and
Prayer (1:4) -- (1:7)
III.
Paul's Plea for
Onesimus (1:8) -- (1:21)
IV.
Final Request,
Greetings and Benediction (1:22) -- (1:25)
Philemon 1 NLT
1 This letter is from Paul, a prisoner
for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. I
am writing to Philemon, our beloved co-worker,
2 and to our sister Apphia, and to our
fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church that meets in your house.
3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ give you grace and peace.
4 I always thank my God when I pray for
you, Philemon,
5 because I keep hearing about your
faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people.
6 And I am praying that you will put
into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and
experience all the good things we have in Christ.
7 Your love has given me much joy and
comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s
people.
8 That is why I am boldly asking a
favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right
thing for you to do.
9 But because of our love, I prefer
simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now
also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.
10 I appeal to you to show kindness to
my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in
prison.
11 Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to
you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us.
12 I am sending him back to you, and
with him comes my own heart.
13 I wanted to keep him here with me
while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have
helped me on your behalf.
14 But I didn’t want to do anything
without your consent. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not
because you were forced.
15 It seems you lost Onesimus for a
little while so that you could have him back forever.
16 He is no longer like a slave to you.
He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he
will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me your partner,
welcome him as you would welcome me.
18 If he has wronged you in any way or
owes you anything, charge it to me.
19 I, PAUL, WRITE THIS WITH MY OWN HAND:
I WILL REPAY IT. AND I WON’T MENTION THAT YOU OWE ME YOUR VERY SOUL !
20 Yes, my brother, please do me this
favor for the Lord’s sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ.
21 I am confident as I write this letter
that you will do what I ask and even more!
22 One more thing—please prepare a guest
room for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me
return to you soon.
23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ
Jesus, sends you his greetings.
24 So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and
Luke, my co-workers.
25 May the grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Book of Titus
Book of Titus
Summary of the Book of Titus
This summary of the
book of Titus provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing,
chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the
Book of Titus.
The author is Paul
(see 1:1 and note; see also Introduction to 1 Timothy: Author).
The letter is
addressed to Titus, one of Paul's converts (see 1:4 and note) and a considerable help to Paul in his ministry.
When Paul left Antioch to discuss the gospel with the Jerusalem leaders, he
took Titus with him (Gal 2:1-3); acceptance of Titus (a Gentile) as a
Christian without circumcision vindicated Paul's stand there (Gal 2:3-5). Presumably Titus, who is not referred to in
Acts (but is mentioned 13 times in the rest of the NT), worked with Paul at
Ephesus during his third missionary journey (see map, p. 1724). It is likely
that he was the bearer of Paul's severe letter to the Corinthian church (see
Introduction to 2 Corinthians: Occasion). Paul was concerned about the possible
negative reaction of the Corinthian church to his severe letter, so he arranged
to meet Titus at Troas (2Co 2:12-13). When Titus did not appear, Paul traveled on
to Macedonia. There he met Titus and with great relief heard the good news that
the worst of the trouble was over at Corinth (2Co 7:6-7,13-14). Titus, accompanied by two Christian
brothers, was the bearer of 2 Corinthians (2Co 8:23) and was given the responsibility for making final arrangements
for the collection, begun a year earlier, in Corinth (see 2Co 8:6,16-17 and notes).
Following Paul's
release from his first Roman imprisonment (Ac 28), he and Titus worked briefly in Crete (1:5), after which he commissioned Titus to remain there as his
representative and complete some needed work (1:5; 2:15; 3:12-13). Paul asked Titus to meet him at Nicopolis
(see map, p. 2487) when a replacement arrived (see3:12 and note). Later, Titus went on a mission to Dalmatia
(see 2Ti 4:10 and note), the last word we hear about him in the NT.
Considering the assignments given him, he obviously was a capable and
resourceful leader.
The fourth largest
island in the Mediterranean Sea, Crete lies directly south of the Aegean Sea
(see map and inset, p. 2308; cf. note on 1Sa 30:14; cf. also Paul's experiences there in Ac 27:7-13). In NT times life in Crete had sunk to a deplorable
moral level. The dishonesty, gluttony and laziness of its inhabitants were
proverbial (1:12).
Apparently Paul
introduced Christianity in Crete when he and Titus visited the island, after
which he left Titus there to organize the converts. Paul sent the letter with
Zenas and Apollos, who were on a journey that took them through Crete (3:13), to give Titus personal authorization and guidance in meeting
opposition (1:5; 2:1,7-8,15; 3:9), instructions about faith and conduct, and
warnings about false teachers. Paul also informed Titus of his future plans for
him (3:12).
Paul possibly wrote
from Macedonia, for he had not yet reached Nicopolis (see3:12). The letter was written after he was released from his first
Roman imprisonment (Ac 28), probably between a.d. 63 and 65 -- or possibly at a later
date if he wrote after his assumed trip to Spain.
Especially
significant, considering the nature of the Cretan heresy, are the repeated
emphases on loving and doing and teaching "what is good" (1:8,16; 2:3,7,14;3:1,8,14) and the classic summaries of Christian
doctrine (2:11-14; 3:4-7).
I.
Greetings (1:1-4)
II.
Concerning Elders (1:5-9)
A.
Reasons for Leaving
Titus in Crete (1:5)
B.
Qualifications of
Elders (1:6-9)
III.
Concerning False
Teachers (1:10-16)
IV.
Concerning Various
Groups in the Congregations (ch. 2)
.
The Instructions to
Different Groups (2:1-10)
A. The Foundation for Christian Living (2:11-14)
B. The Duty of Titus (2:15)
V.
Concerning Believers
in General (3:1-8)
.
Obligations as
Citizens (3:1-2)
A. Motives for Godly Conduct (3:3-8)
VI.
Concerning Response to
Spiritual Error (3:9-11)
VII.
Conclusion, Final
Greetings and Benediction (3:12-15)
Titus 1 NLT
1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of
God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those
God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live
godly lives.
2 This truth gives them confidence that
they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the
world began.
3 And now at just the right time he has
revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of
God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him.
4 I am writing to Titus, my true son in
the faith that we share. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give
you grace and peace.
5 I left you on the island of Crete so
you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I
instructed you.
6 An elder must live a blameless life.
He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t
have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.
7 An elder is a manager of God’s
household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or
quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with
money.
8 Rather, he must enjoy having guests
in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He
must live a devout and disciplined life.
9 He must have a strong belief in the
trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others
with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are
wrong.
10 For there are many rebellious people
who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those
who insist on circumcision for salvation.
11 They must be silenced, because they
are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And
they do it only for money.
12Even one of their own men, a prophet from
Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals,
and lazy gluttons.”
13 This is true. So reprimand them
sternly to make them strong in the faith.
14 They must stop listening to Jewish
myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth.
15 Everything is pure to those whose
hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving,
because their minds and consciences are corrupted.
16 Such people claim
they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and
disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.
Titus 2 NLT
1 As for you, Titus, promote the kind
of living that reflects wholesome teaching.
2 Teach the older men to exercise
self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound
faith and be filled with love and patience.
3 Similarly, teach the older women to
live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy
drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good.
4These older women must train the younger
women to love their husbands and their children,
5 to live wisely and be pure, to work
in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they
will not bring shame on the word of God.
6 In the same way, encourage the young
men to live wisely.
7 And you yourself must be an example to
them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the
integrity and seriousness of your teaching.
8 Teach the truth so that your teaching
can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing
bad to say about us.
9 Slaves must always obey their masters
and do their best to please them. They must not talk back
10 or steal, but must show themselves to
be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God
our Savior attractive in every way.
11 For the grace of God has been
revealed, bringing salvation to all people.
12 And we are instructed to turn from
godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with
wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,
13 while we look forward with hope to
that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
will be revealed.
14 He gave his life to free us from
every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally
committed to doing good deeds.
15 You must teach
these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to
correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say.
Titus 3 NLT
1 Remind the believers to submit to the
government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what
is good.
2 They must not slander anyone and must
avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to
everyone.
3 Once we, too, were foolish and
disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our
lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.
4 But— When God our Savior revealed his
kindness and love,
5 he saved us, not because of the
righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our
sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
6 He generously poured out the Spirit
upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.
7Because of his grace he declared us
righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.
8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I
want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote
themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for
everyone.
9 Do not get involved in foolish discussions
about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish
laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.
10 If people are causing divisions among
you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with
them.
11 For people like that have turned away
from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.
12 I am planning to send either Artemas
or Tychicus to you. As soon as one of them arrives, do your best to meet me at
Nicopolis, for I have decided to stay there for the winter.
13 Do everything you can to help Zenas
the lawyer and Apollos with their trip. See that they are given everything they
need.
14 Our people must learn to do good by
meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive.
15Everybody here sends
greetings. Please give my greetings to the believers—all who love us. May God’s
grace be with you all.
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