Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Letters Attributed to Paul

St. Paul: The Source of the New
Testament Letters
The Thirteen New Testament Letters
The Letter to the Hebrews

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters
Pauls Letters
1. There are a total of twenty-one letters or epistles in the New Testament
2. Fourteen have been traditionally attributed to St. Paul
3. Hebrews does not claim to be a work of Paul
but was attached to the Pauline letters at
the time it was accepted into the canon
4. Among the thirteen letters that claim Paul
as their author, there is debate about his
role in the authorship of six of these

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

Pauls Letters
5. Literary form of Pauls letters:
6. The letters are arranged in a rough approximation of
longest to shortest
beginning
with Romans and ending
Opening
address
with Philemon
Thanksgiving
7. In Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians,
Body
the Letter
1 Thessalonians,
andofPhilemon
there is a consistency of
style, vocabulary,
and theological emphasis
Final Salutations
8. Possible pseudonymous works include 2 Thessalonians,
Colossians, and Ephesians

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

Background on St. Paul

1. Paul is known through his own letters and the Acts
2. He was born a Jew and was a persecutor of the Church
3. He defended his role and authority as an Apostle
4. He had an eyewitness experience of the Risen Jesus
5. Paul expended himself for the rest of his life in his ministry to
the Gentiles, experiencing both successes and defeats,
triumphs and great suffering
6. Ancient custom suggests he died in
Rome during the persecutions

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

The Theology of St. Paul

The brothers and
sisters of Christ
should treat others
with dignity. We must
love one another.

Christians are bound

together in one Body,
the Church, of which
Jesus is the head.

Following Jesus
means that we must
suffer for him gladly.

The Holy Spirit is the

life of the Church
who enables us to
call God Abba.

The heart of the Gospel is the Death

and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Salvation is a free gift from

God that demands faith.
We cannot earn Salvation
on our own merits.
Christians will participate
in the Resurrection of
Jesus Christ. After the Last
Judgment, the universe will
be renewed. The Kingdom
of God will come in
fullness. The just will
reign with Christ forever.
God will then be all in all
in eternal life.

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

The Letter to the Romans

1. This is Pauls longest and deepest theological letter
2. He is concerned that missionaries in Rome with Jewish
roots are directing Gentiles to keep Jewish Law
3. He teaches it is faith in Christs Death and Resurrection that
reconciles us to God, not works of the Law
4. Christs work brings: justification, peace with God,
the Holy Spirit, reconciliation with God, salvation
from Gods wrath, hope of a share in Gods eternal
glory, Gods superabundant love poured out on us
5. We dont earn Jesus intervention in history, nor can we earn
our Salvation by any human means

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

First and Second Corinthians

1. In Ephesus Paul received news that the church in
Corinth had broken into rival groups with different
leaders and many had fallen back into pagan practices
2. First Corinthians (c. AD 56) is a reaction to this
3. Second Corinthians (AD 57) is Pauls response to the
good news that the Corinthians were beginning to
reject false teachers and respond to Pauls teachings

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

Themes in 1 Corinthians
Women may
certainly pray
and prophesy in
the assemblies,
but must dress
respectably

The institution of
the Lords Supper
No believer should
do anything to
damage another
persons faith

The Church is the Temple of the

Holy Spirit where all parts of the
Body of Christ are joined together
with Christ as the head

Love never fails

Jesus teachings called for even
greater respect for the human
body and the most important and
intimate relationships
Since there are no real gods behind
pagan idols, eating meat sacrificed
in religious rites is fine

The presence of the Spirit of God not

only joins us together with others, but
also wants us to recognize and preserve
our duty to care for one another

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Part 2B The New Testament Letters

Themes in the Other Letters

2 Corinthians
Paul tries to make
peace with the
Corinthians
Christian principles
are contrasted with
the Old Covenant

Galatians
Paul defends his ministry and his place
as an Apostle as well as his message
that Gentiles are free from the Law
Only faith in Jesus Christ, not
observance of the Jewish Law,
guarantees Salvation
Baptism incorporates all Christians into
the Church as children of God
Being set free from the Law by faith
does not mean license to do what you
want

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

Themes in the Other Letters

Ephesians
Paul blesses God (in a hymn)
not only for having blessed
humans in every way, and
especially for having revealed
to us his eternal plan to unite
everything in his name under
Heaven and earth
It is your responsibility to work
towards the fulfillment of Gods
plan

Philippians
Joy in the Lord for those who
live in the Church
The need for Christian
harmony, peace, and humility
It is necessary to imitate
Christ in his sufferings
There is no true love without
the giving of ones self, and
that truth is the only
foundation for real honor

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

Themes in the Other Letters

Colossians
If you want to see
God, look at
Jesus because
Christ is the very
image of God
It may possibly
address some
false teachings of
the Gnostics

1 Thessalonians
Remain holy, especially avoiding sexual
immorality
Christians who have died with Christ will one
day rise and live with him forever
Remember the end of the world
Commendation for their great progress in
the practice of their faith
Refrain from sexual immorality and promote
love and concern for one another

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

Themes in the Other Letters

2 Thessalonians
Jesus will not come again
until certain signs take place
Christians need to prepare
themselves for his return
Those who ignore his
advice to go to work and
earn money for their food
should be avoided, so in
shame they will return to the
Church

1 Timothy
Corrections of false teachers in
the church of Ephesus
The Church is the pillar and
foundation of truth
Directives on the kind of people
who should be chosen to hold key
positions in the Church
True widows should be cared
for by the community

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

Themes in the Other Letters

2 Timothy
Reflections on a Christian facing
loneliness in the midst of distress, and
the near possibility of death
Pauls imprisonment and death are not
dishonorable
Do not get lost in the pointless
disputes, or be swayed by false
teachings
Dire warnings that wickedness will
precede the end times

Titus
Bishops should hold
fast to the true
message as taught so
that he will be able to
both exhort with
sound doctrine and to
refute opponents
Rules for the behavior
of differing age
groups, particularly
urging self-control

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

Themes in the Other Letters

Philemon
Rather than fight a system that was
going to fade away at the Lords return,
slaves should remain as they are and be
the best slaves possible
Masters should remember that they too
will have to answer to the true Master in
Heaven for their treatment of slaves
Philemon should not punish Onesimus
and should treat him as a brother in
Christ

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

Background on the Letter to the Hebrews

1. While the author is anonymous, evidence suggests it was
not Paul
2. The author possesses a classic education and was almost
certainly a Jewish Christian
3. The community seems to have endured terrible suffering
4. Written as a homily, it was composed some time in the last
twenty years of the first century
5. This letter was controversial because of its hardline stance
against apostasy

Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of Gods Word

Part 2B The New Testament Letters

Themes in Hebrews
1. Christ is the high priest and the model of our faith
2. Christ both is, and offers, the sacrifice on our behalf
3. Christs Death on the Cross perfectly achieved,
once and for all, the reconciliation between
humanity and God that the yearly Temple
sacrifices could not
4. Unlike the Jewish high priests, Christ was
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from
sinners, higher than the heavens