4. The epistles of Paul (Part 1)
4.1 Apostle Paul: an introduction to his epistles
We will now turn to a completely different literary genre within the New Testament: the epistles. Without any knowledge of what an ancient letter is, how it is structured, and what significance epistles had in antiquity, the letters of the New Testament cannot be understood. Our intent is to explore the question: what is a letter in antiquity anyway?
On the side, we will also take a closer look at the letters and life of Apostle Paul as an introduction.
4.2 The Epistle to the Romans
After this introduction to the letters of Paul, we will turn our attention to the most important letter of Apostle Paul, namely the letter to the Romans. We will examine its history of origin, its theological form, and its significance for our faith.
4.3 The First Epistle to the Corinthians
We will now turn our attention to Apostle Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians. In it, the Apostle responds to questions from the congregation and takes a position on various problems in Corinth. Important themes here are the resurrection of the dead, the celebration of Holy Communion, and the gifts of the Spirit.
4.4 The Second Epistle to the Corinthians
In this section we will become acquainted with the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, in which Apostle Paul describes the significance of his apostleship and defends his missionary mandate.