BIBLE 9: KTB101 CHAPTER 10

THE EPISTLES: THE BIBLE MAILBAG

MEMORY VERSE

1 TIMOTHY 4:12“DON’T LET ANYONE LOOK DOWN ON YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE YOUNG, BUT SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE BELIEVERS IN SPEECH, IN CONDUCT, IN LOVE, IN FAITH AND IN PURITY.”

MEMORY VERSE

1 4:12“DON’T LET ANYONE LOOK ON YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE

, BUT SET AN  FOR THE BELIEVERS IN , IN CONDUCT, IN , IN FAITH AND IN .”

WHAT’S AN EPISTLE?oOF THE 27 BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, 21 ARE EPISTLES.oAN EPISTLE IS A PERSONAL LETTER THAT WAS WRITTEN TO CHURCHES AND INDIVIDUALS IN CITIES THROUGHOUT THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION.

oPAUL WAS A TEACHER AND LIKE A SPIRITUAL BIG BROTHER TO MANY OF THE NEW CHRISTIANS. IT MUST HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE WHEN HE HAD TO LEAVE A CITY. TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH THESE CHURCHES, PAUL WROTE LETTERS TO THEM. o THESE LETTERS WEREN’T INTENDED TO BE PURELY SOCIAL.o INSTEAD, PAUL USED HIS LETTERS AS A CHANCE TO GIVE FURTHER INSTRUCTION ABOUT

GOD AND GODLY LIVING. THIS

WHAT’S AN EPISTLE? CONT’D

oPAUL WROTE 13 OF THE 21 EPISTLES.oTHE ONES HE WROTE ARE NAMED FOR THE GROUPS OF

PEOPLE TO WHOM HE WAS WRITING (SUCH AS “ROMANS” TO THE CHRISTIANS IN ROME, OR “CORINTHIANS” TO THE CHRISTIANS IN THE CITY OF CORINTH) OR FOR AN INDIVIDUAL RECIPIENT SUCH AS “TIMOTHY” AND “TITUS.”

oSEVEN OF THE OTHER EPISTLES ARE NAMED AFTER THE AUTHORS (JAMES, PETER, JOHN, AND JUDE).

WHAT’S AN EPISTLE? CONT’D

oDISCIPLE MEANS “FOLLOWER,” AND APOSTLE MEANS “MESSENGER.”

oAFTER THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, THE 12 DISCIPLES WERE REFERRED TO AS APOSTLES BECAUSE THEY HAD THE SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT OF SPREADING THE MESSAGE OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE WORLD.o PAUL QUALIFIED AS AN APOSTLE, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE

RESURRECTED CHRIST REVEALED HIMSELF TO PAUL, SO PAUL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WALK AND TALK WITH JESUS.

oHEBREWS IS THE ONLY EPISTLE WRITTEN BY AN UNKNOWN AUTHOR.

MAIL SLOTS

oROMANS THROUGH GALATIANS: “CHRIST IN YOU.” CHRISTIANS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD BECAUSE GOD LIVES IN THEM THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

oEPHESIANS THROUGH PHILEMON: “YOU IN CHRIST.” EVERY CHRISTIAN BELONGS TO GOD AND IS PART OF THE “BODY OF CHRIST.”

oHEBREWS THROUGH JUDE: “WALKING BY FAITH.” FAITH IS MORE THAN JUST THEORY. IT TRANSLATES INTO POWER, WHICH EQUIPS CHRISTIANS TO HANDLE ALL OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE.

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTION

IF SOMEONE COULD WRITE AN EPISTLE TODAY ON ANY GIVEN TOPIC, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT IT TO COVER?

MEMORY VERSE

1 TIMOTHY 4:12“DON’T LET ANYONE LOOK DOWN ON YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE YOUNG, BUT SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE BELIEVERS IN SPEECH, IN CONDUCT, IN LOVE, IN FAITH AND IN PURITY.”

MEMORY VERSE

1 4:12“DON’T LET ANYONE LOOK ON YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE

, BUT SET AN  FOR THE BELIEVERS IN , IN CONDUCT, IN , IN FAITH AND IN .”

MEMORY VERSE

1 4:12“DON’T LET LOOK ON YOU BECAUSE ARE , BUT SET AN

 FOR THE IN , IN , IN , IN , AND

IN .”

LOTS OF LEARNING GOING ONoTOP TOPIC #1: HOW TO BE A CHRISTIAN

REMEMBER THAT THE EPISTLES WERE WRITTEN PRIMARILY TO NEW CHRISTIANS.o SIN: IF SOMEONE ASKED YOU TO DESCRIBE WHAT SIN IS, HOW WOULD YOU

ANSWER?o SALVATION: IF SOMEONE ASKED YOU HOW TO BE SAVED, HOW WOULD YOU

ANSWER?o FAITH: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELIEVE IN JESUS? HOW DO YOU GET FAITH,

AND HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’VE GOT IT?oHOLY SPIRIT: HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT “HAPPEN”? WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT

TO HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE WHEN GOD IS LIVING IN IT?o THE RETURN OF JESUS: JESUS IS COMING BACK…BUT HOW AND WHEN?

MEMORY VERSE

1 TIMOTHY 4:12“DON’T LET ANYONE LOOK DOWN ON YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE YOUNG, BUT SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE BELIEVERS IN SPEECH, IN CONDUCT, IN LOVE, IN FAITH AND IN PURITY.”

MEMORY VERSE

1 4:12“DON’T LET ANYONE LOOK ON YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE

, BUT SET AN  FOR THE BELIEVERS IN , IN CONDUCT, IN , IN FAITH AND IN .”

MEMORY VERSE

1 4:12“DON’T LET LOOK ON YOU BECAUSE ARE , BUT SET AN

 FOR THE IN , IN , IN , IN , AND

IN .”

LOTS OF LEARNING GOING ONoTOP TOPIC #2: YOU WANNA

LIVE RIGHT, YOU GOTTA THINK RIGHT.oRIGHT LIVING COMES FROM RIGHT

THINKING.oRIGHT THINKING COMES FROM

UNDERSTANDING AND OBEYING THE SCRIPTURES.

oUNDERSTANDING AND OBEYING THE WORD OF GOD REQUIRES

BOTH AN OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE RESPONSE.

oTOP TOPIC #3: YOU CAN EXPERIENCE INNER PEACE.oCONTENTMENToHOPEoCOMFORToTRANQUILITYoPEACE

LOTS OF LEARNING GOING ON

oTOP TOPIC #4: SECRETS TO LASTING FRIENDSHIPSoSYMPATHYoFORGIVENESSoACCEPTANCEoLOVE

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTION

WHICH OF THE “SECRETS TO A LASTING FRIENDSHIP” DO YOU FIND THE HARDEST TO EXPRESS AND WHY? CHALLENGE EACH OTHER WITH PRACTICAL STEPS TO OVERCOME THOSE BARRIERS, RECOGNIZING THAT IT TAKES A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN A 5-MINUTE DISCUSSION IN CLASS. (P. 268)

LOTS OF LEARNING GOING ON

oTOP TOPIC #5: ALL IN THE FAMILYoHOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGEoHOW TO RAISE GOOD KIDS

oTOP TOPIC #6: HOW TO BUILD A CHURCHoTHE CHURCH IS LIKE A BODY.oTHE CHURCH IS A FAMILY OF CHRISTIANS.

PAUL WRITES TO THE CHURCHESoROMANS: CHRISTIAN FAITH IN A NUTSHELL

oWE WERE SPIRITUALLY DEAD.oCHRIST MADE US SPIRITUALLY ALIVE.oTHE STRUGGLE BETWEEN DEAD AND ALIVE EXISTS.

o1 AND 2 CORINTHIANS: INSTRUCTIONS TO IMMATURE CHRISTIANSoARGUING WITH EACH OTHER AND IGNORING BLATANT

SEXUAL IMMORALITY AMONG CHRISTIANS.oSPIRITUAL GIFTS (1 CORINTHIANS 12)oLOVE (1 CORINTHIANS 13)

PAUL WRITES TO THE CHURCHESoGALATIANS: BORN (AGAIN) TO BE FREE

oFREEDOM FROM RELIGIOUS RULESoFREEDOM FROM THE POWER OF SIN

oEPHESIANS: A PART OF THE BODYoPAUL DEVOTES ALMOST THE ENTIRE FIRST HALF OF THIS LETTER TO

REMINDING CHRISTIANS OF GOD’S LIMITLESS LOVE FOR THEM.oAS DIFFERENT PARTS OF “THE BODY OF CHRIST,” CHRISTIANS MAY

EACH HAVE VARIOUS ROLES, BUT THEY SHOULD ACT IN UNITY, WITH CHRIST IN CONTROL AS THE “HEAD.”

oOUR FAITH IN CHRIST SHOULD AFFECT OUR LIFESTYLE, PARTICULARLY OUR RELATIONSHIPS AT HOME AND AT WORK.

PAUL WRITES TO THE CHURCHESoPHILIPPIANS: A CAUSE FOR REJOICING

oPAUL EMPHASIZES THE JOY THAT A CHRISTIAN HAS DESPITE DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.

oCOLOSSIANS: BACK TO BASICSoPAUL WROTE TO TELL THEM TO CUT THROUGH ALL OF THE

GARBAGE BECAUSE JESUS IS ALL THAT MATTERS.oHE REMINDS THEM ABOUT CHRIST’S PREEMINENT ROLE IN

CREATION, IN SALVATION, AND IN THE LIFE OF CHRISTIANS. oHE THEN EXPLAINS HOW A CHRISTIAN SHOULD REFLECT THE

INFLUENCE OF CHRIST AT HOME, AT WORK, AND IN THE CHURCH.

PAUL WRITES TO THE CHURCHES

o1 AND 2 THESSALONIANS: HANG IN THEREo IN HIS FIRST, PAUL GIVES THE CHRISTIANS THERE

ENCOURAGEMENT AND COMFORT.o IN HIS SECOND, PAUL IS EMPHATIC ABOUT THE RETURN OF

JESUS, BUT HE SAYS THAT NO ONE KNOWS THE TIME. CONSEQUENTLY, HE TELLS THE CHRISTIANS TO KEEP WORKING DILIGENTLY IN THEIR JOBS AND MINISTRIES UNTIL IT HAPPENS.

PAUL WRITES TO THE CHURCHESPAIR THEN SHARE: WITH YOUR PARTNER, YOU ARE TO READ THROUGH YOUR ASSIGNED SECTION AND PREPARE ABOUT A TWO-MINUTE SUMMARY OF THE KEY THINGS FROM YOUR SECTION. FEEL FREE TO USE THE TEXT DIRECTLY, BUT DON’T JUST READ THE ENTIRE SECTION. THINK ABOUT WHAT REALLY MATTERS AND HOW BEST TO SUMMARIZE IT.THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: AUTHOR, AUDIENCE, PURPOSE OF THE LETTER, MESSAGE

1 AND 2 TIMOTHY: BRADLEY & DANIEL JAMES: TIA & KYLANTITUS: EMILEY & NICOLE 1 AND 2 PETER: THOMAS & EMILYPHILEMON: JORDYNNE & SAMANTHA M. 1, 2, 3 JOHN: ZACK, & LESLIEHEBREWS: MICHAELA, SAMANTHA V., & CODY JUDE: LAUREN, JOSIAH, & ELIZABETH

PAUL GETS PERSONALo1 AND 2 TIMOTHY: PURSUE A GODLY LIFE

oTIMOTHY WAS ONE OF PAUL’S CLOSEST FRIENDS. PAUL WAS THE MENTOR, AND TIMOTHY WAS HIS PROTÉGÉ.

oPAUL ENTRUSTED TIMOTHY WITH FORMING THE LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS.

o IN 1 TIMOTHY, PAUL COVERS THE SUBJECTS OFoWORSHIPoCRITERIA FOR CHURCH LEADERSoWARNINGS AGAINST FALSE DOCTRINE

o IN 2 TIMOTHY, PAUL WAS IN PRISON. ROME HAD DECLARED CHRISTIANITY ILLEGAL, AND PAUL’S ENEMIES USED THE DECREE TO LOOK HIM UP FOR GOOD. THE THEME OF THIS LETTER IS ENCOURAGING TIMOTHY TO “REMAIN FAITHFUL TO THE THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT.”

PAUL GETS PERSONALoTITUS: DOING RIGHT IS THE RESULT OF THINKING

RIGHToTITUS WAS A YOUNG PASTOR AND DISCIPLE OF PAUL.

o CHARACTER COUNTS.o FOLLOW SOUND TEACHING; AVOID FALSE DOCTRINES.o SUBMIT TO CIVIL AUTHORITIES.

oPHILEMON: FREEDOM IN CHRISToTHIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN TO PHILEMON, A PROMINENT

MEMBER OF THE COLOSSIAN CHURCH. PHILEMON WAS A SLAVE OWNER, WHICH WAS COMMON IN THOSE DAYS, EVEN FOR CHRISTIANS.

oTHE SUBJECT OF THIS LETTER IS ONE OF PHILEMON’S SLAVES, ONESIMUS.

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCEoHEBREWS: A BIBLE IN THE BIBLE

oTHE LETTER OF HEBREWS WAS WRITTEN TO JEWISH CHRISTIANS WHO WERE PERHAPS DRIFTING AWAY FORM THE TRUTH THEY HAD HEARD.

oREMEMBER, NO ONE KNOWS THE AUTHOR OF HEBREWS FOR SURE.

oJAMES: REAL FAITHo JAMES AND JESUS WERE HALF BROTHERS.o JAMES WROTE TO JEWISH CHRISTIANS WHO WERE LIVING IN

THE REGIONS OUTSIDE OF PALESTINE.oREAL FAITH PRODUCES GOOD DEEDS. oALTHOUGH GOOD DEEDS ARE NOT THE SOURCES OF

SALVATION, JAMES SAYS THEY ARE PROOF OF SALVATION.

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCEo1 AND 2 PETER: LIFE IS TOUGH

o PETER WROTE TWO LETTERS TO JEWISH CHRISTIANS WHO HAD BEEN SCATTERED BECAUSE OF PERSECUTION FOR THEIR FAITH.

o1, 2, AND 3 JOHN: LOVE LETTERSo JOHN THE APOSTLE WROTE THESE THREE LETTERS (PLUS THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

AND REVELATION).o 1, 2, AND 3 JOHN ARE THREE LETTERS THAT FOLLOW JOHN’S TRADEMARK

OF LOVE. o THEY TALK ABOUT LOVING GOD, LOVING GOD’S WORD, AND SHOWING LOVE TO

OTHERS.

o JUDE: DEFEND THE TRUTH: o JUDE WAS A HALF BROTHER OF JESUS. o HE WROTE THIS SHORT LETTER TO JEWISH CHRISTIANS TO MOTIVATE THEM TO

PROTECT THE PURE TRUTH OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. o HE SAYS THAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD AGGRESSIVELY DEFEND THEIR FAITH AGAINST

THOSE WHO SEEK TO PERVERT OR POLLUTE IT.