I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews
I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews
Purpose: While Paul had his missionary trip, he instructed Timothy to look after the church. When he understood that he might not come back in for a long time, he wrote this letter to Timothy in order to remind and broaden the charge he had given his young helper (Phillips, 2003).
Key verse(s) and themes of the First Epistle to Timothy:
Context:
Audience: the book was not aimed to be read to broad audience. It was written primarily to Timothy to remind about his charges.
Issues addressed in the book: This is the letter to Timothy, who was an immature pastor, who was helping Paul. Their relations were much more of just a mentor and student; they were like a father and a son. In this book the Apostle Paul asks Timothy to avoid false mentors and doctrines and encourages being firm and true to his faith (Phillips, 2003).
The Second Epistle to Timothy:
Purpose: to deliver Paul`s last words to Timothy to embolden him and other believers to be strong in their faith and follow the gospel of Christ (Phillips, 2003).
Key verse(s) and themes of the Second Epistle to Timothy:
Context:
Audience: the book was not aimed to be read to broad audience. It was written primarily to Timothy (Phillips, 2003).
Issues addressed: the Apostle Paul emboldens Timothy to stay passionate for Jesus and follow the doctrine, to avoid anything immoral and flee from ungodly beliefs and practices (Phillips, 2003).
The Epistle to Titus:
Purpose: to embolden Titus, who was the Apostle Paul`s brother in the faith, looking after the Crete church, and advise him the qualifications of future leaders of the church (Phillips, 2003).
Key verse(s) and themes:
Context:
Audience: it was addressed primarily to Titus.
Issues addressed in the book: Titus received a letter from Paul, which was aimed to encourage him, as his work on Crete was difficult as the island was inhabited by people who did not know the truth of Christ (Phillips, 2003).
The Epistle to Philemon:
Purpose: to deliver the message from Paul to Philemon - a Christian slave owner. Onesimus, his slave, stole his things and got away to Paul and then became a Christian. So, Paul wrote this letter to ask Philemon not to treat Onesimus as a slave any more, but to treat him as a brother in Christ (Erasmus et al., 1993).
Key verse(s) and themes of the Epistle to Philemon:
Context:
Audience: it was written primarily to Philemon and not to the broad public.
Issues addressed: Paul stated that slave owners have responsibilities towards slaves and have to treat all the Christians as brothers and not slaves (Erasmus et al., 1993).
The Epistle to the Hebrews:
Purpose: it is assumed (by Dr. Martin, who is the establisher of the Christian Research Institute) that this book was created by a Hebrew to those Hebrews, who were prosecuted, to convince them to further believe in Christ (Erasmus et al., 1993).
Key verse(s) and themes:
Context:
Audience: it was addressed to three different groups: believers in Christ, unbelievers with knowledge of Christ, and unbelievers who rejected Him (Erasmus et al., 1993).
Issues addressed:
Superiority and supremacy of Jesus
The Judaic ceremonies that were directed on the coming of great Messiah.
References
Phillips, J. (2003). Exploring the Pastoral Epistles: An Expository Commentary. Kregel Academic.
Erasmus, D., Bateman, J. (1993). Paraphrases on the Epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, the Epistles of Peter and Jude, the Epistle of James, the Epistle of John, the Epistle to the Hebrews. University of Toronto Press.
