Loading...I have been providing bullet-point summaries of the books of the New Testament, based on my fuller “nutshell summaries,” along with some questions to think about in reflecting on the books. With this post I will complete the undisputed Pauline epistles, that is, the seven letters that by virtual consensus are considered to be authentically from Paul’s hand, by dealing with two, the letters to the Philippians and the only one of these letters to an individual, Philemon.
Again, if you want to refresh your memory on the books, they are short (Philemon is a single page!) and not complicated to re(read); you can find my posts on them here:
Philippians
- Philippians in a Nutshell
- Philippians: Who Wrote It? When and Why?
- Philippians: For Further Reading
- The Most Widely Discussed Passage of Philippians
Philemon
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In the Christ poem am I to conclude Paul considers Christ as a lesser G-d?
In the poem he started out as a lesser God, but after his crucifixion God exalted him to a status equal with himself.
Greetings Bart; I always believed that Paul was joyous during adversity due to the Holy Spirit, now I’m unsure. Is there a debate or discussion amongst scholars that Paul may have been suffering from a psychological disorder? On the other hand, I have got to believe that most people would be horrified to find themselves sitting in a Roman prison. Paul always seemed passionate in his beliefs and suffered horribly for it. Did Paul believe he should die like a martyr, similar to Ignatius?
Yes, there are people who have questioned his mental state (and physical: did he have epilepsy?). My view is that it is a fruitless exercise: we simpy don’t have the materials we would need to engage in a serious psychological evaluation. Some people today have found a way to be at peace (or even joyful) in prison, and it doesn’t mean they are imbalanced. (though they may be!) It’s hard to know if Paul thought he would be martyred: his closest thing to a discussion of it is in Philipians 1, where he considers whether it would be better for him to “die and be with Christ.”
Bart, have you read “Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal”?
I tried to read it many years ago and was bored. Since then, I’ve learned enough about the gospels from this blog that I understand the allusions and events.
So here’s a thank-you for your blog!
People for years have told me I should, but alas….
Jesus tells everyone to love others as equal to oneself.
Paul teaches everyone to put others before and ahead of themselves.
Another interesting difference between Jesus and Paul.
Regarding question #3: Christ’s act of sacrifice would not have been selfless if he did it for future glory. Is it possible that the historical Jesus (as opposed to the Christ of faith) knew that his actions will lead to his execution but also believed that it will lead to future glory? That explains his agony in the garden just before his arrest (getting cold feet). This mind-set would also explain the action of his brother James which lead to his death, and also Paul’s joyful letter to the Philippians anticipating his execution.
Philemon is kind of a favourite with me as it’s so personal and kindly and free of the polemic and sarcasm of his longer letters. I’ve read that “put it on my account” is an idiom meaning “forget it!” and I think of it this way whether it is true or not. After all, it doesn’t make much sense for Paul to play the banker.