New Testament Study Guides - ElectronicGospel

New Testament Study Guide: Paul’s Prison Epistles
NEW TESTAMENT STUDY GUIDES
Rather than studying the New Testament verse-by-verse or in an
overview, this series seeks to look at the letter according to its contexts–
passage-by-passage, that is, by analyzing each of its paragraphs. Responses
to the questions should be done on a separate sheet of paper and in shortanswer
or essay format.
INTRODUCTION
These four New Testament books comprise the group known commonly
as the prison epistles, because they were likely written by Paul while he was
imprisoned in Rome in the early sixties of the first century.
The book of Ephesians is addressed to the Christians in the capital of the
Asian province. She was surrounded by mountains and the sea and intimate
with Greek trade, art and science. Ephesus was the famed home of the
Temple of Diana, one of the seven wonders of the world, and its
evangelization plays a pivotal role in the history of Acts 18-19. The purpose
of this epistle does not seem to be occasioned by any special circumstances
or outstanding event. Rather, it seems to be a convenient opportunity for
Paul to correspond with his beloved brethren at Ephesus. A large part of this
missive is about unity. Paul did not want to see or engender a split among
Jewish churches and Gentile churches. There was but one church.
The book of Philippians is considered to be an overwhelmingly
complimentary letter, but it also addresses the problems of false teaching
and congregational disunity. According to Acts 16, Paul labored in Philippi,
where he met Lydia and exorcised a demon from a damsel, which led him to
the opportunity to convert his jailer. Paul wrote to inform the Philippian
brethren of his welfare and apparently finds little reason for reproof as they
were holding to the truth and had even helped to fund his ministry.
The book of Colossians was sent to an important geographical and
cultural meeting place between east and west. Colossae boasted a mixture of
Greeks and Jews and a constant stream of international visitors with new
ideas. Paul writes to confront some resulting false teaching, done by
Judaizers and philosophers
The little book of Philemon is a personal missive from Paul to the owner
of a runaway slave named Onesimus whom the apostle had converted.
Although Paul returned him, he was hoping that Philemon would send him
back to minister to Paul.