NEW TESTAMENT
PAUL’S PRISON EPISTLES
INTRODUCTION
§ Philippians – most inspiring message of __________ in the midst of trying
circumstances
§ Ephesians – most developed discussion of the _______________and spiritual
_______________
§ Colossians – most _______________letter of Paul
§ Philemon – shortest and most _______________letter of Paul
PAUL IN PRISON
§ Evidence from Acts - Three places where Paul was in prison: _______________ (ch 16),
_______________ (ch 23), _______________ (ch 28)
§ Evidence from Paul's Epistles – e.g., Eph 6.20; Phil 1.7ff; Col 4.10,18; Phlm 1, 23
§ Relationship of the Prison Epistles
§ Paul and Timothy as authors - Phil, Col, Phlm
§ Tychicus is the letter bearer – Eph, Col
§ Onesimus, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, Archippus, Epaphras - Col, Phlm
§ Philippians most _______________in comparison to others
§ Ephesians and Colossians have very close _______________relationship
§ Colossians and Philemon have very close _______________relationship
AUTHORSHIP
§ Philippians and Philemon - good external and internal evidence
_______________Pauline authorship
§ Christ Hymn in Philippians 2:6-11 possibly pre-Pauline
§ Ephesians and Colossians - good external evidence from early church but
_______________doubts due to debated internal evidence
§ _______________Issues – Paul does not seem to be personally acquainted with
the Ephesians (1:15; 3:2; 4:21)
§ _______________Issues – complex style and rare vocabulary
§ Christ Hymn in Colossians 1:15-20 possibly pre-Pauline
§ _______________Issues – Ephesians and Colossians appear dependent on one
another (73 verses virtually identical)
§ _______________Issues – Cosmic Christology, well-developed ecclesiology, and
realized eschatology seem un-Pauline
PROVENANCE & DATE
§ Three theories of imprisonment
§ _______________ (AD 54-57) – Paul spent 3 years there and he did mention that
he suffered many imprisonments during his travels (2 Cor 6:5; 11:23)
§ Closest proximity to Philippi and Colossae
§ _______________ (AD 58-60) – Paul spent 2 years there under Roman guard
, § _______________ (AD 60-62) – Paul spent 2 years under house arrest
§ Best Option when looking at the internal evidence in all the letters
PHILIPPIANS – LITERARY INTEGRITY
§ Philippians may be a _______________document (Argument not as strong as with 2
Corinthians)
§ Polycarp – Paul wrote "_______________" to the Philippians
§ Concluding Remarks in 3:1 – occur after discussion of _______________plans
(Paul's normal pattern at end of letter)
§ 3:1 appears to fit with 4:4 while 3:2-4:3 introduce an abrupt change in
Paul's thought
PHILIPPIANS – AUDIENCE, OCCASION, PURPOSE
§ Audience - "To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi"
§ Paul founded the church at Philippi in Macedonia on his ___________(Acts 16)
§ Occasion - Paul in prison and supported by the Philippian church through the ministry of
_______________
§ Paul learned of disunity and false teachers within the church
§ Purpose
§ _______________Concerns - To exhort the church to unity through humility; To
warn the church of false teachers who were compelling obedience to the Mosaic
Law
§ _______________Concerns - To thank the church for their partnership in the
gospel; To update the church on his circumstances and advancement of the
gospel; To commend Timothy and report on Epaphroditus' status
PHILIPPIANS - OUTLINE
§ Introduction (1.1-11)
§ Salutations; Thanksgiving for _______________in the Gospel; Prayer for the
Philippians
§ Paul's Suffering and Joy as a Paradigm (1.12-26)
§ For the _______________of the Gospel
§ For the _______________of Christ and the _______________of the Philippians
§ Exhortations to Unity Through Humility (1.27-2.18)
§ The appeal to steadfastness and _______________in the midst of suffering
§ The example of _______________humility
§ The call to work out your own salvation and follow _______________Example
§ Preparing for a Visit (2.19-30)
§ Commendation and example of _______________and Epaphroditus
PHILIPPIANS - OUTLINE
§ Warning and Exhortation (3.1-21)
§ Beware of the dogs, evil-workers who are _______________of the cross of
Christ
PAUL’S PRISON EPISTLES
INTRODUCTION
§ Philippians – most inspiring message of __________ in the midst of trying
circumstances
§ Ephesians – most developed discussion of the _______________and spiritual
_______________
§ Colossians – most _______________letter of Paul
§ Philemon – shortest and most _______________letter of Paul
PAUL IN PRISON
§ Evidence from Acts - Three places where Paul was in prison: _______________ (ch 16),
_______________ (ch 23), _______________ (ch 28)
§ Evidence from Paul's Epistles – e.g., Eph 6.20; Phil 1.7ff; Col 4.10,18; Phlm 1, 23
§ Relationship of the Prison Epistles
§ Paul and Timothy as authors - Phil, Col, Phlm
§ Tychicus is the letter bearer – Eph, Col
§ Onesimus, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, Archippus, Epaphras - Col, Phlm
§ Philippians most _______________in comparison to others
§ Ephesians and Colossians have very close _______________relationship
§ Colossians and Philemon have very close _______________relationship
AUTHORSHIP
§ Philippians and Philemon - good external and internal evidence
_______________Pauline authorship
§ Christ Hymn in Philippians 2:6-11 possibly pre-Pauline
§ Ephesians and Colossians - good external evidence from early church but
_______________doubts due to debated internal evidence
§ _______________Issues – Paul does not seem to be personally acquainted with
the Ephesians (1:15; 3:2; 4:21)
§ _______________Issues – complex style and rare vocabulary
§ Christ Hymn in Colossians 1:15-20 possibly pre-Pauline
§ _______________Issues – Ephesians and Colossians appear dependent on one
another (73 verses virtually identical)
§ _______________Issues – Cosmic Christology, well-developed ecclesiology, and
realized eschatology seem un-Pauline
PROVENANCE & DATE
§ Three theories of imprisonment
§ _______________ (AD 54-57) – Paul spent 3 years there and he did mention that
he suffered many imprisonments during his travels (2 Cor 6:5; 11:23)
§ Closest proximity to Philippi and Colossae
§ _______________ (AD 58-60) – Paul spent 2 years there under Roman guard
, § _______________ (AD 60-62) – Paul spent 2 years under house arrest
§ Best Option when looking at the internal evidence in all the letters
PHILIPPIANS – LITERARY INTEGRITY
§ Philippians may be a _______________document (Argument not as strong as with 2
Corinthians)
§ Polycarp – Paul wrote "_______________" to the Philippians
§ Concluding Remarks in 3:1 – occur after discussion of _______________plans
(Paul's normal pattern at end of letter)
§ 3:1 appears to fit with 4:4 while 3:2-4:3 introduce an abrupt change in
Paul's thought
PHILIPPIANS – AUDIENCE, OCCASION, PURPOSE
§ Audience - "To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi"
§ Paul founded the church at Philippi in Macedonia on his ___________(Acts 16)
§ Occasion - Paul in prison and supported by the Philippian church through the ministry of
_______________
§ Paul learned of disunity and false teachers within the church
§ Purpose
§ _______________Concerns - To exhort the church to unity through humility; To
warn the church of false teachers who were compelling obedience to the Mosaic
Law
§ _______________Concerns - To thank the church for their partnership in the
gospel; To update the church on his circumstances and advancement of the
gospel; To commend Timothy and report on Epaphroditus' status
PHILIPPIANS - OUTLINE
§ Introduction (1.1-11)
§ Salutations; Thanksgiving for _______________in the Gospel; Prayer for the
Philippians
§ Paul's Suffering and Joy as a Paradigm (1.12-26)
§ For the _______________of the Gospel
§ For the _______________of Christ and the _______________of the Philippians
§ Exhortations to Unity Through Humility (1.27-2.18)
§ The appeal to steadfastness and _______________in the midst of suffering
§ The example of _______________humility
§ The call to work out your own salvation and follow _______________Example
§ Preparing for a Visit (2.19-30)
§ Commendation and example of _______________and Epaphroditus
PHILIPPIANS - OUTLINE
§ Warning and Exhortation (3.1-21)
§ Beware of the dogs, evil-workers who are _______________of the cross of
Christ
