Workshop on Paul

Workshop on Paul

Led by Gene Hillman At Chester River Meeting On October 12 and 13, 2001

Friday Evening (please read The Acts of the Apostles 9-28 in preparation)

Session I: Overview of The Bible

Hebrew scriptures
- Pentateuch (Torah) first five books or "the law"
  - source theory (J, E, P, and D)
  - Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses
- Histories (former prophets)
  - Joshua and Judges
  - Samuel = David
  - Kings
- Writings
  - Job
  - Psalms
  - Proverbs
  - Ecclesiastes
  - Song of Songs
- Latter prophets
  - Isaiah
  - Jeremiah and Lamentations
  - Ezekiel
  - Daniel - among the writings (i.e. a story, not a prophet) in the Jewish Bible)
  - The Twelve

Apocrypha

Inter-testamental Writings
Why Luther left them out, setting precedent for Protestants

New Testament

Gospels

Mark and Q
Matthew
Luke
John
Thomas and other non-canonical gospels

Acts
Letters of Paul
- Authentic
  - I Thessalonians & Philemon
  - Romans
  - I & II Corinthians
  - Galatians
  - Philippines
- Pseudo Pauline: Ephesians (?), Colossians (?), II Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy. Titus
Hebrews

Catholic (general) Epistles

The Revelation to John (Apocalypse)

* Paul and pseudo-Paul * First Century Judaism * The Greek/Roman world

Break

Session II: : Hermeneutic method

Saul/ Paul the man
Saul/Paul as portrayed in Acts, and in his letters

Saturday Morning (please read The Letter to the Galatians)

Session III: Reading of Galatians

Faith or law?
"faith in Christ," or "the faith of Christ;" how to translate, and how does it matter?

Break

Session IV: Troublesome matters

women
homosexuality

Saturday Afternoon (please read Romans 8)

Session V Faith and works in Paul

Luther and Calvin on Paul
Quakers and Paul

Break

Session IV Discussion and summation

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Suggested Reading for further study (all in PYM Library)

Dandelion, Ben Pink; Douglas Gwyn; and Timothy Peat. Heaven on Earth: Quakers and the Second Coming. (Kelso, Scotland: Curlew Productions and Woodbrooke College, 1998). Peat in particular spends a good deal of time on Paul.

Elliot, Neil. Liberating Paul. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1994. Walter Wink says "By penetrating exegesis and sharp political acumen Elliott reinstates Paul as the agitator and martyr that he really was."

Forbush, Bliss. A Study of the Life and Letters of Paul. Philadelphia: Friends General Conference, 1961.

Furnish, Victor Paul. The Moral Teaching of Paul. Nashville: Abington Press, 1979. A discussion of Paul on some of the troublesome issues.

Gwyn, Douglas. Apocalypse of the Word. (Richmond, Indiana: Friends United Press, 1996). Not specifically on Paul but shows where he influenced early Friends

Roetzel, Calvin J. The Letters of Paul. (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991).