Lesson 17: The Theme Of Covenant

Related Media

It is often argued that there are two principal themes of Scripture: covenant and kingdom. God is building his kingdom on the earth and he is doing so through covenants with people. In this section, we will focus first on the theme of covenant.

Covenants are bonds God makes with individuals or nations in order to accomplish his redemptive plan. The word “covenant” in Hebrew means “to cut.” It pictures how blood was often used to seal or confirm a covenant. For example, in Genesis 15:7-18, God instructed Abraham to take certain animals, cut them in half, and place each half opposite the other. At this point, when establishing ancient covenants, it was customary that both parties would walk between the two halves of the dead animals, essentially saying, “Let this happen to me if I don’t fulfill my part of the covenant!” But in a surprising move, God himself walked between the dead animals (v. 17), essentially declaring, “Let this happen to me if I don’t fulfill my part of the covenant!” In other words, God promised to bear all the responsibility of fulfilling his covenant with Abraham.

With many covenants, often a sign symbolizing the covenant agreement is performed or given. For example, rings are commonly exchanged in weddings as symbols of fidelity to the marriage covenant. Likewise, regarding God’s covenant with Noah to never destroy the world through a flood, God symbolized his promise with the sign of the rainbow.

Why does God give covenants in Scripture? Again, from the beginning of Scripture, it is clear God is building a kingdom. God called Adam and Eve to subdue and rule over creation (Gen 1:28), and though the first humans failed, God is still partnering with people to get his will done on earth. Christ taught his disciples to pray this in the Lord’s Prayer, “may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). Through prayer and the works of believers, God is building a kingdom on the earth, which started with Adam and Eve in the garden and continues with Abraham and his seed. God is still calling people and saying to them, “Follow me! I will be your God and you will be my people, and I’ll use you to bless the earth!”

There is some debate as to the exact number of covenants: some argue for seven while others argue for eight. Not all are specifically identified as covenants in Scripture, but they bear covenantal characteristics. Some are temporary, established only for a particular season until the next covenant is in place. Many of them overlap, as God uses each covenant to fulfill the other. In this study, we will consider eight covenants.

1. The Edenic Covenant

The Edenic Covenant was in place at creation before the fall. (1) It primarily detailed humanity’s responsibility towards creation. In Genesis 1:28, God commanded Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” Also, they were allowed to eat only from seed-bearing plants and trees with fruit and seeds in it. Animals, who were under Adam and Eve’s rule, were allowed to eat only green plants for food (Gen 1:29-30). (2) In addition, Adam and Eve were commanded to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and if they did, they would die (Gen 2:16-17). In effect, this covenant was conditional. If they obeyed God and did not eat of the tree, God would provide for them, bless them, and they would live eternally.

Though not called a covenant in Genesis, in Hosea 6:7, God said this about Israel, “But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.” God’s instructions to Adam and Eve in Eden were indeed a covenant. Adam and Eve were called to rule. God was king, and Adam and Eve were his vice-regents. When humanity broke the Edenic Covenant, it triggered a cascade of consequences, which we will consider under the Adamic Covenant.

2. The Adamic Covenant

After humanity broke the Edenic Covenant, ushering in the fall, God implemented the Adamic Covenant. This covenant included the negative effects of the fall on creation and humanity (Gen 3:16-18) and the promise of a redeemer who would eventually restore creation (Gen 3:15). The consequences of the fall include Adam and Eve’s relationship remaining in perpetual conflict, which would ultimately lead to all types of human conflict—fights, divorce, murder, and war. Eve would struggle with pain associated with childbearing, including infertility, labor pains, the death of the mother, or the death of the child. Also, the earth would be cursed; it would not only be less fruitful, but also bear thorns and thistles. But most significantly, humanity began to die (cf. Rom 6:23). They died spiritually, as they experienced separation from God. After the fall, Adam and Eve hid from God, and humanity, since then, does the same. People hide from God, do not seek him or obey him (cf. Rom 8:7). Also, people die physically, from old age and sickness. Finally, people experience eternal death—eternal separation from God’s blessing in a place of judgment (2 Thess 1:9).

But, in the midst of the details of judgment, God gave Adam and Eve hope, in Genesis 3:15. This verse is often called the proto-evangelium—a compound Greek word that means “first gospel.” Genesis 3:15 says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This essentially promised a perpetual battle between Satan and his demons with the woman (and through her, all humanity), and ultimately Satan and his demons with Christ—the seed of the woman. Satan would strike Christ’s heel, as pictured in his death on the cross, but Christ would strike Satan’s head—referring to a fatal blow. Christ would defeat Satan and ultimately restore God’s kingdom, healing all of humanity and creation. This covenant was fulfilled in Christ’s death and resurrection, but it will be ultimately fulfilled when Christ eternally judges Satan and rules the earth as the unrivaled King (Rev 20-22).

3. The Noahic Covenant

Because of the results of sin, humanity’s depravity grew worse and worse, until God vowed to judge the world through means of a flood. Before sending the flood, God initiated a covenant with Noah; God promised that Noah’s family would survive the flood, repopulate the earth, and rule it. In Genesis 6:18, before the flood, God said this to Noah: “but I will confirm my covenant with you. You will enter the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.” After destroying the earth through the flood, God promised in Genesis 9:13 to never again destroy the earth through a flood and gave Noah the symbol of the rainbow as a perpetual reminder of that promise. God also gave Noah many other instructions, including:

the original covenant command given to Adam, that Noah and his family would be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth (Gen 9:1).
that all animals would fear humanity and that man was to be a good steward over them (Gen 9:2).
that everything living (including plants and animals) would be food for humanity (9:3).
that people should never eat meat with blood in it (9:4).
that capital punishment would be instituted for the murder of a person, since all people were made in the image of God—whether that murder was committed by a human or an animal (9:6). This is a clear establishment of human government, which is to protect human life and also judge those who take life (cf. Rom 13:1-7).
that God would never again destroy the earth through a flood (Gen 9:11-13).

4. The Abrahamic Covenant

The Abrahamic Covenant, which is an everlasting covenant (Gen 17:7-8), is God’s pledge to use Abraham (and his family) to be a blessing to the nations. Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV) says:

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Initially, this covenant was conditional upon Abraham’s obedience in leaving his home to go to Canaan; however, it later became unconditional. As cited in Genesis 15, God walked between the cut animals as he swore to fulfill the covenant through his power alone. In addition, as God reaffirmed this covenant throughout Abraham’s life, God added stipulations and elaborated on the details of it. The covenant includes:

that Abraham would become a great nation (Gen 12:2).
that God would make Abraham’s name great and that he would be a blessing to many (Gen 12:2).
that God would protect Abraham by blessing those who blessed him and cursing those who cursed him (Gen 12:3).
that all nations would be blessed through Abraham (Gen 12:3).
that God would give Abraham’s descendants the land of Canaan (Gen 12:7).
that Abraham’s descendants would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore and the stars in the sky (Gen 13:16, 15:5). They would eventually be enslaved by a nation for 400 years outside of Canaan. God would judge that nation, and Abraham’s descendants would leave the nation with great possessions and return to Canaan (Gen 15:5, 13-16).
that nations and kings would come from Abraham (Gen 17:6).
that God would make an everlasting covenant with Abraham’s descendants and that they would possess Canaan forever (Gen 17:7-8).
that Abraham’s male descendants would need to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth, as a sign of the covenant, or be cut off from the nation (Gen 17:10-14).
that the messiah would come through Abraham and bless the nations (Gen 22:18, Gal 3:16).

God would eventually reaffirm many of these covenant promises with Abraham’s seed—Isaac, Jacob, and the nation of Israel. God planned to bless the nations through Israel by allowing them to be prophets and priests to the world, and ultimately by establishing Christ through their lineage. Christ would die for the sins of the world.

5. The Mosaic Covenant

Unlike the Abrahamic Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant is not an everlasting covenant. It was a temporary, conditional covenant established to prepare Israel for the messiah. In Galatians 3:19 and 24, Paul said,

Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary… Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith.

The Mosaic law is a collection of 613 laws given to Israel in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. (1) These laws taught God’s holiness and his standards for people to practice. (2) Since nobody could ever live up to God’s standards, the law also gave people a way to atone for their sins through various sacrifices. With each sacrifice, it reminded them that they could never be holy as God was holy, and that they needed a substitute to atone for their sins. (3) Their sacrifices ultimately pointed to Christ, who would pay the penalty for the sins of every person in the world. They needed the Savior promised in the Genesis 3:15 proto-gospel. The law was not given to every nation, but only to Israel and foreigners who became part of Israel.

These 613 laws incorporate ceremonial, civil, and moral laws. Ceremonial laws include specifics about how the Israelites should live with God dwelling in the camp or city (including food, clothing, sanitation, and sacrifice requirements). Civil laws include the administration of justice for murder, stealing, idol worship, and other offenses. The moral law includes the Ten Commandments. In Deuteronomy, the laws include blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. These are written in the form of a suzerain covenant—a covenant that a small nation would make with a great king for protection. The Old Testament historical books, from Joshua to Esther, are actually detailing Israel’s obedience and disobedience to God’s commands, including evidence of God’s faithfulness to bless and curse Israel in accordance with God’s laws.

6. The Palestinian Covenant

The Palestinian Covenant is the covenant that not all accept as a separate covenant. Many believe that it is actually part of the Mosaic covenant, as it is given at the end of the book of Deuteronomy. However, there are reasons for considering it as a separate covenant. (1) Deuteronomy 30:1 indicates that this promise will happen at a time after both the blessings and curses of the Mosaic covenant have been fulfilled in Israel. It says: “When you have experienced all these things, both the blessings and the curses I have set before you, you will reflect upon them in all the nations where the Lord your God has banished you…” (2) In addition, Moses gave promises not stipulated in any other part of the Mosaic covenant, promises which look forward to the New Covenant. Specifically, God promised to bring them back to the land of Canaan and give them circumcised hearts so that they will love God with all their heart and soul. Deuteronomy 30:5-6 says:

Then he will bring you to the land your ancestors possessed and you also will possess it; he will do better for you and multiply you more than he did your ancestors. The Lord your God will also cleanse your heart and the hearts of your descendants so that you may love him with all your mind and being and so that you may live.

While the Mosaic Covenant was temporary and fulfilled at Christ’s first coming, this promise in Deuteronomy 30:5-6 is brought to completion in the New Covenant, fully realized in Israel at Christ’s second coming. Consider the following New Covenant promises:

Ezekiel 36:24-28

“Indeed, a time is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them,” says the LORD. “But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the LORD. “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people.

Jeremiah 31:31-33

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”

Romans 11:26-27

At Christ’s coming, all Israel will repent of their sins, be regathered to their land, and given a new heart to faithfully obey God’s laws. The Mosaic law provided no empowerment to fulfill God’s laws—only reparations for failure to do so.

According to Deuteronomy 30:1-7, the Palestinian Covenant says:

that after receiving the blessings and curses of the Mosaic covenant, Israel will return to God and obey him (Dt 30:1-2).
that the Lord will regather Israel from every nation on earth, bring them to Canaan, and give it to them as a possession (Dt 30:3-5).
that Israel will prosper and grow in number (Dt 30:6).
that God will give them circumcised hearts and enable them to love and obey God (Dt 30:6, 8)
that God will discipline their enemies (Dt 30:7).

The Palestinian Covenant is a continuation of the Abrahamic Covenant, wherein God promises to give Abraham’s descendants the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession (cf. Gen 17:7-8). This will be fulfilled in the New Covenant—at Christ’s second coming. Only when Israel is obedient to God and serving King Jesus will they dwell and prosper in the land of Palestine.

7. The Davidic Covenant

During the United Kingdom of Israel, David became Israel’s second king. David was called “a man after God’s own heart.” Though he had flaws, David lived a life of obedience to God. Because of this, God covenanted with David to give him a son who would build God a temple and have an everlasting reign. Second Samuel 7:8-16 says:

“So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd to make you leader of my people Israel. I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there and not be disturbed any more. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief from all your enemies. The Lord declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you. When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings. But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.’”

This prophecy has dual fulfillments—a near and a far fulfillment. As a near fulfillment, it was partially fulfilled in David’s son, King Solomon. Solomon built God a temple and during his reign Israel lived in peace and prospered. However, when he sinned God disciplined him. The kingdom of Israel was divided into two kingdoms: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. God did not fully take away the kingdom from Solomon, as his sons ruled the smaller kingdom, Judah.

Nonetheless, some parts of this prophecy could never be fulfilled in Solomon. He died and therefore did not have an everlasting reign. The prophecy is fulfilled in Christ. He came from David’s lineage to be their king and to usher in his eternal rule called “the kingdom of heaven.” However, the Jews rejected him and crucified him. Now, Christ reigns at the right hand of God until he returns to judge and rule the earth (cf. Acts 2:29-36, Ez 37:22-25). He will have an eternal kingdom.

Also, Christ’s mission of “building God a house” may be interpreted as having dual fulfillments: it is fulfilled in the church, as we are the temple of God (cf. Matt 16:18, 1 Cor 3:16-17), but others believe it will be fulfilled in Christ’s building of a literal temple at his coming and millennial reign as prophesied in Ezekiel 40-42 (cf. Rev 20).

The Davidic Covenant promises:

that David’s name will be made great (2 Sam 7:9).
a land for Israel, including blessing and protection for a season (2 Sam 7:10-11).
to establish a kingdom for David’s son (2 Sam 7:12).
that David’s son will build God a house (2 Sam 7:13).
that God will love David’s son as a father, including disciplining him if he sinned (2 Sam 7:14-15).
that David’s throne will be established forever through his son (2 Sam 7:16).

Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic king—he rules in heaven and will one day rule on earth. At his first coming, he began to build his church (Matt 16:18), which is the temple of God (1 Cor 3:16-17), and one day, at his second coming, he will build another temple which will fulfill detailed prophecies in Ezekiel 40-42, as he reigns over all nations on the earth during his millennial reign (Rev 20).

8. The New Covenant

God promised Israel another covenant because they couldn’t fulfill God’s first covenant with them. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, God prophesied about this future New Covenant:

“Indeed, a time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them,” says the Lord. “But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the Lord. “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people. “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Ezekiel 36:26-30 also describes this future covenant with Israel:

“‘I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries; then I will bring you to your land. I will sprinkle you with pure water and you will be clean from all your impurities. I will purify you from all your idols. I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you; I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes and carefully observe my regulations. Then you will live in the land I gave to your fathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and multiply it; I will not bring a famine on you. I will multiply the fruit of the trees and the produce of the fields, so that you will never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.

What are some of the dominant characteristics of the New Covenant?

God will gather Israel from the nations and restore them to their land (Ez 36:26).
God will forgive the sins of Israel (cf. Jer 31:34, Rom 11:26-27). As taught by further revelation, God will do this in a different way than the Mosaic Covenant stipulated. In the Mosaic Covenant, they had to offer sacrifices for their sins every year. But because of Christ’s complete payment for their sins, there will be no need for continual sacrifices (cf. Hebrews 9:15, 10:11).
God will pour out his Spirit on Israel and give them a new heart so they will obey God’s laws (Jer 31:33, Ez 36:26-27). Under the Old Covenant, God’s Spirit anointed the prophet, priest, and king for special duties, but not everybody received God’s special empowerment through the Spirit. However, in the New Covenant, every Israelite will receive ability to obey God. In Joel 2:28, God said this to Israel: “After all of this I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions.”
God will prosper Israel (Ez 36:29-30).

In considering all these New Covenant promises to Israel in the Old Testament, one must ask, “How can the church (made up of both Jew and Gentile believers) then take part in the New Covenant, as clearly taught throughout the New Testament (cf. Lk 22:20, 1 Cor 11:25, 2 Cor 3:6)?” The following views address that question from two different positions:

1) Some believe that the church has replaced Israel, and therefore no promises remain specifically applicable to the nation. This is called “replacement theology.” The problem with this view is that many of God’s promises to Israel have no literal fulfillment, including the land promise, which is considered an everlasting covenant.

2) Others believe that God will ultimately fulfill his promises to the nation of Israel (cf. Rom 11:26-29), but the church takes part in many of the promises because of her new relationship to Christ. Since believers are in Christ (Eph 1:3), baptized into his body (1 Cor 12:13), and co-heirs with him (Rom 8:17), the church will, in some sense, take part in the promises to the nation of Israel. Nonetheless, some promises may only apply to the nation of Israel, such as being regathered from exile at Christ’s return. The New Testament teaches that the church takes part in New Covenant promises, such as the forgiveness of sins, receiving the Holy Spirit, and having God’s laws written on their hearts. However, participation in other promises will have a future fulfillment, as the church rules with Christ in the millennial kingdom (cf. 1 Cor 6:2-3, Rev 20:4-6).

Conclusion

Through his covenants, God is fulfilling his eternal plan on the earth. After Adam broke God’s Edenic Covenant, God promised to bring the one who would restore God’s rule on the earth—the messiah. In God’s redemptive plan, he covenanted with Noah, Abraham, Israel, and David. Now, he has partnered with the church—made of Jew and Gentile believers—through the New Covenant to bless the nations. When the promised king returns, Israel will return to God, in partial fulfilment of the New Covenant, resulting in blessings for the nations. In speaking about Israel’s restoration to God, Paul said:

I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous. Now if their transgression means riches for the world and their defeat means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full restoration bring?

Romans 11:11-12

God is a God of covenant; he says, “You will be my people and I will be your God, and I will use you to build my kingdom.”

Reflection

In the reading, which covenant stood out most to you and why?
As mentioned, some don’t accept the Palestinian covenant as an actual Biblical covenant, insisting instead that it is part of the temporary Mosaic Covenant. What are your views on whether Scripture supports the Palestinian Covenant as an eternal biblical covenant, ultimately fulfilled in Israel at Christ’s return?
In what ways does the church participate in the New Covenant, which was originally given to Israel? Has the church fully replaced Israel, receiving all of God’s promises originally given to her?
What other questions or applications do you have from the reading?

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

Lesson 19: The Bible Is Unique In Its Structure

Related Media

What is the Bible’s structure? The Bible is comprised of sixty-six books, consisting of thirty-nine Old Testament books and twenty-seven New Testament books. It was written over a time frame of 1500 years. Scholars believe the first book of the Bible written was Genesis or Job, completed around 1400 BC, and the last book of the Bible written, Revelation, was completed around AD 90.¹ The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, with some small parts written in Aramaic. The New Testament was originally written in Greek. We’ll consider the structure of both, starting with the OT.

OT Structure

There are three categories of OT books: history, poetry, and prophecy. The structure of the English OT is very easy to discern: The first seventeen OT books are history. They detail creation, the fall, the call of the patriarchs, Israel’s slavery and deliverance from Egypt, Israel’s conquest of Canaan, their rebellion against God, their exile and eventual return to the land. The next five are poetry. The final seventeen are prophetic books.

Historical Books

What are the seventeen historical books? They include all the books from Genesis to Esther and recount the history of Israel. The first five, Genesis to Deuteronomy, are often called the Law or Pentateuch (“five books”). The following is the list of all the historical books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

Primary And Secondary Books

Within the seventeen historical books, there are two sub-groups: primary and secondary books. There are eleven primary and six secondary books. The primary books give chronological history, and the secondary overlap with or repeat certain aspects of the chronological history given in the primary books. As examples, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ruth, and Esther are secondary books because their stories occur during the history of the other eleven primary books. Leviticus, which focuses on the priestly functions, happens during the Exodus and Numbers’ period. Deuteronomy happens during Numbers and Joshua. It does not advance historically. Ruth takes place during the book of Judges. First and 2 Chronicles cover David’s life through the Babylon exile, which is a later repeat of 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings.

Poetic Books Or Wisdom Literature

After the seventeen historical books, there are five poetical books, sometimes called wisdom literature. They are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

Prophetic Books

After the seventeen historical books and five poetical books, there are seventeen prophetic books, which close the OT canon. Within the prophets are two sub-groups called the major and minor prophets. Why are they called major and minor? It has nothing to do with content, but rather the length of the content. The major prophets are larger books and the minor prophets are small books. The major and minor prophets are as follows:

Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

In considering the OT structure, if one wants to learn the history of Israel, he or she should read Genesis to Esther, the first seventeen books of the OT. If one wants to read the poetry of Israel, he or she should read from Job to Song of Solomon, the five books in the middle of the OT. If one wants to read the prophetic literature of Israel, he or she should read Isaiah to Malachi, the last seventeen books of the OT.

Hebrew Old Testament

When considering the Hebrew Old Testament (or Bible), it is divided differently than the English one. First, instead of thirty-nine books, most Hebrew OTs have twenty-four books (some have twenty-two) because of how certain books are combined. For instance, in the Hebrew Bible, Ezra and Nehemiah are combined into one book, as are 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. Finally, the minor prophets are assembled together in one book called The Twelve.

Also, instead of the main categories being history, poetry, and prophets as with the English Bible, the Hebrew Bible is divided into the five books of Moses (or Law), Prophets, and Writings.² This system of organizing the OT Scripture was even in use during Christ’s ministry. In Luke 24:44, Christ said this to his disciples: “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Instead of calling the last section Writings, it was often referred to by its largest book, Psalms. Below is the Hebrew OT arrangement:

Moses (five books): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Prophets (eight books): Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Twelve
Writings (eleven books): Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra/Nehemia, Chronicles

NT Structure

The New Testament is also assembled into three categories of books: historical, Pauline, and general epistles. There are twenty-seven books overall: five historical, thirteen Pauline, and nine general epistles. The historical books include the Gospels and Acts—they tell the story of Christ and his disciples, and how the church grew throughout the ancient world. The Pauline epistles include Paul’s letters to various individuals and churches. The general epistles are the writings of other apostles and their associates to various individuals and churches. The book categories are as follows:

Historical Books (five): Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts
Pauline Epistles (thirteen): Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
General Epistles (nine): Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation

Chapter And Verse Divisions

When the books of the Bible were originally written, they did not include chapter and verse divisions. Early Jews and Christians, when referencing a Scripture text, would refer to it by the book, author, and a textual event, with little further specificity.³ For example, when Christ referenced God’s words to Moses in Exodus 3, he said: “…have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?” (Mk 12:26). The current chapters and verses were added for better referencing by various scholars at different periods of time, starting around 900 AD and being completed around 1551. The first English Bible translation to have our current chapter and verse divisions was the Geneva Bible of 1560.⁴

Reflection

In the reading, which aspect of the Bible’s structure stood out most to you and why?
What are the three categories of the OT books?
What are the three categories of the NT books?
How should the fact that the chapter and verse divisions were not in the original manuscripts affect how we study the Bible?
What other questions or applications do you have from the reading?

¹ Accessed 2/11/20 from https://www.gotquestions.org/write-the-Bible.html

² Accessed 11/4/2019 from https://torah.org/learning/basics-primer-torah-bible/

³ Plummer, Robert L. 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible (40 Questions & Answers Series) (Kindle Location 616). Kregel Publications - A. Kindle Edition.

⁴ Plummer, Robert L. 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible (40 Questions & Answers Series) (Kindle Locations 640-641). Kregel Publications - A. Kindle Edition.

Lesson 20: The Bible Is Unique In Its Various Translations

Related Media

The Bible is the single-most translated book in the world. There are over 7,097 known languages and the complete Bible has only been translated into approximately 700 of them. But with that said, a portion of the Bible has been translated into 3,312 of the 7,097 known languages.¹ It is difficult to determine how many English translations there are because it is hard to distinguish between a new translation and a revision. However, there are as many as fifty documented English Bible translations.²

Why are there so many English translations, especially when considering there are thousands of other languages without a translation? There are three reasons for continually updating an English translation: (1) Because of archaeological findings in the last few centuries, new Bible manuscripts have been found which are older and more trustworthy than previous manuscripts. Though the differences are minor, they still, at times, require updates to older translations or for new translations to be created. (2) The English language is always changing. If one were to read an English Bible translation from 400 years ago, it would be virtually incomprehensible to most English speakers today. Changes include spelling, grammar, and phraseology, which makes updated Bible translation necessary. (3) There are different Bible translations based on method of translation. The two primary methods are formal equivalence (literal), which attempts to translate word for word from the original language. The other method is dynamic equivalence (paraphrase), which attempts to translate the author’s original thought. The strength of the word for word method is that the translator inserts less interpretation (what the translator thinks it means) into the translation. However, the weakness is that it often sacrifices readability. The strength of the thought for thought method is readability, and its weakness is often more of “this is what the translator thinks it means” rather than “this is what it says.”³ Each Bible translation is at different points of the word for word (formal) and thought for thought (dynamic) scale. For example, consider the graph below with various translations and their place on the scale:

Word for Word (Formal)						Thought for Thought (Dynamic)
<_____________________________________________________________________>
NASB	ESV	KJV	NKJV	HCSB	NET		NIV	TNIV	NCV	NLT	Living Message

The most literal or “word for word” versions are the New American Standard Bible (NASB), English Standard Version (ESV), and the King James Version (KJV). The most paraphrased versions are the Message, Living Bible, and the New Living Translation (NLT). The New International Version (NIV) and New English Translation (NET) strike a balance between the two translation methods.

Below are examples of the same verse in some of the popular English translations, and the slight differences between them:

KJV

NASB

ESV

NIV

NLT²

Message

Proverbs 18:24

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

A man of many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.

⁴

Which English Bible translation is the best one or the one a person should use? All the Bible versions have their strengths and weaknesses. The right Bible depends on what factors are most important for an individual. Is readability most important? In that case, the person should try the NLT or NIV. Is translation closest to the original language most important (which is often necessary for teachers and preachers)? Then perhaps the person should select the NASB or ESV. It has been said the best Bible version is the version that one will read most. In studying Scripture, it is best to use multiple versions, since no single translation can capture all of the original meaning.

Reflection

In the reading, what aspect about Bible translation stood out most to you and why?
Why are new Bible translations and updates continually necessary?
What is your favorite Bible version to read/study and why?
What other questions or applications do you have from the reading?

¹ How many languages has the Bible been translated into?” accessed 8/13/19 from https://www.christianlingua.com/into-how-many-languages-has-the-bible-been-translated/

² What are the different English Bible versions? Accessed 8/13/19 from https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-versions.html

³ What are the different English Bible versions? Accessed 8/13/19 from https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-versions.html

⁴ “Translation Comparison Charts” accessed 8/13/19 from http://www.apbrown2.net/web/TranslationComparisonChart.htm

Lesson 21: The Bible Is Unique In Its Story

Related Media

The Bible’s story is unique in that it spans from before creation to the eternal state. Its story has been summarized in several helpful ways—a two-part model, a three-part model, a seven-part model, and a twelve-part model. The two-part model is called Promise-Fulfillment. The Old Testament promises the coming of a Redeemer (Christ), and the New Testament is the fulfillment of that promise, as Christ is introduced in the Gospels, dies and resurrects, and will return to fully establish his kingdom in the book of Revelation. In addition, there is a three-part model which includes: Creation, Fall, and Salvation. Genesis 1-2 documents how God created the earth. Genesis 3 documents how Adam and Eve fell into sin which brought about sin’s consequences. And Genesis 4 through Revelation 22 document salvation history—how God moves in history to restore people and the earth.

A more thorough summary is the seven-part model:

Creation: God creates a perfect world with humanity as the chief of creation.
Fall or Origin of Sin: Humanity falls into sin when tempted by the devil, leading to death and many other consequences for creation.
Israel: Through the patriarchs and prophets, God calls Israel to be witnesses to the world and for the messiah to come through them.
Jesus: The messiah is born, lives a perfect life, is crucified by the Jews, rises again, and commissions his apostles to preach the gospel to the entire world so that people might be saved.
Church: Jesus’ followers travel throughout the ancient world preaching the resurrected Christ and salvation by faith in him. As they do so, the church is formed, persecuted, and spread throughout the ancient world.
Defeat of Sin: When Christ returns to the earth, he judges the devil and the unrighteous and breaks the curse on creation.
New Creation: Christ ushers in the eternal state including a new heaven and earth, and he reigns with a righteous, benevolent rule throughout eternity with his saints.¹

Another summary is a twelve-part model, which focuses on the stages of biblical history:

Creation: This details the creation of the world and early events such as the fall, the flood, and the Tower of Babel.
Patriarchs: This details God’s promise to the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to bless the world through their descendants (Israel) and ultimately through the messiah.
Exodus: This details Israel’s slavery in Egypt for 400 years, how God delivers them through Moses, how God establishes a covenant with Israel and their time in the wilderness, as they prepare to cross into Canaan.
Conquest: This details Joshua’s commission after the death of Moses, and how he leads Israel to conquer and settle in Canaan.
Judges: This details a period of around 300 years in Canaan after Joshua’s death where Israel continually rebels against God and receives divine chastisement through foreign oppressors.² This causes Israel to continually cry out to God, and God continually delivers them through leaders called judges.
United Kingdom: This details the reign of the first king in Israel, Saul, and the reign of the next two kings, David, and his son, Solomon.
Divided Kingdom: This details Israel’s split into two kingdoms—the Northern Kingdom called Israel, and the Southern Kingdom called Judah. It also describes the good and bad kings during this time, the often-antagonistic relationship between the kingdoms, and their ultimate defeat and exile by Assyria and later Babylon.
Exile: This details the time period of Israel’s exile in Babylon for seventy years, including prophecies about their future return to Canaan.
Return: This details Israel’s return from exile in three different stages under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. It also describes the rebuilding of the temple, the wall around Jerusalem, and Jerusalem itself.
Gospels: This details Jesus’ birth, ministry to Israel and his disciples, crucifixion, resurrection, and commission of his disciples.
Early Church: This details Christ’s ascension to heaven, the coming of the Holy Spirit to empower the disciples, the founding of the early church, the persecution of the church, and the spreading of the gospel throughout the ancient world.
Epistle Stage: This details the writings of Paul, the other apostles, and their associates to early churches and individuals to instruct, encourage, and protect them from false teaching. It also gives prophecies about God’s judgment during the end times and Christ’s return and eternal rule in the new heaven and earth.

Reflection

In the reading, which of the Bible story summaries stood out most to you and why?
How would you summarize the Bible to an unbeliever or a new believer?
What are some other helpful Bible summaries?
What other questions or applications do you have from the reading?

¹ “Putting the Bible together” accessed 8/13/19 from https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2017/09/08/putting-bible-together/

² McMath, J. T. (2014). Judges. In The moody bible commentary (p. 355). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

Lesson 22: Conclusion

Related Media

As the Psalmist said, the Bible is perfect, reliable, fair, pure, right, trustworthy, valuable, and delightful (Psalm 19:7-10). Since the Bible is God’s Word, it is truly unique. There is no other book like it. In fact, one of the things we haven’t considered is the tremendous testimonies of how the Bible has changed people’s lives—set them free, given them hope, joy, and purpose in life. Psalm 1:2-3 declares how God blesses those who delight in and meditate on God’s Word day and night. He makes them like fruitful trees whose leaves do not wither and who prosper in everything they do. Will you allow God’s Word to save you, change you, and make you a blessing to others?

Reflection

In the book, what was your favorite section and why?
How would you describe to an unbeliever the Bible uniqueness in comparison to other books?
How has God challenged you from this book to study and share the Bible more?
What further questions do you have about the Bible?

Appendix 1: Study Group Tips

Related Media

Leading a small group using the Bible Teacher’s Guide can be done in various ways. One format for leading a small group is the “study group” model, where each member prepares and shares in the teaching. This appendix will cover tips for facilitating a weekly study group.

Each week the members of the study group will read through a select chapter of the guide, answer the reflection questions (see Appendix 2), and come prepared to share in the group.
Prior to each meeting, a different member can be selected to lead the group and share Question 1 of the reflection questions, which is to give a short summary of the chapter read. This section of the gathering could last from five to fifteen minutes. This way, each member can develop their gift of teaching. It also will make them study harder during the week. Or, each week the same person could share the summary.
After the summary has been given, the leader for that week will facilitate discussions through the rest of the reflection questions and also ask select review questions from the chapter.
After discussion, the group will share prayer requests and pray for one another.

The strength of the study group is the fact that the members will be required to prepare their responses before the meeting, which will allow for easier discussion. In addition, each member will be given the opportunity to teach, which will further equip their ministry skills. The study group model has distinct advantages.

Appendix 2: Reflection Questions

Related Media

Writing is one of the best ways to learn. In class, we take notes and write papers, and these methods are used to help us learn and retain the material. The same is true with the Word of God. Obviously, all the authors of Scripture were writers. This helped them better learn the Scriptures and also enabled them to more effectively teach it. As you reflect on God’s Word, using the Bible Teacher’s Guide, take time to write so you can similarly grow both in your learning and teaching.

How would you summarize the main points of the text/chapter? Write a brief summary.
What stood out to you most in the reading? Did any of the contents trigger any memories or experiences? If so, please share them.
What follow–up questions did you have about the reading? What parts did you not fully agree with?
What applications did you take from the reading, and how do you plan to implement them into your life?
Write several commitment statements: As a result of my time studying God’s Word, I will . . .
What are some practical ways to pray as a result of studying the text? Spend some time ministering to the Lord through prayer.

Appendix 3: Walking The Romans Road

Related Media

How can a person be saved? From what is he saved? How can someone have eternal life? Scripture teaches that after death each person will spend eternity either in heaven or hell. How can a person go to heaven?

Paul said this to Timothy:

You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know who taught you and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:14-15

One of the reasons God gave us Scripture is to make us wise for salvation. This means that without it, nobody can know how to be saved.

Well then, how can a people be saved and what are they being saved from? A common method of sharing the good news of salvation is through the Romans Road. One of the great themes, not only of the Bible, but specifically of the book of Romans is salvation. In Romans, the author, Paul, clearly details the steps we must take in order to be saved.

How can we be saved? What steps must we take?

Step One: We Must Accept That We Are Sinners

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” What does it mean to sin? The word sin means “to miss the mark.” The mark we missed is reflecting God’s image. When God created mankind in the Genesis narrative, he created man in the “image of God” (1:27). The “image of God” means many things, but probably, most importantly it means we were made to be holy just as he is holy. Man was made moral. We were meant to reflect God’s holiness in every way: the way we think, the way we talk, and the way we act. And any time we miss the mark in these areas, we commit sin.

Furthermore, we do not only sin when we commit a sinful act such as lying, stealing, or cheating. Again, we sin anytime we have a wrong heart motive. The greatest commandments in Scripture are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:36-40, paraphrase). Whenever we don’t love God supremely and love others as ourselves, we sin and fall short of the glory of God. For this reason, man is always in a state of sinning. Sadly, even if our actions are good, our heart is bad. I have never loved God with my whole heart, mind, and soul, and neither has anybody else. Therefore, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). We have all missed the mark of God’s holiness and we must accept this.

What’s the next step?

Step Two: We Must Understand We Are Under The Judgment Of God

Why are we under the judgment of God? It is because of our sins. Scripture teaches that God is not only a loving God, but he is also a just God. And his justice requires judgment for each of our sins. Romans 6:23 says, “For the payoff of sin is death.”

A payoff or wage is something we earn. Every time we sin, we earn the wage of death. What is death? Death really means separation. In physical death, the body is separated from the spirit, but in spiritual death, man is separated from God. Man currently lives in a state of spiritual death (cf. Eph 2:1-3). We do not love God, obey him, or know him as we should. Therefore, man is in a state of death.

Moreover, one day at our physical death, if we have not been saved, we will spend eternity separated from God in a very real hell. In hell, we will pay the wage for each of our sins. Therefore, in hell people will experience various degrees of punishment (cf. Lk 12:47-48). This places man in a very dangerous predicament—unholy and therefore under the judgment of God.

How should we respond to this? This leads us to our third step.

Step Three: We Must Recognize God Has Invited All To Accept His Free Gift Of Salvation

Romans 6:23 does not stop at the wages of sin being death. It says, “For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Because God loved everybody on the earth, he offered the free gift of eternal life, which anyone can receive through Jesus Christ.

Because it is a gift, it cannot be earned. We cannot work for it. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”

Going to church, being baptized, giving to the poor, or doing any other righteous work does not save. Salvation is a gift that must be received from God. It is a gift that has been prepared by his effort alone.

How do we receive this free gift?

Step Four: We Must Believe Jesus Christ Died For Our Sins And Rose From The Dead

If we are going to receive this free gift, we must believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Because God loved us, cared for us, and didn’t want us to be separated from him eternally, he sent his Son to die for our sins. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Similarly, John 3:16 says, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God so loved us that he gave his only Son for our sins.

Jesus Christ was a real, historical person who lived 2,000 years ago. He was born of a virgin. He lived a perfect life. He was put to death by the Romans and the Jews. And after he was buried, he rose again on the third day. In his death, he took our sins and God’s wrath for them and gave us his perfect righteousness so we could be accepted by God. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” God did all this so we could be saved from his wrath.

Christ’s death satisfied the just anger of God over our sins. When God looked at Jesus on the cross, he saw us and our sins and therefore judged Jesus. And now, when God sees those who are saved, he sees his righteous Son and accepts us. In salvation, we have become the righteousness of God.

If we are going to be saved, if we are going to receive this free gift of salvation, we must believe in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for our sins (cf. 1 Cor 15:3-5, Rom 10:9-10). Do you believe?

Step Five: We Must Confess Christ As Lord Of Our Lives

Romans 10:9-10 says,

Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.

Not only must we believe, but we must confess Christ as Lord of our lives. It is one thing to believe in Christ but another to follow Christ. Simple belief does not save. Christ must be our Lord. James said this: “…Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear” (James 2:19), but the demons are not saved—Christ is not their Lord.

Another aspect of making Christ Lord is repentance. Repentance really means a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. Before we met Christ, we were living our own life and following our own sinful desires. But when we get saved, our mind and direction change. We start to follow Christ as Lord.

How do we make this commitment to the lordship of Christ so we can be saved? Paul said we must confess with our mouth “Jesus is Lord” as we believe in him. Romans 10:13 says, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

If you admit that you are a sinner and understand you are under God’s wrath because of it; if you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for your sins, and rose from the dead for your salvation; if you are ready to turn from your sin and cling to Christ as Lord, you can be saved.

If this is your heart, then you can pray this prayer and commit to following Christ as your Lord.

Dear heavenly Father, I confess I am a sinner and have fallen short of your glory, what you made me for. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and rose from the dead so I can have eternal life. I am turning away from my sin and accepting you as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life and change me. Thank you for your gift of salvation.

Scripture teaches that if you truly accepted Christ as your Lord, then you are a new creation. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come!” God has forgiven your sins (1 John 1:9), he has given you his Holy Spirit (Rom 8:15), and he is going to disciple you and make you into the image of his Son (cf. Rom 8:29). He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5), and he will complete the work he has begun in your life (Phil 1:6). In heaven, angels and saints are rejoicing because of your commitment to Christ (Lk 15:7).

Praise God for his great salvation! May God keep you in his hand, empower you through the Holy Spirit, train you through mature believers, and use you to build his kingdom! “He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this” (1 Thess 5:24). God bless you!

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

Backward Christian Soldiers

Backward Christian soldiers, Fleeing from the fight,
With the cross of Jesus, Nearly out of sight.
Christ our rightful master, Stands against the foe;
Onward into battle, we seem afraid to go.

Like a might tortoise, Moves the church of God.
Brothers we are treading, Where we’ve often trod.
We are much divided, Many bodies we,
Having different doctrines, but not much charity.

Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the cross of Jesus Hidden does remain.
Gates of hell should never ‘gainst the Church prevail,
We have Christ’s own promise, but we think it might fail.

Sit here then ye people, Join our sleeping throng.
Blend with ours, your voices in a feeble song.
Blessings, ease and comfort Ask from Christ the King,
But with our modern thinking, We won’t do a thing.

Chorus:
Backward Christian soldiers, Fleeing from the fight,
With the cross of Jesus, Nearly out of sight.

Attributed to George Verwer in the book Timely Insights Into Timeless Truth By Kenneth J. Brown (page 85)

Introduction, Background, and Outline to Philippians

A Map of Philippi and Surrounding Regions

The City of Philippi and the Origin of the Church There

The city of Philippi, as one can see from the map, is located in north eastern Greece (Macedonia). The city was already ancient by the time Paul arrived there around 49 CE (Acts 16:11-40). In fact, its beginnings go back to the fourth century BCE when it was occupied by the Thracians. In 356 BCE, however, Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, took over the city and named it after himself. He eventually established it as a military stronghold in order to protect the lands he had already acquired and the nearby gold mines which yielded him yearly a thousand talents. It was also important as a land route across Asia.¹ In 168 BC Philippi became part of the Roman empire when the latter defeated the Persians at the battle of Pydna and Macedonia was divided into four districts, Philippi belonging to the first.

Philippi is famous for one particular event. In 42 BCE Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar, in a battle at Philippi. Later in 31 BCE when Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium, he assumed the named Augustus and rebuilt the city of Philippi. He placed retired soldiers there to ensure loyalty to Rome and established it as a military outpost. He also gave the new colony the highest privilege obtainable by a Roman provincial municipality—the ius italicum. Colonists could buy, own, or transfer property and maintained the right to civil lawsuits. They were also exempt from the poll and land tax.²

When Paul came to the city around 49 CE, Philippi was an urban center at the eastern end of the plain, a few miles northwest from Neapolis. The people there were both Romans and Greeks and spoke predominantly Greek even though Latin was the official language.³

The church in Philippi was founded by the apostle Paul on his second missionary journey, recorded in Acts 16:1-40. Paul originally went to Macedonia because of a night vision described for us in Acts 16:9. In it Paul saw a man of Macedonia standing and asking that he come over to help them. Paul responded and so the gospel went triumphantly westward beginning in Philippi as the first city to be evangelized in Europe.

When Paul arrived in the city of Philippi he stayed there several days (Acts 16:12). The religious life of those in Philippi was marked by very syncretistic practices including the worship of the emperor (Julius, Augustus, and Claudius), the Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis, as well as many other deities. When the Sabbath came Paul went outside the city to the river looking for a place of prayer. The Greek text of Acts 16:13 is somewhat uncertain, but it seems that there were not enough men (i.e., 10) practicing Judaism in Philippi to have a synagogue. This being the case, Paul probably went to the Gangites River (or the Crenides river), approximately 1.5 miles away, in hopes of finding a Jewish “meeting place.” Perhaps it was near a river so that water was accessible for Jewish ritual purifications,⁴ though this is uncertain.

Paul spoke to the women who had gathered there, including a woman named Lydia (or perhaps the Lydian lady) who was a dealer in purple cloth and a proselyte to Judaism (Acts 16:14). She had probably converted to Judaism (since her name is a Gentile name) when living in Thyatira and brought her faith with her to Philippi. As she listened to Paul speak, the Lord opened her heart to respond. Evidently her entire household responded as well, since all of them were baptized together (Acts 16:14-15). Both the reference in Acts 16:15 to “the members of her household” and the fact that Paul and his companions stayed with her, together may indicate that Lydia was a woman of some means. This, then, is the rather auspicious beginnings of the Philippian church.

We must also note the rather lengthy section Luke devotes to Paul’s encounter with the slave girl in Philippi and the events that ensued. In Acts 16:16-18 Paul encountered a slave girl with a demonic spirit which could foretell the future and by which she earned her masters a great deal of money. Paul eventually rebuked the spirit and it left her. As a result she also lost the ability to foretell the future which created no little anger on the part of her owners. So they took Paul and Silas and brought them before the magistrates (Philippi was like a “little” Rome), charging that the missionaries were forcing them, as Roman citizens, to follow customs which were unlawful. The result was that Paul and Silas were thrown into prison after being stripped, beaten, and severely flogged (Acts 16:20-24). Around midnight there was an earthquake and all the prison doors flew open. Paul and Silas did not flee, but instead stayed and shared the gospel with the jailer who subsequently—both he and his entire family—came to the Lord (Acts 16:25-34). After Paul had made a point about his Roman citizenship⁵ to the magistrates who were wishing simply to release them, the missionaries went to the home of Lydia (Acts 16:35-40) and then departed for Apollonia and Thessalonica (Acts 17:1). We are uncertain as to the exact amount of time Paul stayed and ministered in Philippi on this first visit, but it is clear, nonetheless, that he had developed a deep love for them (cf, Phil 1:7). Thus we have Luke’s description of the events of the mission in Philippi—a strategic inroad for the gospel in Europe.

Authorship

There has never been any serious doubt as to the authorship of the letter to the Philippians. Paul claims to have written it (1:1; on the relationship of Timothy to the writing of the letter see, “Lesson 2: The Greeting”) and when compared to say Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Galatians, all the internal characteristics of language, style, and historical facts, confirm this. The early church also speaks consistently about Pauline authorship and authority. Hawthorne comments:

Echoes of Philippians may be heard in the writings of Clement (ca. AD 95), Ignatius (ca. AD 107), Hermas (ca. AD 140), Justin Martyr (d. ca. AD 165), Melito of Sardis (d. ca. AD 190) and Theophilus of Antioch (later second century). Polycarp of Smyrna (d. ca. AD 155) addresses himself to the Philippians and directly mentions Paul as having written them (3.2). Irenaeus (d. ca. AD 200). Clement of Alexandria (d. ca. AD 215), Tertullian (d. ca. Ad 225) and the later fathers not only quote from Philippians, but assign it to Paul as well. Philippians appears in the oldest extant lists of NT writings—the Muratorian Canon (later second century) and the special canon of Marcion (d. ca. AD 160). There apparently never was a question in the minds of the Fathers of the Church as to the canonical authority of Philippians or about its authorship.⁶

The authorship of the book, then, according to most scholars is fairly certain: Paul wrote it. There are, however, questions about whether the letter as a whole is unified or a composite of Pauline letters sent to the Philippian church and later grouped together by an editor. These literary questions are complex and cannot be delved into here. Suffice it to say that no two scholars agree on what the various letters are within the “letter.” And, if the seams are indeed as noticeable as one would expect (e.g., there is a disjunction of sorts between 3:1 and 2) why didn’t the so-called redactor or editor do a better job of smoothing them out. In an intensely personal letter—of the sort like Philippians—there is nothing to suggest that a composite is necessary. This commentary will proceed according to the conviction that while there is some disjunction in the letter it is nonetheless a literary whole and makes good sense as such.

Date and Place of Writing

The particulars surrounding the place of writing, and also the date, are not as straight forward as the question of authorship. It is, however, obvious on a casual reading of Philippians that Paul is in prison (1:7, 13, 17) and that the Philippians know where this is since they had sent Epaphroditus to him (4:18). But the question remains as to what imprisonment is being referred to. Typically, one of three solutions is advanced: (1) Rome; (2) Ephesus; or (3) Caesarea. Once we have answered this question with a reasonable degree of certainty we can postulate a date for the book.

The traditional answer is that Paul wrote Philippians from Rome during his imprisonment there (cf. Acts 28:30). While there are many factors which contribute to a Roman provenance for the letter, there is are difficulties with this solution. Indeed, some scholars feel, on the basis of these difficulties, that another solution should be sought. The problems revolve around the length of time Paul was in Rome (2 years) and the number of visits to and from Philippi during that period—not to mention the visits Paul was planning, according to Philippians. For example, there must be enough time to have: (1) someone sent from Paul to inform the Philippians that he was in prison; (2) the Philippians send Epaphroditus to Paul with their gift for him (2:25); and (3) someone dispatched to Philippi with the report about Epaphroditus’s health. There are also three other visits mentioned in letter: (1) Epaphroditus takes the letter to Philippi (2:25); and (2) Timothy is to make a round trip to Philippi and back to Rome (2:19)⁷. Some scholars argue that in the ancient world this itinerary would have been impossible to complete in two years.

Motivated in part by the problems with a Roman provenance and the difficult travel schedule this creates, some scholars have argued that the letter was written from Ephesus during Paul’s ministry there (Acts 19:1ff). First, it seems that the Philippian church had helped Paul financially at the outset of his ministry around 49 CE (Phil 4:15-16). If the letter had been written from Rome, then over ten years had passed since they’d helped him again, which seems a bit long according to some scholars—especially for a church that shared such a good relationship with him (see Phil 4:10ff). Thus, they argue, it is unlikely that it was during the Roman imprisonment of 60-62 CE that Paul wrote the letter. But just because Paul mentions their renewed interest in giving (i.e., in 4:10) does not necessarily entail the idea that they had not helped him over the previous ten years.

Other scholars also argue that Paul’s desire to send Timothy with the hope of receiving him back with news from the Philippians (2:19)—even though he believes there will be a verdict soon that might end his life—is a bit strained because of the distance between Rome and Philippi. Paul’s words make more sense, scholars argue, if Timothy was to be sent from Ephesus. But this really presents no problem for the Roman imprisonment since Paul, even though he knew that there was the possibility of death, actually believed that he was going to live and be freed (Phil 1:25).

Another objection raised by certain commentators is that Paul’s opponents in 3:1-3 are most likely Judaizers—a fact which lends itself more easily to the Ephesian imprisonment where Paul is known to have had problems with the Judaizers (cf. Acts 19:8-9, 33). But as Guthrie points out, there were undoubtedly pockets of resistance sometime after the main issues were settled in Jerusalem.⁸ Though Paul mentions the fact that he had been in prison on many occasions (2 Cor 11:23), there is no record in Acts that he was ever imprisoned in Ephesus. Finally, against the Ephesian imprisonment is the lack of reference in Philippians to the collection for the poor in Jerusalem, though it is mentioned in every letter known to have been written around the time of Paul’s Ephesian ministry (Rom, 1 and 2 Cor). This is strange, and even more so, when one considers the fact that Paul was, on the other hand, willing to receive financial assistance from the Philippians. It seems better to interpret Phil 4:10 and the Philippian’s renewed interest in giving to Paul as a reference to their desire to help him after they had given to the saints in Jerusalem.

Other scholars have argued for a Caesarean imprisonment. Paul was imprisoned, according to Acts 24:27, for two years in Caesarea and there is the chance that the palace guard mentioned in Phil 1:13 may be the same as that mentioned in Acts 23:35, i.e., Herod’s palace guard. But the chief problem of the Caesarean view is the fact that it too, like Rome, is a considerable distance from Philippi. Apart from the fact that we know that Paul was actually imprisoned there, there is little else to commend this view.

The information we have makes it impossible to be dogmatic on this question, but the strongest view may still be Rome. If the journeys described in Philippians can be fitted in the two year imprisonment⁹ there is evidence that (1) there was a palace guard in Rome (Phil 1:13); (2) Paul was free to send and receive friends (Phil 2:19-30; Acts 28:30); (3) the reference to “Caesar’s household” fits well with a Roman imprisonment (Phil 4:22); (4) “most of the brothers in the Lord” (Phil 1:14) may indicate a well established church which fits well with the Roman church (and not so well with what we know about the church in Caesarea); (5) the fact that Paul was faced with the possibility of death fits best with Rome since had he been elsewhere he could have always appealed to Caesar; (6) the Marcionite prologue indicates that Rome was the site for the writing of the letter.

If the place of writing is indeed Rome, the date of the letter is probably sometime between 60-62 CE, perhaps toward the end of his imprisonment since he seems to allude to a speedy release (Phil 2:24).

The Purpose of Philippians

There is no need to assume up front that there must have been only one purpose in the writing of Philippians. In fact, as we read the letter, several objectives seem to be in the mind of the apostle. First, it is clear that Paul wanted the church to know how things were going for him in his imprisonment (1:12-26) and what his plans were should he be released (Phil 2:23-24). Second, there appears to have been some discord and division in the church and so the apostle writes to encourage humility with a view toward unity (2:1-18; 4:2-3). Third, Paul, the pastoral theologian, writes to head off the negative teaching and consequences of certain false teachers (3:2-3ff.). Fourth, Paul wrote to commend Timothy to the church as well as to give the church a report about the health and plans of Epaphroditus (2:19-30). Fifth, Paul also wrote to thank the church for their concern for him and the gifts they had given (4:10-20).

Outline of Philippians

I. (1:1-11)

A. Salutation 1:1-2

B. Thanksgiving and Prayer 1:3-11

1. Thanksgiving (1:3-8)

2. Prayer (1:9-11)

II. Paul’s Circumstances and Encouragement for the Church (1:12-2:30)

A. Paul’s Circumstances and Attitude (1:12-26)

B. Paul’s Encouragement for the Church (1:27-2:30)

1. Concerning Humility and Obedience (2:1-18)

a. A Call to Humility (2:1-4)

b. The Example of Christ’s Humility (2:5-11)

c. A Call to Obedience (2:12-18)

2. Concerning Timothy (2:19-24)

3. Concerning Epaphroditus (2:25-30)

III. Warnings Against the False Teaching of the Judaizers (3:1-4:1)

A. The Warning: Steer Clear of the Judaizers and Their Legalism (3:1-2)

B. The Solution: Follow the Example of Paul (3:3-4:1)

IV. Final Exhortations (4:2-9)

A. Concerning Disputes (4:2-3)

B. Concerning Joy and Prayer (4:4-7)

C. Concerning How to Think and Live (4:8-9)

V. A Word of Thanks (4:10-20)

A. Paul’s Contentment (4:10-13)

B. The Philippians’ Gift (4:14-20)

VI. Final Greetings and Closing (4:21-23)

Outline of Series

Lesson 1: Introduction, Background, and Outline
Lesson 2: The Greeting (1:1-2)
Lesson 3: Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Philippian Church (1:3-11)
Lesson 4: Paul’s Circumstances: Perspective, Joy, and Mission in Life—Part I (1:12-18a)
Lesson 5: Paul’s Circumstances: Perspective, Joy, and Mission in Life—Part II (1:18b-26)
Lesson 6: Exhortation to Unity—Part I (1:27-30)
Lesson 7: Exhortation to Unity—Part II (2:1-4)
Lesson 8: Exhortation to Unity—The Example of Christ (2:5-11)
Lesson 9: Exhortation to Unity—A Final Word Concerning Obedience (2:12-18)
Lesson 10: Timothy and Epaphroditus— Two Examples of Humility and Unity (2:19-30)
Lesson 11: True Righteousness (Part I)— A Study in Contrasts: The Judaizers and Paul (3:1-8)
Lesson 12: True Righteousness (Part II)— A Study in Contrasts: The Judaizers and Paul (3:9-11)
Lesson 13: The Nature of Paul’s Pursuit of Christ: Living in the “Now/Not Yet” (3:12-16)
Lesson 14: The Exhortation to Imitate Good Examples (3:17-21)
Lesson 15: General Exhortations (4:1-9)
Lesson 16: Thanksgiving for the Philippians’ Gift and a Final Greeting (4:10-23)

¹See Peter T. O’Brien, Philippians, NIGTC (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 3.

²Gerald F. Hawthorne, Philippians, WBC, ed. Ralph P. Martin, vol. 43 (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1983), xxxiii.

³See Gordon D. Fee, Philippians, NICNT, ed. Gordon D. Fee (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995), 26.

⁴See I. Howard Marshall, Acts, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, ed. R. V. G. Tasker (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 266-67; Richard N. Longenecker, “Acts” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 9 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981), 460.

⁵It is not certain as to why he did not make these rights known earlier since they would have protected him from being tried, beaten, and imprisoned by the Philippian magistrates. In any case he eventually appealed to them, probably in the hope of protecting Lydia, the jailer, and the new Philippian church from legal action taken by the magistrates.

⁶Hawthorne, Philippians, xxviii.

⁷Donald Guthrie, New Testament Introduction, rev. ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1990), 548.

⁸Guthrie, Introduction, 553. A late date for Galatians would prove this to be true.

⁹For example, Epaphroditus may have been dispatched before the news of Paul’s imprisonment ever reached them, simply because the Philippians had heard that the apostle was going to Rome.

Related Topics: Introductions, Arguments, Outlines

You are here

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Lesson 17: The Theme Of Covenant

1. The Edenic Covenant

2. The Adamic Covenant

3. The Noahic Covenant

4. The Abrahamic Covenant

5. The Mosaic Covenant

6. The Palestinian Covenant

7. The Davidic Covenant

8. The New Covenant

Conclusion

Reflection

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Lesson 19: The Bible Is Unique In Its Structure

OT Structure

Historical Books

Primary And Secondary Books

Poetic Books Or Wisdom Literature

Prophetic Books

Hebrew Old Testament

NT Structure

Chapter And Verse Divisions

Reflection

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Lesson 20: The Bible Is Unique In Its Various Translations

Reflection

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Lesson 21: The Bible Is Unique In Its Story

Reflection

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Lesson 22: Conclusion

Reflection

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Appendix 1: Study Group Tips

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Appendix 2: Reflection Questions

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE

Appendix 3: Walking The Romans Road

Step One: We Must Accept That We Are Sinners

Step Two: We Must Understand We Are Under The Judgment Of God

Step Three: We Must Recognize God Has Invited All To Accept His Free Gift Of Salvation

Step Four: We Must Believe Jesus Christ Died For Our Sins And Rose From The Dead

Step Five: We Must Confess Christ As Lord Of Our Lives

From the series: The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture PREVIOUS PAGE

Backward Christian Soldiers

From the series: Philippians: The Unconquerable Gospel PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Introduction, Background, and Outline to Philippians

A Map of Philippi and Surrounding Regions

The City of Philippi and the Origin of the Church There

Authorship

Date and Place of Writing

The Purpose of Philippians

Outline of Philippians

Outline of Series

From the series: Philippians: The Unconquerable Gospel PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Pages