Starlight Book Review – New Testament – Book of Revelation

The Vision of John on Patmos by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1860) on a dark blue background with the Starry Night Elf avatar in the lower righthand corner | © Starry Night Elf

Part of a series of SBR on NT Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.

* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.

5/5 Last week, I wrapped up my Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) of the Old Testament Prophets with “Minor Prophets IV.” Click here to read my SBR of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Today, I conclude my SBR of individual books of The Bible for 2023 (yes, last year) with the Book of Revelation.

“The Book of Revelation, also erroneously called the Book of Revelations, is the final book of the New Testament (and therefore the final book of the Christian Bible). Written in Koine Greek, its title is derived from the first word of the text: apokalypsis, meaning ‘unveiling’ or ‘revelation’. The Book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament canon. It occupies a central place in Christian eschatology… The author names himself as simply “John” in the text, but his precise identity remains a point of academic debate. Second-century Christian writers such as Papias of Hierapolis, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Melito of Sardis, Clement of Alexandria, and the author of the Muratorian fragment identify John the Apostle as the “John” of Revelation. Modern scholarship generally takes a different view, with many considering that nothing can be known about the author except that he was a Christian prophet. Modern theological scholars characterize the Book of Revelation’s author as “John of Patmos”. The bulk of traditional sources date the book to the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (AD 81–96), which evidence tends to confirm.”

With each read of Revelation, I feel the need to eat my proverbial Wheaties. Yet, as I do visit this book every year, I see many of the comforting promises of the Lord. Also, I marvel at God’s love for His people. Speaking of comfort, promise, and love, here’s my all-time favorite verse from this last book of The Bible.

Here is a verse which resonated with me:

²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:20

Select Bibliography

• Bauckham, Richard (1993). The Theology of the Book of Revelation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-35691-6.
• Carson, Don (2005). An Introduction to the New Testament (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. pp. 465ff. ISBN 978-0-310-51940-9.
• Collins, Adela Yarbro (1984). Crisis and Catharsis: The Power of the Apocalypse. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0-664-24521-4.
• Holmes, Michael (2007). The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations. Baker Academic. p. 749ff. ISBN 978-0801034688.
• Martin, Dale B. (6 April 2012). “The Last Trumpet”. The New York Times.
• Stuckenbruck, Loren T. (2003). “Revelation”. In Dunn, James D. G.; Rogerson, John William (eds.). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Eerdmans. p. 1535. ISBN 978-0-8028-3711-0.

Starlight Book Review – Epistle of Jude

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* Note — The Epistle of Jude will be last Starlight Book Review (SBR) for my 2022 reading of the Bible. Future posts regarding book(s) of the Bible such as Old Testament (OT) Prophets or New Testament (NT) Prophecy will be for 2023 or better.

Part of a series of SBR on NT Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.

* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.

5/5 When I first learned of the Epistle of Jude, my mind leapt to Paul McCartney’s vocals in the song “Hey Jude.” In the course of my readings of this brief, next to last book of The Bible, I know this Jude greatly contrasts from the subject of a Beatles’ song <smile>.

“The Epistle of Jude is the penultimate book of the New Testament as well as the Christian Bible. It is traditionally attributed to Jude, brother of James the Just, and thus relative of Jesus as well… Jude is a short epistle written in Koine Greek. It condemns in fierce terms certain people the author sees as a threat to the early Christian community, but describes these opponents only vaguely. According to Jude, these opponents are within the Christian community, but are not true Christians: they are scoffers, false teachers, malcontents, given to their lusts, and so on. The epistle reassures its readers that these people will soon be judged by God. It is possible that the group being referred to would have been obvious to the original recipients of the letter, but if a specific group was being referred to, knowledge of the details has since been lost. The one bit of their potential ideology discussed in the letter is that these opponents denigrate angels and their role. If this was indeed a part of the ideology of this group the author opposed, then the epistle is possibly a counterpoint to the Epistle to the Colossians. Colossians condemns those who give angels undue prominence and worship them; this implies the two letters might be part of an early Christian debate on Christian angelology.”

This short missive boils down to one thing — adhere to the faith. Do not let anyone or anything separate you from God. Instead, listen to the true teachers of the Christian faith.

Here is a verse which resonated with me:

²  Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

Jude 1:2

* Bible Verses came from the New International Version (NIV) Bible, courtesy of Bible Gateway. Access Bible Gateway by clicking here.

Select Bibliography

Reicke, Bo (1964). The Epistles of James, Peter, And Jude (First ed.). Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. p. 189–192.

Starlight Book Review – Epistles of John

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Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on New Testament (NT) Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.

* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.

5/5 Sometimes these three books are called the Johannine epistles. Generally speaking, these are accredited to John the Apostle, the traditionally recognized author of the Gospel of John and Revelation. The following is my Starlight Book Review (SBR) of the three Johannine epistles.

“The First Epistle of John is the first of the Johannine epistles of the New Testament, and the fourth of the catholic epistles. There is no scholarly consensus as to the authorship of the Johannine works. The author of the First Epistle is termed John the Evangelist, who most scholars believe is not the same as John the Apostle. Most scholars believe the three Johannine epistles have the same author, but there is no consensus if this was also the author of the Gospel of John… This epistle was probably written in Ephesus between 95 and 110 AD. The author advises Christians on how to discern true teachers: by their ethics, their proclamation of Jesus in the flesh, and by their love. The original text was written in Koine Greek. The epistle is divided into five chapters.”

“The Second Epistle of John is a book of the New Testament attributed to John the Evangelist, traditionally thought to be the author of the other two epistles of John, and the Gospel of John (though this is disputed). Most modern scholars believe this is not John the Apostle, but in general there is no consensus as to the identity of this person or group… Second John and Third John are the two shortest books in the Bible. The shortest book in the English language is different depending on which translation (version) one reads. For example, in the New International Version 2 John is the shortest book with only 302 words but in the King James Version (Authorized Version) 3 John is the shortest with only 295 words. However, Second John has the fewest verses in the Bible with only 1 chapter made up of only 13 verses.”

“The Third Epistle of John is the third-to-last book of the New Testament and the Christian Bible as a whole, and attributed to John the Evangelist, traditionally thought to be the author of the Gospel of John and the other two epistles of John. The Third Epistle of John is a personal letter sent by “the elder” to a man named Gaius, recommending to him a group of Christians led by Demetrius, which had come to preach the gospel in the area where Gaius lived. The purpose of the letter is to encourage and strengthen Gaius, and to warn him against Diotrephes, who refuses to cooperate with the author of the letter… Early church literature contains no mention of the epistle, with the first reference to it appearing in the middle of the third century. This lack of documentation, though likely due to the extreme brevity of the epistle, caused early church writers to doubt its authenticity until the early 5th century, when it was accepted into the canon along with the other two epistles of John. The language of 3 John echoes that of the Gospel of John, which is conventionally dated to around AD 90, so the epistle was likely written near the end of the first century. Others contest this view, such as the scholar John A. T. Robinson, who dates 3 John to c. AD 60–65. The location of writing is unknown, but tradition places it in Ephesus. The epistle is found in many of the oldest New Testament manuscripts, and its text is free of major discrepancies or textual variants.”

Over the years of reading The Bible, I find the Johannine writings to be complete in their originality. This goes for these epistles. Throughout these letters, the author writes of how adhering to faith in God is rewarded with His love.

Here are standout passages from the Johannine Epistles:

⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

1 John 1:7

⁶ And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

2 John 1:6

³ It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.

3 John 1:3

* Bible Verses came from the New International Version (NIV) Bible, courtesy of Bible Gateway. Access Bible Gateway by clicking here.

Select Bibliography

Wilder, Amos (1957). “Introduction to the First, Second, and Third Epistles of John”. In Harmon, Nolan (ed.). The Interpreter’s Bible. Vol. 12. Abingdon Press. p. 211.

Starlight Book Review – Epistles of 1 and 2 Peter

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Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on New Testament (NT) Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.

* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.

5/5 I recently learned that these two letters are sometimes referred to as the Petrine Epistles. This is because these two NT books were attributed to the Apostle Peter. Peter prominently figures in gospels and is considered the “rock in which the church is built.”

“The First Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament. The author presents himself as Peter the Apostle. The ending of the letter includes a statement that implies that it was written from “Babylon”, which is possibly a reference to Rome. The letter is addressed to the “chosen pilgrims of the diaspora” in Asia Minor suffering religious persecution.”

“The Second Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament of the Bible… The text identifies the author as “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ” and the epistle is traditionally attributed to Peter the Apostle, but most critical biblical scholars consider the epistle pseudepigraphical (i.e., authored by one or more of Peter’s followers in Ancient Rome, using Peter as a pseudonym) Scholars estimate the date of authorship anywhere from 60 to 150 AD. The original text was written in Koine Greek.”

With each read, I find both Petrine Epistles timeless. Peter speaks to believers all over the place. While toiling in daily life of the world, Christians have welcomed Christ into their hearts.

Here are standout passages from the Petrine Epistles:

¹Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1 Peter 2:1-3

⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

* Bible Verses came from the New International Version (NIV) Bible, courtesy of Bible Gateway. Access Bible Gateway by clicking here.

Select Bibliography

Bartlett, David, New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, 1 Peter. Abingdon Press. 1998

Evans, Craig A (2005). Craig A Evans (ed.). Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: John, Hebrews-Revelation. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Victor. ISBN 0781442281.

Starlight Book Review – Epistle of James

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Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on New Testament (NT) Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.

* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.

5/5 If I correctly recall, I read The Epistle of James as a baby Christian faith. Upon my seventh official visit to James, I see why many choose to look at this epistle with those new to the faith.

“The Epistle of James is a general epistle and one of the 21 epistles (didactic letters) in the New Testament. James 1:1 identifies the author as “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” who is writing to “the twelve tribes scattered abroad”. The epistle is traditionally attributed to James the brother of Jesus (James the Just), and the audience is generally considered to be Jewish Christians, who were dispersed outside Israel… Framing his letter within an overall theme of patient perseverance during trials and temptations, James writes in order to encourage his readers to live consistently with what they have learned in Christ. He condemns various sins, including pride, hypocrisy, favouritism, and slander. He encourages and implores believers to humbly live by godly, rather than worldly wisdom and to pray in all situations… For the most part, until the late 20th century, the epistle of James was relegated to benign disregard – though it was shunned by many early theologians and scholars due to its advocacy of Torah observance and good works. Famously, Luther at one time considered the epistle to be among the disputed books, and sidelined it to an appendix, although in his Large Catechism he treated it as the authoritative word of God… The epistle aims to reach a wide Jewish audience. During the last decades, the epistle of James has attracted increasing scholarly interest due to a surge in the quest for the historical James, his role within the Jesus movement, his beliefs, and his relationships and views. This James revival is also associated with an increasing level of awareness of the Jewish grounding of both the epistle and the early Jesus movement.”

With each visit to James, I find the text straightforward and simple enough to understand. Simple to comprehend but not always easy to apply <smile>. As with Hebrews, I see James as a link between Judaism and Christianity.

A couple of “fun facts”:

• James the Just, or a variation of James, brother of the Lord (Latin: Iacobus from Hebrew: יעקב, Ya’akov and Greek: Ἰάκωβος, Iákōbos, can also be Anglicized as “Jacob”), was “a brother of Jesus”, according to the New Testament.
• Some have said that the book was named James rather than Jacobos thanks to James VI and I who sponsored the translation of the Bible into English.

Here’s a standout passage from James:

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1:2-3

[a] James 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19.

* Bible Verses came from the New International Version (NIV) Bible, courtesy of Bible Gateway. Access Bible Gateway by clicking here.

Select Bibliography

Davids, Peter H (1982). The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (Repr. ed.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans. ISBN 0802823882.

Evans, Craig A (2005). Craig A Evans (ed.). Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: John, Hebrews-Revelation. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Victor. ISBN 0781442281.

Starlight Book Review – Epistle to the Hebrews

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Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on New Testament (NT) Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.

* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.

5/5 Since scholars dispute the authorship of The Epistle to the Hebrews, I decided to post an SBR just for this book alone. Authorship aside, I feel Hebrews stands on its own in numerous ways.

“The Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the books of the New Testament… The text does not mention the name of its author, but was traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. Most of the Ancient Greek manuscripts, the Old Syriac Peshitto and some of the Old Latin manuscripts have the epistle to the Hebrews among Paul’s letters.However, doubt on Pauline authorship in the Roman Church is reported by Eusebius. Modern biblical scholarship considers its authorship unknown, written in deliberate imitation of the style of Paul, with some contending that it was authored by Priscilla and Aquila… … Some scholars believe it was written for Jewish Christians who lived in Jerusalem. Its essential purpose was to exhort Christians to persevere in the face of persecution. At this time, certain believers were considering turning back to Judaism (the Jewish system of law) to escape being persecuted for believing Christ to be the messiah. The theme of the epistle is the doctrine of the person of Christ and his role as mediator between God and humanity.”

Hebrews tells Jews that they, too, can be Christians. The anonymous writer relates how Jesus, is the messiah that God promised the Hebrew people, the one the Jews seek. I found this book spoke to all, particularly those who grew up in homes adherent to Judaism or Christianity. Yes, Jesus came to save the Jews and the Gentiles.

Here’s a verse from both Hebrews:

¹  Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1

* Bible Verses came from the New International Version (NIV) Bible, courtesy of Bible Gateway. Access Bible Gateway by clicking here.

Select Bibliography

“Letter to the Hebrews | New Testament”. Encyclopedia Britannica.

Jobes, Karen H. (April 17, 2017). “Who Wrote the Book of Hebrews?”. Zondervan Academic. 

Starlight Book Review – Pauline Epistles IV

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Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on New Testament (NT) Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.

* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.

5/5 While not the conclusion of my SBR focused on NT Epistles, this SBR concludes my reflections upon Pauline Epistles for my 2022 readings. If I perhaps share SBR on the following two, I might place Titus with the my thoughts on the two other pastoral epistles, I & II Timothy.

• Titus
• Philemon

“The Epistle to Titus is one of the three pastoral epistles (along with 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy) in the New Testament, historically attributed to Paul the Apostle. It is addressed to Saint Titus and describes the requirements and duties of elders and bishops.”

“The Epistle to Philemon is one of the books of the Christian New Testament. It is a prison letter, co-authored by Paul the Apostle with Timothy, to Philemon, a leader in the Colossian church. It deals with the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation. Paul does not identify himself as an apostle with authority, but as “a prisoner of Jesus Christ”, calling Timothy “our brother”, and addressing Philemon as “fellow labourer” and “brother” (Philemon 1:1; 1:7; 1:20). Onesimus, a slave that had departed from his master Philemon, was returning with this epistle wherein Paul asked Philemon to receive him as a “brother beloved” (Philemon 1:9–17)… Philemon was a wealthy Christian, possibly a bishop of the house church that met in his home (Philemon 1:1–2) in Colossae. This letter is now generally regarded as one of the undisputed works of Paul. It is the shortest of Paul’s extant letters, consisting of only 335 words in the Greek text.”

Titus directs the eponymous early Christian missionary and church leader, a companion and disciple of Paul the Apostle, mentioned in several other Pauline epistles. Scholars believe Titus to be a converted gentile. As the narrative goes, Titus was consecrated as Bishop of the Island of Crete. Philemon was a wealthy Christian whose slave Onesimus abandoned him and Paul spoke on the escaped slave’s behalf. All this time later, both of these epistles address relevant matters of direction, discipline, and that wily “F” word – Forgiveness. These two letters speak to me with every read.

Here’s a selection of verses from both epistles:

⁵ …he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit…

Titus 3:5

²¹  Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

Philemon 1:21

* Bible Verses came from the New International Version (NIV) Bible, courtesy of Bible Gateway. Access Bible Gateway by clicking here.

Select Bibliography

Easton, Matthew George (1897). “Philemon, Epistle to”. Easton’s Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.

Moffatt, James (1911). “Titus, The Epistle to” . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 1031–1032.

Starlight Book Review – Pauline Epistles III

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Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on New Testament (NT) Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.

* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.

5/5 As I continued reading the Pauline Epistles, I recalled how a pastor I heard preach discuss Paul’s particular fondness for the community of Thessalonica. Also, I remembered Paul’s spiritual son in the faith, Timothy. Thus, this post focuses on the following Pauline Epistles:

• I Thessalonians
• II Thessalonians
• I Timothy
• II Timothy

“The First Epistle to the Thessalonians is a Pauline epistle of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle, and is addressed to the church in Thessalonica, in modern-day Greece. It is likely among the first of Paul’s letters, probably written by the end of AD 52, though some scholars believe the Epistle to the Galatians may have been written by AD 48.”

“The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle, with Timothy as a co-author. Modern biblical scholarship is divided on whether the epistle was written by Paul; some scholars believe Paul wrote this epistle, but others reject its authenticity based on what they see as differences in style and theology between this and the First Epistle to the Thessalonians.”

“The First Epistle to Timothy is one of three letters in the New Testament of the Bible often grouped together as the pastoral epistles, along with Second Timothy and Titus. The letter, traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul, consists mainly of counsels to his younger colleague and delegate Timothy regarding his ministry in Ephesus (1:3). These counsels include instructions on the organization of the Church and the responsibilities resting on certain groups of leaders therein as well as exhortations to faithfulness in maintaining the truth amid surrounding errors. Most modern scholars consider the pastoral epistles to have been written after Paul’s death.”

“The Second Epistle to Timothy is one of the three pastoral epistles traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. Addressed to Timothy, a fellow missionary, it is traditionally considered to be the last epistle he wrote before his death… Although the pastorals are written under Paul’s name, they are different from his other epistles, and since the early 19th century, scholars have increasingly seen them as the work of an unknown student of Paul’s doctrine. They do not address Paul’s common themes, such as the believers’ unity with Christ,and they reflect a church hierarchy that is more organized and defined than the church was in Paul’s time… Nonetheless, a number of major scholars have defended the traditional authorship of 2 Timothy.”

I sensed Paul’s admiration for both the church in Thessalonica and his mentee Timothy in these letters. I dithered posting on the letters to Timothy along with the other Pastoral Epistle – Titus. Obviously, I decided to forego that sort of post. Nevertheless, I always harvest some food for thought in my reading.

Here’s a selection of verses from each of these epistles:

¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

2 Thessalonians 3:10

⁸ For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

2 Thessalonians 3:10

* Bible Verses came from the New International Version (NIV) Bible, courtesy of Bible Gateway. Access Bible Gateway by clicking here.

Select Bibliography

Aune, David E. (2010). The Blackwell Companion to The New Testament. Blackwell. p. 517. ISBN 978-1-40510825-6.

Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament, Anchor Bible, 1997. pp. 456–66.

Collins, Raymond F. (2004). 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 4. ISBN 0-664-22247-1.

Starlight Book Review – Pauline Epistles II

Images Representing Paul’s Letters to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians | © Starry Night Elf

Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on New Testament (NT) Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.

* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.

5/5 When I reach this part in my annual reading of the NT, I often recall how one of my youth pastors coached us in the following mnemonic strategy: General Electric Power Company. So, without further ado, I’m reviewing:

• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians

“The Epistle to the Galatians is the ninth book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul the Apostle to a number of Early Christian communities in Galatia. Scholars have suggested that this is either the Roman province of Galatia in southern Anatolia, or a large region defined by an ethnic group of Celtic people in central Anatolia… In this letter, Paul is principally concerned with the controversy surrounding gentile Christians and the Mosaic Law during the Apostolic Age. Paul argues that the gentile Galatians do not need to adhere to the tenets of the Mosaic Law, particularly religious male circumcision, by contextualizing the role of the law in light of the revelation of Christ. The Epistle to the Galatians has exerted enormous influence on the history of Christianity, the development of Christian theology, and the study of the Apostle Paul… The central dispute in the letter concerns the question of how Gentiles could convert to Christianity, which shows that this letter was written at a very early stage in church history, when the vast majority of Christians were Jewish or Jewish proselytes, which historians refer to as the Jewish Christians. Another indicator that the letter is early is that there is no hint in the letter of a developed organization within the Christian community at large. This puts it during the lifetime of Paul himself.”

“The Epistle to the Ephesians is the tenth book of the New Testament. Its authorship has traditionally been attributed to Paul the Apostle but starting in 1792, this has been challenged as Deutero-Pauline, that is, pseudepigrapha written in Paul’s name by a later author strongly influenced by Paul’s thought, probably “by a loyal disciple to sum up Paul’s teaching and to apply it to a new situation fifteen to twenty-five years after the Apostle’s death”.

“The Epistle to the Philippians is a Pauline epistle attributed to Paul the Apostle and Timothy is named with him as co-author or co-sender. The letter is addressed to the Christian church in Philippi. Paul, Timothy, Silas (and perhaps Luke) first visited Philippi in Greece (Macedonia) during Paul’s second missionary journey from Antioch, which occurred between approximately 49 and 51 AD. In the account of his visit in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Silas are accused of “disturbing the city”.

“The Epistle to the Colossians is the twelfth book of the New Testament. It was written, according to the text, by Paul the Apostle and Timothy, and addressed to the church in Colossae, a small Phrygian city near Laodicea and approximately 100 miles (160 km) from Ephesus in Asia Minor.”

As Gnomies may have already inferred, I spent most of my “Baby Christian Days” at General Electric Power Company. Many of my classmates in high school used Bible verses on their letter jackets, signatures, and the like from Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Since my student days, I often returned to these epistles for both guidance and comfort. I imagine I’ll continue to do so, time and again.

Here’s a selection of verses from each of these epistles:

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Ephesians 6:10

¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 4:2

* Bible Verses came from the New International Version (NIV) Bible, courtesy of Bible Gateway. Access Bible Gateway by clicking here.

Select Bibliography

Betz, H. D. (2007), “Galatians, Epistle to the”, Yale Anchor Bible Dictionary, Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-30014081-1.

Cross, F.L., ed. (2005), “Colossians, Epistle to the”, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, New York: Oxford University Press.

Hansen, Walter (2009). The Letter to the Philippians. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-84474-403-9.

Hoehner, Harold. Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary. Baker Academic, 2002. ISBN 978-0-8010-2614-0

Starlight Book Review – Pauline Epistles I

Images Representing Paul’s Letter to the Roman Church and Both Letters to the Corinthians | © Starry Night Elf

Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on New Testament (NT) Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.

* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.

5/5 A few months ago, I began reading the New Testament (NT) Epistles (Letters) for the Sacred Texts Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC). Recognized as epistles written by the Apostle Paul, I refer to these letters as “Pauline.” Among these epistles are some of the earliest extant Christian documents. They provide an insight into the beliefs and controversies of early Christianity. As part of the canon of the NT, they are foundational texts for both Christian theology and ethics.

Of these thirteen epistles, I’m reviewing the first three. They are:

• Romans
• I Corinthians
• II Corinthians

Romans – “Paul was the most influential figure in the early Christian church. In this epistle, written to the founders of the church in Rome, he sets out some of his ideas on the importance of faith in overcoming mankind’s innate sinfulness and in obtaining redemption.”

“I Corinthians (Ancient Greek: Α΄ ᾽Επιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους) is one of the Pauline epistles, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-author, Sosthenes, and is addressed to the Christian church in Corinth. Scholars believe that Sosthenes was the amanuensis who wrote down the text of the letter at Paul’s direction. It addresses various issues that had arisen in the Christian community at Corinth, and is composed in a form of Koine Greek.”

“II Corinthians is a Pauline epistle of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-author named Timothy, and is addressed to the church in Corinth and Christians in the surrounding province of Achaea, in modern-day Greece. According to Jerome, Titus was the amanuensis of this epistle.”

In my early days as a Christian, numerous youth pastors and Sunday School teachers led others and me in studying Romans, I Corinthians, and II Corinthians. With my seventh reading of these three books, I gleaned new things from these epistles yet again. <smile> This reading, Paul’s attitude despite extreme hardship especially left me marveling… As I often say, I look forward to what I discover in my future reading and studying regardless of the SRC.

The following verses, old friends and new, stood out to me:

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

^{13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.}

I Corinthians 13:13

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

II Corinthians 12:9

* Bible Verses came from the New International Version (NIV) Bible, courtesy of Bible Gateway. Access Bible Gateway by clicking here.