NT156 Understanding Easter: The Significance of the Resurrection
NT202 A Survey of Jewish History and Literature from the Second Temple Period
NT211 Introducing the Gospels and Acts: Their Background, Nature, and Purpose
NT221 The Wisdom of John: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Johannine Literature
NT222 Introducing the Epistles and Revelation: Their Setting and Message
NT301 The Gospels as Ancient Biography: A Theological and Historical Perspective
NT314 Book Study: The Gospel of Matthew in Its Jewish Context
NT332 A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Romans
NT340 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Galatians: The Gospel for Jew and Gentile
NT348 Book Study: Paul’s Letters to the Colossians and Philemon
NT364 Book Study: James
NT390 Jesus as Rabbi: The Jewish Context of the Life of Jesus
NT395 Perspectives on Paul: Reformation and the New Perspective
In Paul the Letter Writer, Jeffrey A. D. Weima uses epistolary analysis—also called the letter structure approach or form criticism of letters—to exegete Paul’s letter to Philemon. He shows how the four sections of the letter—opening, thanksgiving, body, and closing—each contain elements to persuade the recipient of the letter to grant a request that was the primary purpose of the letter. Dr. Weima introduces and defines a number of first century epistolary conventions and demonstrates how Paul’s use of and deviations from epistolary conventions help the reader better interpret his letters. You’ll come away from the course with a better understanding of the structure and form of first-century letters and of how to use these conventions to interpret Paul’s letters.
Upon successful completion you should be able to:
Identify the four main parts of a Pauline letter
Identify and define three different ways to analyze and interpret Paul’s letters
Discuss why Paul may have included the church that meets at Philemon’s house in what was nominally a personal letter
Define “epistolary conventions” and explain why they are important for exegesis of Paul’s letters
List and discuss three non-epistolary persuasive techniques Paul used in his letter to Philemon
Describe the form of a “confidence formula”
Describe how an “apostolic Parousia” re-enforces the sense of obligation on the part of the letter recipient
Introduction
Introducing the Speaker and Course
Unit 1: Paul the Letter Writer
Introduction to Letters
Form of Paul’s Letters: The Letter Opening
The Recipient: Formal Elements and Significance in Philemon
Form of Paul’s Letters: The Thanksgiving
The Thanksgiving Section in Philemon
The Letter Body
Other (Non-Epistolary) Persuasive Techniques in The Letter Body
The Letter Closing, Part 1
The Letter Closing, Part 2
Conclusion
Title: NT392 Paul the Letter Writer
Instructor: Jeffrey A.D. Weima
Publisher: Lexham Press
Publication Date: 2021
Product Type: Logos Mobile Education
Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources
Courses: 1
Video Hours: 2
Jeffrey A.D. Weima is professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he has taught for more than 20 years. He is the author of Neglected Endings: The Significance of the Pauline Letter Closings and the coauthor (with Stanley Porter) of An Annotated Bibliography of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. He has taught courses all over the world, has authored numerous scholarly articles, and leads biblical study tours to Greece, Turkey, and Italy.