New Testament

Week 23: The Epistles of Paul, Part 4

Galatians, Philippians, Philemon

6 April 2023

• Learn about the “New Perspective on Paul,” led by scholars like James D.G. Dunn and N.T. Wright.

• LDS scholar Ben Spackman explained how to understand Paul’s teachings in the light of Latter-day Saint doctrine in “Covenant and law, grace, works, and faith,” Patheos (blog), 30 July 2019.

• Onesimus was a slave who ran away from his master Philemon. Sandra Sweeny Silver writes, “During the infant years of the Christian faith, society was divided into two classes: slave and free. That division had been in place as far back in history as organized communities can be traced. All ancient civilizations had slaves. The concept of slavery as immoral or abusive was nonexistent.… To question whether there should be people who are owned by other people never occurred to the ancient mind.” Read more about slavery during the Roman period in Silver’s article, “Slaves Were ‘Lifeless Tools’ in the Ancient World,” Early Church History website.