 EQUIP BIBLE STUDY  7:00 PM  By Pastor. Saji Mathew

 The Doctrinal Epistles  (Romans – 2 Thessalonians)  The Prison Epistles  (Ephesians – Philemon)  The Pastoral Epistles  (1 Timothy – Titus)

 Theme: The Righteousness of God  Date written: AD  Author: Paul  Setting: Corinth

 Toward the close of his 3 rd missionary journey, Paul writes this letter to the church in Rome from the Greek city of Cornith. He has come from Ephesus, a city in what is now modern Turkey, where he spent 3 years planting and strengthening a church.

 As he prepares to travel to Jerusalem church with an offering for the poor believers, he stops long enough to write a letter to a church he has never visited. He writes not to correct any doctrinal error, but to introduce himself to the church at Rome so the people can pray for him, encourage him, and help him with his future plans to minister in Spain.

 But being a teacher he is, Paul can’t help but also teach his new friends about the righteousness that comes from God—the great truths of the gospel of grace.

 Everything you receive as a Christian—your salvation, your justification, your sanctification, and someday your glorification –is a work of God’s grace.  Inward change will produce a corresponding outward fruit. Whatever is true about your heart will show up in your actions.

 The Righteousness of God is a gift that can be received only by faith, not earned by your works.  Faithfulness in the little things will prepare you for greater tasks from God.

 The Revelation of the Righteousness of God (1-8) (Doctrinal)  The Vindication of the Righteousness of God (9-11) (National)  The Application of the Righteousness of God (12-16) (Practical)

 Theme: Christian Conduct  Date written: A.D. 55  Author: Paul  Setting: Ephesus

 While the apostle Paul is teaching and preaching in Ephesus (a city in what is now modern Turkey) during his third missionary journey, visitors arrive from the church at Corinth, a church he had planted in Greece some three years before. One group of the visitors reports disturbing news of factions, immorality, and lawsuits within the body of believers.

 Another Group comes with difficult questions concerning marriage and divorce, eating food offered to idols, matters of public worship, and the resurrection of the body. Using his God-given power and authority as an apostle- one sent by God as a spokesman—Paul writes this first of two letters to believers in Corinth to firmly address their deplorable conduct and answer their questions.

 Corinth was a key city in ancient Greece until it was destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C. Julius Caesar rebuilt it as a Roman colony in 46 B.C. And it grew and prospered, becoming the capital of the province of Achaia. Its official language was Latin, but the common language remained Greek

 Corinth has two Sea Ports.  The city was filled shrines and temples, but the most important was the Temple of Aphrodite on the top of an 1,800 foot promontory called the Acrocorinthus.  In Paul’s day the population of Corinth was approximately 700,000 about 2/3 of whom were slaves.

 This book proclaims the relevance of Christ Jesus to every area of the believer’s life. He “became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1:30), and these are themes Paul addresses in this epistle.

 God has given you unique “spiritual gifts” to use for the support and growth of the body of Christ.  Exercising a spiritual gift without showing true love is meaningless.  God takes sexual immorality very seriously

 The Lord’s Supper is an important celebration and should not betaken lightly.  Because of the calling God has placed upon their lives, Christian leaders should be treated with respect and honor.  Christians should not bring lawsuits against each other.

 Chapters 1-2 The Need for True Unity  Chapter 3 The Nature of True Spirituality  Chapters The Problems in the Church  Chapters 12 – 16 The Resources for Problems

 Theme: Paul’s defense of his apostleship  Date: A.D. 56  Author: Paul  Setting: Philippi (on the way to Corinth)

 The Major theme of Second Corinthians is Paul’s defense of his apostolic credentials and authority.  Since Paul’s first letter, the Corinthian church had been swayed by false teachers who stirred the people against Paul. They claimed he was fickle, proud, unimpressive in appearance and speech, dishonest, and unqualified as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

 After writing 1 Corinthians, Paul plans to stay at Ephesus a little while longer before going on to Corinth. His stay, however, is cut short by a riot of the tradesmen over the effect Christianity is having on the sale of idols. Paul send his young disciples, Titus and Timothy, ahead to find out what effect his exhortations are having on the Corinthian believers.

 As Paul travels toward Corinth, Titus find him and reports that the Corinthians have repented of their resistance against Paul and his teaching. With great joy, but filled with concerns regarding new threats and smoldering rebellious attitudes, Paul writes this second letter.

 Christ is presented as the believer’s comfort (1:5), triumph (2:14), Lord (4:5), Light (4:6), Judge (5:10), reconciliation (5:19), substitute (5:21), gift (9:15), owner (10:7), and power (12:9).

 God has established ministry leaders to shepherd His flock, or His people. These leaders are to be blameless, pure, and dedicated to service, and such leaders are deserving of your honour and respect.  No Christian—including you—is immune from suffering. In many instances, God’s workers suffer more than non-Christians.

 Trials are used by God to teach you humility and dependence on His grace rather than your own strength.  You should give financially to God’s work— sacrificially, with great joy, and with a sense of responsibility.

 Paul’s Explanation of his Ministry (1 – 7)  Paul’s Collection for the Saints (8 -9)  Paul’s Vindication of his Apostleship (10 – 13)

 1. He is Called by God (1:1)  2. He was Utterly Sincere and honest (1:12)  3. Anointed with Holy Spirit (1:22)  4. He love those whom he served (2:4)  5. He depended totally on God (3:5)  6. He never gave up (4:1)  7. He was an example to others (6:3,4)  8. He never took advantage of other people (7:2)  9. He handled money wisely, never been a burden to any( 8:20,21 ; 11:19)  10. He stayed within in the Boundaries God appointed for him (10:13)  11. He was willing to suffer (11:23-33, 12:9-10)  12. He longed to lead believers to perfection (13:9)

 Theme: Freedom in Christ  Date written: A.D. 49  Author: Paul  Setting: Antioch

 Galatia had many churches. (Gala. 1:1-2) On Paul’s first missionary journey he visited many areas in the southern Galatian cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13:14 – 14:23).

 Key Verse: Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage (5:1)

 Having just returned from Jerusalem to his home church in Antioch, where the issue of faith in Christ alone for salvation has been affirmed, Paul is shocked by some distressing news. He hears that many of the Galatians who had come to belief in Christ during his first missionary journey have fallen prey to the heresy that Gentile believers must submit to all the Mosaic Law before they can become Christians.

 Paul immediately writes this letter to defend justification by faith alone and warn the churches in Galatia of the dreadful consequences of abandoning the pure gospel of Christ alone for salvation.

 Chapters 1-2 Concern for the Pure Gospel  Chapters 3-4 Defense of the Pure Gospel  Chapters 5-6 Freedom in the Pure Gospel

 1. He defends his apostolic authority, which affirms his gospel message;  2. He refutes the false teaching of justification through the law by using the Mosaic Law itself to teach the principles of Justification by faith alone;  3. He shows that liberty from the law does not mean lawlessness, but instead means that, by God’s grace, believers are free to obediently love and serve God.

 The Gifts of Salvation and God’s Love are given to you purely by God’s grace.  There is nothing you can do to gain favour with God.  You cannot produce good works on your own, but only with the help of the Holy Spirit.

 When you yield yourself to God, He produces the fruits of the Spirit in your life.  Christ alone makes possible everything you are as a Christian.