Epistles of the Apostle Paul. Love

A collection of books united by the common title “Epistle of the Holy Apostles” is part of the New Testament, which is part of the Bible along with what was written earlier Old Testament. The creation of the messages dates back to the time when, after the Ascension of Jesus Christ, the apostles dispersed throughout the world, preaching the Gospel (Good News) to all peoples who were in the darkness of paganism.

Preachers of the Christian Faith

Thanks to the apostles, the bright light of true faith that shone in the Holy Land illuminated the three peninsulas that were the focus of ancient civilizations - Italy, Greece and Asia Minor. Another New Testament book, “The Acts of the Apostles,” is devoted to the missionary activity of the apostles, but in it the paths followed by Christ’s closest disciples are not fully indicated.

This gap is filled by information contained in the “Epistle of the Apostles”, as well as set out in the Holy Tradition - materials canonically recognized by the Church, but not included in the Old or New Testaments. In addition, the role of epistles is invaluable in explaining the foundations of faith.

The need to create messages

The Epistles of the Apostles are a set of interpretations and explanations of the material set out in the four canonical (recognized by the Church) Gospels, compiled by the holy evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The need for such messages is explained by the fact that along the path of their wanderings, orally spreading the gospel message, the apostles founded many Christian churches.

However, circumstances did not allow them to remain in one place for long, and after their departure, the newly formed communities were threatened by dangers associated with both weakening of faith and deviation from the true path due to the difficulties and suffering endured.

That is why converts to the Christian faith at that time never needed encouragement, reinforcement, admonition and consolation, which, however, have not lost their relevance in our days. For this purpose, the letters of the apostles were written, the interpretation of which subsequently became the theme of the works of many prominent theologians.

What do the apostolic letters include?

Like all monuments of early Christian religious thought, the messages that have come down to us, the authorship of which is attributed to the apostles, are divided into two groups. The first includes the so-called apocrypha, that is, texts that were not included in the number of canonized ones, and the authenticity of which is not recognized by the Christian Church. The second group consists of texts whose truth is in different periods time is enshrined in decisions of church councils, considered canonical.

The New Testament includes 21 apostolic appeals to various Christian communities and their spiritual leaders, most of which are the letters of the Holy Apostle Paul. There are 14 of them. In them, one of the two supreme apostles addresses the Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Jews, the holy apostle of the seventy disciples of Christ Philemon and Bishop Titus - the primate of the Cretan Church. In addition, he sends two letters each to the Thessalonians, the Corinthians and the first bishop of Ephesus, Timothy. The remaining letters of the apostles belong to the closest followers and disciples of Christ: one to James, two to Peter, three to John and one to Judas (not Iscariot).

Epistles written by the Apostle Paul

Among the works of theologians who studied the epistolary heritage of the holy apostles, interpretations of the letters of the Apostle Paul occupy a special place. And this happens not only because of their large number, but also because of their extraordinary semantic load and doctrinal significance.

As a rule, among them the “Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans” is singled out, since it is considered an unsurpassed example not only of the New Testament Scriptures, but also of the entire In the list of all 14 messages belonging to the Apostle Paul, it is usually placed first, although according to the chronology of writing it is not such is.

Appeal to the Roman Community

In it, the apostle addresses the Christian community of Rome, which in those years consisted mainly of converted pagans, since all the Jews in 50 were expelled from the capital of the empire by decree of Emperor Claudius. Citing the workload of preaching work that prevents him from visiting the Eternal City, Paul at the same time hopes to visit it on his way to Spain. However, as if foreseeing the impracticability of this intention, he addresses his most extensive and detailed message to the Roman Christians.

Researchers note that if the other letters of the Apostle Paul are intended only to clarify certain issues of Christian dogma, since in general the Good News was conveyed to them in personal communication, then, turning to the Romans, he, in fact, sets out in an abbreviated form all gospel teaching. It is generally accepted in scholarly circles that the letter to the Romans was written by Paul around 58, before his return to Jerusalem.

Unlike other epistles of the apostles, the authenticity of this historical monument has never been questioned. His extraordinary authority among early Christians is evidenced by the fact that one of his first interpreters was Clement of Rome, himself one of the seventy apostles of Christ. In later periods, such prominent theologians and Church Fathers as Tertullian, Irenaeus of Lyons, Justin the Philosopher, Clement of Alexandria and many other authors referred to the Epistle to the Romans in their works.

Letter to the Corinthians who had fallen into heresy

Another remarkable creation of the early Christian epistolary genre is “The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.” It should also be discussed in more detail. It is known that after Paul founded the Christian church in the Greek city of Corinth, the local community there was led by his preacher named Apollos.

For all his zeal to establish the true faith, due to his inexperience, he brought discord into the religious life of local Christians. As a result, they were divided into supporters of Apollos himself, who allowed personal interpretations in the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, which, undoubtedly, was a heresy. Addressing his message to the Christians of Corinth and warning them of his imminent arrival in order to clarify controversial issues, Paul insists on general reconciliation and the observance of unity in Christ, which all the apostles preached. The Epistle to the Corinthians contains, among other things, a condemnation of many sinful acts.

Condemnation of vices inherited from paganism

In this case, we are talking about those vices that were widespread among local Christians who had not yet had time to overcome the addictions they had inherited from their pagan past. Among the diverse manifestations of sin inherent in a new and not yet established community in moral principles, the apostle condemns with particular irreconcilability the commonly practiced cohabitation with stepmothers, and manifestations of non-traditional sexual orientation. He criticizes the custom of the Corinthians to wage endless legal battles with each other, as well as to indulge in drunkenness and debauchery.

In addition, in this letter, the Apostle Paul encourages members of the newly created community to generously allocate funds for the maintenance of preachers and, to the best of their ability, to provide assistance to needy Jerusalem Christians. He also mentions the abolition of Jewish food prohibitions, allowing the consumption of all foods except those that local pagans sacrifice to their idols.

Quote that sparked controversy

Meanwhile, a number of theologians, especially of the later period, note in this apostolic letter some elements of such nonsense. accepted by the Church teachings like subordinatism. Its essence lies in the statement of inequality and subordination of the hypostases of the Holy Trinity, in which God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are the offspring of God the Father and are subordinate to Him.

This theory fundamentally contradicts the basic Christian dogmas approved in 325 by the First Council of Nicaea and preached to this day. However, turning to the “Epistle to the Corinthians” (chapter 11, verse 3), where the apostle states that “Christ is the head of God,” a number of researchers believe that even the supreme apostle Paul was not completely free from the influence of the false teachings of early Christianity.

To be fair, we note that their opponents tend to understand this phrase somewhat differently. The word Christ itself is literally translated as “anointed one,” and this term has been used since ancient times in relation to autocratic rulers. If we understand the words of the Apostle Paul in precisely this sense, that is, that “the head of every autocrat is God,” then everything falls into place and the contradictions disappear.

Afterword

In conclusion, it should be noted that all the letters of the apostles are imbued with a truly evangelical spirit, and the church fathers strongly recommend reading them to everyone who wants to most fully understand the teaching given to us by Jesus Christ. For their more complete understanding and comprehension, one should, not limiting oneself to just reading the texts themselves, turn to the works of interpreters, the most famous and authoritative among whom is St. Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894), whose portrait concludes the article. In a simple and accessible form, he explains many passages, the meaning of which sometimes eludes the modern reader.

Comparing himself with the other Apostles and humbly calling himself the “least” of them, Saint Paul could nevertheless say with all justice: “ but I labored more than all of them: not I, however, but the grace of God, which is with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).

And indeed, without the grace of God, an ordinary person would not be able to undertake such labors and accomplish so many feats. Just as courageous, direct and unshakable in his convictions Paul showed himself before kings and rulers, he was just as decisive and sincere in his relations with his fellow Apostles: so one day he did not stop even before denouncing the Apostle Peter himself, when this great Apostle gave reason for complaint in the capital of paganism in Asia Minor Antioch(Gal. 2:11-14). This fact is important, among other things, because it clearly speaks against the false teaching of the Roman Catholics that the holy Apostle Peter was appointed by the Lord - “prince over the other Apostles” and, as it were, the deputy of the Lord Himself (from which the popes allegedly bear the title “vicars of the Son of God”). Would the holy Apostle Paul, a former persecutor of the Church of Christ and later than others who came to the Apostolic ministry, dare to denounce the Deputy Lord Jesus Christ Himself in the Apostolic Face? This is absolutely incredible. Saint Paul denounced Saint Peter as equal to equal, as brother to brother.

Saint Paul the Apostle, who originally had a Hebrew name Saul, belonged to the tribe of Benjamin and was born in the Cilician city of Tarsus, which was then famous for its Greek academy and the education of its inhabitants. As a native of this city or as descended from Jews who came out of slavery from Roman citizens, Paul had the rights of a Roman citizen. In Tarsus Paul received his first education and, perhaps, became acquainted with pagan education, for traces of acquaintance with pagan writers are clearly visible in his speeches and epistles (Acts 17:28; 1 ​​Cor. 15:33; Titus 1:12) . He received his main and final education in Jerusalem at the then famous rabbinical academy at the feet of the famous teacher Gamaliel(Acts 22:3), who was considered the glory of the law and, despite belonging to the party of the Pharisees, was a free-thinking man (Acts 5:34), and a lover of Greek wisdom. Here, according to the custom accepted among Jews, young Saul learned the art of making tents, which later helped him earn money to feed himself by his own labor (Acts 18:3; 2 Cor. 11:8; 2 Thess. 3:8).

Young Saul, apparently, was preparing for the position of rabbi, and therefore, immediately after completing his upbringing and education, he showed himself to be a strong zealot of the Pharisees' traditions and a persecutor of the faith of Christ: perhaps, by appointment of the Sanhedrin, he witnessed the death of the first martyr Stephen (Acts 7: 58; 8:1), and then received the power to officially persecute Christians even outside Palestine in Damascus (9:1-2). The Lord, who saw in him a vessel chosen for Himself, miraculously called him to Apostolic service on the way to Damascus. Having been baptized by Ananias, he became a zealous preacher of the previously persecuted teaching. He went to Arabia for a while, and then returned to Damascus again to preach about Christ. The rage of the Jews, outraged by his conversion to Christ, forced him to flee to Jerusalem (Acts 9:23 - in 38 AD), where he joined the community of believers. Due to an attempt by the Hellenists to kill him (9:29), he went to his hometown of Tarsus. From here, around the age of 43, he was called by Barnabas to Antioch to preach, traveling with him to Jerusalem with alms for the hungry (Acts 11:30). Soon after returning from Jerusalem, at the command of the Holy Spirit, Saul, together with Barnabas, set off on his first apostolic journey, which lasted from 45 to 51. The apostles traveled the entire Fr. Cyprus, since when Saul, after his conversion to the faith of the proconsul Sergius Paulus, is already called Pavel, and then founded Christian communities in the cities of Asia Minor Antioch Pisidian, Iconium, Lystra And Derbes. In 51, Saint Paul took part in the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem, where he ardently rebelled against the need for pagan Christians to observe the ritual Mosaic Law. Returning to Antioch, Saint Paul, accompanied by Silas, undertook his second apostolic journey. First he visited the churches he had already founded in Asia Minor, and then moved to Macedonia, where he founded communities in Philippi, Thessaloniki And Beria. In Lystra, Saint Paul acquired his beloved disciple Timofey, and from Troas continued the journey with the Writer who joined them Luka. From Macedonia, Saint Paul moved to Greece, where he preached Athens And Corinth, having lingered in the last 1½ years. From here he sent two messages to Thessalonians. The second journey lasted from 51 to 54. In 55, Saint Paul went to Jerusalem, visiting Ephesus and Caesarea along the way, and from Jerusalem he arrived in Antioch (Acts 17 and 18 chapters).

After a short stay in Antioch, Saint Paul undertook the third Apostolic journey (56-58), visiting first of all, according to his custom, the previously founded churches of Asia Minor, and then founded his stay in Ephesus, where he worked for two years preaching daily at the school of a certain Tyrannus. From here he wrote his message to Galatians, regarding the strengthening of the Judaizing party there, and first letter to the Corinthians, regarding the unrest that arose there and in response to the letter of the Corinthians to him. The popular uprising stirred up against Paul by the silversmith Demetrius forced the Apostle to leave Ephesus, and he went to Macedonia (Acts 1:9). On the way, he received news from Titus about the state of the Corinthian church and about the favorable effect of his message, as a result of which he sent with Titus from Macedonia second letter to the Corinthians. Soon he himself arrived in Corinth, from where he wrote Romans intending, having visited Jerusalem, to go to Rome and further to the West. Having said goodbye to the Ephesian presbyters in Melita, he arrived in Jerusalem, where, as a result of the popular rebellion that arose against him, he was taken into custody by the Roman authorities and found himself in prison, first under the proconsul Felix, and then under the proconsul who replaced him Feste. This happened in 59, and in 61 Paul, as a Roman citizen, of his own free will, was sent to Rome to be judged by Caesar. Having been shipwrecked near Fr. Malta, the holy Apostle only reached Rome in the summer of 62, where he enjoyed great leniency from the Roman authorities and preached without restraint. This ends the story of his life, found in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (chapters 27 and 28). From Rome Saint Paul wrote his epistles Philippians(with gratitude for the monetary allowance sent to him with Epaphroditus), to the Colossians, to the Ephesians And to Philemon, resident Colossus, regarding the slave Onesimus who fled from him. All three of these messages were written in 63 and sent from Quiet. A letter to the Palestinians was also written from Rome in 64. Hebrews.

The further fate of Saint Apostle Paul is unknown exactly. Some believe that he remained in Rome and, by order of Nero, was martyred in 64. But there is reason to believe that after two years of imprisonment, Paul was given freedom, and he undertook the fourth apostolic journey, which is indicated by his so-called. “ pastoral letters” - to Timothy and Titus. After defending his case before the Senate and the Emperor, Saint Paul was released from bonds and again traveled to the East: after spending time for a long time on o. Crete and leaving his disciple Titus there for the ordination of presbyters in all the cities (Titus 1:5), which testifies to his installation of Titus as bishop of the Cretan Church, Saint Paul passed through Asia Minor, from where he wrote letter to Titus, instructing him on how to carry out the duties of a bishop. From the message it is clear that he intended to spend that winter of 64 in Nicopolis (Titus 3:12) near Tarsus. In the spring of 65, he visited the rest of the churches of Asia Minor and left the sick Trophimus in Miletus, because of whom there was an indignation against the Apostle in Jerusalem, which led to his first bonds (2 Tim. 4:20). It is unknown whether Saint Paul passed through Ephesus, since he said that the elders of Ephesus would no longer see his face (Acts 20:25), but he, apparently, at that time ordained Timothy as bishop for Ephesus. Next, the Apostle passed through Troas, where he left his phelonion and books with a certain Carpus (2 Tim. 4:13), and then went to Macedonia.

There he heard about the rise of false teachings in Ephesus and wrote his first letter to Timothy. Having spent some time in Corinth (2 Tim. 4:20) and meeting the Apostle Peter on the way, Paul continued with him through Dalmatia (2 Tim. 4:10) and Italy, reached Rome, where he left the Apostle Peter, and Already in 66 he himself went further west to Spain, as has long been assumed (Rom. 15:24) and as tradition claims. There or after returning to Rome, he was again imprisoned (“ second bonds"), in which he remained until his death. There is a legend that upon returning to Rome, he even preached at the court of Emperor Nero and converted his beloved concubine to faith in Christ. For this he was put on trial, and although by the grace of God he was delivered, in his own words, from the jaws of lions, that is, from being eaten by beasts in the circus (2 Tim. 4:16-17), however, he was imprisoned. From these second bonds he wrote to Ephesus second letter to Timothy, inviting him to Rome, in anticipation of his imminent death, for a last date. Tradition does not say whether Timothy managed to catch his teacher alive, but it does say that the Apostle himself did not wait long for his martyr’s crown. After nine months' imprisonment, he was beheaded by the sword as a Roman citizen, near Rome. This was in 67 AD. in the 12th year of the reign of Nero.

Taking a general look at the life of the Holy Apostle Paul, it is clear that it is sharply divided into two halves. Before his conversion to Christ, Saint Paul, then Saul, was a strict Pharisee, a fulfiller of the law of Moses and the traditions of his fathers, who thought to be justified by the works of the law and by zeal for the faith of the fathers, reaching the point of fanaticism. Upon his conversion, he became an Apostle of Christ, completely devoted to the work of the gospel gospel, happy with his calling, but aware of his own powerlessness in the performance of this high ministry and attributing all his deeds and merits to the grace of God. Saint Paul presents the very act of his conversion to Christ as exclusively action of God's grace. The entire life of the Apostle before his conversion, according to his deep conviction, was an error, a sin, and led him not to justification, but to condemnation, and only the grace of God rescued him from this destructive error. From that time on, Saint Paul strives only to be worthy of this grace of God and not to deviate from his calling. There is no and cannot be any talk, therefore, of any merit - the whole point God's. Being a complete reflection of the life of the Apostle, the entire teaching of St. Paul, revealed in his epistles, pursues precisely this basic idea: “ a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (Rom. 3:28). But from this it is impossible to draw the conclusion that the holy Apostle Paul denies any significance in the matter of salvation of a person’s personal efforts - good deeds(See for example Galat. 6:4 or Eph. 2:10 or 1 Tim. 2:10 and many others). Under " matters of law“in his messages it is clear not “ good deeds” in general, but ritual works of the law of Moses.

We must firmly know and remember that the Apostle Paul, during his preaching work, had to endure a stubborn struggle with the opposition of Jews and Judaizing Christians. Many of the Jews, even after accepting Christianity, held the view that for Christians it is also necessary to carefully fulfill all the ritual requirements of the Mosaic Law. They deluded themselves with the proud thought that Christ came to earth to save only the Jews, and therefore pagans who want to be saved must first become Jews, that is, accept circumcision and become accustomed to fulfilling the entire Mosaic Law. This error so greatly hindered the spread of Christianity among the pagans that the Apostles had to convene a council in Jerusalem in 51, which abolished the obligation of the ritual decrees of the Law of Moses for Christians. But even after this council, many Judaizing Christians continued to stubbornly adhere to their former view and subsequently completely separated from the Church, forming their own heretical society. These heretics, personally opposing the Holy Apostle Paul, brought confusion into church life, taking advantage of the absence of the Holy Apostle Paul in one church or another. Therefore, Saint Paul in his epistles was forced to constantly emphasize that Christ is the Savior Total humanity, both Jews and Gentiles, and what is saved man not by performing the ritual works of the law, but only by faith in Christ. Unfortunately, this idea of ​​the Holy Apostle Paul was distorted by Luther and his Protestant followers in the sense that the Holy Apostle Paul denies the meaning at all all sorts of good works for salvation. If this were so, then St. Paul would not have said in the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians in the XIII chapter that if “ I have all knowledge and all faith, so that I could move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”, because love manifests itself in good deeds.

From the Epistle to the Romans

The Apostle Paul writes about the Christian life in his epistle: “Be kind to one another with brotherly love; warn one another in respect; do not slacken in zeal; be patient in sorrow, constant in prayer; take part in the needs of the saints. Bless your persecutors; bless, not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Don't dream about yourself; Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but strive for good in the sight of all people. If possible on your part, be at peace with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but give room to the wrath of God. For it is written: Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord (see Deut. 32:35). So, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink... Do not be overcome by evil, but conquer evil with good.” (Rom. 1, 7, 10–12, 16; 12, 10–21)

“Let every soul be subject to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God; the existing authorities have been established by God. Leaders are not a terror to good deeds, but to evil deeds. Do you want to not be afraid of power? Do good. If you do evil, be afraid. One must obey not only out of fear of punishment, but also out of conscience. So give everyone their due. Do not owe anyone anything except mutual love; For he who loves another has fulfilled the law. Love does not harm one's neighbor; So love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Rom. 13, 1, 3–5, 7–8, 10)

From the letters to the Corinthians

“I beg you,” the Apostle Paul appeals in writing to the Corinthians, about whom he learned that there were disputes, disagreements and various deviations from the teachings of Christ that he taught them, “imitate me, as I imitate Christ.” “No one seeks his own, but each one seeks the benefit of the other. Just as I please everyone in everything, seeking not my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.” (1 Cor. 4, 16; 10, 24, 33)

The Holy Apostle Paul teaches about the nature and meaning of Christian love: “And if I give away all my possessions and give my body to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good. Love is patient, merciful, love does not envy, love is not arrogant, is not proud, is not rude, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends". (1 Cor. 13:3-8).

Resolving doubts that arose among the Corinthians under the influence of false teachers who appeared among them, the Apostle Paul writes to them: “I remind you, brethren, of the gospel which I preached to you, which you received, in which you stood, and by which you are saved, if you hold fast what was taught. as I preached the gospel to you, unless you believed in vain. For I taught you from the beginning what I also received, that is, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures,” and that He appeared to many after His resurrection, “And after all he appeared to me, as to some monster.”

“For I am the least of the apostles, and am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace in me was not in vain, but I labored more than all of them: not I, however, but the grace of God that was with me. So, whether I or they, this is how we preach, and this is how you believe.” (1 Cor. 15, 1–4, 8–11)

“We, as companions, beg you so that the grace of God will not be received by you in vain. For it is said: in an acceptable time I heard you and on the day of salvation I helped you (see Isa. 49:8). Behold, now is the favorable time, behold, now is the day of salvation. We do not cause anyone to stumble in anything, so that our service is not blamed, but in everything we show ourselves as servants of God, in great patience, in adversity, in need, in difficult circumstances, under blows, in prisons, in exiles, in labors. , in vigils, in fasting, in purity, in prudence, in generosity, in goodness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in the word of truth, in the power of God, with the weapon of righteousness in the right and left hand, in honor and dishonor, with blame and praise: we are considered deceivers, but we are faithful; we are unknown, but we are recognized; we are considered dead, but behold, we are alive; we are punished, but we do not die; we are saddened, but we always rejoice; We are poor, but we enrich many; We have nothing, but we possess everything.” (2 Cor. 6, 1–10)

By thus raising his own apostolic dignity in the eyes of the Corinthians, who were confused by various false teachings, it was easier for the holy Apostle Paul to eliminate their misunderstandings and make it easier for himself to persuade them to submit to good influence. At the same time, he expresses confidence in their obedience and attention to his warnings and his joy that he can rely on them in everything (see 2 Cor. 7:16). At the same time, he reminds them of their disposition to help the poor from their excesses and advises them to prove this disposition by deeds: “Now do the deed itself,” he writes to them. - For if there is zeal, then it is accepted according to who has what, and not according to what he does not have. It is not required that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but that there should be equality, as it is written: whoever gathered a lot had no excess; and whoever had little had no lack (see Ex. 16:18). At the same time, I will say: whoever sows sparingly, the harvest is also sparing; and whoever sows generously, to him the harvest is also bountiful. Each one should give according to the disposition of his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion; For God loves a cheerful giver.

But God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound in every good work, as it is written: He lavished, he gave to the poor; his righteousness endures forever (see Ps. 111:9).

He who gives seed to the sower and bread for food will give abundance to what you sow and will multiply the fruits of your righteousness, so that you will be rich in everything in all generosity, which through us produces thanksgiving to God. For the work of this ministry produces abundant thanksgiving to God in many, since, seeing the experience of this ministry, they glorify God for your obedience to the Gospel of Christ that you profess and for your sincere communication with them and with everyone, praying for you, according to your disposition, for the abounding in the grace of God upon you." (2 Cor. 8, 11–13, 15; 9, 6–14)

“However, brethren,” the holy Apostle Paul ends his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, “rejoice, be improved, be comforted, be like-minded, peaceful, and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Cor. 13, 11)

From the Epistle to the Galatians

In his Epistle to the Galatians, who accepted the teaching of the holy Apostle Paul, who visited them, but fell away from his teaching under the influence of false teachers, who aroused in them distrust of the evangelist of the teachings of Christ, the holy Apostle writes to them: “I am surprised that you are leaving Him who called you by the grace of Christ so quickly.” to another gospel, which, however, is not another, but there are only people who confuse you and want to change the gospel of Christ. I declare to you, brethren, that the gospel which I preached is not that of men, for I also received it and learned it, not from man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ. You walked well: who stopped you from submitting to the truth? You, who justify yourselves by the law, are left without Christ, have fallen from grace, but we in spirit expect and hope for righteousness from faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has power, but faith working through love. For the whole law is contained in one word: love your neighbor as yourself (see Lev. 19:18).”

“Oh, that those who disturb you were removed! (that is, those who inspired that salvation lies in the fulfillment of the external rites of the Mosaic Law, losing sight of its meaning and spirit, invested in it by Christ, without faith in the teaching of Whose teaching, preached by Paul, the fulfillment of the temporary, old law will not save) "

And so the holy apostle reminds them that salvation is not only in the performance of external rituals, which does not prevent them from “biting and eating each other,” but also in comprehending and assimilating the Spirit of Christ. “The fruit of the Spirit,” admonishes the holy Apostle Paul, “is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, mercy, faith, meekness, self-control. If we live by the spirit, then we must act by the spirit. Let's not be vain, irritate each other, envy each other. Brethren! If a person falls into any sin, you who are spiritual, correct him in the spirit of meekness, watching each one of you so as not to be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. Let us not become weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So, as long as we have time, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of our own in the faith.” (Gal. 1, 6–7, 11–12; 5, 7, 4–6, 14, 12, 15, 22–23, 25–26; 6, 1–2, 9–10)

From the letter to the Ephesians

In the Epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul also leads in the fight against the Judaizing false teachers who confused Christians and pagans who were not strong in the faith. And he also exhorts the converts not to adhere only to the letter of the law, but to act in accordance with its spirit, delving into its inner meaning, revealed by the teaching of Christ. Reminding them that he, “a prisoner in the Lord,” “has been given grace to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,” he continues in writing: “I urge you to walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and meekness and long-suffering, bearing with one another love, trying to maintain the unity of spirit in the union of peace. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all.” The apostle urges us to “put on the new man, created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness.”

“And therefore,” he writes, “having rejected falsehood, speak the truth every one to his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”

“When you are angry, do not sin; let not the sun go down on your anger; and do not give place to the devil. Whoever stole, do not steal first, but rather work, doing useful things with your own hands, so that you have something to give to those in need. Let no corrupt word come out of your mouth, but only what is good for edification in the faith, so that it may bring grace to those who hear. Let all irritation and rage and anger and shouting and slander along with all malice be removed from you; but be kind to each other, compassionate, forgive each other, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is what justice requires. Honor your father and mother, this is the first commandment with a promise: that it may be good for you, and that you may live long on earth (see Ex. 20:12).

Make every prayer and supplication at all times in the Spirit, and be diligent about this with all perseverance...” (Eph. 3:8; 4:1-3, 5-6, 24-32; 6:1-3, 18)

From the book of Philippians

To the Philippians, as those who accepted with faith and observed the teaching taught to them by the Apostle Paul, he writes: “I thank my God whenever I remember you. Complete my joy: have the same thoughts, have the same love, be of one mind and of the same mind; Do nothing out of vanity, but out of humility, consider each other better than yourselves. Not only does everyone care about himself, but everyone also cares about others. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Do everything without grumbling and doubting, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish among a crooked and corrupt generation, in which you shine as lights in the world, containing the word of life, to my praise on the day of Christ, that I did not fight in vain and I did not labor in vain.”

The Apostle Paul also warned the Philippians against the false teachers of Judaism: “Imitate me, brothers, and look to those who walk in the image that you have in us. For many, about whom I have often told you, and now even speak with tears, act as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in shame, they think about earthly things. Our residence is in heaven, from where we await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body so that it will be consistent with His glorious body, by the power by which He acts and subdues all things to Himself.

Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say: rejoice. Let your meekness be known to all people. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, my brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if there is any excellence or if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned, what you have received and heard and seen in me, do it, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil. 1, 3; 2, 2–4, 12, 14–16; 3, 17–21; 4, 4–9)

From the Epistle to the Colossians

Strengthening the Colossians in the knowledge and spiritual mood that the holy Apostle Paul aroused in them with his gospel, he at the same time warns them as ardent people capable of passions: “Be careful, brethren, that no one captivates you with philosophy and empty deception.” , according to human tradition, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.” “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teach and admonish one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Above all, put on love, which is the sum of perfection.” (Col. 2, 8; 3, 2, 16–17, 14)

From the Epistles to the Thessalonians

In his First Epistle to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul reassures them amid the bewilderment that confused them about the afterlife: “I do not want you, brethren, to be ignorant about those who have died, so that you do not grieve like others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not warn those who have died, because the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first; Then we who are left alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

“Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Refrain from all kinds of evil." (1 Thess. 4, 13–18; 5, 16–18, 22)

“When we were with you, we commanded you this: if anyone does not want to work, he should not eat.

But we hear that some among you act disorderly, do nothing, but fuss. We admonish and convince such people by our Lord Jesus Christ, so that they, working in silence, eat their bread. But you, brothers, do not lose heart in doing good. If anyone does not listen to our words in this message, take note of him and do not communicate with him in order to shame him. But do not consider him an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” (2 Thess. 3, 10–15)

From the Epistles to Timothy and Titus

The letters of the holy Apostle Paul to Timothy and Titus are called pastoral, because they contain instructions for those undergoing pastoral service or preparing for it. In them the apostle warns about the upcoming persecutions and affirms in the fight against false teachers:

“All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Evil people and deceivers will prosper in evil, deceiving and being deceived. And you continue in what you have been taught and what has been entrusted to you, knowing by whom you were taught. Moreover, from childhood you know the sacred scriptures, which can make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3, 12–17)

From the Epistle to Philemon

In his Epistle to Philemon, addressed to a noble citizen of Colossian devoted to the faith of Christ, the holy Apostle Paul asks him to forgive and accept the servant Onesimus who once fled from him, now converted by the Apostle to the faith of Christ.

“He was once unfit for you,” Paul writes to Philemon, “but now he is fit for you and me; I return it; You accept it as my heart. I wanted to keep him with me, so that instead of you he would serve me in prison for the gospel; but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your good deed would not be forced, but voluntary. For, perhaps, he went away for a while so that you could accept him forever, not as a slave, but above a servant, a beloved brother, especially to me, and even more so to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.”

“So, brother,” asks the holy peacemaker, “let me benefit from you in the Lord; rest my heart in the Lord.” At the same time, thanking Philemon for his charity in general, rejoicing in his love and faith for the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, the Apostle Paul adds: “Hopeful of your obedience, I wrote to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.” (Phil. 1, 11–16, 20–21)

And indeed, Philemon responded not only with forgiveness, but also released his servant Onesimus, so that he could return to Rome to Paul and serve him, diligently fulfilling his instructions, and subsequently suffered martyrdom, being stoned (in 109) for zealous assistance in spreading the faith of Christ. For the same reason, the holy Apostle Philemon, the former master of his servant, the holy Apostle Onesimus, suffered the same fate.

From the Epistle to the Hebrews

The Epistle to the Hebrews was written by the Apostle Paul when, after the death of the Apostle James, the situation of the Palestinian Jewish Christians, bitterly persecuted by their own unbelieving Jews, began to threaten the weakening of their faith in the risen Christ, so that some of them began to leave their Christian meetings and were ready to were to return to Judaism. Paul did not hesitate to write to them from his conclusion about this. Explaining to them all the superiority of the New Testament teaching over the Old Testament, calling the former law only “a shadow of future blessings,” asserting that “the abolition of a former commandment occurs because of its weakness and uselessness, for the law did not bring anything to perfection; but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw closer to God,” the apostle repeats: God has given us “the ability to be ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit, because the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.” (Heb. 10, 1; 7, 18–19. 2 Cor. 3, 6)

“There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” “who is the image of the invisible God, the first begotten of all creation.” (1 Tim. 2, 5. Col. 1, 15)

And at the same time he reminds us of what the behavior of followers of Christ should consist of:

“Let brotherly love remain among you. Don't forget your love of strangeness. Remember the prisoners, as if you were in bonds with them, and the suffering, as you yourself are in the body. Have a non-money-loving disposition, being content with what you have. For He Himself said: I will not leave you nor forsake you (see Josh. 1:5), so we boldly say: The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid: what will man do to me? (see Ps. 118:6).

Remember your mentors who preached the word of God to you, and, looking at the end of their lives, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Do not get carried away by different and alien teachings. Do not forget also charity and sociability, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Obey your teachers and be submissive, for they are vigilantly watching over your souls, as those who are obliged to give an account; so that they do this with joy, and not sighing, for this is not good for you.

I ask you, brethren, accept this word of exhortation. Grace be with you all. Amen". (Heb. 13, 1–3, 5–9, 16–17, 22, 25)

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ came to us through St. The apostles who spread verbs of eternal life Worldwide. At the same time, it is indisputable that St. worked more than others in the field of preaching the Gospel of Christ. ap. Paul (), who conquered many nations of the pagan world to the cross of Christ. For this, he forever entered the history of Christianity as the “apostle of the nations,” just like the apostle. John entered with the name “apostle of love,” and the ap. Peter is “the apostle of confession – the rock of faith.”

And indeed, a “chosen vessel” of God’s grace was needed in order to convey the truth about Christ to the most remote corners of the then Roman Empire. Ap. Paul zealously came out to defend the Church from being enslaved by Jewish legality, against turning it into a sect of the Jewish religion or a reformed synagogue. He proclaimed the victory of faith and grace over the law and Pharisaism, and - the religion of freedom, the religion of renewal. Likewise, to understand the work of Christ’s redemption, a deep knowledge of the piety of St. ap. Pavel. “The world will not see another Paul,” St. said about him. , emphasizing with these words the genius of this person.

Apostolic ministry of St. Paul was truly a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God(), undivided service to Him.

Fourteen Epistles of St. ap. Paul occupy the most honorable place in New Testament writing, for they set forth in all depth the most important truths of Christianity: about the personality of Jesus Christ and His mission, about law and grace, about the Church, questions of eschatology, etc. Moreover, the apostle. Paul clearly emphasizes that his gospel is precisely Christ’s revelation, and not his, Paul’s (); it is the true word of God (), therefore it rightfully calls it the “second Gospel” (“Among the writings of Paul, there is not one that is usually called the Gospel, but what he preached and said is the Gospel, that is, he wrote the same Gospel... Everything that confirms the coming of Christ indicates His second appearance and encourages souls to receive the word of God, standing at the gate, pushing and urging to enter - all this is the Gospel" (Origen).

But the flame of Christian inspiration of St. ap. Paul was not kindled directly by Christ during His earthly life. Ap. Paul was neither a companion nor a listener of the Lord. Moreover, he fiercely tormented God until he was reborn by the grace of God in the personal appearance of Christ, whom he persecuted. Therefore, the ap. Paul so strongly sounds the motive of justification by faith regardless of the works of the law, reverence for the incomprehensibility of God's destinies, the calling of each person and entire nations.

Blagovest ap. Paul was neither a systematic theology nor a chronological account of Christian events. His gospel reflected only what was necessary for the specific needs of the Christians of that time. His messages are addressed to a flock aware of the historical existence of Christ, so he is more concerned with the practical assimilation of Christianity. The objectives of the universal preaching of Christianity dictated both the range of issues it addressed and the form of their expression.

The 4th grade seminary program sets the task of mastering both the conditions and circumstances of writing the epistles of St. Paul, as well as their actual content, the issues of doctrine and moral teaching raised by the Apostle. This is the so-called exegetical analysis of the messages, which is extremely necessary for the practical church ministry of pastors. The program also includes an introduction to the Revelation of St. ap. John the Theologian.

It should be noted that the messages of St. Paul is not easily interpreted. They contain such a depth of theological thought, they are distinguished by such originality of language and form of presentation that even such famous exegetes as St. John Chrysostom, bl. Jerome, bl. Augustine.

While studying the epistles of St. ap. Paul's primary source should be, in addition to the epistles themselves, also the Acts of the Apostles. There are a number of manuals that give detailed exegetical interpretations of them. The best interpretations are by Rev. Ep. Feofan Govorova. Seminar courses are “Guide to explanatory reading of the books of the New Testament” by A. Ivanov; "Apostolic Epistles and Apocalypse" prot. M. Kheraskova; "Review of the Epistles of St. ap. Pavel" N. Rozanov; "The life and works of St. ap. Pavel" Rudinsky and others.

1. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE APOSTLE PAUL

1.1. Life path of St. ap. Paul before the start of his missionary work

The Apostle Paul came from the Asia Minor city of Tarsus of Cilicia () and bore the Hebrew name Saul, or Saul. It is not known exactly when he adopted another name for himself - Paul (paulus - small), perhaps at birth, as a Roman citizen, but did not use it until later. From Acts (13, 9) it is known that after contacting the proconsul, Fr. Crete Sergius Paul, then the name Paul is used everywhere.

The exact date of birth of the Apostle is unknown. In the letter to Philemon (9) ap. Paul calls himself an “old man.” Since the epistle was written around 63, an age of about 60 years can be called “senile,” we can conclude that the Apostle was born no later than 3–5 AD. By origin he was from the tribe of Benjamin, and by upbringing he was a Pharisee ().

The city of Tarsus was famous for the Greek Academy and the education of its residents. Saul was also well acquainted with Greek culture; as a Jew, he received his systematic education in the local synagogue. He continued his further education at the rabbinical school in Jerusalem - he studied at the feet of the famous Gamaliel (). Here the Apostle also mastered the profession of weaving tents, which later gave him material freedom and freed him from criticism of self-interest.

Saul, naturally, spoke his native Aramaic language, but the official language in Judea at that time was Greek, which Saul studied and translated from 70 interpreters, therefore, he also spoke Greek. Because of Saul's special zeal for the national traditions of his fathers and their religion, the Jews pinned great hopes on him for the revival of the former glory of their religion, and Gamaliel wanted to see him as their successor. Saul was distinguished not only by patriotism, but also by the special religious intolerance with which he persecuted Christians. Subsequently, he called himself a “monster” for this (). He asked for letters of guarantee from the high priest and searched for Christians even outside Palestine, in Syria; he also approved of the murder of Archdeacon Stephen ().

But the Lord foresaw in Saul a future zealot of the true faith. He did not reject him for cruel persecution, but revealed himself to him in a miraculous appearance (ch.). On the way to Damascus, Christ Himself appeared to Saul, which radically changed his entire life and worldview. After receiving baptism, Saul becomes a zealous preacher of the teachings he had previously persecuted. This happened approx. 34

Saul's preaching in Damascus angered the Jews, and it was dangerous for him to remain there. Therefore, he retired to Arabia for three years (34–37), where in solitude he comprehended the sublime truths of Christianity.

Returning to Damascus, Saul zealously preaches, which again caused persecution by the Jews, and he was forced to flee - he was lowered in a basket along the city wall (). Saul together with the ap. Barnabas goes to Jerusalem to see St. Peter and the ap. Jacob (). Having stayed here for about 15 days, he returned to his native Tarsus (;), where he remained from 37 to 44, when ap. Barnabas again called him to Antioch for the work of preaching. Here, in Antioch, the disciples of the apostles first began to be called Christians ().

1.2. Missionary activity of the Apostle Paul. The first journey of St. ap. Paul (Acts 13:4–14:27) (45–46 AD)

When the disciples of the apostles in Antioch were together in prayer, the Holy Spirit commanded that Saul and Barnabas be separated for the work of preaching. After fasting and prayer, the apostles laid hands on them and sent them out to preach the gospel. The journey passed through Cyprus (the birthplace of Barnabas) from Salamis to Paphos. Here, in Paphos, Saul struck Elymas the Magus with blindness for opposing the preaching. Seeing this miracle, the proconsul of the island, Sergius Pavel, turned to faith. From this time on, the name Saul no longer appears in the book of Acts - he is called Paul. The further journey passed through Perga, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. In Lystra ap. Paul healed the lame man; amazed by the miracle local residents They took the apostles for gods who had descended from heaven and wanted to sacrifice animals to them. It took a lot of effort for the apostles to convince them not to do this. From Derbe the apostles returned the same way to Antioch, continuing the work of preaching and establishing the early Christian churches.

1.3. Apostolic Council (Acts 15:1–29). 51 years old

The apostles opened free entry into Christ to all who believed in Christ, regardless of nationality or religious affiliation. This caused opposition from Jewish Christians, who wanted to preserve circumcision and other prescriptions of the Law of Moses in Christianity. To resolve the dispute with the authority of the main Apostles, the Church of Antioch sent St. Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem. As you know, the council decided “not to make it difficult for pagans who turn to God, but to write that they abstain from what is defiled by idols, from fornication, strangulation and blood, and that they do not do to others what they do not want for themselves” (). The Council thus freed those entering the Church from the need to adhere to Old Testament rites.

1.4. Second missionary journey. Paul (Acts 15:36–18, 22). 52–54

Soon after the cathedral, St. Paul and Barnabas also took a second trip. Because of a disagreement regarding Mark's participation, Barnabas and Paul separated: Barnabas, taking Mark, went to Cyprus, and Paul, along with Silas, went through Cilicia. In Lystra ap. Paul took Timothy with him, who later became his favorite student and collaborator (). Through Phrygia and Galatia they reached Troas, where they were joined by St. Luke (), why from now on the narration is in the first person plural.

From Troas, called by the Holy Spirit in a vision of a certain Macedonian man, the apostles crossed over to Macedonia and stopped in Philippi. For the healing of one servant girl possessed by the spirit of divination, the apostles were imprisoned, and after their miraculous release they went to Thessalonica. Leaving Silas and Timothy in Berea, St. Paul arrived in Athens. His famous speech in the Areopagus is known (). A year and a half ap. Paul lived in Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla.

From Corinth, around 53, the Apostle wrote his first two letters to the Thessalonians. Leaving Corinth and visiting Ephesus along the way, St. Paul returned to Antioch through Jerusalem.

1.5. Third missionary journey of St. ap. Paul (Acts 18:23–23, 35), 54–58.

From Antioch ap. Paul, together with Timothy, sets off on a new journey - even further into the midst of pagan peoples. Having visited Phrygia and Galatia, he arrived in Ephesus, engaged in the work of preaching for three years in the school of a certain Tyrannus. The first letter to the Corinthians and the letter to the Galatians were written from Ephesus around 57. As a result of the decline in interest among the Ephesians in the idols they made, a certain artisan Demetrius the silversmith incited a people's uprising against the apostle. Paul, which forced him to retire to Macedonia. Having met Titus in Philippi, who brought news about the life of the Corinthian Church and about the warm reception of the first letter to it, St. Paul writes his second letter to the Corinthians (57 or early 58); soon the ap himself. Paul arrived in Corinth, where he stayed for 3 months, writing his letter to the Romans (beginning 58). On the way back through Macedonia, having collected alms for the poor Jerusalem Church, the Apostle headed to Jerusalem. Here, being accused of desecration of the temple, he was imprisoned and sent to Caesarea to the proconsul Felix, who tormented him, expecting a bribe, for about 2 years (58–60). Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus, who was ready to release the ap. Paul, not finding sufficient guilt in him, but the Apostle, as a Roman citizen, demanded the judgment of Caesar, in which he was satisfied (24, 1 - 25, 25).

1.6. The first Roman bonds of St. ap. Paul (Acts 27:1–28, 16), 61–63.

In September 60 ap. Paul was sent under guard to Rome. On the sea near the island There was a shipwreck in Melit (Malta), so that those on the ship barely escaped death. Only in the spring of 61 ap. Paul reached Rome. Here the Apostle was warmly received by Christians and, taking advantage of the great leniency of the authorities, freely preached Christianity. At this time, the Philippian Church, previously distinguished by its works of mercy, sent Epaphroditus to the Apostle with a monetary allowance. In gratitude to Ap. Paul writes Philippians (c. 63). At this time, he writes three more Christological epistles: to the Ephesians, to the Colossians and to the Hebrews (c. 64) and a private letter to Philemon.

1.7. The fourth missionary journey of St. ap. Paul (64–66)

According to Tradition, after successfully defending his case before the Senate, ap. Paul was released and made a new journey to the East, visiting the churches he had previously founded. On about. In Crete, he ordained Titus as Bishop of Crete. Traveling further through Asia Minor, the Apostle c. 64–65 wrote a letter to Titus. He then ordained Timothy as Bishop of Ephesus. He visited Macedonia again, from where he wrote 1 Epistle to Timothy (65). In Corinth he met St. Peter, with whom he reached Rome in 66. Here ap. Peter remained for the work of evangelism, and the apostle. Paul traveled to Spain, which is confirmed by St. Clement of Rome. Upon his return from Spain, he was taken back to Rome in bonds, of which approx. 67 wrote a second letter to Timothy in Ephesus. In 67, during the persecution of Christians under Nero, ap. Paul was beheaded by the sword.

2. Epistles of St. ap. Paul, their authenticity, quantity, internal and external features and the order of their arrangement and study

Since ancient times, 13 epistles (except the epistle to the Hebrews) have been accepted as authentic. The Muratorian fragment (c. 170) mentions all 14. The heretic Marcion (c. 150) excludes the pastoral epistles, but thereby he testifies to their existence. The apostolic men, in particular Clement of Rome, as well as Tertullian, have excerpts from all 14 letters of St. ap. Pavel.

Ap. Paul used the services of scribes. In the Epistle to the Romans (16, 22) this was a certain Tertius; the epistle to Philemon (v. 10) and to the Galatians (6, 11) were written in his own hand. Sometimes up. Paul writes a handwritten note (; ), which is either a greeting or a blessing.

The language of the messages of the Ap. Paul's was Greek, but clearly tinged with Hebraisms. His grammar is subordinated to the movement of living thought and heart with all their shades and bends.

And the order of the messages developed gradually in the Church canon. Epistles to the Churches are always placed first. Only the letter to the Hebrews was placed in different places, but most often at the end of all, since it was recognized as canonical later than the others. The modern order of the letters in the New Testament canon is consistent with the importance of the issues discussed in them and the gradualness of their disclosure. Therefore, first there is an epistle outlining the issue of justification (Rom.), then there are messages about its assimilation in the life of believers (1 and 2 Cor.). The reason for justification against all objections and doubts is given in the book of Galatians. This is the so-called group of soteriological messages.

Then there is a group of Christological messages that reveal the teaching about the Person of the Accomplisher of salvation - Jesus Christ (Eph., Col., Phil., Heb.) This also includes the letter to Philemon.

The third group of messages - moral and eschatological content (1 and 2 Sol.) - is about the final destinies of the world.

The fourth group is the pastoral epistles (1 Tim. and 2 Tim. and Tit.) outlining the rules for the organization and guidance of Christian communities to achieve salvation.

From a chronological point of view, all 14 messages can be divided into 4 groups:

1) messages from the 2nd trip: 1Sol. and 2Sol.ok. 53;

2) messages from the 3rd journey: 1 Cor. and 2 Cor. Gal. Rom. (c. 57–58) - outlining questions about the conditions and means of justification.

4) A group of pastoral epistles (1 Tim. and 2 Tim. and Tit.), written at the end of the life of St. Paul, after his release from the first Roman bonds (64–67), and expressing concern for the canonical structure of the Church. The second letter to Timothy, written by him during his second Roman bonds, in anticipation of his imminent death (67), sounds like the dying testament of the great Apostle.

Basically, each message consists of 4 parts: 1) introduction; 2) doctrinal part; 3) moralizing part; 4) conclusion.

3. Review Questions Introduction

1 . Which character traits gospel of St. ap. Pavel.

2 . Provide biographical information about St. ap. Paul before the start of his missionary activity.

3 . Events of the first missionary journey of St. ap. Pavel.

4 . Participation Paul at the Apostolic Council.

5 . How did the second missionary journey of St. ap. Paul and what letters were written by him at this time?

6 . Give the main events and places of stay. Paul on his third missionary journey. What messages were written from Ephesus and Corinth?

7 . What is the reason for the arrest of the ap. Paul in Jerusalem? Caesarea bonds of the Apostle. Why up. Did Paul demand judgment from Caesar?

8 . How he was kept Paul in Roman bonds? What messages were written to them from Roman bonds?

9 . What is known about the fourth missionary journey of St. Paul and the death of the Apostle Paul?

10 . What groups can all the messages of the Ap. be divided into according to content and time of writing? Pavel?

Early Epistles of the Apostle Paul

Message GALATIANS is Paul's vigorous protest against the destructive influence of the Judaizers, who tried to deprive the communities of their Christian freedom by imposing on them the law of Moses and circumcision. In addition, the Judaizers tried to undermine the authority of the Apostle Paul in matters of faith. The epistle is divided into three parts: historical (chap. 1-2), dogmatic (chap. 3-4) and practical (chap. 5-6). Paul begins by recalling the circumstances of Jesus' call to ministry and condemning those who try to weaken the influence of the Gospel. He points out that earlier he himself was jealous of the Law received from the fathers, but now God called him to preach to the pagans, with which the other apostles agree. Moreover, Paul even had to personally rebuke one of the apostles who did not have the courage to consistently draw the line of separation between the Law and Christ.

IN dogmatic In part, the apostle explains in detail why “legal” Christianity is false. The Galatians did not become Christians thanks to the Law, but through the power of the Holy Spirit and by personal faith. And Abraham received the blessing not through keeping the Law (which did not yet exist), but only for his faith. The law could only bring damnation to sinners, but Christ fulfilled the requirement of the Law by taking our sins upon Himself. The law did not destroy the promise (given earlier): it was a “schoolmaster” of people, called to preserve them from sin until the coming of Jesus Christ. And after the coming of Christ, silent submission to the yoke of the law was replaced by the responsibility of free adoption by God. Paul explains this truth through the story of Sarah and Hagar and their sons. In the practical concluding part, the apostle shows how freedom in Christ makes circumcision unnecessary and thereby eliminates Judaism altogether, but he immediately warns that this freedom should not be understood as irresponsibility. Freedom of the spirit is the opposite of the “freedom” of the flesh (the sinful nature), and it motivates Christians to serve one another through love. Paul ends by emphasizing the importance of the letter, which this time is written by his own hand, and compares the false motives of “those who desire to boast in the flesh” with their boasting of the cross of Christ alone. The message ends with a general greeting to the believers.

First Letter to the Thessalonians is Paul's reaction to the news brought from Thessalonica by his companion and disciple Timothy. On the one hand, Paul praises the Thessalonians for their perseverance in trials, on the other, he denounces them for conniving at some false teachings and perverse interpretations that had penetrated their midst, especially those concerning the second coming of the Lord. The apostle begins by thanking God for their testimony and patience in the hope of Jesus Christ. He recalls how he himself worked among the Thessalonians and how, despite persecution, they accepted his words as the Word of God. Paul writes how his soul was attached to them, how he rejoiced at the good news about them and prayed for their spiritual growth (chap. 1-3). In the second half of the letter, Paul rebukes them and gives practical instructions about purity of marriage, brotherly love, and honest work. He then dwells on the question of what will be the fate of believers who died before the coming of Christ, and assures that on that day Christ will take to Himself both the living and the dead, who will at that moment be resurrected. Paul strongly emphasizes that the time of Christ's second coming is unknown to anyone. This will be an unexpected judgment for unbelievers, but believers will not come to judgment and must wait for that day, watchful and sober. The message ends with various practical instructions and greetings.

Second Message to THE THESSALONIANS, written shortly after the first, is intended to resolve the misunderstanding that arose: the believers of this church assumed that the “day of the Lord” (the day of judgment) had already arrived. Therefore, the apostle begins his explanation by pointing out that although the Thessalonians suffer from persecution by the authorities, this is not yet a sign of the advent of the day of judgment: on that day (the coming of Christ) everything will happen just the opposite, the believers will receive the promised reward, and their oppressors will be punished (chapter 1). The “Day of the Lord” has not yet come because it must be preceded by a great falling away from the faith and the appearance of the leader of the time of great tribulation, the “man of sin” (“the son of perdition,” that is, the Antichrist, who will seduce many, but the Lord Jesus “will kill with the spirit of His mouth"; ch. 2). The letter ends with further thanksgiving and exhortations to prayer, righteous living and hard work, and Paul's own handwritten greeting (a kind of “seal”).

First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to CORINTHIANS^ in fact, it is the second, because Paul had already written to them one (obviously lost) letter, in which he admonished the Corinthians to refrain from communicating with infidels (see chapter 5:9). Obviously this was misunderstood. After this, three brothers from the Corinthian community visited Paul (chap. 16,17), bringing with them a letter containing whole list their problems (chapter 7.1), to which the apostle answers in the letter. After introducing thanksgiving to God, Paul first dwells on those mentioned to him divisions in the church: the spirit of discord and division into factions (to which Paul contrasts the one crucified Christ and the true example of apostolic ministry, naming himself as an example; ch. 1-4), then the uncondemned fall into sin of one of the members of the church (ch. 5-6) and resolving internal church problems with the help of pagan judges (chapter 6).

In the second part of the letter, Paul continues to discuss the problems mentioned to him by the Corinthians: the issue of marriage and celibacy (chap. 7), about eating food sacrificed to idols, linking this with the important difference between the “Lord’s table” (supper) (chap. 8-10), further - about the rules of behavior and clothing for women and the conduct of religious services (chapter 11). Next, Paul dwells on the question of the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” and their correct (primarily under the guidance of love!) use in holding meetings (chap. 12-14) and, finally, on the important dogmatic question of the resurrection of the dead, on which all Christian faith (chapter 15). The message ends with practical advice, exhortations and blessings (chapter 16).

Second Message to CORINTHIANS, generally speaking, it is the third (see above) or even the fourth, if ch. 2:4 (cf. ch. 7:8) should be understood to mean that Paul wrote another letter before this (“out of great sorrow and an oppressed heart”); this, however, could also mean the first letter. Paul was anxiously awaiting his co-worker Titus, who was to bring him news from Corinth: the apostle met him in Macedonia and was so inspired by the good news he received that he immediately wrote the “2nd Epistle to the Corinthians” (see chapter 2:12; 7.5-16). The message begins with general greetings and thanksgiving, with encouragement in view of the approaching tribulation. Then follows the main part (chap. 1:12-7,16), in which Paul consistently defends his apostleship. He further writes about the reasons for the change in his plans and the nature of his ministry (chap. 3-7). This is the ministry of the new covenant, which is many times better, superior to the covenant of Moses (chapter 3): this is the ministry in which we can bring great treasure to people, being ourselves only fragile "clay vessels", a ministry performed in the light of the radiance of the throne of Christ and having as its goal to reveal to people God's gift of adoption as sons in Jesus Christ (chap. 5), a ministry that Paul himself performed with much sorrow. Therefore, he hopes that the Corinthians walk in the paths of righteousness, moving away from evil (chap. 6). This is followed by the above-mentioned account of the meeting with Titus (ch. 7). In the next part (chapters 8-9) Paul talks about the need to collect offerings for the poor in Judea. In the third part (chap. 10-13), Paul reaffirms his apostleship and defends it from the attacks of people who attack his authority (chap. 10). He refutes their arguments and shows how much importance Christ attached to his calling as an apostle: Paul was allowed to suffer much for Him (chap. 11), he received very special revelations (chap. 12). Paul ends the letter with a message about his imminent visit and the already familiar formula of blessing (chap. 12-13).

The following Message to TO THE ROMANS addressed to a community not founded by Paul (probably this church was not founded by the apostles at all), and which he never visited, although he had such an intention (see ch. 1:13; 15:22-23). Paul writes this letter because he feels the need to minister to the Roman believers with the gospel (chap. 1:15), and wants to warn them about his planned visit during his trip to Spain (chap. 15:24-29). The apostle probably heard about the problems of this church, especially about the differences between Christians of Jewish and pagan origin. This is sufficient basis for Paul to preach fundamentally about the personal responsibility of each person before God: “How can a man be justified before God?” (Job 9.2).

This introduction is followed by a long dogmatic main part(chap. 1:16-8:39), in which Paul argues that every person (both Jew and Gentile) is by his very nature inclined to rebel against God. He (man) does not possess any righteousness of his own (chap. 1:16-3:20). Righteousness (= justification before God) can only be achieved by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, with which God atoned for all the sins of mankind. Paul explains this idea using the example of Abraham, who was justified without law and circumcision, by faith alone - faith that trusted in God, who can give eternal life, as Christ confirmed by His resurrection (chap. 3:21-4:25). WITH by this justification through faith great blessing is involved, and it becomes even more complete for us when we are convinced that we are delivered not only from the judgment of sin, but from the very power of sin. Therefore, those who believe in Christ belong to Him, and not to the world of earthly Adam (chapter 5). Paul applies this conclusion to the practical life of the believer: if we, now belonging to Christ, in a certain sense of the word died with Him on the cross (“united with Him in the likeness of death”), sin can no longer control us (the power of sin was broken on the cross) , and we became servants of God (“slaves of righteousness”) (chapter 6). For the same reason we are no longer subject to the authority of the Law, but live for Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thanks to this, we are sons and heirs of God, we have wonderful hope and already now we feel within ourselves the power and love of the Holy Spirit, God and Christ (chapter 8).

In the second main part (chapters 9-11) Paul discusses the question of what Israel's position and role is in this new order of things. He explains the fact, the necessity and real reasons the rejection of Israel, thanks to which the path to God was opened for the pagans, but also that the rejection of Israel is not absolute: God will completely revive His people in the last time. The third main part (chap. 12-16) contains practical advice, calls concerning the walk of believers before God, their relationships with each other and all people (chapter 12), to superiors and neighbors (chapter 13), condescension to the weak in faith, who cannot yet accommodate all the freedom of life in Christ (chapter . 14 and 15). The letter ends with a detailed description of Paul's plans, personal greetings, a few final exhortations, and praise (chapters 15 and 16).