The Shorter Epistles

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Excerpt from The Shorter Epistles; Viz; Of Paul: To the Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; Thessalonians; Timothy; Titus and Philemon; Also, of James, Peter, and Jude To help the reader of these "Shorter Epistles," I have sought to place each in the sunlight of its own individual history, bringing all we can learn of the writer and of the circumstances of his contemplated readers to bear upon the sense and the force of his words - to make the former clear and the latter impressive. Like all sensible letters, these also were written for a purpose, and should be read in the light of that purpose. - It is in these epistles to the earliest churches that we look for the practical Christianity inculcated by the apostles - that we see how this practical Christianity was built upon Christ and the staple truths of his redemptive scheme, and with what spirit the founders of those churches wrought for the salvation of men. Hence, some of the main points of value in these epistles. In them are "some things hard to be understood," and others that are very easy. It has been my policy to pass over the latter with few words - the more so that I might make time and leave space for careful, and, if need be, somewhat fundamental discussion of points really difficult or at least much controverted. This policy will account for the disproportionate space given to some verses and chapters compared with others. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

No two works in the Pauline Epistles resemble each other as closely as Colossians and Ephesians. Often recognized for their majestic tone and powerful theological statement, Colossians and Ephesians also present many challenges of interpretation. Most commentaries on these letters seem preoccupied with the same few issues, particularly the question of authorship. As MacDonald addresses these classic questions, she offers a fresh perspective on Colossians and Ephesians by making use of insights from the social sciences. Moreover, by paying attention to subtle differences between the two letters, she brings their distinct perspectives into sharp relief. MacDonald highlights the interplay between Colossians and Ephesians and the social life of New Testament communities. She illustrates how the texts reflect ancient cultural values and are influenced by particular aspects of community life such as worship and household existence. In particular, she reflects on the issues faced by these communities as they formed institutions and interacted with the society around them. She shows the struggles of the New Testament communities to survive and maintain a distinct identity in first-century society. Margaret Y. MacDonald is a professor in the department of religious studies at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. She and Carolyn Osiek have coauthored (with Janet H. Tulloch) A Women's Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity (Fortress, 2006). Her research has been supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

St. Clement's epistle, written c. 96, is called the first epistle, and is a model of a pastoral letter. The epistles of St. Ignatius, Bishop of Smyrna at the beginning of the second century, are addressed to six Christian communities. +