Discuss the occasion and purpose for the writing of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Who were the opponents of Paul in Thessalonica?

Forum 5 Discussion

You must answer 2 sections of the questions below. Support your answers with the information found in your textbooks, but also feel free to use critical outside sources to add to the conversation as needed. Cite all sources using current Turabian format. Restate the questions to which you are responding at the beginning of each thread. Post a single thread; do not post a separate thread for each section of questions. Then reply to the threads of 2 different classmates by Sunday evening. Do not duplicate your replies to different classmates; each reply must be original to the specific thread of the student with whom you are interacting.

1. Discuss the occasion and purpose for the writing of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Who were the opponents of Paul in Thessalonica? What was the nature of the opponents’ teaching and how did Paul respond to it? Should church leaders today apply Paul’s responses in their respective ministries? If so, how?
2. Describe the various interactions of Paul with the church in Corinth (include both visits and letters). What events caused his writing of 1 Corinthians? What events led to the writing of 2 Corinthians? What are the three major theories concerning Paul’s opponents in 2 Corinthians? Using Paul as an example, should Christian leaders today respond to their opponents in this way? Why or why not? What principles do you think we can learn from Paul in dealing with church conflict?
3. What is the purpose(s) for the writing of 1 Corinthians? Where did Paul get his information on the church’s condition? What is the basic literary plan for 1 Corinthians? What is the purpose of 2 Corinthians? Why is it so difficult to understand the literary plan of 2 Corinthians? Do you think 2 Corinthians is a composite letter? Why or why not?
4. Discuss the occasion and purpose for the writing of Romans. How did the church in Rome come into existence? What role, if any, did Paul play in founding this church? What was the composition of the church in Rome and what evidence do you find in the letter to support your view?
5. Define the terms righteousness, faith, and justification as used by Paul in Romans. Using these definitions, explain how Paul presents the gospel in Romans. How are humans trapped in a hopeless predicament? How has God acted to rescue people from the power of sin and death?

Your thread is due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Thursday of Module/Week 5. Your replies are due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the same module/week.