Episode Paul, the Letter Writer | Week 2
Many Christians today imagine the apostle Paul sitting down at a desk one afternoon in a quiet room all by himself and writing a letter to one of the first-century churches he started on one of his missionary journeys. A letter we now have included in our New Testament. And when he finished writing that letter, he signed it, sealed it, and put it in the mail. That is the way we write letters, or the way our grandparents wrote them. But is that how Paul wrote his letters in the first century? Join the Discover the Word group as our friend Randy Richards joins us to show us how basically every aspect of that scenario about writing letters is wrong. In these conversations called “Paul, the Letter Writer,” we’ll discover what letter writing was like in the first century, and how that influences how we read Paul’s letter today.
Chapter 6
Experience is an excellent teacher. And as Paul traveled, preached, and led churches over his lifetime, he gained experience that refined his written message. In this chapter, you’ll hear author Randy Richards explain how the apostle Paul fine-tuned his letters over time.
Chapter 7
Ever made plans that got delayed or changed your destination because of bad weather? Paul’s letters contain mentions of unexpected delays, diversions, and even shipwrecks! In this chapter, you’ll find out why our plans are subject to God’s divine direction!
Chapter 8
When was the last time you sat down to write a letter? Modern communication is usually done through abbreviated messages—emails, texts, chats. But Paul’s letters were massive in comparison! In this chapter, you’ll discover the enormous impact of Paul’s lengthy letters to the churches.
Chapter 9
Most of us have hit “send” on a hasty reply, only to regret it moments later. But for the apostle Paul, letter writing was a deliberate, careful, and slow process. In this chapter, you’ll hear why, while immediacy is important in our world, it wasn’t in theirs.
Chpater 10
Paul’s letters, inspired by the Holy Spirit, played a huge role in the direction of the early church. And his letters still inform faithful followers of Jesus today! In this concluding chapter, you’ll gain a fresh perspective on New Testament times letter writing.