Historical Context:
- How many letters are there in the New Testament? Who wrote them?
- What is the literary style that the letters are being written in?
- What are the three levels of historical context when thinking about the letters?
- Briefly describe how the Romans ruled the land around the Mediterranean.
- How did followers of Christ live in opposition to Roman culture?
Literary Context:
- Who wrote the most letters in the New Testament? Did he write these letters alone? Why is this important?
- How were these letters meant to be conveyed to others?
- What is the order of each of these letters (on the whole)?
- What are some important transition words? What is their purpose?
- At the end of the video, they gave us a good way to discern the literary context and meaning of any given letter. What was that process?
- Why is it important for us to read the bible in its context, both historical and literary?
Homework
Watch this overview of the letter to the Galatians, then read the letter to the Galatians. If you normally read scripture quietly, try reading it out loud.
Ask yourself these questions while reading the letter to the Galatians
– Who wrote the letter?
-Who did he write the letter to?
-Why did he write the letter? What was the problem he was addressing?
-What’s the ultimate solution to the problem? I.E What’s the point?
-What is a rough outline of his argument?