Interpreting the Scriptures Lecture 5 – Literary Context and Analysis

What part of literary form is Prescript (sender, addressee, and greeting?

What is this describing?  X to Y, greetings (chairein),  Often with titles establishing one‘s role & authority, E.g., ―grace (charis) and peace (shalom/eirēnē) to you

 What part of literary form is Thanksgiving/benediction?

What is this describing? Often used to gain the goodwill or the audience; Often encapsulates the main theme of the letter

What part of literary form is Transitional formula (transition to the body)?

What part of literary form is Topical Discussion?

What part of literary form is Autobiographical Statements?

What part of literary form is Travel Plans?

What part of literary form is Exhortation?

What part of literary form is Greetings?

What part of literary form is Doxology?

What part of literary form is Benediction?

What is this describing?  e.g., “I appeal to you brothers...” and “I want you to know brothers...”

What is this describing? Includes the purpose of the letter, E.g., health, business, love, eschatology, seeking good, Christian relationships, etc.

What is this describing? Establish the moral character and conduct of the writer (appeal to “ethos”).

What is this describing? Especially plans to visit the recipients

What is this describing? Advice or warning to depart from the evil and seek good; a number of commonplace or stock themes.

What is this describing? To those known by author and addressees.

What is this describing? Glorifying God

What is this describing? Final Blessing

What liturgical form that Paul uses is this? A shorthand for salvation, e.g., grace and peace.

What liturgical form that Paul uses is this? A series of benefits extended from God to the people.

What liturgical form that Paul uses is this? A formula or short hymn that ascribes glory to God and often concludes the central section of Paul‘s letter. 

What liturgical form that Paul uses is this? Songs of the church that contain Jewish parallel thoughts. Some hymns became creeds. Paul may have included the Church‘s heart songs in his letters. 32.2.4.1  Eph 5:14b as an early church baptismal hymn 

What liturgical form that Paul uses is this? Short statements or interjections commonly used in the early church. 32.2.5.1  "Jesus is Lord" (1 Cor 12:3b; Rom 10:9) =perhaps this is the earliest church creed. 32.2.5.2  "God is one” (Eph 4:6);     32.2.5.3  "The Lord is one" (Eph 4:5; 1 Cor 8:6);       32.2.5.4  "What was formerly hidden is now revealed" formula (Eph 3:4-5;  Rom 16:25-26; 1 Cor 2:7-10) 

One of the Two hortatory forms:  The NT includes 23 lists of _________ of those who continually practice such things. Paul contrasts the works of the flesh and the works of the Spirit. Paul draws a line of demarcation for proper Christian behavior.  Ex) 1Cor 5:9-11 and 1 Cor 6:9-10 

One of the two hortatory forms: The NT includes 23 lists of _________ of those who continually practice such things. Paul contrasts the works of the flesh and the works of the Spirit. Paul draws a line of demarcation for proper Christian behavior. Col 3:12-15 

What is this describing?  The household was the basic social unit in the Greco-Roman world. The Stoic household rules were designed to maintain social order. If the household became unstable, the whole empire could unravel.  A household could extend to scores of people. Three levels of submission and reciprocal obligations: Wives to husbands; Children to parents;Slaves to masters 

What is this describing?  Paul had to walk a tightrope of balancing: Encouraging Christians to be good citizens and not enemies of society. Showing that Christianity does not subvert social behavior. Transforming these household relationships according to Christ‘s love.       Any change Paul makes to these relationships had to be subtle.  Therefore, today, we can miss how radical Paul is in revealing oppression and what is not redemptive in these relationships. It was radical for Paul to tell husbands that their bodies belonged to their wives, and that masters and slaves are both accountable to one Master. Paul sets a trajectory for mutual respect and equality. 

What type of rhetorical form is this a part of: Pathos

What type of rhetorical form is this a part of: Ethos

What type of rhetorical form is this a part of: Logos

What type of rhetorical form is this a part of: Inclusio Inclusio is Latin for "confinement" (shutting off), where the opening phrase or idea is repeated, paraphrased, or otherwise returned to at the close of a unit. The opening and closing phrases may be informally referred to as literary "bookends" around a literary unit, passage or context.

What type of rhetorical form is this a part of: captatio benevolentiae This is the rhetorical art of captivating the benevolence of your audience (gaining their reception) in order to appeal to them. All educated Romans were versed in this art. 

What type of rhetorical form is this a part of: Chiasm In chiasm, parallels in a text correspond to each other in an X pattern; or it can be depicted linearly as A-B-C-C‘-B‘-A‘. A chiasm can be as brief as one verse or as elaborate as a whole poem, parable, or book. In using this devise, an author can show both progression of thought and intensification of meaning (climax). Jews, writing in Hebrew, frequently used chiasm. Paul adopted chiasm for writing in Greek. 

What is this a description of?   used to open the audience‘s mood to the author or speaker.

What is this a description of?used to establish the author/speaker‘s own moral character and undermine their opponent‘s character. 

What is this a description of? used to appeal to logic and reason.

What is this a description of? ______ is Latin for "confinement" (shutting off), where the opening phrase or idea is repeated, paraphrased, or otherwise returned to at the close of a unit. The opening and closing phrases may be informally referred to as literary "bookends" around a literary unit, passage or context.      32.5.1.1  Ps 8:1 and 9: "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"        32.5.1.2  Am 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13;2:1, 4, 6: "This is what the Lord says," marking off discrete oracles.       32.5.1.3  Mk 8:22-10:52: Three passion predictions by Jesus are framed by two healings of blind men.      32.5.1.4  2 Thess 2:2, 15 bracketed with "by word or by letter" (in Gk text)    32.5.1.5  1 Cor 12:4-11, "the same Spirit"     32.5.1.6  1 Cor 14:1b-39, "seek to prophesy" (Gk text) 

What is this a description of? This is the rhetorical art of captivating the benevolence of your audience (gaining their reception) in order to appeal to them. All educated Romans were versed in this art.    32.5.2.1  Acts 24:2-4      32.5.2.2  Acts 26:2-3         32.5.2.3  Rom 1:8        32.5.2.4  1 Cor 11:2         32.5.2.5  3 Jn 2-6 

What is this a description of? In ____________, parallels in a text correspond to each other in an X pattern; or it can be depicted linearly as A-B-C-C‘-B‘-A‘. A ______ can be as brief as one verse or as elaborate as a whole poem, parable, or book. In using this devise, an author can show both progression of thought and intensification of meaning (climax). Jews, writing in Hebrew, frequently used ______. Paul adopted _____for writing in Greek. 

What is this describing? Theme Changes: Each literary unit has a theme, which, in turn, are sub-themes of the book. See if a change in personal pronoun corresponds to a change in subject matter. Paul does this in Romans but not often in Ephesians.

What is this describing? Literary forms embedded in the genre: What literary forms are found in the text? How do they fit into their literary units? How do they help you distinguish literary units? How do they support the theme of their literary unit?

What is this describing? Transitional words: Identify transitional words or phrases, i.e., conjunctions or connectives.

What is this describing? Clusters of one-sentence summaries of paragraphs How do your one-sentence summaries of paragraphs cluster together and differentiate themselves from the other clusters?

What is this describing? What major themes arise from the text? Paul‘s letters usually include 3-5 dominant ideas or themes.

What is this a part of? What does ―heavenly realms‖ (NIV) mean in Ephesians? Heavenly realms are the spiritual sphere where God, Christ, and the hostile powers of darkness operate; and it is where spiritual warfare occurs.

What is this a part of? What does the word “mystery” mean? What meaning best fits Eph 3 (esp. vv. 2-13)? State in one sentence the mystery to which Paul refers in Eph 3:9. Now compare this with the use of the term mystery in 1:9 in its context. Mystery is a secret that God knows, holds and reveals to certain people via special revelation. It is God‘s eternal counsel, hidden from the world, but revealed and fulfilled in Christ.

What is this a part of? How many ways does Paul indicate unity in 4:1-16?

What is this a part of? What does “greed” refer to in 5:3-5? Greed is basically idolatry.

What is this a part of? What are “rulers,” “authorities,” “powers,” and “the spiritual forces of evil” in Eph. 6:12? These are the demonic forces of evil a work in the world and the heavenly realms.

What is this a part of? How do these parts illuminate the whole and vice versa?