Those attempting to interpret 1 Timothy and Titus face a myriad of uncertainties. No less amongst these is determining the type of the literature that they are. While they are clearly framed as epistles, they do not resemble anything that is known from the Hellenistic literary theorists. What is generally agreed, however, is that the purpose of the two letters is community formation. That is, 1 Timothy and Titus were written to instruct the recipients on various matters of community structure and organisation. Building on this assumption, it is my contention that the two letters share many of the same characteristics as community charters found in similar, contemporary groups. In what follows, 1 Timothy and Titus will be compared side by side with formal charters found in associations as well as in the Essene community, noting the many similarities between them.
In 1 Cor. 4.21, Paul threatens to return to Corinth with a rod of discipline in order to deal with certain arrogant members of the Christian community. In addressing the passage, scholars generally gloss over the metaphor with little regard to its meaning. Those who do comment assume it refers to some kind of rebuke on Paul’s part but go no further in their interpretation. This article seeks to discuss the metaphor’s intended meaning, arguing that the rod comes on the back of two prior warnings outlined in 1 Cor. 4.14-20 and is itself the final act of discipline to divisive members of the church: excommunication.
This article focuses on the practice of Pentecostal preaching in comparison with Paul’s letter writing. It argues that the adoption and use of technology and modern forms of communication by Pentecostal preachers is in fact in keeping with Paul’s (and the early church’s) adoption and use of their contemporary form of communication: the letter.
Pentecostalism is perhaps best known for its charismatic worship and preaching, which are part of the reason for its continued growth and influence. Sunday services are often an experience of lights, music, multimedia, and inspiring preaching. Such a service is not out of place in a culture that has the highest expectation when it comes to entertainment and media. However, in this pursuit of excellence, we also create the potential for divisions akin to these seen in the Corinthian Christian community. This paper explores modern Pentecostal liturgy, and especially preaching, in light of Paul’s mini testimony in 1 Cor. 2.1–5.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.