The Prison Epistles: Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon

by Lawrence R Farley

Overview

From the depths of a Roman prison, words of encouragement and instruction flowed from the tongue of the great Apostle Paul. Written down by scribes, his words went forth as a series of letters to Christian communities throughout the Roman Empire. The Apostle Paul may have been fettered and shackled to a series of Roman guards, but the Word he preached remained unfettered and free. This volume contains commentaries on the epistles to the Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon-which were written while the Apostle Paul was in prison. About the Orthodox Bible Study Companion Series: This commentary was written for your grandmother and for your plumber. That is, it was written for the average layperson, for the nonprofessional who feels a bit intimidated by the presence of copious footnotes, long bibliographies, and all those other things which so enrich the lives of academics. Working from a literal translation of the original Greek, this commentary examines the text section by section, explaining its meaning in everyday language. Written from an Orthodox and patristic perspective, it maintains a balance between the devotional and the exegetical, feeding both the heart and the mind.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781888212525
Publisher:	Ancient Faith Publishing
Publication date:	09/12/2011
Series:	Orthodox Bible Study Companion
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.61(d)

About the Author

Archpriest Lawrence Farley currently pastors St. Herman of Alaska Orthodox Mission (OCA) in Surrey, B.C., Canada. He received his B.A. from Trinity College, Toronto, and his M.Div. from Wycliffe College, Toronto. A former Anglican priest, he converted to Orthodoxy in 1985 and studied for two years at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary in Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

Introduction / 9

Key to the Format of This Work / 13

The Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Philippians

St. Paul in Philippi / 15

I. Opening Greetings (1:1, 2) / 19

II. Opening Thanksgiving—for support in his imprisonment (1:3–8) / 21

III. Opening Prayer—for their growth despite his imprisonment (1:9–11) / 24

IV. Good News from Prison—a reason for rejoicing (1:12–26) / 25

V. Exhortation to Unity—a comfort to St. Paul while in prison (1:27—2:18) / 32

VI. Future Planned Visits (2:19–30) / 43

VII. Warnings Against False Teachers (3:1—4:1) / 47

VIII. Final Personal Admonitions (4:2–9) / 58

IX. Added Final Thanksgiving for Their Gift (4:10–22) / 62

X. Concluding Blessing (4:23) / 65

The Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians

St. Paul in Ephesus / 67

I. Opening Greetings (1:1, 2) / 71

II. Opening Thanksgiving—for God’s salvation in Christ (1:3–14) / 72

III. Opening Prayer—for them to know this glorious salvation (1:15–23) / 80

IV. Their Glorious Salvation (2:1—3:13) / 84

V. Prayer for Them to Mature into the Love of Christ (3:14–21) / 100

VI. Exhortation to Mature into the Love of Christ (4:1—6:9) / 105

VII. Exhortation to Stand Fast in Conflict with Darkness (6:10–20) / 137

VIII. Final Personal News (6:21–23) / 142

IX. Concluding Blessing (6:24) / 143

The Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Colossians

The Church at Colossae / 145

I. Opening Greetings (1:1, 2) / 149

II. Opening Thanksgiving—for their faith, love, and hope (1:3–8) / 150

III. Opening Prayer—for them to know God’s will and be strengthened to persevere (1:9–12) / 152

IV. The Cosmic Christ and His Salvation (1:13–23) / 154

V. St. Paul Their Servant of This Mystery (1:24–29) / 163

VI. Warning Against Gnostic Heresy (2:1—3:4) / 168

VII. Exhortation to Holiness (3:5—4:1) / 180

VIII. Final Admonitions (4:2–6) / 189

IX. Final Personal News and Greetings (4:7–17) / 193

X. Concluding Blessing (4:18) / 199

The Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to Philemon

Slavery in the Ancient World / 201

I. Opening Greetings (1–3) / 207

II. Opening Thanksgiving (4–7) / 208

III. Appeal for Onesimus (8–22) / 209

IV. Final Greetings (23, 24) / 215

V. Concluding Blessing (25) / 216