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Paul and His Letter to Philemon
Rating: 4.7 out of 5(6,177 ratings)
36,994 students

Paul and His Letter to Philemon

Prof. N.T. Wright compares Paul's letter to Philemon to a letter of Pliny showing powerful countercultural differences.
Created byN.T. Wright, David P. Seemuth, Jennifer Loop
Last updated 11/2020
English

What you'll learn

  • Understand the background surrounding this wonderful but small letter of the Apostle Paul to Philemon.
  • Describe the worldview that the Apostle Paul has in addressing a difficult matter and then to reflect on how that should be lived out today.
  • Explain the stratification of social class within the Roman world as shown by the letter Pliny the Younger writes to Sabinianus.
  • Delineate the differences between the solutions offered by Paul, on the one hand, and Pliny the Younger, on the other hand, when dealing with nearly identical issues.
  • Develop a broader understanding of what it means to be a King Jesus follower in a countercultural way.
  • Complete the (optional) assignment about processing ideas and thinking about some important questions.

Course content

2 sections • 10 lectures • 48m total length

  • Introduction to the Course2:23

    Join this course on Paul and his letter to Philemon to renew your mind through interactive lectures, quizzes after each lecture, probing questions, and access to two biblical texts.

  • Reading Philemon KNT3:14
  • Philemon KNT2:31
  • Session One: Philemon13:12

    Explore how Paul’s prison letters frame a radical ministry of reconciliation, addressing Onesimus and Philemon and reframing slavery as a call to full humanity within the gospel.

  • Comprehension Assessment on Session One: Philemon
  • Reading of the Letter of Pliny to Sabinianus1:45
  • Letter of Pliny to Sabinianus1:15
  • Session Two: Philemon and Pliny the Younger6:50
  • Comprehension Assessment on Session Two: Philemon and Pliny the Younger

Requirements

  • This course only requires a desire to learn about the New Testament. No other materials are required.

Description

The Apostle Paul is known particularly for some of his longer letters such as his letter to the Romans. In Paul's letter to Philemon, we encounter his shortest letter. But don't let that fool you into thinking there isn't much there. In this course Prof. N.T. Wright will present abundant material from this little epistle to comprehend and ponder about those who became followers of King Jesus and how they were to live. This way of life was in contrast to the normal Roman way of living in the first century A.D. 

The course compares two letters which address a nearly identical issue: what to do about a runaway servant. Prof. N.T. Wright unpacks Paul's letter to Philemon, which addresses concerns about the 'runaway' named Onesimus. Prof. Wright then explains the situation and setting surrounding the letter of Pliny the Younger to Sabinianus about an unnamed runaway. The social structures endemic to Rome become visible and understandable in such a way to see how Paul's new way of life was meant to confront social norms. 

Who this course is for:

  • This free course is a great introduction to the study of the New Testament and to the teaching ministry of Prof. N.T. Wright. This is a short course, so it is perfect for those who want to 'taste' the environment of online learning on Udemy. This course also gives a great insight into how the courses produced by N.T. Wright Online for Udemy work. This course is not for those who wish to argue about theology.

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