Philemon help?

PHILEMON HELP? It would help to start collecting notes for your final paper on Philemon as soon as possible, as in a sense the whole class is preparing you to apply your "Three Worlds" skills to it.  I would start by reading it over (click here to read it a a few different translations) and listening to it a few times (audio below) and then going through the questions on pages 26 and 28 of your student guide (even though we will walk through those pages in class on Week 4) N.T. Wright's questions (page 51-53  here )should be helpful also.

Come up with writing a working  definition of what the book seems to be out.  Then you might want to branch out and watch some of the videos and commentaries linked below, remembering that they may not all get it "right," and you will see some things that the "experts" don't.  The commentaries will be helpful in understanding "historical world" background.  Pay careful attention to the instructions on the syllabus.  You do not have to cite any sources, but if you do, be sure you attribute them in your paper.

Here is a detailed   example of "How to study a text via 'Three Worlds'...found also on another tab of this website..
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What's Philemon about?:

Kurt Willems (FPU Seminary student ) has posted a helpful series on Philemon that challenges us to apply the Three Worlds theory. I'll bet he took this class, and this is based on his Philemon paper!:

• PHILEMON: FORGIVENESS THAT LEADS TO RECONCILIATION, PART ONE

• PHILEMON: FORGIVENESS THAT LEADS TO RECONCILIATION, PART 2 (BUSINESS / PARTNERSHIP METAPHORS)

• Philemon: Forgiveness that Leads to Reconciliation, part 3 (A Slave, a Master, and Forgiveness)

• PHILEMON: FORGIVENESS THAT LEADS TO RECONCILIATION, PART 4 (RADICAL RECONCILIATION)

• Philemon: Forgiveness that Leads to Reconciliation, part 5 (New Possibilites!)

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• If you prefer audio, part 1 audio is here.

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  If, for your paper, you want to consider chiasm in Philemon, after searching out any such structures yourselves (which you are getting good at!) consider:

• THE CHIASTIC STRUCTURE AND MEANING OF PAUL'S LETTER TO PHILEMON BY JOHN PAUL HEIL
• MORE ON PHILEMON/CHIASM
• POSSIBLE CHIASM IN PHILEMON
• CHIASTIC STRUCTURE OF PHILEMON
• INTERESTING CHIASM IN PHILEMON
• CHIASM IN PHILEMON 5
• PHILEMON 5 CHIASM

 

 

Click this>>>several online ARTICLES AND COMMENTARIES ON PHILEMON

If you want help on the "three worlds" of the Philemon paper ( after you have done most of your own research and preparation) here are  selections from two good resources.  Remember, the paper is what YOU think.
The first three pages below are from "The Bible Background Commentary"(very helpful) and the last page is the text and study notes from "The NIV Study Bible."  They both cover some good historical and literary world background, which you may quote in your paper (not required), and which may help you decide the theme of the book. 

Click a page to enlarge and read.  Once you have a page open, you can click to magnify it.



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