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Alphacrucis College

Details for The Prison Epistles

The letters of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon were written from prison and yet deal with some of the most liberating concepts imaginable. We know Ephesians from its famous spiritual warfare passage, but what exactly did Paul picture as the greatest of all battles? Philippians is a letter of instruction, providing models to follow. In it we will find Paul, Jesus, Timothy and Epaphroditus offered as those whom we should seek to copy. Colossians is an enigma one needs to play detectives trying to recover from the clues what Paul was likely confronting. Finally, Philemon is gigantic in its implications contrary to its miniature word length. Time spent with these letters will be richly rewarded and equip us for life in multiple dimensions; spiritual, relational, personal and corporate. Specifically, these four letters from captivity will release any of us from unconscious imprisoning ideas.

Quick Info

  • Currently offered by Alphacrucis: Yes
  • Course code: BIB252
  • Credit points: 10

Prerequisites

The following courses are prerequisites:

The unit The Prison Epistles is part of the subject area Biblical Studies and is offered as a part of the following Awards: Bachelor of Applied Theology (Korean) (Alphacrucis College (NSW Dept. of Education)), Bachelor of Contemporary Ministry (Alphacrucis College (NSW Dept. of Education)).

Unit Content

Curriculum Objective

To examine the so-called Prison or Captivity letters ascribed to Paul; Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. The issues of pseudonymity, literary dependency and the various world-views developed from the text(s) are examined.

Subject Content

  1. Genre identification
  2. Compare/contrast Pauline/Deutero Pauline literature
  3. Occasion and Purpose; Rhetorical Strategy; Narrative world
  4. Exegesis of individual texts
  5. Application to ministry

This course may be offered in the following formats

Lectures, guided discussion, guided exegesis, web based/electronic interaction

Please consult your course prospectus or enquire about how and when this course will be offered next at Alphacrucis College.

Assessment Methods

Exegetical Essay (50%, 2500 words); Forum Postings (20%, 2500 words); Exam (30%)

Prescribed Text

Distance

Representative References