We will begin our discussion this Sunday morning by looking a chapter 25 of Matthew’s Gospel. There Jesus provides a view of the final judgment, but surprisingly does not even mention the issue of belief. Instead, he gives examples of caring for the oppressed.
We will then look at some examples of the Greek phrase πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, often translated as “faith in Jesus Christ”, and explore how our understanding of those passages would be different if we understood that key phrase in a way that numerous biblical scholars are currently saying would be more faithful to its ancient meaning.
On Sunday we will read the letter of Paul to Philemon. This letter has been read as supporting slavery (Paul sent Onesimus, a runaway slave, back to his master) and as an argument against slavery (Paul told Philemon not to treat Onesimus as a slave any longer, but as a brother).
Ho
w would Paul’s argument have been read in a society that accepted slavery as a given with little objection? What role did this letter play in the debates over slavery in this country in the 1800s? What value does it have for today’s church?
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