Try it

Try it

I learned an exercise in seminary that I submit to you. You can do it. And it will produce dividends in your understanding.

Pick an epistle and read it through in one sitting. Pick a small one to start with. While you are reading ask God to show you why Paul wrote it. I submit to you that every epistle was written for one reason. Not one reason for most of it, one reason.

It's like unlocking a treasure chest. Once you see what it is you will then see that everything Paul wrote in the epistle contributes to that main idea. If you think that something does not fit then you have not quite gotten it yet. Look further.

You may have to read it more than once. It often helps to read it in different versions. My professor said to read it in three different versions at minimum before you settle on an answer. If you do this you will be richly rewarded.

What you discover will be something you rarely hear from the pulpit. Usually a preacher will "proof text" these epistles. A sermon will be based on one short passage. Or short passages from various places will be patched together to make a point. Doing it this way distorts the message of the letters as a whole. The Bible bears up well to this sort of thing but it is not the same as figuring out why an epistle was written in the first place.

Secondly what you find will be still a great truth for today as well. You will be increasing your depth of knowledge about how God relates to his church.

I just did it with a short epistle, Second Thessalonians. There are several short epistles that make this an easier exercise. Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians are also good. In class we also did Romans, perhaps the most complex Epistle. But it still works with Romans. Romans is a great one to do. But do a shorter one first. I will not give you the answers (as if I could truly say I have it all together). Doing these and discovering for yourself will be better. I got a good answer for 2 Thessalonians. I sort of remember the answer for Romans.

If anyone tries this, please respond to this message and let us know what you find. I'd love to see how your thoughts compare with what I got. My professor does this class often. He repeatedly goes back and does this work over and over. Each time he reworks his thought God gives him a slightly different perspective. He changes, hopefully improves, his answer. I wonder if any other professor takes this view.

I did 2 Thessalonians before but of course I have forgotten what I concluded last time. So it was like doing it all over again.