couple of odd bible questions

[Steven Stone]

I am curious about a couple things when looking at Paul's letters. Maybe there are no answers to these, but I thought I would ask anyway...

1. If Paul dictated his letters, how did that happen while he was in prison. Did someone sit outside the cell and write down what he was saying?

2. In that day and time, would it have been possible for a Roman soldier to "intercept" a letter as it was being delivered?

I know these are rather trivial questions, but I was just curious.

[Hans Deventer]

Steven, Acts 28:16 says "When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him."

That would leave him room enough to discuss issues (as the rest of the chapter shows) and dictate letters.

[Wilson L. Deaton]

1. If Paul dictated his letters, how did that happen while he was in prison. Did someone sit outside the cell and write down what he was saying?

2. In that day and time, would it have been possible for a Roman soldier to "intercept" a letter as it was being delivered?

1. Yes. Actually, it likely wasn't "outside the cell" but rather they were probably inside an area in which Paul was chained to the wall or floor.

Notice the final verse of Colossians where Paul takes the "pen" and writes his own P.S.: "I Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you."

2. Interception would certainly be possible. Perhaps that is why we don't have a Second Philippians for Second Ephesians! ;-) Actually, the guards didn't seem to care about Paul's letters.

Wilson

[Sharon Isley]

I believe Hans is right, Paul was under "house arrest" and allowed visitors.

I'm sure a guard could have intercepted a letter, but it seems to me God wanted them delivered :)

[Bob Evans]

As the matter of fact I beleive Roman law allowed a prisnor to live under armed guard if they could pay for the cost of the guard.

Barcley speculates that many of the offerigns from the churches went to pat the guards salary.

[Wilson L. Deaton]

As the matter of fact I beleive Roman law allowed a prisnor to live under armed guard if they could pay for the cost of the guard.

Barcley speculates that many of the offerigns from the churches went to pat the guards salary.

This whole thread highlights the way we read our own culture back into Scripture...

Prisons, guards, etc. was all completely different.

My teen group lesson the last couple of weeks covered the idea that:

The Bible was written long ago, over many centuries, far away, by many different writers, in different languages, in many different cultures, arising from among people whose lives were radically different from our own. (Adapted from some Brian McClaren material.)

The Roman prison system would have been another good illustration.

Wilson

[Bob Evans]

Wilson

How would you answer the questions?

Bob

[Wilson L. Deaton]

Wilson

How would you answer the questions?

Bob

Do you mean the original questions in this thread? I answered them above...

Wilson

[John Kennedy]

This whole thread highlights the way we read our own culture back into Scripture...

Prisons, guards, etc. was all completely different.

My teen group lesson the last couple of weeks covered the idea that:

The Bible was written long ago, over many centuries, far away, by many different writers, in different languages, in many different cultures, arising from among people whose lives were radically different from our own. (Adapted from some Brian McClaren material.)

The Roman prison system would have been another good illustration.

Wilson



Soooo, your're trying to tell us that God didn't just show up on King James' doorstep one morning with the complete package in hand. What a profound disappointment that's going to be to a number of people.

[Gina Stevenson]

8128
'TIC' award of the day !


Soooo, your're trying to tell us that God didn't just show up on King James' doorstep one morning with the complete package in hand. What a profound disappointment that's going to be to a number of people.