-
How is understanding the process of letter-writing in the ancient Greco-Roman world helpful to your study of the epistles found in Scripture?
-
?
-
It helps us to detect the various parts of a letter and to appreciate its flow of thought better. Additionally, knowing that Paul frequently combines the conventional Hebrew “peace” greeting with the Grecian “grace” greeting, helps us see how he reaches out appropriately to the churches which have a mixed Jewish-Gentile demography. Where we notice an anomaly from the usual letter structure, such as the absence of a word of thanksgiving, we are prompted now to examine the reason why.
#Epistles
-
I believe that this helps us understand the language and meaning of the times. By having a better understanding of this processes, we can unpack the meaning of the Scriptures. I remember thinking that the Bible was too hard to understand, but as I learn more and break down these books in Scripture I find my eyes being opened with more understanding.
-
Understanding the process of letter writing is very important to distinguish the literary forms of writing at the times of the epistles to be able to see the arbitrary choice of the writer to sometimes make different choices to make his point clear, like in the case of the letter to the Galatians where St Paul skips thanksgiving to make a point about the criticality of the topic he is going to discuss
-
It gives background into how the letters were written in their culture and often the meaning if something was different. Style was also important to understand the author’s meanings. Often we forget these are letters written with a purpose.