Over the past several weeks, you have studied and responded to God’s Word

Over the past several weeks, you have studied and responded to God’s Word

Over the past several weeks, you have studied and responded to God’s Word—the Bible, his love letter to you! You have read biblical texts closely, listened to the voices of different biblical writers and experts, written RGOs, done research, watched videos, learned the background and context of historical biblical events, identified themes, written your own poem in response to a biblical poem, and drawn connections between what you’ve read and your own life and faith journey. In particular, you have leaned-in and spent extended time with the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

Within the past two weeks, you should have edited all of your Philippians writing assignments (Week 1, 2, 3 and 5) and placed them in your folder along with an annotated Table of Contents.

So far, so good. Now, for this final assignment, you will imagine that Paul’s letter is addressed also to you. Drawing on what you have discovered and done in this course, you will write a well-developed, honest, insightful, original letter to Paul, in which you respond to him and reflect on what you have learned about his life and ministry and the impact his letter to the Philippians has had on you personally and on your understanding of the spread of the gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ.

Keep in mind that Paul is in prison, and that like any prisoner, he is probably lonely and longing to hear from his friends. In addition, everyone needs to know that their life and their work has had a positive impact on others. So, in this letter, you are going to let him know in detail about the investigation, research and reflection that you have done and the impact it has had on you. That’s right! This is your chance to converse and respond to Paul and tell him what you think and even ask him questions!

Though this letter will be a personal reflection, it will also demonstrate your understanding of the background, context, and overarching themes of Philippians. Your letter will compare and contrast Paul’s claims and experience with your own experience and faith journey, and you will reflect on how Paul’s letter has changed or challenged your thinking, particularly in regard to Jesus’s life and teaching.

Here are the topics you will want to address:

Let Paul know what you have studied about him. Include information about his past, his writings, his travels and ministry, the persecution he suffered, his relationship with the Philippians and any questions you may have (Week 1).

Include information you discovered about joy. Describe what you learned and how it applies to your life and any questions you may have (Week 2 and any pertinent RGOs and RGO questions).

Tell Paul what your takeaway message is from your chosen passage. Include your insights from pertinent LASB notes and key words/phrases you investigated. Explain how your investigation has helped you understand Paul’s writings and apply them to your life (Week 3).

Discuss the beautiful hymn text and what you learned from your research into its meaning. Be sure to share your poem with Paul (Week 5).

General Topics to address:

What aspect of the study of Philippians has been most impactful to you, your perception of your own life, and your relationships with others? Tell Paul how his message applies directly to you and how it has affected or changed you.

How has the study of Philippians impacted your own understanding of Jesus?

State where else in your Bible reading and RGOs you have seen evidence of similar concepts (synthesize your responses from your RGO homework, especially Question #2, #3 #4 about what you learned about God, people, and how it applies to your life.)