Greek 301: Letters of Paul
Dr. Fred Kellogg
Emory & Henry College
This advanced Greek course will focus on translation and interpretation of
portions of Paul's letters. I will choose the sections; if you have a particular
passage that would like for us to study together, please let me know. You will
have a chance to review and increase your vocabulary and grammatical
understanding, as well as to do some reflection on theological and ethical
principles in Paul.
The textbooks are your Greek New Testament, Black's grammar, and Victor P.
Furnish, The Moral Teaching of Paul, 2nd ed. (Nashville: Abingdon,
1994). Please bring your NT and grammar to
class each day. In preparation for the sessions, you’ll translate an
appropriate quantity of material each day for about two hours. We will move at a
pace which reflects genuine understanding among the class members. Our schedule
is flexible; if we get caught up in discussion some particular point, that’s
fine! Our work will include both translation and exegesis. At times I'll share
with you some papyrus Hellenistic letters which have parallels to Paul's
letters. Once a week we will begin class with a quiz over the vocabulary of the
verses which we've translated since the last quiz. No other quizzes, tests, or
exams will be given in the course.
An exegesis paper will give you an opportunity to study in depth a central
ethical issue in Paul's letters. Your starting point will be one of the four
main chapters in Furnish's The Moral Teaching of Paul, with exegesis of a
relevant passage. Here are your choices:
Marriage and divorce (ch. 2), 1 Corinthians 7:1-16
Homosexuality (ch. 3), Romans 1:24-27
Women in the church (ch. 4), 1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Church and state (ch. 5), Romans 13:1-7
Each person will be working on one of these topics. (If you prefer a
different ethical issue in Paul, rather than one of these, talk with me about
the topic you would like to study, and we'll see if there are sufficient library
resources on it.) Toward the end of the course, I'll ask you to share with the
class what you've learned. We'll discuss Paul's ideas and the interpretations by
you and Furnish. I'll give you guidelines for your exegesis. You may turn in
your paper at any time; the deadline is the time scheduled for a final exam.
If you would like, you can send me e-mail: fkellogg@ehc.edu
To look at one of my other syllabi, go to my Home Page.
If you prefer, you may return to the Emory & Henry College Home
Page.