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Giving – An Example From the First Century Church (Endnotes)

1. The exact year is debated by scholars because most of the New Testament (NT) is not precisely dated, but the date would have been 55-57. The dates in this article are either correct or close. Close

2. His first missionary journey was Acts 13:3-14:26 (47-49 AD). His second was Acts 15:40-18:22 (49-52 AD). His third was Acts 18:23-21:8 (53-57 AD). The paths of his journeys can be mapped by reading Acts and following where he went in The Oxford Bible Atlas. Also, many research tools, such as Bible atlases and study Bibles, already have the journeys charted out. Close

3. The word “epistle” means “letter,” from the Latin epistula, which was from the Greek epistole, “message.” The “Epistles” are letters. Close

4. It is because we can date the term of office of the Roman Proconsul Gallio to 51-52 AD that we know when Paul was in Corinth on his first itinerary journey. Close

5. “Asia” was the name of the Roman province that is now western Turkey. Because Asia was the dominant province, the name eventually was used of much larger areas. The term “Asia Minor” was not known during NT times, and the first recorded use is by Greeks in the 2nd century AD. Close

6. Christians were already beginning to meet on Sunday, not Saturday, this early in the history of the Church. Different theories have been set forth as to why that was and how it developed: it differentiated them from the Jews who kept a Saturday Sabbath, or it allowed Christian Jews to travel to worship, or it celebrated the resurrection appearances of Jesus. The exact reason is unknown. Close

7. Although we cannot absolutely prove that the believer mentioned in 2 Corinthians 7 is the same as the one in 1Corinthians 5, the fact that in all of 1 Corinthians there is only one believer expelled from the community makes him the only reasonable choice, and also makes for a happy ending. The reality of being expelled from fellowship hit home with him, then he, like the Church in general, repented. God bless tough love! Close

8. For a short explanation of this see our book, One God & One Lord: Reconsidering the Cornerstone of the Christian Faith (Christian Educational Services, Indianapolis, IN 2003), Appendix “J.” Or see, E. W. Bullinger, The Church Epistles (Eyre and Spotiswoode, London, 1905). Close