How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart
Week 3: Chapter 3 — The Epistles: Learning to Think Contextually
Read Chapter 3 of How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. Key texts: 1 Corinthians 7; Philemon.
Previewing Week 3 of How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
The New Testament letters were written to specific people with specific problems — and understanding those situations is the key to hearing what they say to us.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Fee and Stuart describe the epistles as 'occasional documents' — written to address particular occasions and crises in specific churches. Why does this description matter so much for interpretation? What happens when we forget that Paul was writing to Corinth, not directly to us?
2.The authors use the image of hearing only one side of a phone call to describe reading Paul's letters. What does this analogy illuminate about the challenge of epistle interpretation, and what tools do they suggest for reconstructing 'the other side of the conversation'?
3.Fee and Stuart make the point that the historical particularity of the epistles is a theological feature, not a bug — God chose to speak through these specific situations. How does this shape your confidence that Scripture is truly inspired even though it emerged from very human circumstances?