Year of Saint Paul
June 28, 2008 – June 29, 2009
RESOURCE GUIDE for Grades 6 - 8
Background
Use
“Saint Paul: Questions and Answers” to
establish background knowledge of Saint Paul
the Apostle.
Scriptural References:
Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the
early Church. Beginning with the Conversion
of Saul (Acts 9) this book records the
missionary work of Paul until his final
imprisonment in Rome.
The Letters (Epistles) of Saint Paul:
Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians,
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2
Thessalonians, 1 Timothy,
2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon.
Classroom Lesson: Saint Paul Wrote to
Communities of Believers
Lesson objectives:
The students will learn about the various
communities to which Paul addressed his
letters.
The students will locate them on a map.
The students will learn the names of the
letters of St. Paul.
The students will locate scriptural passages
in the letters to the communities and write
a reflection on those words of Saint Paul.
Pauline Letters to the Communities:
In this section, you will find descriptions
of the people and places in each of the
communities to which Paul wrote letters. As
the students learn about each group,
instruct them to find the suggested
passages, copy the passage and write a
reflection on that passage.
Letter to the Romans
(written c. 56 – 58 A.D.)
Rome was the center of government. The
Emperors ruled the Roman Empire from this
city, and it was the largest city in the
Empire. Jewish Christians from Jerusalem
had brought the message of Jesus to Rome.
The Emperor Claudius, however, forced the
Jews to leave Rome in the year 49 A.D. At
the time of Paul’s letter, most of the
Christians in Rome were Gentile Christians.
Paul was in Corinth when he wrote to the
Romans. He was about to leave Corinth for
Jerusalem. He was planning then to journey
to Rome as well as Spain. Instead, he was
arrested in Jerusalem and was sent to Rome
in chains.
Romans 8:14
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God
are children of God.”
Romans 12:4-5
“For as in one body we have many parts, and
all the parts do not have the same function,
so we, though many, are one body in Christ
and individually parts of one another.”
Romans 12:12
“Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.”
Letters to the Corinthians
(written c. 56 – 58 A.D.)
Corinth was a large port city, possibly the
greatest city in Greece at the time. Its
location made it a crossroads of travel
between the East and the West. The city had
been destroyed in 146 B.C. but was
reestablished as a colony of Rome by Julius
Caesar (c. 49 B.C.). Paul founded the
community there c. 50 A.D. during his second
missionary journey and spent eighteen months
with the people (Acts 18:11). He stayed
there longer than in any other new
community.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
This famous passage is one to be committed
to memory.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
“There are different kinds of spiritual
gifts but the same Spirit; there are
different forms of service but the same
Lord; there are different workings but the
same God who produces all of them in
everyone.”
2 Corinthians 13: 11
“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Mend your
ways, encourage one another, agree with one
another, live in peace, and the God of love
and peace will be with you.”
Letter to the Galatians
(written sometime between 49 and 55 A.D.)
There is some uncertainty about the location
of Galatia. There was a north-central part
of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) well as a
Roman colony in the south of Asia Minor.
Both were known as Galatia. The early
Christians in Galatia had been pagans before
they were instructed by Paul during his
second missionary journey. After he moved
on, Judaizers moved in and tried to convince
the Christians that they had to follow the
Jewish laws in order to be good Christians.
Paul was very much against this and he wrote
to them to encourage them in their faith in
Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:26-28
“For through faith you are all children of
God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who
were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ. There is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor
free person, there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Letter to the Ephesians
(Paul wrote from prison, but the date is
uncertain)
Ephesus was a great seaport located on the
southwestern coast of Asia Minor (modern-day
Turkey). Saint Paul worked among the people
of Ephesus for over two years, but it is
uncertain when this letter was written and
if Paul, in fact, wrote it. The letter is
thought to have been written to the entire
Church rather than to one community.
Ephesians 2:19-20
“So then you are no longer strangers and
sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with
the holy ones and members of the household
of God, built upon the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus
himself as the capstone.”
Ephesians 4:26
“Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun
set on your anger, and do not leave room for
the devil.”
Ephesians 4:32
“[And] be kind to one another,
compassionate, forgiving one another as God
has forgiven you in Christ.”
Letter to the Philippians
(written c. 55 A.D.)
Philippi was an important city in
Macedonia. Philip II of Macedon, the father
of Alexander the Great conquered the city in
360 B.C. and named it for himself. The
Emperor Octavian made Philippi a Roman
colony and granted its citizens the same
rights and privileges as those who were born
in Rome. On his second missionary journey,
Paul left Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and
began to travel toward Macedonia (northern
Greece). This is the first European
Christian community (Acts 16:11).
There, Paul met Lydia a wealthy and
influential merchant. Her home became a
meeting place for the Christian community,
the first “church.” Paul wrote to the
Philippians from prison possibly in
Ephesus.
Philippians 1:27
“Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of
the gospel if Christ, so that, whether I
come and see you or am absent, I may hear
news of you, that you are standing firm in
one spirit, with one mind struggling
together for the faith of the gospel…”
Philippians 2:3
“Do nothing out of selfishness or out of
vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as
more important than yourselves, each looking
out not for his own interests, but [also]
everyone for those of others.”
Philippians 4:4-5
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it
again: rejoice! Your kindness should be
known to all. The Lord is near.”
Philippians 4:13
“I have the strength for everything through
him who empowers me.”
Letter to the Colossians
(Paul wrote from prison, but the date is
uncertain)
The people to whom this letter is addressed
lived at Colossae in Asia Minor, east of
Ephesus. Paul did not visit the Colossians
before he wrote to them. Another follower
of Jesus brought the Good News to them.
Paul wrote to them because he learned that
they had been influenced by some false
teachers.
Colossians 1:13-14
“[God the Father] delivered us from the
power of darkness and transferred us to the
kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Colossians 3:12-13
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and
beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing
with one another and forgiving one another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you
also do.”
Colossians 4:2
“Persevere in prayer, being watchful in it
with thanksgiving…”
Letters to the Thessalonians
(written c. 51 A.D.)
The letters to the Thessalonians are among
the earliest writings in the New Testament.
The Thessalonians lived in Thessalonica in
Macedonia. The city exists even today as
Thessoloniki in northern Greece. Like the
other early Christians, the Thessalonians
believed that the Second Coming of Jesus
could happen at any time. Paul encouraged
them to live good Christian lives. Living
this way had a two-fold effect. They gave
good example to non-Christians, while their
charity strengthened the life of the others
in the community.
1 Thessalonians 2:13
“And for this reason we too give thanks to
God unceasingly, that, in receiving the word
of God from hearing us, you received not a
human word but, as it truly is, the words of
God, which is now at work in you who
believe.”
1 Thessalonians 5:5
“For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day.”
2 Thessalonians 3:3
“But the Lord is faithful; he will
strengthen you and guard you from the evil
one.”
Suggested Activities:
-
Using a biblical map, trace the journeys
of St. Paul. See the PowerPoint
entitled
“Year of Saint Paul.”
-
Students will learn about modern
missionaries. Through the Holy
Childhood Mission program, they can
locate mission countries, make donations
to help in missionary work, and pray for
missionaries throughout the world.
-
Memorize the names of the letters of St.
Paul. The website for Pauline Books and
Media offers a game which will review
the names of all of the Books of the New
Testament.
-
Students will memorize and recite one of
the prayers of St. Paul.
-
Students can learn a song based on the
writings of St. Paul. See the list
entitled
“Songs Inspired by St. Paul.”
-
Go to the RCL/Benziger website for
Junior High resources.
