Section 5

1. In an examination of the New Testament letters which were written to churches, how prominent were church leaders in the salutation of those letters? Please give examples of such letters which mentioned leaders and examples of such letters which do not mention leaders. In the letters which do not mention leaders, who does Paul address?

2. In an examination of New Testament letters to entire churches, how prominent were church leaders in the text of the books? Discuss specifically the text (not the salutations) of Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, Galatians, 2 Thessalonians.  Discuss how the content of those seven letters would logically call forth mentions of church leaders, giving one example for each epistle. Did the issues raised in those seven letters impel Paul to mention church leaders?

3. Discuss how Paul handles leaders in the book of Ephesians. What is the role of leaders in that book? Where in the book would it have been perfectly logical for Paul to exhort the church members to be submissive to their leaders, but Paul did not do that. 

4. Discuss Hebrews 13:24a “Greet all your leaders . . .” What does this tell us about the relationship of the church members and their leaders?

5. Where in 1 Peter 2 and 3 would it have been logical for Peter to command submission of church members to their leaders?