Philomen

Book Written:  Baker gives a date of 61 A.D. to 63 A.D. while HC rules out a date earlier than 54 A.D. (see below)

Time Period/Setting:  The authorship of this letter is attributed to an imprisoned Paul, but which prison and where is not certain.  HC questions Rome as a location, preferring Philippi or Caesarea as more likely.  For that reason HC fixes an earlier date to the letter.   Paul was writing to a wealthy Colossian, Philomen, whose slave, Onesimus, had run away and come to befriend Paul (in Rome according to Baker), undergo a conversion to Christianity and remain as Paul's friend or servant.

Title:  see above

Paul is writing to Philomen to say that, though Onesimus is a valued companion and friend, he is sending Onesimus back to Colossae to his master.  Paul urges Philomen  to treat Onesimus with  respect and kindness and perhaps even grant him his freedom.

Letter of Paul to Titus

Book Written:   Baker gives a date of 65 A.D. while HC gives 90 A.D. to 110 A.D. as he did for the letters to Timothy

Time Period/Setting:  Paul is thought to have written this letter while in Macedonia (per Baker) to his friend Titus who had been left in charge of a church in Crete.

Title:   HC casts doubt on Paul as the author.

The content and tone of this letter is very similar to the Timothy letters.

Letter of Paul to Timothy, 2

Book Written:   Baker gives the date of 66 A.D., but HC holds to the later 90 A.D. to 110 A.D as was the case for 1 Timothy.

Time Period/Setting:  This letter is thought to have been written by Paul from a Roman prison.  Both Baker and HC describe this letter as a kind of last will and testament from a man about to die.

Title:   As with 1 Timothy, HC casts doubt on Paul as the author.

Baker in particular finds these letters to be filled with thoughtful advice delivered in a warm and loving way to a pastor faced with the demands of leading a congregation.

Letter of Paul to Timothy, 1

Book Written:   65 A.D. according to Baker but HC puts the date later at 90 A.D. to 110 A.D.

Time Period/Setting:  Paul is thought to have written this letter from Macedonia to his friend and colleague, Timothy, who was in Ephesus leading the Christian church there.

Title:  HC is considerably more circumspect than Baker about the authorship of this letter as well as 2 Timothy and Titus. 

The problem that Timothy faces is primarily false teachings about Christ.  Paul gives advice on church leadership and has some more comments about the submission of women, Chapter 2, and the role of young widows, Chapter 5 which are kind of interesting.  Baker describes the letter as "a marvelous blend of practical advice from the Apostle of the Gentiles."  HC emphasizes more the Hellenistic influences in the writing.

Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians, 2

Book Written:  50 A.D. or 51 A.D.

Time Period/Setting:   Paul wrote this book from Corinth to the Gentile converts in Thessalonica, a culturally Greek city in the Roman province of Macedonia.

Title:  Self-explanatory

Baker says that in this letter Paul is concerned with explaining that the Parousia  (Second Coming) has not occurred and only God knows when it will occur.  In Chapter 2, Paul explains that the "lawless one" will be revealed before the parousia, the lawless one being an evil, Satanic force.