Caption transcript for In The Footsteps of The Rabbi From Tarsus: “Paul’s Earliest Writings: Galatians and 1 Thessalonians” (7/12)

• 00:02 WITH DR. JEFFERY SEIF AND SANDRA LEVITT
• 00:59 A HEARTY SHALOM TO ALL OF YOU.
• 01:02 JEFFERY SEIF HERE WITH MY FRIEND SANDRA LEVITT.
• 01:04 SHALOM
• 01:05 WELCOME BACK.
• 01:06 WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE PARCHMENTS
• 01:08 OR THE TEACHINGS OF PAUL THIS WEEK.
• 01:10 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GALATIANS.
• 01:11 PROBABLY THE VERY EARLIEST EPISTLE THAT PAUL WOULD HAVE WRITTEN.
• 01:15 I LOVE GALATIANS.
• 01:16 IS THERE SOMETHING IN GALATIANS THAT REALLY JUST KIND OF YES
• 01:19 WARRANTS YOUR ATTENTION? OH, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED ME.
• 01:21 WELL THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS.
• 01:22 I LOVE, OF COURSE GALATIANS FOR ME IS 3:28,
• 01:32 THAT SOUNDS LIKE GREAT CHURCH LANGUAGE TODAY.
• 01:34 YESTERDAY, THEMS WERE FIGHTIN' WORDS.
• 01:37 WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NOT JEW OR GREEK, RICH OR POOR,
• 01:40 MALE AND FEMALE? HOLD ON, BECAUSE SOCIETY WAS ALL DIVIDED.
• 01:43 RIGHT, BUT WE'RE ALL BELIEVERS TODAY
• 01:45 AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT JUST SO EXCITING TO READ THE WORD OF GOD.
• 01:48 WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE WORD IS THAT PAUL WAS FEISTY. YEAH
• 01:52 TODAY I THINK TOO MANY MINISTERS HIDE BEHIND THEIR PULPITS,
• 01:56 RATHER THAN STANDING UP FROM THOSE PULPITS.
• 01:58 AND HERE IN GALATIANS
• 02:00 PAUL WEIGHS IN ON THE ISSUES OF THE DAY. PAUL DOES THAT.
• 02:02 WELL AND WE'RE GONNA SEE YOU WEIGH IN AT EPHESUS.
• 02:05 HERE'S JEFF.
• 02:22 PAUL ARGUED FORCEFULLY WHEN WORKING IN EPHESUS
• 02:27 AND HE ARGUED FORCEFULLY WHEN WRITING FROM EPHESUS.
• 02:31 PAUL HAD A VISION, A MYSTERY THAT WAS REVEALED TO HIM.
• 02:36 IN FACT THE WORD THAT'S USED FOR THE REVEALING IS APOCALYPSE,
• 02:39 FOR WHERE WE GET THE WORD REVELATION,
• 02:41 WELL IT WASN'T SO MUCH A VISION FOR THE END OF TIME AS MUCH AS A VISION FOR THE PRESENT TIME.
• 02:45 PAUL BELIEVED THAT THROUGH ABRAHAM ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD WILL BE BLESSED.
• 02:53 AND THAT'S NOT JUST THE PHYSICAL DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM,
• 02:56 BUT THOSE WHO SPIRITUALLY ENJOIN THEMSELVES TO ABRAHAM THROUGH FAITH.
• 03:00 PAUL WASN'T HAPPY WHEN HE LEARNED THAT HIS EGALITARIAN VISION OF ALL PEOPLE,
• 03:07 BEING THE PEOPLE OF GOD, WAS INTERRUPTED.
• 03:09 PAUL HAD COME TO ASIA TO MINISTER ON HIS FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY
• 03:14 AND ESTABLISHED A NUMBER OF CHURCHES.
• 03:16 IN AROUND THE AREA OF GALATIA AND WHEN LEARNED THAT IN THE WAKE OF HIS DEPARTURE
• 03:20 THAT SOME HAD COME IN AND PREACHED ANOTHER GOSPEL PAUL WAS NOT A HAPPY CAMPER.
• 03:25 AND SO FROM HERE IN EPHESUS HE MADE HIS UNDERSTANDING KNOWN
• 03:32 IN WHAT IS ARGUABLY THE FIRST DOCUMENT WRITTEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
• 03:38 THE NEW TESTAMENT AS WE HAVE IT BEGINS WITH MATTHEW AND ENDS IN REVELATION.
• 03:43 BUT ... WASN'T THE FIRST AUTHOR TO PEN TO PAPER.
• 03:47 PAUL WROTE FIRST AND HE WAS NOT THE LEAST BIT HAPPY.
• 03:53 AND YOU CAN REALLY FEEL THE TONE AND TENURE OF THE MAN IN GALATIANS CHAPTER 1.
• 03:58 AND ON HE STARTS OFF, PROFESSIONALLY SO:
• 04:09 YOU KNOW THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT ADVOCATED THEY HAD BETTER PEDIGREE THAN PAUL
• 04:12 BECAUSE THEY STUDIED IN JERUSALEM. PAUL DIDN'T.
• 04:15 PAUL SAID, NO MAN MADE ME AN APOSTLE, FOR GO HIMSELF CALLED ME.
• 04:19 AND THEN IN VERSE 6, YOU CAN FEEL THE TENSION AS HE ARGUED:
• 04:31 HE GOES, "MY GOD WHAT'S UP WITH YOU PEOPLE?"
• 04:33 "YOU'RE LIKE A BUNCH OF BACKSLIDERS."
• 04:36 IN FACT, HE SAYS AS MUCH.
• 04:37 IT SEEMS AT ONE LEVEL, SO VERY UNCHARACTERISTIC IN CHAPTER 3, VERSE 1.
• 04:42 PAUL WILL SAY:
• 04:50 NOW ISN'T THAT AN INTERESTING WAY TO WRITE A LETTER TO A CHURCH TO SAY LISTEN,
• 04:52 "WHAT DEVIL PUT ON A SPELL ON YOU?"
• 04:55 PAUL IS RAMPING UP, HE'S INTENSE IN PART BECAUSE PAUL'S AUTHORIZATION IS UNDERMINED.
• 05:03 THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT CAME TO THE REGION OF GALATIA, CAME TO THE PEOPLE THAT HE PREACHED TO,
• 05:08 AND THEY KNOCKED THE LEGS OUT FROM UNDERNEATH HIM SAYING, THAT,
• 05:11 THAT PAUL DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
• 05:13 THEY ARGUED THEY HAD A BETTER TELLING OF THE NATURE AND THE STRUCTURE OF CHRISTIAN LIFE.
• 05:18 AND SO IT IS THEY ADVOCATED THAT THESE NON-JEWISH PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO FAITH
• 05:22 THAT THEY NOW COME TO BE MORE JEWISH IN THEIR PRACTICE.
• 05:25 PAUL WAS NOT OF THAT PARTICULAR UNDERSTANDING.
• 05:30 PAUL BELIEVED THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO CAME TO THE MESSIAH OF ISRAEL,
• 05:35 DIDN'T NEED TO CONFORM TO ALL THE CONVENTIONS OF ISRAEL.
• 05:39 AND SO IT IS THAT INDIVIDUALS OF NON-JEWISH EXTRACT COULD COME
• 05:43 AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS BODY LIFE WITHOUT PICKING UP ALL THE ACCOUTREMENTS OF JEWISH CULTURE.
• 05:49 AND THE REQUIREMENTS AND BIBLICAL LITERATURE FOR JEWS, IN FACT, IN CHAPTER 3, VERSE 26
• 05:55 HE MAKES A POINT THAT HE'S GONNA MAKE OVER AGAIN IN HIS WRITINGS.
• 05:58 AND IT'S HIS OWN WAY OF GIVING AN ACCOUNTING FOR CORE VALUE.
• 06:01 HE SAYS:
• 06:11 AND THEN IN VERSE 28 HE SAYS WHAT HE'S FAMOUS FOR:
• 06:30 SEE PAUL HAD A VISION.
• 06:32 PAUL HIMSELF AS WE KNOW WAS THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES, BUT IF WE THINK FOR A MINUTE,
• 06:37 THE GENTILES THAT HE SPOKE TO WEREN'T YOUR GARDEN VARIETY, EVERYDAY PEOPLE ON THE STREET.
• 06:41 PAUL WENT INTO SYNAGOGUES.
• 06:43 AND IN THE SYNAGOGUES HE MET INDIVIDUALS OF NON-JEWISH EXTRACT
• 06:46 WHO WERE IMPRESSED BY HIS TEACHINGS WHO FOLLOWED HIM
• 06:49 AS DID JEWISH PEOPLE LEAVE THE SYNAGOGUES WITH THESE GENTILES
• 06:53 AND TOGETHER THEY FORMED A NUCLEUS OF NEW CONGREGATIONS.
• 06:56 PAUL'S GENTILES WERE THEMSELVES HALF-BAKED JEWS,
• 07:01 INDIVIDUALS WHO LOVE JEWISH PEOPLE, THEY LOVE JEWISH SCRIPTURE,
• 07:04 AND NOW PAUL HELPED THEM UNDERSTAND THAT THE MESSIAH OF THE JEWS HAVE COME
• 07:09 AND THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN WHAT IT MEANS TO BE WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL
• 07:13 WITHOUT CONFORMING TO ALL THE CONVENTIONS OF ISRAEL.
• 07:16 AGAIN THAT WAS RADICAL IN HIS DAY AND TIME.
• 07:19 PAUL HAD A VISION FOR A WORLD WITHOUT BORDERS.
• 07:21 YOU KNOW BEHIND ME HERE DIFFERENT PEOPLE WOULD ARGUE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
• 07:26 THEY'D KINDA HACK IT OUT.
• 07:28 THEY'D WORK THROUGH ISSUES, THEY'D DEBATE THE PREVAILING PROBLEMS OF THE DAY
• 07:31 HERE AT THE PARLIAMENT IN EPHESUS.
• 07:34 WELL HERE FROM EPHESUS AND FROM THIS ANCIENT WORLD,
• 07:37 PAUL WHO HIMSELF WAS A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD,
• 07:40 WHO HIMSELF APPRECIATED DIVERSITY
• 07:43 AND WASN'T HIMSELF GIVEN TO IMPOSING SOME MONOLITH FROM THE CHURCH.
• 07:47 SOME ONE WAY OF BEING AND ONE WAY OF BEING ONLY.
• 07:50 THIS PAUL ENVISIONED A BROADER WORLD,
• 07:52 A CHURCH WITHOUT BORDERS THAT MADE ROOM FOR ALL PEOPLE IN ITS ENVIRONS.
• 07:57 AND IF YOU'LL LOOK AT GALATIANS EPISTLE,
• 07:59 THEREIN HE'S ON RECORD CONTENDING BOLDLY FOR BROADER HORIZONS.
• 08:05 WHAT A MESSAGE.
• 08:06 RADICAL IN ITS DAY AND TIME
• 08:08 FROM THE HEART AND THE MIND AND THE INSPIRATION OF PAUL.
• 08:12 AND WE'LL BE LEARNING MORE ABOUT HIM AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT HIS MOVEMENTS
• 08:16 AND HIS PARCHMENTS.
• 08:17 AS WE FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
• 08:33 I TRUST YOU'RE ENJOYING OUR SERIES ON PAUL.
• 08:37 I BELIEVE YOU'LL ENJOY THE BOOK, MY NEW BOOK CALLED,
• 08:40 "IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS."
• 08:43 HEREIN WE EXAMINE THE MAN'S WORLD
• 08:46 AND THE WORD THAT HE SHARED IN THAT WORLD.
• 08:49 AS FAR AS THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN TODAY
• 08:52 IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN ZOLA LEVITT MINISTRIES,
• 08:54 WE HAVE A MONTHLY MAGAZINE,
• 08:56 WE'RE PLEASED TO SEND TO YOU FOR ASKING.
• 08:58 1-800-WONDERS IS THE NUMBER.
• 09:01 AND IF YOU'D CALL IT WE'D GET THIS TO YOU, OUR LEVITT LETTER.
• 09:05 IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO WITH ZOLA LEVITT MINISTRIES TO THE BIBLE LANDS.
• 09:09 PRINCIPALLY ISRAEL, EXCURSIONS IN GREECE, AND ELSEWHERE.
• 09:12 DO LET US KNOW.
• 09:13 1-800-WONDERS, THAT'S THE CONNECT NUMBER.
• 09:16 GIVE US A CALL.
• 09:22 THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT READING THE BIBLE AND LOOKING AT WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
• 09:26 ATHENS, CORINTH, EPHESUS,
• 09:28 JEFF WE HAVE TRAVELED THE WHOLE GAMUT OF THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAUL.
• 09:32 IT'S JUST BEEN GREAT.
• 09:33 WELL IT'S GREAT TO LOOK INTO PAUL'S WORLD.
• 09:36 BUT IT'S GREAT TO LOOK INTO PAUL'S WORD, TOO. AMEN.
• 09:40 AND THE THESSALONICAN CORRESPONDENCE, THAT'S A GO TO TEXT.
• 09:43 AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND,
• 09:46 I DON'T THINK I DID.
• 09:47 PAUL WROTE 13 OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
• 09:49 13 BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
• 09:51 THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF WRITING FOR NEW TESTAMENT.
• 09:54 WELL THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE HAVE. RIGHT
• 09:56 THERE'S ABOUT 6,000 COPIES OF MANUSCRIPTS THAT HAVE COME DOWN.
• 09:59 OF COURSE THIS IS DUPLICATIONS AND DUPLICATIONS, RIGHT
• 10:01 BUT THE CHURCH COULD ONLY AUTHENTICATE A DOZEN PLUS, BUT THIS GUY WAS GIVEN TO WRITING,
• 10:06 BECAUSE HE CARED ABOUT PEOPLE,
• 10:08 LIKE POSTCARDS AND THROUGH LETTERS. BUT HE CARED ABOUT PEOPLE
• 10:09 HE LOVED THEM.
• 10:09 THAT IS TERRIFIC.
• 10:10 WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO YOUR TEACHING.
• 10:12 YOU'RE IN ATHENS NOW.
• 10:13 WE'RE GONNA GO TO JEFF IN ATHENS.
• 10:23 HE WAS KNOWN AS THE FASTEST TO THE GREEKS, VULCAN TO THE ROMANS.
• 10:27 HE WAS THE PATRON GOD OF METAL WORKING.
• 10:31 SEEMS AT ONE LEVEL TO BE A VERY INTERESTING PATRON TO HAVE,
• 10:35 BUT THE GREEKS AND THE ROMANS AS WELL,
• 10:37 WERE VERY INDEBTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF METAL WORKING SKILLS
• 10:42 AS WERE THE ANCIENTS GENERALLY.
• 10:44 IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED IN MODERNITY I THINK.
• 10:46 AND WHY IS THAT?
• 10:48 WELL, METAL IMPLEMENTS WERE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FARMING.
• 10:54 WITH THE NET RESULT THAT IT CONTRIBUTED TOWARD WEALTH AND PROSPERITY IN AN EMPIRE.
• 10:59 IN LIKE MANNER, METAL WORKING WAS USED TO FORGE INSTRUMENTS OF WAR.
• 11:05 AND THE NET RESULT IS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FORTIFY AND EXPAND EMPIRE.
• 11:10 BEYOND THAT OF COURSE METAL WORKING WAS INSTRUMENTAL
• 11:14 IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TEMPLES LIKE THIS.
• 11:17 THIS ONE SITTING PROMINENT HERE IN THE ANCIENT CITY OF ATHENS.
• 11:21 THIS ONE DEDICATED TO THE PATRON GOD OF METAL WORKERS, SILVER SMITHS AND THE LIKE.
• 11:28 IT REPRESENTS AMONG OTHER THINGS AS WELL,
• 11:30 THAT MAN IS COMING TO TERMS WITH DEVELOPING MASTERY OVER CREATION.
• 11:36 YOU MIGHT RECALL IN THE GENSIS NARRATIVE
• 11:38 THAT HUMANKIND WERE MADE A CUT ABOVE THE REST OF CREATION TO SUPERINTEND THE EARTH.
• 11:45 AND HERE THIS REFLECTS THE DEVELOPMENTS OF TECHNOLOGIES
• 11:48 WITH PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO COME TO TERMS WITH PULLING ORE FROM THE EARTH AND SMELTING IT
• 11:54 AND PUTTING IT IN A FURNACE AND MANUFACTURING NEW THINGS THAT CAN BE USED.
• 11:59 WELL, SPEAKING OF PUTTING THINGS IN A FURNACE,
• 12:02 PAUL THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING THAT CAME FROM A FURNACE
• 12:05 BROUGHT SOMETHING NEW AS WELL THAT COULD BE USED.
• 12:08 I MIGHT SAY IN THAT REGARD THAT THE VERY SPIKES THAT WERE PUT IN JESUS' HANDS AND FEET
• 12:14 REPRESENT THE KIND OF TECHNOLOGY HERE, THAT IS TO SAY, WORKING WITH IRON IMPLEMENTS.
• 12:20 FASHIONING THEM AND USING THEM.
• 12:22 WELL I DON'T WANNA BE MOROSE HERE BY UNDERSCORING CRUCIFIXION TOO MUCH.
• 12:26 BUT I DO WANNA SAY THAT, PAUL'S CHURCHES EMERGED OUT OF THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION.
• 12:33 THAT THEY WERE MANUFACTURE AMIDST THE TURBULENCE OF TRYING TIMES.
• 12:37 IN FACT PAUL LEFT ASIA MINOR BECAUSE OF DIFFICULTIES THERE AND HE COMES HERE TO GREECE.
• 12:44 STARTING 1ST AT PHILIPPI, HUGGING THE COAST, MAKING HIS WAY THROUGH AMPHIPOLIS,
• 12:50 APOLLONIA, THESSALONICA, AND THEN FINALLY AFTER THESSALONICA
• 12:54 COMING TO THIS GREAT CITY OF ATHENS.
• 12:58 IN ACTS CHAPTER 17:1-3, WE'RE INFORMED THAT WHEN HE WAS IN THESSALONICA THAT:
• 13:12 THAT AS HE DID ALL THIS THERE WERE JEWS AND NON-JEWS ALIKE
• 13:15 THAT WERE PERSUADED TO HIS WAY OF THINKING.
• 13:17 NOT ALL WERE, HOWEVER. A RIOT ENSUED AND PAUL HAD TO BE ESCORTED OUT OF THE CITY.
• 13:22 AND THEN HE MADE HIS WAY HERE TO ATHENS.
• 13:25 WELL HE GOT TO ATHENS, BUT A GOOD PART OF HIS HEART STILL BELONGED IN THESSALONICA,
• 13:30 BECAUSE HE KNEW THE BRETHREN WERE SUFFERING THERE.
• 13:34 AND SO WHAT DOES HE DO?
• 13:35 HE PUTS PEN TO PAPER TO WRITE THE THESSALONICAN CORRESPONDENCES,
• 13:38 1ST AND 2ND AND WITH GALATIANS THEN WE HAVE THE VERY BEGINNINGS OF NEW TESTAMENT WRIT.
• 13:44 IF YOU LOOK AT IT CHRONOLOGICALLY THIS IS THE 1ST.
• 13:47 AND YOU CAN FEEL HIS AFFECTIONS FOR THE THESSALONICANS.
• 13:50 HE SAYS IN CHAPTER 3, VERSE 1 OF 1ST THESSALONIANS,
• 14:00 TIMOTHY WAS SENT TO THEM AND TIMOTHY CAME BACK WITH A WORD FROM THEM.
• 14:09 TIMOTHY SHARED HOW THEY WERE BEARING UP UNDER THEIR AFFLICTIONS GRACIOUSLY,
• 14:12 BUT PAUL WAS STILL CONCERNED.
• 14:26 LUKE SAID THAT A RIOT ENSUED IN THESSALONICA.
• 14:29 PAUL HAPPILY GOT AWAY, BUT NOT ALL WERE SO FORTUNATE.
• 14:33 JASON WHO'S ONLY CRIME WAS THAT HE GAVE HIM QUARTER, HE HOUSED HIM.
• 14:37 HE SAID THAT THEY WENT AND GOT JASON BY THE THROAT AND DRUG HIM BEFORE THE MAGISTRATES.
• 14:43 COMPLAINING THAT THIS FELLOW GAVE HOUSING TO THIS MAN WHO'S TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN.
• 14:48 THEY WERE SO DISCONCERTED, THEY WERE SO ANGRY, SO UPSET,
• 14:54 BECAUSE JEWS AND NON-JEWS ALIKE WERE COMING TO FAITH IN YESHUA.
• 14:59 PAUL WAS SPIRITED AWAY AND HE MADE HIS WAY HERE TO ATHENS.
• 15:03 HE WAS HERE ALRIGHT BUT HIS HEART BELONGED ELSEWHERE.
• 15:06 HE WAS THINKING ABOUT THE ONES THAT HE LOVED.
• 15:09 AND HE WAS CONCERNED, BECAUSE THOUGH HE GOT OUT OF THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION,
• 15:12 HE KNEW THEY WERE STILL THERE.
• 15:14 SO WHAT DOES HE DO?
• 15:15 HE WRITES THEM.
• 15:16 EVER WRITE A LETTER TO SOMEONE YOU LOVE?
• 15:18 THAT'S WHAT PAUL DID.
• 15:19 PAUL NEVER THOUGHT HE WAS WRITING THE BIBLE.
• 15:21 PAUL WAS JUST LOVING SIMPLE AS THAT.
• 15:24 IN FACT I DOUBT WHEN PAUL PICKED UP PEN TO WRITE HE EVER THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA BE WRITING STUFF
• 15:30 THAT WOULD MAKE IT'S WAY IN A BOOK THAT WOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME LEVEL OF AUTHORIZATION
• 15:35 AS THE WRITINGS OF MOSES AND THE PROPHETS AND THE LIKE.
• 15:38 PAUL IS JUST RESPONDING TO STUFF AND HERE FROM ATHENS,
• 15:43 HE'S RESPONDING TO THE FACT THAT PEOPLE HE LOVED WERE SUFFERING.
• 15:47 AND THEY WERE SUFFERING IN PART, BECAUSE OF SOMETHING HE INSTIGATED.
• 15:52 AND WHAT HE INSTIGATED IN PART WAS STIMULATED BY SOMEONE ELSES SUFFERING, JESUS.
• 15:57 SUFFERING SEEMS TO ME TO BE PART AND PARTIAL OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.
• 16:02 PAUL HERE SEEMS TO SAY AS MUCH IN 1ST THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 2, HE SAYS,
• 16:31 IF I UNDERSTAND PAUL CORRECTLY, THE WAY HE IS ORIENTED TOWARD THESE FOLK.
• 16:35 HE SAYS, LISTEN GUYS YOU KNOW, AND HE SAYS A FEW TIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW.
• 16:40 WHAT THEY KNOW IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T WANNA HEAR, WE DON'T WANNA KNOW.
• 16:44 HE SAYS, GUYS LOOK WAKE UP SMELL THE COFFEE, REMEMBER THAT WHEN I WAS PHILIPPI,
• 16:48 BEFORE I GOT TO YOU, THINGS GOT RATHER UNRAVELED.
• 16:51 WHEN I CAME TO THESSALONICA THINGS GOT UNRAVELED AND YOU KNOW WHAT, UNRAVELING HAPPENS.
• 16:57 BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE.
• 17:00 TODAY THERE'S MANY A PREACHER THAT ADVOCATES,
• 17:03 "OH, NO YOU EXCEPT JESUS, BABY IT'S ALL GOOD."
• 17:05 AND WHAT IT IS, IS YOU'RE JUST GONNA PROSPER AND HAVE BOUNDLESS SUCCESS IN LIFE.
• 17:10 LISTEN, I BELIEVE THAT THE LORD DOES LEAD US ONWARD TOWARD SUCCESS IN LIFE,
• 17:14 BUT I THINK THE POINT IS GROSSLY OVERSTATED.
• 17:18 IN THE INTEREST OF TICKLING PEOPLES EARS AND MAKING PROMISES
• 17:21 THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE JUST MEANS ALL THINGS GOOD.
• 17:24 I BELIEVE THERE ARE THINGS GOOD, BUT I BELIEVE TOO THAT THERE'S TROUBLE IN RIVER CITY.
• 17:28 I BELIEVE THAT IF GOD HAS A CALL IN OUR LIFE THAT SATAN WILL HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT AGAINST US.
• 17:34 AND WE MUST NEEDS THEN BEAR UP.
• 17:37 DEVELOP AN APTITUDE TO RESIST, TO STAND, TO NOT BE BESTED BY DESPAIR, DEPRESSIONS,
• 17:45 AND EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES,
• 17:47 TRIALS THAT BESET US AND TRY AND OVERWHELM US.
• 17:51 WE MUST NEEDS STAND UP, SPEAK UP, AND RISE UP FOR BIBLICAL TRUTH.
• 17:55 IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PEOPLE ARE TOO DEPRESSED, PUSHED DOWN,
• 17:59 BUT THERES A TRIUMPHANT GOD WHO LEADS US IN TRIUMPH THROUGH DIFFICULTIES.
• 18:04 THAT WAS THE RABBI FROM TARSUS' MESSAGE TO THE THESSALONIANS.
• 18:10 SURE HE SAID THINGS BEYOND THAT, BUT PRINCIPALLY IT WAS DRIVEN BY A LOVE FOR THEM.
• 18:16 IT WAS DRIVEN BY WANTING TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO BEAR UP
• 18:20 AND LET THEM KNOW THAT HELP IS COMING FROM HEAVEN TO DEAL WITH VEXING TROUBLES ON EARTH,
• 18:26 BECAUSE AT DAYS END WE HAVE A WINNING GOD.
• 18:42 IT'S GREAT TO OPEN UP GOD'S WORD AND LEARN ABOUT WHAT GOD WOULD HAVE US TO DO AND BE.
• 18:48 IN LIKE MANNER I BELIEVE, AND I SAY THIS AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING A TAD BIT SELF-SERVING,
• 18:54 I BELIEVE IT'S GOOD TO TURN ON THE TELEVISION AND ENTER INTO GOD'S WORLD.
• 18:59 AND THE WAY THAT WE DO THAT IS WE TAKE YOU BACK TO THE PLACE WHERE THE STORY UNFOLDED.
• 19:04 AND SO, YOU COME WITH US ON A JOURNEY,
• 19:07 AS WE WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
• 19:11 AND LIKE TOUR GUIDES, WE TAKE YOU TO THE PLACE WHERE IT ALL HAPPENED.
• 19:15 OH, BUT I LOVE BEING A TOUR GUIDE.
• 19:17 I LOVE SEEING PEOPLES LIGHTS COME ON
• 19:20 WHEN THEY READ THE WORD OF GOD
• 19:21 AND, OH MY GOODNESS, WE'RE STANDING IN THE PARTHENON,
• 19:25 ON THE ACROPOLIS, WE'RE STANDING THERE.
• 19:27 OR WE'RE IN THE AGORA IN ATHENS.
• 19:29 EVEN IN ISRAEL, I LOVE SHOWING PEOPLE THE BIBLICAL SIGHTS.
• 19:32 I LOVE IT.
• 19:33 YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT PREACHERS WOULD DO BETTER
• 19:36 TO BE TOUR GUIDES THAN LECTURERS.
• 19:38 THAT IS TAKE INDIVIDUALS TO THE STORY
• 19:41 AND LET INDIVIDUALS BASK IN THE NARRATIVE.
• 19:44 THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN WORK THROUGH THAT TO GET INTO PEOPLE'S HEARTS.
• 19:47 WHY LECTURE IT INTO PEOPLE?
• 19:48 I DON'T KNOW AND I'VE SEEN PASTORS GO TO GREECE AND ISRAEL,
• 19:52 THEY'RE LIGHTS COME ON AND THEY ARE SO EXCITED WITH THE WORD.
• 19:57 THEY CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK AND PREACH THE WORD.
• 19:59 IT'S JUST WONDERFUL.
• 19:59 WE'RE IN GREECE.
• 20:01 WE HAVE A GUIDE THAT WE'VE HAD FOR PROBABLY 20 YEARS.
• 20:04 SHE'S GREAT. SHE IS, OH SHE'S WONDERFUL.
• 20:06 SO I ALWAYS LIKE TALKING TO HER.
• 20:09 SHE'S GOT SUCH GREAT INSIGHTS.
• 20:10 SHE SHOWS US THE SIGHTS.
• 20:12 SHE SPELLS FOR US, THAT'S THE NICEST PART.
• 20:14 SHE SPELLS PLACES FOR US.
• 20:15 SHE'S AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GREEK KNOWLEDGE. SHE IS.
• 20:17 HERE IS GINA.
• 20:19 WE'RE IN ATHENS.
• 20:23 GINA WE ARE SITTING ON THE AGORA.
• 20:25 8 ACRES OF TEMPLES, SHOPS,
• 20:28 EVERYTHING THE GREEKS WOULD WANT IN THE 1ST CENTURY.
• 20:32 YES.
• 20:33 THIS WAS THE REAL HEART OF THE CITY.
• 20:35 IT WAS THE HEART OF THE CITY
• 20:37 SINCE THE VERY EARLY ANTIQUITY.
• 20:39 AND WHEN PAUL CAME HERE IT STILL EXISTED AS A VERY CENTRAL SPOT OF ATHENS.
• 20:45 WE HAVE A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDINGS,
• 20:47 WE HAVE A LOT OF TEMPLES WITH PHILOSOPHERS AND ...,
• 20:53 YOU KNOW PEOPLE THAT GOT INVOLVED IN TRADE BEING HERE ALL THE TIME.
• 20:58 AND DON'T FORGET WITH THESE WALLS
• 21:00 THE PLACE WERE SOCRATES 6 CENTURIES AGO
• 21:03 USE TO COME EVERYDAY ALMOST
• 21:06 TO MEET HIS FELLOW CITIZENS AND TO TALK ABOUT HIS PHILOSOPHICAL, YOU KNOW, IDEAS.
• 21:12 IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE LOOKING AT THESE RUINS
• 21:15 THE MAGNIFICENCE THAT GREECE MUST HAVE BEEN.
• 21:18 IT WAS THE BE ALL AND THEN END ALL OF THE KNOWN WORLD.
• 21:22 THE DEMOCRACY COMES FROM GREECE.
• 21:24 THAT'S VERY TRUE.
• 21:25 AND DON'T FORGET THAT EVERYTHING WAS FLOURISHING
• 21:28 IN THE 5TH CENTURY, THAT'S RIGHT, THE GOLDEN AGE.
• 21:30 THE GOLDEN AGE.
• 21:31 THE GOLDEN AGE OF PERICLES,
• 21:33 BECAUSE OF HIS MEN WHO TRIED TO BEAUTIFY THE CITY.
• 21:37 TO EMBELLISH THE CITY.
• 21:38 THE ONE WHO HAD ENCOURAGED THE MOST FAMOUS HEARTS
• 21:41 OF HIS DAYS, SCULPTORS AND PAINTERS AND ARCHITECTS
• 21:44 IN ORDER TO CREATE THESE MASTERPIECES OUT ON THE ACROPOLIS.
• 21:48 ALTHOUGH ATHENS WAS AT ITS DECADENCE WHEN PAUL CAME HERE. RIGHT
• 21:53 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 1ST CENTURY A.D, WE'RE TALKING THE YEAR 51 A.D
• 21:58 WHEN HE CAME ALL THE WAY DOWN FROM THESSALONICA
• 22:01 AND HE HAS NOT BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH THE ATHENIANS, NO
• 22:07 BECAUSE OF ALL THESE PHILOSOPHERS THAT TOTALLY
• 22:09 REJECTED THE NEW IDEA THE NEW RELIGION
• 22:13 THAT THE APOSTLE WAS BRINGING WITH HIM,
• 22:15 THE EPICUREAN PHILOSOPHERS AND THE STOIC PHILOSOPHERS WHO MOCKED AT HIM.
• 22:20 SO HIS STAY WAS NOT REALLY A VERY SUCCESSFUL ONE.
• 22:25 AND THAT'S WHY WE KNOW TWO PERSONS WERE CONVERTED. RIGHT
• 22:28 AND OF ALL THESE PEOPLE THEY WERE SUCH FREE THINKERS
• 22:32 AND SUCH DEEP THINKERS. YEAH
• 22:34 AND YET COULDN'T GRASP THE CONCEPT THAT THERE WAS ONE GOD. THAT'S TRUE
• 22:39 COULD NOT GRASP THAT CONCEPT. THAT'S TRUE
• 22:41 BUT I'M SURE THAT PAUL MUST HAVE WALKED DOWN HERE SEVERAL TIMES IN THE AGORA.
• 22:46 HE MUST HAVE TALKED TO THE ATHENIANS, THE LOCAL PEOPLE.
• 22:51 HE MUST HAVE SEEN THE BEMA WHERE THE SPEAKER'S PLATFORM THE BEMA.
• 22:55 MARS HILL, THE ACROPOLIS, RIGHT. MARS HILL OF COURSE, YES
• 22:58 IT REALLY IS AMAZING FOR ME TO BE STANDING HERE.
• 23:02 I AM, I THINK OUTSIDE, IT IS SO HISTORICAL FOR US I CAN IMAGINE.
• 23:06 THAT WE REALLY NEED TO STOP A MINUTE AND LOOK AND THINK ALL THAT WAS GREECE.
• 23:11 ALL THAT WAS GREECE.
• 23:26 ♪(Piano playing with Orchestra)♪
• 24:18 FAITH IN YESHUA.
• 24:19 PAUL PREACHED FAITH IN YESHUA,
• 24:22 NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS.
• 24:23 NOT WORKS, FAITH IN MESSIAH.
• 24:26 WHY DO PEOPLE WANNA COMPLICATE THAT?
• 24:28 IT SEEMS THAT IN THE GALATIANS EPISTLE PEOPLE WEREN'T SATISFIED,
• 24:33 BUT WE NEED TO ADD ON RULES IN ORDER TO BE COMPLIANT WITH GOD.
• 24:37 THEY KEEP ADDING RULES.
• 24:38 IT'S PEOPLE, IT'S WHAT PEOPLE DO, THEY MAKE THINGS HARDER THAN WHAT IT IS.
• 24:41 THE SALVATION DOCTRINE IS NOT HARD.
• 24:43 AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, THAT'S A PROBLEM
• 24:45 THAT'S NOT RESERVED FOR GALATIANS YESTERDAY, RIGHT
• 24:48 IT'S A PROBLEM THAT RAISES ITS HOARY TODAY IN RELIGIOUS CIRCLES.
• 24:51 YOU'RE TALKING WHAT, 50 A.D, 52 A.D?
• 24:54 THIS IS NOT A NEW IDEA.
• 24:56 YEAH 2008 A.D THE SAME TENDENCY IS TO TAKE RIGHT
• 25:00 WHAT'S PRISTINE AND SIMPLE RIGHT AND COMPLICATE IT.
• 25:04 AND COMPLICATE IT.
• 25:05 MAKE IT MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE IT.
• 25:06 YES AND HERE'S WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE.
• 25:08 WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION.
• 25:10 YOU NEED TO LOOK AT YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AND ASK YOURSELF, DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?
• 25:14 YOU NEED TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT YOUR LIFE AND ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION,
• 25:18 "DO YOU LIKE THE WAY YOU'RE LIVING IT OUT?"
• 25:20 IF YOU'RE DISSATISFIED, IF YOU HAVE PANGS OF CONSCIENCE,
• 25:23 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THAT YOU CAN REACH UP TO GOD AND REACH OUT TO THE FUTURE.
• 25:27 REACH UP TO HIM AND SAY, "FORGIVE ME FOR MY SINS," AND YOU CAN BE BORN ANEW.
• 25:31 FIND A GOOD BIBLE CHURCH AND HAVE AT IT.
• 25:34 WHY IS THAT SO HARD?
• 25:36 I'M NOT SURE.
• 25:37 IS IT THAT WE GIVE UP CONTROL?
• 25:39 IS IT A CONTROL THING?
• 25:40 IS IT A MAN THING?
• 25:41 IT'S ALL OF THE ABOVE.
• 25:42 IT'S AN EVIL THING.
• 25:43 MAN IS BORN NOT GOOD.
• 25:45 MAN IS BORN EVIL.
• 25:47 CONTROL'S AN INTERESTING FACTOR TOO, SANDRA.
• 25:49 IN THE GALATIANS CORRESPONDENCE PARTICULARLY,
• 25:51 PEOPLE WEREN'T CONTENT WITH PAUL'S SIMPLE PERSPECTIVE.
• 25:55 THEY CAME IN AND WANTED TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE CONVERSATION AND IMPOSE A NEW VISION. RIGHT.
• 26:00 WHY?
• 26:02 WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE FAITH IN MESSIAH, YESHUA?
• 26:05 THAT'S IT.
• 26:06 IT'S NOT HARD. I AGREE 100%.
• 26:08 I SAY LET'S STRIP IT ALL BACK AND GO BACK TO THE FOUNDATIONS.
• 26:11 AND HERE'S WHAT RUBS PEOPLE THE WRONG WAY, I BELIEVE.
• 26:14 IF ONE WANTS TO GO BACK TO THE FOUNDATIONS OF BIBLICAL TEACHING,
• 26:18 THEN THEY GO BACK TO THE JEWISH FOUNDATIONS. AMEN
• 26:22 AND NOT ALL ARE GIVEN TO SEEING THAT,
• 26:25 BUT SEE IT WE DO AS WE CONSIDER OUR RABBI FROM TARSUS.
• 26:28 AND ON WE GO.
• 26:30 NEXT WEEK WE GO ON TO SEE SOME MORE PARCHMENTS NEXT WEEK.
• 26:32 AND AS YOU GO.
• 26:34 SHA 'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM.
• 26:35 PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.