
“Reconciliation with the Corinthians, and Roman Correspondence”
Jeff and Sandra examine the writings of Paul.
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Caption transcript for In The Footsteps of The Rabbi From Tarsus: “Reconciliation with the Corinthians, and Roman Correspondence” (9/12)
- 00:03 WITH DR. JEFFERY SEIF AND SANDRA LEVITT
- 01:00 A HEARTY SHALOM TO ALL OF YOU.
- 01:03 JEFFERY SEIF HERE WITH MY FRIEND SANDRA LEVITT.
- 01:05 SHALOM.
- 01:06 WELCOME BACK TO THE RABBI,
- 01:08 IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
- 01:10 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAUL.
- 01:12 WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT 2ND CORINTHIANS TODAY.
- 01:14 I AM SO TAKEN BACK BY PAUL'S DEMEANOR IN THE 1 CORINTHIANS, WHERE HE IS JUST IN THEIR FACE.
- 01:21 AND THEN HE SEEMS TO BE SETTLING DOWN A LITTLE BIT IN 2ND CORINTHIANS.
- 01:24 YES HE'S MUCH MORE CONFRONTATIONAL IN 1ST CORINTHIANS
- 01:27 AND MUCH MORE CONGENIAL IN 2ND CORINTHIANS.
- 01:30 WHY IS IT THAT WAY?
- 01:32 WELL, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE IN MINISTRY
- 01:33 YOU HAVE TO CONFRONT STUFF.
- 01:36 NOW I KNOW TODAY WE JUST WANT MINISTERS TO BE PROFESSIONAL,
- 01:40 CONGENIAL SORTS, NICE AND SWEET,
- 01:43 BUT THAT'S NOT THE NATURE OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.
- 01:47 SOMETIMES SIN NEEDS TO BE CONFRONTED.
- 01:50 THAT'S RIGHT, IT DOES. >>AND WHEN HE WROTE 1ST CORINTHIANS
- 01:52 THERE WAS TROUBLE IN RIVER CITY. >>RIGHT.
- 01:54 HE WENT AFTER IT.
- 01:55 HE HEARS FROM TITUS THAT THEY REPENTED OF THEIR SINS,
- 01:58 SO NOW THERE'S A DIFFERENT TONE.
- 02:00 NOW IT'S THANK YOU NOW LET'S GET ON DOWN THE ROAD.
- 02:02 YOU'RE DOING BETTER, STRENGTHEN UP, GET ON DOWN THE ROAD.
- 02:05 THAT IS GOOD.
- 02:06 YEAH, WHEN HE DISCIPLINES THEM
- 02:08 IT'S NOT LIKE HE WANTED TO HURT THEM, >>OH, NO.
- 02:09 HE JUST WANTED TO CORRECT THEM.
- 02:10 RIGHT AND HOW MUCH FALSE DOCTRINE DO YOU THINK THEY'D HEARD?
- 02:13 MY GOODNESS, HERE WAS CORINTH,
- 02:15 THE TRADE ROUTE OF THE TRADE ROUTES IN GREECE
- 02:17 AND HERE THEY MUST HAVE HEARD ZILLIONS OF...
- 02:19 THEY HAD BAD DOCTRINE, THEY HAD BAD BEHAVIOR TOO
- 02:22 AND YOU KNOW THEY NEEDED FIXED.
- 02:23 AND THEY NEEDED TO BE STRONG.
- 02:25 SOMETIMES YOU CAN BE REAL DISCOURAGED,
- 02:26 "OH, THINGS NEED FIXED OR BROKEN,"
- 02:28 BUT YOU KNOW GOD HEALS BROKEN STUFF.
- 02:30 THAT'S EVIDENCED IN THE CORINTHIAN CORRESPONDENCES. >>HE DOES.
- 02:33 LET'S GO TO JEFF ON LOCATION AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT CORINTHIANS.
- 02:46 1ST CORINTHIANS WAS A BLISTERING CRITIQUE.
- 02:49 AND 2ND CORINTHIANS WAS MILD BY COMPARISON.
- 02:53 AND WHY WOULDN'T IT BE?
- 02:55 WHEN PAUL WROTE 1ST CORINTHIANS HE WAS CHAGRINED, HE WAS PRESSED IN FACT.
- 03:00 HE'D HEARD THAT THE CHURCH WAS DIVIDED.
- 03:02 HIS AUTHORITY WAS QUESTIONED BY MANY IN THE CONGREGATION.
- 03:06 BAD DOCTRINE WAS CIRCULATING ROUND ABOUT.
- 03:10 GOODNESS PAUL SPENT A LONG TIME IN CORINTH AND HE THOUGHT IT ALL WAS FOR NOT,
- 03:15 BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE THINGS WERE GOING TO UNRAVEL.
- 03:17 SO PAUL WAS UNRAVELING.
- 03:19 YOU CAN JUST FEEL HIM ESCALATING UP WHEN HE WROTE THEM THE 1ST LETTER.
- 03:23 WHEN HE WRITES THE 2ND ONE THE TONE IS SO MARKEDLY DIFFERENT, IT'S MODERATE BY COMPARISON.
- 03:28 AND THE REASON IS, IS BECAUSE PAUL WHEN HE WRITES
- 03:30 KNOWS THAT CHURCH IS MINDED TO MAKE RIGHT WHAT WAS BROKEN.
- 03:34 IN 2ND CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 7, PAUL NOTES IN VERSE 5
- 03:44 BUT THEN IN VERSE 6,
- 03:49 BRINGING GOOD NEWS.
- 03:51 GOOD NEWS THAT THE CORINTHIANS WERE MINDED TO RECONNECT WITH PAUL.
- 03:56 AND SO HERE PAUL SAYS THAT HE'S LEARNED OF THEIR
- 04:03 WITH THE NET RESULT,
- 04:07 HERE PAUL'S A HAPPY CAMPER.
- 04:09 HIS SPIRITS ARE LIFTED.
- 04:10 HIS CONFIDENCE IS RISEN.
- 04:13 AND THEN HE PROCEEDS TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED PREVIOUSLY.
- 04:19 PREVIOUSLY PAUL, THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES,
- 04:22 HAD TO ENCOURAGE THE CHURCH IN CORINTH TO HELP THE BRETHREN IN JUDEA.
- 04:27 PAUL WAS INTERESTED IN REACHING BEYOND JUDEA,
- 04:30 BUT HE WANTED THE NON-JEWISH CONGREGATIONS TO REACH BACK TO JUDEA.
- 04:34 NOW ISN'T THAT SOMETHING THAT'S LACKING TODAY.
- 04:36 AND THEN IN CHAPTERS 8 AND 9, HE PROCEEDS TO ADVOCATE FOR AN OFFERING.
- 04:47 YEAH, PAUL SAID IN CHAPTER 9 OF 2ND CORINTHIANS,
- 04:57 HEY I DON'T NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT MONEY, YOU KNOW IT'S ALL, NOT EVEN NECESSARY.
- 05:01 HE GOES ON TO SAY:
- 05:08 INTERESTING.
- 05:09 HERE IN CORINTH THIS IS ACHAIA.
- 05:12 MACEDONIA IS IN THE MAINLAND.
- 05:14 THERE WAS A LOT OF SPIRITED COMPETITION BETWEEN THE AKAIANS AND THE MACEDONIANS.
- 05:19 PAUL SAYS LISTEN RELATIVE TO THIS OFFERING,
- 05:21 YOU KNOW, I WAS BOASTING TO MACEDONIANS THAT YOU GUYS ARE GETTING AFTER IT.
- 05:25 SEE HE'S IN PART PLAYING ONE AGAINST THE OTHER,
- 05:28 BECAUSE THE MACEDONIANS GAVE A GOOD OFFERING AND HE WANT'S THEM TO DO LIKEWISE.
- 05:32 AN OFFERING FOR WHAT?
- 05:34 INTERESTINGLY IN CHAPTERS 8 AND 9 OF 2ND CORINTHIANS ON BETTER FOOTING AS HE IS,
- 05:40 PAUL IS LEANING ON THEM TO BE GRACIOUS FINANCIALLY.
- 05:43 BUT WHAT'S HE LEANING ON THEM TO DO?
- 05:46 DOES HE NEED A NEW CAR TO TRAVEL ABOUT IN HIS APOSTOLIC JOURNEYS?
- 05:49 DOES HE WANNA BUY A BOAT?
- 05:51 DOES 1ST BAPTIST CHURCH OF CORINTH NEED A NEW EDUCATION BUILDING?
- 05:54 NO, HE'S RAISING MONEY BECAUSE HE WANTS TO HELP SUPPORT
- 05:59 THE WORK OF THE LORD AMONGST THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
- 06:03 AS I SAID A MOMENT AGO, I LOVE IT.
- 06:05 THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES STILL HAD A HEART OF THE JEWS.
- 06:08 WOULD THAT SPIRIT PREVAIL IN THE CHURCH TODAY,
- 06:12 I'D CERTAINLY BE A HAPPY CAMPER.
- 06:14 AND IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE CONGRUENT WITH WHAT THIS APOSTLE WAS ALL ABOUT.
- 06:17 BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
- 06:19 OPEN YOUR BIBLES PLEASE TO 2ND CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 9 AND LET'S LOOK AT HIS ARGUMENT.
- 06:26 HE SAYS IN VERSE 6:
- 06:38 THIS IS WHERE YOU GET THE OLD, "WHAT YOU SOW IS WHAT YOU REAP."
- 06:41 "YOU GIVE A LITTLE, YOU GET A LITTLE, YOU GIVE A LOT AND YOU GET A LOT."
- 06:44 THIS CONVERSATION IS PLAYED OUT AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF TRYING TO RAISE MISSIONS MONEY
- 06:50 TO GET THE CORINTHIANS TO HELP THE BRETHREN IN JUDEA.
- 06:54 HE SAYS IN VERSE 7:
- 07:03 PAUL HERE IS GOING AFTER THE FACT, HE'S KIND OF HARKING BACK TO A TEXT IN MOSES,
- 07:08 WHERE PEOPLE ARE ASKED TO GIVE WILLING FROM THE HEART,
- 07:10 NOT OUT OF A SENSE OF COMPULSION AND THEY INDEED DID JUST THAT.
- 07:14 HERE PAUL IN LIKE MANNER ONCE THE BELIEVERS HERE CORINTH IN THE SHADOW OF THE TEMPLE.
- 07:20 YOU CAN SEE THE PILLARS TO THE FORMER TEMPLE TO APOLLO BEHIND ME.
- 07:25 AND HERE IN CORINTH YOU CAN SEE VESTIGES, FOOTPRINTS OF THINGS GREEK AND OF THINGS JEWISH.
- 07:32 IT WAS A SIZABLE POPULATION HERE OF JEWS INTERESTINGLY.
- 07:35 SOME 200,000 SETTLED IN CORINTH PROPER IN PAUL DAYS.
- 07:40 ALMOST MATCHING THE NUMBER OF NON-JEWISH PEOPLE.
- 07:42 THIS WAS A COSMOPOLITAN CITY, IT WAS A HELLENISTIC CITY.
- 07:46 THE JEWISH FOLKS THAT WERE HERE, WERE NOT OF JUDEAN EXTRACT THEMSELVES,
- 07:50 BUT THEY BELONGED TO THE DIASPORIC, TO THE GALOOT.
- 07:53 PAUL WANTED THE JEWS HERE TO BE CONNECTED TO THE JEWS IN ISRAEL.
- 07:58 HE WANTED THE NON-JEWS HERE THAT HAVE COME TO FAITH IN THE MESSIAH OF ISRAEL
- 08:02 TO BE CONNECTED TO THE JEWS IN ISRAEL TO HELP THEM
- 08:05 AS THEY FIND THEMSELVES PRESSED AMIDST THE TURBULENCE OF TRYING TIMES.
- 08:09 PAUL SAYS, LET'S RISE UP AND SHOW FIDELITY.
- 08:12 LET'S SHOW THAT WE'RE NOT WANTING TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE JEWISH PEOPLE
- 08:15 AND LET'S SHOW THAT TANGIBLY WITH AN OFFERING AND SO THEY DID.
- 08:19 PAUL WAS SO PLEASED BY ALL OF THIS.
- 08:22 IN THE ROMANS CORRESPONDENCE HE EVEN HARKS TO IT.
- 08:26 IF YOU LOOK IN ROMANS CHAPTER 15:
- 08:33 HE'S WRITING TO THE ROMANS AND HE'S EXPRESSING HIS TRAVEL PLANS TO GO TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
- 08:36 HE SAYS IN VERSE 26:
- 08:42 HE WRITES AFTER THE FACT AND SAYS, YOU KNOW THOSE FOLKS IN MACEDONIA AND ACHAIA,
- 08:45 THEY REALLY ROSE TO THE OCCASION, NOW COME ON ROMANS WE WHAT YOU TO DO IT MUCH THE SAME.
- 09:01 AND HE GOES ON TO ENCOURAGE THEM IN LIKE MANNER.
- 09:03 TO BE OF SERVICE TO THE SAINTS IN JERUSALEM.
- 09:08 SO WHAT HAVE WE HERE?
- 09:09 1ST CORINTHIANS PAUL'S GOING AFTER THE CORINTHIANS.
- 09:12 WHY IS THAT?
- 09:13 BECAUSE THE THING IS SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL.
- 09:15 PAUL WRITES 2ND CORINTHIANS.
- 09:17 HE REALIZES HE GETS CONTROL.
- 09:19 THINGS SETTLE DOWN.
- 09:20 THINGS CALM DOWN, PAUL REASSERTS HIS AUTHORITY
- 09:23 AND HE EXHORTS THEM TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR PLANS TO LOVE THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
- 09:28 I KNOW I'VE SAID THAT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN THIS TEACHING SEGMENT,
- 09:32 BUT I'M OF A THE BELIEF, IF IT'S NOT WORTH SAYING 100 TIMES, IT'S NOT WORTH SAYING ONCE.
- 09:37 WOULD THAT THE CHURCH TODAY CARED FOR THE JEWS
- 09:39 AS MUCH AS THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES URGED THEM TO.
- 09:43 HERE WHEN HE WROTE 2ND CORINTHIANS.
- 09:56 FOR INSIGHTFUL PERSPECTIVES OF ISRAEL AND BIBLE PROPHECY
- 10:00 ASK FOR OUR FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER THE LEVITT LETTER.
- 10:04 WHEN YOU CALL, BE SURE TO ALSO ASK FOR OUR FREE CATALOGUE WITH LATEST VIDEOS, BOOKS, AND MUSIC.
- 10:09 OUR CORRESPONDENCE COURSE, "THE INSTITUTE OF JEWISH CHRISTIAN STUDIES" INCLUDES:
- 10:14 READING PACKETS, TEACHING CDs, AND MAIL IN TESTS.
- 10:18 YOU MAY WANNA JOIN US ON AN UPCOMING TOUR OF ISRAEL AND PETRA
- 10:21 OR CRUISE THE MEDITERRANEAN, VISITING GREECE AND EPHESUS.
- 10:24 PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION.
- 10:29 10 TO 20,000 PEOPLE COME TO ROME PER DAY.
- 10:33 THERE'S ROOM FOR YOU HERE, ISN'T THERE SANDRA?
- 10:36 THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO SEE.
- 10:37 IT'S ANOTHER PLACE WHERE WE CAN SEE OUR BIBLE COME ALIVE.
- 10:41 THAT'S RIGHT, CAUSE WHEN PAUL WAS ALIVE HE CAME HERE.
- 10:43 WE VISIT HERE,
- 10:45 GREECE, AND THE HOLY LAND ITSELF, ISRAEL PROPER.
- 10:48 YOU NEED TO BE WITH US.
- 10:50 WE'D LOVE TO SHOW YOU GREECE, ISRAEL, AND ROME.
- 10:52 JOIN US FOR A TRIP OF A LIFETIME.
- 10:58 IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE ROME AND I THINK ABOUT PAUL.
- 11:01 PAUL WAS NEVER IN ROME AND YET
- 11:04 HE WRITES A LETTER TO THE ROMANS.
- 11:05 YES WELL ROME WAS OUTSIDE OF JERUSALEM
- 11:09 FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE ROME WOULD BE THE PLACE TO BE. >>RIGHT.
- 11:12 AND THE LORD HAD ESTABLISHED A COMMUNITY THERE
- 11:15 AND PAUL WAS BURDENED FOR THEM.
- 11:17 HE WAS BURDENED FOR THEM.
- 11:19 AND YOU KNOW I THINK ROMANS
- 11:20 IS ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED OF HIS WRITINGS
- 11:23 IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
- 11:24 I THINK PEOPLE LOVED ROMANS.
- 11:26 WHAT IT SAYS TO THEM AND HOW IT RELATES TO THEM?
- 11:28 IT'S ONE OF THE, REALLY A WONDERFUL BOOK.
- 11:30 I'M GLAD THEY LOVE IT.
- 11:31 I DON'T THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT PARTICULARLY.
- 11:32 NO, I THINK ITS, YEAH.
- 11:33 BECAUSE THERE'S THIS LITTLE ISSUE IN ROMANS 9, 10, & 11
- 11:36 ABOUT LOVING ISRAEL AND THE JEWS >>THAT'S RIGHT.
- 11:39 AND MY GOD THAT'S NOVEL TEACHING FOR A FEW PEOPLE. >>OH,
- 11:41 MAYBE THAT'S WHY I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
- 11:42 YEAH, BECAUSE IT RESONATES WITH YOU,
- 11:44 BUT I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR ROMANS OUT
- 11:46 AND HEAR THE RABBI FROM TARSUS WHEN HE STRESSES WHAT'S IMPORTANT THEREIN.
- 11:50 ABSOLUTELY.
- 11:52 IN FACT, WE'RE GONNA GO TO YOU AND YOUR TEACHING IN ROME.
- 11:54 AND YOU'RE TEACHING ON ROMANS.
- 11:56 HERE'S JEFF.
- 12:08 'TIS THE GLORY THAT WAS ROME.
- 12:09 I'M COMING TO YOU FROM THE BELLY OF THE ROMAN FORUM.
- 12:13 IT'S EASY TO BE HERE AND IT'S LIKE GOING BACK INTO A TIME MACHINE
- 12:17 AND JOURNEYING BACK TO ROME WHEN IT WAS SPLENDID.
- 12:21 ROME AT IT'S ZENITH AT IT'S HIGH WATER MARK
- 12:25 WHERE ROME HAS LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON THE PAGES OF HISTORY.
- 12:30 ROME, WE HAVE TRIBUTES TO CAESARS AND SENATES.
- 12:34 THERE'S ARCHES THAT BESPEAK PREVIOUS TRIUMPHS AND NOW IT'S ALL FADED.
- 12:39 BUT THERE'S ONE STORY FROM ROME THAT CONTINUES TO SHINE.
- 12:44 IT ILLUMINATES, IT IMPACTS AND THAT IS A BOOK THAT WAS WRITTEN TO THE ROMANS, NOT FROM ROME.
- 12:51 ACTUALLY WHEN PAUL PENNED ROMANS, HE'D NEVER BEEN HERE.
- 12:54 APPARENTLY FOLK WERE HERE IN THE DAYS OF PENTECOST IN ACTS CHAPTER 2
- 12:59 AND THEY CAME BACK TO THE CITY.
- 13:01 AND THE NET RESULT IS THAT A MOVEMENT GOT STARTED OFF HERE
- 13:04 AND PAUL PUT PEN TO PAPER TO WRITE THEM.
- 13:06 HE STARTS OFF IN HIS OPENING TO HIS ROMANS EPISTLE,
- 13:10 SAYING HOW THINGS WERE SO VERY DEBAUCHED IN ROME, SO VERY LICENTIOUS.
- 13:16 PEOPLE WERE GIVEN TO EGREGIOUS SEXUAL SINS.
- 13:19 IT SO MUCH REMINDS ME OF THE WORLD TODAY IN SO MANY RESPECTS.
- 13:22 AND PAUL WROTE TO THE CHURCH AT ROME AND HE SAID:
- 13:29 WOMEN AND MEN OF JEWISH EXTRACT HAVE SINNED.
- 13:31 INDIVIDUALS OF NON-JEWISH EXTRACT HAVE SINNED
- 13:34 AND AS A RESULT THEY'VE BEEN BIT BY THE VIPOR.
- 13:37 SIN HAS MADE IT'S ENTRANCE ONTO THE STAGE OF THE HUMAN DRAMA.
- 13:41 AND THE NET RESULT IS THAT THE RACE IS DEFILED, IT'S VITIATED.
- 13:45 SO MUCH FOR THE BAD NEWS.
- 13:47 THE GOOD NEWS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT:
- 13:56 RATHER DESPITE THE WAGES OF SIN THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT THERE'S A REMEDY,
- 14:00 THERE'S A MEDICINAL POTION IN ORDER TO HEAL WHAT AILS
- 14:04 AND THAT IS THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS ACCORDING TO PAUL.
- 14:07 AND PAUL WROTE TO CHRISTIANS AT ROME TO ENCOURAGE THEM IN FAITH.
- 14:12 NOT ONLY IN FAITH, APPARENTLY THERE WERE SOME PROBLEMS BETWEEN
- 14:16 CHRISTIANS IN ROME OF NON-JEWISH EXTRACT AND PEOPLE OF JEWISH EXTRACT.
- 14:21 AND THE QUESTION IS HOW CAN WE GET THESE PEOPLE ON THE SAME PAGE?
- 14:25 WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN ROME IN ADVANCE OF PAUL'S WRITING HIS EPISTLE WAS
- 14:29 THE JEWS THAT LIVED IN THE CITY OF ROME WERE KICKED OUT.
- 14:33 LUKE TELLS US IN ACTS 18:2 THAT:
- 14:41 WHEN PAUL WROTE ROMANS, HOWEVER, NERO'S IN POWER
- 14:44 AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT NERO DID, IS HE ALLOWED JEWS TO RETURN.
- 14:48 SO WE HAD A UNIQUE SITUATION HERE IN ROME AND THAT IS THAT THE CHURCH,
- 14:53 PAUL'S CHURCHES WERE TYPICALLY CONSTITUTED PRINCIPALLY
- 14:56 BY WOMEN AND MEN OF JEWISH EXTRACT, WITH SMATTERINGS OF NON-JEWS.
- 15:00 BUT HERE'S THE CHURCH THAT DEVELOPED ALMOST ENTIRELY A NON-JEWISH CULTURE
- 15:04 GIVEN THE FACT THAT THERE WERE NO JEWS IN ROME.
- 15:06 BUT THEN WHEN JEWS STARTED MAKING THEIR WAY BACK TO ROME,
- 15:09 THEN THEY COME BACK INTO A CHURCH THAT HAD KIND OF SOLIDIFIED,
- 15:13 INSTITUTIONALIZED ALONG NON-JEWISH ALLIANCE
- 15:17 WITH THE NET RESULT, THERE WAS SOME ETHNIC TENSION.
- 15:19 ARGUABLY PAUL HEARD ABOUT IT AND WANTED TO ADDRESS IT.
- 15:23 AND SO, THOUGH HE WASN'T AN APOSTLE TO THE CHURCH AT ROME,
- 15:26 HE KIND OF EMPLOYED HIS APOSTOLIC SAVY AND AUTHORIZATION
- 15:30 AND WROTE THEM AND ENCOURAGED THEM TO MAKE PEACE ONE WITH ANOTHER,
- 15:34 THAT IS JEWS AND NON-JEWS.
- 15:36 HE SPOKE ABOUT THE STRONG AND THE WEAK AND PROBABLY HE'S REFERENCING JEWS AND NON-JEWS,
- 15:41 LEARNING TO COME TO TERMS AND NOT UNDULY OFFEND EACH OTHER.
- 15:44 IT'S INTERESTING TOO IF YOU LOOK AT THE VERY HEART OF THE LETTER,
- 15:47 PAUL THERE UNDERSCORES IN ROMANS 9, 10, & 11 FOR THE GENTILE CHURCHES
- 15:52 THAT THE GENTILE CHRISTIANS RATHER,
- 15:54 THAT THEY MUST NEEDS REMINDED THAT GOD HAS A PLAN FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
- 15:57 HE HAS AN ENDURING LOVE FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE THAT APPARENTLY WAS DIMINISHING SOMEWHAT.
- 16:02 SO PAUL WROTE THEM AND ENCOURAGED THEM
- 16:04 TO ENCOURAGE THE CHURCH TO LOVE THE JEWISH PEOPLE,
- 16:08 TO CONNECT WITH THERE JEWISH BRETHREN THAT WERE MAKING THEIR WAY BACK INTO THE CITY.
- 16:21 WHEN PAUL WROTE HIS LETTER TO THE ROMANS YOU CAN SENSE THE PASSION.
- 16:27 THE LETTER WAS EFFUSIVE, IT'S DRIPPING WITH FEELING.
- 16:30 PAUL SAYS:
- 16:37 HE'S SO VERY GRACIOUS.
- 16:39 HE SAYS:
- 16:44 PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES HAD A LOVE FOR HIS JEWISH BRETHREN.
- 16:51 IN FACT THE EPISTLE EVEN BEINGS, HE SAYS IN CHAPTER 1
- 16:56 THAT THE GOSPEL IS:
- 17:02 MY QUESTION TO YOU AS I CONSIDER ROMANS HERE FROM ROME.
- 17:06 AS I CONSIDER THE DOCUMENT I ASK, PRAY TELL WHERE IS THAT SPIRIT TODAY?
- 17:12 WHERE IS THE LOVE FOR ISRAEL, THE JEWISH PEOPLE?
- 17:15 WHERE'S THE PASSION?
- 17:16 WHERE'S THE COMMITMENT?
- 17:17 IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT'S SADLY LACKING IN THE CHURCH.
- 17:21 WHAT WE GET FROM THE CHURCH IS INFECTIVE AGAINST THE JEWS, NOT SUPPORT OF THE JEWS.
- 17:27 AND MIGHT I SAY THAT WERE PAUL HERE TODAY, HE WOULD NOT BE A HAPPY CAMPER.
- 17:34 HIS LOVE FOR THE JEWS IS NOT JUST REFLECTED THROUGH LANGUAGE,
- 17:39 BUT THE FELLOW WHO IS GIVEN TO ACTION, NOT JUST VERBIAGE,
- 17:43 FINISHES HIS DOCUMENT TO THE ROMANS REMINDING THEM THAT IT'S INCUMBENT UPON ROMANS,
- 17:49 INDIVIDUALS OF NON-JEWISH EXTRACT TO BE KINDLY SUPPORTIVE FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE
- 17:55 IN A WAY THAT'S MATERIAL, NOT JUST SPIRITUAL.
- 17:58 THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS AGAIN, THE DOCUMENT CLOSES.
- 18:01 HE REMINDS THAT THE CHURCH IN MACEDONIA AND ACHAIA THEY'VE MARSHALED RESOURCES,
- 18:07 FINANCIAL IN ORDER TO SEND TO THE BELIEVERS IN JERUSALEM.
- 18:11 PAUL WHEN HE WRITES TO THE ROMANS HERE, BACK THEN SAYS MUCH THE SAME.
- 18:16 IT'S SEEMS TO ME THAT THE CHURCH HAS GONE HAS IT'S VARIOUS TRADITIONS,
- 18:20 BUT WE DO WELL TO OPEN UP THE PRIMARY LITERATURE.
- 18:24 AND THEREIN WHEN WE READ PAUL'S WRITINGS WE CAN SENSE HIS HEART.
- 18:29 BETTER IT IS, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE GET IN TOUCH WITH WHAT HE HAD TO SAY
- 18:33 OVER AND AGAINST WHAT THE TRADITIONS OF THE DAY MIGHT BE.
- 18:36 AND SO FOR THAT REASON I ADVOCATE THAT WE DO WELL
- 18:40 TO WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
- 18:44 TO READ HIS WORD AND TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE,
- 18:48 BECAUSE THAT IS TRULY WHERE WE'D LEARN WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CHRISTIAN.
- 19:09 ROMANS CHAPTER 10, VERSE 1 SAYS,
- 19:16 IT HAS BEEN THE MINISTRY'S STEADFAST
- 19:19 HEAD BANNER FOR 30 YEARS, JEFF.
- 19:21 YEAH, BUT NOT THE CHURCHES.
- 19:22 WHEN YOU SAY THE MINISTRY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT US.
- 19:24 I'M TALKING ABOUT US.
- 19:25 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHURCH'S LOVE OF ISRAEL?
- 19:28 WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO IT?
- 19:29 WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU OUT THERE IN TV LAND
- 19:30 HEARD A TEACHER EVER TALK ABOUT,
- 19:32 "MY HEARTS DESIRE AND PRAYER TO GOD FOR ISRAEL
- 19:35 IS THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED."
- 19:37 THERE'S NOT ENOUGH INVENTORY OUT THERE IN THE WORLD
- 19:40 IF I MIGHT SAY SO MYSELF. >>AND WHAT REALLY, WHAT HAPPENED?
- 19:41 TRULY, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHURCHES LOVE OF ISRAEL?
- 19:44 WELL, IT SEEMS TO ME,
- 19:45 THAT THERE WERE LESS JEWS COMING IN
- 19:47 AND MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE ADVOCATING FOR CHRISTIAN FAITH IN PRACTICE
- 19:49 DON'T HAVE JEWISH MOORINGS AND AFFECTION.
- 19:52 THERE WERE NON-JEWS AND IT BECAME UN-JEWISH
- 19:54 AND TRAGICALLY CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
- 19:56 EVEN BECAME ANTI-JEWISH.
- 19:58 I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER, DON'T GET ME STARTED,
- 20:01 LET'S CHANGE THE SUBJECT.
- 20:02 NO, I WANNA TALK ABOUT IT
- 20:03 BECAUSE IF WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT HOW CAN WE MAKE IT BETTER?
- 20:06 IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE IT BETTER.
- 20:08 WELL THEN LET'S BEGIN US, BY LOOKING AT WHAT PAUL SAID ABOUT TO MAKE IT BETTER.
- 20:12 AND LET'S TAKE HIM TO MEAN WHAT HE SAYS AND SAYS WHAT HE MEANS.
- 20:17 DR. FISCHER BY THE WAY, HELPS US I KNOW THOSE OF YOU
- 20:21 THAT HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING OUR PROGRAM THIS SERIES HAVE ENCOUNTERED RABBI FISCHER.
- 20:24 AND HE'S BRILLIANT.
- 20:26 HE, LIKE SANDRA AND MYSELF, DRAWS FROM JEWISH WORLDS AND CHRISTIAN WORLDS,
- 20:31 JEWISH LITERATURE AND CHRISTIAN LITERATURE
- 20:34 AND HE HELPS BRING IT ALL TOGETHER.
- 20:36 AND HERE IS:
- 20:40 DR. FISCHER WE'RE LOOKING AT CORINTHIANS,
- 20:43 2ND CORINTHIANS AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEHAVIOR.
- 20:45 AND CORINTH AT THAT TIME WAS JUST A NOT A GOOD PLACE BE.
- 20:49 ALMOST LIKE THE LAS VEGAS OF THAT TYPE OF THE WORLD.
- 20:53 IT WAS JUST HORRIBLE.
- 20:53 IT WAS A REAL CESSPOOL OF STUFF.
- 20:56 YEAH, HUMANLY, FLESHY.
- 20:58 EVERYTHING THAT WAS AVAILABLE WAS AVAILABLE.
- 21:00 EVERYTHING THAT WAS AVAILABLE WAS AVAILABLE
- 21:02 AND PEOPLE GOT INVOLVED IN JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WAS AVAILABLE.
- 21:05 AND SO IT'S AN INTERESTING PLACE BUT IT WAS ALSO A...
- 21:10 IT'S STILL ONE OF THE OLD GREEKS, OLD GREEK CITIES,
- 21:13 SO THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF LEARNING THAT WAS GOING ON IN THERE TOO.
- 21:15 SO SOME OF THE.. AND EARLY ON, NOT IN 2ND CORINTHIANS, BUT IN 1ST CORINTHIANS
- 21:19 YOU GET SOME OF THE REFLECTION OF THE GREEK SPEAK,
- 21:22 THE GREAT RHETORIC THAT CAUTERIZED SOME OF THESE PLACES.
- 21:26 SO THERE WAS A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE, A LOT OF LEARNING THERE AS WELL,
- 21:29 NOT JUST GREEK, BUT TO OFFER ALSO JEWISH LEARNING
- 21:31 WAS SIGNIFICANT THERE.
- 21:34 WHEN THE RABBI, RAV SHAUL SHOWS UP IN CORINTH
- 21:37 HE ENDS UP NOT ONLY IN THE SYNAGOGUE,
- 21:41 BUT PRETTY SOON THE HEAD OF THE SYNAGOGUE
- 21:43 BECOMES CRISPUS BECOMES A FOLLOWER, >>RIGHT, CRISPUS
- 21:46 THEN HE'S LECTURING NEXT DOOR FOR 18 MONTHS >>RIGHT
- 21:49 AND SETS UP A SCHOOL OUTSIDE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYNAGOGUE.
- 21:53 SO THIS IS STILL A JEWISH CENTER AS WELL.
- 21:55 IT'S INTERESTING AS TO HOW JEWISH THIS WHOLE ENTERPRISE IS,
- 21:59 BECAUSE DEPENDING ON WHO YOU'RE READING CONCERNING THE CORINTHIANS
- 22:02 THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AS MANY AS 4 LETTERS TO THE CORINTHIANS.
- 22:06 WE ONLY GET 2, BUT IF YOU COUNT THEM ALL UP
- 22:09 HE MIGHT HAVE WRITTEN TO THEM ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS.
- 22:12 AGAIN VERY MUCH LIKE A RABBI.
- 22:14 THERE'S A TRADITION IN JUDAISM THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A CIRCUMSTANCE
- 22:18 OR A SITUATION THAT MAY NOT BE DIRECTLY ADDRESSED BY THE TORAH
- 22:22 OR IS MORE MODERN THAN THE SITUATION THE TORAH ADDRESS,
- 22:27 YOU WRITE TO A... OR YOU SPEAK TO A RABBI,
- 22:30 YOU GET A RESPONSE FROM THE RABBI IN THE JEWISH TRADITION CALLED "RESPONSOM LITERATURE."
- 22:35 AND REALLY THE LETTERS OF THIS RABBI WERE VERY MUCH WITHIN THAT TRADITION OF
- 22:39 "RESPONSUM LITERATURE" OR "RESPONSA LITERATURE."
- 22:42 SO TO HAVE HIM RESPONDING 4 DIFFERENT TIMES TO THIS CREW IN CORINTH IS VERY MUCH IN KEEPING,
- 22:49 JUST AS MUCH AS IN WHEN HE WAS IN ROME,
- 22:52 THE WHOLE SITUATION IN ROME THERE WAS A...
- 22:55 THERE TOO A STRONG CONNECTION WITH THE SYNAGOGUE.
- 22:58 THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARGUE,
- 22:59 AND I THINK ARGUE VERY EFFECTIVELY THAT THE
- 23:02 CONGREGATION OF BELIEVERS IN ROME
- 23:05 WAS REALLY PART OF THE LARGER JEWISH SYNAGOGUE FRAMEWORK.
- 23:09 THAT'S HOW CLOSELY CONNECTED THE COMMUNITY REMAINED.
- 23:12 THE MESSIANIC COMMUNITY WITH THE LARGER JEWISH COMMUNITY,
- 23:15 SO FOR HIM TO RESPOND 1ST IN ROME,
- 23:18 ALSO RESPOND IN CORINTH WITH THE SAME KIND OF LITERATURE,
- 23:22 HERE'S A SITUATION THAT DEMANDED A RESPONSE OR THESE PEOPLE ACTUALLY ASKED FOR A RESPONSE.
- 23:27 ONE THING THAT NON-JEWISH
- 23:30 COMMENTATORS HAVE PICKED UP PARTICULARLY IN THE CORINTHIAN CORRESPONDENCE
- 23:34 IS WHEN THE RABBI SAYS, NOW CONCERNING,
- 23:37 NOW CONCERNING, RIGHT.
- 23:37 HE IS CLEARLY INDICATING
- 23:40 HE'S NOW ADDRESSING A QUESTION THAT WAS BEEN ADDRESSED TO HIM.
- 23:43 HE'S NOW RESPONDING, IT'S THE RABBINIC RESPONSIVE.
- 23:46 KINDA AND IT'S EITHER DOCTRINE
- 23:48 OR IT'S A QUESTION THEY MAY HAVE THAT'S NOT DOCTRINE
- 23:50 AND YET HE TAKES THE TIME TO RESPOND.
- 23:52 AND I THINK THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT PAUL.
- 23:54 IT REALLY DOES.
- 23:55 THANK YOU.
- 23:55 YOU'RE WELCOME.
- 24:02 MUSIC
- 25:13 IT'S MY DESIRE WHEN YOU WATCH ZOLA LEVITT PRESENTS THAT YOU BE INFORMED.
- 25:18 BUT MORE THAN INFORMED, MIGHT I ADD THAT WE WISH FOR YOU TO BE TRANSFORMED.
- 25:24 I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS INHERENT POWER IN THE GOSPEL
- 25:28 TO FIX WHAT'S BROKEN IN HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
- 25:32 AND I DON'T WANNA GET AWAY FROM PAUL WITHOUT GOING TO THE CALL
- 25:37 WHERE HE SAYS IN ROMANS CHAPTER 10, VERSE 9,
- 25:54 WITHIN THE SOUND OF MY VOICE THERE MAY WELL BE INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED TO BE SAVED
- 26:00 FROM YOUR SINS, FROM ABYSMAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
- 26:04 AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW AS PAUL WANTED THEM TO KNOW,
- 26:08 THAT THE SAME LORD IS LORD OF ALL AND HE BESTOWS HIS RICHES UPON ALL WHO CALL UPON HIM.
- 26:14 DOESN'T HE SANDRA?
- 26:15 IT'S A BEAUTIFUL INVITATION, JEFF.
- 26:17 I COULDN'T SAY IT ANY BETTER THAN THAT.
- 26:20 I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'VE SAID.
- 26:22 CALL UPON HIS NAME, I AM A SINNER, SAVE ME, LORD.
- 26:27 IT'S ETERNAL SALVATION, IT'S ETERNAL LIFE.
- 26:29 WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
- 26:31 WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE LOCATION.
- 26:33 WHERE DO YOU WANNA BE AND THAT'S THE QUESTION?
- 26:35 WHERE DO YOU WANNA BE?
- 26:36 NEXT WEEK WE LOOK AT PHILEMON,
- 26:38 WE LOOK AT COLOSSIANS, AND EPHESIANS.
- 26:40 STAY TUNED.
- 26:41 AND AS YOU GO.
- 26:42 SHA 'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM.
- 26:44 PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.
Episodes in this series
- First Steps Toward Christ
- First “Official” Ministry Journey
- Apostolic Ordination and Subsequent Missionary Journey
- Second and Third Missionary Journeys
- Arrest and Appeal to Rome for Trial
- Roman Imprisonment, Release, Travels, and Death
- Paul’s Earliest Writings: Galatians and 1 Thessalonians
- Follow-up to the Thessalonians, and 1 Corinthians
- Reconciliation with the Corinthians, and Roman Correspondence
- Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians
- Letters to the Philippians and Timothy
- Final Steps and Farewell Letters to Titus and Timothy