Caption transcript for In The Footsteps of The Rabbi From Tarsus: “Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians” (10/12)

• 00:02 WITH DR. JEFFERY SEIF AND SANDRA LEVITT
• 00:58 A HEARTY SHALOM TO ALL OF YOU.
• 01:00 JEFFERY SEIF HERE WITH MY FRIEND SANDRA LEVITT.
• 01:02 SHALOM
• 01:04 AND WELCOME TO IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
• 01:06 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAUL.
• 01:08 IN THE BEGINNING HIS NAME WAS RABBI SAUL
• 01:10 AND HE CHANGED HIS NAME.
• 01:12 HE HAD A NEW MISSION.
• 01:13 HE CHANGED HIS NAME TO PAUL.
• 01:14 WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT PHILEMON,
• 01:16 COLOSSIANS, EPHESIANS TODAY.
• 01:19 JEFF I HAVE A QUESTION, WHY ARE WE GOING IN THIS ORDER?
• 01:21 WHY DID WE NOT START WITH ROMANS AND CORINTHIANS?
• 01:23 WHY DID WE START THIS WAY?
• 01:25 IT'S A FUNNY ORDER. YEAH
• 01:26 OUR MINDS ARE ORIENTED TO THE NEW TESTAMENT AS IT'S COME DOWN TO US. RIGHT
• 01:29 THEREIN WE HAVE WHAT'S REFERRED TO THE PAULINE CORPUS
• 01:32 THAT IS THE TEXT THAT BEAR PAUL'S SIGNATURE.
• 01:36 THESE ARE DIVIDED
• 01:37 INTO WHAT'S CALLED THE DOCTRINAL OR CHURCH EPISTLES
• 01:39 AND THE PASTORAL EPISTLES.
• 01:41 IN THE 1ST CASE HE'S WRITING TO COMMUNITIES
• 01:43 AND THE 2ND TO INDIVIDUALS.
• 01:45 AND WE HAVE ROMANS, 1ST AND 2ND CORINTHIANS,
• 01:48 GALATIANS, EPHESIANS,
• 01:49 AND YOU'RE SAYING JEFF,
• 01:51 WHY AREN'T WE DOING IT IN THAT ORDER,
• 01:52 BECAUSE THE ORDER THAT IT APPEARS IN THE BOOK
• 01:54 IS NOT THE ORDER IN WHICH IT WAS WRITTEN.
• 01:56 AND IN THE INTEREST OF RECONSTRUCTING PAUL'S FOOTSTEPS
• 02:00 WE'RE MINDED TO CONSIDER WHAT HE WROTE
• 02:03 IN THE ORDER IN WHICH HE WROTE IT.
• 02:05 WHICH MAKES SENSE, BECAUSE WE GET A FEEL FOR WHERE HE IS IN THE TRAVELS THAT HE'S GONE.
• 02:10 IT REALLY DOES MAKE SENSE.
• 02:11 RIGHT CAUSE WE'RE INTERESTED IN THAT
• 02:13 NOW WHEN THE NEW TESTAMENT'S COMPILED.
• 02:15 THANK GOD THAT WE GOT A HOLD OF PAUL'S LITERATURE,
• 02:18 BUT THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN CHRONOLOGY RIGHT
• 02:21 THEY'RE INTERESTED IN JUST ORGANIZING,
• 02:23 THIS IS WHAT HE WROTE TO COMMUNITIES,
• 02:24 THIS IS WHAT HE WROTE TO INDIVIDUALS
• 02:26 AND IN THE CASE OF THE DOCTRINAL EPISTLES,
• 02:29 ROMANS, 1ST CORINTHIANS, ETC...
• 02:31 IT JUST GOES FROM THE LONGEST TO THE SHORTEST.
• 02:33 I KNOW, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME THAT WAY.
• 02:36 I UNDERSTAND IT GOES LONG TO SHORT,
• 02:38 I LIKE THE WAY THAT IT'S DONE
• 02:39 ACCORDING TO THE YEAR THAT HE WROTE IT.
• 02:41 YES
• 02:42 IN FACT, WE'RE GONNA GO TO YOU AND YOU'RE GONNA DO SOME TEACHING FOR US.
• 02:45 HERE'S JEFF ON LOCATION.
• 02:49 ONE STEP AT A TIME.
• 02:51 THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY.
• 02:53 IT'S THE WAY LIFE OUGHT TO BE LIVED, JUST ONE STEP AT TIME.
• 02:57 JUDAISM SAGES PICKED UP ON THAT, THAT THE RELIGIOUS LIFE,
• 03:01 THE WAY TO LIVE IT AND WALK IT IS CALLED "HALAHA" FROM THE VERB "HALAK" WHICH MEANS TO WALK.
• 03:06 PAUL TOOK A LOT OF STEPS DIDN'T HE? THIS RABBI FROM TARSUS, SHAUL.
• 03:10 HIS STEPS TOOK HIM TO A LOT OF PLACES.
• 03:14 MOST RECENTLY HE WOUND UP IN CAESAREA MARITIME, HE WAS IN PRISON THERE ACTUALLY.
• 03:19 IT WAS THE TAIL END OF HIS MISSIONARY JOURNEY.
• 03:22 HE MADE HIS WAY TO YERUSHALAYIM, TO JERUSALEM.
• 03:24 HE LOVED JERUSALEM.
• 03:26 THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES HAD A HEART FOR HE JEWS AND TROUBLE BROKE OUT IN RIVER CITY
• 03:31 AND HE WOUND UP GETTING ARRESTED.
• 03:33 FROM CAESAREA MARITIME HE APPEALED TO ROME.
• 03:35 AND IN AS MUCH AS AT VARIOUS TIMES HE HAD TO BEGET HIS OWN VOYAGE,
• 03:39 THIS TIME IT WAS PROVIDED FOR AND COURTESY OF THE EMPIRE.
• 03:42 HE MAKES HIS WAY TO ROME AND THERE HE IS IN PRISON.
• 03:44 YOU KNOW A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE THAT ARE IN PRISON
• 03:47 THEIR MINDS ARE JUST ALL ABSORBED INTO THEIR OWN PROBLEMS,
• 03:50 BUT PAUL, HE WASN'T JUST ABSORBED INTO HIS OWN PROBLEMS,
• 03:53 HE THOUGHT OF THE WORLD BEYOND HIM.
• 03:54 AND WHAT DOES HE DO?
• 03:56 HE WRITES LETTERS.
• 03:57 HE WRITES LETTERS TO THOSE FAR AWAY PLACES.
• 03:59 HE'S LOOKING TO REACH OUT AND BRING OTHER PEOPLE INTO HIS WORLD THROUGH MAIL.
• 04:03 NOT ONLY THAT, LUKES TELLS US IN ACTS THAT WHEN HE'S IMPRISONED HE'S ABLE TO GET SOME WORD OUT
• 04:08 AND THE CITY OF ROME'S JEWISH LEADERS COME TO HIM AND PAUL SAYS,
• 04:11 LISTEN THERE'S BEEN A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING HERE,
• 04:14 BECAUSE I HAVE DONE NOTHING AGAINST THE TEACHING, AGAINST THE TRADITIONS OF OUR FATHERS.
• 04:18 I AM A JEW AMONG JEWS, I BELIEVE THE MESSIAH HAS COME, TRUE,
• 04:22 BUT HE NEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT AS MAKING HIM NON-JEWISH
• 04:24 OR OFFENDING THE CULTURAL MORES THAT GO ALONG WITH BEING JEWISH.
• 04:27 PAUL WAS IN VERY CONCILIATORY MOOD WHEN HE DEALT WITH THE ROMANS,
• 04:31 HE WAS ALSO IN A VERY CONCILIATORY MOOD WHEN HE PICKED UP HIS PEN
• 04:36 AS EVIDENCED BY SOME OF THE LETTERS THAT HE WROTE.
• 04:38 THERE FOR HIS IMPRISONMENT HE WROTE TO A CHURCH THAT MET IN A RICH MAN'S HOUSE.
• 04:42 COMPARABLE TO THIS ONE RIGHT HERE IN ASIA FROM WHERE I'M SPEAKING FROM TODAY.
• 04:47 THIS FELLOW HAD A HOUSE GROUP THAT MET THERE IN COLOSSAE,
• 04:51 THIS WAS A CITY SOME MILES DUE EAST OF EPHESUS.
• 04:55 EPHESUS WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR CITIES IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
• 04:59 PAUL WAS AN URBAN PLANTER HE WOULD ESTABLISH CONGREGATIONS IN BIG CITIES
• 05:04 AND THEN SATELLITES WOULD SPRING OUT.
• 05:06 WELL HERE IN ROME HE'S WRITING TO ONE OF THOSE SATELLITES IN COLOSSAE.
• 05:10 THERE'S A VERY WELL TO DO INDIVIDUAL NAMED PHILEMON,
• 05:13 A SLAVE OWNER IN FACT WHO'S COME TO FAITH.
• 05:16 AND FAITH CAME INTO HIS HEART AND HIS CIRCUMSTANCES WERE REORGANIZED.
• 05:20 PAUL WHEN HE WROTE TO THE COLOSSIANS IN GENERAL
• 05:23 AND WHEN HE WROTE TO PHILEMON IN PARTICULAR, HE ADDRESSED A THEME OF RECONCILIATION.
• 05:27 HE WAS INTERESTED IN ESTRANGED PARTIES COMING TOGETHER.
• 05:30 FIRST INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ESTRANGED FROM GOD,
• 05:32 SECONDLY INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ESTRANGED ONE FROM ANOTHER.
• 05:36 I WANT YOU TO OPEN YOUR BIBLES PLEASE TO COLOSSIANS,
• 05:38 YOU'LL SEE IT THERE IN CHAPTER 1, PICKING UP IN VERSE 19,
• 05:41 AND WHAT DOES THIS RABBI FROM TARSUS SAY?
• 05:45 HE SAYS:
• 05:51 HE HAS JUST SAID THAT THIS YESHUA, THIS MESSIAH, JESUS, IS ALL THINGS
• 05:55 AND THE GREEK HERE IS PLEROMA OR THE FULLNESS.
• 05:58 THIS JESUS IS VERY POTENT, VERY POWERFUL.
• 06:00 IN HIM, THIS FULLNESS DWELLS IN VERSE 20:
• 06:13 THAT IS INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ESTRANGED FROM GOD CAN BE BROUGHT NEAR TO GOD,
• 06:17 THROUGH THE PERSON OF JESUS.
• 06:18 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ESTRANGED ONE FROM ANOTHER CAN DO MUCH THE SAME.
• 06:21 HE SAYS IN VERSE 21:
• 06:31 I LEARNED ABOUT RECONCILIATION FROM DIFFERENT TUTORS,
• 06:34 A MARRIAGE BY THE WAY HAS TUTORED ME JUST A LITTLE BIT.
• 06:36 I'VE LEARNED THAT WHEN MY WIFE AND I AT OUR ODDS WITH EACH OTHER,
• 06:40 THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION ISN'T WHO'S GONNA WIN THE ARGUMENT,
• 06:43 WHO'S MOST PROFOUND IN THEIR DIATRIBE.
• 06:47 WHAT BRINGS ABOUT PEACE IS WHEN SOMEONE DECIDES TO STOP FIGHTING.
• 06:52 WHEN SOMEONE IS IN A CONCILIATORY MOOD AND TAKES THAT POSTURE,
• 06:56 IT HAS A WAY OF DEESCALATING WHEN OTHERWISE TENDS SIMPLY TO ESCALATE UP.
• 07:01 MARRIAGE HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT RECONCILIATION, SO HAS MINISTRY, SO HAS THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
• 07:08 IF YOU'LL LOOK IN COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 3 HE PICKS UP ON THE THEME, HE SAYS HERE:
• 07:24 THERE'S A JEWISH EXPRESSION, (speaking Hebrew) THAT HIS MERCIES ENDURE FOREVER.
• 07:30 AND IN AS MUCH AS GOD IN THE HEBREW BIBLE
• 07:33 IS REPRESENTED AS BEING GIVEN TOWARD MERCY, TOWARD COMPASSION, "RACHAMANUT"
• 07:37 IN AS MUCH AS HE'S ORIENTED THAT WAY,
• 07:40 THE ARGUMENT IS THAT THOSE OF US THAT WANT TO ORIENT OURSELVES THAT WAY
• 07:44 WOULD DO WELL TO FOLLOW THAT EXAMPLE.
• 07:47 AND THIS OF COURSE IS WHAT PAUL IS ADVOCATING FOR WHEN HE GOES ON TO SAY:
• 07:55 THE WORD FORGIVING IS INTERESTING, IT MEANS THAT WE ARE FOR GIVING.
• 07:59 INDIVIDUALS ARE ON THE TAKE, PEOPLE GO THROUGH LIFE WITH A CLOSED HAND,
• 08:04 BUT TO BE FORGIVING INVESTS A KIND OF ENERGY IN ONES DISPOSITION,
• 08:10 WHERE WE'RE MINDED TO GIVE INDIVIDUALS A BREAK.
• 08:12 IT'S HARD TO BE FORGIVING TOWARD SOMEONE IF THEY'RE AT WAR WITH US.
• 08:17 SOMETIMES CIRCUMSTANCES PREVAIL UPON US AND WE HAVE TO TAKE A DEFENSIVE POSTURE.
• 08:22 I KNEW THAT AS A CAREER IN A POLICE OFFICER.
• 08:24 SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO ENGAGE AND BRING JUSTICE TO BEAR.
• 08:28 SO I DON'T BEGRUDGE INDIVIDUALS THAT NEED TO GET REDRESSED FOR THEIR GRIEVANCE,
• 08:33 BUT STILL BETTER IT IS THAT WE'RE THE KIND OF INDIVIDUAL
• 08:35 THAT'S MINDED FOR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO BE GRACIOUS.
• 08:38 HE SAYS HERE IN VERSE 14:
• 08:44 THE VERB IN HEBREW, LOVE "AHAVAH" WE ENCOUNTER THIS AFFECTIONATELY.
• 08:56 WE ARE SENTIENT BEING, WE HAVE FEELINGS,
• 08:59 BUT THE VERB LOVE MEANS TO DO GOOD ON THE BEHALF OF.
• 09:02 AND PAUL ADVOCATES WHEN HE WRITES THE CHURCH IN GENERAL
• 09:06 THAT THEY DO WELL TO BE THUS MINDED.
• 09:07 BUT NOT JUST THAT, APPARENTLY WHEN HE WROTE THE COLOSSIAN CHURCH,
• 09:11 THE POSTMAN DELIVERED MORE THAN ONE LETTER,
• 09:13 BECAUSE AT THE SAME TIME PHILEMON GOT A PERSONAL LETTER.
• 09:17 AND PHILEMON WAS THE RICH GUY.
• 09:18 HE WAS REALLY THE HOMEOWNER THERE.
• 09:20 APPARENTLY WHEN PAUL WAS INCARCERATED IN ROME
• 09:25 HE HAD DEVELOPED AN ACQUAINTANCE WITH A FELLOW NAMED ONESIMUS WHO WAS A RUNAWAY SLAVE.
• 09:29 AND WHAT HAPPENS IS HE WINDS UP LEADING ONESIMUS TO THE LORD.
• 09:36 HE'S GONNA ACCEPT JESUS.
• 09:38 AND WHAT HE'S GONNA DO THAT'S STRIKING, THAT'S FASCINATING IS HE'S GONNA ADVOCATE
• 09:42 THAT THIS FELLOW PHILEMON TAKE BACK THE RUNAWAY SLAVE AND FORGIVE HIM.
• 09:49 IT'S FASCINATING.
• 09:50 IN THE ANCIENT WORLD SLAVES WERE CONSIDERED AS UTILITIES.
• 09:53 THEY WERE JUST ARTICULATE BEASTS BY ROMAN LAW.
• 09:56 THEY HAD NO RIGHTS WHATSOEVER.
• 09:58 A MASTER COULD CRUCIFY A SLAVE.
• 10:00 IT MEANT NOTHING.
• 10:01 THEY WERE JUST THE PROPERTY OF THEIR OWNER.
• 10:03 IT'S FASCINATING HERE, ONESIMUS OFFENDED PHILEMON.
• 10:07 PHILEMON HOWEVER CAME TO FAITH IN JESUS.
• 10:10 AND SO DID ONESIMSUS INTERESTINGLY AND WHAT HAPPENS IS
• 10:13 PAUL THEN, NOT ONLY WRITES THE CHURCH OF COLOSSAE, BUT HE SENDS PHILEMON BACK WITH THE LETTER.
• 10:20 AND HE SAYS LISTEN, I WANT YOU TO FORGIVE THIS GUY.
• 10:22 YOU KNOW THE GOSPEL IS PROFOUND THE WAY THAT LIVES CAN BE TRANSFORMED.
• 10:27 AND THE NEWNESS OF LIFE BRINGS NEWNESS IN BEHAVIOR, DOES IN NOT?
• 10:30 SUCH AS THE TEACHING OF THE FAMOUS RABBI FROM TARSUS.
• 10:42 YOU WILL LOVE OUR 12 PROGRAM 3 DVD SET.
• 10:47 IF YOU'D LIKE TO WALK WITH US DOWN LIFE'S HIGHWAY,
• 10:49 1-800-WONDERS IS THE NUMBER TO CALL.
• 10:52 YOU CAN GET OUR FREE LEVITT LETTER, OUR MAGAZINE.
• 10:55 YOU CAN ORDER THE DVD SERIES AND MORE.
• 10:59 AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL WITH US TO JEWISH LANDS, ISRAEL,
• 11:03 AND TO LANDS WHERE PAUL TRAVELED IN GREECE.
• 11:10 NOT ONLY CAN YOU WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAUL IN EPHESUS AND GREECE,
• 11:14 BUT YOU CAN WALK IN HIS FOOTSTEPS WITH US IN ISRAEL.
• 11:18 IN FACT JEFF, ONE OF MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS COMES OUT OF ISRAEL.
• 11:22 IT'S CALLED "AHAVAH" AND YOU USED THAT IN THE TEACHING,
• 11:24 OH, I LOVED IT.
• 11:25 AHAVA, LOVE AND THE POTIONS AND LOTIONS
• 11:27 THAT ARE IN ISRAEL THAT WE LOVE, AHAVAH.
• 11:30 YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ENJOY WHEN THEY GO TO ISRAEL
• 11:33 IS SOME OF THE NATURAL PRODUCTS THERE, SKIN CARE,
• 11:35 AND AHAVAH HAS A GREAT LINE.
• 11:37 IT IS A GREAT LINE.
• 11:38 NOT ONLY, IT'S A BIG BUSINESS.
• 11:39 I THINK I HEARD THAT IT'S A MILLION DOLLARS A MONTH
• 11:42 THAT THEY EXPORT OUT OF THERE.
• 11:44 THAT'S HOW MUCH THE DEAD SEA PRODUCTS ARE.
• 11:46 IT'S AMAZING.
• 11:47 THERE'S ALWAYS GOOD PRODUCTS COMING FROM ISRAEL,
• 11:49 THE BEST OF WHICH IS THE BIBLE ITSELF, ISN'T IT? WELL, AMEN.
• 11:52 THAT'S A PRODUCT FROM THE HOLY LAND
• 11:54 AND PRAISE GOD WE GET TO, NOT SELL THAT, BUT TO PROCLAIM IT.
• 11:57 BUT, WE GET TO SEE IT.
• 11:59 WE GET TO SEE IT, TOUCH IT, FEEL IT, SMELL IT, ...
• 12:01 WE USE ALL THE SENSES IN ISRAEL.
• 12:02 WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO LOCATION IN EPHESUS.
• 12:05 JEFF'S GONNA CONTINUE TEACHING.
• 12:06 HERE'S JEFF.
• 12:09 "HOSHECH", IT'S THE HEBREW WORD FOR DARKNESS.
• 12:14 "OR," IS THE HEBREW WORD FOR LIGHT.
• 12:19 THERE'S A CONCEPT COMING OUT OF DARKNESS INTO THE LIGHT.
• 12:23 IN THE MODERN WORLD PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES TO BE ENLIGHTENED.
• 12:28 AND IN THE ANCIENT WORLD, IN EPHESUS PARTICULARLY, PEOPLE THOUGHT THE LIGHT SHINED BRIGHT.
• 12:35 COMING TO YOU FROM EPHESUS NOW, A GREAT CITY IN WHAT WAS ONCE ASIA MINOR, NOW MODERN TURKEY.
• 12:44 EPHESUS, ONE OF THE 4 MAIN CITIES OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE WITH ANTIOCH TO THE EAST,
• 12:51 WITH ALEXANDRIA SOUTH AND WEST, AND WITH ROME ITSELF, ONE OF THE CITIES, ONE OF THE GREAT CITIES.
• 12:59 TODAY YOU CAN COME HERE AND OUR TOURS COME HERE ANNUALLY TO LOOK AT THE GREAT CARDO,
• 13:06 THE REMANENCE OF THE MARKETPLACE, THE LIBRARY, THE TEMPLE THAT ONCE STOOD HERE.
• 13:13 NOT SO GREAT IN MY OPINION, BUT I'M A LITTLE BIAS NOW AREN'T I?
• 13:17 THE THEATRE THAT WOULD SEAT IN THE VICINITY OF 24,000 INDIVIDUALS.
• 13:23 EPHESUS, A HOME TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WHO ARE PROUD TO BE HERE.
• 13:28 PAUL LOVED EPHESUS.
• 13:30 HE STOPPED BY HERE ON THE WAY AS HE WAS FINISHING UP HIS 2ND MISSIONARY JOURNEY.
• 13:36 AND THEN ON HIS 3RD MISSIONARY JOURNEY HE MADE IT A POINT TO GET HERE
• 13:41 AND STAY HERE FOR A SEASON.
• 13:43 HE PLANTED A CONGREGATION HERE AS WE KNOW
• 13:46 AND THEN HE IS GOING TO SEE TO IT THAT OTHER CONGREGATIONS WERE ESTABLISHED ROUND ABOUT.
• 13:52 IN COLOSSAE AS WE CONSIDER IT AND ELSEWHERE.
• 13:55 WELL OUR STORY TAKES PLACE TODAY WITH PAUL HAVING FINISHED UP HIS VARIOUS JOURNEYS.
• 14:02 AND HE HAS MADE HIS WAY TO PRISON.
• 14:04 LAST WEEK WE NOTED HOW HE WAS IN ROME.
• 14:07 HE WAS INTERRED THERE AND HE WRITES LETTERS.
• 14:10 IN AS MUCH AS HE WROTE PHILEMON AND THE COLOSSIANS, HE WROTE TO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS.
• 14:14 I WANT YOU TO OPEN UP YOUR BIBLES IF YOU WILL
• 14:16 AND I WANT YOU TO SEE HOW HE TELLS THE EPHESIANS BOTH JEWS AND NON-JEWS ALIKE,
• 14:20 THAT GOD HAS BUILT A NEW HOUSE.
• 14:24 HE SAYS IN CHAPTER 2 THAT A NEW HOUSE HAS BEEN BUILT AND JEWS AND GENTILES ALIKE
• 14:30 AS EQUALS ARE PILLARS IN THE NEW HOUSE AND BRETHREN AND FRIENDS IN THE NEW ECONOMY.
• 14:35 HE SAYS IN CHAPTER 2, VERSE 1:
• 14:46 THE WORD TO SEND, ETYMOLOGICALLY IN THE HEBREW BIBLE COMES FROM A WORD "TO STRAY,"
• 14:51 TO MISS THE MARK.
• 14:53 IT'S LIKE AN ARROW YOU SHOOT FOR THE TARGET BUT IT VEERS OFF.
• 14:56 THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT MISS THE MARK IN LIFE, THEY SIN.
• 14:59 PARTICULARLY HE SAYS IN VERSE 2:
• 15:05 AND HE GOES ON TO DENOTE THEM LIVING, IN VERSE 3:
• 15:12 BY THE WAY HERE IN THIS HOME IN EPHESUS, I NEEDED TO BE CAREFUL WHERE WE PUT THE CAMERA.
• 15:16 IN THE ROOM ADJACENT TO THIS ONE, YOU WOULD THINK YOU WERE IN A GALLERY
• 15:20 IN HUGH HEFNER'S MANSION IN CALIFORNIA TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
• 15:22 IT LOOKS LIKE A PLAY...I MEAN I WAS EMBARRASSED TO GO IN THERE
• 15:25 TO TELL YOU THE GOD'S HONEST TRUTH.
• 15:26 WELL HE SAYS TO THE EPHESIANS HERE WHO CELEBRATED SEXUALITY,
• 15:29 HE SAID, LISTEN YOU WANNA COME TO THE GOD OF ISRAEL WE NEED TO LEARN A LITTLE ABOUT HOLINESS.
• 15:33 WE NEED TO SAY NO TO VISE AND YES TO VIRUE
• 15:36 THAT INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE LIVING IN THE DARKNESS THAT IS FULFILLING SINS IN THE DARKNESS,
• 15:41 NEEDED TO COME INTO THE LIGHT AND BEGIN TO THEN WALK IN THE LIGHT.
• 15:44 HE SAYS HERE IN VERSE 14, THAT JEWS AND NON-JEWS THAT WERE ALIENATED ONE FROM ANOTHER
• 16:01 HE GOES ON IN VERSE 19 TO UNDERSCORE
• 16:03 THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ACCEPTED YESHUA
• 16:09 PAUL LOVED THE CONCEPT OF THE HOUSE.
• 16:11 IN FACT WE'RE IN A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE IN EPHESUS RIGHT NOW.
• 16:14 LOTS OF ROOM, IN FACT ROMAN CULTURE MADE ROOM FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THEIR HOUSE.
• 16:19 IT WAS VERY SYNCHRONISTIC.
• 16:21 THERE WERE A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE THAT WERE ABLE TO GET CITIZENSHIP IN THE HOUSE
• 16:25 AND THE ROMANS CAST A VISION FOR A SOCIETY OF EQUALS IF YOU BECAME A CITIZEN.
• 16:29 HERE WE'RE IN A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE OF A ROMAN CITIZEN OF A BY GONE ERA,
• 16:33 BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS HOUSE IS THAT THERE WAS WATER RUNNING TO THE HOUSE.
• 16:37 THE ROMANS WERE FANTASTIC IN THEIR INNOVATIONS.
• 16:40 THEY LEARNED TO MANAGE WATER, THEY WERE VERY, VERY MODERN.
• 16:44 TRAGICALLY, HOWEVER, THE ROMANS HAD A VISION FOR COMMUNITY AND UNITY,
• 16:49 BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE LIVING WATER GOING TO THEIR HOUSE.
• 16:51 SEE THAT WATER IS AVAILABLE, THE "MAYIM CHAYIM", THAT KIND OF WATER WE GET FROM THE MESSIAH, YESHUA,
• 16:58 FROM JESUS AND PAUL TOLD THAT STORY.
• 17:00 AND THE WAY INDIVIDUALS GET WATER IS THAT THEY HAVE TO TURN, THEY HAVE TO REPENT.
• 17:05 THE HEBREW WORD FOR REPENTANCE IN FACT IS THE WORD "TESHUVA" IT MEANS TO TURN,
• 17:11 IT MEANS TO CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION.
• 17:13 THE GREEK WORD FOR REPENT IS "METANOIA."
• 17:18 IT COMES FROM "META" WHICH MEANS CHANGE AND "NOIA" OR "NOSIS" MIND, CHANGE YOUR MIND.
• 17:23 CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION, CHANGE YOUR MIND.
• 17:26 IN THE BIBLICAL VISION INDIVIDUALS ARE LIVING THE WRONG WAY
• 17:30 AND INDIVIDUALS MUST NEEDS CHANGE.
• 17:34 PAUL WRITES TO INDIVIDUALS IN EPHESUS WHO IN FACT HAVE CHANGED.
• 17:38 AND HE REMINDS THEM OF THE PEOPLE THEY OUGHT TO BE.
• 17:42 NO LONGER STRANGERS OR FOREIGNERS,
• 17:44 BUT NOW LIKE SONS AND DAUGHTERS LIVING IN THE HOUSE.
• 17:47 AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
• 17:49 IF YOU LOOK IN CHAPTER 5, VERSE 1 AND ON HE MORALIZES AS RABBIS ARE GIVEN TO DO.
• 17:54 HE TALKS HERE IN LISTS, HE TALKS ABOUT VICE AND HE TALKS ABOUT VIRTUE.
• 17:59 HE NOTES IN VERSE 1:
• 18:16 HE ADVOCATES FOR COMPORTMENT,
• 18:18 THAT PEOPLE THAT WALK THE WALK, TALK THE TALK, AND THEY LIVE RIGHT.
• 18:21 AND HE LIKEWISE THEN AFTER NOTING THE LIST OF VICES,
• 18:26 HE THEN UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF VIRTUE.
• 18:34 PAUL HAS THIS VISION OF PUTTING OFF VICE AND LIVING BY VIRTUE,
• 18:39 BUT THAT VISION ISN'T UNIQUE TO HIM.
• 18:42 WHAT'S UNIQUE IS THAT HE'S TALKING TO NON-JEWS ABOUT IT, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
• 18:45 THAT VISION COMES FROM THE JEWISH WORLD.
• 18:47 JEWS UNDERSTOOD INDIVIDUALS ANTHROPOLOGICALLY TO HAVE SOMETHING OF A DILEMMA
• 18:51 OF A HUMAN CONDITION WAS ASSAULTED ON 2 SIDES.
• 18:54 THERE WAS YETZER HARA FROM RAH IN HEBREW WHICH MEANS EVIL.
• 18:58 YETZER HARA MEANS THE EVIL INCLINATION, YETZER HATOV IS THE GOOD INCLINATION.
• 19:03 INDIVIDUALS HAVE A STRUGGLE BETWEEN
• 19:05 VICE AND VIRTUE, BETWEEN FLESH AND SPIRIT.
• 19:10 TO USE THE PAULINE PARADIGM HERE.
• 19:13 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF GOD
• 19:15 MUST NEEDS WALK IN THE SPIRIT AND HE UNDERSCORES THAT HERE.
• 19:19 AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT BY THE WAY, THE MESSAGE THAT HE TOLD THE EPHESIANS.
• 19:23 YOU USE TO LIVE IN SIN, BUT NOW YOU'VE COME OUT OF...
• 19:26 YOU'VE COME OUT OF THE COUNTRYSIDE INTO THE HOUSE.
• 19:29 IF YOU'RE GONNA LIVE IN THE HOUSE, ACT LIKE A CHILD THAT BELONGS IN THE HOUSE.
• 19:32 IT'S A GREAT STORY.
• 19:34 AND THE RABBI FROM TARSUS WROTE ABOUT IT TO THE EPHESIANS, SOME 2,000 YEARS AGO.
• 19:47 YESHUA SAID, "I AM THE LIVING WATER.
• 19:50 I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE."
• 19:53 JEFF I LOVE WATCHING YOUR TEACHING
• 19:54 AND TALKING ABOUT THE WATER AND THE PIPES.
• 19:56 WHAT A GREAT VISUAL FOR EVERYONE.
• 19:57 WELL,
• 19:59 I'M REMINDED, BY THE WAY THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENT.
• 20:01 I'M REMINDED THAT BIBLE TEACHING IS SIMPLE.
• 20:03 YESHUA, JESUS SAID,
• 20:05 "I AM THE LIGHT, I AM THE DOOR, I AM THE BREAD, I AM THE WATER."
• 20:08 WHY DO PEOPLE MAKE THINGS SO COMPLEX?
• 20:11 AND IT'S SIMPLE.
• 20:12 IT'S RIGHT HERE, IT DOESN'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE.
• 20:15 IT DOESN'T NEED ANY BOWS, ANY RIBBONS, IT JUST NEEDS TO BE REALLY SIMPLE.
• 20:19 NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU KNOW ANYBODY COULD LISTEN TO IT.
• 20:22 A KING,
• 20:23 A FARMER, ANYBODY COULD UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE.
• 20:26 YES, AND LIKE THE HOUSE WHERE WE SHOT, RIGHT
• 20:30 LET ME SAY THAT WE WANNA BRING LIVING WATER INTO YOUR HOME.
• 20:35 WE WANNA BE THE PLUMBING,
• 20:37 THE CONDUIT THROUGH WHICH LIVING WATER GETS TO YOU.
• 20:41 AND WE TRUST YOU'RE BLESSED BY OUR SERIES AS WE'RE BRINGING PAUL TO YOU.
• 20:46 AND NOW WE GO TO AN OLD FRIEND, RABBI DR. JOHN FISCHER,
• 20:51 AN EXPERT IN THINGS JEWISH, AN EXPERT IN NEW TESTAMENT AND HE HELPS US BRING IT ALL TOGETHER.
• 20:57 AND NOW TO DR. FISCHER
• 20:59 AS WE COME TO KNOW BETTER, THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
• 21:05 PAUL IS A MISSIONARY.
• 21:06 HE'S GOT A MISSIONARIES HEART,
• 21:08 HE WRITES LETTERS,
• 21:09 HE MAKES SURE HIS PEOPLE ARE OK.
• 21:12 HE IS A RABBI, RABBI.
• 21:13 HE IS A RABBI TO HIS PEOPLE.
• 21:16 HE NEVER FORGETS HIS PEOPLE.
• 21:17 AND THEY HAVE QUESTIONS OR THEY HAVE ISSUES, HE ALWAYS RESPONDS TO THEM
• 21:21 AND THAT'S REALLY A MARK OF A MISSIONARY.
• 21:23 IT'S A WONDERFUL TRAIT.
• 21:25 IT'S THE WAY IN WHICH
• 21:26 A TEACHER OR A RABBI SHOULD BE.
• 21:28 NOT ALL OF US LIVE UP
• 21:30 TO THAT KIND OF BILLING,
• 21:31 BUT THAT IS OF COURSE THE IDEAL OR THE MODEL.
• 21:33 AND HE DOES IT SO WONDERFULLY IN SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES,
• 21:37 IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
• 21:38 HE'S ABLE TO ADAPT TO EACH OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES
• 21:41 OR SITUATIONS THAT HE'S FACED WITH
• 21:42 OR HIS STUDENTS ARE FACED WITH. HIS STUDENTS.
• 21:45 YEAH
• 21:46 AND THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY STUDENTS.
• 21:47 WELL THEY ARE STUDENTS, BUT THEY'RE REAL PEOPLE.
• 21:48 THEY HAVE REAL PROBLEMS, REAL ISSUES, REAL CONCERNS.
• 21:52 HAS THE RAPTURE COME, HAS THE RAPTURE NOT COME?
• 21:53 WHAT DO I DO ABOUT RECONCILIATION?
• 21:56 HE'S IN EPHESUS, HE TALKS, HE WRITES LETTERS TO THEM.
• 21:59 OH YEAH AND IN SOME OF THE MOST INTERESTING
• 22:03 AND EXOTIC KINDS OF PLACES.
• 22:05 YOU MENTIONED EPHESUS, TALK ABOUT A MAJOR CENTER. OH, YEAH.
• 22:08 THAT WAS A MAJOR CENTER. IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
• 22:10 AND NOT ONLY OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE,
• 22:13 BUT OF ALL THE TRADE ROUTES THAT GO THROUGH THERE AND AROUND THERE.
• 22:17 IF YOU WERE GONNA TRAVEL IN THAT PART OF ROME, YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL THROUGH EPHESUS.
• 22:20 AND THERE WERE JEWS, GENTILES, ALL KINDS OF GROUPS OF PEOPLE
• 22:24 THAT WERE THERE THAT NEEDED TO LEARN HOW TO GET TOGETHER, LEARN HOW TO BE PART OF ONE ANOTHER.
• 22:29 SO SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING THINGS HE WRITES,
• 22:31 HE WRITES TO THESE GROUPS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE AREA OF EPHESUS.
• 22:36 ONE OF THE STRIKING PASSAGES
• 22:39 RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS,
• 22:41 TALKS ABOUT
• 22:42 AN APPROACH TO GOD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE BOTH AS JEWS AND GENTILES.
• 22:47 JEWS, WE ALWAYS HAD THE TEMPLE,
• 22:49 WE CAME THROUGH THE TEMPLE IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2.
• 22:51 NOW IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2 BY WAY OF IMAGERY,
• 22:54 HE'S TELLING THE NON-JEWS WHO ARE NOW FOLLOWERS OF THIS JEWISH MESSIAH,
• 22:58 THAT IN A SENSE THEY TOO COME IN A TEMPLE KIND OF WAY
• 23:01 THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER ON THE FRINGES OF THE TEMPLE
• 23:04 THEY NOW GET TO GO THROUGH THE HEART OF THE TEMPLE PROCESS.
• 23:07 IN FACT, ALL GET TO OPERATE VERY MUCH AS PRIESTS.
• 23:10 ALL OF THIS IS WONDERFUL JEWISH IMAGERY THAT'S BEING SHARED WITH THIS GROUP IN EPHESUS.
• 23:15 A GROUP THAT, GOSH, AGAIN GREW OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE,
• 23:19 RIGHT
• 23:20 OUT OF THE SCHOOL NEXT TO THE SYNAGOGUE. RIGHT
• 23:21 SO ALL THOROUGHLY JEWISHLY EDUCATED,
• 23:23 BECAUSE APART FROM THAT JEWISH EDUCATION THIS TEMPLE IMAGERY WOULD'VE MADE NO SENSE AT ALL.
• 23:28 AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE YOU GET THIS PLACE CALLED COLOSSAE THAT,
• 23:31 WOW, BOY DID THEY HAVE STRANGE THINGS GOING ON OVER THERE.
• 23:37 THEY BROKE INTO THE WORSHIP OF ANGELS.
• 23:39 AND DON'T TOUCH, DON'T TASTE, DON'T HANDLE THIS KIND OF STUFF,
• 23:44 WHICH WAS ALL STRIKINGLY NON-JEWISH AND YET THEY TOO MANAGE TO BRING
• 23:51 THEY TWISTED IT AROUND ON IT
• 23:53 YEAH THEY TWISTED IT AROUND.
• 23:54 SO THERE HE'S NOT DEALING WITH JEWISH STUFF,
• 23:57 THERE HE'S DEALING WITH WHAT WE CALL,
• 23:59 EARLIER PRE-GNOSTIC KIND OF STUFF.
• 24:00 SO MAN, HE GOES RIGHT AT THEM TOO.
• 24:03 NO GOOD JEW WOULD BE WORSHIPPING ANGELS,
• 24:07 YOU GUYS SHOULDN'T BE EITHER.
• 24:08 SO THAT'S A SHORT OF A VERY LONG STORY, YEAH.
• 24:11 THAT'S THE SHORT.
• 24:12 IT IS.
• 24:13 THANK YOU.
• 24:14 YOU'RE WELCOME.
• 24:21 MUSIC
• 24:47 IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THE LONG ARM OF THE PEN REACHES BEYOND THE GRAVE.
• 24:51 THAT'S TRUE FOR PEOPLE THAT WROTE MUSIC AS WELL.
• 24:53 AND I KNOW YOU WERE BLESSED BY HEARING ZOLA.
• 24:55 AND SPEAKING OF BLESSING AND SPEAKING OF THE LONG ARM OF THE PEN,
• 24:59 WE'RE INDEBTED TO THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
• 25:01 AS HE WROTE THESE DOCUMENTS AND HE CAN STILL SPEAK TO US, CAN'T HE?
• 25:05 HE CAN.
• 25:06 AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS
• 25:08 IN ALL OF EPHESIANS IS IN CHAPTER 6.
• 25:11 I LOVE THE VISUAL, BUT I'M A VISUAL LEARNER ANYWAY.
• 25:13 BUT IN EPHESIANS 6:10 IT SAYS:
• 25:50 IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL.
• 25:51 IT'S A FULL PICTURE OF WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING.
• 25:53 YOU KNOW I'M PLEASED THAT YOU,
• 25:56 YOUR EYES ARE RIGHT UPON THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S A GUY IMAGE, SOLDIER IMAGE.
• 25:59 THIS IS TAKING... IT'S A CLOTHES IMAGE.
• 26:02 I CAN GET BEHIND THE CLOTHES IMAGE.
• 26:03 IT'S A PRAYER THAT WE CAN PUT ON, YEAH. ARMOR AND EVERYTHING
• 26:05 WELL I'LL TELL YOU WHAT HITS ME WHEN I READ IT.
• 26:07 I REMEMBER IN DAYS BY IN A POLICE CAREER I WAS ALWAYS GIVEN A KEVLAR VEST TO WEAR.
• 26:12 WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WEAR IT, BUT WE WERE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO DO SO.
• 26:17 AND I THOUGHT,
• 26:18 HOW FOOLISH WOULD IT BE TO GO OUT INTO THE PRECARIOUSNESS
• 26:22 OF THE BIG CITY WITHOUT HAVING ALL THE PROTECTION?
• 26:24 BUT THAT'S THE VERY THING THAT WE DO IN SO MANY RESPECTS THAT HE CAUTIONS AGAINST.
• 26:28 WE GO INTO LIFE WITHOUT THE SPIRITUAL ARMOR THAT WE NEED.
• 26:32 WE WANNA HELP IN FACT
• 26:34 SO WE PUMP THAT LIVING WATER INTO THOSE LIVING ROOMS. ABSOLUTELY.
• 26:36 IN ORDER THAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE UNDERGIRDED
• 26:38 WITH BIBLICAL KNOWLEDGE.
• 26:39 AND HERE IT IS.
• 26:41 IT'S SO SIMPLE AND WE TRY TO MAKE IT SO HARD.
• 26:43 I WANT YOU TO STAY TUNED NEXT WEEK.
• 26:46 WE'RE GOING INTO PHILIPPIANS AND WE'RE GONNA SEE OTHER TEACHING
• 26:51 AND I THINK YOU'LL REALLY ENJOY WHAT'S COMING UP.
• 26:52 AND AS YOU GO.
• 26:53 SHA 'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM.
• 26:55 PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.