Caption transcript for In The Footsteps of The Rabbi From Tarsus: “Letters to the Philippians and Timothy” (11/12)

• 00:02 WITH DR. JEFFERY SEIF AND SANDRA LEVITT
• 01:00 A HEARTY SHALOM TO ALL OF YOU.
• 01:02 JEFFERY SEIF HERE WITH MY FRIEND SANDRA LEVITT.
• 01:05 SHALOM
• 01:06 WELCOME TO IN THE FOOTSTEPS
• 01:07 OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
• 01:09 WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT PHILIPPIANS
• 01:10 AND 1ST TIMOTHY THIS WEEK JEFF.
• 01:12 YES WE ARE.
• 01:13 WE'RE LOOKING A PRISON EPISTLE.
• 01:15 IT IS, YEAH.
• 01:17 LAST WEEK YOU ALIGHTED ON PAUL'S WARDROBE TALK,
• 01:20 ABOUT HOW HE LOOKS AT A SOLDIER. RIGHT
• 01:22 HE WAS LOOKING AT SOLDIERS TOO.
• 01:23 HE TALKS ABOUT THE PRAETORIAN GUARD
• 01:25 WHEN HE WRITES THE PHILIPPIANS. RIGHT
• 01:27 HE'S STARING AT THEM THROUGH THE BARS I'D IMAGINE. POOR THING.
• 01:30 HE WAS IMPRISONED, BUT HIS SPIRIT WASN'T IMPRISONED.
• 01:32 HE HAD A LOT OF GOOD THINGS TO SAY, DOESN'T HE?
• 01:34 IT IS.
• 01:34 IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE...
• 01:36 I KNOW I SAY THIS ALMOST EVERY WEEK, BUT PAUL REALLY, I THINK WE UNDERESTIMATE PAUL'S WORD.
• 01:40 WE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.
• 01:41 PHILIPPIANS 4:11 SAYS:
• 01:50 THERE'S AN OLD SAYING I REMEMBER, "IF YOU CAN'T BE HAPPY WITH WHAT LITTLE YOU HAVE,
• 01:55 YOU'LL NEVER BE HAPPY WITH WHAT A LOT YOU GET."
• 01:58 SO HE IS THAT EXAMPLE.
• 01:59 HE IS HAPPY NO MATTER... HE'S CONTENT.
• 02:02 IT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN OUR CULTURE.
• 02:04 SOME OF YOU ARE OVER-LEVERAGED.
• 02:07 WHAT YOU NEED IS TO GET AFFIRMATION FROM A SIGNIFICANT OTHER
• 02:10 SO YOU CAN FEEL HAPPY.
• 02:12 YOU NEED, IN ORDER TO BE HAPPY YOU NEED MONEY,
• 02:15 YOU NEED THIS, YOU NEED THAT.
• 02:16 PAUL SAID,
• 02:17 I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM I CAN DO ALL THINGS
• 02:19 WHICH STRENGTHENS ME.
• 02:20 I CAN BE CONTENT IN ANYTHING.
• 02:21 THAT'S A SECRET TO SUCCESS IN LIFE RIGHT THERE. AMEN
• 02:23 I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I'VE SAID THAT.
• 02:25 WHEN SOMETHING IS GOING REALLY...
• 02:27 THAT I'M NOT SURE WHERE I'M GOING OR WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO ME.
• 02:29 I HAVE SAID THAT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
• 02:31 BUT WE'RE GONNA GO TO JEFF NOW, HE'S IN ROME.
• 02:34 AND HERE'S JEFF TEACHING.
• 02:44 PAUL CAME TO ROME AS A COURTESY OF THE STATE.
• 02:46 HE HAD APPEALED TO CAESAR AND TO CAESAR HE CAME HERE IN ROME.
• 02:50 YOU'LL SEE SOME SIGHTS BEHIND ME.
• 02:52 ONE IS AN ARCH OF CONSTANTINE, IT CAME A BIT LATER.
• 02:55 A FORUM IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY AS IS THE GREAT COLOSSEUM BEHIND,
• 03:00 WHICH CAME A LITTLE LATER AS WELL.
• 03:02 BUT THIS IS ROME AND WHEN PAUL WAS HERE INITIALLY HE CAME HERE,
• 03:06 AS I'VE SAID, HE WAS TRANSPORTED COURTESY OF ROME BY A CENTURION.
• 03:09 HE WAS UNDER A HOUSE ARREST AND IT'S FROM HERE WHERE HE WROTE A FEW EPISTLES.
• 03:14 HE WROTE TO THE EPHESIANS, HE WROTE TO THE COLOSSIANS,
• 03:19 HE WROTE A PERSONAL LETTER TO PHILEMON, AND THEN HE WROTE A DOCUMENT CALLED,
• 03:24 "THE PHILIPPIANS," WHICH IS ARGUABLY THE FRIENDLIEST OF PAUL'S LETTER.
• 03:29 THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT HE WAS A MEAN SORT,
• 03:31 BUT IT SEEMS THAT WHEN HE WROTE THE OTHERS HE WAS DISCONCERTED ABOUT ONE THING OR ANOTHER,
• 03:36 BUT THE PHILIPPIAN CORRESPONDENCE WAS A THANK YOU LETTER.
• 03:40 PAUL WAS GLEAMING WITH OPTIMISM IN THE LETTER TOO.
• 03:43 HE EVEN MENTIONS THAT THE PRAETORIAN GUARD WAS AWARE OF HIS CIRCUMSTANCES
• 03:48 THAT GOD WAS GETTING GLORY TOO,
• 03:50 AS THE GOSPEL WAS SPREADING OUT AMONGST THE PRAETORIANS HERE IN ROME.
• 03:55 PAUL WAS CHAINED, BUT HE REALLY WASN'T CHAINED, IN THE SENSE, HE WAS FREE AS A BIRD.
• 03:59 AND HE GIVES VOICE TO HIS FAITH AND HIS HOPE AND HIS LOVE IN THE PHILIPPIANS DOCUMENT.
• 04:04 A THANK YOU LETTER TO THOSE AT PHILIPPI.
• 04:06 WHY?
• 04:08 BECAUSE THEY WERE UNYIELDING IN THEIR SUPPORT FOR PAUL
• 04:11 THROUGH THE WHOLE TENURE OF HIS MINISTRY.
• 04:13 SOMETIMES ENTHUSIASM AND SUPPORT CAN WAX AND WANE,
• 04:16 BUT THE PHILIPPIANS WERE RESOLUTE IN THEIR STANDING BEHIND PAUL.
• 04:20 AND HE WRITES A THANK YOU LETTER.
• 04:29 BEHIND ME IS A TRIBUTE TO A MAN
• 04:31 WHO BY DINT OF DETERMINATION, HE MARSHALED FORCES,
• 04:35 HE CONQUERED A FOE AND GOT THE BETTER OF AN EMPIRE AS A RESULT OF HIS SO DOING.
• 04:40 WHEN PAUL WROTE FROM ROME YEARS BEFORE THAT HE SPOKE ABOUT ANOTHER KIND OF LEADERSHIP.
• 04:46 A SERVANT LEADER.
• 04:48 AND IN THE PHILIPPIAN DOCUMENT HE SPELLED IT OUT SO BEAUTIFULLY IN TALKING ABOUT CHRIST, WHO:
• 05:06 SO YOU HAVE A STORY IN JESUS WHO WAS GREAT AND SPLENDID
• 05:08 AND MAGNIFICENT IN A PREVIOUS EXISTENCE, BUT HE CAME DOWN HERE TO SERVE.
• 05:12 AND I LOVE THE JUXTAPOSITION HERE IN ROME WITH THE IMAGE OF A MAN WHO CAME TO CONQUER.
• 05:17 JESUS CONQUERED THE WORLD BY LOVE, NOT BY THE SWORD.
• 05:20 DO YOU KNOW THE WORD MINISTRY COMES FROM THE WORD MINUS, WHICH MEANS LESS THAN?
• 05:24 THAT IS TO COUNT OTHERS MORE WORTHY THAN OURSELVES.
• 05:28 AND THE RABBI FROM TARSUS PLACED A PREMIUM ON THAT WHEN HE WROTE THE PHILIPPIANS,
• 05:33 IN PART BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST THAT.
• 05:36 THAT IS THEY WERE GIVEN TO SERVICE RATHER THAN SIMPLY BEING SERVED.
• 05:39 THE PHILIPPIANS WERE AN INTERESTING GROUP.
• 05:41 THEY WERE COMPOSED OF RETIRED MILITARY PERSONNEL.
• 05:43 THEY RETIRED OUT OF THE ROMAN MILITARY AND THEY WERE IN A TAX EXEMPT CITY IN PHILIPPI.
• 05:49 THEY KNEW WHAT IT WAS TO BE OF SERVICE TOO, TO GO THE DISTANCE,
• 05:52 BECAUSE THEY DID THAT IN THE COURSE OF THEIR OWN MILITARY CAREERS.
• 05:55 BUT PARTICULARLY PAUL GOES ON TO SAY IN THE 2ND CHAPTER OF PHILIPPIANS:
• 06:05 AND THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A SCANDAL TO THE ROMANS HERE.
• 06:07 THIS SORT OF DEATH WAS RESERVED FOR CRIMINALS, FOR THE CONDEMNED NOT FOR CITIZENS,
• 06:12 NOT FOR PEOPLE OF RENOWN, CERTAINLY NOT FOR THE MAJESTIC SORTS.
• 06:15 BUT NEVER THE LESS THIS KING CAME AND BECAME A MAN, A HUMBLE MAN AND HE DIED ON A CROSS.
• 06:20 BUT THE NET RESULT OF IT ALL ACCORDING TO PAUL WAS THAT BECAUSE OF HIS SERVICE,
• 06:24 BECAUSE OF HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS:
• 06:39 I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT WE MALES OF THE SPECIES,
• 06:41 PERHAPS FOR REASONS THAT ARE TESTOSTERONE DRIVEN
• 06:44 WE'RE BENT ON CONQUEST AND POWERS AND STRENGTH,
• 06:47 BUT JESUS WAS A MAN, BUT HE WASN'T JUST MAN, HE WAS GOD IN MAN FORM.
• 06:50 AND WHAT HAPPENS IS, HE WAS BOTH GOD AND MAN.
• 06:53 AND WHAT DOES HE DO?
• 06:54 HE COME AND HE HUMBLES HIMSELF AND HE SERVES.
• 06:57 WITH THE NET RESULT THAT MORE PEOPLE BOW THE KNEE TO JESUS,
• 07:00 THAN EVER HAVE THE CONSTANTINE THE GREAT, WHO'S COMMEMORATED WITH THIS TRIBUTE BEHIND ME.
• 07:05 THERE'S A WAY THAT LOVE AND SERVICE GOES FURTHER THAN POWER AND MIGHT.
• 07:19 CAESAR WAS AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL MAN,
• 07:22 BUT AS IN THE CASE WITH POWERFUL MEN THEY DON'T LIVE FOREVER.
• 07:26 OFF TO MY RIGHT, YOU CAN'T SEE IT, THE REMAINS OF WHERE THE SENATE CONVENED.
• 07:31 DIRECTLY BEHIND ME IS THE REMAINS OF THE TEMPLE THAT WAS BUILT ATOP THE PLACE
• 07:38 WHICH JULIUS CAESAR'S BODY WAS BURNED AFTER HE WAS EXECUTED
• 07:42 WHEN HE DID BUSINESS WITH THE SENATE AND HE WAS BETRAYED BY SOME FRIENDS.
• 07:46 AND IT'S A VERY FAMOUS EVENT.
• 07:48 WHEN I THINK OF THE DEATH OF THE GREAT I'M REMINDED OF JESUS,
• 07:52 WHO'S GREATER THAN CAESAR, BUT HE CAME TO HIS POWER IN ANOTHER WAY.
• 07:56 AND HERE AS WE HAVE THE TRIBUTE TO CAESAR BEHIND ME,
• 07:59 BUT A RUIN, WE HAVE THE CHURCH THE WORLD OVER TODAY
• 08:03 THAT ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT THERE'S POWER IN LOVE.
• 08:05 JESUS WHO DIED A CRIMINAL'S DEATH AT THE HAND OF THE ROMANS
• 08:09 HAS GONE ON TO IN EFFECT HAVE THE GREATEST NAME IN THE WORLD,
• 08:12 AND PEOPLE KNOW HIM, BETTER THAN THEY DO ALL THESE LONG FORGOTTEN CAESARS.
• 08:15 PAUL WANTED TO UNDERSCORE THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE
• 08:18 AND THIS HE DID WHEN HE WROTE THE PHILIPPIANS.
• 08:20 AND AS WE FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS,
• 08:23 CONSIDER WHAT HE HAD TO SAY, WE'D DO WELL TO REMEMBER THE MESSAGE,
• 08:26 THAT IS THAT THE WAY TO BECOME GREAT IS TO BE A SERVANT OF ALL.
• 08:44 FOR INSIGHTFUL PERSPECTIVES OF ISRAEL AND BIBLE PROPHECY
• 08:48 ASK FOR OUR FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER THE LEVITT LETTER.
• 08:51 WHEN YOU CALL, BE SURE TO ALSO ASK FOR OUR FREE CATALOGUE
• 08:54 WITH LATEST VIDEOS, BOOKS, AND MUSIC.
• 08:57 OUR CORRESPONDENCE COURSE, "THE INSTITUTE OF JEWISH CHRISTIAN STUDIES" INCLUDES:
• 09:01 READING PACKETS, TEACHING CDs, AND MAIL IN TESTS.
• 09:05 YOU MAY WANNA JOIN US ON AN UPCOMING TOUR OF ISRAEL AND PETRA.
• 09:08 OR CRUISE THE MEDITERRANEAN, VISITING GREECE AND EPHESUS.
• 09:12 PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION.
• 09:16 10 TO 20 THOUSAND PEOPLE COME TO ROME PER DAY.
• 09:20 THERE'S ROOM FOR YOU HERE, ISN'T THERE SANDRA?
• 09:23 THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO SEE.
• 09:24 IT'S ANOTHER PLACE WHERE WE CAN SEE OUR BIBLE COME ALIVE.
• 09:28 THAT'S RIGHT, CAUSE WHEN PAUL WAS ALIVE, HE CAME HERE.
• 09:31 WE VISIT HERE, GREECE, AND THE HOLY LAND ITSELF, ISRAEL PROPER.
• 09:36 YOU NEED TO BE WITH US.
• 09:37 WE'D LOVE TO SHOW YOU GREECE, ISRAEL, AND ROME.
• 09:40 JOIN US FOR A TRIP OF A LIFETIME.
• 09:44 WE TRAVEL TO THE BIBLE LANDS.
• 09:46 GREECE, ISRAEL, ROME ON OCCASION.
• 09:50 MY PROMISE TO YOU IS THAT IF YOU TRAVEL WITH US WE'LL LOOK TO TAKE CARE OF YOU
• 09:55 BETTER THAN THE TREATMENT THAT PAUL GOT.
• 09:58 HE WAS BEAT UP AND IN PRISON,
• 10:00 BUT HE HAD A SERVANTS HEART,
• 10:02 HE NEVER WAS BESTED BY CIRCUMSTANCES.
• 10:04 HE REALLY WASN'T.
• 10:05 IT'S ENCOURAGING TO ALL OF US
• 10:06 TO HAVE THAT CONTENTMENT IN OUR LIVES.
• 10:09 BUT NOT ONLY THAT, HE WAS A GREAT MENTOR.
• 10:11 HERE IS TIMOTHY.
• 10:12 HE MENTORS TO TIMOTHY.
• 10:14 HELPS HIM, GETS HIM GOING.
• 10:16 TIMOTHY GOES OUT
• 10:18 AND PREACHES THE GOSPEL AFTER PAUL IS GONE.
• 10:20 I'D IMAGINE TOO, IF YOU CAN LOOK AT A MAN AND SAY,
• 10:23 "YOU KNOW, HE'S NOT BESTED BY HIS CIRCUMSTANCES.
• 10:25 HE HAS A POWER THAT'S GREATER THAN WHAT'S COMING AGAINST HIM."
• 10:28 YOU CAN LOOK UP TO A MAN LIKE THAT AND SAY,
• 10:30 "I THINK I GOT SOMETHING TO LEARN FROM THIS FELLOW."
• 10:32 AND THINK ABOUT TIMOTHY'S BACKGROUND.
• 10:34 HIS MOTHER AND HIS GRANDMOTHER WERE BELIEVERS.
• 10:36 HE WAS RAISED IN A HOME THAT BELIEVED IN GOD.
• 10:39 IT MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
• 10:41 HERE IS JEFF.
• 10:42 WE'RE BACK AT EPHESUS.
• 10:43 HERE IS JEFF TEACHING.
• 10:49 HIS NAME WAS FLAVIUS, FURIOUS, APTIUS.
• 10:54 I'VE RENAMED HIM HOWEVER.
• 10:57 I CALL HIM FLAVIUS, LUXURIOUS, APTIUS
• 11:01 AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE
• 11:02 HE LIVED IN THE LAP OF LUXURY.
• 11:07 AND HERE WE ARE IN HIS ATRIUM RIGHT NOW.
• 11:10 A HOME RIGHT OFF THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE IN ANCIENT EPHESUS.
• 11:17 THERE'S A MARKET OUTSIDE AND A ROAD THAT GOES THAT GOES TO THE HARBOR.
• 11:21 PAUL WOULD'VE FREQUENTED THESE PLACES AS WOULD HAVE OTHERS.
• 11:25 BEYOND THAT THEN WE HAVE IN PROXIMITY HERE WE HAVE THE PROCONTULAR RESIDENTS.
• 11:31 JUST ADJACENT TO THIS HOME.
• 11:34 HERE THIS ATRIUM HAD ROOMS ROUND ABOUT.
• 11:37 BEDROOMS, DENS, DINING ROOMS USED FOR OTHER REASONS.
• 11:40 IT WAS A MAGNIFICENT STRUCTURE IN IT'S DAY.
• 11:43 AND IN IT'S DAY, THAT IS REWINDING THE TAPE BACK TO THE ANCIENT WORLD,
• 11:48 IT WAS IN THAT DAY WHEN THE RABBI FROM TARSUS SAID,
• 11:54 LISTEN I'M HEADING TO MACEDONIA, WHICH IS NORTHERN GREECE.
• 11:58 BUT HE SAID TO TIMOTHY LISTEN I'M URGING YOU, STAY IN EPHESUS AND HELP WITH KAHELACH THERE.
• 12:07 HELP THE CONGREGATION THERE TO GET THE STORY STRAIGHT.
• 12:11 YOU KNOW BEFORE YOU GET THE STORY OUT YOU GOTTA GET THE STORY STRAIGHT,
• 12:14 SO PAUL COMMENDED INDIVIDUALS TO THE TASK OF TEACHING.
• 12:18 AND HIS WRITINGS WERE COMMENDED FOR POSTERITY IN WRITTEN FORM,
• 12:22 HENCE YOU HAVE THE GATHERING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CORPUS.
• 12:25 I WANT YOU TO LOOK PLEASE WITH ME IN CHAPTER 1, VERSE 3 OF 1ST TIMOTHY WHERE HE TELLS HIM:
• 12:43 IN FACT THERE WERE SOME THAT REALLY HAD PAUL DISCONCERTED.
• 12:45 HE MENTIONS IN VERSE 19:
• 12:51 AND HE SAYS:
• 12:56 AND IT'S INTERESTING THERE'S A HARBOR RIGHT DOWN THE STREET HERE.
• 12:58 SO THE ANALOGY OF A BOAT THAT CRASHES AGAINST THE ROCKS AND FALLS.
• 13:02 THIS FOR HIM IS ANALOGOUS TO A CHRISTIAN
• 13:05 THAT LETS THEIR WHOLE BE BREACHED WITH POOR UNDERSTANDINGS.
• 13:09 AND HOW OUGHT WE TO LIVE?
• 13:11 WHAT OUGHT WE TO DO IF ONE NAMES THE NAME OF THE LORD?
• 13:14 HE SAYS IN CHAPTER 2, VERSE 1, AND THIS IS, I THINK A FITTING PLACE TO MAKE THIS POINT,
• 13:21 HE SAYS:
• 13:35 SO IN EFFECT WHEN PAUL WRITES TIMOTHY WHO STAYED IN EPHESUS, HE SAYS LISTEN,
• 13:40 ENCOURAGE THESE PEOPLE TO PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS HOUSE RIGHT HERE.
• 13:45 I CAN ASSURE YOU, TIMOTHY DIDN'T LIVE HERE.
• 13:47 BUT THIS HOUSE AND THIS RUIN IS BUILT ATOP,
• 13:50 THIS IS THE ANCIENT ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER OF THE ANCIENT WORLD.
• 13:54 AND HE SAYS LISTEN, PRAY FOR PEACE.
• 13:56 AND THE REASON WHY HE DOES THAT IN PART IS BECAUSE
• 13:58 IF YOU'LL GO TO LUKE'S TESTIMONY IN THE 19TH CHAPTER,
• 14:01 WHEN PAUL CAME TO EPHESUS THERE WAS AN UPROAR.
• 14:05 THERE WAS A RIOT, BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE COMING TO FAITH,
• 14:09 THEY WERE CHANGING THE LIFESTYLE, IT WAS THREATENING THE ECONOMY
• 14:12 AND THE MERCHANTS GOT TOGETHER WHO WERE MANUFACTURING IDOLS AND VARIOUS RELIGIOUS PARAPHERNALIA,
• 14:17 TO ANOTHER RELIGIOUS PERSUASION, THEY GOT UPSET BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE DISAVOWING ALL OF THAT.
• 14:22 AND THEY FILLED UP THE THEATRE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET HERE AND THERE WAS A BIG UPROAR.
• 14:26 AND THE THING SWELLED OUT OF CONTROL.
• 14:29 AND THEN A FELLOW GETS UP AND SAYS,
• 14:31 LISTEN, WE ARE GUILTY OF DISORDER HERE, THAT THERE ARE PROCOUNCILS.
• 14:35 HE SAYS, THE COURTS ARE OPEN, THE PROCOUNCILS SIT.
• 14:39 THEY ADJUDICATE AND IT'S INTERESTING, THIS IS WHERE THE PROCOUNCIL WAS.
• 14:43 HERE WE ARE IN ANCIENT EPHESUS AND HERE PAUL IS ENCOURAGING, PRAY FOR THE LEADERS.
• 14:49 WELL PAUL WOULD ENCOURAGE PRAYERS FOR CIVIL AUTHORITIES.
• 14:53 TRUTH BE KNOWN THAT PAUL HAD NO INFLUENCE OVER THE JURIDICAL AUTHORITIES
• 14:58 IN THE BROADER CULTURE.
• 15:00 HE DID HOWEVER, DID HAVE INFLUENCE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN HIS OWN HOUSE,
• 15:03 THE KEHILLAH, THE CONGREGATION, THE CHURCH.
• 15:07 WHEN HE WROTE THE EPHESIANS HE HAD DEVELOPED FOR THEM THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH.
• 15:11 IT'S WHY ECCLESIOLOGY, THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH,
• 15:13 IS SO VERY MUCH DEVELOPED IN BIBLE COLLEGES AND SEMINARIES, USING THE EPHESIANS TEXT.
• 15:18 WELL, WHEN PAUL WRITES TO TIMOTHY HERE
• 15:22 HE EXHORTS FOR THERE TO BE GOOD MAGISTRATES WITHIN THE CHURCH HOUSE.
• 15:27 AND TO THAT END I WANT YOU LOOK PLEASE IN CHAPTER 3 OF 1ST TIMOTHY, VERSES 1 AND ON.
• 15:32 I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT THE RABBI OF TARSUS SAYS ABOUT
• 15:35 ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE MESSIANIC SYNAGOGUES.
• 15:39 THAT IS THESE CONGREGATIONS THAT ARE VERY JEWISH IN THEIR NATURE.
• 15:45 THEY BELIEVE THAT THE MESSIAH HAS COME.
• 15:47 AND YOU'LL SEE IN A MOMENT HOW THEY'RE ORGANIZED ALONG JEWISH LINES.
• 15:50 THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IF YOU'LL LOOK IN CHAPTER 3, VERSE 1 HE SAYS:
• 16:05 HE GOES ON, THERE'S A LIST THERE OF VIRTUES THAT HE SAYS ARE IN COMMON UPON A BISHOP.
• 16:09 NOW CONCEPTUALLY, LET ME SAY, THERE'S A PROBLEM HERE GIVEN TO THE DISTANCE AND THE CULTURE.
• 16:14 WHEN TODAY WE THINK OF A BISHOP, WE THINK OF SOMEONE WEARING A PURPLE SHIRT
• 16:18 AND A WHITE COLLAR, SOMEONE WITH DONING A BIG VESTMENT,
• 16:21 A CROWN IN A CATHEDRAL WALKING AROUND WITH THEIR SHEPHERD'S CROOK, THIS IS A BISHOP.
• 16:25 WE UNDERSTAND THE EXPRESSION, "BISHOP" YOU GET IT FROM THE GREEK,
• 16:31 BUT IT REALLY COMES FROM A PRE-CHRISTIAN EMPLOYMENT.
• 16:35 THE BISHOP IN THE NEW TESTAMENT SENSE HERE IS COMPARABLE TO THE ZEKENIM IN THE SYNAGOGUE.
• 16:42 PAUL WAS A SYNAGOGUE MAN.
• 16:45 AND SYNAGOGUES HAD ELDERS THAT WERE CALLED ZEKENIM.
• 16:49 ZECKENIM COMES FROM THE HEBREW, "ZEKEN" WHICH MEANS BEARDED ONES, OR THE WISE.
• 16:55 THERE'S AN ASSEMBLY OF THE ELDERS AND IN JUDAISM,
• 16:59 IT WAS INCUMBENT UPON ELDERS TO BE THE HUSBAND ONE WIFE, NOT GIVEN TO WINE, JUST, HOSPITABLE
• 17:04 ABLE TO MANAGE HIS OWN HOUSE, ETC...
• 17:06 NOW WHAT'S INTERESTING IN LOOKING TO FIND STABLE LEADERS FOR THE CHURCH,
• 17:10 PAUL EMPLOYS THE SAME LIST OF CRITERIA THAT'S EMPLOYED AT THE SYNAGOGUE.
• 17:16 PAUL WAS A MEMBER OF THE "PERUSHIM" THE PHARISEES, HE WAS A SYNAGOGUE MAN.
• 17:21 SO PAUL'S DRAWING FROM HIS OWN INVENTORY OF STRUCTURAL MECHANISMS
• 17:28 FOR ORGANIZING SYNAGOGUE LIFE AND EMPLOYING THEM HERE INTO THE NEW ECONOMY.
• 17:32 HE THEN GOES ON TO DESCRIBE DEACONS.
• 17:35 AND HE GIVES A LIST OF CHARACTER REQUIREMENTS FOR DEACONS.
• 17:39 A TAD BIT MORE ABBREVIATED THAN THE PREVIOUS.
• 17:41 AND HERE AGAIN DEACONS, YOU KNOW TODAY PEOPLE THINK OF DEACONS
• 17:45 IT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT IN PAUL'S DAY SYNAGOGUES HAD "SHAMASHIM."
• 17:49 IT COMES FROM THE HEBREW WORD FOR A SERVANT.
• 17:53 I SAID ALL THAT TO SAY THIS, THAT IF YOU LOOK AT PAUL, PAUL WRITES TIMOTHY AND HE SAYS,
• 17:57 LISTEN I DON'T WANT THINGS TO GET OUT OF CONTROL.
• 18:00 WHAT HAPPENS IS THE WATERS WERE GETTING A LITTLE MURKY.
• 18:03 AND HERE I AM IN THE RESIDENCE OF FLAVIUS, FURIOUS, APTIUS.
• 18:11 AND THIS IS A DEN HERE, THERE WAS A FOUNTAIN HERE.
• 18:14 NOW YOU KNOW, IF THE WATERS ARE MIXED AND THE FOUNTAIN IS BRACKISH,
• 18:18 NO ONE WANTS TO DRINK FROM IT.
• 18:20 WHAT HAPPENS IS THE UNDERSTANDING AMONGST THE EARLY BELIEVERS WAS GETTING MURKY,
• 18:24 CAUSE THERE WAS DIVERGENT TELLINGS AND PAUL TOLD TIMOTHY CLEAN OUT THE WATER,
• 18:31 WE GOTTA GET THIS THING RIGHT.
• 18:32 GET IT STRAIGHT, WE NEED GOOD LEADERS.
• 18:34 AND WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THE RABBI FROM TARSUS,
• 18:37 IN LOOKING TO SET UP LEADERS FOR THE CHURCH,
• 18:40 EMPLOYED THE CRITERIA FOR LEADERS IN JEWISH SYNAGOGUES.
• 18:55 ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S APPARENT TO ME WHEN I CONSIDER PAUL
• 18:59 IS THE FACT THAT HE WAS INTERESTED IN BEING A PARENT.
• 19:02 NOW IT'S A PLAY ON WORDS AND BY THAT I MEAN, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS CORRESPONDENCE,
• 19:06 WHEN I LOOK AT HIS WRITINGS TO TIMOTHY AND TITUS AND OTHERS,
• 19:11 IT'S APPARENT TO ME THAT HE WAS BEING A PARENT
• 19:13 THAT HE'S LOOKING TO RAISE UP A NEW GENERATION OF LEADER.
• 19:18 IT'S BEEN SAID THAT YOU'RE NOT A SUCCESS UNLESS YOU HAVE A SUCCESSOR.
• 19:22 PAUL UNDERSTANDS THAT.
• 19:23 HE MODELS LEADERSHIP AND HE TEACHES IT.
• 19:26 CASE IN POINT,
• 19:27 THE LITERATURE THAT'S THE OBJECT OF OUR ATTENTION TODAY.
• 19:30 ABSOLUTELY AND TIMOTHY IS A YOUNG MAN,
• 19:32 SO HE HAS GOT TIME.
• 19:34 NOT ONLY HE HAS TIME,
• 19:36 BUT HE CAN TRAIN SOMEBODY.
• 19:37 THE QUALIFICATION, WHAT MAKES A LEADER IN CHURCH?
• 19:41 WHAT MAKES A LEADER?
• 19:42 AND PAUL TELLS TIMOTHY,
• 19:43 DON'T LISTEN TO THE BABBLINGS, FOLLOW THE WORD.
• 19:47 HE GIVES HIM INSTRUCTIONS
• 19:49 AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US,
• 19:51 WHETHER WE ARE LEADING OR BEING LEAD
• 19:53 IS THAT WE'RE LISTENING.
• 19:55 WE'RE LISTENING TO INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUR LIVES.
• 19:57 THAT'S RIGHT AND TALKING ABOUT BABBLINGS
• 19:59 AND INSTRUCTIONS, DR. JOHN FISCHER,
• 20:01 HIS INSIGHT IS SO SAGE.
• 20:03 FULL OF INSTRUCTION.
• 20:04 EVERY WORD IS WORTH SOMETHING ISN'T IT? WELL I ENJOYED
• 20:07 LISTENING TO HIM AND TALKING TO HIM,
• 20:09 BECAUSE HE TALKS ABOUT THE TORAH AND HOW THE INSTRUCTION FOR LIFE COMES OUT OF THE TORAH
• 20:15 AND IT IS REALLY INTERESTING TO HEAR HIS PERSPECTIVE.
• 20:18 HERE IS DR. FISCHER
• 20:27 IT HAS REALLY BEEN A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU ON THE PROGRAM.
• 20:30 NOT ONLY ARE YOU A DISTINGUISHED THEOLOGIAN,
• 20:34 BUT YOU'RE ALSO A RABBI.
• 20:35 AND HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PAUL, BEING A RABBI, HAD TO TAKE CARE OF HIS FLOCK,
• 20:39 HAD TO TAKE CARE OF HIS CONGREGATION, LETTER WRITING.
• 20:42 WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A RABBI?
• 20:44 IT'S AN AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY.
• 20:46 FIRST, LET ME SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME ON THE PROGRAM,
• 20:49 IT'S BEEN A DELIGHT.
• 20:50 OFTEN BEING A RABBI, I TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE
• 20:55 THE RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE TOO AWESOME
• 20:57 IF YOU SPEND TOO MUCH TIME FOCUSING ON IT.
• 21:00 ESPECIALLY IF YOU'VE GOT A RABBI SUCH AS RAV SHAUL,
• 21:03 PAUL AS THE PERSON,
• 21:04 ONE OF THE PEOPLE YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO BE MODELING AFTER.
• 21:07 HERE'S A PERSON WHO AS HE DESCRIBED HIS OWN CREDENTIALS
• 21:10 IN THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS,
• 21:12 DESCRIBED HIMSELF AS SOMEONE WHO HAD ACHIEVED
• 21:15 THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE TORAH,
• 21:18 WHICH IS A STATEMENT IN OF ITSELF.
• 21:19 THAT, THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS DOES COME THROUGH THE TORAH,
• 21:23 BUT THAT HE HAD ACHIEVED IT.
• 21:24 AND THEN HE SAID... BUT HE LOVED IT,
• 21:25 HE LOVED THE TORAH. LOVED IT.
• 21:26 LOVED THE TORAH, LIVED THE TORAH,
• 21:28 AND THEN HE SAID CONCERNING HIS LIFESTYLE,
• 21:30 RELATED TO THE TORAH BLAMELESS. RIGHT.
• 21:31 WOW, THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE...
• 21:33 THAT'S A MODEL TO SHOOT FOR.
• 21:35 AND THEN THAT'S WHAT HE PASSED ON TO HIS STUDENTS,
• 21:38 WHICH IS PART OF THE CORE
• 21:39 OF WHAT BEING A RABBI IS SUPPOSE TO BE ALL ABOUT.
• 21:42 PASSING IT ONE TO OTHERS, TO STUDENTS.
• 21:43 SO WHEN HE TAUGHT TIMOTHY,
• 21:45 HE TOLD TIMOTHY THE THINGS YOU'VE SEEN AND HEARD FROM ME,
• 21:48 I WANT YOU TO DO,
• 21:50 BUT ALSO PASS THOSE ON TO OTHERS WHO CAN THEN TEACH OTHERS,
• 21:53 WHO CAN TEACH OTHERS ALSO.
• 21:54 GENERATIONS DOWN THE ROAD OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE NOW
• 21:58 UNDERSTANDING WHAT THIS RABBI TAUGHT THROUGH ONE OF HIS OWN STUDENTS,
• 22:04 WHO'S NOW TEACHING THEM TO TEACH OTHERS,
• 22:06 TO TEACH OTHERS, TO TEACH STILL OTHERS? THE GREAT COMMISSION.
• 22:08 IT'S THE GREAT COMMISSION. EXACTLY.
• 22:10 GENERATIONS DOWN THE ROAD LINEARLY
• 22:13 AND THEN MULTIPLYING ACROSS THE BOARD AS WELL.
• 22:16 IT'S AN AMAZING KIND OF THING.
• 22:18 THAT'S WHY YOU TRY NOT TO THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT,
• 22:22 BECAUSE IT CAN BECOME OVERWHELMING.
• 22:23 JUST FOCUS ON WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU.
• 22:26 THIS PHILIPPI OR THIS EPHESUS OR THIS TIMOTHY OR THAT TITUS
• 22:30 AND IT KEEPS YOU MORE FIRMLY GROUNDED.
• 22:34 WHAT IS DO YOU THINK TODAY IS YOUR GREATEST CONCERN
• 22:37 IN THE CONGREGATIONS,THE MESSIANIC CONGREGATIONS?
• 22:40 THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
• 22:42 PROBABLY THE SAME CONCERN THAT I STARTED OUT WITH MANY YEARS AGO
• 22:45 AND THAT IS THAT WE BE AUTHENTICALLY JEWISH
• 22:50 AND AVOWEDLY MESSIANIC WITH BOTH OF WHAT THAT MEANS.
• 22:53 IT CAN'T JUST BE TANGENTIALLY JEWISH
• 22:58 OR A GLOSS OF JEWISHNESS. RIGHT.
• 23:00 IF WE ARE JEWS THEN WE'VE GOTTA LIVE
• 23:03 AND THINK AND SPEAK AND TEACH AS JEWS.
• 23:04 BUT WE ALSO HAPPEN TO BE A SPECIFIC BRAND OF JEWS
• 23:08 AND WE'VE GOTTA BE AVOWEDLY MESSIANIC.
• 23:10 THAT MEANS AT OUR CORE... WE BELIEVE IN MESSIAH.
• 23:13 EXACTLY AND IT'S GOTTA BE AT THE CORE OF OUR BEING.
• 23:15 THE CORE OF OUR BEING HAS TO BE,
• 23:17 THE MESSIAH HAS TO BE WE BEING MESSIANIC.
• 23:19 BUY THOSE INTEGRATES SO VERY WELL,
• 23:23 BECAUSE WE ARE NOT JUST MESSIANIC OR JEWS,
• 23:24 WE'RE MESSIANIC JEWS. AMEN.
• 23:26 GOD BLESS YOU.
• 23:27 THANK YOU FOR COMING AND GOD BLESS YOU.
• 23:29 IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE.
• 23:30 THANK YOU SO MUCH SANDRA.
• 23:36 MUSIC
• 24:08 THE RABBI FROM TARSUS WAS A RABBI FOR ALL PEOPLE, JEWS AND GREEKS ALIKE.
• 24:15 THIS IS EVIDENCED IN PART IN THE WRITING OF TIMOTHY ITSELF.
• 24:18 AND WHO WAS IT THAT WAS THE OBJECT OF PAUL'S AFFECTION HERE?
• 24:22 WHO WAS HE MENTORING? A FELLOW WHO WAS PART JEWISH AND PART GREEK.
• 24:27 HIS FATHER WAS A GREEK.
• 24:28 PAUL LOVED JEWISH PEOPLE, NON-JEWISH PEOPLE, ALL PEOPLE,
• 24:32 AND THAT WAS PART OF THE SECRET TO HIS GENIUS,
• 24:34 HE WASN'T ALL CLOSED UP WITH RACE
• 24:35 AND GENDER AND CLASS ISSUES.
• 24:37 NO, HE WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THE MESSIAH
• 24:40 AND THAT SALVATION HAD COME.
• 24:42 AND THIS WAS A GLORIOUS THING TO KNOW,
• 24:45 NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS TO BE PITIED
• 24:47 OR TO BE SO SAD FOR, WE HAVE SALVATION.
• 24:51 AND IT HAS COME THROUGH THE JEWS FOR EVERYONE.
• 24:54 FOR GREEK, FOR ROMAN, FOR JEWS, FOR MUSLIMS,
• 24:57 ANY UNBELIEVER THAT DOESN'T KNOW THE MESSIAH.
• 25:00 PAUL WAS TELLING EVERYONE.
• 25:02 IT WAS GREAT.
• 25:03 YOU GO GIRL, THAT'S WELL SAID. NO, IT WAS GREAT.
• 25:06 IT'S ENCOURAGING.
• 25:07 PAUL TOOK ISRAEL'S HOPE BEYOND ISRAEL'S BORDERS. RIGHT
• 25:11 IN THE HOPE THAT INDIVIDUALS WOULD CROSS THOSE BORDERS
• 25:15 AND COME INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
• 25:16 WELL, AND GO BACK TO ACTS 1:8, IT SAYS:
• 25:18 "YOU WILL WITNESS IN JERUSALEM, ALL JUDEAN SAMARIA, AND THE ENTIRE WORLD."
• 25:23 AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT PAUL HAS DONE AND THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
• 25:27 YES, BUT THE DEVIL DOES SOMETHING TOO, SAD TO SAY. OH YEAH.
• 25:31 IF ONE LOOKS IN 1ST TIMOTHY CHAPTER 1:18-20 WE'RE TOLD:
• 25:49 PAUL WOULD KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SHIPWRECK TOO, BECAUSE HE WAS BEATEN UP IN THE WATERS.
• 25:53 THERE ARE PEOPLE TODAY, YES MAYBE EVEN YOU.
• 25:57 YOU'VE EXPERIENCED SHIPWRECK.
• 25:59 WHY IS IT?
• 26:00 BECAUSE YOUR INTERNAL COMPASS IS DEFILED WITH SIN.
• 26:06 YOU'VE CLOGGED IT UP, YOU'VE LOST YOUR WAY,
• 26:09 AND YOUR VESSEL HAS BEEN DASHED AGAINST THE ROCKS.
• 26:12 THAT'S THE BAD NEWS.
• 26:14 TAKE IT FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS SHIPWRECKED LITERALLY, WHO WAS ABLE TO REBOUND FROM IT.
• 26:19 HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW AND I WILL REMIND YOU THAT YOU CAN RECOVER FROM YOUR SHIPWRECKED LIFE,
• 26:24 IF YOU WOULD JUST REACH UP TO GOD AND ASK HIM TO FORGIVE YOU FOR YOUR SINS.
• 26:28 MAKE YOUR WAY TO A BIBLE BELIEVING CONGREGATION AND BEGIN AGAIN TO CULTIVATE THE LIFE.
• 26:34 AND THEN YOU CAN GET INTO PAUL'S WORD AND BECOME ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES.
• 26:37 ABSOLUTELY.
• 26:39 THIS IS OUR COMPASS, THE BIBLE IS OUR COMPASS.
• 26:42 IF OUR LIVES ARE NOT STRAIGHT, THE BIBLE WILL HELP US GET IT STRAIGHTENED OUT
• 26:46 AND SO WILL MESSIAH.
• 26:47 STAY TUNED.
• 26:49 NEXT WEEK IS OUR LAST SERIES AND THIS IS THE PROGRAM IN OUR SERIES.
• 26:52 I HATE IT, IT'S BEEN GREAT.
• 26:53 BUT JOIN US NEXT WEEK.
• 26:55 AND AS YOU GO.
• 26:55 SHA 'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM.
• 26:57 PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.