The Jewish roots of Christianity

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Bible teaching with an emphasis on Israel, prophecy and the Jewish roots of Christianity

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Episode: “Follow-up to the Thessalonians, and 1 Corinthians”
Jeff and Sandra examine the writings of Paul.
Series: “In The Footsteps of The Rabbi From Tarsus”
In this twelve-part TV series, Dr. Jeffrey Seif sheds light on the Apostle Paul, his movements, and his message. After examining Paul’s travels throughout the Roman Empire, Jeff analyzes Paul’s divinely inspired letters to early Church congregations, preserved in the New Testament.

Note: A newer version of this series is available.

Caption transcript for In The Footsteps of The Rabbi From Tarsus: “Follow-up to the Thessalonians, and 1 Corinthians” (8/12)

  • 00:03 WITH DR. JEFFERY SEIF AND SANDRA LEVITT
  • 01:01 A HEARTY SHALOM TO ALL OF YOU.
  • 01:02 JEFFERY SEIF HERE WITH MY FRIEND SANDRA LEVITT.
  • 01:04 SHALOM
  • 01:05 AND WELCOME BACK
  • 01:06 TO "IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS."
  • 01:09 OF COURSE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAUL.
  • 01:10 WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME MORE OF HIS PARCHMENTS THIS WEEK.
  • 01:13 CORINTHIANS, 2ND THESSALONIANS.
  • 01:15 YES, IN FACT IN THE THESSALONIAN CORRESPONDENCE,
  • 01:18 WE'RE WALKING INTO THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAUL'S DISCIPLES
  • 01:21 WHO ARE ACCORDING TO CHAPTER 1, VERSE 7, TROUBLED.
  • 01:25 TROUBLED.
  • 01:25 YOU EVER BEEN THERE BEFORE?
  • 01:27 ONCE OR TWICE.
  • 01:28 NOT LOOKING FOR TOO MUCH PERSONAL DISCLOSURE
  • 01:30 ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. >>NO.
  • 01:32 BUT THE GUT LEVEL TRUTH IS THAT WE ALL HAVE OUR TROUBLES.
  • 01:35 JEWISH EXPRESSION,
  • 01:36 "YOU GOT TROUBLE LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE TROUBLES."
  • 01:37 THESE PEOPLE REALLY ARE TROUBLED, >>THAT'S RIGHT THEY ARE TROUBLED.
  • 01:40 BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING PERSECUTED.
  • 01:41 BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THERE'S SOMEONE WHO LOVES THEM, PAUL.
  • 01:43 AND SO HE GOES TO SHARE WITH THEM.
  • 01:45 AND IT'S GOOD WHEN WE'RE IN TROUBLE
  • 01:47 TO GET A LITTLE HELP FROM SOME FRIENDS, DON'T YOU THINK?
  • 01:50 WELL, BUT HE ENCOURAGES THEM.
  • 01:51 HE TELLS THEM IT'S OK, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PERSECUTIONS.
  • 01:53 PLEASE KNOW THAT.
  • 01:55 IT'S OK, YOU'LL GET THROUGH IT.
  • 01:56 THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, BE STRONG.
  • 01:58 ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAD THEM BEFUDDLED TOO,
  • 02:01 WAS THE FACT THAT THEY FELT THE END OF THE WORLD WAS AT HAND
  • 02:04 AND THEY WERE CONFUSED ESCHATOLOGICALLY.
  • 02:07 WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM TODAY, DO WE?
  • 02:08 NO, OH NO.
  • 02:10 WE ALL KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL PRE-TRIBS.
  • 02:11 RIGHT.
  • 02:13 I FIND IT FASCINATING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE UNFOLDING OF THE WORD
  • 02:16 THERE'S CONFUSION ABOUT THE ENDGAME IN HUMAN EXPERIENCE,
  • 02:20 BIBLE PROPHECY, IN MUCH THE SAME WAY TODAY,
  • 02:22 THERE'S ALL KINDS OF COMPETING VISIONS AND CONFUSION AND EVERYTHING.
  • 02:26 OH, IS THE END NOW?
  • 02:28 IS THE END GONNA BE IN THE MIDDLE?
  • 02:29 IS THE END GONNA BE AT THE END?
  • 02:31 THERE IS, THERE ALWAYS IS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE END TIMES
  • 02:34 AND PAUL GIVES THE CLEAR SIGNS AGAIN, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
  • 02:37 AND HOW BOUT THAT WE WHO WANNA KNOW THE END
  • 02:40 DECIDE TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING. >>AMEN
  • 02:43 AND WE LET OURSELVES BE INSTRUCTED BY THE SAGE RABBI.
  • 02:46 WE WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS
  • 02:49 AND SEE WHAT WE CAN LEARN.
  • 02:50 ABSOLUTELY.
  • 02:51 HERE IS JEFF AND HE'S TEACHING AGAIN.
  • 02:52 WE'RE IN ATHENS.
  • 02:55 PAUL, THE APOSTLE HAD CITIZENSHIP IN TWO WORLDS.
  • 03:02 WE KNOW THAT HE HAS ROOTS IN BIBLICAL ISRAELITE CULTURE ON THE ONE HAND,
  • 03:07 ON THE OTHER HAND HE BELONGED TO ROME AND HE WAS PROUD OF IT.
  • 03:13 AND ROME WAS THE GRANDCHILD OF GREECE.
  • 03:19 AND HERE WE ARE IN ATHENS.
  • 03:23 ATHENS WAS A CITY IN ITS GLORY WHEN PAUL WALKED ATOP THESE ROCKS SOME 2000 YEARS AGO,
  • 03:30 DURING WHICH TIME HIS HEART WAS STIRRED WITHIN HIM.
  • 03:34 IN FACT, HIS HEART WAS STIRRED BEFORE HE GOT HERE,
  • 03:37 BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT HE WAS IN EFFECT KICKED OUT OF THESSALONICA.
  • 03:41 HE LEFT IN HASTE AND THERE WAS UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
  • 03:44 HIS HEART REMAINED THERE AND SO WHEN HE HEARD WORD THERE ABOUT DIFFICULTIES, HE WROTE BACK.
  • 03:50 HE WROTE 1ST THESSALONIANS TO ENCOURAGE THE CHURCH IN PART, BECAUSE THEY WERE SUFFERING.
  • 03:56 AND NOT JUST SUFFERING IN GENERAL,
  • 03:58 BUT THERE'S AN ARGUMENT THAT SOME EVEN DIED IN PERSECUTION.
  • 04:02 IN FACT, PAUL ADDRESSED THAT ISSUE WHEN HE WROTE THEM THE 1ST LETTER IN 1ST THESSALONIANS,
  • 04:08 WHICH HE ARGUABLY WROTE FROM HERE, FROM ATHENS.
  • 04:13 PAUL WROTE THEM AND ENCOURAGED THEM IN THEIR FAITH.
  • 04:16 AND HE NOTED THOSE WHO HAD FALLEN ASLEEP IN CHRIST, THOSE WHO HAD DIED.
  • 04:20 HE SAYS IN VERSE 13 OF THE 4TH CHAPTER,
  • 04:36 IT SEEMS HOWEVER THAT AFTER WRITING THE FIRST LETTER
  • 04:39 THAT THERE WAS SOME UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
  • 04:42 THERE SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION AS WELL
  • 04:44 PROMPTING PAUL TO WRITE BACK A 2ND LETTER FROM HERE
  • 04:49 AND IF NOT FROM HERE IN ATHENS SPECIFICALLY,
  • 04:52 HE AT LEAST WROTE FROM PROXIMITY TO HERE,
  • 04:55 IN ORDER TO CLEAR UP SOME CONFUSION. IT WAS LEFT OVER FROM HIS 1ST LETTER.
  • 05:00 IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THE THESSALONIANS WERE CONCERNED.
  • 05:04 PAUL SPOKE ABOUT DEATH, PAUL SPOKE ABOUT THE COMING OF THE LORD
  • 05:08 AND IT WAS CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT IT ALL MEANT.
  • 05:11 PROMPTING HIM TO WRITE IN THE 2ND CHAPTER, IN THE 1ST VERSE HE SAYS,
  • 05:31 IT'S STRIKING AT ONE LEVEL THAT AS PAUL IS IN AND AROUND ATHENS
  • 05:35 AND HE'S THINKING ABOUT THE CHURCH IN THESSALONICA.
  • 05:38 HE'S CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY'RE CONCERNED WHY THERE'S CONFUSION
  • 05:42 ABOUT HOW HISTORY'S GONNA PLAY ITSELF OUT,
  • 05:44 PROMPTING CALLED PAUL TO SPELL IT OUT THE MORE SO.
  • 05:47 AND HERE HE TALKS TO THEM ABOUT ISSUES GERMANE TO CHRIST'S 2ND COMING.
  • 05:51 AND IT'S INTERESTING, EVEN AS MUCH AS THERE'S CONFUSION TODAY IT SEEMS THAT YESTERDAY,
  • 05:55 IN FACT AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH
  • 05:58 IT WAS CONFUSION ABOUT HOW THE ENDGAME WAS GONNA PLAY ITSELF OUT.
  • 06:01 PROMPTING PAUL TO SPELL IT OUT FOR THEM,
  • 06:04 WHICH HE DOES HERE WHEN HE WRITES TO THE THESSALONIANS, HERE IN 2ND THESSALONIANS.
  • 06:16 IT'S CALLED THE ERECHTHEION.
  • 06:17 ARGUABLY THE PLACE, WELL ACCORDING THE MYTHOLOGY
  • 06:20 WHERE ATHENA FOUGHT POSEIDON FOR ATHENS.
  • 06:25 AND THERE'S A TEMPLE BUILT OVER THE SPOT TO COMMEMORATE THAT VICTORY.
  • 06:31 PAUL WRITES FROM ATHENS TO THE THESSALONIANS
  • 06:36 AND IN HIS 2ND CORRESPONDENCE TO THE THESSALONIANS
  • 06:41 HE WRITES THEM ABOUT ANOTHER TEMPLE, NOT THIS ONE.
  • 06:45 HE WRITES THEM ABOUT A DESECRATION OF A TEMPLE.
  • 06:47 WHY?
  • 06:49 BECAUSE, THE THESSALONIANS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT LIFE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GRAVE.
  • 06:54 AND WHAT WILL BE TRANSACTED AT THE END OF TIME
  • 06:57 AS CHRISTIANS ARE TRANSPORTED AWAY TO THEIR ETERNAL HOME RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF HISTORY.
  • 07:02 HE IS TALKING ABOUT EVIL THINGS AT DAYS END IN 2ND THESSALONIANS.
  • 07:09 HE EXHORTS THEM IN CHAPTER 2, VERSE 3,
  • 07:22 PAUL ENVISIONS A WORLD WHERE THINGS GO BAD.
  • 07:24 HE SEES DEFILEMENT IN THE WORLD.
  • 07:27 THIS MAY TO A CERTAIN EXTENT HAVE BEEN STIMULATED THE MORE SO
  • 07:31 BY VIRTUE OF HIS RECENT EXPERIENCES IN ATHENS,
  • 07:34 WHERE HE'S SEEN ALL KINDS OF PAGAN WORSHIP.
  • 07:37 LUKE ALREADY TELLS US THAT HE'S TROUBLED IN SPIRIT BECAUSE OF IT ALL.
  • 07:41 DOES HE SEE THAT BIBLICAL WORSHIP'S GONNA BE OVER RUN BY PAGAN
  • 07:45 AND EVIL THINGS THAT SEEMS THAT HE DOES?
  • 07:49 HE SAY'S THERE'S A FALLING AWAY AND THEN HE SAYS THAT THERE'S THIS PERSONALITY WHO EMERGES,
  • 07:54 WHO ACCORDING TO PAUL:
  • 08:09 FOR ME IT'S STRIKING IN PART THAT PAUL WOULD BE SPEAKING THIS WAY.
  • 08:12 IN PART BECAUSE THE LANDSCAPE AROUND ATHENS IS DOTTED BY TEMPLES,
  • 08:16 THAT ARE SEATS TO VARIOUS DEITIES AND FOR HIM
  • 08:18 THIS EPITOMIZES WHAT THE ANTI-MESSIAH WILL DO AT DAYS END,
  • 08:24 COME AND CLAIM THAT HE'S GOD.
  • 08:26 BUT HERE HE HAS IN MIND, NOT SO MUCH THE WORSHIP FACILITIES BEHIND ME.
  • 08:31 AND BY THE WAY I'M COMING TO YOU FROM THE ACROPOLIS IN THE PARTHENONS CLOSE TO ME.
  • 08:38 THIS IS THE MAJOR SIGHT OF GREEK INFLUENCE AND PHILOSOPHY IN THE WORLD.
  • 08:43 WHEN PAUL TALKS ABOUT A TEMPLE GOING BAD HE'S NOT SPEAKING ABOUT SIGHTS HERE,
  • 08:47 HIS SIGHTS ARE SET ON THE JEWISH WORLD WHERE THE TEMPLE STANDS.
  • 08:51 AND HE SEES A GREAT DEFILEMENT AT DAYS END.
  • 08:54 AND HE WARNS THE THESSALONIANS TO BE EVER IN THE READY,
  • 08:58 TO BE WALKING WITH THE LORD SUCH THAT AS HISTORY UNFOLDS
  • 09:03 THEY MIGHT NOT CONCEIVABLY GET SWEPT AWAY IN DELUSION AND DECEPTION.
  • 09:08 IT SEEMS TO ME IT'S A GOOD WORD FOR TODAY AS WELL.
  • 09:10 PAUL SAID THIS AND OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
  • 09:13 AND OF COURSE WE'LL WELL SERVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE TEACHINGS OF THIS MAN.
  • 09:16 AS WE WALK IN HIS FOOTSTEPS, THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
  • 09:32 A PICTURE TELLS A THOUSAND WORDS.
  • 09:36 AND IF YOU LOVE THE ON LOCATION PICTURES
  • 09:38 AS WE'RE WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS,
  • 09:42 THEN YOU WILL LOVE OUR 12 PROGRAM, 3 DVD SET
  • 09:48 WHEREIN WE GIVE TO YOU THE WHOLE PACKAGE.
  • 09:51 YOU CAN WALK WITH US IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAUL.
  • 09:53 IF YOU'D LIKE TO WALK WITH US DOWN LIFE'S HIGHWAY:
  • 09:56 1-800-WONDERS IS THE NUMBER TO CALL.
  • 10:00 YOU CAN GET OUR FREE LEVITT LETTER, OUR MAGAZINE.
  • 10:03 YOU CAN ORDER THE DVD SERIES AND MORE.
  • 10:07 AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL WITH US TO JEWISH LANDS, ISRAEL,
  • 10:11 AND TO LANDS WHERE PAUL TRAVELED IN GREECE.
  • 10:17 AS GORGEOUS AND AS MUCH AS I LIKE GREECE I DON'T EVER WANNA FORGET MY FIRST LOVE
  • 10:23 AND MY FIRST LOVE IS ISRAEL.
  • 10:25 I LOVE SHOWING YOU ISRAEL, JEFF AND I WOULD LOVE TO SHOW YOU ISRAEL, IT'S JUST MY HEART.
  • 10:29 I HOPE YOU DON'T LET OUR GUIDE GINA HEAR YOU TALK LIKE THAT.
  • 10:33 SHE KNOWS HOW MUCH I LOVE ISRAEL,
  • 10:34 EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW MUCH I LOVE ISRAEL.
  • 10:36 I JUST LOVE GETTING INTO THE BIBLICAL DRAMA
  • 10:38 AND ESCORTING PEOPLE THERE TO THE GREATEST STORY IN THE WORLD.
  • 10:41 WELL AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CORINTH.
  • 10:43 YOU'RE GONNA DO SOME TEACHING FROM CORINTH AND IT'S WONDERFUL.
  • 10:45 I LOVE IN 2ND THESSALONIANS
  • 10:47 WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT PAUL AND THE BRETHREN.
  • 10:49 HE SAYS IN 2ND THESSALONIANS 3:13,
  • 10:52 "BE YE BRETHREN, BE NOT WEARY IN DOING GOOD, KEEP ON GOING."
  • 10:58 WE'VE GOT INSTRUCTIONS RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF US.
  • 11:00 WHAT? PEOPLE RUN OUTTA STEAM?
  • 11:02 THEY GET TIRED.
  • 11:04 YOU KNOW THE WORD ENCOURAGE MEANS TO BREATHE COURAGE IN.
  • 11:07 SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN BECOME DISTRAUGHT.
  • 11:10 WELL THINK ABOUT IT,
  • 11:11 YOU BECOME A NEW BELIEVER AND YOU'RE A CHURCH
  • 11:14 AND FALSE TEACHING COMES IN AND YOU'RE NOT REALLY STRONG, YOU'VE GOT TO GET STRONG.
  • 11:18 HE'S GIVING THEM INSTRUCTIONS.
  • 11:19 LET'S LISTEN TO YOU IN CORINTH.
  • 11:21 HERE'S JEFF IN CORINTH.
  • 11:25 WELCOME TO ANCIENT CORINTH,
  • 11:28 WHERE ANCIENT WORLDS COLLIDED AND WHERE PEOPLE COLLIDED WITHIN THOSE WORLDS.
  • 11:36 EVIDENCE OF THIS MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT IS STILL GLEAMED FROM THIS SIGHT
  • 11:43 2000 YEARS AFTER THE BIBLICAL STORY WAS PLAYED OUT HERE.
  • 11:46 EVEN IT EXTENDS WAY BEYOND THAT, WE HAVE THE ONCE GREAT TEMPLE TO APOLLOS TO MY WEST.
  • 11:54 WE HAVE A SANCTUARY TO MY EAST WHERE THE GREEKS WERE LOOKING OVER TO THE EDGE OF LIFE,
  • 12:03 OVER THE EDGE IN FACT TO THE GRAVE.
  • 12:05 YOU CAN SEE A LAUREL WREATH
  • 12:07 WHERE A FERRYMAN IS TENDERING A BOAT TO TAKE THE DEAD TO HADES.
  • 12:14 WE CAN FIND JUST TO MY NORTH WHAT WAS THE SIGHT OF THE TEMPLE OF APHRODITES.
  • 12:23 JUST STRAIGHT AWAY IS THE IONIAN SEA WHICH TOOK SAILERS DUE WEST TO ITALY.
  • 12:29 AND THEN NOT FAR FROM HERE THERE'S A PORT WHERE ANCIENT CORINTH COULD
  • 12:35 IN A REASONABLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME GET CONNECTED TO THE AEGEAN SEA.
  • 12:40 AND BY VIRTUE OF THAT ASIA MINOR AND POINTS EAST.
  • 12:44 CORINTH, IT WAS A VAST CITY.
  • 12:47 A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE LIVED HERE.
  • 12:50 AND IT'S ESTIMATED BY SOME THAT 200,000 OF THEM WERE JEWS.
  • 12:55 ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE CAME TO THIS PLACE AND ALL KINDS OF IDEAS WERE REPRESENTED IN THIS PLACE.
  • 13:02 ON PAUL'S 2ND MISSIONARY JOURNEY, PAUL INJECTED A NEW WAY OF THINKING INTO THIS WORLD,
  • 13:10 AS HE, WE'RE TOLD IN ACTS CHAPTER 18, HE MADE HIS WAY TO CORINTH AFTER ATHENS.
  • 13:17 AND THERE HE WE'RE TOLD ENTERED INTO A SYNAGOGUE.
  • 13:21 HE ALWAYS COULD GET A SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT.
  • 13:24 HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE PERUSHIM, THE PHARISEES, SO HE COULD GET INVITED IN,
  • 13:27 BUT THEN HE TAUGHT STRANGE NEW THINGS AND INVOKED THE IRE OF SOME BY VIRTUE OF HIS SO DOING.
  • 13:33 STILL PROMINENT JEWS HAD COME TO FAITH AND LUKE TELLS US THAT THE HEAD,
  • 13:39 ZEKENIM, THE HEAD ELDER OF THE SYNAGOGUE, THE ARCH SYNAGAGOS,
  • 13:44 TO USE A GREEK EXPRESSION HAD COME TO FAITH AS WELL.
  • 13:47 CREATING QUITE A STIR I'D IMAGINE.
  • 13:49 SO PAUL AS HIS CUSTOM WAS HE GOES INTO SYNAGOGUES AND PEOPLE COME TO FAITH IN HIM,
  • 13:57 BUT THEN THERE'S QUITE A STIR.
  • 13:59 WELL, HE LABORED FOR THE BETTER PART OF 18 MONTHS HERE IN CORINTH
  • 14:03 TO ESTABLISH A CONGREGATION, BUT THEN HE MOVES ON DOWN THE ROAD
  • 14:08 AND HE WRITES THIS DOCUMENT CALLED 1ST CORINTHIANS FROM THE CITY OF EPHESUS.
  • 14:16 WE'VE TAKEN YOU THERE.
  • 14:17 YOU'LL SEE EPHESUS IN ALL OF IT'S ANCIENT GRANDEUR AS WELL.
  • 14:21 WELL WHAT HAPPENS IS PAUL GETS WORD.
  • 14:25 WE'RE TOLD IN 1ST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1, VERSE 11,
  • 14:28 THAT MEMBERS FROM CLOE'S HOUSEHOLD, PROBABLY A LEADING MEMBER OF A CONGREGATION HERE,
  • 14:34 HAD GOTTEN THE OFF TO PAUL THAT THINGS HAVE CRATERED IN CORINTH.
  • 14:38 PAUL WAS VERY DISCONCERTED THAT NOT EVERYONE WAS MINDED TO RESPOND TO HIS AUTHORITY.
  • 14:44 SOME SAID I BELONG TO PAUL, SOME SAID BELONG TO APPOLOS,
  • 14:48 A NOTE WORTHY TEACHER FROM ALEXANDRIA EGYPT IN ANTIQUITY.
  • 14:53 A GUY WHO'D COME TO FAITH IN JESUS.
  • 14:55 SOME SAY I BELONG TO PAUL, I BELONG TO APPOLOS,
  • 14:57 I BELONG TO THIS AND THAT AND PAUL IS WRAPPED AROUND THE AXLE.
  • 15:01 HE IS NOT A HAPPY CAMPER, BECAUSE HIS AUTHORITY HAS BEEN QUESTIONED.
  • 15:04 BEYOND THAT, PAUL LEARNS OF SEXUAL IMPROPRIETY THAT IT WAS RIPE IN CORINTH.
  • 15:11 IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE AT ONE LEVEL WE'RE ALL WIRED WITH SEXUAL IMPULSES,
  • 15:16 BUT THE CORINTHIANS WERE GIVEN TO GIVE FREE VENT TO THEIR INTEREST AND EXPRESSIONS.
  • 15:21 THIS IS SO MUCH THE CASE THAT TO REFER TO SOMEONE AS A CORINTHIAN,
  • 15:24 WAS IN AFFECT TO SAY THAT THEY WERE LOOSE WITH THEIR SEXUAL FAVORS.
  • 15:28 THIS IS MADE POPULAR IN HISTORY
  • 15:31 IN FACT BECAUSE OF A TEMPLE THAT I ALLUDED TO EARLIER TO APHRODITES,
  • 15:35 WHERE STRABO AN ANCIENT HISTORIAN SAYS,
  • 15:38 THERE WERE THE BETTER PART OF 1,000 TEMPLE PROSTITUTES,
  • 15:42 THAT USE TO WEAR ON THE HEELS OF THE SHOES A LITTLE SIGN THAT SAID, "FOLLOW ME."
  • 15:46 AND THEY'D LEAD PEOPLE OFF TO ATTEND TO THEIR BUSINESS.
  • 15:49 WELL THE GREEKS AND THE ROMANS WEREN'T VERY SQUEAMISH ABOUT SEXUALITY
  • 15:54 AND HERE IN CORINTH LICENTIOUSNESS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN CELEBRATED.
  • 15:59 SO WHAT HAPPENS IS SOME PEOPLE COME TO FAITH IN JESUS,
  • 16:02 BUT THEY'D BRING THEIR OLD WAY OF BEING IN THE NEW ECONOMY.
  • 16:05 AND THE NET RESULT IS THAT PAUL DEALS WITH A CHURCH WHERE THERE'S SEXUAL RELATED ISSUES
  • 16:10 THAT NEED TO BE ATTENDED TO.
  • 16:12 AS IT'S AMPLY REFLECTED IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT WE CALL 1ST CORINTHIANS.
  • 16:25 IT WAS A FRACTURED CHURCH, IT WAS A DIVIDED CHURCH.
  • 16:29 AND THE BUSINESS OF THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY BEING SCATTERED
  • 16:33 AND FRACTURED SEEMS AMPLY ATTESTED NOT JUST IN THE VERBIAGE,
  • 16:37 IN THE LITERATURE FROM THIS ANCIENT CORINTHIAN DOCUMENT,
  • 16:40 BUT EVEN IN CORINTH ITSELF, HERE THERE WAS A SHRINE TO ASCLEPIUS THE GOD OF HEALING.
  • 16:47 AND THEREIN THE PEOPLE THAT WERE AFFLICTED WITH SICKNESSES WOULD TAKE A BODY PART THAT WAS ILL
  • 16:53 AND THEY WOULD GIVE A CAST OF THAT TO TRY AND GET ATTENTION OF THE GOD
  • 16:57 AND SAY LOOK AT THIS BODY PART.
  • 16:59 SO THERE ARE A VARIETY OF BODY PARTS THAT WERE UNCOVERED HERE WHEN IT WAS EXCAVATED,
  • 17:02 SOME OF WHICH ARE IN FACT ARE BEING DISPLAYED RIGHT NOW.
  • 17:05 WELL THE IMAGE OF BODY PARTS SCATTERED ABOUT PAUL USES IT IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE TEXT TO SAY,
  • 17:12 DON'T SAY I'M BETTER THAN THIS AND THAT, WE'RE ALL ONE BODY ORGANICALLY LINKED TOGETHER.
  • 17:17 OF COURSE PAUL WAS CHALLENGING THAT BODY TO COME TOGETHER
  • 17:21 BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
  • 17:23 SPEAKING OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS PAUL WHO WRITES FROM EPHESUS WAS MINDED TO CROSS THE AEGEAN SEA
  • 17:30 AND COME AND SEE THEM, HOWEVER, HE WAS NOT WANTING TO DO SO AT THIS JUNCTURE.
  • 17:34 HE WANTED TO GIVE THEM A TENSE LETTER OR REBUKE,
  • 17:37 THE KIND OF REBUKE THAT A FATHER WILL GIVE IN ORDER TO TRY AND CORRECT THE WAYWARD CHILDREN.
  • 17:43 I LOVE THE WAY HE ENDS AND LET ME END ON THAT NOTE AS WELL.
  • 17:46 HE SHARES TRAVEL PLANS HERE IN 1ST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 16, VERSE 5 HE SAYS,
  • 18:04 HE SAYS IN VERSE 7 SOMETHING THAT'S REVEALING I BELIEVE, HE SAYS,
  • 18:11 THIS WAS A REBUKE.
  • 18:12 THE RABBI FROM TARSUS WAS DISCONCERTED
  • 18:15 BY INFORMATION THAT HE RECEIVED RELEVANT TO THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH
  • 18:21 AND HE WANTED THEM TO MEND THEIR WAYS IN ORDER THAT WHEN HE CAME TO THEM
  • 18:25 HE MIGHT NOT HAVE TO HAVE SUCH A TENSE DISPOSITION,
  • 18:28 BUT CAN SHARE SOME OF THE AFFECTION THAT HE WANTED.
  • 18:31 WELL IT'S ALL ABOUT GROWING AND GROWING AND HERE PAUL AS WE FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS
  • 18:36 WE SEE HIM WRITING, EXHORTING, DISCIPLINING,
  • 18:39 BUT LOVING AMIDST IT ALL AS HE LOOKS TO HOW PEOPLE WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS.
  • 18:45 THIS WE SEE AS WE WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
  • 19:01 PAUL DIDN'T HAVE DVDs AND MOVIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, HE HAD TO USE WHAT WAS AVAILABLE TO HIM.
  • 19:08 AND HE USED THESE IDOLS THAT THESE PEOPLE MADE
  • 19:11 THAT THEY GAVE,
  • 19:12 PLEASE HEAL ME IF MY HAND IS HURT OR MY FOOT IS HURT,
  • 19:14 THE FRACTURING AND THEN HE TAKES THAT
  • 19:16 AND USES IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
  • 19:18 YEAH THEY HAD CAST OF HANDS AND BODY PARTS. >>YES, AWFUL.
  • 19:20 YOU KNOW PAUL'S USING VISUALS >>AWFUL.
  • 19:23 REMINDS ME OF JESUS WHO SPOKE PARABLES >>YEAH, RIGHT
  • 19:25 AND PAUL USED THE ANALOGY OF THE HUMAN BODY.
  • 19:29 NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK, PAUL SAYS HERE
  • 19:31 IN THE CORINTHIAN CORRESPONDENCES HE SAYS,
  • 19:33 "LISTEN GUYS DON'T BE LIKE THOSE DISMEMBERED PARTS CHOPPED UP."
  • 19:36 HAVE WE REALLY HEARD THAT MESSAGE TODAY AND APPLIED IT?
  • 19:39 I'M NOT TOO SURE, I DON'T THINK SO.
  • 19:41 IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT'S ALL HACKED UP.
  • 19:45 FAMILIES ARE HACKED UP, CONGREGATIONS CAN BE HACKED UP.
  • 19:49 THE CORINTHIAN COMMUNITY WAS HACKED UP AND PAUL'S TRYING TO GET THEM TOGETHER.
  • 19:53 WELL AND THEY'RE A NEW CONGREGATION AS MOST OF THEM WERE,
  • 19:56 BUT THEY LET THEMSELVES GET CAUGHT UP IN THE CULTURE OF THE DAY.
  • 20:00 AND HERE IS THE CULTURE THAT IS CORINTHIAN, IT IS THE WORST.
  • 20:04 IT'S SORT OF LIKE,
  • 20:05 "WHAT STAYS, HAPPENS IN CORINTH, STAYS IN CORINTH."
  • 20:07 IT WAS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO BE.
  • 20:09 AND THEY'RE YOUNG, THEY'RE TRYING,
  • 20:10 SO HE'S RIDING IN AND HELPING THEM,
  • 20:12 PLEASE UNDERSTAND YOU ARE WHAT YOU ARE.
  • 20:15 NOW SPEAK ABOUT UNDERSTANDING, GINA IS... SHE'S ENCYCLOPEDIC OF HER KNOWLEDGE >>OH, MY.
  • 20:21 AND SHE DOES A GREAT JOB OF GETTING US INTO THE GREEK WORLD, DOESN'T SHE?
  • 20:25 SHE REALLY DOES.
  • 20:26 I KNOW I LEARN SOMETHING FROM HER ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TIME I GO TO GREECE.
  • 20:29 HERE IS GINA.
  • 20:32 WE ARE IN CORINTH, GREECE.
  • 20:35 IN FACT WE'RE NOT VERY FAR FROM THE BEMA,
  • 20:37 WHAT WE CALL THE BEMA SEA.
  • 20:39 WHAT IS BEHIND US? IT'S THE AGORA. >>THAT'S, VERY >>TRUE, THE AGORA.
  • 20:41 THE AGORA OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE MARKETPLACE,
  • 20:44 THE FORUM TO THE ANCIENT ROMANS,
  • 20:47 BUT WE USE TO CALL IT AGORA.
  • 20:49 WHICH MEANS A PLACE OF REUNION.
  • 20:53 AND A SIMPLE PLACE FOR THE CITIZENS OF AN ANCIENT CITY.
  • 20:56 IT HAD A GREAT MEANING, I MEAN IT WAS POLITICAL CENTERED,
  • 21:01 IT WAS A SOCIAL CENTER.
  • 21:02 THE ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER OF THE CITY WAS THERE ALSO.
  • 21:06 AND IT WAS THERE WHERE THE PHILOSOPHERS USE TO GATHER
  • 21:10 IN ORDER TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC TO THE CITIZENS OF THE CITIES.
  • 21:13 I'M ALSO THINKING THERE WERE SHOPPING,
  • 21:15 THERE WERE SHOPS AROUND. >>I LOVE THE SHOPS
  • 21:17 GOLD SHOPS, SILVER SHOPS, POTTERY. >>YES
  • 21:19 YES, BASICALLY POTTERY, BECAUSE POTTERY WAS LOCAL ART OF CORINTH,
  • 21:26 BECAUSE OF THE VERY GOOD QUALITY,
  • 21:29 THE VERY FINE QUALITY OF CLAY.
  • 21:30 THEY CREATED, YOU KNOW THEY STARTED CREATING POTTERY SINCE THE 2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.,
  • 21:36 THE CORINTHIANS.
  • 21:37 AND THEY USE TO TRADE THE VASES.
  • 21:39 THE CORINTHIAN VASES BECAME VERY WELL KNOW
  • 21:43 ALL THROUGHOUT THE HISTORICAL ERA. >>RIGHT.
  • 21:47 AND WE CAN SEE SOME OF THEM IN THE MUSEUM.
  • 21:49 THE PLACE IS LOCATED BETWEEN 2 PORTS.
  • 21:52 RIGHT
  • 21:54 THE PORT OF CENCHREA ON THIS SIDE ON THE EAST
  • 21:57 IN THE SARONIC GULF WHERE THE AEGEAN SEAS.
  • 22:00 AND THE PORT OF LECHIUM ON THE WEST WHERE THE CORINTHIAN GULF IS.
  • 22:06 SO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT MANY SHIP USE TO COME HERE
  • 22:09 AND DOCK AND SPEND A FEW DAYS,
  • 22:11 CAPTAINS OF SHIPS AND SAILORS USED TO GO UP TO THE ACROCORINTH
  • 22:16 WHERE THIS CENTER OF APHRODITE WAS,
  • 22:18 WHERE THE 1,000 PRIESTESSES ARE, YOU KNOW.
  • 22:21 AND OF COURSE THE PLACE ITSELF WAS REALLY VERY PROSPEROUS,
  • 22:26 BECAUSE OF THE PLAIN OF CORINTH, IT LIES FURTHER DOWN.
  • 22:30 IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT PAUL WOULD'VE SEEN.
  • 22:32 HE WOULD'VE SEEN THE COMMERCIAL.
  • 22:33 HE WOULD'VE SEEN THE RELIGIOUS.
  • 22:35 HE WOULD'VE SEEN THERE'S A SYNAGOGUE HERE.
  • 22:37 OF COURSE THERE WAS A SYNAGOGUE.
  • 22:39 AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVED HERE
  • 22:41 AND HOW MANY WERE JEW AND IT WAS...
  • 22:42 WITH THE ESTIMATED FIGURE OF THE POPULATION
  • 22:46 IS 400,000 OUT OF WHICH 200,000 MUST HAVE BEEN JEWS, RIGHT?
  • 22:53 AND THAT'S WHY THERE WAS THIS SYNAGOGUE.
  • 22:55 NOW WE HAVE MANY THEORIES
  • 22:56 AND WE HAVE MANY SPECULATIONS
  • 22:57 ABOUT THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE SYNAGOGUE.
  • 23:00 THE GREEK ARCHEOLOGISTS WANTED TO BE OUT OF THE MAIN MARKETPLACE.
  • 23:06 SOME OTHERS PREFERRED TO INHABITING THE PORT OF CORINTH
  • 23:13 WHERE STILL IT REMAINS UNKNOWN,
  • 23:15 THE SIGHT OF THE SYNAGOGUE REMAINS UNKNOWN.
  • 23:17 THE ONLY THING THAT WE FOUND SO FAR IS A PART OF A MARBLE,
  • 23:23 A PIECE OF MARBLE WHICH BEARS IN GREEK THE INSCRIPTION,...
  • 23:27 "HEBREW SYNAGOGUE."
  • 23:31 AND OF COURSE ANOTHER PIECE OF MARBLE, BOTH IN THE MUSEUM OF CORINTH,
  • 23:36 THAT BEARS THE SIGN OF THE MENORAH.
  • 23:50 MUSIC
  • 24:36 ZOLA MAKES GREAT MUSIC DOESN'T HE?
  • 24:39 AND I THINK THAT GINA AND SANDRA MAKE GREAT MUSIC TOO,
  • 24:42 AS WE LOOK AT THE BACKGROUND OF CITY OF CORINTH.
  • 24:45 ONE THAT WAS VERY ECLECTIC SOCIALLY AND WE KNOW FROM THE BIBLICAL TEXT
  • 24:51 THAT THEY WERE VERY DIVIDED SOCIALLY AND SPIRITUALLY.
  • 24:55 NOW WOULD THAT THE LESSON THAT PAUL ADVOCATED FOR YESTERDAY BE LEARNED TODAY.
  • 25:02 AND BY THAT I MEAN, PAUL SAYS,
  • 25:05 LISTEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE ALL ONE BODY, IN 1ST CORINTHIANS 12.
  • 25:10 MANY PARTS ONE BODY.
  • 25:13 COME ON LET'S GET ALONG.
  • 25:16 LET'S PRACTICE SOME GRACE, LET'S LUBRICATE RELATIONSHIPS, LET'S KEEP IT SMOOTH.
  • 25:23 IT SEEMS TO ME TODAY THAT INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES OF INDIVIDUALS ARE ALL CHOPPED UP,
  • 25:29 BECAUSE WE DON'T DO WHAT THE MAN SAID.
  • 25:32 HEAR ME ON THIS, PRACTICE FORGIVENESS, PRACTICE GRACE,
  • 25:36 AND THEN YOU'LL FIND YOUR PLACE IN THE BODY THAT PAUL'S TALKING ABOUT HERE IN 1ST CORINTHIANS.
  • 25:41 WOW!
  • 25:42 THAT IS TERRIFIC.
  • 25:44 WELL THANK YOU.
  • 25:45 A 30 SECOND SERMON.
  • 25:46 THAT IS JUST TERRIFIC,
  • 25:47 BUT I ALSO LIKE WHAT PAUL SAYS ABOUT WE HAVE VICTORY.
  • 25:48 WE HAVE THE VICTORY OVER DEATH, OVER SIN,
  • 25:53 WE HAVE THAT POWER OF VICTORY.
  • 25:55 WHY IS IT THAT WE WALK AROUND SO DEFEATED SO OFTEN?
  • 25:58 I DON'T KNOW.
  • 25:59 WHY IS IT THAT WE AS CHRISTIANS, WE WALK AROUND AND SAY,
  • 26:01 (MELANCHOLY) "YES I'M A CHRISTIAN?"
  • 26:02 WHY DO WE NOT SAY, (ENTHUSIASTIC) "YES, I'M A CHRISTIAN?"
  • 26:05 1ST CORINTHIANS 15 UNDERSCORES
  • 26:07 THE TRIUMPH OF GOD IN HUMAN AFFAIRS.
  • 26:09 AT THE END OF THE DAY WE ARE SO TRIUMPHANT.
  • 26:12 WE ARE.
  • 26:13 WE HAVE EVERYTHING TO LIVE FOR, EVERYTHING.
  • 26:15 OUR SINS HAVE BEEN PAID FOR, WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE WITH OUR MESSIAH.
  • 26:19 THERE IS NOTHING WE SHOULD BE DEFEATED ABOUT EVER.
  • 26:23 WELL SPEAKING OF DEFEAT, THAT IS "THE FEET," >>THE FEET.
  • 26:27 WE'RE FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF OUR RABBI FROM TARSUS.
  • 26:30 AND WE JOURNEY ON BACK TO CORINTHIANS AGAIN
  • 26:33 IN THE NOT SO DISTANT FUTURE, >>WE DO.
  • 26:34 TO LOOK AT THAT 2ND EPISTLE.
  • 26:35 WE DO, AND I HOPE YOU JOIN US.
  • 26:37 AND AS YOU GO.
  • 26:38 SHA 'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM.
  • 26:40 PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.

Episodes in this series

  1. First Steps Toward Christ
  2. First “Official” Ministry Journey
  3. Apostolic Ordination and Subsequent Missionary Journey
  4. Second and Third Missionary Journeys
  5. Arrest and Appeal to Rome for Trial
  6. Roman Imprisonment, Release, Travels, and Death
  7. Paul’s Earliest Writings: Galatians and 1 Thessalonians
  8. Follow-up to the Thessalonians, and 1 Corinthians
  9. Reconciliation with the Corinthians, and Roman Correspondence
  10. Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians
  11. Letters to the Philippians and Timothy
  12. Final Steps and Farewell Letters to Titus and Timothy

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