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

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