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: “Reconciliation with the Corinthians, and Roman Correspondence”
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Note: A newer version of this series is available.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: “Reconciliation with the Corinthians, and Roman Correspondence” (9/12)

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

Episodes in this series

  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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