The Jewish roots of Christianity

Home » Zola TV » Video Archives » ZLM Video

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

This program is not available for playing in your browser (see below for alternatives).

Play video (28:13)

Note: You can control playback speed from the gear menu in the player above.

Episode: “First ‘Official’ Ministry Journey”
Paul’s movements in Jerusalem, Tarsus, and Cilicia, and his “Famine Relief” visit to Jerusalem.
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Note: A newer version of this series is available.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: “First ‘Official’ Ministry Journey” (2/12)

  • 00:04 WITH DR. JEFFERY SEIF AND SANDRA LEVITT
  • 01:00 A HEARTY SHALOM TO ALL OF YOU.
  • 01:02 JEFFERY SEIF HERE
  • 01:04 WITH MY FRIEND SANDRA LEVITT.
  • 01:05 SHALOM AND WELCOME BACK TO PAUL,
  • 01:07 WHERE TALKING ABOUT PAUL IN DAMASCUS,
  • 01:09 HE IS TEACHING IN THE SYNAGOGUES
  • 01:11 AND OFF WE GO JEFF.
  • 01:13 YES AND WE'RE FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS
  • 01:18 AND HERE WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN HE BEGAN TO TAKE HIS BABY STEPS.
  • 01:24 SAYS THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME BEGINS WITH THE FIRST STEP.
  • 01:28 AND PAUL BEGINS HIS JOURNEY.
  • 01:30 DOESN'T HE?
  • 01:32 HE DOES BUT IN ACTS CHAPTER 9, VERSE 20, IT TELLS US,
  • 01:39 HE WAS NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL,
  • 01:41 HE WAS NOT ASHAMED OF THE WORD.
  • 01:42 HE WENT STRAIGHT WAY AND PREACHED.
  • 01:43 YEAH, AND THAT STRAIGHT WAY,
  • 01:45 THAT'S AN OLD KING JAMES TERM FOR "IMMEDIATELY",
  • 01:47 HE GETS RIGHT OUT THERE. >>RIGHT, RIGHT.
  • 01:49 SOMETIMES WE THINK TOO MUCH. >>RIGHT.
  • 01:51 IT'S GOOD FOR US, GOD PUTS SOMETHING IN OUR HEARTS TO DO
  • 01:53 AND JUST HAVE AT IT,
  • 01:54 GO AFTER IT, AND NOT BE SHEEPISH.
  • 01:56 BUT PAUL KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT
  • 01:57 AND YET, HE HAD THIS HEART
  • 02:00 THAT HE NEEDED TO GET OUT AND TELL THE JEWS AND EVERYONE,
  • 02:03 THIS IS THE MESSIAH.
  • 02:05 WHAT A WONDERFUL MESSAGE.
  • 02:07 HOW EXCITING MUST HE HAVE BEEN?
  • 02:08 YES, IT'S AN EXCITING MESSAGE AND I'M FASCINATED BY THE WAY
  • 02:12 THAT WE'RE ALL INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GO STORY.
  • 02:17 FOR THE GOSPEL TO GROW, PEOPLE GOTTA GO.
  • 02:20 AND HERE WE GO NOW AS WE ENTER INTO PAUL'S WORLD.
  • 02:23 WE TAKE LEAVE OF OUR OWN
  • 02:26 AND WE ENTER INTO A TIME MACHINE AND JOURNEY BACK
  • 02:29 AND WATCH PAUL AS HE GET'S ABOUT THE FATHER'S BUSINESS.
  • 02:34 TROUBLE SEEMED TO FOLLOW THE RABBI FROM TARSUS WHEREVER HE WENT.
  • 02:41 HE'S IN DAMASCUS AND THINGS DETERIORATE TO THE POINT WHERE
  • 02:44 HE'S SO MUCH UP AGAINST THE WALL, THAT HE FEARS HIS LIFE.
  • 02:48 THE BRETHREN SNEAK HIM OUT OF THE CITY,
  • 02:51 THEY LOWER HIM IN A BASKET AND HE MAKES HASTE TO GET OUT OF DODGE
  • 02:57 AND WHERE DOES HE GO?
  • 02:59 HE GOES TO JERUSALEM,
  • 03:00 WHERE HE'S THEN CONFRONTED WITH ANOTHER SET OF DIFFICULTIES.
  • 03:04 "SARROS" IS THE JEWISH EXPRESSION, DIFFICULTIES, TRIALS,
  • 03:08 NOT JUST FOR PAUL IN THIS CASE,
  • 03:12 BUT BECAUSE OF PAUL IN THIS CASE
  • 03:15 AND WHY DO I SAY THAT?
  • 03:18 PAUL HAS COME TO FAITH IN YESHUA, BUT HE HASN'T COME TO JERUSALEM, YET.
  • 03:22 HERE HE COMES, BUT HIS REPUTATION HAS BEEN AROUND BEFORE HIM.
  • 03:28 YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT THE LAST TIME HE WAS THERE IN JERUSALEM,
  • 03:32 HE CREATED QUITE A STIR.
  • 03:36 AND WHY IS THAT?
  • 03:37 BECAUSE HE WAS THERE, NOT TO ADVOCATE FOR THE MOVEMENT,
  • 03:43 BUT RATHER TO ADVOCATE FOR THE MOVEMENTS DEMISE.
  • 03:47 LUKE IS VERY SPECIFIC, THAT PAUL WASN'T JUST A CASUAL PARTICIPANT IN THE PLUNDER
  • 03:54 AND THE CARNAGE OF THE MOVEMENT AND IN THE DEATH OF IT'S FIRST MARTYR STEPHEN.
  • 04:00 NO, IT WASN'T A CASUAL PARTICIPATION.
  • 04:02 PAUL WAS PROACTIVE.
  • 04:04 A SPIRITED SORT NOT SATISFIED WITH THE DEATH OF STEPHEN ALONE,
  • 04:09 HE WENT ON TO FACILITATE A GENERAL PERSECUTION
  • 04:12 AND SO IT WAS,THAT THE BELIEVERS IN JUDEA, THEY FELT PAUL'S WEIGHT ALREADY.
  • 04:20 AND SO HEARING THAT HE'S COMING TO TOWN, THEY WERE NOT HAPPY CAMPERS.
  • 04:25 IT'S LIKE THE WAY THE MICE FEEL WHEN THEY HEAR THAT A CAT HAS MOVED INTO THE HOUSE,
  • 04:31 THEY ARE ON RED ALERT.
  • 04:35 LUKE TELLS US IN ACTS CHAPTER 9, VERSE 26,
  • 04:47 HE'D TRY TO GET CLOSE, THEY'D BACK AWAY.
  • 04:49 THEY WEREN'T COMFORTABLE WITH THE MAN.
  • 04:51 AND IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE THING.
  • 04:55 IT SAYS, WELL, LUKE SAYS,
  • 05:01 "WHAT HAPPENS IS A FRIEND COMES TO PAUL'S AIDE WHO'S ABLE TO GIVE TESTIMONY TO THE FACT,
  • 05:07 THAT WITH PAUL WE'RE SEEING A MAN WITH A TRANSFORMED LIFE.
  • 05:12 HIS NAME WAS YOSEPH, FOR JOSEPH.
  • 05:15 HE WAS NAMED BARNABAS AS WELL.
  • 05:17 HE WAS A MAN OF REPUTE.
  • 05:20 NOTED PREVIOUSLY IN LUKE,
  • 05:22 HE GAVE A LARGE SUM OF MONEY TO THE APOSTLES TO HELP FACILITATE THE GOSPELS ADVANCEMENT,
  • 05:26 TO HELP THE JUDEANS WHO WERE VANQUISHED.
  • 05:29 DIFFICULTIES, POVERTIES, AND LIKE, HE LIQUIDATED ASSETS TO PARTICIPATE WITH THEM.
  • 05:34 AND SO HE WAS A MAN OF GOOD REPUTATION
  • 05:36 AND THIS FELLOW BARNABAS, WHO WAS KNOWN POSITIVELY TO THE JUDEAN BRETHREN,
  • 05:41 HE'S ABLE TO HELP OFFSET THE NEGATIVE.
  • 05:45 AND SO IT IS, HE GETS IN THERE AND HE TELLS THE CONGREGATION ABOUT PAUL,
  • 05:51 HOW HE WAS CONVERTED.
  • 05:53 NOT A CONVERTED JEW, BUT A CONVERTED SINNER.
  • 05:55 HOW HIS DISPOSITION WAS RE-WIRED IN THE WAKE OF HIS EXPERIENCE ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD.
  • 06:01 HE GOES ON TO NOTE AS WELL, THAT THIS SAME PAUL, THEN WAS FIERY
  • 06:06 AND HIS ADVOCATION FOR THE GOSPEL IN THE SYNAGOGUES IN DAMASCUS.
  • 06:11 THE NET RESULT IS THAT THE DISCIPLES TAKE ALL THIS AT FACE VALUE
  • 06:16 AND COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT PAUL WAS A NEW FELLOW.
  • 06:21 WE SEE IN VERSE 29,
  • 06:32 THIS IS THE TESTIMONY PAUL, WHEREVER HE WENT, TROUBLE WENT WITH HIM.
  • 06:37 AND WHY IS THIS?
  • 06:39 BECAUSE WE THIS IN-BREAKING KINGDOM.
  • 06:41 THE FORCES OF HELL ARE BENT ON STOPPING THIS MAN'S FORWARD MOMENTUM.
  • 06:46 HERE IN JERUSALEM, BY VIRTUE OF BEING WITH PEOPLE
  • 06:49 AND BEING ON PINS AND NEEDLES AROUND HIM
  • 06:51 AND THEN IN DAMASCUS BEFOREHAND EVIDENCE BY THE FACT THEY'D WANNA KILL HIM.
  • 06:55 WE'RE TOLD HERE THAT HE SPENT SOMETIME IN JERUSALEM.
  • 06:58 IN HIS FIRST CORRESPONDENCE, THE FIRST DOCUMENT HE PENNED, GALATIANS.
  • 07:03 PAUL TELLS AS MUCH IN HIS OWN WORDS.
  • 07:06 IN LUKE, HERE, LUKE IS EXPLAINING PAUL,
  • 07:11 WE HEAR FROM PAUL IN HIS OWN WORDS WHERE HE SAYS IN CHAPTER 1, VERSE 18.
  • 07:15 HE'S IN ARABIA, RETURNS TO DAMASCUS AND THEN IN 18,
  • 07:26 PAUL SAYS THAT IT WAS A REASONABLY SHORT VISIT.
  • 07:29 HE GAINS ACCESS TO THE BRETHREN.
  • 07:32 AFTERWARDS, THEN IN VERSE 21, HE GOES TO THE REGIONS OF SYRIA AND CILICIA.
  • 07:37 THE TEXT SAYS,
  • 07:52 PAUL MAKES A VISIT TO JERUSALEM BECAUSE HE'S GOTTA GET OUT OF DAMASCUS.
  • 07:57 HE LEAVES JERUSALEM, BECAUSE HE'S GOTTA GET OUT AND HE MAKES HIS WAY TO TARSUS.
  • 08:04 AND HE'LL BE IN TARSUS FOR THE BETTER PART OF 10 YEARS.
  • 08:11 IT SEEMS THAT THINGS HAVE SETTLED DOWN SOME IN PAUL'S LIFE.
  • 08:14 HE'S LEARNING, HE'S GROWING, HE'S MINISTERING, HE'S IN THE GREAT CITY OF TARSUS.
  • 08:21 NO MEAN CITY ACCORDING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITER, IT'S A FAMOUS CITY.
  • 08:25 IT'S A UNIVERSITY CITY.
  • 08:28 HE'S THERE PLYING HIS TRADE AS AN EVANGELIST AND PASTOR.
  • 08:32 AND HE'S NETWORKING.
  • 08:34 ARGUABLY HE CULTIVATED A RELATIONSHIP WITH LUKE
  • 08:39 OR AT LEAST LUKE WAS GOING TO JOIN HIM LATER,
  • 08:42 MAY WELL HAVE SHARED WITH PAUL IN COMMON DAYS IN TARSUS AND WHY IS THAT?
  • 08:47 BECAUSE, TARSUS WAS KNOWN FOR IT'S MEDICAL SCHOOL, AS WELL AS IT'S UNIVERSITY IN GENERAL.
  • 08:53 AND SO IT IS THAT PAUL SPENDS TIME IN TARSUS
  • 08:57 UNTIL HE'S BECKONED LATER TO ANTIOCH TO THEN BEGIN HIS FAMOUS MISSIONARY JOURNEYS.
  • 09:16 WANT YOU TO GET TO KNOW PAUL A LITTLE BETTER
  • 09:18 AND FRANKLY, I WANT YOU TO GET TO KNOW US.
  • 09:21 IF YOU'LL CALL:
  • 09:25 THAT'S THE "GO TO" NUMBER
  • 09:26 TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US
  • 09:28 ZOLA LEVITT MINISTRIES.
  • 09:29 IF YOU'D LIKE
  • 09:30 WE'RE PLEASED TO SEND YOU
  • 09:31 A FREE MAGAZINE.
  • 09:32 THERE'S ARTICLES,
  • 09:33 YOU CAN READ IT, RESPOND TO IT,
  • 09:35 GET SOME INTERACTION GOING.
  • 09:37 1-800-WONDERS
  • 09:39 WE WANT YOU TO GO ON THE JOURNEY
  • 09:40 WITH US AS WITH PAUL.
  • 09:41 AND SPEAKING OF JOURNEYS,
  • 09:43 WE TAKE TRIPS TO ISRAEL AND GREECE,
  • 09:45 WE LIKE TO WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS AND PAUL.
  • 09:48 JOIN US ON A TRIP
  • 09:50 1-800-WONDERS
  • 09:55 I ALWAYS SAY, "THAT'S ISRAEL, THAT'S THE WAY WE SEE IT," BUT THAT'S GREECE
  • 10:00 AND IT'S NOT THE SAME EVERY TIME WE GO.
  • 10:02 WE GET TO SEE DIFFERENT SITES, DIFFERENT PLACES, DIFFERENT CULTURES IN GREECE.
  • 10:06 IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THE BIBLE COME ALIVE IN GREECE ALSO.
  • 10:10 HEY AND IF PEOPLE WANNA SEE IT, COME WITH US
  • 10:13 OR AT LEAST TURN US ON, >>OH, BE GLAD TO SHOW IT TO THEM.
  • 10:15 BECAUSE WE LIKE TO TAKE PEOPLE TO THE PLACE WHERE THE STORY TOOK PLACE.
  • 10:18 ABSOLUTELY AND WE'RE LOOKING AT PAUL
  • 10:19 AND HERE HE IS, HE HAS BECOME A BELIEVER,
  • 10:22 HE'S EXCITED, HE'S IN THE SYNAGOGUE
  • 10:24 AND YET HIS BRETHREN DO NOT WANNA EXCEPT HIM AT ALL.
  • 10:28 WELL HE HAD A BAD REPUTATION, SANDRA.
  • 10:31 BUT WHY?
  • 10:32 PEOPLE KNEW HIM TO BE
  • 10:33 A MEAN GNARLY GUY.
  • 10:35 OH, HE WAS AFTER THEM.
  • 10:36 THAT'S RIGHT
  • 10:37 AND SO THEY HEARD THE WORD
  • 10:39 THAT HE WAS A NEW MAN.
  • 10:40 BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE OLD SAYING,
  • 10:42 "ONE DAY THE LION WILL LIE DOWN WITH THE LAMB."
  • 10:44 BUT WHAT IF THE LION WAKES UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
  • 10:47 AND FORGETS THE NEW ECONOMY?
  • 10:48 AND DECIDES HE'S HUNGRY? >>WELL THE LAMB WON'T BE TOO HAPPY.
  • 10:50 NO, THE LAMBS A LITTLE NERVOUS SOMETIMES AND PAUL LOOKED LIKE A LION
  • 10:53 AND THE BELIEVERS WERE LAMBS
  • 10:55 AND THEY WERE UNCERTAIN AT FIRST. >>WELL, DON'T YOU THINK
  • 10:56 THEY MAY HAVE THOUGHT,
  • 10:58 WELL MAYBE THIS IS JUST A PLOY FOR PAUL TO GET TO US AGAIN?
  • 11:00 YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE THINK.
  • 11:03 IT'S HARD TO SAY, BUT EVENTUALLY THEY CAME TO TERMS WITH HIM,
  • 11:05 BECAUSE SOMEONE GOT BEHIND PAUL >>RIGHT.
  • 11:07 AND SAID, "HEY, PAUL'S A STRAIGHT UP KIND OF FELLOW."AND THAT WAS BARNABAS.
  • 11:10 AND GOD USES IT ALL.
  • 11:12 HE USES EVERYTHING IN OUR LIVES FOR HIS GLORY.
  • 11:16 NO MATTER WHERE WE'VE COME FROM OR WHAT WE'VE DONE, HE USES THAT.
  • 11:20 AND THAT'S THE ENCOURAGEMENT HERE WITH PAUL.
  • 11:22 WHAT'S INTERESTING AT ONE LEVEL IS GOD EVEN USES THE KINDA SORTA NOTHINGNESS.
  • 11:26 IT'S DRAMATIC PAUL'S GOING TO DAMASCUS PREACHING. BUT THEN HE GOES TO TARSUS FOR 10 YEARS
  • 11:31 AND MUMS THE WORD >>AND NOTHING
  • 11:33 UNTIL A BARNABAS IS LEAD BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO PULL HIM OFF THE MOTHBALLS
  • 11:37 AND TO GO WITH HIM ON THE JOURNEY TO ANTIOCH AND THE REST IS HISTORY.
  • 11:40 AND THE REST IS HISTORY. JEFF I'M EXCITED TO HEAR YOUR TEACHING ABOUT PAUL.
  • 11:47 LUKE TELLS US THERE WAS A GREAT PERSECUTION, BUT PAUL WAS PART OF IT.
  • 11:50 LUKE TELLS US AS WELL THAT GOOD THINGS HAPPEN AS THESE DISCIPLES HAD TO HIT THE ROAD.
  • 11:56 STRANGE AS THAT MIGHT SOUND, THEY WERE DISPOSSESSED, THEY HAD TO MOVE ON,
  • 12:00 THEY LOST PROPERTY, FRIENDSHIP NETWORKS, AND OFF THEY WENT TO POINTS EASY AND WEST AND NORTH.
  • 12:07 AND THE QUESTION IS, CAN GOD BRING SOMETHING MARVELOUS OUT OF THE MISERIES?
  • 12:11 THE ANSWER IS YES.
  • 12:13 LUKE TELLS US THAT UP IN A NORTHERN CITY CALLED ANTIOCH,
  • 12:16 THE GOSPEL SPREAD WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THESE BELIEVERS.
  • 12:20 THERE WERE DIFFICULTIES NOT WITHSTANDING
  • 12:23 TALKING ABOUT WHAT GOD WAS DOING IN THE WORLD BEGINNING IN JERUSALEM.
  • 12:25 THE NET RESULT IS THAT IF THEIR REVIVAL FIRES GET STARTED AND THEY GET FLAMED,
  • 12:30 AND SOMETHING SPECIAL IS HAPPENING.
  • 12:32 SO MUCH SO THAT WORD GETS BACK TO JERUSALEM OF THE GOOD NEWS AMONGST THE JEWS
  • 12:38 AND NONE JEWS IN ANTIOCH PROPER.
  • 12:40 THEY SEND SOMEONE TO GO CHECK IT OUT AND THAT PERSONS NAME WAS BARNABAS.
  • 12:44 AND THAT MAN WAS AMAZED WHAT GOD WAS DOING.
  • 12:48 HE KNEW OF SOMEONE NOT FAR AWAY IN TARSUS NAMED PAUL.
  • 12:52 HE'D BEEN THERE THE BETTER PART OF 10 YEARS NOW.
  • 12:54 SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN ON THE BACK WATERS, IF YOU WILL,
  • 12:56 BUT GOD WAS JUST USING HIM OUT THERE AND PREPARING HIM FOR HIS FUTURE.
  • 13:00 WELL HIS FUTURE WAS GONNA ARRIVE ALRIGHT, WHEN HE ARRIVED IN ANTIOCH.
  • 13:05 AND HE CAME AND HE MINISTERED AND THIS IS GONNA BE THE BEGINNING OF NEW DAYS FOR PAUL.
  • 13:11 AND THEY'LL BE A NEW DAWN FOR THE CHURCH.
  • 13:13 AS WE WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS,
  • 13:16 WE SEE HOW IT'S FROM ANTIOCH PROPER WHERE HE STARTS TO GET SENT OUT.
  • 13:21 AND THAT SENDING IS A STORY, CERTAINLY WORTH TENDING TO, IS IT NOT.
  • 13:28 IT'S A GOOD STORY.
  • 13:30 RATHER THAN JUST TALK ABOUT THE BIBLE, LET'S HEAR FROM THE BIBLE.
  • 13:33 IF YOU'LL LOOK PLEASE, IN ACTS CHAPTER 11, VERSE 26,
  • 13:36 WE'RE TOLD,
  • 13:55 AND THEN HE SAID SOMETHING INTERESTING THAT'S REALLY REVEALING, HE SAID,
  • 14:03 THAT FOR ME IS INTERESTING FOR A FEW REASONS.
  • 14:05 ONE, THE JEWISH BELIEVERS IN YESHUA AND JESUS WEREN'T CALLED CHRISTIANS INITIALLY.
  • 14:11 THE TERM NAZARENE WAS EMPLOYED.
  • 14:14 JUST JEWISH BELIEVERS WOULD'VE WORKED.
  • 14:17 THEY WERE REFERRED TO AS THE WAY; THERE WERE DIFFERENT NAMES.
  • 14:20 BUT THE TITLE NAME CHRISTIAN WAS IMPOSED UPON THEM BY OUTSIDERS,
  • 14:24 WHO SAW THE MOVEMENT BEYOND JUDEA AND SO THESE ARE CHRISTLIKE PEOPLE.
  • 14:30 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TRYING TO IMITATE THIS MESSIAH.
  • 14:33 AND SO THEY CALLED THEM CHRISTIANS FIRST, THERE.
  • 14:37 WHAT FOR ME IS AMAZING IS WHAT THE FIRST CHRISTIANS DID
  • 14:44 AND WOULD THAT THOSE WHO WALKED THE ROAD IN SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS DID THE SAME
  • 14:50 I WOULD INDEED BE A HAPPY CAMPER.
  • 14:52 DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE FIRST FOLLOWERS OF JESUS DID, THOSE NAMED CHRISTIANS,
  • 14:58 HERE IN THE LITERATURE?
  • 14:59 LET'S CONSIDER THE STORY AS IT MOVES ON IN VERSE 27, WE'RE TOLD THAT,
  • 15:10 BY THE WAY, THIS SHOWS A LINKAGE BETWEEN THE MESSIANIC MOVEMENT HEADQUARTERED IN JERUSALEM
  • 15:16 AND THIS DAUGHTER MOVEMENT IN ANTIOCH PROPER.
  • 15:20 THERE'S SOME KIND OF RELATIONSHIP.
  • 15:22 WOULD THAT TODAY THERE WERE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE CHURCH AT LARGE
  • 15:25 AND THE MESSIANIC WORK IN JERUSALEM, I WOULD BE THRILLED BY THAT.
  • 15:29 WELL, HERE YOU SEE THERE WAS THIS CONNECTEDNESS.
  • 15:45 INTERESTINGLY IT WAS THAT SAME CLAUDIUS,
  • 15:47 WHO KICKED ALL THE JEWS OUT OF ROME.
  • 15:49 WE KNOW THIS FROM THE HISTORICAL RECORDS AS WELL AS ACTS 18 IN THE VERY BEGINNING.
  • 15:54 THAT CLAUDIUS KICKED ALL THE JEWS OUT.
  • 15:57 AND IT SEEMS THAT HE IS UNKIND TOWARDS THE JEWS AND THEN GOD SENDS FAMINE IN HIS REALM.
  • 16:03 WONDER IF THERE ISN'T A SUBTLE POINT HERE, THAT IF YOU BLESS THOSE PEOPLE, YOU'LL BE BLESSED.
  • 16:09 YOU CURSE THOSE PEOPLE, YOU'LL BE CURSED.
  • 16:11 THINK IT IS A LITTLE SUBTLE, ACTUALLY NOT SO SUBTLE, BECAUSE WE CONJUNCTION WITH THIS.
  • 16:16 IN THE WAKE OF THERE BEING NEWS ABOUT TROUBLE DAWNING IN JUDEA.
  • 16:23 THESE INDIVIDUALS, REFERRED TO AS CHRISTIANS,
  • 16:28 ARE BECKONED TO MARSHAL THEIR RESOURCES TOGETHER, TO HELP THE JEWISH BELIEVERS,
  • 16:34 TO HELP JEWS IN JUDEA.
  • 16:37 NOW, MY QUESTION IS, "WHERE ON GOD'S EARTH IS THAT SPIRIT TODAY?"
  • 16:43 TROUBLE IN ISRAEL, CHRISTIANS MARSHALING RESOURCES TO BE OF ASSISTANCE.
  • 16:49 IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE GET THE DIRECT OPPOSITE TODAY.
  • 16:53 THERE'S TROUBLE IN ISRAEL AND IT SEEMS THAT CHRISTIANS, CERTAINLY MAINLINE DENOMINATIONS,
  • 16:59 JUST GET IN LINE, THEY JOCKY FOR POSITION TO SEE WHO CAN CONDEMN THE JEWS THE MOST.
  • 17:05 WHO CAN MAKE IT AS DIFFICULT FOR THE JEWS AS POSSIBLE?
  • 17:09 THEY SEEM TO COMPETE FOR THAT PRIZE.
  • 17:11 THAT'S NOT THE SPIRIT HERE.
  • 17:13 IT SEEMS THAT THOSE WHO WHERE FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS IN ANTIOCH,
  • 17:18 THAT THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO BE OF ASSISTANCE TO THE JEWISH FOLK IN JERUSALEM.
  • 17:23 IT'S A GREAT STORY, ISN'T IT?
  • 17:26 WELL PAUL AND BARNABAS GO DOWN THERE WITH AIDE THAT WAS GATHERED TOGETHER IN ANTIOCH
  • 17:31 AND THEY MAKE THERE WAY TO JERUSALEM.
  • 17:34 THEY DELIVER THAT PACKAGE AND THEN THEY MAKE THEIR WAY BACK TO ANTIOCH.
  • 17:37 AND IT'S FROM THERE, THEN, THAT GOD'S GOING TO BLESS THEM AND SEND THEM TO POINTS.
  • 17:42 AS WE FOLLOW ON PAUL, WE SEE HOW HE MAKES HIS WAY OUT IN THE GRECO ROMAN WORLD.
  • 17:47 AND WE'LL FOLLOW HIM, OF COURSE, AS WE WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THIS RABBI FROM TARSUS.
  • 17:57 THEY ARE FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS IN ANTIOCH.
  • 17:59 NOT ONLY ARE THEY CALLED CHRISTIANS, BUT A FAMINE IS PREDICTED.
  • 18:03 THE FAMINE COMES TRUE AND THEY ARE THE BRETHREN SEND HELP TO THEIR FELLOW JEWS.
  • 18:10 HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT TODAY?
  • 18:11 ARE WE HELPING OUR JEWISH FRIENDS?
  • 18:13 WELL, YOU WOULD HERE ME TO SAY, OVER AGAIN IN A DIFFERENT CONTEXT.
  • 18:17 I'M CHAGRIN, BECAUSE THE CHURCH SEEMS TO ABANDON THE JEWS, AS APPOSED TO GETTING BEHIND THEM,
  • 18:20 BUT, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE FIRST CHRISTIANS DID. >>NO THEY DIDN'T
  • 18:25 I LIKED THAT THEY WERE GIVEN TO EXTENDING RELIEF.
  • 18:28 SEEMS TO ME THAT THE LORD SAYS THAT,
  • 18:30 "YOU'LL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS",
  • 18:31 NOT THAT "YOU'LL JUST KNOW THEM BY THEIR TOOTS."
  • 18:34 AT THE END OF THE DAY THESE PEOPLE ARE GIVING FORTH.
  • 18:36 THEY'RE CARING AND THEY'RE SHARING
  • 18:38 AND THAT'S WHEN GOD'S PEOPLE ARE AT THEIR BEST.
  • 18:41 AND THAT'S THE FIRST THING THEY DO.
  • 18:43 THEY TURN AROUND AND THEY HELP THEIR BRETHREN.
  • 18:45 THEY SEE THAT THIS FAMINE HAS HIT AND THEY ARE HELPING EACH OTHER.
  • 18:49 AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
  • 18:50 AND I FIND IT TRAGIC PERSONALLY.
  • 18:52 YOU CAN GO INTO CHURCHES
  • 18:54 AND LOOK AT MISSIONS BOARDS AND ALL OVER THE WORLD, BUT ISRAEL.
  • 18:56 BUT, ISRAEL. THAT MAKES ME CRAZY TOO.
  • 18:58 THERE'S NOTHING THERE FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE EXCEPT, SCORN
  • 19:03 AND DERISION FROM MOLESTING THESE POOR PALESTINIANS.
  • 19:05 REALLY, I COULD JUST GET THROWN OFF OF NATIONAL TELEVISION
  • 19:08 BY SAYING EXACTLY WHAT I THINK.
  • 19:10 BUT WHEN ONE LOOKS AT WHAT THE BIBLE THINKS,
  • 19:12 NEVER MIND SEIF-THINK, TEXT-THINK,
  • 19:13 THEREIN WE SEE PAUL CARING AND SHARING.
  • 19:17 AND SPEAKING OF CARING AND SHARING,
  • 19:19 DR. JOHN FISHER, AN EXPERT OF JEWISH EXTRACT,
  • 19:24 KNOWS JESUS, KNOWS JEWS, AND HE'S GONNA COME AND SHARE WITH ALL OF "YOUS." RABBI FISHER.
  • 19:34 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAUL IN HIS EARLY DAYS
  • 19:37 AND I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING IN ANTIOCH
  • 19:40 THEY'RE FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS.
  • 19:42 I LOVE THE DIFFERENT NAMES THAT JEWISH PEOPLE ARE GIVEN
  • 19:45 WHEN THEY COME TO KNOW THE MESSIAH,
  • 19:46 THE WAY AND NOW CHRISTIANS,
  • 19:47 BUT WHY?
  • 19:49 WHAT'S GOING ON? >>WHAT'S GOING ON?
  • 19:50 WHAT'S GOING ON?
  • 19:52 THE WAY WAS A VERY INTERESTING TERM THAT WAS USED OF THEM.
  • 19:54 THE REASON BEING IF YOU RETROVERT THAT BACK INTO HEBREW,
  • 19:57 THE HEBREW WORD FOR WALK IS "HALACH"
  • 20:02 AND YOU WALK ALONG THE WAY.
  • 20:03 BUT, IN JUDAISM, THE WAY YOU WALK IS DESCRIBED ALSO,
  • 20:08 FORMALLY BY BEHAVIORS THAT ARE CIRCUMSCRIBABLE
  • 20:11 BY WHAT WE CALL "HALACHA"
  • 20:13 IN WHICH WE ARE TO BEHAVE AS JEWS.
  • 20:14 SO IT'S SIGNIFICANT THAT ONE OF THE EARLIEST TITLES
  • 20:17 IS A TITLE THAT CONNECTS THE EARLY MESSIANIC FOLLOWERS OF YESHUA
  • 20:22 WITH TRADITIONAL JUDAISM AND THE TRADITIONS OF JUDAISM THAT ARE CALLED "HALACHIC"
  • 20:27 NOW, MESSIANIC, OF COURSE STRESSES SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT
  • 20:30 NOT JUST THEIR JEWISHNESS, MESSIANIC STRESSES THAT THEY ARE FOLLOWERS OF MESSIAH
  • 20:35 AND IN FACT THE TERM CHRISTIAN, AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, MEANS MESSIANIC.
  • 20:38 SO, WHEN YOU SAY THEY'RE FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS,
  • 20:40 THEY WERE FIRST CALLED MESSIANICS IN ANTIOCH.
  • 20:42 WHY?
  • 20:44 BECAUSE, THEY WERE DISTINGUISHED FROM THOSE WHO WERE PHARISEES,
  • 20:47 THOSE WHO WERE SADDUCEES, THOSE WHO WERE ZEALOTS, THOSE WHO WERE ESSENES.
  • 20:49 IN FACT WE'RE TOLD THAT IN THEIR TIME PERIOD,
  • 20:51 THERE WERE PROBABLY AT LEAST 2 DOZEN DIFFERENT JEWISH GROUPS,
  • 20:54 RELIGIOUS GROUPS. >>REALLY?
  • 20:56 SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF...
  • 20:57 WHO IS THIS JEW COMPARED TO THIS JEW?
  • 21:00 WELL THIS JEW HAPPENS TO BE MESSIANIC.
  • 21:02 WHY IS HE MESSIANIC?
  • 21:03 BECAUSE, MESSIAH HAS COME.
  • 21:05 WELL AND EVEN TODAY, THE RABBIS AND EVEN IN JUDAISM TODAY,
  • 21:07 MY RABBI SAYS THIS OR MY RABBI DOES THIS,
  • 21:10 THERE'S DIFFERENT TRADITIONS THAT ARE RABBINICAL TRADITIONS
  • 21:12 SO I GUESS IT WOULD NOT BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE MESSIANIC.
  • 21:15 NO, NOT REALLY.
  • 21:16 SO...YOU KNOW THE OLD SAYING,
  • 21:20 "IF YOU ASK 2 JEWS ONE...
  • 21:22 2 JEWS THREE OPINIONS, YEAH,
  • 21:23 THREE OPINIONS AND AT LEAST 4 MORE QUESTIONS. >>THAT'S RIGHT.
  • 21:27 SO, WE NEED TO HAVE NAMES TO DESCRIBE US,
  • 21:29 THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO DESCRIBE US.
  • 21:30 IT'S INTERESTING THOUGH,
  • 21:31 MANY OF THE MESSIANICS IN THE...
  • 21:33 CERTAINLY THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE BOOK OF ACTS,
  • 21:36 THERE WERE MANY OF THEM WHO WERE PHARISEES, JUST LIKE PAUL.
  • 21:39 RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED IN THE RESURRECTION, THEY COULD SEE THE MESSIAH RISEN...
  • 21:43 THEY DID AND HAD THE SAME KIND OF COMMITMENT.
  • 21:46 AND THERE ARE A LOT OF POWWOWS BETWEEN YESHUA AND THE PHARISEES AS A WHOLE,
  • 21:51 SO, IT'S NOT SURPRISING TO FIND THAT THIS MAJOR PHARISEE, BY THE NAME, SHAUL OR PAUL,
  • 21:58 BECOMING PART OF THIS MOVEMENT,
  • 22:00 BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF COMPATIBILITY HERE THAT ALLOWED HIM TO DO THAT.
  • 22:03 AND THEN, OF COURSE, HE WAS BREATHING FIRE EARLIER ON,
  • 22:06 BUT THEN AND AS HE SAYS ABOUT HIMSELF,
  • 22:09 HE WAS EXTREMELY ZEALOUS FOR THE TRADITIONS OF THE FATHERS IN GALATIANS 1
  • 22:13 BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THAT, IT'S USUALLY TRANSLATED PAST TENSE.
  • 22:17 INTERESTING.
  • 22:19 IT'S NOT, IT'S PRESENT AND IT'S A PARTICIPLE,
  • 22:22 WHICH MEANS, I AM CONTINUALLY OR ONGOINGLY ZEALOUS,
  • 22:25 EXTREMELY ZEALOUS FOR THE TRADITIONS OF THE FATHERS.
  • 22:28 SO THIS WAS A DUDE WHO WAS VERY ZEALOUS AT THE OUTSET
  • 22:32 AND CONTINUED THAT ONCE HE BECAME A MESSIANIC PHARISEE.
  • 22:36 BUT HE GOT IT.
  • 22:38 THAT WAS THE HOPE FOR ALL THE JEWS, THAT THEY KNEW THE MESSIAH.
  • 22:41 AND PAUL GOT IT.
  • 22:43 WELL, HE GOT IT, BUT REMEMBER THIS
  • 22:45 ALL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PERHAPS THE SADDUCEES,
  • 22:48 ALL THESE JEWISH GROUPS WERE VERY VALIDLY MESSIANIC,
  • 22:51 VERY FERVENTLY ANTICIPATING THE ARRIVAL OF MESSIAH. >>THAT'S RIGHT
  • 22:54 AND IT CERTAINLY GOT ONE OF THE GROUPS GOING SO STRONGLY,
  • 22:59 THAT THEY ENDED UP LEADING A REVOLT AGAINST ROME,
  • 23:02 IN HOPES OF BRINGING IN THIS WHOLE MESSIANIC AGE,
  • 23:05 WHERE AS OTHERS FOUND HE MESSIAH MORE ON A MORE PERSONAL LEVEL.
  • 23:09 AND IN LARGE... WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BY TIME
  • 23:13 RAV SHAUL OR THE RABBI PAUL GETS BACK
  • 23:17 TO JERUSALEM IN ACTS CHAPTER 21,
  • 23:19 THERE ARE LITERALLY TENS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS IN JERUSALEM
  • 23:22 AND THAT'S JUST JERUSALEM.
  • 23:24 THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU.
  • 23:25 YOU'RE MOST WELCOME.
  • 23:57 DR. FISHER IS SUCH A NICE GUY. WE TALKED ABOUT THE TRIBES
  • 24:01 AND DIFFERENT NAMES THAT MESSIANICS WERE CALLED.I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING
  • 24:05 THAT EVEN, EVEN BACK IN THE FIRST CENTURY, THEY WERE CALLED MESSIANICS.
  • 24:10 ANTIOCHS ARE CALLED CHRISTIANS. A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE THINK OF US AS COMPLETED JEWS
  • 24:15 OR BELIEVING JEWS.
  • 24:18 IT WAS INTERESTING TO HERE HIS TAKE ON THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND ALL THE NAMES.
  • 24:21 IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
  • 24:23 IT'S SEEMS TO ME THAT YESHUA, THE JESUS, CALLS INTO BEING A MOVEMENT.
  • 24:28 IT'S NONE INSTITUTIONAL, THERE'S NO PROFESSIONAL CLERGY,
  • 24:32 THERE'S NO BUILDINGS, IT JUST IS THIS EXPERIENCE.
  • 24:34 AND LATER ON WE'LL HAVE TO COME TO TERMS
  • 24:37 WITH WHAT WE'LL CALL IT HERE AND THERE
  • 24:39 AND THESE ARE OUR FRUITS OF LATER ENDEAVORS.
  • 24:42 I REMEMBER A FUNNY STORY THAT MY LATE HUSBAND WOULD TELL.
  • 24:46 HE WOULD GO INTO A CHURCH AND THEY SAID,
  • 24:48 "WELL, BROTHER WHAT DO WE CALL YOU? DO WE CALL YOU MESSIANIC,
  • 24:50 DO WE CALL YOU COMPLETED, WHAT DO WE...
  • 24:52 AND HE'D SAY IN THIS REAL SOUTHERN ACCENT, HE'D SAY,
  • 24:55 "YOU KNOW, THEY FIRST CALL ME A CHRISTIAN."
  • 24:58 AND IT ALWAYS WOULD CRACK THE PASTOR UP,
  • 25:00 BECAUSE THEN THEY WOULD REMEMBER
  • 25:02 THAT THEY WERE FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS.
  • 25:03 BUT EVEN IN JOSEPHUS, CALLS THEM, THE TRIBE OF MESSIANICS,
  • 25:10 CALLS THEM THE TRIBE OF CHRISTIANS.
  • 25:11 HE IDENTIFIES THEM AS A SECT OF PEOPLE TOO, NOT DIFFERENT,
  • 25:15 BUT A TYPE OF JEW.
  • 25:17 YEAH, AND LET'S DEVELOP THAT POINT THAT, THEY DIFFERENTIATED FROM WORLD JEWRY,
  • 25:23 BUT THEY'RE NOT CONSIDERED AS DISTINCT OR APART FROM.
  • 25:27 THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NUANCE IT SEEMS TO ME,
  • 25:30 BECAUSE MANY ARE PRONE TO ARGUE WHEN A JEW ACCEPTS YESHUA,THE JEWISH MESSIAH,
  • 25:35 THEY CEASE TO BE JEWISH.
  • 25:37 I DON'T THINK THAT PAUL OPERATED WITHIN THAT CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK.
  • 25:40 ABSOLUTELY NOT. HE PROBABLY STILL WORE HIS TALLIT, HE PROBABLY STILL HAD HIS KIPA.
  • 25:44 HE LOOKED LIKE A JEW, HE TALKED LIKE A JEW, HE WAS A JEW.
  • 25:48 RIGHT, THAT'S HOW HE GOT THOSE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
  • 25:50 IN THOSE SYNAGOGUES WHEN HE GOES ON HIS QUOTE "MISSIONARY JOURNEYS."
  • 25:53 THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES ALWAYS BEGINS BY TALKING TO JEWS IN SYNAGOGUES.
  • 25:58 HE GETS OFF THE BOAT, HE LOOKS, HE SPEAKS, HE'S CREDENTIAL, AND OFF TO JEWISH PEOPLE HE GOES.
  • 26:04 ABSOLUTELY. NEXT WEEK WE'RE GOING ON THEIR FIRST MISSIONARY TRIP, WHICH IS EXCITING TOO.
  • 26:10 HE GOES THOUSANDS OF MILES TO TAKE THE WORD OF GOD. IT'S JUST EXCITING.
  • 26:13 I THINK IT'S FASCINATING THE APOSTLE TO THE
  • 26:16 GENTILES TAKES THE BIBLE TO THE JEWS.
  • 26:18 WOULD THAT, THAT SENTIMENT EXISTED STILL IN THE WORLD TODAY.
  • 26:23 I BELIEVE THAT THE CHURCH MUST NEEDS BE MORE DELIBERATE
  • 26:27 AND ENDEAVORING TO GET BEHIND THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
  • 26:31 AND TO GET IN FRONT OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE
  • 26:33 BY ENDEAVORING DETAIL THE STORY,
  • 26:35 THE JESUS STORY FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE. AND THOSE THAT GET BEHIND THAT STORY GET BEHIND US.
  • 26:42 AND I WANNA THANK YOU. DON'T WE.
  • 26:44 AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
  • 26:46 AND AS YOU GO,
  • 26:47 SHA' ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM,
  • 26:48 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

Guest organizations and links

Bonus Material