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: “Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians”
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Note: A newer version of this series is available.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: “Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians” (10/12)

  • 00:03 WITH DR. JEFFERY SEIF AND SANDRA LEVITT
  • 00:59 A HEARTY SHALOM TO ALL OF YOU.
  • 01:01 JEFFERY SEIF HERE WITH MY FRIEND SANDRA LEVITT.
  • 01:03 SHALOM
  • 01:05 AND WELCOME TO IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
  • 01:07 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAUL.
  • 01:09 IN THE BEGINNING HIS NAME WAS RABBI SAUL
  • 01:11 AND HE CHANGED HIS NAME.
  • 01:13 HE HAD A NEW MISSION.
  • 01:14 HE CHANGED HIS NAME TO PAUL.
  • 01:15 WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT PHILEMON,
  • 01:17 COLOSSIANS, EPHESIANS TODAY.
  • 01:20 JEFF I HAVE A QUESTION, WHY ARE WE GOING IN THIS ORDER?
  • 01:22 WHY DID WE NOT START WITH ROMANS AND CORINTHIANS?
  • 01:24 WHY DID WE START THIS WAY?
  • 01:26 IT'S A FUNNY ORDER. >>YEAH
  • 01:27 OUR MINDS ARE ORIENTED TO THE NEW TESTAMENT AS IT'S COME DOWN TO US. >>RIGHT
  • 01:30 THEREIN WE HAVE WHAT'S REFERRED TO THE PAULINE CORPUS
  • 01:33 THAT IS THE TEXT THAT BEAR PAUL'S SIGNATURE.
  • 01:37 THESE ARE DIVIDED
  • 01:38 INTO WHAT'S CALLED THE DOCTRINAL OR CHURCH EPISTLES
  • 01:40 AND THE PASTORAL EPISTLES.
  • 01:42 IN THE 1ST CASE HE'S WRITING TO COMMUNITIES
  • 01:44 AND THE 2ND TO INDIVIDUALS.
  • 01:46 AND WE HAVE ROMANS, 1ST AND 2ND CORINTHIANS,
  • 01:49 GALATIANS, EPHESIANS,
  • 01:50 AND YOU'RE SAYING JEFF,
  • 01:52 WHY AREN'T WE DOING IT IN THAT ORDER,
  • 01:53 BECAUSE THE ORDER THAT IT APPEARS IN THE BOOK
  • 01:55 IS NOT THE ORDER IN WHICH IT WAS WRITTEN.
  • 01:57 AND IN THE INTEREST OF RECONSTRUCTING PAUL'S FOOTSTEPS
  • 02:01 WE'RE MINDED TO CONSIDER WHAT HE WROTE
  • 02:04 IN THE ORDER IN WHICH HE WROTE IT.
  • 02:06 WHICH MAKES SENSE, BECAUSE WE GET A FEEL FOR WHERE HE IS IN THE TRAVELS THAT HE'S GONE.
  • 02:11 IT REALLY DOES MAKE SENSE.
  • 02:12 RIGHT CAUSE WE'RE INTERESTED IN THAT
  • 02:14 NOW WHEN THE NEW TESTAMENT'S COMPILED.
  • 02:16 THANK GOD THAT WE GOT A HOLD OF PAUL'S LITERATURE,
  • 02:19 BUT THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN CHRONOLOGY >>RIGHT
  • 02:22 THEY'RE INTERESTED IN JUST ORGANIZING,
  • 02:24 THIS IS WHAT HE WROTE TO COMMUNITIES,
  • 02:25 THIS IS WHAT HE WROTE TO INDIVIDUALS
  • 02:27 AND IN THE CASE OF THE DOCTRINAL EPISTLES,
  • 02:30 ROMANS, 1ST CORINTHIANS, ETC...
  • 02:32 IT JUST GOES FROM THE LONGEST TO THE SHORTEST.
  • 02:34 I KNOW, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME THAT WAY.
  • 02:37 I UNDERSTAND IT GOES LONG TO SHORT,
  • 02:39 I LIKE THE WAY THAT IT'S DONE
  • 02:40 ACCORDING TO THE YEAR THAT HE WROTE IT.
  • 02:42 YES
  • 02:43 IN FACT, WE'RE GONNA GO TO YOU AND YOU'RE GONNA DO SOME TEACHING FOR US.
  • 02:46 HERE'S JEFF ON LOCATION.
  • 02:50 ONE STEP AT A TIME.
  • 02:52 THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY.
  • 02:54 IT'S THE WAY LIFE OUGHT TO BE LIVED, JUST ONE STEP AT TIME.
  • 02:58 JUDAISM SAGES PICKED UP ON THAT, THAT THE RELIGIOUS LIFE,
  • 03:02 THE WAY TO LIVE IT AND WALK IT IS CALLED "HALAHA" FROM THE VERB "HALAK" WHICH MEANS TO WALK.
  • 03:07 PAUL TOOK A LOT OF STEPS DIDN'T HE? THIS RABBI FROM TARSUS, SHAUL.
  • 03:11 HIS STEPS TOOK HIM TO A LOT OF PLACES.
  • 03:15 MOST RECENTLY HE WOUND UP IN CAESAREA MARITIME, HE WAS IN PRISON THERE ACTUALLY.
  • 03:20 IT WAS THE TAIL END OF HIS MISSIONARY JOURNEY.
  • 03:23 HE MADE HIS WAY TO YERUSHALAYIM, TO JERUSALEM.
  • 03:25 HE LOVED JERUSALEM.
  • 03:27 THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES HAD A HEART FOR HE JEWS AND TROUBLE BROKE OUT IN RIVER CITY
  • 03:32 AND HE WOUND UP GETTING ARRESTED.
  • 03:34 FROM CAESAREA MARITIME HE APPEALED TO ROME.
  • 03:36 AND IN AS MUCH AS AT VARIOUS TIMES HE HAD TO BEGET HIS OWN VOYAGE,
  • 03:40 THIS TIME IT WAS PROVIDED FOR AND COURTESY OF THE EMPIRE.
  • 03:43 HE MAKES HIS WAY TO ROME AND THERE HE IS IN PRISON.
  • 03:45 YOU KNOW A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE THAT ARE IN PRISON
  • 03:48 THEIR MINDS ARE JUST ALL ABSORBED INTO THEIR OWN PROBLEMS,
  • 03:51 BUT PAUL, HE WASN'T JUST ABSORBED INTO HIS OWN PROBLEMS,
  • 03:54 HE THOUGHT OF THE WORLD BEYOND HIM.
  • 03:55 AND WHAT DOES HE DO?
  • 03:57 HE WRITES LETTERS.
  • 03:58 HE WRITES LETTERS TO THOSE FAR AWAY PLACES.
  • 04:00 HE'S LOOKING TO REACH OUT AND BRING OTHER PEOPLE INTO HIS WORLD THROUGH MAIL.
  • 04:04 NOT ONLY THAT, LUKES TELLS US IN ACTS THAT WHEN HE'S IMPRISONED HE'S ABLE TO GET SOME WORD OUT
  • 04:09 AND THE CITY OF ROME'S JEWISH LEADERS COME TO HIM AND PAUL SAYS,
  • 04:12 LISTEN THERE'S BEEN A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING HERE,
  • 04:15 BECAUSE I HAVE DONE NOTHING AGAINST THE TEACHING, AGAINST THE TRADITIONS OF OUR FATHERS.
  • 04:19 I AM A JEW AMONG JEWS, I BELIEVE THE MESSIAH HAS COME, TRUE,
  • 04:23 BUT HE NEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT AS MAKING HIM NON-JEWISH
  • 04:25 OR OFFENDING THE CULTURAL MORES THAT GO ALONG WITH BEING JEWISH.
  • 04:28 PAUL WAS IN VERY CONCILIATORY MOOD WHEN HE DEALT WITH THE ROMANS,
  • 04:32 HE WAS ALSO IN A VERY CONCILIATORY MOOD WHEN HE PICKED UP HIS PEN
  • 04:37 AS EVIDENCED BY SOME OF THE LETTERS THAT HE WROTE.
  • 04:39 THERE FOR HIS IMPRISONMENT HE WROTE TO A CHURCH THAT MET IN A RICH MAN'S HOUSE.
  • 04:43 COMPARABLE TO THIS ONE RIGHT HERE IN ASIA FROM WHERE I'M SPEAKING FROM TODAY.
  • 04:48 THIS FELLOW HAD A HOUSE GROUP THAT MET THERE IN COLOSSAE,
  • 04:52 THIS WAS A CITY SOME MILES DUE EAST OF EPHESUS.
  • 04:56 EPHESUS WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR CITIES IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
  • 05:00 PAUL WAS AN URBAN PLANTER HE WOULD ESTABLISH CONGREGATIONS IN BIG CITIES
  • 05:05 AND THEN SATELLITES WOULD SPRING OUT.
  • 05:07 WELL HERE IN ROME HE'S WRITING TO ONE OF THOSE SATELLITES IN COLOSSAE.
  • 05:11 THERE'S A VERY WELL TO DO INDIVIDUAL NAMED PHILEMON,
  • 05:14 A SLAVE OWNER IN FACT WHO'S COME TO FAITH.
  • 05:17 AND FAITH CAME INTO HIS HEART AND HIS CIRCUMSTANCES WERE REORGANIZED.
  • 05:21 PAUL WHEN HE WROTE TO THE COLOSSIANS IN GENERAL
  • 05:24 AND WHEN HE WROTE TO PHILEMON IN PARTICULAR, HE ADDRESSED A THEME OF RECONCILIATION.
  • 05:28 HE WAS INTERESTED IN ESTRANGED PARTIES COMING TOGETHER.
  • 05:31 FIRST INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ESTRANGED FROM GOD,
  • 05:33 SECONDLY INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ESTRANGED ONE FROM ANOTHER.
  • 05:37 I WANT YOU TO OPEN YOUR BIBLES PLEASE TO COLOSSIANS,
  • 05:39 YOU'LL SEE IT THERE IN CHAPTER 1, PICKING UP IN VERSE 19,
  • 05:42 AND WHAT DOES THIS RABBI FROM TARSUS SAY?
  • 05:46 HE SAYS:
  • 05:52 HE HAS JUST SAID THAT THIS YESHUA, THIS MESSIAH, JESUS, IS ALL THINGS
  • 05:56 AND THE GREEK HERE IS PLEROMA OR THE FULLNESS.
  • 05:59 THIS JESUS IS VERY POTENT, VERY POWERFUL.
  • 06:01 IN HIM, THIS FULLNESS DWELLS IN VERSE 20:
  • 06:14 THAT IS INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ESTRANGED FROM GOD CAN BE BROUGHT NEAR TO GOD,
  • 06:18 THROUGH THE PERSON OF JESUS.
  • 06:19 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ESTRANGED ONE FROM ANOTHER CAN DO MUCH THE SAME.
  • 06:22 HE SAYS IN VERSE 21:
  • 06:32 I LEARNED ABOUT RECONCILIATION FROM DIFFERENT TUTORS,
  • 06:35 A MARRIAGE BY THE WAY HAS TUTORED ME JUST A LITTLE BIT.
  • 06:37 I'VE LEARNED THAT WHEN MY WIFE AND I AT OUR ODDS WITH EACH OTHER,
  • 06:41 THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION ISN'T WHO'S GONNA WIN THE ARGUMENT,
  • 06:44 WHO'S MOST PROFOUND IN THEIR DIATRIBE.
  • 06:48 WHAT BRINGS ABOUT PEACE IS WHEN SOMEONE DECIDES TO STOP FIGHTING.
  • 06:53 WHEN SOMEONE IS IN A CONCILIATORY MOOD AND TAKES THAT POSTURE,
  • 06:57 IT HAS A WAY OF DEESCALATING WHEN OTHERWISE TENDS SIMPLY TO ESCALATE UP.
  • 07:02 MARRIAGE HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT RECONCILIATION, SO HAS MINISTRY, SO HAS THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
  • 07:09 IF YOU'LL LOOK IN COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 3 HE PICKS UP ON THE THEME, HE SAYS HERE:
  • 07:25 THERE'S A JEWISH EXPRESSION, (speaking Hebrew) THAT HIS MERCIES ENDURE FOREVER.
  • 07:31 AND IN AS MUCH AS GOD IN THE HEBREW BIBLE
  • 07:34 IS REPRESENTED AS BEING GIVEN TOWARD MERCY, TOWARD COMPASSION, "RACHAMANUT"
  • 07:38 IN AS MUCH AS HE'S ORIENTED THAT WAY,
  • 07:41 THE ARGUMENT IS THAT THOSE OF US THAT WANT TO ORIENT OURSELVES THAT WAY
  • 07:45 WOULD DO WELL TO FOLLOW THAT EXAMPLE.
  • 07:48 AND THIS OF COURSE IS WHAT PAUL IS ADVOCATING FOR WHEN HE GOES ON TO SAY:
  • 07:56 THE WORD FORGIVING IS INTERESTING, IT MEANS THAT WE ARE FOR GIVING.
  • 08:00 INDIVIDUALS ARE ON THE TAKE, PEOPLE GO THROUGH LIFE WITH A CLOSED HAND,
  • 08:05 BUT TO BE FORGIVING INVESTS A KIND OF ENERGY IN ONES DISPOSITION,
  • 08:11 WHERE WE'RE MINDED TO GIVE INDIVIDUALS A BREAK.
  • 08:13 IT'S HARD TO BE FORGIVING TOWARD SOMEONE IF THEY'RE AT WAR WITH US.
  • 08:18 SOMETIMES CIRCUMSTANCES PREVAIL UPON US AND WE HAVE TO TAKE A DEFENSIVE POSTURE.
  • 08:23 I KNEW THAT AS A CAREER IN A POLICE OFFICER.
  • 08:25 SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO ENGAGE AND BRING JUSTICE TO BEAR.
  • 08:29 SO I DON'T BEGRUDGE INDIVIDUALS THAT NEED TO GET REDRESSED FOR THEIR GRIEVANCE,
  • 08:34 BUT STILL BETTER IT IS THAT WE'RE THE KIND OF INDIVIDUAL
  • 08:36 THAT'S MINDED FOR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO BE GRACIOUS.
  • 08:39 HE SAYS HERE IN VERSE 14:
  • 08:45 THE VERB IN HEBREW, LOVE "AHAVAH" WE ENCOUNTER THIS AFFECTIONATELY.
  • 08:57 WE ARE SENTIENT BEING, WE HAVE FEELINGS,
  • 09:00 BUT THE VERB LOVE MEANS TO DO GOOD ON THE BEHALF OF.
  • 09:03 AND PAUL ADVOCATES WHEN HE WRITES THE CHURCH IN GENERAL
  • 09:07 THAT THEY DO WELL TO BE THUS MINDED.
  • 09:08 BUT NOT JUST THAT, APPARENTLY WHEN HE WROTE THE COLOSSIAN CHURCH,
  • 09:12 THE POSTMAN DELIVERED MORE THAN ONE LETTER,
  • 09:14 BECAUSE AT THE SAME TIME PHILEMON GOT A PERSONAL LETTER.
  • 09:18 AND PHILEMON WAS THE RICH GUY.
  • 09:19 HE WAS REALLY THE HOMEOWNER THERE.
  • 09:21 APPARENTLY WHEN PAUL WAS INCARCERATED IN ROME
  • 09:26 HE HAD DEVELOPED AN ACQUAINTANCE WITH A FELLOW NAMED ONESIMUS WHO WAS A RUNAWAY SLAVE.
  • 09:30 AND WHAT HAPPENS IS HE WINDS UP LEADING ONESIMUS TO THE LORD.
  • 09:37 HE'S GONNA ACCEPT JESUS.
  • 09:39 AND WHAT HE'S GONNA DO THAT'S STRIKING, THAT'S FASCINATING IS HE'S GONNA ADVOCATE
  • 09:43 THAT THIS FELLOW PHILEMON TAKE BACK THE RUNAWAY SLAVE AND FORGIVE HIM.
  • 09:50 IT'S FASCINATING.
  • 09:51 IN THE ANCIENT WORLD SLAVES WERE CONSIDERED AS UTILITIES.
  • 09:54 THEY WERE JUST ARTICULATE BEASTS BY ROMAN LAW.
  • 09:57 THEY HAD NO RIGHTS WHATSOEVER.
  • 09:59 A MASTER COULD CRUCIFY A SLAVE.
  • 10:01 IT MEANT NOTHING.
  • 10:02 THEY WERE JUST THE PROPERTY OF THEIR OWNER.
  • 10:04 IT'S FASCINATING HERE, ONESIMUS OFFENDED PHILEMON.
  • 10:08 PHILEMON HOWEVER CAME TO FAITH IN JESUS.
  • 10:11 AND SO DID ONESIMSUS INTERESTINGLY AND WHAT HAPPENS IS
  • 10:14 PAUL THEN, NOT ONLY WRITES THE CHURCH OF COLOSSAE, BUT HE SENDS PHILEMON BACK WITH THE LETTER.
  • 10:21 AND HE SAYS LISTEN, I WANT YOU TO FORGIVE THIS GUY.
  • 10:23 YOU KNOW THE GOSPEL IS PROFOUND THE WAY THAT LIVES CAN BE TRANSFORMED.
  • 10:28 AND THE NEWNESS OF LIFE BRINGS NEWNESS IN BEHAVIOR, DOES IN NOT?
  • 10:31 SUCH AS THE TEACHING OF THE FAMOUS RABBI FROM TARSUS.
  • 10:43 YOU WILL LOVE OUR 12 PROGRAM 3 DVD SET.
  • 10:48 IF YOU'D LIKE TO WALK WITH US DOWN LIFE'S HIGHWAY,
  • 10:50 1-800-WONDERS IS THE NUMBER TO CALL.
  • 10:53 YOU CAN GET OUR FREE LEVITT LETTER, OUR MAGAZINE.
  • 10:56 YOU CAN ORDER THE DVD SERIES AND MORE.
  • 11:00 AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL WITH US TO JEWISH LANDS, ISRAEL,
  • 11:04 AND TO LANDS WHERE PAUL TRAVELED IN GREECE.
  • 11:11 NOT ONLY CAN YOU WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAUL IN EPHESUS AND GREECE,
  • 11:15 BUT YOU CAN WALK IN HIS FOOTSTEPS WITH US IN ISRAEL.
  • 11:19 IN FACT JEFF, ONE OF MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS COMES OUT OF ISRAEL.
  • 11:23 IT'S CALLED "AHAVAH" AND YOU USED THAT IN THE TEACHING,
  • 11:25 OH, I LOVED IT.
  • 11:26 AHAVA, LOVE AND THE POTIONS AND LOTIONS
  • 11:28 THAT ARE IN ISRAEL THAT WE LOVE, AHAVAH.
  • 11:31 YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ENJOY WHEN THEY GO TO ISRAEL
  • 11:34 IS SOME OF THE NATURAL PRODUCTS THERE, SKIN CARE,
  • 11:36 AND AHAVAH HAS A GREAT LINE.
  • 11:38 IT IS A GREAT LINE.
  • 11:39 NOT ONLY, IT'S A BIG BUSINESS.
  • 11:40 I THINK I HEARD THAT IT'S A MILLION DOLLARS A MONTH
  • 11:43 THAT THEY EXPORT OUT OF THERE.
  • 11:45 THAT'S HOW MUCH THE DEAD SEA PRODUCTS ARE.
  • 11:47 IT'S AMAZING.
  • 11:48 THERE'S ALWAYS GOOD PRODUCTS COMING FROM ISRAEL,
  • 11:50 THE BEST OF WHICH IS THE BIBLE ITSELF, ISN'T IT? >>WELL, AMEN.
  • 11:53 THAT'S A PRODUCT FROM THE HOLY LAND
  • 11:55 AND PRAISE GOD WE GET TO, NOT SELL THAT, BUT TO PROCLAIM IT.
  • 11:58 BUT, WE GET TO SEE IT.
  • 12:00 WE GET TO SEE IT, TOUCH IT, FEEL IT, SMELL IT, ...
  • 12:02 WE USE ALL THE SENSES IN ISRAEL.
  • 12:03 WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO LOCATION IN EPHESUS.
  • 12:06 JEFF'S GONNA CONTINUE TEACHING.
  • 12:07 HERE'S JEFF.
  • 12:10 "HOSHECH", IT'S THE HEBREW WORD FOR DARKNESS.
  • 12:15 "OR," IS THE HEBREW WORD FOR LIGHT.
  • 12:20 THERE'S A CONCEPT COMING OUT OF DARKNESS INTO THE LIGHT.
  • 12:24 IN THE MODERN WORLD PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES TO BE ENLIGHTENED.
  • 12:29 AND IN THE ANCIENT WORLD, IN EPHESUS PARTICULARLY, PEOPLE THOUGHT THE LIGHT SHINED BRIGHT.
  • 12:36 COMING TO YOU FROM EPHESUS NOW, A GREAT CITY IN WHAT WAS ONCE ASIA MINOR, NOW MODERN TURKEY.
  • 12:45 EPHESUS, ONE OF THE 4 MAIN CITIES OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE WITH ANTIOCH TO THE EAST,
  • 12:52 WITH ALEXANDRIA SOUTH AND WEST, AND WITH ROME ITSELF, ONE OF THE CITIES, ONE OF THE GREAT CITIES.
  • 13:00 TODAY YOU CAN COME HERE AND OUR TOURS COME HERE ANNUALLY TO LOOK AT THE GREAT CARDO,
  • 13:07 THE REMANENCE OF THE MARKETPLACE, THE LIBRARY, THE TEMPLE THAT ONCE STOOD HERE.
  • 13:14 NOT SO GREAT IN MY OPINION, BUT I'M A LITTLE BIAS NOW AREN'T I?
  • 13:18 THE THEATRE THAT WOULD SEAT IN THE VICINITY OF 24,000 INDIVIDUALS.
  • 13:24 EPHESUS, A HOME TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WHO ARE PROUD TO BE HERE.
  • 13:29 PAUL LOVED EPHESUS.
  • 13:31 HE STOPPED BY HERE ON THE WAY AS HE WAS FINISHING UP HIS 2ND MISSIONARY JOURNEY.
  • 13:37 AND THEN ON HIS 3RD MISSIONARY JOURNEY HE MADE IT A POINT TO GET HERE
  • 13:42 AND STAY HERE FOR A SEASON.
  • 13:44 HE PLANTED A CONGREGATION HERE AS WE KNOW
  • 13:47 AND THEN HE IS GOING TO SEE TO IT THAT OTHER CONGREGATIONS WERE ESTABLISHED ROUND ABOUT.
  • 13:53 IN COLOSSAE AS WE CONSIDER IT AND ELSEWHERE.
  • 13:56 WELL OUR STORY TAKES PLACE TODAY WITH PAUL HAVING FINISHED UP HIS VARIOUS JOURNEYS.
  • 14:03 AND HE HAS MADE HIS WAY TO PRISON.
  • 14:05 LAST WEEK WE NOTED HOW HE WAS IN ROME.
  • 14:08 HE WAS INTERRED THERE AND HE WRITES LETTERS.
  • 14:11 IN AS MUCH AS HE WROTE PHILEMON AND THE COLOSSIANS, HE WROTE TO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS.
  • 14:15 I WANT YOU TO OPEN UP YOUR BIBLES IF YOU WILL
  • 14:17 AND I WANT YOU TO SEE HOW HE TELLS THE EPHESIANS BOTH JEWS AND NON-JEWS ALIKE,
  • 14:21 THAT GOD HAS BUILT A NEW HOUSE.
  • 14:25 HE SAYS IN CHAPTER 2 THAT A NEW HOUSE HAS BEEN BUILT AND JEWS AND GENTILES ALIKE
  • 14:31 AS EQUALS ARE PILLARS IN THE NEW HOUSE AND BRETHREN AND FRIENDS IN THE NEW ECONOMY.
  • 14:36 HE SAYS IN CHAPTER 2, VERSE 1:
  • 14:47 THE WORD TO SEND, ETYMOLOGICALLY IN THE HEBREW BIBLE COMES FROM A WORD "TO STRAY,"
  • 14:52 TO MISS THE MARK.
  • 14:54 IT'S LIKE AN ARROW YOU SHOOT FOR THE TARGET BUT IT VEERS OFF.
  • 14:57 THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT MISS THE MARK IN LIFE, THEY SIN.
  • 15:00 PARTICULARLY HE SAYS IN VERSE 2:
  • 15:06 AND HE GOES ON TO DENOTE THEM LIVING, IN VERSE 3:
  • 15:13 BY THE WAY HERE IN THIS HOME IN EPHESUS, I NEEDED TO BE CAREFUL WHERE WE PUT THE CAMERA.
  • 15:17 IN THE ROOM ADJACENT TO THIS ONE, YOU WOULD THINK YOU WERE IN A GALLERY
  • 15:21 IN HUGH HEFNER'S MANSION IN CALIFORNIA TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
  • 15:23 IT LOOKS LIKE A PLAY...I MEAN I WAS EMBARRASSED TO GO IN THERE
  • 15:26 TO TELL YOU THE GOD'S HONEST TRUTH.
  • 15:27 WELL HE SAYS TO THE EPHESIANS HERE WHO CELEBRATED SEXUALITY,
  • 15:30 HE SAID, LISTEN YOU WANNA COME TO THE GOD OF ISRAEL WE NEED TO LEARN A LITTLE ABOUT HOLINESS.
  • 15:34 WE NEED TO SAY NO TO VISE AND YES TO VIRUE
  • 15:37 THAT INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE LIVING IN THE DARKNESS THAT IS FULFILLING SINS IN THE DARKNESS,
  • 15:42 NEEDED TO COME INTO THE LIGHT AND BEGIN TO THEN WALK IN THE LIGHT.
  • 15:45 HE SAYS HERE IN VERSE 14, THAT JEWS AND NON-JEWS THAT WERE ALIENATED ONE FROM ANOTHER
  • 16:02 HE GOES ON IN VERSE 19 TO UNDERSCORE
  • 16:04 THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ACCEPTED YESHUA
  • 16:10 PAUL LOVED THE CONCEPT OF THE HOUSE.
  • 16:12 IN FACT WE'RE IN A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE IN EPHESUS RIGHT NOW.
  • 16:15 LOTS OF ROOM, IN FACT ROMAN CULTURE MADE ROOM FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THEIR HOUSE.
  • 16:20 IT WAS VERY SYNCHRONISTIC.
  • 16:22 THERE WERE A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE THAT WERE ABLE TO GET CITIZENSHIP IN THE HOUSE
  • 16:26 AND THE ROMANS CAST A VISION FOR A SOCIETY OF EQUALS IF YOU BECAME A CITIZEN.
  • 16:30 HERE WE'RE IN A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE OF A ROMAN CITIZEN OF A BY GONE ERA,
  • 16:34 BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS HOUSE IS THAT THERE WAS WATER RUNNING TO THE HOUSE.
  • 16:38 THE ROMANS WERE FANTASTIC IN THEIR INNOVATIONS.
  • 16:41 THEY LEARNED TO MANAGE WATER, THEY WERE VERY, VERY MODERN.
  • 16:45 TRAGICALLY, HOWEVER, THE ROMANS HAD A VISION FOR COMMUNITY AND UNITY,
  • 16:50 BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE LIVING WATER GOING TO THEIR HOUSE.
  • 16:52 SEE THAT WATER IS AVAILABLE, THE "MAYIM CHAYIM", THAT KIND OF WATER WE GET FROM THE MESSIAH, YESHUA,
  • 16:59 FROM JESUS AND PAUL TOLD THAT STORY.
  • 17:01 AND THE WAY INDIVIDUALS GET WATER IS THAT THEY HAVE TO TURN, THEY HAVE TO REPENT.
  • 17:06 THE HEBREW WORD FOR REPENTANCE IN FACT IS THE WORD "TESHUVA" IT MEANS TO TURN,
  • 17:12 IT MEANS TO CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION.
  • 17:14 THE GREEK WORD FOR REPENT IS "METANOIA."
  • 17:19 IT COMES FROM "META" WHICH MEANS CHANGE AND "NOIA" OR "NOSIS" MIND, CHANGE YOUR MIND.
  • 17:24 CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION, CHANGE YOUR MIND.
  • 17:27 IN THE BIBLICAL VISION INDIVIDUALS ARE LIVING THE WRONG WAY
  • 17:31 AND INDIVIDUALS MUST NEEDS CHANGE.
  • 17:35 PAUL WRITES TO INDIVIDUALS IN EPHESUS WHO IN FACT HAVE CHANGED.
  • 17:39 AND HE REMINDS THEM OF THE PEOPLE THEY OUGHT TO BE.
  • 17:43 NO LONGER STRANGERS OR FOREIGNERS,
  • 17:45 BUT NOW LIKE SONS AND DAUGHTERS LIVING IN THE HOUSE.
  • 17:48 AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
  • 17:50 IF YOU LOOK IN CHAPTER 5, VERSE 1 AND ON HE MORALIZES AS RABBIS ARE GIVEN TO DO.
  • 17:55 HE TALKS HERE IN LISTS, HE TALKS ABOUT VICE AND HE TALKS ABOUT VIRTUE.
  • 18:00 HE NOTES IN VERSE 1:
  • 18:17 HE ADVOCATES FOR COMPORTMENT,
  • 18:19 THAT PEOPLE THAT WALK THE WALK, TALK THE TALK, AND THEY LIVE RIGHT.
  • 18:22 AND HE LIKEWISE THEN AFTER NOTING THE LIST OF VICES,
  • 18:27 HE THEN UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF VIRTUE.
  • 18:35 PAUL HAS THIS VISION OF PUTTING OFF VICE AND LIVING BY VIRTUE,
  • 18:40 BUT THAT VISION ISN'T UNIQUE TO HIM.
  • 18:43 WHAT'S UNIQUE IS THAT HE'S TALKING TO NON-JEWS ABOUT IT, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
  • 18:46 THAT VISION COMES FROM THE JEWISH WORLD.
  • 18:48 JEWS UNDERSTOOD INDIVIDUALS ANTHROPOLOGICALLY TO HAVE SOMETHING OF A DILEMMA
  • 18:52 OF A HUMAN CONDITION WAS ASSAULTED ON 2 SIDES.
  • 18:55 THERE WAS YETZER HARA FROM RAH IN HEBREW WHICH MEANS EVIL.
  • 18:59 YETZER HARA MEANS THE EVIL INCLINATION, YETZER HATOV IS THE GOOD INCLINATION.
  • 19:04 INDIVIDUALS HAVE A STRUGGLE BETWEEN
  • 19:06 VICE AND VIRTUE, BETWEEN FLESH AND SPIRIT.
  • 19:11 TO USE THE PAULINE PARADIGM HERE.
  • 19:14 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF GOD
  • 19:16 MUST NEEDS WALK IN THE SPIRIT AND HE UNDERSCORES THAT HERE.
  • 19:20 AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT BY THE WAY, THE MESSAGE THAT HE TOLD THE EPHESIANS.
  • 19:24 YOU USE TO LIVE IN SIN, BUT NOW YOU'VE COME OUT OF...
  • 19:27 YOU'VE COME OUT OF THE COUNTRYSIDE INTO THE HOUSE.
  • 19:30 IF YOU'RE GONNA LIVE IN THE HOUSE, ACT LIKE A CHILD THAT BELONGS IN THE HOUSE.
  • 19:33 IT'S A GREAT STORY.
  • 19:35 AND THE RABBI FROM TARSUS WROTE ABOUT IT TO THE EPHESIANS, SOME 2,000 YEARS AGO.
  • 19:48 YESHUA SAID, "I AM THE LIVING WATER.
  • 19:51 I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE."
  • 19:54 JEFF I LOVE WATCHING YOUR TEACHING
  • 19:55 AND TALKING ABOUT THE WATER AND THE PIPES.
  • 19:57 WHAT A GREAT VISUAL FOR EVERYONE.
  • 19:58 WELL,
  • 20:00 I'M REMINDED, BY THE WAY THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENT.
  • 20:02 I'M REMINDED THAT BIBLE TEACHING IS SIMPLE.
  • 20:04 YESHUA, JESUS SAID,
  • 20:06 "I AM THE LIGHT, I AM THE DOOR, I AM THE BREAD, I AM THE WATER."
  • 20:09 WHY DO PEOPLE MAKE THINGS SO COMPLEX?
  • 20:12 AND IT'S SIMPLE.
  • 20:13 IT'S RIGHT HERE, IT DOESN'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE.
  • 20:16 IT DOESN'T NEED ANY BOWS, ANY RIBBONS, IT JUST NEEDS TO BE REALLY SIMPLE.
  • 20:20 NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU KNOW ANYBODY COULD LISTEN TO IT.
  • 20:23 A KING,
  • 20:24 A FARMER, ANYBODY COULD UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE.
  • 20:27 YES, AND LIKE THE HOUSE WHERE WE SHOT, >>RIGHT
  • 20:31 LET ME SAY THAT WE WANNA BRING LIVING WATER INTO YOUR HOME.
  • 20:36 WE WANNA BE THE PLUMBING,
  • 20:38 THE CONDUIT THROUGH WHICH LIVING WATER GETS TO YOU.
  • 20:42 AND WE TRUST YOU'RE BLESSED BY OUR SERIES AS WE'RE BRINGING PAUL TO YOU.
  • 20:47 AND NOW WE GO TO AN OLD FRIEND, RABBI DR. JOHN FISCHER,
  • 20:52 AN EXPERT IN THINGS JEWISH, AN EXPERT IN NEW TESTAMENT AND HE HELPS US BRING IT ALL TOGETHER.
  • 20:58 AND NOW TO DR. FISCHER
  • 21:00 AS WE COME TO KNOW BETTER, THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
  • 21:06 PAUL IS A MISSIONARY.
  • 21:07 HE'S GOT A MISSIONARIES HEART,
  • 21:09 HE WRITES LETTERS,
  • 21:10 HE MAKES SURE HIS PEOPLE ARE OK.
  • 21:13 HE IS A RABBI, RABBI.
  • 21:14 HE IS A RABBI TO HIS PEOPLE.
  • 21:17 HE NEVER FORGETS HIS PEOPLE.
  • 21:18 AND THEY HAVE QUESTIONS OR THEY HAVE ISSUES, HE ALWAYS RESPONDS TO THEM
  • 21:22 AND THAT'S REALLY A MARK OF A MISSIONARY.
  • 21:24 IT'S A WONDERFUL TRAIT.
  • 21:26 IT'S THE WAY IN WHICH
  • 21:27 A TEACHER OR A RABBI SHOULD BE.
  • 21:29 NOT ALL OF US LIVE UP
  • 21:31 TO THAT KIND OF BILLING,
  • 21:32 BUT THAT IS OF COURSE THE IDEAL OR THE MODEL.
  • 21:34 AND HE DOES IT SO WONDERFULLY IN SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES,
  • 21:38 IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
  • 21:39 HE'S ABLE TO ADAPT TO EACH OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES
  • 21:42 OR SITUATIONS THAT HE'S FACED WITH
  • 21:43 OR HIS STUDENTS ARE FACED WITH. >>HIS STUDENTS.
  • 21:46 YEAH
  • 21:47 AND THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY STUDENTS.
  • 21:48 WELL THEY ARE STUDENTS, BUT THEY'RE REAL PEOPLE.
  • 21:49 THEY HAVE REAL PROBLEMS, REAL ISSUES, REAL CONCERNS.
  • 21:53 HAS THE RAPTURE COME, HAS THE RAPTURE NOT COME?
  • 21:54 WHAT DO I DO ABOUT RECONCILIATION?
  • 21:57 HE'S IN EPHESUS, HE TALKS, HE WRITES LETTERS TO THEM.
  • 22:00 OH YEAH AND IN SOME OF THE MOST INTERESTING
  • 22:04 AND EXOTIC KINDS OF PLACES.
  • 22:06 YOU MENTIONED EPHESUS, TALK ABOUT A MAJOR CENTER. >>OH, YEAH.
  • 22:09 THAT WAS A MAJOR CENTER. >>IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
  • 22:11 AND NOT ONLY OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE,
  • 22:14 BUT OF ALL THE TRADE ROUTES THAT GO THROUGH THERE AND AROUND THERE.
  • 22:18 IF YOU WERE GONNA TRAVEL IN THAT PART OF ROME, YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL THROUGH EPHESUS.
  • 22:21 AND THERE WERE JEWS, GENTILES, ALL KINDS OF GROUPS OF PEOPLE
  • 22:25 THAT WERE THERE THAT NEEDED TO LEARN HOW TO GET TOGETHER, LEARN HOW TO BE PART OF ONE ANOTHER.
  • 22:30 SO SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING THINGS HE WRITES,
  • 22:32 HE WRITES TO THESE GROUPS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE AREA OF EPHESUS.
  • 22:37 ONE OF THE STRIKING PASSAGES
  • 22:40 RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS,
  • 22:42 TALKS ABOUT
  • 22:43 AN APPROACH TO GOD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE BOTH AS JEWS AND GENTILES.
  • 22:48 JEWS, WE ALWAYS HAD THE TEMPLE,
  • 22:50 WE CAME THROUGH THE TEMPLE IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2.
  • 22:52 NOW IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2 BY WAY OF IMAGERY,
  • 22:55 HE'S TELLING THE NON-JEWS WHO ARE NOW FOLLOWERS OF THIS JEWISH MESSIAH,
  • 22:59 THAT IN A SENSE THEY TOO COME IN A TEMPLE KIND OF WAY
  • 23:02 THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER ON THE FRINGES OF THE TEMPLE
  • 23:05 THEY NOW GET TO GO THROUGH THE HEART OF THE TEMPLE PROCESS.
  • 23:08 IN FACT, ALL GET TO OPERATE VERY MUCH AS PRIESTS.
  • 23:11 ALL OF THIS IS WONDERFUL JEWISH IMAGERY THAT'S BEING SHARED WITH THIS GROUP IN EPHESUS.
  • 23:16 A GROUP THAT, GOSH, AGAIN GREW OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE,
  • 23:20 RIGHT
  • 23:21 OUT OF THE SCHOOL NEXT TO THE SYNAGOGUE. >>RIGHT
  • 23:22 SO ALL THOROUGHLY JEWISHLY EDUCATED,
  • 23:24 BECAUSE APART FROM THAT JEWISH EDUCATION THIS TEMPLE IMAGERY WOULD'VE MADE NO SENSE AT ALL.
  • 23:29 AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE YOU GET THIS PLACE CALLED COLOSSAE THAT,
  • 23:32 WOW, BOY DID THEY HAVE STRANGE THINGS GOING ON OVER THERE.
  • 23:38 THEY BROKE INTO THE WORSHIP OF ANGELS.
  • 23:40 AND DON'T TOUCH, DON'T TASTE, DON'T HANDLE THIS KIND OF STUFF,
  • 23:45 WHICH WAS ALL STRIKINGLY NON-JEWISH AND YET THEY TOO MANAGE TO BRING
  • 23:52 THEY TWISTED IT AROUND ON IT
  • 23:54 YEAH THEY TWISTED IT AROUND.
  • 23:55 SO THERE HE'S NOT DEALING WITH JEWISH STUFF,
  • 23:58 THERE HE'S DEALING WITH WHAT WE CALL,
  • 24:00 EARLIER PRE-GNOSTIC KIND OF STUFF.
  • 24:01 SO MAN, HE GOES RIGHT AT THEM TOO.
  • 24:04 NO GOOD JEW WOULD BE WORSHIPPING ANGELS,
  • 24:08 YOU GUYS SHOULDN'T BE EITHER.
  • 24:09 SO THAT'S A SHORT OF A VERY LONG STORY, YEAH.
  • 24:12 THAT'S THE SHORT.
  • 24:13 IT IS.
  • 24:14 THANK YOU.
  • 24:15 YOU'RE WELCOME.
  • 24:22 MUSIC
  • 24:48 IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THE LONG ARM OF THE PEN REACHES BEYOND THE GRAVE.
  • 24:52 THAT'S TRUE FOR PEOPLE THAT WROTE MUSIC AS WELL.
  • 24:54 AND I KNOW YOU WERE BLESSED BY HEARING ZOLA.
  • 24:56 AND SPEAKING OF BLESSING AND SPEAKING OF THE LONG ARM OF THE PEN,
  • 25:00 WE'RE INDEBTED TO THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
  • 25:02 AS HE WROTE THESE DOCUMENTS AND HE CAN STILL SPEAK TO US, CAN'T HE?
  • 25:06 HE CAN.
  • 25:07 AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS
  • 25:09 IN ALL OF EPHESIANS IS IN CHAPTER 6.
  • 25:12 I LOVE THE VISUAL, BUT I'M A VISUAL LEARNER ANYWAY.
  • 25:14 BUT IN EPHESIANS 6:10 IT SAYS:
  • 25:51 IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL.
  • 25:52 IT'S A FULL PICTURE OF WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING.
  • 25:54 YOU KNOW I'M PLEASED THAT YOU,
  • 25:57 YOUR EYES ARE RIGHT UPON THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S A GUY IMAGE, SOLDIER IMAGE.
  • 26:00 THIS IS TAKING... >>IT'S A CLOTHES IMAGE.
  • 26:03 I CAN GET BEHIND THE CLOTHES IMAGE.
  • 26:04 IT'S A PRAYER THAT >>WE CAN PUT ON, YEAH. >>ARMOR AND EVERYTHING
  • 26:06 WELL I'LL TELL YOU WHAT HITS ME WHEN I READ IT.
  • 26:08 I REMEMBER IN DAYS BY IN A POLICE CAREER I WAS ALWAYS GIVEN A KEVLAR VEST TO WEAR.
  • 26:13 WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WEAR IT, BUT WE WERE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO DO SO.
  • 26:18 AND I THOUGHT,
  • 26:19 HOW FOOLISH WOULD IT BE TO GO OUT INTO THE PRECARIOUSNESS
  • 26:23 OF THE BIG CITY WITHOUT HAVING ALL THE PROTECTION?
  • 26:25 BUT THAT'S THE VERY THING THAT WE DO IN SO MANY RESPECTS THAT HE CAUTIONS AGAINST.
  • 26:29 WE GO INTO LIFE WITHOUT THE SPIRITUAL ARMOR THAT WE NEED.
  • 26:33 WE WANNA HELP IN FACT
  • 26:35 SO WE PUMP THAT LIVING WATER INTO THOSE LIVING ROOMS. >>ABSOLUTELY.
  • 26:37 IN ORDER THAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE UNDERGIRDED
  • 26:39 WITH BIBLICAL KNOWLEDGE.
  • 26:40 AND HERE IT IS.
  • 26:42 IT'S SO SIMPLE AND WE TRY TO MAKE IT SO HARD.
  • 26:44 I WANT YOU TO STAY TUNED NEXT WEEK.
  • 26:47 WE'RE GOING INTO PHILIPPIANS AND WE'RE GONNA SEE OTHER TEACHING
  • 26:52 AND I THINK YOU'LL REALLY ENJOY WHAT'S COMING UP.
  • 26:53 AND AS YOU GO.
  • 26:54 SHA 'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM.
  • 26:56 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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