WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.359 Well, today we're going to be looking at Paul's resume 2 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:05.080 as he lists all of his credentials. 3 00:00:05.280 --> 00:00:07.639 Yeah, and this is kind of the basis behind his 4 00:00:07.719 --> 00:00:11.160 authority and his right to encourage and challenge the Corinthians. 5 00:00:11.160 --> 00:00:13.199 So that's what we're talking about today. He's Chris and 6 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:14.599 I'm Jeff, and we're the Bible Guys. 7 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:28.440 So every day we start out with a segment and 8 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:31.359 the thing that was handed to us today was something 9 00:00:31.399 --> 00:00:34.520 that we do from time to time called stump the Pastor. 10 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:37.960 And by the way, these questions come from people who 11 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:41.159 just listen and that type in and so we're inviting 12 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:43.560 you if you would like to ask a question to 13 00:00:43.640 --> 00:00:46.960 be considered for Stump the Pastor segments, please email us 14 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:50.000 at info at the Bibleguys dot com and that way 15 00:00:50.039 --> 00:00:52.079 we'll be able to have a list of things that 16 00:00:52.119 --> 00:00:55.840 we can go through. So this comes from Angela V. 17 00:00:56.520 --> 00:01:00.320 And Angela V writes this question, why do we have 18 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:04.519 to bear the burdens of Adam and Eve's sin when 19 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:08.200 he God could have arranged things so that each one 20 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:10.079 of us had the chance to be born with a 21 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:14.000 clean slate and make our own mistakes free of a 22 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:15.840 tainted universe. 23 00:01:16.719 --> 00:01:19.120 But first of all, wow, what a question. Yeah, that's 24 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:20.319 a thinker's question, right there. 25 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:24.239 Yeah for sure, you know. I mean because by the 26 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:28.159 way that question is seems to be born out of 27 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:29.000 that's not fair. 28 00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:30.560 Yeah yeah, yeah, right. 29 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:33.879 Wow, It's like I inherited a sin nature from Adam 30 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:35.040 and Eve. How is that fair? 31 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:36.719 Yeah? I wish I could have taken my own shot 32 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:40.640 at this sinlessness thing. Yeah yeah, yeah. Well, one, I 33 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:43.079 think we all would have failed, you know, yeah on 34 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:46.920 this because we have a free will, and free wills 35 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:51.000 tend to choose self. Yeah. 36 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:55.280 Well, no, true love cannot exist without free will. So 37 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:57.560 God could have made us like robots, right, He could 38 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:01.680 have created us to make us love him and respond, 39 00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:05.159 but he doesn't. He decides to give us free will 40 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:08.199 to choose good and evil, choose love or not love. 41 00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:11.560 And it's because that is truly love, and we were 42 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:14.759 made and created to love and be a relationship with God, so. 43 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:17.240 That this whole human story is a love story. 44 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:20.120 Yes, yeah, yeah, So anyway, go ahead and continue. 45 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:22.719 Oh boy, so I get to answer this one? 46 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:25.360 Well, I mean, we could both answer it. 47 00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:29.879 I mean, so one, I think, on the surface, the 48 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:33.039 best answer is the Bible doesn't specifically say why. 49 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:35.800 Sure, well, most of these questions are I don't know. 50 00:02:35.879 --> 00:02:38.080 But there are a lot of biblical principles that we 51 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:40.960 can kind of extract from sure, and I think a 52 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:48.319 couple of scientific things. First off, Romans and Corinthians both 53 00:02:48.360 --> 00:02:51.560 talked about how like in Romans it says, wherefore is 54 00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:53.719 by one man sinning into the world and death by sin? 55 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:55.840 So death passed upon all men for all of sin. 56 00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:00.840 That's the premise behind this question. Okay, so Adam sinned 57 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:06.800 and so then ah, now we are We're all sinners. 58 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:12.360 We're all born with the sin nature. So then it 59 00:03:12.439 --> 00:03:15.719 goes on in Romans and says, so then because one 60 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:19.240 person was willing to die, he could die for all 61 00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:23.280 sin too. The second atom or second a Jesus, Yes, 62 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:25.599 that's right, so God. So we tend to think of 63 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:30.199 ourselves only from the perspective of being autonomous individuals, and 64 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:32.800 yes we are, we have a free will, but we 65 00:03:32.840 --> 00:03:36.800 are also part of humanity, and so we all emanate 66 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:40.120 from Adam and Eve. We all come from them. So 67 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:44.520 things that are broken. So this this really gets into 68 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:47.479 biology a little bit. The whole concept of progeny, the 69 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:50.680 idea of the sharing of DNA in order in order 70 00:03:50.759 --> 00:03:54.840 to you know, make the next life all of these things. 71 00:03:54.919 --> 00:04:00.560 And so these two broken dying creatures, they were living creatures, 72 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:04.680 then they were broken dying creatures. They were made to 73 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:08.639 live forever the original Yes, yes, they were made to 74 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:12.439 live forever. Then they sinned, and the Bible says immediately 75 00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:14.240 they began to die. That was the idea that you 76 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:17.879 will die in his physical spiritual death. So then at 77 00:04:17.879 --> 00:04:22.800 this point then they had this broken genetics. I believe 78 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:24.319 in the same way that the Bible says that the 79 00:04:24.360 --> 00:04:28.519 whole earth and all of creation groans under the weight 80 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:33.800 of the brokenness of the universe. Everything broke, Nature broke, 81 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:38.480 everything broke at that point. And then you know, a 82 00:04:38.519 --> 00:04:41.639 man and woman comes together and they blend DNA, and 83 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:43.560 then that gets passed on, that gets passed on. So 84 00:04:43.639 --> 00:04:49.079 in the process of progeny, the process of new life, 85 00:04:49.399 --> 00:04:54.839 we're also being it's being handed off from already sinful creatures, 86 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:59.199 broken creatures. And it's in that context then that we 87 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:03.399 are all related back to Adam with the we were formed. 88 00:05:03.399 --> 00:05:07.839 We were created in in in with with sin, right, 89 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:11.040 not in sin, but with sin. But that's the bad news. 90 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:13.120 The good news is then that also makes it possible 91 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:16.759 with Jesus being the second atom, jesus one sacrifice pays 92 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:19.800 the price for all of humanity as well, right, which 93 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:20.759 is a beautiful picture. 94 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:24.000 And and it's it's really something that I don't think 95 00:05:24.040 --> 00:05:28.399 people think about, but it's a great truth to understand that, 96 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:33.319 uh that uh, you know, generations pass on the physical 97 00:05:33.959 --> 00:05:36.600 and so and then only that, but even our personalities 98 00:05:36.680 --> 00:05:40.720 are very much like our traits, our traits everything else. 99 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:43.839 But there's also a spiritual part of every human being. 100 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:47.240 There's a soul and there's a spirit and so it's 101 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:50.759 important to recognize that it wasn't just a physical death 102 00:05:51.240 --> 00:05:54.199 that was you know, that came from the curse of sin. 103 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:57.439 It was a spiritual death right and that and that 104 00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:01.519 that that they became sin full, and that portion also 105 00:06:01.560 --> 00:06:02.839 gets passed down to us. 106 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:06.079 Yeah, and I don't understand it all. And you know, 107 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:08.720 the Bible's not a science book. I believe it's accurate 108 00:06:08.759 --> 00:06:10.319 with what it says about scientific things. 109 00:06:10.360 --> 00:06:12.120 Belise there's a lot of science in there, but it's 110 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:12.399 not a. 111 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:14.879 Science book, so it doesn't really get into all these things. 112 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:17.160 But I do know this that you know, it talks 113 00:06:17.160 --> 00:06:19.839 about how sin is passed down from generations generation, that 114 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:21.759 the father sins will be visited on the third and 115 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:25.240 fourth generation. We do know now here in the last 116 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:27.879 twenty five years or so, as we've really begun to 117 00:06:27.879 --> 00:06:31.240 dig into DNA, we do know that there are genetic 118 00:06:31.319 --> 00:06:36.920 predispositions for alcoholism within certain families. Sure that some families, 119 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:39.040 some people they can touch alcoholics not a problem. Other 120 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:41.959 people they drink alcohol one time and they're going to 121 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:44.480 be alcoholics or whatever. That We do know that there 122 00:06:44.519 --> 00:06:48.199 are genetic predispositions for anger. We know that there are 123 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:53.000 genetic predispositions for aggression. We know that there's genetic predispositions 124 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:56.560 for intelligence and lack thereof. We know that there's a 125 00:06:56.639 --> 00:07:01.800 genetic predisposition for so many things that wind up being 126 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:06.000 negatives in our life. And that comes because now God 127 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:10.000 did not create us that way. Sin broke us, and 128 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:15.279 those broken pieces then get passed on through Adam's children. 129 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:18.839 That's just what happens. So God didn't create you sinful. 130 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:23.680 God created your parents perfect, you know, in Adam and Eve, 131 00:07:24.199 --> 00:07:27.079 and then with Adam and Eve being broken, all of 132 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:30.160 their progeny is broken and only Jesus can fix it. 133 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:34.040 You know that movie came to mind. Do you remember 134 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:36.720 The Emperor's New Groove? Yes, you called Adam and Eve 135 00:07:36.759 --> 00:07:41.680 our parents. Remember that scene where she goes great great 136 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:45.120 great great great great great aunt. Remember that no twice removed. 137 00:07:45.319 --> 00:07:45.879 I don't remember that. 138 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:49.199 Okay, all right, I'm about myself. It's pretty it's pretty sophisticated. 139 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:50.560 Though it sounds like, yeah, yeah. 140 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:55.079 Yeah, well groove is great, so so so yeah they 141 00:07:55.079 --> 00:07:59.439 are parents a long time ago. And so the question 142 00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:03.759 then is not just practical, but also there's a second 143 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:08.360 side of that question, which is couldn't God have done that? Right? So, 144 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:11.439 if God decided to make every individual born with a 145 00:08:11.480 --> 00:08:14.600 clean slate according to this question, right, and maybe maybe 146 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:17.120 things aren't passed down and we all start brand new. 147 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:21.399 If life began with storks dropping babies off at houses, yes, right, 148 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:27.079 where we weren't physically connected or genetically connected to other humans, 149 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:31.800 and every every parent relationship was just an adoptive relationship 150 00:08:32.279 --> 00:08:37.559 where each each person is spontaneously created in some way. Yeah, 151 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:39.840 that's not what he did. That's not what he did. 152 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:42.440 And if he did do that, my feeling is all 153 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:45.320 of us would fail anyway, absolutely, because the Bible tells 154 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:48.919 us that no person can keep all of the law. 155 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:53.080 That's right, because God is sinless and he is he 156 00:08:53.159 --> 00:08:57.879 is perfect, and our nature is not that that way. 157 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:03.879 I think so. So the official answer would be, I'm 158 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:08.360 not sure that the Bible actually says specifically why. He 159 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:10.960 doesn't always say why. He just says what most of 160 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:13.039 the time. Right, that's right, that's what it does. But 161 00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:16.679 I think that this is a really great thinking question. 162 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:19.440 I think that, Angela, it really shows kind of a 163 00:09:19.480 --> 00:09:22.279 depth of thought in asking it. And I'll be honest 164 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:24.240 with you, Angela, I've asked those same kind of questions 165 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:27.000 before too. That's great. Yeah, I think it's a really good, 166 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:31.279 really good way of looking at it. The issue would 167 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:34.039 be this, it's okay that God didn't do it that way, 168 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:39.000 because if we see this as a as entirely a 169 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:42.279 love story, then I mean, this is that typical epic 170 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:44.200 story that we tell over and over and over again 171 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:46.799 in our movies. You're a movie buff in our movies 172 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:48.600 over and over and over again. Some of the greatest movies, 173 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:51.919 some of the greatest dramas, the best stories throughout human 174 00:09:51.960 --> 00:09:55.879 history are always you know, there's the beloved, and the 175 00:09:55.879 --> 00:09:58.799 beloved gets captured away by the evil one or by 176 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:03.159 the dragons, kidnapped, is in danger, maybe even tempted to 177 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:06.279 give in to this evil you know, dragon or whatever. 178 00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:09.559 And then the hero comes and a great peril to himself, 179 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:13.480 willing to sacrifice everything, comes and rescues his beloved and 180 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:15.919 maybe even has to die in order to set her 181 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:19.200 free and defeat the evil one. We tell that story 182 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:22.759 over and over and over again, just with different different 183 00:10:23.399 --> 00:10:25.799 you know, characters or whatever. But we've been telling that 184 00:10:25.799 --> 00:10:27.960 story for thousands of years. And the reason is, I 185 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:29.480 think deep down in saide, we know that is the 186 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:33.960 story humanity right, that really is right. And so there's 187 00:10:33.559 --> 00:10:36.879 some value I think in saying, Okay, this is the 188 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:40.360 way God chose, and I'm in that system. God's not unfair. 189 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:43.799 God only always does good, and he delights in the 190 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:46.519 love story he's telling. And the good news is you 191 00:10:46.600 --> 00:10:48.879 have the ability and the autonomy to be able to 192 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:53.200 choose love or choose yourself. That's it, right, And by 193 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:57.360 turning to the move of the Holy Spirit, he draws 194 00:10:57.360 --> 00:11:00.279 you to the Father. Right. The work of Jesus on 195 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:02.759 the cross pays the price. But there is a moment 196 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:06.039 when you are confronted with your sin, and either you 197 00:11:06.120 --> 00:11:08.559 repent and turn to Christ and experience the love of 198 00:11:09.639 --> 00:11:12.039 Christ through forgiveness of sins, or you don't. And that 199 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:15.960 is the that's the story of humanity, and that's the 200 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:17.159 beautiful story that he's telling. 201 00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:20.960 Yeah, wey, we spend more time on that than any 202 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:26.840 other segment. But it's probably okay because Paul here gives 203 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:30.440 his credentials and really there's not much more to this 204 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:33.399 other than Paul defending his authority. Wouldn't you say, Yeah. 205 00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:35.799 There's a couple of good leadership things in here, but yeah, 206 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:38.399 for the most part, this is mostly a conversation between 207 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:41.159 him and the Corinthians. Yeah, for chapter ten, but let's 208 00:11:41.159 --> 00:11:43.320 read it because I think there's always value. God included 209 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:45.879 it for a reason, he says. Now, I, Paul, appeal 210 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:48.639 to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ. Though 211 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:51.360 I realize you think I'm timid in person and bold 212 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:54.039 only when I write from far away. Well, I'm begging 213 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:56.120 you now so that when I come, I won't have 214 00:11:56.200 --> 00:11:57.960 to be bold with those who think we act from 215 00:11:58.039 --> 00:12:00.919 human motives. We are human. We don't wage war as 216 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:04.039 humans do we use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, 217 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:06.200 to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to 218 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:10.320 destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps 219 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:13.200 people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and 220 00:12:13.240 --> 00:12:16.240 teach them to obey Christ. And after you have become 221 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:22.240 fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient. Look 222 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:24.759 at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to 223 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:27.039 Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much 224 00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:29.200 as they do. I may seem to be boasting too 225 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:31.279 much about the authority given to us by the Lord, 226 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:34.080 but our authority builds you up, it doesn't tear you down. 227 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:36.759 So I will not be ashamed of using my authority. 228 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:38.840 I'm not trying to frighten you by my letters. For 229 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:41.639 some say Paul's letters are demanding and forceful, but in 230 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:45.320 person he's weak and his speeches are worthless. Those people 231 00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:48.200 should realize that our actions when we arrive in person, 232 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:50.440 will be as forceful as what we say in our 233 00:12:50.519 --> 00:12:53.519 letters from far away, saying, Oh, don't make me come there. 234 00:12:53.559 --> 00:12:57.360 That's what you say, right, Oh it's on now, mess 235 00:12:57.399 --> 00:13:00.639 around and find out that's what you're saying. We don't worry. 236 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:03.080 We wouldn't dare say that we are as wonderful as 237 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:05.200 these other men who tell you how important they are. 238 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:08.120 These being a little sarcastic. Yeah, but they are only 239 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:11.120 comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard 240 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:14.399 a menagement of measurement, how ignorant. We will not boast 241 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:17.000 about things done outside our area of authority. We will 242 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:19.480 boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of 243 00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:21.600 the work God has given us, which includes our working 244 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:24.159 with you. We're not reaching beyond these boundaries when we 245 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:27.159 claim authority over you, as if we have never visited you, 246 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:29.159 for we were the first to travel all the way 247 00:13:29.159 --> 00:13:31.679 to Corinth with the good news of Christ. Nor do 248 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:34.519 we boast and claim credit for the work someone else 249 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:37.320 has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow 250 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:39.960 so that the boundaries of our work among you will 251 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:42.200 be extended. Then we will be able to go and 252 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:44.360 preach the good news in other places, far beyond you, 253 00:13:44.759 --> 00:13:47.720 where no one else is working. Then there will be 254 00:13:47.720 --> 00:13:50.720 no question of our boasting about work done in someone 255 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.600 else's territory. As the scriptures say, if you want to boast, 256 00:13:53.679 --> 00:13:56.919 boast only about the Lord when people commend themselves, it 257 00:13:56.919 --> 00:13:59.480 doesn't count for much. The important thing is for the 258 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:03.320 Lord to come in them. So apparently somebody's saying, oh, 259 00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:06.039 Paul's a tough guy in his letters and he's you know, 260 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:08.879 super weak when he's in person. And Paul's like, all right, 261 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:10.919 don't make me come to you, and I'll prove you know, 262 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:13.200 I'll prove it to you. But there's so many other 263 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:15.519 good statements in here besides him just saying, listen, the 264 00:14:15.559 --> 00:14:17.960 reason why I have authority to speak to you is 265 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.200 because I'm the one who came and started the church. There. 266 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:23.720 I'm not trying to claim authority where I haven't done work. 267 00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:26.000 I'm only claiming authority where I did start the work. 268 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:26.840 That's what he's saying. 269 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:31.960 You know, there's a great thing over here that I'm 270 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:34.000 actually not going to read, but I want to reference 271 00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:36.679 just how great it is. And the Life Application and 272 00:14:36.679 --> 00:14:39.480 Study Bible. There's an entire chart, you know, and I 273 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:42.639 love charts. And what they do is they do all 274 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:45.000 the homework for you, is what they do, and they 275 00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:48.360 sort of list all of Paul's credentials. What's so amazing 276 00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:51.600 is they've taken this entire book of sewod Corinthians, and 277 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:54.279 verse by verse from chapter one all the way to 278 00:14:54.360 --> 00:14:59.279 chapter thirteen, they list these are Paul's credentials. I'm only 279 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:01.200 gonna read maybe one or two of these, but like 280 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:04.919 chapter one, verse one, Paul says he was commissioned by 281 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:09.639 God himself chapter one, verse number twelve. He acted in holiness, sincerity, 282 00:15:09.639 --> 00:15:13.480 and dependence on God alone in his dealings with the 283 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:16.919 world in general, especially with Corinthians. So he goes down 284 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:21.240 the line and he actually lists all the credentials. Well, 285 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:24.840 I love that, because you know, it is important, I 286 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:27.840 think to sometimes zoom out and have a thirty thousand 287 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:31.759 foot view of just what's happening. So, for instance, we 288 00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:33.799 said a moment ago, oh there's some good leadership stuff 289 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:36.960 in here, right, and that's true. But when you zoom 290 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:41.000 out and you look at the entire letter of Second Corinthians, 291 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:43.879 we know how important it is for Paul to you know, 292 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:48.039 defend his authority, you know, to convince the Corinthians that 293 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:53.480 his words matter, and then also to model for them 294 00:15:53.799 --> 00:15:56.519 what a good leader should do, not all these false 295 00:15:56.600 --> 00:15:59.879 leaders who boast about themselves how ignorant, Paul says. 296 00:16:00.519 --> 00:16:03.240 You know, Paul is literally. 297 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:05.799 If you got on this list. Verse by verse, it 298 00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:09.559 talks about how he has the Holy Spirit, how he 299 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:13.600 spoke truthfully, how he was straightforward and sincere in his letters, 300 00:16:13.879 --> 00:16:17.200 how he actually spoke with authority, he did not give up, 301 00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:19.720 He taught the Bible with integrity, and it just goes 302 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:22.000 on and on and on, and it's so important, I 303 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:24.840 think to get a thirty thousand foot view of that. 304 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:26.840 And by the way, I think we need to do 305 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:29.639 that with our lives. Yes, we need to actually you know, 306 00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:35.120 view individual conversations, personal moments, you know, segments of moments 307 00:16:35.720 --> 00:16:38.480 for what they are, but also to step back every 308 00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:38.879 once in a. 309 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:40.240 While and say, okay. 310 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:42.440 And by the way, that's what New Year's resolutions do, 311 00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:44.639 that's right, you know they step back and say, okay, 312 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:48.200 what do I want an overall decision to be about 313 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:48.720 my life? 314 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:52.840 Yeah? Yeah, it's really cool. So you know, this was necessary. This, 315 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:56.840 this kind of idea was necessary because you know, he 316 00:16:56.840 --> 00:17:00.240 couldn't just pick up the phone. There wasn't any you know, 317 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:03.480 zoom meetings that he could do. He couldn't hop on 318 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:06.160 a plane and shoot over there real quick, or you know, 319 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:08.200 get in the car and be there in a few hours, 320 00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:10.839 and so what would happen is he comes in, he 321 00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:12.960 spends quite a bit of time with them, but then 322 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:15.720 when he leaves them, they're just kind of on their own, 323 00:17:16.200 --> 00:17:20.200 and whatever other teachers come in can skew what had 324 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:23.279 happened before. And it would be so long a period 325 00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:27.079 of time between communications because of the nature of having 326 00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:28.960 to write these letters and the fact there were no 327 00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:33.400 planes or cars or you know that kind of you know, 328 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:38.359 internet or communication devices, and so he would have to 329 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:42.440 remind his other leaders listen, you can trust me, right, 330 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:44.119 because there'd be other people that would come in and 331 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:47.119 try to take advantage. And this happens throughout. You know, 332 00:17:47.240 --> 00:17:50.920 the Greeks and the Romans were fairly sophisticated. They were 333 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:54.880 incredibly sophisticated for their day. Hey, we still don't build 334 00:17:54.920 --> 00:17:57.920 buildings that last as long as their buildings do, right, 335 00:17:58.119 --> 00:17:59.960 that kind of stuff. They're roads. I've been on roads 336 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:01.440 that were built two thousand years ago, and then I 337 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:03.559 drive down Michigan roads and think, hey, we should put 338 00:18:03.640 --> 00:18:07.160 Romans in charge of building our roads. Right. So many 339 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:11.319 things that they did were very sophisticated. They were highly educated, 340 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:18.480 They had great economic and political systems, very interesting sophisticated, 341 00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:22.480 but village to village to village. Because there was such 342 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:27.720 limited information, there was no printing press, limited information, people 343 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:31.319 could be simplistic in their thinking. Even though they were 344 00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:34.440 sophisticated in some of their science and engineering, they were 345 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:37.319 many of them were simplistic in their thinking. And so 346 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:41.119 then somebody comes in and uses religious words that sound 347 00:18:41.240 --> 00:18:43.319 kind of like the words Paul was using, but they 348 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:45.839 don't mean the same thing. And it was very easy 349 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:47.839 to have false teaching. So Paul would have to come 350 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:50.480 back in and say, listen, when I'm providing correction. Remember, 351 00:18:50.759 --> 00:18:52.680 God used me to bring the Gospel to you first. 352 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:56.640 You can trust me. I'm the one who suffers for 353 00:18:56.759 --> 00:18:59.640 the gospel. I'm not prospering from you. Remember when he 354 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:02.440 came in, he said, I didn't even charge you any money. Right, 355 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:06.160 He's trying to say, listen, you can trust me because 356 00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:09.440 I'm not trying to take advantage. And he has to 357 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:11.319 keep reminding me of that. And I think it's because 358 00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:14.359 of the fact that they had limited information and fairly 359 00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:18.839 simplistic in some of their thinking, and so this is 360 00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:19.720 one of the reason why he does this. 361 00:19:20.839 --> 00:19:23.039 I love how Paul from time to time in these 362 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:27.079 last three podcasts that we've done, every time Paul has 363 00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:30.480 quoted the Old Testament. Yeah, you know, Paul grew up 364 00:19:30.519 --> 00:19:33.480 as a scholar. You know, he was born a Jew, 365 00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:36.039 even though he was a Roman citizen. He was a 366 00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:39.079 member of He was a Pharisee for sure, claimed to 367 00:19:39.079 --> 00:19:42.480 be a Pharisee. And then also people believe that he 368 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:44.480 might have even been a member of the Samehedron. He 369 00:19:44.519 --> 00:19:47.759 certainly was an intern, you know, working up to be 370 00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:48.759 a member of the same Heedron. 371 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:51.160 So Sanhedron being kind of the religious supreme court of 372 00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:52.680 the Jewish religion. 373 00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:57.519 Yes, and you know Acts chapter number nine tells us this, 374 00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:00.799 you know, or x seven. Actually when St Even was stoned, 375 00:20:01.559 --> 00:20:04.240 it says that Paul was standing by holding the people's 376 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:06.720 coats who were stoning and consenting to his death. And 377 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:09.079 so we knew he was around those things. He was 378 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:13.000 working towards those things. Anyway, all that to say, Paul's 379 00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:16.480 credentials of knowing the Old Testament were you know, just 380 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:19.400 about as high as anyone. And so I love how 381 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:23.759 he weaves in scriptures. And I keep in mind he's 382 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:26.880 writing to a Greek audience, not primarily a Jewish audience. 383 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:29.960 So you know, for Jews, they would say, oh wow, 384 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:32.680 look how you wove the scriptures that we all know 385 00:20:32.839 --> 00:20:35.960 into the truths of today. But for the Greeks, he's 386 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:38.720 doing the same thing, and he's taking you know, the 387 00:20:38.839 --> 00:20:42.000 highlights in a lot of times Jeremiah nine twenty four 388 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:45.880 he talks about He says, as the scriptures say, if 389 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:49.000 you want to boast, boast only in the Lord. And 390 00:20:49.640 --> 00:20:53.160 he's really taking a modern day thing here about people 391 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:56.039 boasting about themselves, and he says, no, no, no, no. 392 00:20:56.359 --> 00:20:58.599 He says, you know, if you take. 393 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:00.480 The selves out of the equation, and we'll be able 394 00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:03.039 to preach the good news and nobody will question our 395 00:21:03.079 --> 00:21:06.279 boasting because will be about ourselves as a scripture says, 396 00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:07.200 boast about God. 397 00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:10.160 Yeah. And then lastly, as we wrap up, the one 398 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:14.359 piece that we skipped is verse three through five or 399 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:16.960 six where he talks about, hey, listen, we don't wage 400 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:19.920 war as humans do, right. We use God's mighty weapons, 401 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:22.839