Podcasts about thessalonica

Old Testament: Job 1 Job 1 (Listen) Job's Character and Wealth 1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed1 God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. Satan Allowed to Test Job 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan2 also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. Satan Takes Job's Property and Children 13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 14 and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants3 with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 19 and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Footnotes [1] 1:5 The Hebrew word bless is used euphemistically for curse in 1:5, 11; 2:5, 9 [2] 1:6 Hebrew the Accuser or the Adversary; so throughout chapters 1–2 [3] 1:15 Hebrew the young men; also verses 16, 17 (ESV) New Testament: Philippians 4:2–23 Philippians 4:2–23 (Listen) Exhortation, Encouragement, and Prayer 2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion,1 help these women, who have labored2 side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness3 be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned4 and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. God's Provision 10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 14 Yet it was kind of you to share5 my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.6 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Final Greetings 21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Footnotes [1] 4:3 Or loyal Syzygus; Greek true yokefellow [2] 4:3 Or strived (see 1:27) [3] 4:5 Or gentleness [4] 4:9 Or these things— 9which things you have also learned [5] 4:14 Or have fellowship in [6] 4:17 Or I seek the profit that accrues to your account (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 43 Psalm 43 (Listen) Send Out Your Light and Your Truth 43   Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause    against an ungodly people,  from the deceitful and unjust man    deliver me!2   For you are the God in whom I take refuge;    why have you rejected me?  Why do I go about mourning    because of the oppression of the enemy? 3   Send out your light and your truth;    let them lead me;  let them bring me to your holy hill    and to your dwelling!4   Then I will go to the altar of God,    to God my exceeding joy,  and I will praise you with the lyre,    O God, my God. 5   Why are you cast down, O my soul,    and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,    my salvation and my God. (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 21:23–24 Proverbs 21:23–24 (Listen) 23   Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue    keeps himself out of trouble.24   “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man    who acts with arrogant pride. (ESV)

Thank you for joining the Manna Podcast as we study, chapter by chapter, Paul's first letter to the church of Thessalonica. Please share with your friends and family. Also, the Manna Podcast Team would appreciate you joining us in prayer that God would expand this ministry. https://www.mannapodcast.com/lessons Brad's Board Notes 1st Thessalonians 3 Vs 1-5 Staying connected to caring people can help us grow stronger when we face the inevitable trials of life Vs 6-8 When we face our trials with faith, we encourage other believers to stand firm in their faith Vs 9-10 Persistent prayer for others is a powerful way to help them grow in their faith Vs 11-13 As we depend on Him, the Lord will cause our love to grow, and make us more like Jesus Other Verses: Acts 18:9-10 Luke 9:58 John 4:13; 14:14; 15:20; 16:33; 17:3 2 Timothy 3:12 3 John 1:4 Ephesians 6:11-14 1 John 1:9; 5:14 James 4:3 A.C.T.S. of Balanced Praying: Adoration Confession Thanksgiving Supplication

With family: Ruth 2; Acts 27 Ruth 2 (Listen) Ruth Meets Boaz 2 Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. 4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered, “The LORD bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.' So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”1 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.” 14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.” 17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah2 of barley. 18 And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. 19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” 21 And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.'” 22 And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” 23 So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law. Footnotes [1] 2:7 Compare Septuagint, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain [2] 2:17 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters (ESV) Acts 27 (Listen) Paul Sails for Rome 27 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. 9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast1 was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. The Storm at Sea 13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda,2 we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear,3 and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. 21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.' 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.” 27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms.4 A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.5 29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go. 33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength,6 for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 2767 persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. The Shipwreck 39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a reef,8 they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42 The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land. Footnotes [1] 27:9 That is, the Day of Atonement [2] 27:16 Some manuscripts Clauda [3] 27:17 That is, the sea-anchor (or possibly the mainsail) [4] 27:28 About 120 feet; a fathom (Greek orguia) was about 6 feet or 2 meters [5] 27:28 About 90 feet (see previous note) [6] 27:34 Or For it is for your deliverance [7] 27:37 Some manuscripts seventy-six, or about seventy-six [8] 27:41 Or sandbank, or crosscurrent; Greek place between two seas (ESV) In private: Psalm 10; Jeremiah 37 Psalm 10 (Listen) Why Do You Hide Yourself? 10   Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?    Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 2   In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;    let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.3   For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,    and the one greedy for gain curses1 and renounces the LORD.4   In the pride of his face2 the wicked does not seek him;3    all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”5   His ways prosper at all times;    your judgments are on high, out of his sight;    as for all his foes, he puffs at them.6   He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;    throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”7   His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;    under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.8   He sits in ambush in the villages;    in hiding places he murders the innocent.  His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;9     he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;  he lurks that he may seize the poor;    he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.10   The helpless are crushed, sink down,    and fall by his might.11   He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,    he has hidden his face, he will never see it.” 12   Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand;    forget not the afflicted.13   Why does the wicked renounce God    and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?14   But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,    that you may take it into your hands;  to you the helpless commits himself;    you have been the helper of the fatherless.15   Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;    call his wickedness to account till you find none. 16   The LORD is king forever and ever;    the nations perish from his land.17   O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;    you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear18   to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,    so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. Footnotes [1] 10:3 Or and he blesses the one greedy for gain [2] 10:4 Or of his anger [3] 10:4 Or the wicked says, “He will not call to account” (ESV) Jeremiah 37 (Listen) Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah 37 Zedekiah the son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. 2 But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the LORD that he spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. 3 King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray for us to the LORD our God.” 4 Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. 5 The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem. 6 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet: 7 “Thus says the LORD, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, Pharaoh's army that came to help you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land. 8 And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city. They shall capture it and burn it with fire. 9 Thus says the LORD, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go away. 10 For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.'” Jeremiah Imprisoned 11 Now when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh's army, 12 Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion there among the people. 13 When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.” 14 And Jeremiah said, “It is a lie; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 And the officials were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison. 16 When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, 17 King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” 18 Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land'? 20 Now hear, please, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there.” 21 So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard. And a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers' street, until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. (ESV)

Sunday, April 24, 2022 Holland Gospel Chapel Holland, MI

Thank you for joining the Manna Podcast as we study, chapter by chapter, Paul's first letter to the church of Thessalonica. Please share with your friends and family. Also, the Manna Podcast Team would appreciate you joining us in prayer that God would expand this ministry. https://www.mannapodcast.com/lessons Brad's Board Notes 1st Thessalonians 2:13-20 Vs 13 When you welcome God's word into your life and act on it, it will change your life completely Vs 14-16 When you follow God's word, the world will oppose you, but God will judge the world, and give you HIs perspective and power to endure Vs 17-18 God designed His family for fellowship; when we "do life together", we divide our sorrows and multiply our joys Vs 19-20 When the race is hard, focus on the finish line; winning souls for Christ on earth produces eternal joy in heaven Other Verses: Mark 4:23-24 Luke 8:18 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 4:3-4 2 Peter 1:20-21; 3:9 1 Peter 1:23 James 1:25 Acts 2:22-23 Matthew 23:34-35; 25:21 Genesis 15:16 Ephesians 6:12 Revelation 22:12

Paul's second missionary journey is underway and he makes the big transition from Asia into western Europe. Follow his travels down the Via Egnatia (a Roman road built to connect the major cities of the Roman Empire and make it easy for the Roman army to move about the empire) and follow in Paul's footsteps through Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens.

A message series in 1 Thessalonians, that teaches us about knowing and following Jesus together. A book full of encouragement to follow Jesus and live on mission for Him as individuals and as a body of believers as we await His return!This week, we will look at Paul's encouragement to the church in chapter 1. In addition, Acts 17 details Paul and Silas' ministry in Thessalonica, which will help set the stage for many topics discussed throughout this message series.Support the show

With family: Judges 13; Acts 17 Judges 13 (Listen) The Birth of Samson 13 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. 2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, 5 for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name, 7 but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'” 8 Then Manoah prayed to the LORD and said, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.” 9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, “Behold, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me.” 11 And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to this woman?” And he said, “I am.” 12 And Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, what is to be the child's manner of life, and what is his mission?” 13 And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. 14 She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.” 15 Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “Please let us detain you and prepare a young goat for you.” 16 And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the LORD.” (For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the LORD.) 17 And Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?” 18 And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” 19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD, to the one who works1 wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching. 20 And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the LORD went up in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his wife were watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground. 21 The angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” 23 But his wife said to him, “If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these.” 24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. Footnotes [1] 13:19 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew Lord, and working (ESV) Acts 17 (Listen) Paul and Silas in Thessalonica 17 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews1 were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Paul and Silas in Berea 10 The brothers2 immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. Paul in Athens 16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. Paul Addresses the Areopagus 22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,3 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for   “‘In him we live and move and have our being';4 as even some of your own poets have said,   “‘For we are indeed his offspring.'5 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” 32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. Footnotes [1] 17:5 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 13 [2] 17:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 14 [3] 17:24 Greek made by hands [4] 17:28 Probably from Epimenides of Crete [5] 17:28 From Aratus's poem “Phainomena” (ESV) In private: Jeremiah 26; Mark 12 Jeremiah 26 (Listen) Jeremiah Threatened with Death 26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: 2 “Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the LORD all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. 3 It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. 4 You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, 5 and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.'” 7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. 8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant'?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. 10 When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the LORD and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the LORD. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” 12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. 13 Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the LORD will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. 14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the LORD sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.” Jeremiah Spared from Death 16 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.” 17 And certain of the elders of the land arose and spoke to all the assembled people, saying, 18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts,   “‘Zion shall be plowed as a field;    Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,    and the mountain of the house a wooded height.' 19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and did not the LORD relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.” 20 There was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah. 21 And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent to Egypt certain men, Elnathan the son of Achbor and others with him, 23 and they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people. 24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death. (ESV) Mark 12 (Listen) The Parable of the Tenants 12 And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant1 to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.' 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture:   “‘The stone that the builders rejected    has become the cornerstone;211   this was the Lord's doing,    and it is marvelous in our eyes'?” 12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away. Paying Taxes to Caesar 13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances,3 but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius4 and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him. The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection 18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man5 must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” The Great Commandment 28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. Whose Son Is the Christ? 35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared,   “‘The Lord said to my Lord,  “Sit at my right hand,    until I put your enemies under your feet.”' 37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly. Beware of the Scribes 38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” The Widow's Offering 41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.6 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Footnotes [1] 12:2 Or bondservant; also verse 4 [2] 12:10 Greek the head of the corner [3] 12:14 Greek you do not look at people's faces [4] 12:15 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer [5] 12:19 Greek his brother [6] 12:42 Greek two lepta, which make a kodrantes; a kodrantes (Latin quadrans) was a Roman copper coin worth about 1/64 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer) (ESV)

In today's segment, we reveal how the Mystery of the Rapture was concealed in the Old Testament and consistent in the New Testament. We also reveal why neither the Church of Corinth nor the Church of Thessalonica questioned what Paul meant when using the terms “Last Trump” and “Last Trumpet”

Thank you for joining the Manna Podcast as we study, chapter by chapter, Paul's first letter to the church of Thessalonica. Please share with your friends and family. Also, the Manna Podcast Team would appreciate you joining us in prayer that God would expand this ministry. https://www.mannapodcast.com/lessons Brad's Board Notes 1st Thessalonians Ch. 2:1-12 Vs 1 God expects and enables His people to be faithful and fruitful in their ministries Vs 1-2 Ministry requires courage, because some reject the gospel, but God has given us boldness and power through the Holy Spirit Vs 3-4 God requires us to handle His gospel treasure with diligence and accuracy Vs 7-8 Raising spiritual infants to maturity requires large doses of time and tender loving care Vs 9 Our primary purpose on earth is to make disciples of Jesus Christ; don't trade your days for anything less Vs 10-12 God's standard for our life is the character of Christ Other Verses: Ephesians 6:4, 19-20 2 Timothy 1:7; 2:4 & 15 Acts 1:8; 17:1-8 Matthew 11:29; 16:18; 23:27 John 17:17 1 Corinthians 4:2-4 Proverbs 29:25 1 Peter 2:2 John 10:11 Colossians 3:23-24 Psalm 103:13-14

Morning: Psalms 50–52 Psalms 50–52 (Listen) God Himself Is Judge A Psalm of Asaph. 50   The Mighty One, God the LORD,    speaks and summons the earth    from the rising of the sun to its setting.2   Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,    God shines forth. 3   Our God comes; he does not keep silence;1    before him is a devouring fire,    around him a mighty tempest.4   He calls to the heavens above    and to the earth, that he may judge his people:5   “Gather to me my faithful ones,    who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”6   The heavens declare his righteousness,    for God himself is judge! Selah 7   “Hear, O my people, and I will speak;    O Israel, I will testify against you.    I am God, your God.8   Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;    your burnt offerings are continually before me.9   I will not accept a bull from your house    or goats from your folds.10   For every beast of the forest is mine,    the cattle on a thousand hills.11   I know all the birds of the hills,    and all that moves in the field is mine. 12   “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,    for the world and its fullness are mine.13   Do I eat the flesh of bulls    or drink the blood of goats?14   Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,2    and perform your vows to the Most High,15   and call upon me in the day of trouble;    I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” 16   But to the wicked God says:    “What right have you to recite my statutes    or take my covenant on your lips?17   For you hate discipline,    and you cast my words behind you.18   If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,    and you keep company with adulterers. 19   “You give your mouth free rein for evil,    and your tongue frames deceit.20   You sit and speak against your brother;    you slander your own mother's son.21   These things you have done, and I have been silent;    you thought that I3 was one like yourself.  But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. 22   “Mark this, then, you who forget God,    lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!23   The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;    to one who orders his way rightly    I will show the salvation of God!” Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 51   Have mercy on me,4 O God,    according to your steadfast love;  according to your abundant mercy    blot out my transgressions.2   Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,    and cleanse me from my sin! 3   For I know my transgressions,    and my sin is ever before me.4   Against you, you only, have I sinned    and done what is evil in your sight,  so that you may be justified in your words    and blameless in your judgment.5   Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,    and in sin did my mother conceive me.6   Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 7   Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.8   Let me hear joy and gladness;    let the bones that you have broken rejoice.9   Hide your face from my sins,    and blot out all my iniquities.10   Create in me a clean heart, O God,    and renew a right5 spirit within me.11   Cast me not away from your presence,    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.12   Restore to me the joy of your salvation,    and uphold me with a willing spirit. 13   Then I will teach transgressors your ways,    and sinners will return to you.14   Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,    O God of my salvation,    and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.15   O Lord, open my lips,    and my mouth will declare your praise.16   For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;    you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.17   The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18   Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;    build up the walls of Jerusalem;19   then will you delight in right sacrifices,    in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;    then bulls will be offered on your altar. The Steadfast Love of God Endures To the choirmaster. A Maskil6 of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” 52   Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.2   Your tongue plots destruction,    like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.3   You love evil more than good,    and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah4   You love all words that devour,    O deceitful tongue. 5   But God will break you down forever;    he will snatch and tear you from your tent;    he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah6   The righteous shall see and fear,    and shall laugh at him, saying,7   “See the man who would not make    God his refuge,  but trusted in the abundance of his riches    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”7 8   But I am like a green olive tree    in the house of God.  I trust in the steadfast love of God    forever and ever.9   I will thank you forever,    because you have done it.  I will wait for your name, for it is good,    in the presence of the godly. Footnotes [1] 50:3 Or May our God come, and not keep silence [2] 50:14 Or Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God [3] 50:21 Or that the I am [4] 51:1 Or Be gracious to me [5] 51:10 Or steadfast [6] 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [7] 52:7 Or in his work of destruction (ESV) Evening: Acts 27:1–25 Acts 27:1–25 (Listen) Paul Sails for Rome 27 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. 9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast1 was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. The Storm at Sea 13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda,2 we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear,3 and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. 21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.' 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. Footnotes [1] 27:9 That is, the Day of Atonement [2] 27:16 Some manuscripts Clauda [3] 27:17 That is, the sea-anchor (or possibly the mainsail) (ESV)

davidtrig.com/internship If we travel back in time to the decade of the 90's, youth groups and rallies will be discussing a new campaign geared toward sexual purity. This campaign is called “True Love Waits” and its goal is to create a wave of young men and women who choose not to have sex before marriage. The message of True Love Waits is just as important and pertinent to our culture today as it was in the 90's. There is a resurgence of the sexual revolution in our culture that says that if it feels good then it's okay. But in an effort to instill godly morals in our youth, we must still consider if there are toxic aspects to the messages we are communicating through purity culture. Through my research and teenage experience, I have realized that there are 4 aspects of purity culture that can have a negative impact on our lives. After uncovering these aspects, let's consider if we still need a purity campaign and if so, does this campaign have room for improvement? Where Is Purity Culture Discussed in the Bible? Purity culture is a term we have created based on the scriptural instruction, like that of 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8. The apostle Paul is speaking to the church at Thessalonica. He instructs them to live a life pleasing to God and to do that, they must abstain from sexual immorality. Paul says specifically in verse 4 that we are to learn to control our own bodies in a way that is holy and honorable. Further down, Paul says we were not called to live a life of impurity. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/davidtrig/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/davidtrig/support

Paul's Journey  TBA - (Thessalonica, Berea, Athens)--------------------------------------------ACTS    Join us to learn and grow from some time spent in God's Word!  Review with us the story of the beginning of the Christian Church and its rapid growth under God's blessing.  We'll make observations and applications into your life in the 21st Century.  The resurrection of Jesus still impacts our life and the Holy Spirit is still active in the hearts, the lives of God's people and in the work of spreading the gospel.  We'll grow in our Bible knowledge and in our faith in our risen and ascended Savior as we spend this time in and discussing God's Word.  Read the chapter and grow further from our discussion.      Make sure to find the other titles in this series or check out a different series or one of our sermons from Grace on our Most Certainly True podcast channel.  We'd love to have you grow with us.  Check out more about our ministry or connect with a pastor at www.gracedowntown.org.   Thanks for listening!

This is one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible. I've quoted it since I was a teenager. We see Paul's gratitude and joy “in the Lord” for the response of his friends in Philippi. I'm not a tattoo guy but verse 11 (contentment) and verse 13 (I can do all things…) would meet my approval. Johnny Cash sang, “I've been everywhere, man.” Paul could have said, “I've suffered everywhere, man.” His suffering starts in Acts 9 and doesn't end until he dies. He suffered in Damascus, Jerusalem, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth, Philippi and Ephesus. He was executed in Rome. As he wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28: “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” Paul didn't exactly have it easy. His prayers didn't go as he requested when he asked the Lord to remove “the thorn” from him (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). However, he remained joyful. This week we read he learned the secret of being content. Our theme of the week, CONTENTMENT, is an acquired trait. Contentment is not our natural state. There will always be things to complain about, but we can learn contentment, too. While Paul was content, he also lived with a godly ambition. He wanted to accomplish great things.

Acts 17:1-15 New King James Version Preaching Christ at Thessalonica 17 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. Assault on Jason's House 5 But the Jews [a]who were not persuaded, [b]becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. 7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.” 8 And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. 9 So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Ministering at Berea 10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. 14 Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

Most of the New Testament letters contain both affirmation and concern for the people receiving them, both praise and correction for their respective original audiences. The Corinthians were new creatures in Christ but tolerating carnality. The Colossians were strong in faith but wrestling with issues of unity within the body. Timothy was a gifted pastor but battled timidity. Good and bad, all mixed together. The same was true in Thessalonica.[Second Thessalonians] gives evidence that Paul had recently heard news about conditions in the church. Probably this information came to him from the messenger who delivered 1 Thessalonians and returned to Corinth. Perhaps other people who had news of the church informed the three missionaries (Paul, Silas, and Timothy) also. Some of the news was good: the Thessalonians were continuing to grow and to remain faithful to Christ in spite of persecution. But some was bad: false teaching concerning the day of the Lord had entered the church and was causing confusion and leading some of the Christians to quit their jobs in expectation of the Lord's return (Thomas Constable, “2 Thessalonians,” in TBKC, 712–713). Today we welcome back to the podcast Dr. Christopher Cone. Dr. Cone has served as the president of a number of theological institutions over the years. He's a scholar and theologian, professor and preacher, and currently serves as the president and CEO of AgathonEDU Educational Group. Dr. Cone has also written, contributed to, or edited over a dozen books, many of which explore and model proper Bible interpretive methods.

Thank you for joining the Manna Podcast as we study, chapter by chapter, Paul's first letter to the church of Thessalonica. Please share with your friends and family. Also, the Manna Podcast Team would appreciate you joining us in prayer that God would expand this ministry. https://www.mannapodcast.com/lessons Brad's Board Notes 1st Thessalonians Ch. 1 Vs 2 Genuine Christians make it a habit to pray for each other Vs 3 Genuine Christians are changed people: they are known by their working faith, serving love, and steadfast hope Vs 4 Salvation requires both God's sovereignty and human responsibility; by grace, God chose you for salvation, and through faith, you are responsible to believe in Jesus as your Savior Vs 6-8 A genuine Christian makes the gospel a priority; they proclaim the gospel with their words and practice the gospel with their lives Vs 9-10 Genuine Christians value God more than anything else in life Other Verses: 2 Corinthians 5:17 James 2:26 John 5:24; 6:37; 13:34-35; 14:3; 15:13 & 16; 17:8 Ephesians 1:4; 2:8 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Acts 1:8; 16:31 Revelation 22:17 Romans 1:16

Episode 169 – Paul’s Places – Part 10: Thessalonica Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4, verses 16 and 17, Contemporary English Version ******** VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re so grateful we have the opportunity to be with you today. We have been working on a series we call “Paul’s Places” for several weeks now. In fact, this is our 10th lesson in this series. By “Paul,” of course, we’re referring to the Apostle Paul who wrote almost half of the books in the New Testament. In this “Paul’s Places” series we are taking a look at Paul’s letters to the churches that are identified in our Bibles by geographic names – mostly of cities such as Rome or Corinth. But the book of Galatians is named for the province of Galatia which was a region in what is now in modern-day Turkey. Anyone who has missed any of the previous lessons can find them on our website, crystalseabooks.com, or on their favorite podcast app. Today In the studio we have RD Fierro, the author of a number of great Christian books and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, what was the major reason you wanted to do this “Paul’s Places” series? RD: Well, I’d like to start by thanking our listeners for joining us here today. The reason we undertook this “Paul’s Places” series is really quite simple – to help our listeners formulate a better answer to the question: “are the New Testament documents historically reliable?” The New Testament documents are the documents from which we get our information about Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension. These are real events that occurred within real history. So, it is reasonable for people to wonder how we can be sure that we have an accurate record of their occurrence. VK: We are now 2,000 years removed from the time that Jesus walked on the earth, performed His miracles, died, and rose again. And we are almost 2,000 years removed from the time when people began hearing about those events and either accepting or rejecting the meaning of what had occurred. Many of those early hearers celebrated the fact that Christ Jesus the Messiah had come and they became the first Christians. But we tend to forget in our day and age that those first Christians – even though they believed – had questions about exactly what had taken place. So, the Apostles began writing and sending documents to some of those first groups and churches to provide answers to questions and encourage their recipients. And later many of those early documents were gathered into the compilation that we call our New Testament. RD: Right. And the Apostle Paul was one of the hardest working of the Apostles and one of the most prolific writers. Almost half of our New Testament came from his hand. VK: And among the letters that Paul sent that have been preserved for us are the letters he sent to churches in various cities – or in one case – several churches in a region known as Galatia. We call those letters by the name of the group that received them – such as Romans, Corinthians, or Thessalonians. And today we want to take a closer look at the letters Paul sent to the Thessalonians. RD: Yes. Among Paul’s letters that have been preserved for us nine of those letters are identified by place names. There are six cities named and, as you said, one region called Galatia. Two of those cities, Corinth and Thessalonica, have more than one letter preserved in our Bible. So, we call those 1 and 2 Corinthians and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. In our Bibles 1 and 2 Corinthians are placed earlier in the order of arrangement within the compilation. But most scholars believe that 1 and 2 Thessalonians were actually the earliest of Paul’s letters that have been preserved. VK: The one possible exception to 1 and 2 Thessalonians being the earliest of Paul’s letters that were preserved is the letter to the Galatians. Scholars are pretty much evenly split on the date of the composition of Galatians. Some scholars believe Galatians was written as early as 49 AD right after Paul’s 1st missionary journey. Other scholars place it several years later after or during Paul’s 3rd missionary journey – possibly as late as 57 AD. Since most scholars date 1 and 2 Thessalonians around 51 or 52 AD it is quite possible they were the earliest of his letters, or epistles, that have been retained. RD: Yes. And for anyone who would like more information about the dating of Galatians question they can visit our website, crystalseabooks.com, and listen to the episode in this “Paul’s Places” series that covers Galatia. For today we want to turn our attention to the letters to the Thessalonians. And that first thing that I want to notice is that we know exactly where the city of Thessalonica is located because it is in the same place today as it was in Paul’s time. Today, Thessalonica, is also known as, Thessaloniki, Saloniki, or Salonica. VK: Today, Thessalonica is the second-largest city in Greece, with over 1 million inhabitants. In Paul’s day it’s thought that Thessalonica had about 200,000 residents. Thessalonica is a sea-port. It is at the head of the bay which is on the Gulf of Thessalonica. As a sea port is ideally situated for commerce. Thessalonica was founded by one of Alexander the Great’s successors named Cassander in 315 BC. Cassander named the city for his wife who was also a half-sister of Alexander. Today, Thessalonica is the capital of the geographic region of Macedonia and it pretty much served that same purpose in Paul’s day when Macedonia was a Roman province. The Romans had taken charge of Macedonia and Thessalonica in 148 BC. So, it is fair to say that in Paul’s day was a very important city. Right away it makes sense that Paul would have gone there to preach and establish a church when he had the opportunity. RD: And even more than being an important city Thessalonica was located on what is called the Egnatian Way. The Egnatian Way was a very important transportation artery the Romans had built in the 2nd century BC. It ran through territory that is now part of modern Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey as a continuation of the Appian Way. Essentially the Egnatian Way was the main line of overland travel through Macedonia (northern Greece) all the way from the west coast of Greece to western Turkey. Both Thessalonica and Philippi were on it. So, it makes sense that when Paul was mistreated in Philippi he would have followed the Egnatian Way to the next major city to the west which was Thessalonica. VK: We hear about that in the book of Acts, chapter 17, verses 1 through 3. “Now when [Paul and Silas] had traveled through Amphipolis [AM-PHIP-AH-LIS] and Apollonia [APP-AH-LOAN-EE-UH], they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul’s custom, he visited them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’” RD: Essentially, Paul skipped two smaller towns on the Egnatian Way, Amphipolis and Apollonia, and made his next ministry stop after Philippi in Thessalonica – which we have said was a far more important city. Plus, it is quite likely that there may not have been a synagogue in either Amphipolis or Apollonia, so that would have limited Paul’s normal approach to preaching the gospel when he entered a new area. VK: And here that was Paul’s custom from the section of Acts. When Paul came to a new area he would start preaching the gospel at the local synagogue. Paul was a Jew so he would start at the place where it was most likely he would find people who would know the Jewish scriptures, our Old Testament, and with whom he had a natural bond. If Paul didn’t get a positive response from the Jews in the synagogue he would find a place to preach to the Gentiles, the non-Jews. Then, he would stay, as long as it was profitable for him to be there. All too often the resentment of the local Jewish community would create problems for Paul and his new converts. That’s what happened here. In verses 5 and 6 from chapter 17 of Acts we hear, “But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and they attacked the house of Jason and were seeking to bring [Paul and Silas] out to the people. When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities and taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; …” RD: Right. This little vignette that we get from Acts is actually very helpful in giving us insight into the content of the letters that Paul sent to the Thessalonians. So, let’s dig into that a bit. It doesn’t seem like Paul got to spend too much time in Thessalonica before he had to move on. Compare a time period that sounds like it was 2 to 3 months with the 18 months Paul spent in Corinth when he founded the church there and the nearly 3 years he spent in Ephesus. But the church he founded in Thessalonica continued on despite Paul’s limited time there. VK: Possibly because there were some influential people within Thessalonica who had begun to believe when they first heard the gospel. Acts, chapter 17, verse 4 tells us that “a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a significant number of the leading women” had become believers. RD: Quite possibly. I think that reference to “leading women” is particularly important. “Leading” in this context likely means influential, important, and rich. That’s a pretty good start for a church to have a group of influential and wealthy women who have discovered the truth. They would not be easily pushed aside or dissuaded. And, oddly enough, the fact that the Thessalonian church included a large number of wealthy and influential women may give us an interesting clue into one of the primary subjects that Paul addressed in his letters to the Thessalonians. VK: An interesting clue huh? I can’t wait to see where you’re going with this. RD: Yes. It’s sanctified imagination time. A couple of times in this “Paul’s Places” series we’ve mentioned that we can learn more and understand better the content of Paul’s letters, his epistles, if we not only study the individual letters themselves but also look across the letters to see where they compare and contrast. Well, we’ve noticed in the letters that we’ve covered so far that Paul has covered a wide variety of subjects. VK: He covered the relationship between the Jews and Gentiles both before and after Jesus’ coming in the letter to the Romans. Rome had a lot of both Jews and Gentiles in its congregation. He covered how to deal with sexual temptation in his letter to the Corinthians. The city of Corinth contained a temple to the Roman goddess Venus that employed as many as a 1,000 prostitutes. Sexual temptation was a real problem there. In his letter to the Colossians Paul was very emphatic that Jesus was superior to all other supposed gods, goddesses, and celestial powers. Colossae was located in a region that had worshipped the goddess Cybele that some thought had become an astral power. RD: Right. Up to this point we have seen that Paul covered a wide variety of subjects in his letters along with a continuous emphasis on the fact of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies contained in the Old Testament, which were the Jewish scriptures, about the Messiah. Evidently part of Paul’s evangelistic strategy was to start out by proclaiming that the Messiah had come and that this meant that the major event necessary for redemptive history to proceed to its conclusion had been completed. VK: The New Geneva Study Bible’s introductory section on 1 Thessalonians says this. “… the Thessalonian letters, Paul’s preaching at Athens, recorded in Acts 17, confirms that [Paul’s] strategy among non-Jewish audiences at this time was to stress the coming judgment that God has placed in the hands of the risen Christ.” RD: And, of course, that makes sense. With Jewish audiences Paul had a point of connection that he did not have with non-Jewish audiences. With Jewish audiences Paul could refer to their scriptures which, for most of his listeners, were in the form of the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint. But with non-Jewish audiences referring to the Septuagint would have been meaningless. Even if they had a copy they would have had little or no familiarity with its content. But one place Paul could start his evangelistic message was with the fact that all human beings have an innate sense of right and wrong and that the fact that we all know we have done things that are wrong means that someday we are going to face judgment. VK: But, naturally, at the same time that Paul confirmed his audiences fears about the coming judgment he gave them the good news that anyone who placed their trust in Jesus, the Messiah who had come, would have no reason to fear that judgment. The consequences of judgement for those who believed in Christ had already been placed on Christ. Believers, therefore, need have no fear of judgment. Jesus has been judged in our place. We can look forward to eternal life because he paid the penalty for our sin. RD: Amen. And Paul covers this good news in one way or another in every one of his letters. But among all the other subjects we have seen that Paul has covered there is one very obvious subject that we have not mentioned because, surprisingly enough, it is only covered in depth in 1 and 2 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians. VK: And that subject is? RD: The question of the order and timing of when judgment and our own resurrection will occur. Think about it. A man has just told you about this prophet in Judea that preached about the kingdom of heaven, claimed he was God in the flesh, and performed miracles to validate his claim. Then that prophet was killed by the Romans … VK: And everybody in Paul’s day knew that the Romans were very good at executing people they thought were criminals ... RD: … and they knew how they executed them. But then you hear that the prophet who said He was the Son of God didn’t stay dead. He rose from the dead by His own power, appeared to hundreds of people for a period of 40 days, and then ascended back into heaven. And you are told that someday this prophet is coming back to earth to judge everyone who has ever lived. That whole message is startling and amazing so naturally you have questions. So, what is the first question most people would ask when they hear the prophet is coming back? VK: When. I would want to know when the prophet is coming back. And I would want to know how I’ll be able to recognize that we’re getting close to that time. RD: Exactly. But the only place in his many letters when Paul spends much time on the question of the how and when of Jesus’ return is in 1 and 2 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians. Well, one reason this question seems to have been particularly important to the Thessalonians is that evidently between Paul’s time with them around late 50 or early 51 AD and when he wrote 1 Thessalonians, a number of the Thessalonian believers had died. And evidently the question of what would happen to believers who had died before Christ’s return had become important in the Thessalonian church. Evidently, after Paul left them someone inside or outside the church had started circulating the idea that believers who were still alive when Christ returns would get better treatment than those who had died. So, remember what we said about the church at Thessalonica having started with a number of the “leading women.” VK: Oh. I see where you’re going with this line of thinking. You’re thinking that it would be quite common for wealthy, influential women to be, shall we say, more mature. Or said plainly – a lot of years often pass before people acquire substantial amounts of money, influence, or wisdom. Not always – but it’s certainly not uncommon. RD: And what do older women have? VK: Older husbands. And we all know it’s very common for men not to live as long as women. So, it’s not a stretch to think that some of the concern about the treatment of dead believers may have arisen among some of the older women who had helped found the church. That actually makes good sense. Those women had been early converts. And even though Paul had only been gone from Thessalonica for a year or two before he wrote 1 Thessalonians it’s easily possible some of those early converts had already experienced the loss of the most important person in their life. Naturally, they would want to be sure that if Jesus came back before they died that they would be reunited with their lost loved one. Grief has a way of bringing certain questions into sharp relief. Wow. You don’t think about that when you read those epistles. To us these are letters long dated and established. But when Paul was writing to the Thessalonian church he may very well have been writing to a church where some of his first converts had only recently become widows. RD: The question of the timing of Jesus’ return gets sensationalized in our day and time. There are countless books, movies, and TV dramas that have contemplated the question in one form or another. But we know with absolute certainty that 2,000 years will have elapsed between Jesus’ first and second coming. VK: But those 1st century believers had no way of knowing that. For all they knew it might have been just a matter of a few decades that would elapse. So, to a widow in Thessalonica who had just lost her life partner the question of the treatment of a dead believer would have had a great sense of immediacy. RD: Yep. And remember that those 1st century believers not only didn’t have the benefit of our 2,000 years of hindsight but they also didn’t have any easily accessible resources to get answers to their questions. So, when Paul sent them a letter that said in effect, “don’t worry. If your husband or wife has just died they will also be raised to new life when Jesus comes” that would have been like eating cold watermelon on a hot day. VK: Yes. I recognize that line from your book The Prodigal’s Advocate. RD: Well, for anyone who wants to deepen their faith or help someone else find theirs The Prodigal’s Advocate is a great resource. At any rate, wanting to know how and when Christ will return is still a subject of interest in our day and age. And it would have been a natural question for Paul’s first converts. In a way it is remarkable that after Paul wrote the letters to the Thessalonians Paul only spent much time addressing the question in 1 Corinthians. VK: Well, as we’ve noted 1 and 2 Thessalonians are quite possibly Paul’s earliest epistles that have been preserved. It may be that as Paul moved through his ministry career he began covering Christ’s return so thoroughly in person he no longer had to spend much time on it in his written correspondence. RD: And that is actually a very important observation. One of the topics that Paul does cover in 1 Thessalonians is the divinity of Christ. Paul strongly affirms Christ’s divinity in 1 Thessalonians. So, this tells us that the doctrine that Christ is both fully divine as well as fully human was not a much later development in the Christian faith as is sometimes alleged. Right from the beginning the earliest Christians knew that Jesus was “God in the flesh.” And the Trinitarian nature of the Godhead is also addressed in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, verses 13 and 14. VK: Those verses say, “But we ought always to thank God for you, … because God chose you as first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you … that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” RD: This demonstrates that rather than such doctrines as dual nature of Christ and the Trinitarian nature of God were well understood from the earliest days of Christianity. Critics will sometimes allege that the belief that Christ was truly God was a later addition to the Christian faith. The critics will assert something like “Christ was a good man and a great teacher but he never claimed to be God.” But as C.S. Lewis pointed out in his well-known discussion of “Lord, liar, or lunatic,” that kind of assertion is just silly. Anyone who reads the gospels carefully knows that Jesus quite clearly claimed to be God and to possess prerogatives that only God possesses such as the authority to forgive sins. So, as Lewis noted any man who believes he is God may be a liar trying to deceive others or he might be a lunatic who is simply crazy. But neither a liar nor a lunatic should be considered a “good man or a great teacher.” But if Jesus is who He claimed to be, God incarnate, then the only appropriate response is to fall on our knees in abject awe and worship Him. VK: Well, that’s a good place to end for today. Again, this “Paul’s Places” series is all about helping people see more clearly that the Pauline epistles, the letters contained in the New Testament written by the Apostle Paul, are exactly what they claim to be. They are letters written by one of Christianity’s first evangelical preachers to convey important truths to those who had begun to place their trust in Jesus. Those letters most certainly assert Christ’s divinity but far from that assertion being some kind of myth it is backed up by solid historical evidence and testimony. Paul’s letters are not only spiritually informative but historically accurate and reliable. The critics who assert that the divinity of Christ was a legendary attribute added hundreds of years after Christ’s death simply do not have truth or evidence on their side. Paul’s letters fit perfectly into an inspired, inerrant, and infallible scripture. Let’s close with prayer as we always do. Today let’s listen to a prayer for our young children and let’s always remember that if we do not train them up in the word of the Lord others will train them up in the way of the world. ---- PRAYER FOR YOUNG CHILDREN VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Opening Bible Quotes from the Good News Translation) Philippians, chapter 1, verses 18 thru 20, Good News Translation paultanner.org/English Docs/SpecialArt/Pauline Chronology.pdf

Being a Jesus follower in Thessalonica was a hard gig. Beyond the persecution they could potentially endure, folks were expecting Jesus to return any day, in fact they would've welcomed it. Perhaps you, too, find yourself looking to the sky for answers, wondering if these are the endtimes. Events in our lifetime would make it seem altogether possible – yet Jesus followers have been asking that same question for 2000 years. God's answer: be faithful in the meantime. 

Morning: Psalms 7–9 Psalms 7–9 (Listen) In You Do I Take Refuge A Shiggaion1 of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite. 7   O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge;    save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,2   lest like a lion they tear my soul apart,    rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. 3   O LORD my God, if I have done this,    if there is wrong in my hands,4   if I have repaid my friend2 with evil    or plundered my enemy without cause,5   let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,    and let him trample my life to the ground    and lay my glory in the dust. Selah 6   Arise, O LORD, in your anger;    lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;    awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.7   Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you;    over it return on high. 8   The LORD judges the peoples;    judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness    and according to the integrity that is in me.9   Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,    and may you establish the righteous—  you who test the minds and hearts,3    O righteous God!10   My shield is with God,    who saves the upright in heart.11   God is a righteous judge,    and a God who feels indignation every day. 12   If a man4 does not repent, God5 will whet his sword;    he has bent and readied his bow;13   he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,    making his arrows fiery shafts.14   Behold, the wicked man conceives evil    and is pregnant with mischief    and gives birth to lies.15   He makes a pit, digging it out,    and falls into the hole that he has made.16   His mischief returns upon his own head,    and on his own skull his violence descends. 17   I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,    and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. How Majestic Is Your Name To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.6 A Psalm of David. 8   O LORD, our Lord,    how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory above the heavens.2     Out of the mouth of babies and infants,  you have established strength because of your foes,    to still the enemy and the avenger. 3   When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,4   what is man that you are mindful of him,    and the son of man that you care for him? 5   Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings7    and crowned him with glory and honor.6   You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;    you have put all things under his feet,7   all sheep and oxen,    and also the beasts of the field,8   the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,    whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9   O LORD, our Lord,    how majestic is your name in all the earth! I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds 8 To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben.9 A Psalm of David. 9   I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;    I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.2   I will be glad and exult in you;    I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. 3   When my enemies turn back,    they stumble and perish before10 your presence.4   For you have maintained my just cause;    you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment. 5   You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;    you have blotted out their name forever and ever.6   The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;    their cities you rooted out;    the very memory of them has perished. 7   But the LORD sits enthroned forever;    he has established his throne for justice,8   and he judges the world with righteousness;    he judges the peoples with uprightness. 9   The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,    a stronghold in times of trouble.10   And those who know your name put their trust in you,    for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. 11   Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion!    Tell among the peoples his deeds!12   For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;    he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. 13   Be gracious to me, O LORD!    See my affliction from those who hate me,    O you who lift me up from the gates of death,14   that I may recount all your praises,    that in the gates of the daughter of Zion    I may rejoice in your salvation. 15   The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;    in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.16   The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment;    the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion.11 Selah 17   The wicked shall return to Sheol,    all the nations that forget God. 18   For the needy shall not always be forgotten,    and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. 19   Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail;    let the nations be judged before you!20   Put them in fear, O LORD!    Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah Footnotes [1] 7:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 7:4 Hebrew the one at peace with me [3] 7:9 Hebrew the hearts and kidneys [4] 7:12 Hebrew he [5] 7:12 Hebrew he [6] 8:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [7] 8:5 Or than God; Septuagint than the angels [8] 9:1 Psalms 9 and 10 together follow an acrostic pattern, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they form one psalm [9] 9:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [10] 9:3 Or because of [11] 9:16 Probably a musical or liturgical term (ESV) Evening: Acts 17:1–15 Acts 17:1–15 (Listen) Paul and Silas in Thessalonica 17 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews1 were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Paul and Silas in Berea 10 The brothers2 immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. Footnotes [1] 17:5 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 13 [2] 17:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 14 (ESV)

Episode 168 – Paul’s Places – Part 9: Philippi Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: And I will continue to be happy, because I know that by means of your prayers and the help which comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ I shall be set free. My deep desire and hope is that I shall never fail in my duty, but that at all times, and especially right now, I shall be full of courage, so that with my whole being I shall bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. Philippians, chapter 1, verses 18 thru 20, Good News Translation ******** VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re thankful to be with you today. For this episode of Anchored by Truth we are continuing our series on “Paul’s Places.” By “Paul,” of course, we’re referring to the Apostle Paul who wrote almost half of the books in the New Testament. In this “Paul’s Places” series we are taking a look at Paul’s letters to the churches that are identified in our Bibles by geographic names – mostly of cities such as Rome or Corinth. But the book of Galatians is named for the province of Galatia which was a region in what is now in modern-day Turkey. Today we are going to do our 9th episode in this series. So, for anyone who has missed any of the previous lessons we would strongly encourage you to go to our website, crystalseabooks.com, and check out the earlier episodes as well as all of our series. In the studio today we have RD Fierro, an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, what was the biggest reason you wanted to do a series like “Paul’s Places?” RD: Well, let me first start by thanking our listeners for joining us here today. We often observe on Anchored by Truth that the Bible is a book that is firmly grounded in time and place. Said differently, we can test the accuracy of the Bible writers by going to the details of geography and history and seeing whether the Bible is consistent with what we know from other sources. VK: And, when we do so, we find that the Bible is consistent with what is reported to us from other ancient sources that report about the places and times contained in the Biblical record. But let’s hasten to add that just because there will be times that there are differences between other ancient writers or sources this does not mean that the Bible is incorrect, does it? RD: No. It doesn’t. The Bible has often been proven right when others thought it wrong. VK: Can you give us an example of what you’re thinking about here? RD: Sure. For many years there were questions about the existence and the actual title of Pontius Pilate—the Roman governor who presided over the trial of Jesus. Pontius Pilate's title was traditionally thought to have been "procurator of Judea" since the Roman historian Tacitus who wrote in the second century AD referred to him as a procurator. But Luke and the other gospel writers called Pilate a “prefect” not a procurator. The term “prefect” is translated in our Bibles as “governor”. "Prefects" were governors in charge of parts of larger provinces. The fact that “prefect” was the correct title was confirmed in 1961, when a two by three foot stone was discovered that had a Latin inscription. The translation of the inscription reads as follows: Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea, has presented the Tiberieum to the Caesareans. This was not only archaeological confirmation for the existence of Pilate but it was also confirmation that Pilate was the Prefect, or governor, of Judea. VK: And we now know that the title “Procurator” was not used for the Roman governors in 33 AD which was when Jesus’ trial was held. This title only came into usage at a later time, during the reign of the emperor Claudius who was emperor from A.D. 41-54. During Claudius’ reign the title of the Roman governors shifted from Prefect to Procurator. Although the later Roman writers gave Pilate the incorrect title, the Luke and the other gospel writers did not. They called him a prefect - not a procurator. RD: Another example which applies to the book that we’re considering today, Philippians, is the title of the Roman magistrates who served in Philippi. Even though Philippi was located in Macedonia, modern-day Greece, it was a Roman colony. VK: And we not only know that Philippi was a Roman colony from extra-Biblical sources but from the book of Acts. Luke, who wrote Acts, tells us in chapter 16 that, “From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.” That’s Acts, chapter 16, verse 12 from the New International Version. RD: And we’re going to talk more about the implications of Philippi being a Roman colony in a second. But just to provide a couple of additional examples of where the Bible has been proven right even when its accuracy was doubted, Luke called the magistrates in Philippi “praetors.” At first Luke was thought to be in error. According to the "scholars" two duumuirs would have ruled the town. So, there were scholars who thought Luke was not technically correct for referring to the Philippian rulers as praetors. However, as usual, Luke was proven right. Archeological findings have shown that the title of praetor was employed by the magistrates of a Roman colony and it is now known conclusively that Philippi had been designated a Roman colony by Paul’s time. Also at one time there was doubt about Luke's use of the Greek word meris with respect to Philippi. Luke refers to Philippi as the leading city of that "district" of Macedonia. He uses the Greek word meris which is translated as "district." F. J. A. Hort believed Luke was wrong in this usage. He said that meris referred to a "portion" not a "district." Archaeological excavations, however, have shown that the word, meris, was the correct word. Archaeology again demonstrated the accuracy of Luke. . VK: So, the big point that we are making is that there have been many times when people have doubted the Bible. There are even times when writers from antiquity have provided reports that differ from the Biblical record. But in a great many instances as further information has come to light the Bible has been shown to be right. As a general rule archeological finds have often confirmed the reliability of the Bible even in cases where the initial reports were in doubt. So, one of the strongest reasons we have to trust the Bible is because it is overwhelmingly supported by evidence that comes to us from archeology or other historical records. And this fact applies to the Apostle Paul’s epistles that are many of the books we have in our New Testament. The content of the letters that Paul wrote to the various churches is consistent with what we know about those places and times. RD: Amen. So, today we want to take a look at the letter that Paul sent to the church at Philippi. We refer to that letter as the book of Philippians. VK: As we’ve mentioned Philippi is located in modern-day Greece. In Paul’s day the Roman province in which Philippi is located was called Macedonia. We can think of it as being northern Greece. Philippi was located several miles inland from Neapolis which is on the coast. Neapolis served as a seaport for Philippi so travelers coming from Asia to the east would often land at Neapolis. And that’s exactly what Luke reported that Paul did when he made his first trip to Philippi. In Acts, chapter 16, verse 11 we hear, “From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis.” Troas was on the west coast of modern-day Turkey, which was called Asia in Paul’s day. Paul didn’t stay in Neapolis because Philippi was a much larger and more important city. Philippi was named after Alexander the Great’s father, Philip of Macedon, who had taken over the city in 358 B.C. and renamed it after himself. RD: Right. Philip wanted the city because there were some very productive gold mines in the vicinity of Philippi and he needed gold to finance his territorial ambitions. He fortified the city not only because of the gold but also because the agricultural land around Philippi was productive and it was located on an important trade route. But it seems that by the time the Romans took over Philippi the gold mines had fallen in production and Philippi’s fortunes had fallen with it. But the city was later revived during the Roman period because the Romans designated it as a “colony.” Roman colonies outside of Italy were generally places where Roman military veterans were given land so they settled there and, more or less, brought the Roman culture to the region. VK: And by Paul’s day Philippi had regained much of its former luster. It’s access to Neapolis, trade, and the fact that it had been designated a “Roman colony” helped it to again be an important city. Being a Roman colony the city enjoyed many privileges that other cities in Macedonia did not – the most important of these privileges was the exemption from certain forms of taxation. I guess people didn’t like paying taxes in those days any more than we do today. So, if the Romans gave Philippi exemptions from some taxation it would certainly have drawn trade and commerce into the area. RD: And anybody who has read the book of Acts quickly finds out that when Paul went to Philippi some truly remarkable things happened. First, Paul and his companion, Silas, got into trouble when Paul cast a spirit out of a young female slave. The girl’s owners had made a lot of money because the spirit, which was most likely demonic, had given her the ability to foretell the future to some extent. When the girl’s owners realized they had lost their “golden goose” they complained to the magistrates who had Paul and Silas beaten in public. VK: And that was a problem because Paul and Silas were both Roman citizens. ” And Roman law forbid Roman citizens from being punished without a trial and they weren’t allowed to be flogged publically. After some changes made to Roman law in the early 2nd century BC a Roman citizen could not be tortured or whipped and could commute sentences of death to voluntary exile, unless he was found guilty of treason. So, the fact that Paul and Silas had been beaten publically was a real problem and the fact that they hadn’t had a trial just compounded the problem for the Philippian magistrates. RD: Right. And the magistrates realized the gravity of their problem the next day. But not until after Paul had spent a night in prison where again something remarkable had happened. Around midnight Paul and Silas were singing hymns, the other prisoners were listening, and a huge earthquake shook the prison so hard all of the prisoners’ chains came loose. The jailer became so distraught that he was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. In the Roman system if a jailer allowed a prisoner to escape the jailer was held accountable for the escaped prisoner’s crimes. VK: But, as He so often does, God intervened and Paul assured the jailer everyone was still there. The jailer was so convicted he wanted to know what he had to do to be saved. So, the Philippian jailer has become one of the most dramatic examples of a conversion during Paul’s ministry, hasn’t he? RD: Yes. But the story doesn’t end with the jailer’s conversion. Not only was the jailer saved but so was the jailer’s family. Well, the next morning the Philippian magistrates decided it was ok to release Paul and Silas but Paul wasn’t going to let them off the hook for violating their rights. So, Paul told the magistrates’ officers that he and Silas were Roman citizens and that they wanted a public apology. Well, when the magistrates found out that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens they realized they were in trouble. VK: And they did apologize. But they also asked Paul and Silas to leave the city. Evidently they didn’t want any reminders of their malfeasance hanging around RD: And it’s easy to understand why. Let’s focus on their problem for a second. The magistrates had blatantly violated the plain requirements of Roman law and justice. This wasn’t just a problem for them personally but it was potentially a problem for the whole city. As we have mentioned Philippi enjoyed some tangible benefits for being a Roman colony such as exemption from some taxes. But the magistrates knew that the authorities in Rome took a very dim view of provincial cities that violated the rights of Romans. They were well aware that if their egregious violation of Paul and Silas’ rights got much attention in Rome, Rome might retaliate. So, they essentially wanted to sweep the whole episode under the rug. VK: And Paul and Silas accommodated them. The left Philippi and eventually wound up in Thessalonica which was 50 or 60 miles away. So, how does this relate to the letter wrote to the Philippians while he was imprisoned in Rome? RD: In a couple of ways. First, in the letter to the Philippians it’s very apparent that Paul has great affection for the Philippian congregation. We know from chapter 20 of the book of Acts and from 2 Corinthians that Paul visited Philippi on at least 2 other occasions. Part of this strong connection to the Philippian congregation undoubtedly stemmed from the dramatic way it was founded. It may well be that the jailer became an important leader in the church in Philippi and he certainly would have been very grateful to Paul that Paul and Silas hadn’t fled, or tempted other prisoners to flee, even when they had the chance. Paul had effectively saved the jailer’s life, family, and future. VK: Well, that would have formed the basis for the Philippian believers to have great affection for Paul. The believers in Philippi would have known that not only had Paul endured insult and injury to found their church but also they would have known that Paul didn’t create problems for their city even though he had a perfect right to. Paul’s behavior had been a model of grace and mercy to them and all of the city. RD: Right. And we know that the Philippian church expressed their gratitude to Paul tangibly. In his letter Paul makes mention of the fact that the Philippians had become faithful supporters of Paul’s ministry. VK: Philippians, chapter 4, verses 15 through 17 says, “As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.” That’s from the New International Version. RD: Yes. So, let’s take a closer look at the timing of the events we’ve been discussing. Paul’s first visit to Philippi was during what is referred to as his second missionary journey. Many scholars believe that took place between the years 50 to 52 AD. And as we’ve mentioned Paul visited Philippi at least a couple of more times. It seems that his last visit there may have been around 5 to 7 years later which was near the end of his third missionary journey. VK: But some scholars believe that Paul actually left Timothy and Luke in Philippi even after he and Silas moved on to Thessalonica. Luke wrote the book of Acts. In part of Acts Luke says “we went to such and such a place” or “we did something.” But in chapters 17 through 20 of Acts Luke no longer uses the “we.” He starts writing that “Paul did this” or “Paul went there.” So, it seems that Luke was not with Paul during the events Luke describes after Paul left Philippi until Paul again visited Macedonia during the latter part of his 3rd missionary journey. Now from Acts, chapter 17, verse 14 it seems that Timothy didn’t stay in Philippi as long as Luke did. Acts, chapter 17, verses 13 and 14 say, “But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea.” RD: Yes. So, it seems likely that the Philippian church had a continuing reminder of what Paul had done for them – at least for some period of time. Luke wasn’t overly concerned with telling us what he was doing. He kept his account focused on Paul because Paul was the apostle and Paul was the one carrying the burden of the emerging church. VK: So, how long after Paul’s last visit to Philippi did he write his letter to the church there? RD: A reasonable guess is that Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians in 61 or 62 AD. Most scholars believe that’s when Paul was imprisoned in Rome. VK: So, roughly speaking there were around 5 to 7 years between the events of Acts chapter 16 when Paul founded the Philippian church and his last visit with the church before his period of imprisonment. And there were about 4 to 5 years between that last visit and when Paul wrote the letter we have in our Bible that we call the book of Philippians. And in those intervening years the Philippians had often sent Paul support for his ministry. In other words, it makes good sense that Paul expressed a strong sense of affection for the Philippian church. He and they had a relationship that likely went back more than a decade. What else comes across from the letter to the Philippians? RD: There are two other themes that come across very clearly in Philippians – joy and the need for endurance and unity. VK: Some form of the word “joy” is mentioned 16 times in Philippian. This almost seems strange because it is obvious from Philippian church that it is experiencing some form of persecution. RD: And that is one of the great things about the Apostle Paul. He often faced persecution personally but he never lost his abiding sense of the joy that he had for his personal salvation and for the redemption that he saw God building in and through his church. VK: You know it’s possible that the Roman authorities in Philippi never quite got over their embarrassment and chagrin for what they did to Paul and Silas. The magistrates in Philippi knew that they had messed up big time so they probably carried around a spirit of guilt and fear that their abuse might come back to haunt them. So, even though Paul had moved on they may have harbored some lingering resentment for the church he founded. RD: Sadly, that’s quite possible. The magistrates had a limited ability to get at Paul but they could get at his spiritual children who were in the Philippian church. And, as we have mentioned several times during this Paul’s Places series Roman authorities had an easy charge that they could level at Christians – the charge of sedition or, at least, disloyalty. VK: This goes back to what we said earlier about Philippi being a Roman colony. The status of being a Roman colony meant that its residents were considered Roman citizens. Rome designated certain foreign cities as colonies because it gave the Roman state places where they could award grants of land to Roman army veterans without giving them land in Italy or Rome where the wealthy actually owned most of the land. Giving their veterans land grants in colonies outside Italy not only gave Rome a way to reward its military veterans but it also extended the sense of Roman loyalty throughout its empire. And it also extended the amount of territory upon which it could draw conscripts the next time they needed to raise an army. For Rome their colonies were a sort of win-win proposition. RD: So, it would have made sense that a highly patriotic citizenry would have had some resentment for the new Christians who would no longer declare that “Caesar is Lord.” By that time in its history Rome had adopted a form of “emperor worship” and all citizens were required to declare their worship for the emperor unless they were part of another officially recognized religion. The Jewish religion was a recognized religion but no one, including the Roman authorities, were quite sure where Christianity fell. But the pagan ex-army vets wouldn’t have much sympathy for the Christians’ sensibilities. The Christians were not disloyal to their government but it was easy to make it seem like they were. VK: This might have added to the sense of persecution the Philippian believers felt. So, it is reasonable that Paul addressed the persecution they were enduring in his letter to them. RD: And there is one more attribute of the letter to the Philippians which we should address before we close. In the letter Paul seems to anticipate that he will shortly be released from imprisonment. We heard that in our opening scripture. It makes sense that Paul would tell the Philippians that because of the long relationship he had had with them. Not only would they be concerned about his welfare but they would know it would likely mean he could come and see them again. It was fairly easy to get from Rome to Philippi by way of the Mediterranean. Paul even mentions in Philippians that he was planning on sending Timothy to them soon and that one of their members, Epaphroditus, would be coming home with Timothy. VK: That all reinforces the big point that we are making in this “Paul’s Places” series. The epistles, the letters, Paul sent to the various churches we know in our Bibles by geographic labels are consistent not only with geography and culture but also with the history of the latter part of the 1st century AD. Paul had had a long and close relationship with the Philippian church. Timothy had spent time with the church even after Paul had moved on. The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus to Rome with even more support for Paul. Prisoners had to provide for their own support in Paul’s day. So, Paul wrote our book of Philippians with a message that essentially said, “I think I’ll be set free soon. I want to come see you but until I do Timothy is coming again and Epaphroditus is coming home.” All that fits together perfectly. Let’s close with prayer as we always do. Today let’s listen to a prayer of adoration for the One who leads us into a knowledge of the truth – the 3rd Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. ---- PRAYER FOR ADORATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Opening Bible Quotes from the Good News Translation) Philippians, chapter 1, verses 18 thru 20, Good News Translation Pontius Pilate - Prefect, not Procurator — Ray Downing Microsoft Word - Pauline Chronology.doc (paultanner.org) http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/myredeemer/Evidencep13.html

Lesson Notes - Acts 17

Despite persecution, the grace of God enabled the church of Thessalonica to grow in faith, love, and perseverance. This moved Paul to give thanks to the Lord. The Thessalonians serve as a good example of how to live a God-honouring life.

The church at Thessalonica is under fire. What instructions does God give them?Reading Plan: Old Testament - 1 Chronicles 27, Psalm 116, 117, 118New Testament - 1 Thessalonians 4Visit https://www.revivalfromthebible.com/ for more information.

27:1 And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band. 27:2 And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. 27:3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. 27:4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. 27:5 And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. 27:6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. 27:7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; 27:8 And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea. 27:9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, 27:10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. 27:11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. 27:12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. 27:13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. 27:14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. 27:15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 27:16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:

In this week's lesson from Nehemiah 3, Pastor Daniel talks about those who did not help to build the wall. They were there. They could have helped, but they chose not to. God gives us the opportunity to join Him in the work He is doing here on earth. We can miss out on the work of God if we aren't careful and do not put our hands to the plow. We know there is work to be done. Jesus said in Luke 10:2 “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Don't miss out on what God has called you to do. In Pastor's Perspective, Pastor Joe Williams shares about what to do when people don't come to church to serve. Only a handful of people actually help and get involved. “We keep praying that God will move in people's hearts and continue to make the needs known.” A look at one of the harder sides of ministry from someone who knows. QUOTES --- QUOTES --- QUOTES --- “Opportunity is missed by most people because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison—“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” - Henry Ford—Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity…For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. - Psalm 133:1,3—For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.- 2 Timothy 4:10—Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. - Proverbs 6:6-11—Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. - Ephesians 5:15-18

This is a prelude to 1 Thessalonians: looking at Paul's ministry to Thessalonica & Berea.

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. If you have your Bible, go ahead and turn with me to Acts chapter 20. We will look at verses 1-6 today. And as you are turning there, let me remind you that Paul is preparing at this point to leave the city of Ephesus due to a riot that has taken place, caused by Demetrius (a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis/Diana). He saw how Paul's message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was pulling people away from worship of Artemis and therefore hurting his business; and so he riles up all the other craftsmen in similar trades and instigates a riot. Now the riot is quelled, but apparently Paul took this riot as a sign that it was time for him to put his plan to go to Jerusalem (and eventually to Rome) into motion. And so it says… Acts 20:1 (LSB)— 1 Now after the uproar had ceased, Paul having summoned and exhorted the disciples, said farewell and left to go to Macedonia. Visiting His Church— Now the reason the Paul wanted to visit Macedonia first was because he wanted to collect an offering for the much poorer church in Jerusalem; but also he wanted to pay at least one more visit to these various churches that he had helped to found in that region. And that was because he deeply cared for every single one of those churches. We see in 2 Corinthians 11:23–28 that the "The care of all the churches" was his greatest joy and (at the same time) his heaviest burden. He wasn't just a preacher; he was a pastor; he was a shepherd, one who truly loved each and every person he ministered to. He was the kind of pastor who worried constantly about his spiritual children and would do anything he could to minister to their physical and spiritual needs. Departing for Macedonia— And so he leaves Ephesus and begins heading towards Macedonia and Achaia (Acts 19:21). He probably went first to Philippi. Now we know that sometime during his final days in Ephesus, after writing 1 Corinthians, Paul had had a considerable amount of conflict with the Corinthian church. He visited them (likely by sea); and what he saw grieved his heart. And upon returning to Ephesus he wrote to them a “tearful” letter, which we see in 2 Corinthians 7:8-9 that he at first regretted having sent. He had sender's remorse. I don't know if that has ever happened to you. The Angry Letter— I remember a number of years ago, when I was just starting off in ministry, I made some typical mistakes that many new pastors make. And one was that I was too willing to absorb elements of ministry I had no business absorbing. I was preaching three times a week, visiting many people in their homes and in the hospitals (most of which were far away) leading prayer meetings, sometimes leading Sunday school, leading a monthly men's breakfast, leading a monthly Veteran's home ministry, and then being the chief organizer of most of our church events. Anywhere where there was slack, I thought it was my duty to be a nice pastor and pick it up. And I remember one day in particular when the lady doing the bulletin at that time said that it had become too much for her and she would have to give it up. Well, who do you think volunteered to do it? I did. And while I was at it, I also absorbed all the secretarial duties (us not having a secretary at the time). And all the while I felt I was being a good pastor. It was only later I realized how much this absorbing way of doing ministry can actually damage a church and cripple its ministries (because nothing is getting done as well when one person is doing most of it); and so I learned to take a more biblical approach and started delegating. And I also learned the freeing power of “no”; politely refusing those things that are not part of what God wanted me to do; and which are also opportunities for somebody else to step up and find their place within the body of Christ. But it was in that time and context of absorbing that I had a member of my congregation criticize me in a very harsh and unfair way, implying I wasn't doing enough. And I went home very angry. And I sat down and wrote an angry letter, which basically laid out everything I was doing and was lashing back at this person. But (thank the Lord) I showed it to my mentor first, a wonderful man of God that I owe so much to, especially in those early years of ministry. He listened as I read aloud my angry letter and said “Cameron, everything you said was true. But you can't deliver it.” And I was bummed about that. But I listened and instead allowed myself to cool down and addressed the issue in a much calmer and wiser fashion. And you know what, looking back I realize now that virtually no one in my church had any idea how much I had absorbed. Not even my board knew. Stuff was getting done but I never was communicating what it was I was doing. It was a complete failure of communication on my part. And so this person's criticism (although not based on fact) was actually my fault, not theirs. And if I had delivered my angry letter, I would have wounded that person (and maybe my church) irreparably. Burning the First Letter— You know it's interesting, [When Abraham Lincoln had to write a letter to someone who had irritated him, he would often write two letters. The first letter was deliberately insulting. Then, having gotten those feelings out of his system, he would tear it up and write a second letter, this one tactful and discreet.] And that is a very good practice. Testing The Waters— Now here in this passage, Paul wasn't worried about the truth of what he wrote as much as whether or not he was too severe. And we will never know exactly what he wrote because that epistle has been lost; and maybe that was a God-thing. But whatever the case, he had sent it. And now that he's getting ready to leave Ephesus, he wants to visit Corinth again. However, in light of this harsh letter that he sent, he is afraid of how he might be received by the church there. And so what does he do? He sends Titus ahead of him to “test the waters” at Corinth. And in the meantime (after leaving Ephesus (Acts 20:1), he doesn't head directly to Corinth by sea. Instead he goes north, [visiting the Christian communities along the way and hoping to meet up with Titus returning from Corinth.] And so he goes [to Troas, and then possibly on to other churches in Macedonia (2 Cor. 2:12-13).] And it is in the region of [Macedonia (perhaps at Philippi, Thessalonica, or Berea) {that} Titus finally joined him and brought the good news that the church {in Corinth} had repented of its opposition to Paul's leadership and had become reconciled to him (2 Cor. 7:5-16). {And so no doubt with huge joy and relief} Paul then wrote 2 Corinthians.] So he's in Macedonia. And it says in… Acts 20:2-3 (LSB)— 2 And when he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece {(the greek word is [“Hellas”, which is simply another name for the province of Achaia, where Corinth was located.])}. 3 And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. Paul's Stay in Corinth— And so we see that Paul stays in Corinth for three months. He [had originally planned to make two visits to Corinth (2 Cor. 1:15-16), but instead he made one visit that lasted three months (Acts 20:3; 1 Cor. 16:5-6).] These were [likely the winter months (see 1 Cor. 16:6), when sea travel was more dangerous.] And it is during this final trip to Corinth that Paul writes his letter to the Romans (c. A.D. 57). And in that letter he explains why he wants to go to Jerusalem, and that was {not just to encourage and strengthen the Christians in those churches, but also} for the purpose of taking an offering [from his Gentile churches to the needy Christians in Jerusalem]. The Church there was very poor and needed a lot of support. And Paul sought to provide that by any means possible. And that was one of his main reasons for revisiting the churches of Macedonia and Achaia this final time, which took Paul [to the churches of Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi.] He wanted to collect money for that offering. And verses 4-5 tell us… Acts 20:4  (LSB)— 4 And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. Church Representation— Now these [men who accompanied him (Acts 20:4) were {official} representatives of the churches, appointed to travel with Paul and help handle the funds (2 Cor. 8:18-24).] [Their presence would give safety from robbery and also would provide a public guarantee of Paul's integrity in handling the funds. The men listed here (Acts 20:4) as accompanying Paul represent all the areas of his missionary work. And it says… Acts 20:5 (LSB)— 5 But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. A Jewish Plot— Now although Paul would have sailed from Corinth, we see that there is a plot by the unbelieving Jews to kill him at sea. And sadly (as was almost always the case) that plot came from Paul's own fellow countrymen (cf. 2 Cor. 11:26). And remember that [The Jewish community of Corinth {in particular} hated Paul because of its humiliating debacle before Gallio (18:12-17), and the stunning conversions of two of its most prominent leaders, Crispus (18:8) and Sosthenes (18:17; 1 Cor. 1:1).] And so some of that Jewish group there in Corinth are plotting to kill Paul. Now [Luke does not record the details of the Jews' plot, but it undoubtedly involved murdering Paul during the voyage to Syria. The apostle would have been an easy target on a small ship packed with Jewish pilgrims.] They could very easily have pushed him overboard and made Paul (as a Cicilian might say) “sleep with the fishes.” And so (because of this plot) he has to instead travel north [overland through Achaia and Macedonia, {then cross the Aegean Sea to Asia Minor,} sailing from Philippi to Troas, where his “team” agreed to rendezvous.] And so it says… Acts 20:6 (LSB)— 6 And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; {(it was no doubt due to unfavorable winds that this crossing took 5 days, because when Paul had crossed earlier from Troas to Neapolis (Philippi's port) it had only taken two days (16:11). But nevertheless, they arrive there at Troas and Luke writes:)} and there we stayed seven days. And next week we will see what happens to Paul during those seven days. But as we close out time together today, I want to encourage you to be courageous enough to speak the truth in love (as Paul learned to do). Learn to burn the first letter. Secondly, we (like Paul) need to always be seeking to meet the needs of other people. There is always at least one person who needs our compassion and love. And we need to be faithful to help them (as Paul was). And thirdly, let us (as we follow Christ) expect opposition and neither be surprised nor afraid when it surfaces. God will be our shield during those times and (even in persecution) will work out His plans and purposes in an amazing way. And so let us trust in Him. Amen.

Paul and Silas preach and are persecuted in Thessalonica and in Berea—Paul, in Athens, preaches from Mars' Hill about the unknown god—He says, We are the offspring of God. The post Acts 17 appeared first on Sacred Text Daily.

For this episode, Pastor Brandon Joyner discusses Paul's final encouragements to the church in Thessalonica. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/chapel-hill-baptist/support

What are you struggling through right now and feel like you're on the brink of throwing in the towel and giving up? In the Bible, the church in Thessalonica stands out in its tenacity. They had a push, to never give up, even in the face of opposition and persecution, that we can learn from today.

For years he lived the ascetic life in a crude tree- house he had fashioned in the branches of an almond tree. Then he moved to Thessaly, where he continued his life of fasting, prayer and vigil, cleansing his soul and being made worthy to perform many miracles. Once, when the Emperor Justinian visited him, he took a live coal in his bare hand and censed the Emperor. The Emperor, seeing this, bowed to the ground before David. He reposed in peace.

"Who is Satan and what is he doing in the world in which we live?" is the question we address in this sermon 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5. The answer is simple: Satan is a real, personal being who consistently opposes God and His people. Specifically, Satan hindered Paul's return to Thessalonica, afflicted the apostles and the Thessalonians with suffering, and tempted them all to give up their faith in Christ. He still does the same thing today.

Proper 8 First Psalm: Psalm 118 Psalm 118 (Listen) His Steadfast Love Endures Forever 118   Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;    for his steadfast love endures forever! 2   Let Israel say,    “His steadfast love endures forever.”3   Let the house of Aaron say,    “His steadfast love endures forever.”4   Let those who fear the LORD say,    “His steadfast love endures forever.” 5   Out of my distress I called on the LORD;    the LORD answered me and set me free.6   The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.    What can man do to me?7   The LORD is on my side as my helper;    I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 8   It is better to take refuge in the LORD    than to trust in man.9   It is better to take refuge in the LORD    than to trust in princes. 10   All nations surrounded me;    in the name of the LORD I cut them off!11   They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;    in the name of the LORD I cut them off!12   They surrounded me like bees;    they went out like a fire among thorns;    in the name of the LORD I cut them off!13   I was pushed hard,1 so that I was falling,    but the LORD helped me. 14   The LORD is my strength and my song;    he has become my salvation.15   Glad songs of salvation    are in the tents of the righteous:  “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,16     the right hand of the LORD exalts,    the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!” 17   I shall not die, but I shall live,    and recount the deeds of the LORD.18   The LORD has disciplined me severely,    but he has not given me over to death. 19   Open to me the gates of righteousness,    that I may enter through them    and give thanks to the LORD.20   This is the gate of the LORD;    the righteous shall enter through it.21   I thank you that you have answered me    and have become my salvation.22   The stone that the builders rejected    has become the cornerstone.223   This is the LORD's doing;    it is marvelous in our eyes.24   This is the day that the LORD has made;    let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25   Save us, we pray, O LORD!    O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26   Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!    We bless you from the house of the LORD.27   The LORD is God,    and he has made his light to shine upon us.  Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,    up to the horns of the altar! 28   You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;    you are my God; I will extol you.29   Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;    for his steadfast love endures forever! Footnotes [1] 118:13 Hebrew You (that is, the enemy) pushed me hard [2] 118:22 Hebrew the head of the corner (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 145 Psalm 145 (Listen) Great Is the Lord 1 A Song of Praise. Of David. 145   I will extol you, my God and King,    and bless your name forever and ever.2   Every day I will bless you    and praise your name forever and ever.3   Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,    and his greatness is unsearchable. 4   One generation shall commend your works to another,    and shall declare your mighty acts.5   On the glorious splendor of your majesty,    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.6   They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,    and I will declare your greatness.7   They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8   The LORD is gracious and merciful,    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.9   The LORD is good to all,    and his mercy is over all that he has made. 10   All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,    and all your saints shall bless you!11   They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom    and tell of your power,12   to make known to the children of man your2 mighty deeds,    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.13   Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,    and your dominion endures throughout all generations.   [The LORD is faithful in all his words    and kind in all his works.]314   The LORD upholds all who are falling    and raises up all who are bowed down.15   The eyes of all look to you,    and you give them their food in due season.16   You open your hand;    you satisfy the desire of every living thing.17   The LORD is righteous in all his ways    and kind in all his works.18   The LORD is near to all who call on him,    to all who call on him in truth.19   He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;    he also hears their cry and saves them.20   The LORD preserves all who love him,    but all the wicked he will destroy. 21   My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,    and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. Footnotes [1] 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [2] 145:12 Hebrew his; also next line [3] 145:13 These two lines are supplied by one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac (compare Dead Sea Scroll) (ESV) Old Testament: Numbers 21:4–9; Numbers 21:21–35 Numbers 21:4–9 (Listen) The Bronze Serpent 4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” 6 Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze1 serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. Footnotes [1] 21:9 Or copper (ESV) Numbers 21:21–35 (Listen) King Sihon Defeated 21 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 23 But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. 25 And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore the ballad singers say,   “Come to Heshbon, let it be built;    let the city of Sihon be established.28   For fire came out from Heshbon,    flame from the city of Sihon.  It devoured Ar of Moab,    and swallowed1 the heights of the Arnon.29   Woe to you, O Moab!    You are undone, O people of Chemosh!  He has made his sons fugitives,    and his daughters captives,    to an Amorite king, Sihon.30   So we overthrew them;    Heshbon, as far as Dibon, perished;    and we laid waste as far as Nophah;    fire spread as far as Medeba.”2 King Og Defeated 31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32 And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. 33 Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 34 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35 So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land. Footnotes [1] 21:28 Septuagint; Hebrew the lords of [2] 21:30 Compare Samaritan and Septuagint; Hebrew and we laid waste as far as Nophah, which is as far as Medeba (ESV) New Testament: Acts 17:12–34 Acts 17:12–34 (Listen) 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. Paul in Athens 16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. Paul Addresses the Areopagus 22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,1 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for   “‘In him we live and move and have our being';2 as even some of your own poets have said,   “‘For we are indeed his offspring.'3 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” 32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. Footnotes [1] 17:24 Greek made by hands [2] 17:28 Probably from Epimenides of Crete [3] 17:28 From Aratus's poem “Phainomena” (ESV) Gospel: Luke 13:10–17 Luke 13:10–17 (Listen) A Woman with a Disabling Spirit 10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him. (ESV)

In an attempt to articulate the "big idea" of Paul's first letter to the church in Thessalonica, one author has written the following: Impressed by the faithfulness of the Thessalonians in the face of persecution, Paul wrote to encourage the Christians in that community with the goal that they would continue to grow in godliness. Paul knew that the people had been exposed to errant teaching from those in opposition to the way of Jesus Christ and the grace of God. And Paul also understood that unless the young church continued to mature in its faith, the danger would only increase over time.With that in mind, Paul taught the people that any spiritual growth would ultimately be motivated by their hope in the ultimate return of Jesus Christ. Paul was never interested in simply telling people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, for he knew that what ultimately inspired change was a life of consistently walking in the power of God's Spirit. And so to a group of young Christians with questions and uncertainties, Paul offered the hope of Christ's return, providing both comfort in the midst of questions and motivation to godly living. The same author, points out why this writing is so important for believers two thousand years later. Everyone would like to have some insight into what their future holds. How much more so when it comes to the end of the whole world? First Thessalonians provides Christians with the clearest biblical passage on the coming rapture of believers, an event that will inaugurate the seven-year tribulation. At the rapture, Christ will return for His people. The dead in Christ shall rise first, while those still living will follow close behind. All believers will meet Jesus in the air to begin an eternity spent with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16–18). It's an encouraging, insightful, and important piece of the biblical account and, to help us better understand and appreciate it, we welcome back to the podcast John Oglesby. John is a husband, father, theologian, and writer. He currently serves as executive vice president and associate professor of transformative learning and leadership at Colorado Biblical University, a subsidiary of AgathonEDU Educational Group.

Expositional teaching on 1st Thessalonians 1:2-10 regarding this first letter sent to the Church in Thessalonica in which the Church was praised for having such a convicting faith. We will look into various aspect of their faith while attempting to personalize these attributes as well as bring them into the fold of the Church body. In addition, we will examine how the power of the gospel message was able to generate such a strong Church that loved the word of God making it the only Church that the Apostle Paul would write to with such excitement. The post Pastor Mac: Convicting Faith – June 19th, 2022 appeared first on Calvary Chapel Kaneohe.

Expositional teaching on 1st Thessalonians 1:2-10 regarding this first letter sent to the Church in Thessalonica in which the Church was praised for having such a convicting faith.  We will look into various aspect of their faith while attempting to personalize these attributes as well as bring them into the fold of the Church body.  In addition, we will examine how the power of the gospel message was able to generate such a strong Church that loved the word of God making it the only Church that the Apostle Paul would write to with such excitement.  Taught by Assistant Pastor Mac at Calvary Chapel Kaneohe Hawaii. Social MediaMobile & TV Apps: https://subsplash.com/calvarychapelkaneohe/appProphecy Website:  http://jdfarag.orgChurch Website:  http://www.calvarychapelkaneohe.comTwitter:  https://twitter.com/JDFaragFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JDFaragInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/JDFarag

Paul's final admonition to the church in Thessalonica. LSB 629 - What Is This Bread? · Text and Tune – Used with permission. Fred and Jean Baue, © 1991, 1998. · Setting and Recording © Concordia Publishing House, cph.org. Used by permission --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rev-steve-andrews-jr/message

We're walking through week 23 of "The Find and Follow Experiment" series. Listen as Pastor Matt expounds on some amazing truth. *Content will be available Monday (June 13, 2022) by 5pm.*

Teaching NotesGoodness Defined Kalos – outward beauty, aesthetic Kaka – Evil Agathos – inward moral goodness, integrity I choose to do the right thing in my relationships with others The Story Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family that you have brought me this far…Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord? (2 Samuel 7:18) David reigned over all Israel, doing what is right and just for all people. (2 Samuel 8:15) When David was told, “Uriah did not go home,” he asked him, “Haven't you just come from a distance? Why didn't you go home?” Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” (2 Samuel 11:10-11) Put Uriah on the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die. (2 Samuel 11:15) 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.' (2 Samuel 12:7-10) Which Character are You? Uriah did the right thing Nathan did the right thing Faithful are the wounds of a friend (Proverbs 27:6) David did the wrong thing Recovery Strategy When David was confronted, he admitted it and made it right. David lived with the consequences with dignity. David maintained his commitment to walk with God. God was gracious to David. Going DeeperRandy defines "goodness” for us this way: "I choose to do the right thing in my relationships with others."In this weekend's message, Randy tells the story of David, Bathsheba, and Uriah. Ultimately, David made some very poor choices in his relationship with others. This resulted in a great deal of suffering as everyone experienced the consequences. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul is writing the church at Thessalonica encouraging them to "do right in their relationships" empowered by the Holy Spirit."With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thess. 1:11-121. What is Paul specifically praying for in these two verses?2. What is the outcome of this prayer? 3. What is God's responsibility in these verses?4. What is Paul's responsibility? What is the Christ follower's responsibility?5. Are we alone to muscle our way through "goodness?" What is our posture in light of these two verses? Sunday Set ListWFC Lenexa + WFC AnywhereWe Praise You-Brandon LakeI Speak Jesus- Charity GayleHoly Spirit Come- Patrick MayberryJesus At The Center- Israel HoughtonWFC SpeedwayHoly Water- We The KingdomWorthy- Elevation WorshipKing of My Heart- Bethel MusicGoodness of God- Bethel MusicBe sure to save our Spotify Worship Playlist, updated weekly with the upcoming Sunday's set!

We're walking through week 23 of "The Find and Follow Experiment" series. Listen as Pastor Rick expounds on some amazing truth. *Content will be available Monday (June 13, 2022) by 5pm.*