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Tag: corinthians

Talking for hours with the prophet Paul
.. when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them..
Acts 20:7b ESV

Talk of Jesus into the late night hours

Our focus on this late-night incident in Troas is Paul’s midnight talk of JESUS and its impact on the Church. My secondary focus is a role of Paul we may not have considered as today’s TITLE suggests.

Acts 20:

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Acts pf the Apostles 20:7 KJV

A.D. 52-57
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The following 2-part post from just six verses in Acts 20 and Paul's third missionary journey focuses on two topics:

1. An extra long sermon (not so unusual for ANY pastor so it would seem) AND 
2. an extraordinary sign suggesting that Paul is also a Prophet of Almighty God.
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a Sunday service before their Monday departure

Luke records in Acts 20 that the Apostle Paul is already on his way home.

Strategic Retreat of Paul to Troas

And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days. – Acts of the Apostles 20:6

a weekly Sunday worship
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Let's not miss the context and content of this day which was likely sometime in the year of our Lord 56. 
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Call it what you like: worship, a service, gathering or mass. These Christians of Troas welcomed Paul and his missionary companions into their weekly time together as a community in Christ.

And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread..

Holy Communion

About this same time [A.D. 55 or 56] in his first letter back to the church in Corinth Paul will also instruct worshipers to obediently partake in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus.

1 Corinthians 11:2 LSB For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,

“This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

The Sermon of a Church Father
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Note that Paul is NOT the local day-to-day Pastor and Shepherd of this church. The Apostle speaks to a large group gathered in Troas for worship. 

A crowded Christian gathering in an upper room anticipates Paul's Spirit-led exhortation [encouragement, both positive and cautionary].

AND Paul's 'talk' was not simply a one-man sermon to the flock without response but included extended additional dialogue.
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Paul began speaking to them.. [began talking in the NASB & others]

διαλέγομαι – in the Greek – discuss (in argument or exhortation):—dispute, preach (unto), reason (with), speak.

The AV translates it “preached,” in Act 20:7, 9; this the RV corrects to “discoursed,” lit., “dialogue,” i.e., not by way of a sermon, but by a “discourse” of a more conversational character.

Source: Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words – Strong’s G1256 – dialegomai

Paul kept talking until midnight. He prolonged his speech or message.

Luke uses the root word describing this dialogue (dialegomai) of Paul’s message lasting until midnight for these believers.

λόγος – logos – Strong’s G3056 – logos – a word, discourse, doctrine, teaching ..
- of speech
  - a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea
  - what someone has said
  - discourse
  - doctrine, teaching
    
    MORE –
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Luke opens ACTS using this same word referring to his Gospel as his 'first account' [prōtos logos].
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Scene of this late service

(for dialogue between the men of the church)

Luke does not mention the time of their regular Sunday worship.

It could have been nine or eleven in the morning. Perhaps it was an evening service planned for after the saints typically ate their evening meal at home with their families.
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SEE Paul's mention of this in 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 THE LORD'S SUPPER
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Acts of the Apostles 20:8 LSB
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Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep.

Have you ever known someone to fall asleep ‘in church’ when their flesh could no longer bear another word of the pastor’s sermon or discussion of an unseen God and the Lord JESUS?

This young man, a boy likely brought by his father to the upper room of their evening service precariously perched himself in an open window where air circulated into the crowded place of worship.

BUT he just couldn’t last through all the long talk of JESUS by the Apostle Paul and others.
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(Perhaps by midnight what little breeze had revived the boy had subsided into stillness.)
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He FELL to his death!

DEATH! a sudden ending

Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
ACTS of the Apostles 20:9 KJV

This sudden incident brought the church meeting and Paul’s talk to an abrupt end.

The boy’s father and worshipers listening to Paul’s talk must have been stunned as the young man suddenly fell to his death.

So these men rushed downstairs and then outside to witness the apparent tragedy of the young man Eutychus for themselves.

a Sign of Life and Power through Paul

But Paul went down and fell upon him..
Acts of the Apostles 20:10a
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What Luke records NEXT in his account is both significant and perhaps largely ignored in 21st century C.E. preaching about the early history of the Church.

THEREFORE, we will leave the outcome of this evening for NEXT time and by way of comparison also look at Scripture concerning other Prophets (as I have suggested of the Apostle Paul).
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ACTS of the Apostles – To Be Continued… in A.D. 1st c. Troas, God-willing

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
December 5, 2023
christianity-lite – ERASING Scripture, “It is written..”
And so it is written,
“The first man Adam became a living being.”
The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:45 NKJV

christianity-lite & the C.E. challenge of Scripture

“christianity-lite is weightless witness of Christ-less preaching to the Scripture–starved chaff of Common Era culture.
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com

As I noted last time, SOMETHING CHANGED (in the year of our Lord 1950 when God determined that I should be born or sometime during the early years of my mortal life).

What changed?
- It wasn’t God.
- it was not Jesus Christ
- Neither did the Holy Spirit breathing life through a new Adam into the condemned dust of sinners crossing the line of the DOCTRINES of God change in any way.
- It wasn’t God’s HOLY BIBLE that changed in which IT IS WRITTEN:
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Second Letter of the Apostle Paul to Timothy 3 :16-17 Christian Standard Bible

christianity-lite Doctrines of the Christ-less Era

“christianity-lite is weightless witness of Christ-less preaching to the Scripture-starved chaff of Common Era culture.

In fact, the BIBLE warns us of times and churches and christians like these in the very context of the Apostle’s epistle to the pastor Timothy.
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STRUGGLES IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
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In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Second Letter of Paul to Timothy 3:12-13 ‘Hard Times in the Last Days’ the Christian Standard Bible labels it

In OUR church?

WHO IN OUR CHURCH WANTS TO HEAR

“IT IS WRITTEN..”

FROM THE PULPIT (stage)?
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Few souls, I suspect, with a BIBLE in hand and ears to hear Scripture.
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SO WHAT GOSPEL CAN WE PREACH TO A COMMON ERA CROWD?
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It's a dilemma for any preacher and church leader isn't it? 
HOW can we multiply our members IF we are always saying, 'it is written?'
Any ideas?
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JESUS IS JUST GOOD NEWS!
- GOOD NEWS for EVERYONE (Right?)
- Never let it be written or said that OUR Jesus is ever bad news for any.
- OLD testament is definitely OUT (except maybe a Psalm or so).
- Let’s imagine there’s no hell. (It isn’t hard to do.)
- NO Judgment or REVELATION! (Too scary even for youth and children.)
a CHURCH FOR THE Common Era

“It is written” will mean MUSIC!
Our CHURCH for the COMMON ERA will be all about OUR MUSIC.
We’ll start with a great band on stage to set the mood of worship.
WE’LL fill stadiums with NEW christians for JESUS!

IMAGINE what jesus has done for ME

(It isn’t hard to do.)

AND ALL THE PEOPLE APPLAUDED … AMEN.
Worship Leader: Let’s lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven

The Worship Divide

Between the christian stage & the Common Era audience.
WE may as well preach litely toward gathering unbelievers into the indistinct undefined masses of our cultural mixing pot.

SO without saying, ‘it is written..,’ WE can preach a more palatable gospel in OUR own words as an exposition of OUR all-inclusive church VISION.

If we really believe in jesus, it isn’t hard to do.
Let's just remove all the BIBLES where 'it is written' from our McChurch worship hour and add holders for our lattes of the latest christian music trends.
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If you will forgive my light-hearted humor of what can be done to worship and the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let's take a more serious glance at WORSHIP as it seems to have changed by now in 2023 of this Common Era.

Referring to the A.D. 1960's and the three subsequent decades and 'churches moving into a marketing mode,' David Wells writes:
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“Adapting to culture became a key ingredient in outreach strategy. The result of this was that worship was more likely to be led by a worship team made up of musicians than by the pastor(s) as was the case in more traditional churches.
David F Wells – GOD IN THE WHIRLWIND – P.189

CONTENT and FORM

Pointing to two differences, Wells goes on to describe the ‘WORSHIP DIVIDE’ we have encountered in the contemporary church now most common in this Common Era of the 21st century.

What the worshiper brings to worship is an indispensable part of the mix. Without the knowledge of God in those who worship, without faith, without reverence, without gratitude in the worshiper, even the best forms of worship simply fall flat.
David F Wells – GOD IN THE WHIRLWIND – ibid.
1. FOCUS ON THE TRIUNE GOD? or
2. FOCUS on OUR EXPERIENCE of OURSELVES as worshipers?
Is the chaff from your ERASER changing anyone’s faith?

PREACHING ASIDE, Wells suspects that ‘worship wars, which are almost wholly music wars, are really obscuring the larger issues that are in play.’
“NEEDS-SHAPED WORSHIP is invariably self-focused.”

“SERMONS.. aimed simply at providing a lift, some inspiration, from whatever source can be had.”

GOD IN THE WHIRLWIND - p.190
It is written:

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it. “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Gospel of Matthew 7:13-14,21 Legacy Standard Bible

Chaff

“His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Gospel of Matthew 3:12 LSB
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How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.

They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.
His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
- from a speech of Job 21:17-20 King James Version
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It is written in the Revelation of JESUS Christ to John:

“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 4: 8b-11 Legacy Standard Bible

is YOUR christianity-lite WORSHIP worthy of the HOLY, HOLY, HOLY Lord Jesus Christ?

proskyneō – a probable derivative of G2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):—worship.

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”
Revelation 5:12b LSB
October 21, 2023
Three Weeks in Thessalonica- Acts 17
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
Acts of the Apostles 17:1 ESV
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Luke summarizes an 80-90 mile [~130 km] journey from Philippi by these apostles of Christ in a single verse.
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~ A.D. 50 – Philippi to Thessalonica (by land)
ACTS 17 of the apostles Paul and Silas
This Christ whom I Preach
Thessalonica
Time to move on from Thessalonica
~ A.D. 50 – Philippi to Thessalonica (by land)
- Silas and Paulos, who are Roman citizens, as these apostles of the Messiah have just reminded Roman magistrates in Philippi;
- with Timotheus, a Greek Jew and fellow follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Once again in the city of their second stop in Europe the context of culture comes into play.

Whereas Philippi (which they have just left after unjust imprisonment and a freeing sign from God) was a ROMAN city on Macedonian soil, Thessalonica is more Greek (in a sense) and has a Jewish place of worship.

ACTS 17 of the apostles Paul and Silas
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So as in Cypress on Paul's first missionary journey and in most of the large cities of both missions to Asia, Thessalonica has a synagogue where Jews may gather, exchange thoughts and worship God. 
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²And Paul went in, as was his custom..
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Again Paul, Silas and Timothy would have listened to the prescribed Scriptures of the day and then would have discussed their relevance to the Gospel of the Messiah Yeshua.

AND once again on the next Sabbath Saulos, Silas and Timotheus would have repeated this customary worship routine of the Sabbath at the synagogue in Thessalonica.
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No doubt many of the Thessalonians became convinced by these three apostles during these three weeks that Jesus IS risen from the grave and that many Jews have witnessed this Good News of His resurrection.

(And then, they might confidently add, we have witnessed the many such signs including those last month in Philippi.)

Signs of Release from the Bondage of Culture

And the men and women we baptized were Romans, including our jailer!

.. and on three Sabbath days he [Paul] reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead,

“This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
ACTS 17:3b

– Did Saulos of Tarsus PREACH IT IN HEBREW to the JEWS?

Did Paulos PROCLAIM IT from the Greek Septuagint?
- For that would be how Jewish Thessalonians knew their Scripture of the Old Testament better than you and I
- Faithful Jews took the Old Covenant of God’s written word to heart.
Were these Jews converted to their own Messiah by Paul’s reasoning with them perhaps daily for three weeks?

This Christ whom I Preach

.. he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 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.”
Acts 17:2b-3 ESV

⁴And 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.
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When the gentile Physician Luke records in his second account that, 'many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women' joined Paul and Silas, he refers not to Jews but to local Hellenist gentiles of Thessalonica - local Greeks. 
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Saul of Tarsus, first a Jew, also a Roman, goes to the Jews first AND when they refuse to listen to reason from their own Scripture about the Messiah of Israel, Savior of sinners in all the world, these Apostles and disciples of Yeshua PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED in their own HOME Churches, the public squares and to any of the places a humble created people of any origin gather to seek our Lord and only Savior.

5 But the Jews 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.
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Why would they attack 'the house of Jason' (who is first mentioned here)? 

Jason is a Jew who certainly also worshipped in the Thessalonian synagogue and who apparently hosted these three travelers as had Lydia hosted them in Philippi. Some commentators suggest that Jason may be related to Paul.

Like back in Philippi, or contemporarily like those crashing the doors of the US Capitol, this lynch mob (so to speak) wants to rule over the city and throw their opponents out of town.
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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, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

Another King, Jesus

“KING Jesus in v. 7 is just an accusation

Worldly god claimants would use the same title for JESUS as Pontius Pilate when the GOVERNOR asks his accused prisonor:

Are you a king?

Paul, Silas, Timothy and Christian disciples of the Lord Jesus addressed the Risen Messiah as Christ or Lord!

In fact, “Caesar is lord” and “Jesus, king of the Jews“ (like Herod was) were ROMAN labels. Except here, as false accusations these are not in any way legitimate Jewish labels OR acknowledgement of a Roman emperor.

Caesar is Lord evoked emotional reaction to SOME Jews, but others compromised their faith to acknowledge that any MAN other than the LORD God Almighty could be THEIR Lord.

Thessalonica

Θεσσαλονίκη

Thessalonica founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon, who named it after his wife Thessalonike, daughter of Philip II of Macedon and sister of Alexander the Great.

An important metropolis by the Roman period

source Wikipedia

The same claim that offends the Jews, JESUS IS LORD, also offends those who worship MANY gods out of our own selfish motives to worship only our SELF by choosing which gods to which we will bow down. INCLUDING:

ROMANS, who worship Caesar as a god and Greeks, who in addition to celebrating many gods worship their own philosophies of self-deduced knowledge.

SOON we will travel to Corinth where Paul will later write to the church:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
~ A.D. 55 – from the first letter of Paul to the Church at Corinth – Corinthians 1:22-24 ESV

Time to move on from Thessalonica
- “These men have turned the world upside down
- Jason has received them
- 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.

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea..

ACTS of the apostles Paul, Silas and Timothy — To Be Continued…
March 24, 2023