339: Greg Robinson – He That Judges Me is the Lord

1
00:00:13,300 –> 00:00:14,700
Welcome to good Chris selfie and
talks.

2
00:00:14,700 –> 00:00:17,380
I’m Levi.
I’m Chris, I’m Jason, and I’m

3
00:00:17,380 –> 00:00:18,940
Brian.
Thank you for joining us this

4
00:00:18,940 –> 00:00:21,180
week.
On this podcast, we select one

5
00:00:21,180 –> 00:00:24,700
talk a week to help us get the
Bible in our Daily News feed.

6
00:00:24,900 –> 00:00:28,500
Each week we post a talk that we
previewed from suggestions sent

7
00:00:28,500 –> 00:00:29,940
in by listeners from around the
world.

8
00:00:30,060 –> 00:00:33,660
Then we record a short intro
beforehand as a personalized

9
00:00:33,660 –> 00:00:36,460
recommendation to you on why we
are sharing the talk.

10
00:00:36,620 –> 00:00:39,640
And now let’s talk more about
this week’s talk.

11
00:00:51,180 –> 00:00:53,980
Hello and welcome back.
This is Brother Chris bringing

12
00:00:53,980 –> 00:00:56,540
you another talk to listen to
this week.

13
00:00:56,540 –> 00:01:00,780
We’re listening to the 5th class
in a series that was given by

14
00:01:00,780 –> 00:01:03,820
Brother Greg Robinson at the
Watch and Lake Bible School in

15
00:01:03,820 –> 00:01:08,220
2022.
The overall theme for his study

16
00:01:08,220 –> 00:01:11,380
was taking a look at First
Corinthians, the 1st 4 chapters

17
00:01:11,780 –> 00:01:15,060
and the title was God hath made
foolish the Wisdom of this

18
00:01:15,060 –> 00:01:17,640
World.
Throughout this entire series.

19
00:01:17,640 –> 00:01:20,880
Brother Greg is taking a look at
the eclusion Corinth and pulls

20
00:01:20,880 –> 00:01:23,640
out a lot of really interesting
Nuggets about the eclusion on

21
00:01:23,640 –> 00:01:27,000
the context around there that I
hadn’t heard before.

22
00:01:27,000 –> 00:01:30,280
So we’ll have the entire series
on the good Chris Adelphian

23
00:01:30,280 –> 00:01:33,040
Talks extended podcast and I
highly recommend you listen to

24
00:01:33,040 –> 00:01:35,880
it.
I will especially say you should

25
00:01:35,880 –> 00:01:39,520
at least listen to the 6th class
that comes after this one.

26
00:01:40,120 –> 00:01:44,200
Because in this class, what I
really appreciate is brother

27
00:01:44,200 –> 00:01:48,040
Greg is taking a lot of the
detail in the context and the

28
00:01:48,040 –> 00:01:51,520
background that he built over
the first four classes.

29
00:01:51,520 –> 00:01:53,720
And he does a good job of kind
of summarizing it in the

30
00:01:53,720 –> 00:01:58,840
beginning of this class and then
looks at sort of how to address

31
00:01:58,960 –> 00:02:02,480
the problems that the Corinthian
ecclesia was facing and how Paul

32
00:02:02,920 –> 00:02:06,280
directs them to do it.
But then in Class 6, which is

33
00:02:06,280 –> 00:02:09,440
where I kind of want to give you
some homework is, he then takes

34
00:02:09,440 –> 00:02:11,960
that and looks at how we apply
that to ourselves.

35
00:02:12,720 –> 00:02:15,680
Now, Class 6 by itself wouldn’t
have worked alone on the

36
00:02:15,680 –> 00:02:19,120
podcast, which is why I’m doing
Class 5 because this one is a

37
00:02:19,120 –> 00:02:22,440
great one to listen to.
It gives you some action items

38
00:02:22,440 –> 00:02:24,200
to think about, even just for
listening to it.

39
00:02:25,200 –> 00:02:27,320
But Class 6, he goes even deeper
on it.

40
00:02:27,320 –> 00:02:29,840
And I found it to be one of
those classes that kind of

41
00:02:29,840 –> 00:02:32,600
convicts you, makes you think.
So I would highly encourage you

42
00:02:32,600 –> 00:02:36,160
to do that one.
What I liked about Class 5 is

43
00:02:36,160 –> 00:02:39,360
because he’s looking at all the
different themes in Corinthians

44
00:02:39,360 –> 00:02:43,400
and the kind of reminders of how
to face the problems that the

45
00:02:43,400 –> 00:02:46,840
Corinthian ecclesia was facing.
It served as a good reminder for

46
00:02:46,840 –> 00:02:50,720
all of us of the role that we
play in the ecclesia because no

47
00:02:50,720 –> 00:02:55,080
matter how big or small, we’re
all playing some part in helping

48
00:02:55,080 –> 00:02:58,480
one another along our walk.
There was a question that he

49
00:02:58,480 –> 00:03:02,040
sort of asks about halfway
through that really stood out to

50
00:03:02,040 –> 00:03:04,880
me that I wanted to call it.
So you listen to, which is when

51
00:03:04,880 –> 00:03:07,920
you’re having an interaction
with anybody within our

52
00:03:07,920 –> 00:03:13,240
community, ask yourself, is what
I am doing building or

53
00:03:13,240 –> 00:03:17,080
destroying the faith of the
person that I am talking to or

54
00:03:17,120 –> 00:03:20,200
or working with?
And I think if we’re looking at

55
00:03:20,200 –> 00:03:23,160
things through that lens and
reminding ourselves of that,

56
00:03:23,920 –> 00:03:26,760
that is the goal that we should
always be driving for when we’re

57
00:03:26,760 –> 00:03:29,360
interacting with each other.
We’re supposed to encourage each

58
00:03:29,360 –> 00:03:32,120
other to be to the Kingdom, to
make it there.

59
00:03:33,240 –> 00:03:35,400
It can sometimes be difficult
because we’re all human.

60
00:03:35,920 –> 00:03:39,520
And so that’s what I enjoyed
about Greg class in this class

61
00:03:39,520 –> 00:03:42,040
5, is he kind of puts it all
together from the stuff he’s

62
00:03:42,040 –> 00:03:44,480
done in the first four classes,
which I would still recommend

63
00:03:44,480 –> 00:03:47,040
you listen to because there’s a
lot of really great information

64
00:03:47,040 –> 00:03:49,240
there.
But it would encourage you along

65
00:03:49,240 –> 00:03:53,800
your walk and encourages you to
think about your interactions

66
00:03:53,800 –> 00:03:58,120
and how we can best help one
another along the walk until our

67
00:03:58,120 –> 00:04:01,040
Lord returns.
So I hope that you find this to

68
00:04:01,040 –> 00:04:04,560
be as thought provoking and
encouraging as I did and that

69
00:04:04,560 –> 00:04:08,360
you listen to the entire series
as well on the extended podcast.

70
00:04:09,480 –> 00:04:13,040
So now I will turn it over to
our brother Greg Robinson for

71
00:04:13,040 –> 00:04:17,160
his class entitled He that
Judges Me is the Lord.

72
00:04:18,320 –> 00:04:22,440
Yesterday we looked at how
important it was to work in the

73
00:04:22,440 –> 00:04:24,840
Ecclesia, and I think Paul made
it very clear to us with a

74
00:04:24,840 –> 00:04:27,800
couple of really important
examples for us of that.

75
00:04:28,600 –> 00:04:32,880
Paul used the example of the
field to show us that we need to

76
00:04:32,880 –> 00:04:36,480
be sure that we are actually
doing the work that we needed to

77
00:04:36,480 –> 00:04:40,480
each individually be making sure
that we are, that we’re doing

78
00:04:40,480 –> 00:04:42,520
our job of planting and
watering.

79
00:04:43,440 –> 00:04:46,680
He reminded us that God is
working next to us in that

80
00:04:46,680 –> 00:04:49,640
field.
And he reminded us that God owns

81
00:04:49,640 –> 00:04:51,040
the field.
It’s his field that we’re

82
00:04:51,040 –> 00:04:53,840
working in.
And then Paul compared the

83
00:04:53,840 –> 00:04:57,720
Ecclesia to a building and he
said that we need to make sure

84
00:04:57,720 –> 00:05:01,080
that when we’re building on the
foundation of Christ, that what

85
00:05:01,080 –> 00:05:05,600
we build has to be compatible
with Christ because Christ is

86
00:05:05,600 –> 00:05:08,240
that foundation.
And then he ended the chapter

87
00:05:08,240 –> 00:05:11,080
with with what I think is a
really wonderful verse for us to

88
00:05:11,080 –> 00:05:14,680
look at, or a couple of verses.
He says, for all things are

89
00:05:14,680 –> 00:05:18,080
yours.
So everything that God has done

90
00:05:18,080 –> 00:05:20,680
and God is doing from the
creation of the world, he says,

91
00:05:21,120 –> 00:05:24,160
is ours.
It’s for the purpose of bringing

92
00:05:24,160 –> 00:05:29,200
people to be the sons of God, he
says, whether Paul or Paulus or

93
00:05:29,200 –> 00:05:31,640
Cephas.
So all teachers, as a brother,

94
00:05:31,640 –> 00:05:33,520
Simon said this morning, they’re
all servants.

95
00:05:33,520 –> 00:05:38,200
They’re all working to do this
work or the world itself, or

96
00:05:38,200 –> 00:05:41,840
life or death or things present
or things to come.

97
00:05:42,240 –> 00:05:46,760
All are yours and your Christ’s
and Christ is God’s.

98
00:05:47,440 –> 00:05:50,600
So showing us that important
role that we have brothers and

99
00:05:50,600 –> 00:05:54,960
sisters of helping each other to
do that work and to help each

100
00:05:54,960 –> 00:05:58,160
other because we’re also
servants in part of this

101
00:05:58,160 –> 00:06:00,320
equation that he’s that he’s
just described for us.

102
00:06:01,320 –> 00:06:04,600
So that kind of brings us to
today’s class and today’s class

103
00:06:05,120 –> 00:06:11,360
on chapter 4, Paul shows us the
role of an apostle and he does

104
00:06:11,360 –> 00:06:14,040
it several different ways.
And I think you’ll find them all

105
00:06:14,040 –> 00:06:17,280
very helpful.
He shows us that apostles role,

106
00:06:17,280 –> 00:06:20,960
the role of an apostle, is not
one of prestige, it’s not one of

107
00:06:21,080 –> 00:06:24,440
power, but it is one of a
servant.

108
00:06:25,320 –> 00:06:28,440
And Paul works to show the
leaders of the ecclesia that

109
00:06:28,440 –> 00:06:31,920
they, at this point in time,
many of them were out of line

110
00:06:32,560 –> 00:06:35,440
because they were looking
instead to to use their human

111
00:06:35,440 –> 00:06:38,400
wisdom and their eloquence to
become popular.

112
00:06:39,200 –> 00:06:43,560
They had followers that admired
them and they had become, they

113
00:06:43,560 –> 00:06:46,960
had formed factions in the
ecclesia, factions that these

114
00:06:46,960 –> 00:06:51,240
leaders were ruling over.
And Paul’s answer to them is a

115
00:06:51,240 –> 00:06:54,440
simple one.
If you would just become

116
00:06:54,440 –> 00:06:58,880
servants like an apostle is
supposed to be, these problems

117
00:06:58,880 –> 00:07:02,320
would take care of themselves.
So Paul speaks to them about

118
00:07:02,320 –> 00:07:08,120
this and he emphasizes the point
that we all need to be servants.

119
00:07:08,520 –> 00:07:12,320
Now, Paul did have a special
authority, was the other thing

120
00:07:12,320 –> 00:07:14,920
that we noticed in yesterday’s
study.

121
00:07:15,360 –> 00:07:19,000
And Paul had been appointed
directly by Christ to do what he

122
00:07:19,000 –> 00:07:21,960
was doing.
So we don’t have that kind of a

123
00:07:21,960 –> 00:07:25,080
situation today where anybody is
appointed specifically by

124
00:07:25,080 –> 00:07:28,440
Christ.
We’re all servants, and we’re

125
00:07:28,440 –> 00:07:30,640
all servants to our brothers and
sisters.

126
00:07:31,320 –> 00:07:34,960
And in our ecclesias we have
what are called serving

127
00:07:35,040 –> 00:07:39,160
brethren, people that were
chosen by the ecclesia to serve

128
00:07:39,440 –> 00:07:41,880
the ecclesia.
And I just like to read just a

129
00:07:41,880 –> 00:07:44,120
little quote out of the
Ecclesial guide that I think

130
00:07:44,360 –> 00:07:47,320
helps to keep things in
perspective for all of us.

131
00:07:48,160 –> 00:07:52,440
The Ecclesial Guide says that
brethren holding offices among

132
00:07:52,440 –> 00:07:57,880
us shall be described as serving
brethren, and that the

133
00:07:57,880 –> 00:08:01,720
denomination of each particular
office shall have brother or

134
00:08:01,720 –> 00:08:05,880
brethren associated with it for
the sake of preserving the

135
00:08:05,880 –> 00:08:09,680
family character of our assembly
in harmony with the mind of

136
00:08:09,680 –> 00:08:11,920
Christ.
And I think, I think this comes

137
00:08:11,920 –> 00:08:15,520
right from the study that we’re
doing here of First Corinthians,

138
00:08:15,840 –> 00:08:19,480
right from the ideas of Paul.
And it is important for us in

139
00:08:19,480 –> 00:08:22,000
the ecclesia to make sure we
keep this in mind because we’re

140
00:08:22,000 –> 00:08:24,880
going to be looking at the role
that Paul had as an apostle and

141
00:08:24,880 –> 00:08:28,320
it was a special position that
he was in.

142
00:08:29,480 –> 00:08:33,280
So we’re servants of each other.
So let’s jump in then to chapter

143
00:08:33,280 –> 00:08:37,080
4 with this in mind.
So Paul starts out verse 1.

144
00:08:37,400 –> 00:08:41,280
He says let a man so account of
us.

145
00:08:41,960 –> 00:08:45,520
And when he says us, he’s
talking here about apostles.

146
00:08:46,080 –> 00:08:48,520
He’s talking about the apostles
that were responsible for the

147
00:08:48,520 –> 00:08:50,760
brothers and sisters in the
different ecclesias.

148
00:08:51,320 –> 00:08:56,920
He says, let a man so account of
us, the apostles as ministers of

149
00:08:56,920 –> 00:08:59,680
Christ.
And when you think about what an

150
00:08:59,680 –> 00:09:03,680
apostle is, he says, I want you
to think about them being

151
00:09:04,040 –> 00:09:06,480
ministers.
And the word that he uses here,

152
00:09:06,480 –> 00:09:11,120
I think is, is, is exceptionally
good for helping us to see where

153
00:09:11,120 –> 00:09:14,480
we ought to be and what kind of
a, a role an apostle has.

154
00:09:14,920 –> 00:09:18,120
And, and also what kind of a
role we have by extension and

155
00:09:18,120 –> 00:09:22,200
doing the work of teaching.
So he says, I want you to be

156
00:09:22,240 –> 00:09:26,800
ministers of Christ.
This word minister means a

157
00:09:26,800 –> 00:09:31,320
servant, but it’s not just any
servant that he’s talking about

158
00:09:31,320 –> 00:09:34,000
here.
The word servant here actually

159
00:09:34,000 –> 00:09:40,480
means an under rower of a ship,
so someone who’s down in the

160
00:09:40,480 –> 00:09:43,920
bottom of the ship.
And that’s what Paul says.

161
00:09:43,920 –> 00:09:49,640
He says apostles then are under
rowers in a ship.

162
00:09:50,720 –> 00:09:53,280
Now that sounds great, but I’m
showing you a picture here that

163
00:09:53,280 –> 00:09:56,280
really puts it in perspective,
at least it did for me, to, to

164
00:09:56,280 –> 00:10:00,680
understand where we really are
in this hierarchy.

165
00:10:02,000 –> 00:10:05,000
So there’s a picture of where we
are now which, which people do

166
00:10:05,000 –> 00:10:07,360
you think we are?
Which people do you think the

167
00:10:07,360 –> 00:10:12,120
apostles were on here?
The other ones down underneath

168
00:10:12,120 –> 00:10:16,720
the deck, they’re the ones that
have these little holes where

169
00:10:16,720 –> 00:10:20,840
their paddle sticks out and
they’re able to then move their

170
00:10:20,840 –> 00:10:23,320
paddle and to row the ship
forward.

171
00:10:24,280 –> 00:10:28,160
They’re following directions.
They’re working all the time.

172
00:10:28,160 –> 00:10:31,480
Working.
It’s Christ’s ship, isn’t it?

173
00:10:32,720 –> 00:10:34,440
He’s the one that determines the
course.

174
00:10:35,480 –> 00:10:38,840
Thank goodness for that.
I think the apostles then are

175
00:10:38,840 –> 00:10:43,480
responsible to Christ, and
Christ is the captain of the

176
00:10:43,480 –> 00:10:46,560
ship.
So apostles then are under

177
00:10:46,560 –> 00:10:48,160
rowers.
And I think that gives us a lot

178
00:10:48,160 –> 00:10:52,160
of perspective.
It puts us in our place as well.

179
00:10:53,120 –> 00:10:56,240
For if the apostles are under
rowers, if Paul was an under

180
00:10:56,240 –> 00:10:59,880
rower like this, then we must be
under rowers as well.

181
00:10:59,880 –> 00:11:02,960
We must be still.
We must be like him under the

182
00:11:02,960 –> 00:11:06,400
deck, rowing in the direction
that Christ has shown us.

183
00:11:07,400 –> 00:11:10,360
So the leaders of Corinth that
were causing the problems in the

184
00:11:10,360 –> 00:11:14,040
ecclesia, we’re acting as if
they were up on the deck, that

185
00:11:14,040 –> 00:11:16,240
maybe they were deck captains
themselves.

186
00:11:16,240 –> 00:11:20,040
And you can imagine the ship
with three or four or five, or

187
00:11:20,040 –> 00:11:22,960
how many of her factions and,
and leaders there were up on top

188
00:11:22,960 –> 00:11:25,240
of the deck.
And you can imagine them all

189
00:11:25,240 –> 00:11:28,040
trying to, to lead the direction
of where this ship was going to

190
00:11:28,040 –> 00:11:31,400
go at any given time.
Wouldn’t work, would it?

191
00:11:32,160 –> 00:11:35,120
Wouldn’t work.
You have to have one master and

192
00:11:35,120 –> 00:11:38,120
we have a master and that
masters the Lord Jesus Christ.

193
00:11:38,560 –> 00:11:40,640
So Paul’s hoping then that
they’ll get the point.

194
00:11:41,160 –> 00:11:44,240
It doesn’t matter how eloquent
your talk is, no matter how many

195
00:11:44,240 –> 00:11:49,280
friends you have, if you’re not
an under rower, then you’re on

196
00:11:49,280 –> 00:11:53,240
the wrong deck.
Get back down to being an under

197
00:11:53,240 –> 00:11:55,800
rower.
It makes it clear to us, doesn’t

198
00:11:55,800 –> 00:11:58,960
it, that the apostles were
servants and so are we.

199
00:12:00,000 –> 00:12:02,280
So he says they need to be under
rowers.

200
00:12:02,680 –> 00:12:04,920
He says they need to be
stewards.

201
00:12:07,960 –> 00:12:12,360
And the word steward here is one
who rules a house is what that

202
00:12:12,360 –> 00:12:15,240
means.
So they’re untrusted.

203
00:12:15,240 –> 00:12:19,160
Then A steward was, as the word
means, is a person who’s

204
00:12:19,160 –> 00:12:24,400
entrusted to manage a house.
I want you to take special note

205
00:12:24,400 –> 00:12:27,880
of that.
They were managers of a house.

206
00:12:29,000 –> 00:12:31,120
Note that because it’s going to
be important in just a minute.

207
00:12:31,880 –> 00:12:35,960
So these apostles are servants,
and they’re a part of Christ’s

208
00:12:36,000 –> 00:12:39,600
house, and they’re managing
something that’s very, very

209
00:12:39,600 –> 00:12:42,280
valuable for Christ.
And what is it that they’re

210
00:12:42,280 –> 00:12:45,760
managing?
They’re managing the mysteries

211
00:12:46,040 –> 00:12:48,440
of God.
We ran into this in first

212
00:12:48,440 –> 00:12:51,480
Corinthians 2, verse 7.
The mysteries of God are the

213
00:12:51,480 –> 00:12:55,840
truths that were once hidden but
have now been revealed.

214
00:12:55,840 –> 00:12:57,480
So the apostles have been given
something.

215
00:12:57,480 –> 00:13:00,360
They’ve been entrusted with
something that they have a

216
00:13:00,360 –> 00:13:03,520
responsibility to share and to
preach to the whole world.

217
00:13:05,160 –> 00:13:08,520
So the apostles here, and
especially Paul had a

218
00:13:08,520 –> 00:13:14,480
responsibility to Christ because
they were servants in his house.

219
00:13:15,480 –> 00:13:18,600
They were servants who were
managing the mysteries of God.

220
00:13:20,720 –> 00:13:23,960
The point that Paul makes is
that the apostles were not

221
00:13:23,960 –> 00:13:28,400
working for status.
They’re under rowers and they’ve

222
00:13:28,400 –> 00:13:31,480
got a job to do and that’s to
manage the mysteries of God.

223
00:13:33,520 –> 00:13:37,560
And then in verse two, he throws
another word at us that gets us

224
00:13:37,560 –> 00:13:40,920
really thinking.
He says moreover, it is required

225
00:13:40,920 –> 00:13:45,640
of these stewards, these these
servants of the house that they

226
00:13:45,640 –> 00:13:50,960
be found faithful servants in
the House of Christ have got to

227
00:13:50,960 –> 00:13:54,520
be faithful with the mysteries
of God.

228
00:13:54,520 –> 00:13:57,280
So the message that they teach
has got to be consistent with

229
00:13:57,280 –> 00:14:00,040
the message that they received.
They don’t get to change it.

230
00:14:00,040 –> 00:14:02,760
They have to be faithfully
communicating the message that

231
00:14:02,760 –> 00:14:06,360
they’ve been given and those
messages have to be protected

232
00:14:06,360 –> 00:14:10,640
and they have to be delivered.
We put these two first 2 verses

233
00:14:10,640 –> 00:14:15,240
and some of these words together
and an echo, I think, comes to

234
00:14:15,240 –> 00:14:16,560
our minds when we think about
it.

235
00:14:17,320 –> 00:14:23,400
The apostles were servants who
were faithful in the House of

236
00:14:23,400 –> 00:14:26,960
Christ.
And what do we realize when we

237
00:14:26,960 –> 00:14:32,000
hear those words together?
Faithful servants in the house?

238
00:14:33,200 –> 00:14:37,320
Don’t we think about Moses?
Isn’t that what’s said about

239
00:14:37,680 –> 00:14:42,160
Moses?
Numbers chapter 12 and verse 7

240
00:14:43,840 –> 00:14:49,720
it says that God’s servant Moses
was faithful in all his house,

241
00:14:49,880 –> 00:14:53,200
so that the message that God
gave to Moses, Moses faithfully

242
00:14:53,400 –> 00:14:58,720
communicated to Israel.
Come over to Numbers chapter 12

243
00:14:58,800 –> 00:15:01,440
and verse 1.
So #7 verse 7 is where we have

244
00:15:01,640 –> 00:15:05,160
Moses being faithful in all his
houses as a servant.

245
00:15:07,080 –> 00:15:11,440
Numbers chapter 12 verse one
gives us some some context for

246
00:15:11,440 –> 00:15:13,960
why that statement was made.
And I think it gives us some

247
00:15:13,960 –> 00:15:20,280
context about what Paul is
trying to say here about the

248
00:15:20,280 –> 00:15:23,720
relationship that Paul has with
the Lord Jesus Christ.

249
00:15:24,240 –> 00:15:28,200
So Numbers chapter 12 verse one,
this is a chapter about Miriam

250
00:15:28,200 –> 00:15:31,400
and Aaron actually speaking out
against Moses.

251
00:15:31,400 –> 00:15:34,680
So I think you already see that
the the similarities to what’s

252
00:15:34,680 –> 00:15:42,360
happening in Corinth.
So number chapter 12, verse one,

253
00:15:42,880 –> 00:15:47,800
it says and Miriam and Aaron
spake against Moses because of

254
00:15:47,800 –> 00:15:52,200
the Ethiopian woman whom he had
married, for he had married an

255
00:15:52,200 –> 00:15:55,840
Ethiopian woman.
So there’s different ideas as to

256
00:15:55,840 –> 00:15:58,000
what that means that he married
an Ethiopian woman.

257
00:15:58,000 –> 00:15:59,880
I don’t think that’s
particularly relevant to what

258
00:15:59,880 –> 00:16:03,240
we’re looking at right now.
Let’s just say that Miriam and

259
00:16:03,240 –> 00:16:07,920
Aaron had a problem with what
Moses had done in marrying this

260
00:16:07,920 –> 00:16:12,760
Ethiopian woman.
But the point is that Moses,

261
00:16:12,920 –> 00:16:17,080
sorry, Miriam and Aaron spoke
out against Moses.

262
00:16:17,080 –> 00:16:26,240
Because of this, they spoke out
against him, and they said, hath

263
00:16:26,240 –> 00:16:29,640
Yahweh indeed spoken only by
Moses?

264
00:16:30,680 –> 00:16:37,440
Hath he not also spoken by us?
They said God spoken by us too.

265
00:16:38,360 –> 00:16:43,560
Miriam was a prophetess and
Aaron was a priest, so God had

266
00:16:43,560 –> 00:16:45,080
spoken by them.
That was true.

267
00:16:46,160 –> 00:16:49,520
And they said, so since God has
spoken by us, shouldn’t Moses

268
00:16:49,520 –> 00:16:53,840
listen to us and do what we
think that he should do, or do

269
00:16:53,840 –> 00:16:55,480
what we say that he should do
here?

270
00:16:56,600 –> 00:17:01,440
So Miriam and Aaron spoke out
against what Moses was doing and

271
00:17:01,440 –> 00:17:06,119
about his authority here.
They said we’re just like Moses

272
00:17:08,240 –> 00:17:09,160
and we know what happened, don’t
we?

273
00:17:09,160 –> 00:17:20,790
The Lord heard it in verse three
we get the divine commentary.

274
00:17:20,990 –> 00:17:23,349
What does God think about what
what their complaint was?

275
00:17:25,510 –> 00:17:30,550
God says now the man Moses was
very meek above all the men

276
00:17:30,550 –> 00:17:32,070
which were upon the face of the
earth.

277
00:17:33,550 –> 00:17:36,910
That’s unexpected.
That’s not what we’d expect to

278
00:17:36,950 –> 00:17:41,630
to read there, but that’s God’s
comment about Moses.

279
00:17:44,960 –> 00:17:48,560
It’s like when you read that,
you think how could they be

280
00:17:48,560 –> 00:17:51,960
saying something against Moses
if he is this this meek man, as

281
00:17:51,960 –> 00:17:55,240
God says, the meekest man that
was on the the face of the earth

282
00:17:56,680 –> 00:17:59,920
and then caught God calls Moses
and Aaron and Miriam to the

283
00:17:59,920 –> 00:18:03,680
Tabernacle.
We come down to verse 6 and God

284
00:18:03,680 –> 00:18:11,480
says hear now my words, if there
be a prophet among you, I,

285
00:18:11,480 –> 00:18:14,720
Yahweh will make myself known
unto him in a vision and I’ll

286
00:18:14,720 –> 00:18:17,440
speak to him in a dream.
So that’s how I communicate with

287
00:18:17,440 –> 00:18:19,320
people.
As we’re going through this, I

288
00:18:19,320 –> 00:18:21,120
want you to be thinking about
what what might have been

289
00:18:21,120 –> 00:18:25,200
happening in Corinth because
didn’t the brothers in Corinth

290
00:18:25,200 –> 00:18:27,880
didn’t the brothers and some of
the sisters have the the the

291
00:18:27,880 –> 00:18:32,560
gifts of the spirit in Corinth?
Wasn’t that also the case there?

292
00:18:33,520 –> 00:18:35,840
And it’s likely that some of
these teachers had those gifts

293
00:18:35,840 –> 00:18:39,560
as well.
And so that they’re charges

294
00:18:39,560 –> 00:18:42,280
against Paul might be the same
or very similar to what the

295
00:18:42,280 –> 00:18:49,720
charges were against Moses.
Verse 7, he says, but my servant

296
00:18:49,720 –> 00:18:55,000
Moses is not.
So who is faithful in mine

297
00:18:55,000 –> 00:18:59,280
house?
My servant who’s faithful in my

298
00:18:59,280 –> 00:19:02,400
house.
He says with him will I speak

299
00:19:02,400 –> 00:19:08,320
mouth to mouth?
I speak to Moses directly, even

300
00:19:08,320 –> 00:19:11,400
apparently he says here, and
that means with clarity.

301
00:19:12,120 –> 00:19:15,160
So when I talk to Moses, I speak
with clarity to him.

302
00:19:15,160 –> 00:19:19,760
I speak directly to him, not in
not in visions or in dreams and

303
00:19:19,760 –> 00:19:22,120
not in dark speeches or in or in
riddles.

304
00:19:22,120 –> 00:19:25,680
He says here are we catching the
illusion that Paul’s making

305
00:19:25,680 –> 00:19:28,280
here?
So he’s telling us that God had

306
00:19:28,280 –> 00:19:32,240
this direct channel of
communication with Moses.

307
00:19:32,960 –> 00:19:35,560
It wasn’t like the communication
with with with the other

308
00:19:35,560 –> 00:19:38,600
prophets.
And then he goes on and he says

309
00:19:38,600 –> 00:19:42,240
and the similitude or the
likeness of Yahweh.

310
00:19:43,200 –> 00:19:48,000
Shall he or shall Moses behold?
So Moses saw the likeness of

311
00:19:48,000 –> 00:19:49,680
God, didn’t he?
He saw the glory of God.

312
00:19:51,120 –> 00:19:53,360
And then the power of Paul’s
illusion goes even further.

313
00:19:53,360 –> 00:19:58,280
He says, wherefore then were ye
not afraid to speak against my

314
00:19:58,280 –> 00:20:03,520
servant Moses?
You feel the power if if they’d

315
00:20:03,520 –> 00:20:06,040
made the connection, the
brothers and sisters.

316
00:20:06,440 –> 00:20:08,000
That were the problem in
Corinth.

317
00:20:08,160 –> 00:20:09,800
You feel the power of what he’s
saying here.

318
00:20:10,480 –> 00:20:15,760
Miriam and Aaron were not afraid
to speak out against Moses, but

319
00:20:15,760 –> 00:20:18,880
they should have been.
And there were some in Corinth

320
00:20:18,880 –> 00:20:24,360
that spoke out against Paul.
But Paul had a special channel

321
00:20:24,360 –> 00:20:28,360
of communication with Christ, to
communicate the message of

322
00:20:28,360 –> 00:20:30,880
Christ to the brothers and
sisters.

323
00:20:32,160 –> 00:20:33,440
Paul’s telling us that, isn’t
he?

324
00:20:34,200 –> 00:20:40,280
Paul’s explaining to them in a
meek way, I think, that he had a

325
00:20:40,360 –> 00:20:43,640
a message, he was a messenger of
the gospel of Christ and that he

326
00:20:43,640 –> 00:20:47,000
was a direct messenger to the
Lord Jesus Christ.

327
00:20:48,920 –> 00:20:51,680
Those in in Corinthian who were
elevating their own importance

328
00:20:52,240 –> 00:20:55,200
and questioning Paul’s
relationship with Christ were

329
00:20:55,200 –> 00:21:00,800
just like Miriam and like Aaron.
Let’s put the pieces together of

330
00:21:00,800 –> 00:21:11,760
this.
So he says moreover it’s

331
00:21:11,760 –> 00:21:14,360
required and stewards that a man
be found faithful and we made

332
00:21:14,360 –> 00:21:17,160
the connection there.
Moses was a servant who was

333
00:21:17,160 –> 00:21:21,800
faithful in all God’s house and
we had those 3 keywords.

334
00:21:23,000 –> 00:21:25,520
We had servant, faithful and
house.

335
00:21:26,240 –> 00:21:28,680
Moses has this special
relationship with God.

336
00:21:29,400 –> 00:21:33,720
God spoke directly to him and
Moses had seen God’s likeness.

337
00:21:35,040 –> 00:21:40,160
Paul had a special relationship
with Christ.

338
00:21:41,640 –> 00:21:46,120
He’d spoken directly with Christ
and he’d seen Christ likeness,

339
00:21:46,120 –> 00:21:49,720
hadn’t he?
So what were the implications?

340
00:21:50,600 –> 00:21:53,880
Moses was under attack from
Aaron and Miriam, who were

341
00:21:53,880 –> 00:21:57,760
asserting their authority.
And Paul, we believe, was under

342
00:21:57,760 –> 00:22:00,800
attack from the leaders of
Corinth who were also asserting

343
00:22:00,800 –> 00:22:04,200
their authority.
And those who were criticizing

344
00:22:04,200 –> 00:22:10,880
Moses were actually criticizing
God in the same way those that

345
00:22:10,880 –> 00:22:16,200
were criticizing Paul were
actually criticizing Christ.

346
00:22:17,720 –> 00:22:20,120
The power there, I think is, is
is remarkable for us.

347
00:22:21,120 –> 00:22:23,320
All right, let’s go back to
First Corinthians chapter 4 with

348
00:22:23,320 –> 00:22:26,920
this idea in mind.
And we see this special

349
00:22:27,280 –> 00:22:31,360
relationship that Paul has with
Christ and the special

350
00:22:31,360 –> 00:22:35,600
responsibility that he has in
delivering the message as a

351
00:22:35,600 –> 00:22:40,400
steward, because he is
definitely the faithful servant

352
00:22:40,600 –> 00:22:44,400
in Christ’s house.
And so he says in verse three,

353
00:22:45,040 –> 00:22:48,080
he says, but with me, it’s a
very small thing that I should

354
00:22:48,080 –> 00:22:55,240
be judged of you or of man’s
judgement while saying, look,

355
00:22:56,440 –> 00:22:58,600
you’re saying negative things
about me, you’re trying to

356
00:22:58,600 –> 00:23:02,480
discredit me.
I’m being judged by the factions

357
00:23:02,480 –> 00:23:05,160
in Corinth.
But that’s that’s really a small

358
00:23:05,160 –> 00:23:08,200
thing.
It’s not important.

359
00:23:08,800 –> 00:23:13,000
It wasn’t important to Paul how
he was viewed by them because

360
00:23:13,000 –> 00:23:15,960
their judgement was based on
man’s wisdom.

361
00:23:17,320 –> 00:23:19,120
Just like it wasn’t important to
Moses.

362
00:23:20,400 –> 00:23:22,600
It was really what his Lord
thought.

363
00:23:23,520 –> 00:23:26,520
That was what was important.
That’s what mattered.

364
00:23:29,400 –> 00:23:32,520
So in verse four, he says, for I
know nothing by myself.

365
00:23:34,680 –> 00:23:36,400
He’s he’s he’s explaining the
truth here.

366
00:23:37,440 –> 00:23:40,040
My judgement of myself is not
reliable.

367
00:23:41,280 –> 00:23:44,880
I I find that when I judge
myself, I cut myself slack.

368
00:23:45,320 –> 00:23:48,960
I could justify just about
anything that I do you ever

369
00:23:48,960 –> 00:23:52,560
experienced that right?
If we do, we do something wrong.

370
00:23:52,560 –> 00:23:55,360
We can we can justify it if if
someone else does the same

371
00:23:55,360 –> 00:23:58,440
thing.
Wow, can’t believe that you did

372
00:23:58,440 –> 00:24:01,880
that, Paul saying, yeah, I, I
find that I’m just just not

373
00:24:01,880 –> 00:24:05,000
reliable in judging myself
because I can do this, because I

374
00:24:05,000 –> 00:24:09,800
can justify myself.
So he says, yet I’m not hereby

375
00:24:09,800 –> 00:24:11,720
justified.
So just because I justify

376
00:24:11,720 –> 00:24:15,040
myself, he says, that doesn’t
mean that I’m righteous.

377
00:24:15,040 –> 00:24:21,840
That doesn’t mean that I’m
justified, he says, because I do

378
00:24:21,840 –> 00:24:26,480
have a judge.
He that judges me is my master.

379
00:24:27,960 –> 00:24:29,760
He that judges me is the Lord,
he says.

380
00:24:30,480 –> 00:24:33,520
And it would be up to Christ if
he was a faithful servant in his

381
00:24:33,520 –> 00:24:37,760
house or not.
And it would be up to Christ if

382
00:24:37,760 –> 00:24:41,200
the others were faithful
servants in Christ’s house or

383
00:24:41,200 –> 00:24:44,160
not.
So it’s a key point, I think to

384
00:24:44,160 –> 00:24:48,200
understanding the relationship.
Paul also goes on to say, don’t

385
00:24:48,200 –> 00:24:51,240
try to judge other people’s
motives for us.

386
00:24:51,560 –> 00:24:55,480
Don’t try to think about what
someone else is thinking because

387
00:24:55,520 –> 00:24:58,320
you’ll most likely be wrong.
When you when you try to put

388
00:24:58,320 –> 00:25:01,640
together all the motives for
someone else’s actions and you

389
00:25:01,640 –> 00:25:04,440
kind of stack them up and you
work out why they’ve done what

390
00:25:04,440 –> 00:25:06,880
they’ve done and you’re ready to
go and you’re ready to go have a

391
00:25:06,880 –> 00:25:10,360
conversation about them and to
and to tell them the mistakes

392
00:25:10,360 –> 00:25:13,720
that they’ve made based upon
your your judgement of their

393
00:25:13,720 –> 00:25:16,520
motives, you’re most likely
going to be wrong.

394
00:25:17,120 –> 00:25:18,960
I think we’ve probably all
experienced that, haven’t we?

395
00:25:20,080 –> 00:25:23,560
He says, don’t let that become a
source of strife because it can

396
00:25:23,560 –> 00:25:27,440
be so damaging.
And he clarifies all that in in

397
00:25:27,440 –> 00:25:29,560
verse five.
He says therefore judge nothing

398
00:25:30,120 –> 00:25:32,880
before the time until the Lord
come.

399
00:25:33,880 –> 00:25:37,400
So to the self appointed
leaders, Paul says since man’s

400
00:25:37,400 –> 00:25:43,480
judgement isn’t reliable, it’s
best if we let Christ judge and

401
00:25:43,480 –> 00:25:48,040
when Christ comes he will judge.
He says to both bring both to

402
00:25:48,040 –> 00:25:50,840
light, sorry, both bring to
light the hidden things of

403
00:25:50,840 –> 00:25:54,840
darkness, so the things that no
one knows about and to make

404
00:25:54,840 –> 00:25:56,720
manifest the councils of the
hearts.

405
00:25:57,880 –> 00:26:00,720
And then shall every man have
praise of God so their motives

406
00:26:00,720 –> 00:26:05,200
will will be exposed.
He says let Christ be the one

407
00:26:05,200 –> 00:26:07,320
who judges the motives of
others.

408
00:26:08,360 –> 00:26:12,440
That’s what Aaron and Miriam
should have done and that’s what

409
00:26:12,440 –> 00:26:16,320
we should do also.
Well then Paul shifts gears a

410
00:26:16,320 –> 00:26:20,360
little bit and we’ve talked
about this verse 6 already.

411
00:26:21,120 –> 00:26:25,400
Paul’s trying to to work with
the people in the ecclesia that

412
00:26:25,400 –> 00:26:30,360
had this issue with elevating
themselves and maybe trying to

413
00:26:30,360 –> 00:26:33,920
fill that void that they thought
Paul had left in what the truth

414
00:26:33,920 –> 00:26:36,760
was all about.
And we talked about the fact in

415
00:26:36,760 –> 00:26:40,440
in chapter 1 that that Paul was
using the names of Paul,

416
00:26:40,440 –> 00:26:45,440
Apollos, Cephas and of Christ in
place of the people that he was

417
00:26:45,440 –> 00:26:49,280
actually speaking about.
You remember Paul saying that?

418
00:26:52,320 –> 00:26:56,200
And so here he’s saying, just to
make sure that you know, just to

419
00:26:56,200 –> 00:26:58,600
make sure that you’re clear on
this, you need to know that I’ve

420
00:26:58,600 –> 00:27:03,120
been using my name and Apollos’s
name to show the factions that

421
00:27:03,120 –> 00:27:06,400
were in the ecclesia.
I have in a figure, he says,

422
00:27:06,400 –> 00:27:10,880
transferred to myself and to
Apollos those names for your

423
00:27:10,880 –> 00:27:12,320
sake.
So I’ve used my name and

424
00:27:12,320 –> 00:27:14,600
Apollos’s name in place of the
others.

425
00:27:15,520 –> 00:27:18,200
He didn’t literally mean that it
was Paul, Apollos, Peter in

426
00:27:18,200 –> 00:27:21,920
Christ.
So why wouldn’t he want to

427
00:27:21,920 –> 00:27:26,040
mention their names?
I’ve had actually a few people

428
00:27:26,040 –> 00:27:28,360
come up and and suggest that to
me that it would have been, it

429
00:27:28,360 –> 00:27:31,720
would have been more like Paul
to actually come up and say it

430
00:27:31,720 –> 00:27:34,840
was brother this, brother this,
brother this and brother this,

431
00:27:35,400 –> 00:27:37,480
that were actually the issues
and to put that in the letter.

432
00:27:38,280 –> 00:27:41,120
Why might he have have chosen
not to do that and to do this

433
00:27:41,360 –> 00:27:44,560
instead and to use these other
names instead of referring to

434
00:27:44,560 –> 00:27:48,800
them directly?
It’s almost like the the idea

435
00:27:48,800 –> 00:27:51,800
behind Matthew 18, isn’t it,
where you go to a brother

436
00:27:52,120 –> 00:27:54,640
personally and you speak to them
directly so that it doesn’t

437
00:27:54,640 –> 00:27:56,920
become an issue.
That’s then in front of

438
00:27:56,920 –> 00:27:59,600
everybody.
It increases the odds of them

439
00:27:59,600 –> 00:28:03,000
being able to solve the problem
if we don’t embarrass them in

440
00:28:03,000 –> 00:28:05,520
front of everybody.
Now, there’s times when that

441
00:28:05,520 –> 00:28:07,920
needs to happen and there needs
to be that correction that’s

442
00:28:07,920 –> 00:28:10,880
that’s very public.
But there’s also times when when

443
00:28:10,880 –> 00:28:12,400
correction needs to be done
privately.

444
00:28:12,920 –> 00:28:14,320
And I think that’s what Paul’s
doing here.

445
00:28:14,320 –> 00:28:18,080
He’s using these names because
he doesn’t want to, to, to burn

446
00:28:18,080 –> 00:28:20,920
the bridge of the opportunity of
trying to help them out.

447
00:28:22,000 –> 00:28:26,360
And I think that’s the mark
really of a true apostle working

448
00:28:26,360 –> 00:28:30,160
for what’s the best for the
people, trying to to help them

449
00:28:30,520 –> 00:28:33,120
to get to a place where they
would be able to, to make

450
00:28:33,120 –> 00:28:34,600
corrections to what they were
doing.

451
00:28:35,440 –> 00:28:37,920
And so that’s what he says next.
He says that you might learn in

452
00:28:37,920 –> 00:28:43,000
us not to think of men above
that which is written, that no

453
00:28:43,000 –> 00:28:46,960
one of you be puffed up for one
against another.

454
00:28:47,760 –> 00:28:51,520
He’s saying it’s all about
helping the leaders to learn

455
00:28:51,520 –> 00:28:53,760
that they are not higher than
others.

456
00:28:54,760 –> 00:28:57,240
And that’s why I think he goes
through that comparison with

457
00:28:57,240 –> 00:29:01,200
Moses to show them the position
that they really were in and and

458
00:29:01,200 –> 00:29:05,200
to show them how how problematic
that thinking was for for Miriam

459
00:29:05,200 –> 00:29:08,280
and Aaron and how they were
probably heading down the same

460
00:29:08,280 –> 00:29:15,440
Rd. verse 7.
Then he says, For who maketh

461
00:29:15,440 –> 00:29:20,720
thee to differ from another, and
what hast thou that thou didst

462
00:29:20,720 –> 00:29:24,560
not receive?
Now if thou didst receive it,

463
00:29:25,360 –> 00:29:29,680
why does thou glory as if thou
hadst not received it?

464
00:29:32,200 –> 00:29:33,520
So what is he talking about
here?

465
00:29:34,760 –> 00:29:37,960
So maybe one of us has a
photographic memory.

466
00:29:38,840 –> 00:29:42,680
I wish that was me, but maybe
someone does have a photographic

467
00:29:42,680 –> 00:29:44,840
memory.
Where did you get the skill?

468
00:29:46,240 –> 00:29:48,920
Got it from God.
So should you glory in the skill

469
00:29:48,920 –> 00:29:53,440
of of having that that memory?
What about a super logical

470
00:29:53,440 –> 00:29:56,080
thinker, someone that could
figure things out all really

471
00:29:56,080 –> 00:29:59,400
quickly and really easily?
Is that to your glory?

472
00:30:00,320 –> 00:30:02,800
No, it’s it’s, it’s to God’s
glory, right, because God’s the

473
00:30:02,800 –> 00:30:05,480
one who gave it to you.
Maybe understanding, maybe a

474
00:30:05,480 –> 00:30:06,880
great writer.
They’re all the same.

475
00:30:07,800 –> 00:30:10,120
So in Corinth there were some
that were boasting about the

476
00:30:10,120 –> 00:30:12,560
spirit gifts that they had been
given, right?

477
00:30:13,880 –> 00:30:16,640
Where did they come from?
This is, this is just a gift

478
00:30:16,640 –> 00:30:17,920
that God gave you.
Why should you?

479
00:30:18,120 –> 00:30:21,320
Why should you think that that
somehow has made you better?

480
00:30:22,080 –> 00:30:24,640
You’re just been given that in
order to teach the word.

481
00:30:26,000 –> 00:30:29,760
And while we may have honed
those abilities, Paul’s telling

482
00:30:29,760 –> 00:30:31,600
us that those abilities came
from God.

483
00:30:31,600 –> 00:30:33,960
So there’s no room for anyone to
boast.

484
00:30:36,240 –> 00:30:40,840
But it must be so difficult for
our God who gives us these

485
00:30:40,840 –> 00:30:43,920
abilities to do his work.
And when we succeed, then we

486
00:30:43,920 –> 00:30:46,920
take the credit for the ability
that he gave us.

487
00:30:47,800 –> 00:30:51,480
And then God ends up not being
glorified, which is the whole

488
00:30:51,480 –> 00:30:55,960
purpose.
Paul changes what he’s talking

489
00:30:55,960 –> 00:31:00,680
about in the next few verses.
He almost lays out for us a

490
00:31:00,680 –> 00:31:05,280
checklist of what an apostles
life is like.

491
00:31:06,160 –> 00:31:09,040
And he says if you’re like this,
you’re not an apostle, but if

492
00:31:09,040 –> 00:31:11,720
you’re like this, you are an
apostle.

493
00:31:11,720 –> 00:31:14,400
And he actually calls out those
that they thought that they were

494
00:31:14,400 –> 00:31:18,120
rulers in the ecclesia.
In these next few verses, he’s

495
00:31:18,120 –> 00:31:22,600
saying everybody should look at
themselves and tell me or tell

496
00:31:22,600 –> 00:31:25,920
themselves, I guess, judge for
themselves if you’re living the

497
00:31:25,920 –> 00:31:29,400
life of an apostle.
So let’s see what he has to say.

498
00:31:29,560 –> 00:31:35,880
Verse 8, he says, now ye are
full, now ye are rich.

499
00:31:36,920 –> 00:31:39,160
You’ve reigned as kings without
us.

500
00:31:39,960 –> 00:31:44,120
So look at yourselves.
You have everything you want.

501
00:31:45,240 –> 00:31:47,400
You’re ruling over your own
subjects.

502
00:31:47,400 –> 00:31:49,120
You have these followers in the
ecclesia.

503
00:31:49,560 –> 00:31:51,600
You’re reigning like kings, he
says.

504
00:31:56,400 –> 00:31:58,160
Are you ruling over your
brothers and sisters?

505
00:31:59,880 –> 00:32:02,480
Are you being honored, praised
and glorified?

506
00:32:02,480 –> 00:32:05,880
He says to them.
And then he says, I would to God

507
00:32:05,880 –> 00:32:09,600
that she did reign, that we
might reign with you.

508
00:32:11,080 –> 00:32:13,440
I think he’s saying here, it’d
be nice if that’s really how it

509
00:32:13,440 –> 00:32:16,600
was.
It’d be nice because we’d like

510
00:32:16,600 –> 00:32:18,360
to be raining there right next
to you.

511
00:32:19,160 –> 00:32:21,400
And maybe Paul’s thinking about
if that was the case, what would

512
00:32:21,400 –> 00:32:23,120
it be?
Where would we be?

513
00:32:24,000 –> 00:32:26,240
We’d be in the Kingdom, wouldn’t
we, if that was actually how it

514
00:32:26,240 –> 00:32:29,680
was, because we would actually
have that job of of ruling over

515
00:32:29,680 –> 00:32:33,960
the nation’s verse 9, What does
he say?

516
00:32:33,960 –> 00:32:38,040
He says for?
I think he says for or the

517
00:32:38,040 –> 00:32:43,360
reality is I think that God has
set forth that’s setting forth

518
00:32:43,360 –> 00:32:48,920
there is to display on a stage.
So he set forth on a stage all

519
00:32:48,920 –> 00:32:54,360
of us, the apostles last and he
says last.

520
00:32:54,360 –> 00:32:56,560
He doesn’t mean that the last
ones to get up on the stage.

521
00:32:57,120 –> 00:33:00,360
What he means there is that they
are in the lowest of

522
00:33:00,360 –> 00:33:03,520
circumstances.
They are the lowest of the group

523
00:33:04,520 –> 00:33:07,440
and we know that’s right.
We know that’s exactly how an

524
00:33:07,440 –> 00:33:10,160
apostle should be because that’s
the cross of Christ.

525
00:33:11,680 –> 00:33:15,640
That’s the glory of God.
That’s what Christ did.

526
00:33:17,000 –> 00:33:22,680
He says as it were appointed to
death for were made a spectacle

527
00:33:22,680 –> 00:33:26,720
were made at a theater to the
world and to angels and to men.

528
00:33:28,000 –> 00:33:33,120
He says really how we should
feel is like we’re on a stage

529
00:33:33,120 –> 00:33:37,520
humbled and condemned to death
if we’re following the example

530
00:33:37,520 –> 00:33:43,200
of the Lord Jesus Christ who was
displayed for all to see in

531
00:33:43,200 –> 00:33:46,280
verse 10.
He says we’re fools for Christ’s

532
00:33:46,280 –> 00:33:47,760
sake.
So people think we’re crazy.

533
00:33:47,760 –> 00:33:50,720
People think we’re fools.
They look at us if we’re that

534
00:33:50,720 –> 00:33:53,200
way, if we’re if we’re living
for Christ’s sake.

535
00:33:54,800 –> 00:33:57,920
He says, but you are wise in
Christ.

536
00:33:58,400 –> 00:34:02,720
The world looks at you as if
you’re you’re wise must not be

537
00:34:02,720 –> 00:34:04,480
right.
We’re weak.

538
00:34:05,720 –> 00:34:12,679
The world in its wisdom sees us
as weak, but you’re strong.

539
00:34:12,679 –> 00:34:16,199
The world looks to you and sees
you as strong, not humbling

540
00:34:16,199 –> 00:34:18,960
himself yourselves, instead
promoting yourself.

541
00:34:20,320 –> 00:34:24,880
It sees you as honorable, but
we’re despised.

542
00:34:26,120 –> 00:34:28,440
And so as Paul continues you,
you could see the difference.

543
00:34:28,440 –> 00:34:31,000
He says if these things are the
way that it is, then something’s

544
00:34:31,000 –> 00:34:33,280
wrong.
You’ve got it backwards.

545
00:34:33,280 –> 00:34:36,159
You’re you’re you’re looking to
rule over people if that’s the

546
00:34:36,159 –> 00:34:38,159
way that it actually is with
you.

547
00:34:39,560 –> 00:34:43,320
He says in in verse 11, this is
how apostles live.

548
00:34:43,320 –> 00:34:47,719
He says even to this present
hour, we hunger and thirst and

549
00:34:47,719 –> 00:34:50,360
are naked.
It’s a struggle for us.

550
00:34:50,360 –> 00:34:54,360
Our our existence is difficult.
We go without a lot of things

551
00:34:55,040 –> 00:34:58,000
and he says we’re buffeted.
That’s literally we’re slapped

552
00:34:58,000 –> 00:35:02,240
in the face, he says, and we
have no certain dwelling place.

553
00:35:02,240 –> 00:35:05,360
I think that’s a pretty accurate
description of how the life of

554
00:35:05,360 –> 00:35:09,320
the apostles were.
We contrast that then to the to

555
00:35:09,320 –> 00:35:13,880
the leaders in Corinth that were
living as kings, ruling over the

556
00:35:13,880 –> 00:35:16,480
people, if you will.
They had these people that would

557
00:35:16,480 –> 00:35:19,520
that would work for them and do
things for them and cover their

558
00:35:19,520 –> 00:35:26,520
expenses.
Verse 12 says, and we labor

559
00:35:26,520 –> 00:35:30,040
working with our own hands.
What was Paul doing?

560
00:35:31,960 –> 00:35:34,760
He’s making tense, wasn’t he?
That’s what he was doing when he

561
00:35:34,760 –> 00:35:38,120
got to Corinth, not living off
the ecclesia.

562
00:35:38,360 –> 00:35:41,280
And it’s something we we read
about that Paul did by choice,

563
00:35:42,280 –> 00:35:44,840
and we begin to see that that
was the existence that he had

564
00:35:44,840 –> 00:35:49,440
when he was in Corinth.
He says being reviled, we bless.

565
00:35:49,440 –> 00:35:53,200
So when when someone criticizes
us in an abusive way, we speak

566
00:35:53,200 –> 00:35:58,040
well of them being persecuted.
He says we suffer it when people

567
00:35:58,040 –> 00:36:00,400
are hostile to us.
We just, we just put up with it.

568
00:36:00,800 –> 00:36:02,560
That’s what an apostle does, he
says.

569
00:36:04,160 –> 00:36:06,840
And finally in verse 13, he
finishes his his his points.

570
00:36:06,840 –> 00:36:09,960
He says, being defamed.
We entreat.

571
00:36:09,960 –> 00:36:15,040
So when people speak poorly
about us, slander us, we entreat

572
00:36:15,120 –> 00:36:17,920
literally it means to to call to
one side.

573
00:36:19,040 –> 00:36:22,120
We appeal to them gently.
We try to work with them to try

574
00:36:22,120 –> 00:36:25,600
to help them.
We’re made as the filth or or

575
00:36:25,600 –> 00:36:29,920
the refuse of the world and
we’re the off scouring or The

576
00:36:29,920 –> 00:36:34,200
Dirty scrapings of all things to
this day.

577
00:36:35,320 –> 00:36:37,880
So the whole list then that that
Paul gives us here of what an

578
00:36:37,880 –> 00:36:41,960
apostle does is is is pretty
straightforward, isn’t it?

579
00:36:42,720 –> 00:36:46,880
An apostle isn’t lifted up.
Apostle is humbled apostle.

580
00:36:46,880 –> 00:36:51,080
An apostle is a servant.
And that’s what the the leaders

581
00:36:51,080 –> 00:36:53,600
of Corinth should have, should
have figured out from what he

582
00:36:53,600 –> 00:37:02,080
has to say here.
So then in verse 14, Paul says,

583
00:37:02,080 –> 00:37:05,040
I write not these things to
shame you.

584
00:37:05,040 –> 00:37:10,960
I’m not trying to discredit you.
I’m not trying to embarrass you.

585
00:37:11,760 –> 00:37:13,920
I’m trying to get you to, to, to
figure this out.

586
00:37:15,320 –> 00:37:19,800
He says, but as my beloved sons,
I warn you.

587
00:37:21,280 –> 00:37:25,520
So he begins the next section
with this idea of fathership and

588
00:37:25,520 –> 00:37:32,320
sonship and he says, I warning
you as if you were my sons,

589
00:37:33,400 –> 00:37:37,440
because this is what an apostle
does and this is what we all

590
00:37:37,440 –> 00:37:40,920
should be doing.
We should be treating each other

591
00:37:40,920 –> 00:37:45,480
as if each other is our son or
our daughter.

592
00:37:46,760 –> 00:37:51,880
He says for though you have
10,000 instructors in Christ,

593
00:37:53,040 –> 00:37:55,280
this word instructors is an
important one to understand.

594
00:37:55,280 –> 00:37:58,600
Here the word instructors is the
word pedagogue.

595
00:38:00,560 –> 00:38:04,440
It’s a servant whose job it was
to take the children to school

596
00:38:05,280 –> 00:38:07,800
to make sure that they got to
school each day.

597
00:38:08,680 –> 00:38:11,440
And the pedagogue would be paid
to do this to, to drop the kids

598
00:38:11,440 –> 00:38:14,120
off at school, to make sure that
that the kids did the homework

599
00:38:15,520 –> 00:38:18,520
and they were in charge of their
their general conduct.

600
00:38:19,440 –> 00:38:22,240
Now the same word is used in in
Galatians Chapter 3.

601
00:38:24,200 –> 00:38:25,480
It’s probably we won’t look it
up.

602
00:38:25,560 –> 00:38:28,600
Galatians chapter 3, verse 24,
it says the law was our

603
00:38:28,920 –> 00:38:31,720
schoolmaster to bring us to
Christ.

604
00:38:32,640 –> 00:38:36,600
So Paul uses this word there to
show that the the the purpose of

605
00:38:36,600 –> 00:38:41,040
the law was to bring them to
Christ, but that it was

606
00:38:41,040 –> 00:38:44,360
Christ’s, it was Christ who
would who would save them.

607
00:38:45,360 –> 00:38:49,440
So these pedagogues then they
did their job, but they’re

608
00:38:49,440 –> 00:38:52,000
concerned for the children was
very limited.

609
00:38:53,240 –> 00:38:55,920
They were like the hireling, if
you will, because they were

610
00:38:55,920 –> 00:38:58,560
paid.
Their main concern, the main

611
00:38:58,560 –> 00:39:02,240
motivation in working with the
the children would be getting

612
00:39:02,240 –> 00:39:05,640
the paycheck at the end of the
month and being paid for what

613
00:39:05,640 –> 00:39:08,000
they did.
They were definitely not a

614
00:39:08,000 –> 00:39:12,120
substitute for a father.
And so Paul says it didn’t

615
00:39:12,120 –> 00:39:13,840
matter if there were 10,000 of
these.

616
00:39:13,840 –> 00:39:17,080
That’s not what we’re looking
for, 10,000 hirelings or 10,000

617
00:39:17,080 –> 00:39:21,640
pedagogues.
What we need are fathers, he

618
00:39:21,640 –> 00:39:24,920
says.
Yet ye have yet, have ye not?

619
00:39:25,120 –> 00:39:28,840
Not many fathers.
For in Christ Jesus I have

620
00:39:28,840 –> 00:39:33,040
begotten you through the gospel.
So Paul’s telling them, I’m not

621
00:39:33,040 –> 00:39:37,400
like the pedagogue.
Instead, I’m like your father,

622
00:39:40,000 –> 00:39:43,760
you’re like my sons.
I’m not doing this to get paid.

623
00:39:44,920 –> 00:39:48,200
That’s important.
I’m doing this because I love

624
00:39:48,200 –> 00:39:50,560
you and because I want to save
you.

625
00:39:51,520 –> 00:39:56,480
That’s the difference here
between a pedagogue and Paul who

626
00:39:56,480 –> 00:39:59,640
was their father between as it
says, you’re the instructor that

627
00:39:59,640 –> 00:40:03,640
they had to Paul.
The brothers and sisters were

628
00:40:03,640 –> 00:40:09,640
his children.
Let’s go over to first Peter

629
00:40:09,640 –> 00:40:11,280
chapter 1.
There’s a couple of couple of

630
00:40:11,280 –> 00:40:15,240
verses that I think helpful to
to point out this idea here of

631
00:40:15,360 –> 00:40:23,600
our sonship by the word of God.
And how we’re born of God’s word

632
00:40:25,160 –> 00:40:30,160
and how Paul was in a way their
father, because he had delivered

633
00:40:30,160 –> 00:40:34,200
to them that word.
So first Peter chapter one verse

634
00:40:34,200 –> 00:40:43,280
23 says being born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of

635
00:40:43,280 –> 00:40:48,920
incorruptible by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth

636
00:40:48,920 –> 00:40:51,720
forever.
Come over to James chapter 1.

637
00:40:54,840 –> 00:40:57,280
James says the same thing.
He tells us we’ve been begotten

638
00:40:57,520 –> 00:41:05,320
with the word of truth.
James chapter 1 and in verse 18

639
00:41:06,680 –> 00:41:14,640
says of his own will begat he us
with the word of truth that we

640
00:41:14,640 –> 00:41:17,280
should be a kind of firstfruits
of his creatures.

641
00:41:18,720 –> 00:41:21,760
So he’s talking here about the
fact that we’re his children

642
00:41:22,840 –> 00:41:27,720
that were born through the
spirit seed that’s planted in

643
00:41:27,720 –> 00:41:31,240
us.
That word of God that develops

644
00:41:31,280 –> 00:41:36,400
in us that leads to a new birth
as it it begins to change our

645
00:41:36,400 –> 00:41:40,520
mind, as it creates in us this
new creature, this new way of

646
00:41:40,520 –> 00:41:45,080
thinking and leads ultimately to
a new birth in immortality.

647
00:41:46,360 –> 00:41:50,800
And Paul’s telling them that I’m
the one that’s planted that seed

648
00:41:50,800 –> 00:41:53,960
in you and I’m the one who loves
you and has made it my

649
00:41:53,960 –> 00:41:57,880
responsibility to help that
process continue in you.

650
00:41:59,360 –> 00:42:01,200
Think about what Jesus told
Nicodemus.

651
00:42:02,320 –> 00:42:06,320
He says we have to be born of
the water and of the Spirit.

652
00:42:06,320 –> 00:42:08,120
We have to be born of the word
of God.

653
00:42:09,480 –> 00:42:13,600
So this spiritual birth is what
Paul’s talking about here, that

654
00:42:13,600 –> 00:42:17,160
he wanted to have take place in
all of them as the seed that

655
00:42:17,160 –> 00:42:20,880
grows inside them.
And Paul was concerned with the

656
00:42:20,880 –> 00:42:24,680
development of that new life in
each of his brothers and

657
00:42:24,680 –> 00:42:29,120
sisters.
At the same time, the pedagogues

658
00:42:29,120 –> 00:42:31,320
would not be thinking about this
development.

659
00:42:32,240 –> 00:42:37,000
Instead, they were thinking
about their paycheck or their

660
00:42:37,000 –> 00:42:39,600
prestige, their status in the
ecclesia.

661
00:42:40,560 –> 00:42:42,880
You think about the kings of
Israel, at least most of the

662
00:42:42,880 –> 00:42:45,000
kings of Israel.
They, they were, they were given

663
00:42:45,000 –> 00:42:47,680
a position of authority over the
people of Israel.

664
00:42:48,240 –> 00:42:53,760
And if they’d focused on helping
the people, saving the people,

665
00:42:54,600 –> 00:42:56,640
they would have been a great
success and the and the whole

666
00:42:56,640 –> 00:42:58,960
nation would have been converted
and many more would have been

667
00:42:58,960 –> 00:43:01,680
saved.
But they focused instead on

668
00:43:01,680 –> 00:43:06,120
their position and on their
power and didn’t spend much time

669
00:43:06,120 –> 00:43:10,200
at all, and some spent none at
all on spiritual development.

670
00:43:12,040 –> 00:43:14,000
All right, back to First
Corinthians chapter 4.

671
00:43:20,400 –> 00:43:25,640
Paul says, Wherefore I beseech
you, be followers of me.

672
00:43:27,080 –> 00:43:30,280
That word followers there means
imitators of me.

673
00:43:30,280 –> 00:43:35,880
In other words, I want you all
to be followers of fathers, I

674
00:43:35,880 –> 00:43:39,560
should say of me.
And if we understand how Paul

675
00:43:39,560 –> 00:43:41,840
cared for the spiritual
development of his brothers and

676
00:43:41,840 –> 00:43:45,400
sisters, we’d understand exactly
what Paul is talking about here.

677
00:43:46,160 –> 00:43:50,400
Instead of looking for ways to
to to be popular, look for ways

678
00:43:50,400 –> 00:43:52,560
to help the spiritual
development of your brothers and

679
00:43:52,560 –> 00:43:58,600
sisters.
He says you too can change your

680
00:43:58,600 –> 00:44:04,960
ways and become like fathers if
you will become the servants of

681
00:44:04,960 –> 00:44:08,520
your brothers and sisters and if
you will put the salvation of

682
00:44:08,520 –> 00:44:12,040
your brothers and sisters first.
That’s the solution.

683
00:44:13,440 –> 00:44:17,760
Become a servant.
That’s what Moses was, wasn’t

684
00:44:17,760 –> 00:44:20,000
he?
He was a servant that was

685
00:44:20,000 –> 00:44:25,040
faithful in God’s house.
We have to keep in mind the

686
00:44:25,040 –> 00:44:27,400
point that that was being made
at the beginning of the chapter.

687
00:44:28,160 –> 00:44:31,840
Moses was different from his
brethren.

688
00:44:32,800 –> 00:44:37,040
Come back with me to to Numbers
chapter 12 for just one a couple

689
00:44:37,040 –> 00:44:39,240
of verses here and we’ll look at
that just one more time.

690
00:44:56,000 –> 00:44:59,920
So Numbers chapter 12, verse 6,
we see how Moses was different.

691
00:45:00,880 –> 00:45:03,800
He says, God says, and he said,
hear now my words.

692
00:45:04,280 –> 00:45:06,960
If there be a prophet among you,
I, Yahweh, will make myself

693
00:45:06,960 –> 00:45:11,320
known unto him in a vision, and
will speak to him in a dream.

694
00:45:12,480 –> 00:45:17,040
My servant Moses is not so.
Who is faithful in all my house.

695
00:45:17,920 –> 00:45:22,040
With him will I speak mouth to
mouth, even apparently, and not

696
00:45:22,040 –> 00:45:24,640
in dark speeches and
similitudes?

697
00:45:25,520 –> 00:45:27,920
Sorry.
And the similitudes of Yahweh

698
00:45:27,920 –> 00:45:30,840
shall he behold.
Wherefore then, were you not

699
00:45:30,840 –> 00:45:33,160
afraid to speak against my
servant Moses?

700
00:45:34,200 –> 00:45:37,360
So Moses, so Paul was telling us
that he was different from his

701
00:45:37,360 –> 00:45:42,880
brethren, that Christ had spoken
directly to him, that he had

702
00:45:42,880 –> 00:45:46,000
seen Christ.
And so Paul had this greater

703
00:45:46,000 –> 00:45:50,280
responsibility, he had this
greater responsibility to

704
00:45:50,280 –> 00:45:54,080
deliver faithfully the words of
God to his brothers and sisters.

705
00:45:55,000 –> 00:45:59,480
And so Paul calls on us to be
followers of that, to be

706
00:45:59,480 –> 00:46:03,320
faithful with the word of God
and working to save our brothers

707
00:46:03,320 –> 00:46:06,760
and sisters.
Verse 17.

708
00:46:06,760 –> 00:46:08,680
If we come back to first
Corinthians chapter 4.

709
00:46:10,600 –> 00:46:15,280
So Paul says with this in mind,
with this idea of saving our

710
00:46:15,280 –> 00:46:17,800
brothers and sisters, with this
idea of showing you what it’s

711
00:46:17,800 –> 00:46:22,800
like to be a father, sharing the
word and helping to plant the

712
00:46:22,800 –> 00:46:26,280
word into into each other.
He says, for this cause I’ve

713
00:46:26,280 –> 00:46:30,440
sent unto you Timotheus.
And what does he call Timotheus?

714
00:46:31,480 –> 00:46:37,600
Verse 17, my beloved son, why
does he use that term, my

715
00:46:37,600 –> 00:46:40,400
beloved son?
Because Paul had also planted

716
00:46:40,400 –> 00:46:46,240
the word in Timotheus and
Timotheus was Paul was a father,

717
00:46:46,240 –> 00:46:50,560
like a father to Timotheus.
And then he says, and he is

718
00:46:50,920 –> 00:46:55,800
faithful in the Lord.
And where does he get that idea?

719
00:46:56,400 –> 00:46:59,160
Again, he follows the pattern of
Moses, doesn’t he?

720
00:46:59,160 –> 00:47:02,720
One that’s that’s faithful.
You’ve got this beloved son

721
00:47:02,720 –> 00:47:06,320
who’s faithful, and Paul sent
Timothy then to be a faithful

722
00:47:06,320 –> 00:47:11,200
servant in Christ’s house in
Corinth, and what would he do

723
00:47:11,200 –> 00:47:13,520
when he got there?
It says, Who shall bring you

724
00:47:13,600 –> 00:47:18,080
into remembrance of my ways,
which be in Christ, as I teach

725
00:47:18,120 –> 00:47:24,400
everywhere in every ecclesia.
And so Timothy was in Corinth,

726
00:47:26,240 –> 00:47:29,320
and Timothy would remind them of
how it had been when Paul was

727
00:47:29,320 –> 00:47:31,280
there, when the preaching got
into gear.

728
00:47:32,000 –> 00:47:34,640
And Timothy would be able to
show them the cooperation that

729
00:47:34,640 –> 00:47:37,920
he had with Paul and to show
them that there was no rivalry

730
00:47:37,920 –> 00:47:42,280
between he and Paul.
And hopefully they would be able

731
00:47:42,280 –> 00:47:46,920
to see that both he and Paul
were servants working for the

732
00:47:46,920 –> 00:47:49,480
salvation of the brothers and
sisters in Corinth.

733
00:47:53,960 –> 00:48:00,760
Verse 18, he says, but some are
puffed up as though I would not

734
00:48:00,760 –> 00:48:04,480
come to you.
So Paul says there’s still a

735
00:48:04,480 –> 00:48:07,640
problem.
He’s there are some in the

736
00:48:07,640 –> 00:48:12,560
ecclesia that have pride.
There are some in the ecclesia

737
00:48:12,560 –> 00:48:18,000
who are working against what
Paul is doing and they’re doing

738
00:48:18,000 –> 00:48:22,360
things because they don’t think
that Paul is ever going to come

739
00:48:22,360 –> 00:48:26,440
back to Corinth.
He says as though I would not

740
00:48:26,440 –> 00:48:29,160
come to you.
They thought that Paul was

741
00:48:29,160 –> 00:48:31,920
timid.
They thought that Paul was was,

742
00:48:31,920 –> 00:48:34,560
was weak, that his message was
weak.

743
00:48:35,400 –> 00:48:38,720
And they said, there’s no way
that Paul is going to come back

744
00:48:38,840 –> 00:48:42,240
and, and, and step up and, and,
and change things that are

745
00:48:42,240 –> 00:48:45,400
happening here in the ecclesia.
His ways are are

746
00:48:45,400 –> 00:48:48,280
unsophisticated.
And so they grew more and more

747
00:48:48,280 –> 00:48:51,040
bold about opposing the
teachings of Paul.

748
00:48:52,280 –> 00:48:56,200
And by sending Timothy first,
Paul hoped that they might

749
00:48:56,280 –> 00:49:01,680
realize that Paul was going to
come and that he was going to

750
00:49:01,680 –> 00:49:04,360
work to try to correct things in
the ecclesia.

751
00:49:05,400 –> 00:49:09,880
And so Paul says, But I will
come to you shortly if the Lord

752
00:49:09,880 –> 00:49:13,000
will.
So Paul says, make no mistake,

753
00:49:14,960 –> 00:49:18,120
don’t think that I’m not going
to come, because if the Lord

754
00:49:18,120 –> 00:49:21,960
will, I am going to come.
And when I come, he says and

755
00:49:21,960 –> 00:49:27,120
will know not the speech of
them, which are puffed up when I

756
00:49:27,120 –> 00:49:29,680
come to to to investigate what’s
happening there.

757
00:49:30,360 –> 00:49:34,880
When I come to check into the
problems, I’m not going to look

758
00:49:34,880 –> 00:49:37,280
at the words of eloquence that
they’re speaking.

759
00:49:38,160 –> 00:49:42,960
I’ll be looking for a lot more
than just words, but the powers

760
00:49:44,040 –> 00:49:46,600
I’ll be looking for the actions
I’ll be looking for the results.

761
00:49:46,600 –> 00:49:49,520
I’ll be looking for what’s being
brought forth by this.

762
00:49:50,080 –> 00:49:53,440
I’ll be looking for spiritual
development in the ecclesia that

763
00:49:53,440 –> 00:49:58,280
only comes when the Word of God
is faithfully taught to the

764
00:49:58,280 –> 00:50:02,040
brothers and sisters.
He says in verse 20, for the

765
00:50:02,040 –> 00:50:07,320
Kingdom of God is not in Word,
but it’s in power.

766
00:50:08,680 –> 00:50:11,560
The Kingdom of God is about
actions and about taking up the

767
00:50:11,560 –> 00:50:15,480
cross.
Back just a couple of pages to

768
00:50:15,480 –> 00:50:20,640
1st Corinthians chapter one
verse 18 back to what we talked

769
00:50:20,640 –> 00:50:27,000
about a couple of days ago Back
to the power of the word back to

770
00:50:27,000 –> 00:50:31,840
the power that it has to save.
First Corinthians one verse 18

771
00:50:31,840 –> 00:50:35,400
he says for the preaching of the
cross is to them that are that

772
00:50:35,400 –> 00:50:40,680
perish foolishness, but unto us
which are saved it is the power

773
00:50:41,400 –> 00:50:52,200
of God.
And verse 21, he says, what will

774
00:50:52,200 –> 00:51:00,000
ye, what do you choose?
Should I come to you with a rod?

775
00:51:02,240 –> 00:51:06,400
What does he mean by rod?
What does he mean?

776
00:51:06,400 –> 00:51:12,720
Shall I come to you with a rod?
Obviously he’s not going to come

777
00:51:12,720 –> 00:51:16,040
and beat those leaders of the
ecclesia into submission.

778
00:51:16,440 –> 00:51:17,520
That’s not what he’s saying
here.

779
00:51:18,760 –> 00:51:21,840
So what does he mean by shall I
come to you with a rod?

780
00:51:24,560 –> 00:51:27,400
Here’s what Vines has to say the
word means or the applications

781
00:51:27,400 –> 00:51:28,960
of what the word is.
And I think they’re helpful to

782
00:51:28,960 –> 00:51:32,240
look at.
Vines says that a rod is a

783
00:51:32,240 –> 00:51:37,560
staff, a rod or a scepter.
It’s used of Aaron’s rod.

784
00:51:37,560 –> 00:51:41,240
And what do we think about when
we think about Aaron’s rod?

785
00:51:42,160 –> 00:51:44,280
We think of Aaron’s rod that
budded, right?

786
00:51:45,040 –> 00:51:49,400
We think about God acknowledging
the responsibility that he had

787
00:51:49,400 –> 00:51:55,520
given to Aaron.
It’s used as a staff that’s used

788
00:51:55,520 –> 00:51:57,640
on a journey.
So something to help us on our

789
00:51:57,640 –> 00:52:02,000
way.
It’s used of a ruler staff or as

790
00:52:02,000 –> 00:52:04,880
a scepter.
It’s used of authority.

791
00:52:04,880 –> 00:52:08,080
Then it’s used as a rod for
chastisement.

792
00:52:08,800 –> 00:52:12,360
So for correction.
It’s also used as a as a

793
00:52:12,360 –> 00:52:15,680
measuring rod.
So something that’s used for

794
00:52:15,680 –> 00:52:19,440
judgement to determine if
something is is is faithful.

795
00:52:20,720 –> 00:52:24,800
We get the idea then of this
being direction and correction.

796
00:52:26,040 –> 00:52:32,080
So Paul’s asking them to get
things corrected so that he does

797
00:52:32,080 –> 00:52:36,160
not have to bring the correction
of Christ.

798
00:52:37,560 –> 00:52:42,040
But what did Paul want?
What was Paul looking for from

799
00:52:42,040 –> 00:52:45,000
them?
What did Paul hope to be able to

800
00:52:45,000 –> 00:52:51,600
come to them with in love and in
the spirit of meekness?

801
00:52:55,080 –> 00:52:59,720
He says in love and in the
spirit of meekness.

802
00:53:01,280 –> 00:53:05,720
And I think again, we can’t help
but miss the connection with

803
00:53:05,720 –> 00:53:10,680
Moses, who is faithful, who was
a faithful servant for God’s

804
00:53:10,680 –> 00:53:19,680
ecclesia, and who was very meek
above all the men which were on

805
00:53:19,680 –> 00:53:24,240
the face of the earth.
What a great comparison that is

806
00:53:24,240 –> 00:53:25,920
for us brothers and sisters to
look at.

807
00:53:27,120 –> 00:53:30,800
We think about Paul, we think
about him after the pattern of

808
00:53:30,800 –> 00:53:33,520
Moses.
We think about the importance of

809
00:53:33,520 –> 00:53:40,400
us being faithful, taking God’s
message and not changing it, but

810
00:53:40,400 –> 00:53:43,720
delivering it as it’s been given
to us, to our brothers and

811
00:53:43,720 –> 00:53:49,560
sisters, and looking not for our
own advantage, not for our own

812
00:53:49,560 –> 00:53:54,240
status or, or or feeling good,
but do looking for the

813
00:53:54,240 –> 00:53:55,760
well-being of our brothers and
sisters.

814
00:53:55,760 –> 00:54:00,160
Because we love our brothers and
sisters and we want to be their

815
00:54:00,160 –> 00:54:03,280
servants.
That’s what an apostle is and

816
00:54:03,280 –> 00:54:07,480
that’s what we are called to be
as well as the sisters.

817
00:54:08,000 –> 00:54:11,240
And that’s what would take,
that’s what it would take to

818
00:54:11,240 –> 00:54:15,080
solve the problems that the
ecclesia in Corinth faced.

819
00:54:16,440 –> 00:54:18,080
And that’s what we’re going to
do tomorrow’s tomorrow.

820
00:54:18,080 –> 00:54:21,840
We’re going to look and take
what we’ve learned in

821
00:54:22,000 –> 00:54:24,240
Corinthians so far in these
first four chapters.

822
00:54:25,240 –> 00:54:28,840
And we’re going to look at how
what we’ve learned would

823
00:54:28,840 –> 00:54:32,480
actually reverse the process
that we looked at in our first

824
00:54:32,480 –> 00:54:36,560
class of the ecclesia being
infiltrated by the ways of the

825
00:54:36,560 –> 00:54:40,120
world.
And we’ll see how what Paul’s

826
00:54:40,120 –> 00:54:43,520
taught us here, the
relationships and the service

827
00:54:43,520 –> 00:54:46,880
that we can give to each other,
can reverse those things and

828
00:54:46,880 –> 00:54:51,320
bring the ecclesia back to a
place which is focused on saving

829
00:54:51,320 –> 00:54:54,320
its members and upon the cross
of Christ.

830
00:55:08,790 –> 00:55:10,910
Thank you for listening to the
good Christadelphian Talks

831
00:55:10,910 –> 00:55:13,510
podcast.
We hope this talk helped you in

832
00:55:13,510 –> 00:55:15,030
your walk and brightened your
day.

833
00:55:16,190 –> 00:55:18,230
If you would like to hear more,
please subscribe for new

834
00:55:18,230 –> 00:55:20,760
episodes.
We are on all major podcast

835
00:55:20,760 –> 00:55:24,840
platforms and also on YouTube.
If you enjoyed this particular

836
00:55:24,840 –> 00:55:27,320
talk, please share it with
someone else who you think might

837
00:55:27,320 –> 00:55:30,120
enjoy it too.
For show notes on the talk you

838
00:55:30,120 –> 00:55:34,200
just listened to, visit
[email protected]

839
00:55:34,440 –> 00:55:36,960
or check out the Show Notes
section of your podcast player.

840
00:55:38,240 –> 00:55:40,720
Please share your thoughts on
the talk from this week on our

841
00:55:40,720 –> 00:55:43,240
Facebook or Instagram pages
where we are at Good

842
00:55:43,240 –> 00:55:46,720
Christadelphian Talks or leave a
comment on our YouTube channel

843
00:55:46,760 –> 00:55:48,320
where these talks are posted as
well.

844
00:55:48,720 –> 00:55:51,280
If you enjoy listening to the
talks that we post and hear one

845
00:55:51,280 –> 00:55:53,480
that you think we should share,
please tell us about it.

846
00:55:54,040 –> 00:55:57,080
You can send us a suggestion
using the Contact us tab on our

847
00:55:57,080 –> 00:56:00,120
website or message us on any of
our social media accounts.

848
00:56:00,720 –> 00:56:03,600
Thank you for listening.
God bless and talk to you next

849
00:56:03,600 –> 00:56:03,840
week.