2 Corinthians (Program #49) – Paul’s Vindication of His Apostolic Authority (4)

Remember back to the very first problem that affected mankind in the Bible.  It was the serpent tempting the woman to eat of the tree of knowledge instead of the tree of life.  Now consider Paul’s word to the Corinthians addressing the impact that those claimed to be apostles upon them as they minister different Jesus to the believers in Corinth.  Chapter 11 of 2 Corinthians verse 3, “But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your thoughts would be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity toward Christ.” Paul’s fear was that the teachings of the so called apostles would have the same result as the serpent’s deception in Genesis 3, to distract the believers away from the enjoyment of Christ’s life and bring them to another tree, a tree that leads to death.

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Leviticus (Program #39) – The Word of Warning

All children of God should have the desire to obey Him, as our Father, we should obey Him in order to honour Him. Yet do we know who is this One that we want to please and obey?  Well, the Bible reveals that He is the very God of creation and of the Old Testament for there’s only one God and forever there will only be one God. But if we do not know Him according to the process that He has passed through in order to reach man, it will be impossible for us to live in the realm of real obedience.  The processed Triune God – that’s our focus on this message today from the life-study of Leviticus.

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2 Corinthians (Program #48) – Paul’s Vindication of His Apostolic Authority (3)

There were many problems in the church in Corinth, but through Paul’s first epistle most of the believers were brought back to the Lord and experience a further reconciliation.  One of the lingering problems, however he left it to be dealt with in his second epistle; this was the problem of his own apostleship.  When the authority of the teaching is in question in a local church, this can be a serious problem.  It’s interesting that Paul saved this problem for last to deal with.  We look at why as we explore Paul’s vindication of his apostolic authority on today’s program.

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Leviticus (Program #38) – The Sabbath Year and the Jubilee (2) & (3)

A very special time in the lives of the Old Testament people of God was called the Jubilee. It only came every fifty years but it was a marvelous provision that freed the captives, returned lost properties and possessions to the original owners and full restored family and even relationships. No wonder the literal meaning of this word is to shout with great joy. The Israelites were not the only ones included in the jubilee because the Lord Jesus proclaimed that He Himself came to be the real jubilee for all those that receive Him, even today.

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2 Corinthians (Program #47) – Paul’s Vindication of His Apostolic Authority (2)

In the first epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, he was very bold and at times quite strong in dealing with the many problems that had risen in the church there.  Due to this, he was quite concerned about how the believers in Corinth received his word of loving discipline.  But upon hearing their open and repented heart, he began 2 Corinthians with nine very tender,intimate and pleasant chapters.  But following this, his tone once again become severe.  For in the final four chapters of the book, he is forced to make a defense, even a vindication of his apostleship.  Why did Paul, the clarion of the New Testament economy need to lower himself in such a way before this church which he himself established?   The answer may surprises but it will most definitely enlighten us.

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Leviticus (Program #37) – The Sabbath Year and the Jubilee (1)

The gospel of Luke chapter 4 has a wonderful and often quoted passage: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to announce the gospel of the poor; He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to send away in release those who are oppressed/ To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, the year of jubilee.” The Lord Jesus was actually quoting from Isaiah in this passage but the reference to the year of jubilee is found in Leviticus chapter 25. This is perhaps the best known chapter in this entire book and the spiritual significance of it will become, not just a good Bible teaching, but become the source of our shouting for joy, our jubilee!

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2 Corinthians (Program #46) – Paul’s Vindication of His Apostolic Authority (1)

The last section of 2 Corinthians beginning at chapter 10, marks a strong contrast to the first nine chapters of this book.  The apostle Paul throughout most of the book was pleasant, intimate and very tender  with the Corinthians believers.  But in this final segment, he is forced to vindicate his own apostolic authority, because both he himself personally as well as his ministry and work had been severely undermined by other so call Christian workers who had come in to distract, damage  and confuse the Corinthians.  Just how does Paul approach this delicate and difficult situation?  Actually seeing the apostle dealing with such a problem is a marvelous window for all of us to see what it is to be a person one with  and living Christ.

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Leviticus (Program #36) – The Festivals (2)

The day of Pentecost is recorded in the book of Acts, is looked upon by many Christians as being a landmark event in the history of Christianity.  And rightly so, as it is associated with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  But Pentecost also coincide with the Jewish festival known as the Feast of Weeks as initiated in the book of Leviticus.  From the light of the Old Testament types and pictures we have been getting in the book of Leviticus, it bears even more significance for us today.  We want to look at Pentecost on today’s program from a very new and a very fresh perspective.

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2 Corinthians (Program #45) – The Apostle’s Fellowship Concerning the Needy Saints (4)

2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9 are often used in campaigns for money-raising for various Christian causes or ministries.  But it’s interesting, although they both deal with the matter of giving, they don’t focus on the word “giving”.  In chapter 8, Paul refers to our giving as a kind of gathering, as the children of Israel gathered manna each day for their daily supply.   In chapter 9, our giving is called sowing, as a farmer sow seeds in order to produce a crop, in order to meet his family’s daily need.  Gathering and sowing, this is the renewed thought concerning the offering of material items to meet the needs in the Body of Christ.

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Leviticus (Program #35) – The Festivals (1)

Festivals, feasts and holidays are special time for all humans.  They are always associated with rest and enjoyment and they are only satisfying when enjoyed with others.  In other words they are mean to be corporate events.  The Bibles records 7 annual festivals or feasts that were very much part of the Old Testament economy and these are found in the book of Leviticus chapter 23.  God’s people eagerly anticipated all of them.  Though we as God’s New Testament people are not bonded to celebrate or hold these festivals outwardly today, they each have tremendous insight and spiritual application to every child of God.  Stay with us today, as we look at the feasts in Leviticus 23 in our life study of the Bible program.

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