Lesson 1 Goals of this time together: * here to see and meet and learn of Jesus * not to learn about another book in the Bible, but to MEET HIM...here and now; not to finish another epistle, but to grow in each one of our own personal lives/relationships with Jesus * to grow in our daily day-today JOY IN Him * to grow in our vision /understanding of Jesus as our SAVIOR everyday in the midst of our lives in a pagan world ROE: * all questions are encouraged all the time * we are not obligated to agree with me or each other Obligations: * ONLY ONE - TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER THROUGHOUT OUR TIME TOGETHER, WHETHER WE AGREE OR NOT WE MUST LOVE EACH OTHER Introductory stuff: Acts 16: 12ff Folks like us; a newer colonial town; growing; not the Macedonian capital, not the biggest but certainly of major importance to the local area, esp as a strategic military town for the area; both men and women were actively involved in life, commerce, and civic affairs; definitely a Roman town, very proud of its legal status as a Colony, as a true legal part of Rome herself, with all the rights and privileges of a Roman city filled with Roman citizens; many of whom were retired military men and their families; meant a fairly cosmopolitan town with a full mingling of all the worlds religions and philosophies; a young church, the first European city to be evangelized by Paul; Based on the issues and themes Paul addressed in the letter, one can make a few surmises about the churches members: 1. depending on when people think Paul wrote it, the church was filled with mostly young converts 2. church was doing pretty good inspite of hard times both financially and socially; BUT some things were happening that Paul wanted to address, some early Sxs of creeping problems he wanted to see prevented from growing into major disasters a. divisions in the body; apparently NOT centered around some major issue of doctrinal purity or some major moral crisis, but rather on personalities and personal likes and dislikes, disagreements based on personal preferences b. increasing risk of loss of absolute GRACE of the gospel; some ?s of early leanings towards legalism/Judaizers who wanted to add a LOT of extra conditions, rules and prerequisites to salvation(ie like the fine print in TV commercials - certain folks can play in contests "but some limitations may apply" to super sounding car deals of the century) c. with all the hard times, maybe he was worried folks would lose some of their joy (not happiness or giddy enthusiasm) the circumstances might cause them to lose sight of the object and source/basis of the joy; Key Words/phrases: 1. In Christ/Of Christ: the book is FULL of Christ; 2. Fellowship {koininia} 3. Joy/rejoice: 16-17 times in just 4 ch's 1:1 no heavy apostolic pronouncements, and yet "...a bondservant" WHY? PAUL NEVER did anything casually or accidentally, he always had a reason for everything he said; this term does imply he was CHOSEN of God, the Hebrew form was used of Moses and the Prophets in the OT; so he didn't hit them with any formal intros yet he never let them forget his true divine credentials - this particular set of credentials also emphasized the SERVING rather than the authoritative aspect of his Divine Calling...to a church who needed to build an internally serving spirit? WHY? Timothys name included in this very 1st intro? Same as Falwell did for Atwell: it's an endorsement, a public stating of Tims authority in Pauls ministry Saints: what are Sts?? MEANS "separated ones" - OUT of evil and INTO obedience and holiness; KEY HERE IS: "St's in Christ Jesus" - get used to that 3 word phrase; our life in holiness is ONLY possible by our "faith-union" with Christ; only in our recieving/accepting His death and resurrection can this life be a reality; But nevertheless, to know Him, to be IN Him by virtue of our salvation is what makes us separate and separated; couldn't go back to the world even if we wanted to: we're alive, they are dead, and that uncomfortable feeling we have when we try to rejoin the dead is just our Christ-life telling us we don't belong in the grave with the rest of the dead; acting dead is no problem to the really dead, but it's mighty uncomfortable irritating work to the living; just as try to act physically dead sometime - it cramps you! Why to "ALL" the St's?? as opposed to just "the St's"? What's a Bishop? {episkopois} - "elder" in other trans; Lit trans could be "Overseer"; originally a secular title: like "Commissioner"; Paul didn't just make up these terms, they were common usage in everyday life, with common everyday usage and meanings; Episkopois were NOT some weird select special priesthood; they were just local Christians who had shown themselves willing to care for the needs of the local church, to provide for the administration of it's activities as well as the spiritual care and protection and nourishment of it's members; What's a Deacon? {diakonoi} Lit "servant"; another secular title for gov't civil servants who distributed welfare gifts and food to citizens; NOT "bond servant" - distinct from that, representing a servant NOT in relation but rather in his activities; a distinct class/organization with in the church primarily for the relief of the sick and poor with spiritual ministrations growing out of that; they also were selected out of the local body for their faith, piety and sound judgement to care for the practical material needs of the members of the local church; MESSAGE HERE IS: the local body of Christ MUST be willing to care for it's own; the entire body involved in this, can't just sit there and hide, hoping someone else will do the work; WE NEED EACH OTHER; The Lord knew that when He created the church for us; 1:2 - Grace: a common Greek greeting; Peace: a common Hebrew greeting; both transformed from empty phrases by the unique Source and Object of our grace and peace: Jesus and God the Father; Once again, Jesus gives His grace, producing for us our peace 1:3-6 - Can we say this about ourselves - to each other with in our own body of Christ? 1:3 some say he saying thanks to God for every time he thinks of them; others suggest hes thanking God for THEIR remembrance of HIM (ie their prayer, $'s and people sent to him) 1:4 In every prayer of mine for you all [ie NO exceptions, NOT conditional], I always make my entreaty/petition with Joy WHY?? 1:5 BECAUSE OF THEIR "fellowship" {koininia}; NOT just having a personal association with each other in a public meeting, NOT just having warm fuzzy gatherings; It means: "PARTICIPATION in something with someone"; specifically for us it means: Christians sharing with one another in a common possession - i.e. The Gospel, The Holy Spirit, sufferings, material possessions, What does that mean for us? Pastor's request for us to fill out forms to choose a task to do in the church was in fact a call to true Christian Fellowship!! But how do we seek to have this come about in each of our individual lives and in the "Life" of this church?? 1:6 The Greek here gives a causative force - "SINCE I am confident/FOR I AM confident and sure of this very thing [WHAT??] - That what He started, HE will finish! Gods Sovereign initiative - Gods Sovereign faithfulness THIS IS A LIFE-SHAKINGLY RADICAL CONCEPT! We are no longer left to fend for ourselves, to "make do"; to "just get by"; to try, sometimes desperately, to be "self-made" mem/women (since we never made anyone else before, this makes us gross amateurs at BEST!) The LORD GOD, creator of the Universe has promised to do the job FOR US!! To start with hopelessly inadequate material and do for us and in us what we NEVER could EVER have done for ourselves: make us like the Lord Jesus! Our own place of hope, our source of hope for growth in our own lives is exactly here! JESUS HERE is a place to come when bitter frustration and discouragement wells up within us at our own persistent foolishness; will we/I ever change?? It seems so futile, so hopeless in the face of my own willful sinfulness. BUT HERE is the Hope! HE will complete it, HE will perfect and carry through our spiritual growth that HE started with our spiritual birth;