Dr. John Tweedie hosts a biblically prophetic exploration of Israel, past, present and future.
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Israel: The Prophetic Connection | John Tweedie - Salvation is of the Jews | December 19, 2025
- One day, jesus met a woman by a well.
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- He was a stranger to her, although she may not have been
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- A stranger to him.
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- But in any case, in the course of their conversation,
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- He said to her, salvation is of the jews.
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- But what did he mean by that statement?
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- And as their conversation continued,
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- He revealed to her, of all people.
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- But he was the long awaited promised messiah of israel. why?
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- I explain in this episode
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- Of the prophetic connection.
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- Soft music
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- We know from the new testament that most of
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- Jesus ministry occurred around the sea of galilee
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- And the communities by the sea, fishing communities.
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- That's where he did most of his miracles.
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- We know he did a couple of miracles in jerusalem,
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- But most of the miracles occurred by the sea of galilee.
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- But he also spoke to the crowds, and often up in the hillsides
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- Overlooking the sea.
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- But jesus also encountered individuals
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- And changed their lives.
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- One such encounter is found in john's gospel
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- And in only in john's gospel, and it concerns a woman
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- By a well.
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- We know from the story that it was jacob's well in samaria,
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- And the woman was a samaritan.
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- Now to the jews of that day, the samaritans were second
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- Class citizens.
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- They had intermarried with other nations
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- Beyond the boundaries of judaism and israel.
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- And so the jews looked down at them
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- As second class citizens.
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- Now a jewish man
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- Usually would not have spoken to a strange woman
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- In a public setting, like a well.
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- So when jesus asked this lady for a drink, she's taken back.
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- She surprised, first of all, that i'm a jewish man,
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- And she could tell he was jewish.
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- By the way, he was dressed,
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- That he would speak to her and ask of her for a drink,
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- Because she quickly sees
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- That he has nothing to draw the water with.
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- Anyway.
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- Then in the course of conversation, he says to her,
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- If you knew who it is that asks you for a drink,
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- You would have asked him,
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- And he would have given you the living water
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- That will burst forth into her everlasting life.
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- And she immediately asked for some of this water.
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- Now the conversation continues in interesting ways.
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- But finally jesus says to her,
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- Go and fetch your husband.
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- And she says, i have no husband.
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- And then he says to her, you've spoken the truth.
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- For you've had five husbands.
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- And the man with whom you're living is not your husband.
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- And she immediately says, sir, i perceive
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- That you're a prophet. in other words.
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- Only a prophet could know this about my background.
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- And there's more conversation, because as a samaritan,
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- They worshiped in mount gerizim, which is actually above them.
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- Jacob's well was in the shadow of mount gerizim.
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- And so she said, this is the place we worship.
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- But you jews worship in jerusalem.
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- And then he says, well, neither in this place on mount gerizim
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- Or at the temple in jerusalem is that where is the place
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- To worship?
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- For the time is now when people should worship
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- God in spirit and in truth.
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- The conversation continues
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- And he just says to her, salvation is of the jews.
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- Why does he say that?
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- Because he is jewish and he is the means of that salvation.
- 00:04:19.128 --> 00:04:23.966
- Now they talk some more.
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- And finally she says to him, well, i know when messiah comes,
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- He will teach us all things.
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- Wait for it.
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- Then he says to her, i who speak to you, and he,
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- I am the promised messiah of israel.
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- Well,
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- The disciples come
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- And they've gone into the village to buy food,
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- Which is interesting, because jesus could do miracles,
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- The multiplication of loaves and fishes.
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- But in any case, in a practical sense,
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- They return from buy food for the day and they're
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- Surprised he's talking to this woman in the first place.
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- But they don't question him.
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- They just leave it alone.
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- The story is that she leaves her water pot
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- Where it is, and she runs into the village.
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- And she says to the men of the village,
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- Come and see a man, who knows all about me.
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- And so they come.
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- And it's a wonderful story of transformation.
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- Her life is transformed and the lives of many of
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- Those villagers are transformed as well.
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- But what i want you to see is this.
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- This was a woman with five husbands
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- And living with someone who was not her husband.
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- And of all the people in israel at that time,
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- He chose to say to her, salvation's of the jews,
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- Whose i am the means of salvation.
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- Implicitly in what he said.
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- But then he revealed to her that he was the long awaited
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- Messiah of israel.
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- And he didn't do that in jerusalem
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- With the religious elite or the nobles of the city.
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- He chose to reveal this to this woman by the well. now
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- She must have been a desperate woman crying out to god.
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- And in fact, if you read the early verses
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- Of john chapter four, it simply says he,
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- Jesus needed to go through samaria.
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- I can find no other reason in the text other than he wanted
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- To meet this woman where she was in her desperation,
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- Perhaps in her weeping and her crying god, where are you?
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- I'm at the end of my rope.
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- I'm desperate for me.
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- This woman could be any woman.
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- Perhaps she's
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- All women who've suffered abuse at the hands of men.
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- But i want you to see that jesus, god
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- The father saw her where she was in her desperation,
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- Coming to the well at noon or the heat of the day
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- To avoid being with the other women
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- Who presumably had insulted her, perhaps even plucked out
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- Her hair,
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- But certainly made it very unpleasant for her
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- To come in the cool of the day.
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- When most people did their chores.
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- I like to think of this as god reaching out to the individual
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- Wherever they are and changing their life.
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- Throughout history,
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- Numerous civilizations have come and gone.
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- While some have left lasting imprints as witness
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- To future generations that they were once here.
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- Others have vanished
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- With barely a trace.
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- Yet of all nations.
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- One nation
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- In particular has endured
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- One which, according to the biblical account,
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- Was created for eternal purposes.
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- 4000 years ago,
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- God spoke to one man, a man named abraham.
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- God said to him, i will make you a great nation.
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- And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
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- From that defining moment in abraham's life.
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- History records
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- That abraham's descendants, the jews, known collectively
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- As the nation of israel, have been on an amazing journey.
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- And wherever they have gone, they have left a trail
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- Of enduring love.
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- So how did
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- This jewish messiah, the descendant of abraham,
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- Become a blessing to the nations of the earth?
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- And how did a purely jewish story
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- Become a message of salvation for the entire world?
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- Jesus's disciples search the scriptures to understand
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- Better the significance of jesus's death and resurrection.
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- And what they found was jesus fulfilled the scriptures
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- Both in his suffering as well as in his glorious resurrection.
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- And once they became assured of that, once they understood
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- Better the significance of the resurrection, its true
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- Meaning, they were prepared to preach.
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- And when they received the spirit,
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- And were all fired up and ready to proclaim the resurrection,
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- Then the church was born.
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- Over time, the earliest believers in jesus
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- Began to understand
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- That he was much more than just a jewish king.
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- That his message of salvation was for the whole world.
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- Peter the apostle seems to have been
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- The first among the disciples to understand this.
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- As a result of a vision god gave him concerning non-jews.
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- In truth,
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- I perceive that god shows no partiality,
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- But in every nation, whoever fears him
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- And works righteousness is accepted by him.
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- God anointed jesus of nazareth with the holy spirit
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- And with power, who went about doing good
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- And healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
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- For god was with him.
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- And we are witnesses of all things,
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- Which he did both in the land of the jews and in jerusalem,
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- Whom they killed by hanging on a tree.
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- Him god raised up on the third day
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- And showed him openly to him.
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- All the prophets witness that through his name.
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- Whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins.
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- Jesus
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- Message of hope was for whoever would believe in him
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- And the salvation he offered through that belief.
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- Be a jew or non-jew.
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- All of humankind then had the potential
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- To be reconciled to god by turning from sin
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- And believing in jesus as savior and lord.
- 00:10:47.249 --> 00:10:51.187
- This meant that by god's grace, even the most
- 00:10:51.187 --> 00:10:54.223
- Unlikely of people could become followers of jesus,
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- Including a man named saul of tarsus.
- 00:10:57.626 --> 00:11:01.530
- Well, this man who became famous as the apostle paul
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- Really was shout, or saul of the tribe of benjamin.
- 00:11:05.634 --> 00:11:09.939
- Through and through jewish, as he himself says, a pharisee
- 00:11:09.939 --> 00:11:13.776
- In terms of his own affiliation, politically and religiously.
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- A trained, rabbi
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- Who sat at the feet of a famous rabbi named gamaliel
- 00:11:20.149 --> 00:11:24.019
- And zealous for the law as many of his contemporaries.
- 00:11:24.019 --> 00:11:27.857
- And you can see in his letters he understood the scriptures
- 00:11:27.857 --> 00:11:30.359
- Very well,
- 00:11:30.359 --> 00:11:31.260
- The way he interpreted them showed his jewish
- 00:11:31.260 --> 00:11:33.529
- Training, his rabbinic training.
- 00:11:33.529 --> 00:11:35.397
- And so this man is first and foremost a jewish
- 00:11:35.397 --> 00:11:38.100
- Man, a hebrew of the hebrews.
- 00:11:38.100 --> 00:11:40.536
- Saul of tarsus
- 00:11:40.870 --> 00:11:42.872
- Was on the road
- 00:11:42.872 --> 00:11:44.073
- To damascus in order to do everything he could in his power
- 00:11:44.073 --> 00:11:47.777
- To, discourage, if not exterminate christian movement.
- 00:11:47.777 --> 00:11:52.314
- Paul saw christians as heretics, frankly.
- 00:11:52.314 --> 00:11:54.950
- He saw them as misunderstanding.
- 00:11:54.950 --> 00:11:57.086
- Torah misapplied it.
- 00:11:57.086 --> 00:11:58.988
- He saw it as a dangerous movement.
- 00:11:58.988 --> 00:12:00.656
- And he saw it as hopelessly misguided
- 00:12:00.656 --> 00:12:03.425
- Because they believe in jesus,
- 00:12:03.425 --> 00:12:04.994
- Who got this whole thing started and he was executed criminal.
- 00:12:04.994 --> 00:12:08.898
- He certainly was not the messiah,
- 00:12:08.898 --> 00:12:10.966
- Because when the messiah comes, he'll conquer the romans,
- 00:12:10.966 --> 00:12:14.003
- Not be conquered by them.
- 00:12:14.003 --> 00:12:16.906
- Saul was opposed to the idea
- 00:12:16.906 --> 00:12:19.341
- That an executed criminal could be the messiah of israel.
- 00:12:19.341 --> 00:12:23.045
- He made it
- 00:12:23.345 --> 00:12:24.547
- His righteous goal to put an end to this heretical movement
- 00:12:24.547 --> 00:12:27.049
- That claimed certain jews as its adherents.
- 00:12:27.049 --> 00:12:30.085
- Yet it was as saul journeyed
- 00:12:30.686 --> 00:12:32.021
- To damascus to quench what remained of the jesus movement
- 00:12:32.021 --> 00:12:35.257
- There, that his stated mission in life was radically changed.
- 00:12:35.257 --> 00:12:49.572
- As we've already seen in this episode,
- 00:12:50.406 --> 00:12:53.108
- Jesus spoke to the mass crowds, but he also encountered
- 00:12:53.108 --> 00:12:56.879
- Individuals whose lives were changed by him.
- 00:12:56.879 --> 00:13:00.950
- We saw that
- 00:13:01.283 --> 00:13:02.518
- In the story of the woman at the well that i shared earlier,
- 00:13:02.518 --> 00:13:05.788
- But perhaps one of the most, profound encounters of all,
- 00:13:05.788 --> 00:13:10.092
- In fact, it occurred no, while jesus was alive on earth.
- 00:13:10.092 --> 00:13:14.530
- But after he had risen, and ascended into heaven.
- 00:13:14.530 --> 00:13:18.767
- And it involves a man named saul of tarsus.
- 00:13:18.767 --> 00:13:22.705
- Now, saul was a zealous jew.
- 00:13:22.705 --> 00:13:25.574
- He was a rabbinical scholar.
- 00:13:25.574 --> 00:13:27.243
- He sat at the feet of the top rabbis of israel,
- 00:13:27.243 --> 00:13:30.980
- And he was so zealous
- 00:13:30.980 --> 00:13:32.648
- That he had orders from the high priest in jerusalem.
- 00:13:32.648 --> 00:13:36.151
- Allowing him to go to damascus beyond israel
- 00:13:36.151 --> 00:13:39.455
- And find any of the way.
- 00:13:39.455 --> 00:13:41.323
- That's what they called the christians in the beginning.
- 00:13:41.323 --> 00:13:43.559
- And if he found them to arrest them and bring them
- 00:13:43.559 --> 00:13:46.795
- Back to jerusalem, to saul was a man on a mission.
- 00:13:46.795 --> 00:13:52.268
- But on the way north to damascus, as it were,
- 00:13:52.268 --> 00:13:56.171
- He was confronted by the risen
- 00:13:56.171 --> 00:13:59.975
- Christ who appeared to him on the way.
- 00:13:59.975 --> 00:14:04.146
- And you can imagine the impact that that had on this zealous
- 00:14:04.146 --> 00:14:08.284
- Jew who was trying to stamp out christianity.
- 00:14:08.284 --> 00:14:11.754
- And now he's, confronted by the founder
- 00:14:11.754 --> 00:14:14.723
- Of christianity, the christ himself.
- 00:14:14.723 --> 00:14:17.993
- It is a wonderful story of a man chosen
- 00:14:17.993 --> 00:14:21.130
- And purpose for god the father's purposes.
- 00:14:21.130 --> 00:14:24.967
- We know this from the, the record of that encounter
- 00:14:24.967 --> 00:14:29.171
- That's found in acts chapter nine.
- 00:14:29.171 --> 00:14:31.807
- And god deliberately
- 00:14:31.807 --> 00:14:34.710
- Chose saul of tarsus, who became paul the apostle,
- 00:14:34.710 --> 00:14:39.214
- Perhaps the greatest apologist for the christian faith.
- 00:14:39.214 --> 00:14:42.418
- That there has ever been.
- 00:14:42.985 --> 00:14:44.720
- But it's interesting because paul is blind
- 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:48.524
- For a time, and then we find that he goes to damascus.
- 00:14:48.524 --> 00:14:52.194
- He's led by the hands, presumably,
- 00:14:52.194 --> 00:14:54.396
- And there is a christian servant there on a nice.
- 00:14:54.396 --> 00:14:57.833
- And god tells him to go and find this man.
- 00:14:57.833 --> 00:15:00.669
- You'll find him in a street called straight.
- 00:15:00.669 --> 00:15:03.839
- And i don't know,
- 00:15:03.839 --> 00:15:05.107
- Saul or paul is the last person he wants to meet
- 00:15:06.041 --> 00:15:09.745
- Because his reputation has preceded him.
- 00:15:09.745 --> 00:15:12.247
- And no nice knows.
- 00:15:12.247 --> 00:15:13.248
- He's come to the city of damascus looking for
- 00:15:13.248 --> 00:15:16.285
- Christians, people of the way.
- 00:15:16.285 --> 00:15:19.288
- But it's what god says to ananias that's so intriguing.
- 00:15:19.288 --> 00:15:23.625
- But the lord said to him, verse 15 of acts chapter nine,
- 00:15:23.625 --> 00:15:28.197
- Go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name
- 00:15:28.197 --> 00:15:32.768
- Before gentiles, kings, and the children of israel.
- 00:15:32.768 --> 00:15:37.339
- For i will show him how many things
- 00:15:37.339 --> 00:15:39.742
- He must suffer for my name's sake.
- 00:15:39.742 --> 00:15:43.645
- The question of suffering is almost the other answered
- 00:15:43.645 --> 00:15:47.082
- Question in the world.
- 00:15:47.082 --> 00:15:48.684
- We all suffer, and we all wonder why.
- 00:15:48.684 --> 00:15:51.787
- And in those moments we wonder, where is god?
- 00:15:51.787 --> 00:15:55.591
- Now it's difficult to explain suffering,
- 00:15:55.591 --> 00:15:58.327
- But what i want you to see here is in this chapter,
- 00:15:58.327 --> 00:16:01.597
- God deliberately chose a man, saul of tarsus,
- 00:16:01.597 --> 00:16:05.000
- Who became paul the apostle,
- 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:07.436
- And that calling that choosing
- 00:16:07.436 --> 00:16:10.506
- Of that man involved suffering.
- 00:16:10.506 --> 00:16:13.542
- So somehow, in the grand scheme of things,
- 00:16:13.542 --> 00:16:17.012
- Suffering has its place, if only to mold us
- 00:16:17.012 --> 00:16:20.816
- And shape us for a tandem that is not of this world.
- 00:16:20.816 --> 00:16:25.754
- This same saul who became paul,
- 00:16:26.388 --> 00:16:29.925
- Has his name signature on 13 letters
- 00:16:29.925 --> 00:16:34.063
- Of the new testament, outlining christian doctrine.
- 00:16:34.063 --> 00:16:37.833
- How christian should live, believe, and practice must be.
- 00:16:37.833 --> 00:16:42.204
- But let's remember he was delivered, chosen
- 00:16:43.105 --> 00:16:46.375
- For the almighty god's sober
- 00:16:46.975 --> 00:16:50.179
- Purpose.
- 00:16:50.179 --> 00:17:00.522
- Our media today is filled with
- 00:17:01.123 --> 00:17:02.858
- Traveling reports and disturbing news everywhere you look.
- 00:17:02.858 --> 00:17:06.028
- It seems that the world is falling apart.
- 00:17:06.028 --> 00:17:07.896
- This could not be more true for the people of israel,
- 00:17:07.896 --> 00:17:10.199
- Facing threats of destruction from the neighboring countries,
- 00:17:10.199 --> 00:17:13.068
- And calls for sanctions against or around the world.
- 00:17:13.068 --> 00:17:15.671
- Israel must deal with the challenges
- 00:17:15.671 --> 00:17:17.473
- Few other countries will ever face,
- 00:17:17.473 --> 00:17:19.308
- Making it even more difficult to provide for her
- 00:17:19.308 --> 00:17:21.543
- Most vulnerable citizens. yet
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- See, for i and their partners are making a difference.
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- Clothing and so much more for those in need in the holy land.
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- When you become a partner for the first time
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- 00:17:48.871 --> 00:17:53.342
- C4i america.com and make a difference in israel today.
- 00:17:53.342 --> 00:18:10.559
- When saul of tarsus
- 00:18:11.026 --> 00:18:13.829
- Encountered jesus on the road to damascus,
- 00:18:13.829 --> 00:18:16.832
- He went from being an opponent one opposed to jesus.
- 00:18:16.832 --> 00:18:20.736
- This movement to to an advocate for this movement.
- 00:18:20.736 --> 00:18:23.772
- He now embraced it.
- 00:18:23.772 --> 00:18:25.207
- He proclaimed jesus as the messiah, as the son of god.
- 00:18:25.207 --> 00:18:29.645
- He proclaimed him as israel's savior and redeemer
- 00:18:29.645 --> 00:18:32.981
- And a redeemer and savior of the gentile people.
- 00:18:32.981 --> 00:18:35.918
- Two he saw now in jesus the fulfillment
- 00:18:35.918 --> 00:18:39.021
- Of the prophecies and so he extolled his name
- 00:18:39.021 --> 00:18:42.791
- And proclaimed it everywhere he went.
- 00:18:42.791 --> 00:18:45.827
- When the risen jesus encountered this zealous jew,
- 00:18:46.828 --> 00:18:50.132
- His future was dramatically changed.
- 00:18:50.132 --> 00:18:52.634
- Although there were other missionaries
- 00:18:52.634 --> 00:18:54.336
- Who spread the message of jesus throughout the world,
- 00:18:54.336 --> 00:18:57.573
- The apostle paul would become the most famous among them.
- 00:18:57.573 --> 00:19:00.842
- Few ancient texts
- 00:19:01.276 --> 00:19:02.844
- Have influenced the course of human history
- 00:19:02.844 --> 00:19:05.047
- Quite like the letters of the apostle paul,
- 00:19:05.047 --> 00:19:08.050
- Writing under god's inspiration.
- 00:19:08.050 --> 00:19:09.985
- What paul wrote
- 00:19:09.985 --> 00:19:11.119
- Has a prominent place in the christian new testament.
- 00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:14.356
- Today, he is recognized as the world's first
- 00:19:14.356 --> 00:19:17.259
- Christian theologian.
- 00:19:17.259 --> 00:19:18.894
- While his letters are considered to be the solid foundation
- 00:19:18.894 --> 00:19:21.663
- Upon which all christian doctrine has been established.
- 00:19:21.663 --> 00:19:25.000
- I think paul was a very significant missionary.
- 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:27.436
- He was not the only one. barnabas was a missionary.
- 00:19:27.436 --> 00:19:30.105
- Silas was another missionary.
- 00:19:30.105 --> 00:19:31.873
- Many others whose names we do not know.
- 00:19:31.873 --> 00:19:34.309
- Paul just happened to be a prolific letter writer.
- 00:19:34.309 --> 00:19:37.613
- He happened to be a very well schooled and well trained rabbi.
- 00:19:37.613 --> 00:19:41.650
- He understood the scriptures well.
- 00:19:41.650 --> 00:19:43.752
- I'm not surprised that we have a number of his letters
- 00:19:43.752 --> 00:19:47.723
- In this collection of writings.
- 00:19:47.723 --> 00:19:49.358
- We now call the new testament.
- 00:19:49.358 --> 00:19:51.927
- In his letters,
- 00:19:52.294 --> 00:19:53.428
- Paul addressed issues both in christian communities
- 00:19:53.428 --> 00:19:56.098
- That he founded as well in those already established.
- 00:19:56.098 --> 00:20:00.335
- It is through paul's letters that the beliefs, practices
- 00:20:00.335 --> 00:20:03.472
- And problems of the early church can be observed.
- 00:20:03.472 --> 00:20:07.476
- Where paul's letters are widely read.
- 00:20:08.277 --> 00:20:10.646
- Today, i've heard it said that perhaps the most significant
- 00:20:10.646 --> 00:20:14.616
- Letter ever written was paul's letter to the church at rome.
- 00:20:14.616 --> 00:20:19.521
- It has stimulated deep thinking, moments of renewal
- 00:20:19.521 --> 00:20:22.891
- And reformation, as stimulated the thinking of great,
- 00:20:22.891 --> 00:20:27.629
- Theologians and philosophers and writings.
- 00:20:27.629 --> 00:20:30.866
- Paul's letter to the romans was written towards the end
- 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:34.536
- Of his life.
- 00:20:34.536 --> 00:20:35.804
- It is recognized today as his great doctrinal treatise.
- 00:20:35.804 --> 00:20:39.941
- His understanding of the christian faith,
- 00:20:39.941 --> 00:20:41.877
- Written large for the church at rome.
- 00:20:41.877 --> 00:20:44.513
- But paul also writes of his challenge
- 00:20:44.513 --> 00:20:46.515
- To understand israel's place at the end of days
- 00:20:46.515 --> 00:20:49.384
- When the messianic age finally dawns.
- 00:20:49.384 --> 00:20:52.554
- What of those jews who have not accepted jesus as messiah?
- 00:20:52.554 --> 00:20:55.691
- This is paul's heart
- 00:20:56.158 --> 00:20:58.226
- And the heart of paul's struggle in romans,
- 00:20:58.226 --> 00:21:01.163
- For he explains that it is
- 00:21:01.730 --> 00:21:03.131
- Not through performing the works of torah
- 00:21:03.131 --> 00:21:04.966
- That anyone is made righteous in the eyes of god.
- 00:21:04.966 --> 00:21:08.937
- It is only through faith in jesus
- 00:21:09.671 --> 00:21:11.506
- That one can be reconciled to god.
- 00:21:11.506 --> 00:21:15.010
- Paul writes,
- 00:21:15.344 --> 00:21:17.279
- But god demonstrates his own love toward us in
- 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:20.248
- That while we were still sinners, christ died for us.
- 00:21:20.248 --> 00:21:24.119
- Much more then having now been justified by his blood,
- 00:21:24.119 --> 00:21:27.756
- We shall be saved from wrath through him.
- 00:21:27.756 --> 00:21:31.493
- For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to god
- 00:21:31.493 --> 00:21:34.496
- Through the death of his son, much more
- 00:21:34.496 --> 00:21:36.898
- Having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
- 00:21:36.898 --> 00:21:42.571
- Christians began
- 00:21:42.971 --> 00:21:44.106
- To see divine purpose in jesus death and resurrection.
- 00:21:44.106 --> 00:21:48.043
- Although they clearly understood that jesus would one day
- 00:21:48.043 --> 00:21:50.946
- Return as israel's messiah and save israel
- 00:21:50.946 --> 00:21:54.349
- From her enemies, he was already the savior of the world.
- 00:21:54.349 --> 00:21:58.653
- This deck was the life changing message.
- 00:21:59.488 --> 00:22:02.157
- Paul now risked his life to proclaim.
- 00:22:02.157 --> 00:22:13.835
- As we saw earlier, the apostle paul
- 00:22:14.603 --> 00:22:17.139
- Had a very dramatic encounter with the risen christ.
- 00:22:17.139 --> 00:22:21.109
- And then we can follow his story through the book of acts.
- 00:22:21.109 --> 00:22:25.080
- And we find that paul goes on several missionary journeys
- 00:22:25.080 --> 00:22:28.683
- To the major cities and places of europe and in fact,
- 00:22:28.683 --> 00:22:33.054
- Asia minor, always preaching the truth about the christ,
- 00:22:33.054 --> 00:22:37.659
- Whose religion he tried to destroy.
- 00:22:37.659 --> 00:22:42.030
- But eventually, paul's critics, in the jewish community
- 00:22:42.030 --> 00:22:46.601
- Especially plot against him,
- 00:22:46.601 --> 00:22:48.637
- And we find that he ends up
- 00:22:48.637 --> 00:22:49.971
- In caesarea, maritime caesarea by the sea,
- 00:22:49.971 --> 00:22:53.809
- Which was a roman port city, in fact the capital of rome,
- 00:22:53.809 --> 00:22:57.446
- In the land of israel 2000 years ago.
- 00:22:57.446 --> 00:23:01.349
- And paul, it seems, was there for these two years.
- 00:23:01.349 --> 00:23:04.786
- And he was under trial.
- 00:23:04.786 --> 00:23:07.155
- And he was brought before two of the governors of that,
- 00:23:07.155 --> 00:23:11.126
- Region, that were there representing rome.
- 00:23:11.126 --> 00:23:15.430
- Eventually he's brought before king agrippa,
- 00:23:15.430 --> 00:23:18.633
- Who arrives in caesarea with pomp and ceremony,
- 00:23:18.633 --> 00:23:23.839
- And he also hears paul's story of conversion,
- 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:27.943
- Because everywhere paul,
- 00:23:27.943 --> 00:23:28.844
- Where he told the story of his conversion.
- 00:23:28.844 --> 00:23:31.446
- So even when he's under trial,
- 00:23:31.446 --> 00:23:33.748
- That's an opportunity for him to tell once again
- 00:23:33.748 --> 00:23:36.818
- How his life was transformed by the risen christ.
- 00:23:36.818 --> 00:23:41.423
- So somewhere along the way, i think, in fact,
- 00:23:41.423 --> 00:23:43.859
- We read in the story in the book of acts that the king saw paul
- 00:23:43.859 --> 00:23:48.196
- As innocent of all charges and was ready to release him.
- 00:23:48.196 --> 00:23:52.834
- But paul in that trial process had told them,
- 00:23:52.834 --> 00:23:56.571
- And in fact claimed that he was a roman citizen, from tarsus,
- 00:23:56.571 --> 00:24:01.443
- And that he had the right of a roman citizen to appear
- 00:24:01.443 --> 00:24:05.146
- Before caesar's judgment seat in the city of rome.
- 00:24:05.146 --> 00:24:09.918
- And because of that thing, agrippa,
- 00:24:09.918 --> 00:24:12.020
- Who would readily have released them, had him taken to rome.
- 00:24:12.020 --> 00:24:16.258
- Well, when paul got to rome,
- 00:24:16.258 --> 00:24:18.793
- He was the same christian apologist,
- 00:24:18.793 --> 00:24:22.097
- And we know from history that he died there, that
- 00:24:22.097 --> 00:24:25.333
- As far as we know, he was beheaded,
- 00:24:25.333 --> 00:24:28.203
- Became a martyr for the christian faith.
- 00:24:28.203 --> 00:24:30.906
- And he'd been a prisoner in rome for a while before that.
- 00:24:30.906 --> 00:24:34.409
- But before paul died,
- 00:24:34.409 --> 00:24:37.379
- He preached, and moral lives were transformed
- 00:24:37.379 --> 00:24:41.316
- Because of that conversion experience so much earlier,
- 00:24:41.316 --> 00:24:45.487
- He knew that christ had risen from the dead.
- 00:24:45.487 --> 00:24:48.957
- He knew that god, the almighty god, had called him
- 00:24:48.957 --> 00:24:51.826
- To preach this message to the nations.
- 00:24:51.826 --> 00:24:54.329
- As the apostle to the gentile.
- 00:24:54.329 --> 00:24:57.232
- And paul fulfilled his calling
- 00:24:57.232 --> 00:25:00.569
- At rome of all places, the higher of the roman empire.
- 00:25:00.569 --> 00:25:05.640
- Paul preached.
- 00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:07.275
- Jesus christ did
- 00:25:07.275 --> 00:25:10.445
- Risen coming again.
- 00:25:10.445 --> 00:25:13.315
- How many people?
- 00:25:13.315 --> 00:25:24.759
- Today, paul is recognized as the apostle
- 00:25:25.627 --> 00:25:28.196
- Who brought the salvation message of christ to rome.
- 00:25:28.196 --> 00:25:31.366
- But this would prove to be paul's most costly mission.
- 00:25:31.366 --> 00:25:34.636
- It cost him his life.
- 00:25:34.636 --> 00:25:36.571
- Paul was beheaded at rome in the mid first century ce,
- 00:25:36.571 --> 00:25:40.442
- But not before the message of jesus and his salvation
- 00:25:40.442 --> 00:25:43.578
- Had already taken root in roman hearts.
- 00:25:43.578 --> 00:25:46.681
- In time, people everywhere could find their salvation
- 00:25:47.749 --> 00:25:50.952
- Through that same
- 00:25:50.952 --> 00:25:52.153
- Jesus paul had so eloquently proclaimed among the gentiles.
- 00:25:52.153 --> 00:25:56.024
- Was this what god had intended when he told
- 00:25:56.891 --> 00:25:59.427
- Abraham that through his descendants,
- 00:25:59.427 --> 00:26:01.162
- The whole world would be blessed?
- 00:26:01.162 --> 00:26:03.531
- Was god's promise to abraham literally fulfilled
- 00:26:03.531 --> 00:26:06.801
- Through the crucifixion of jesus, and by paul's mission
- 00:26:06.801 --> 00:26:09.838
- To tell the world about how and why jesus died
- 00:26:09.838 --> 00:26:13.041
- In jerusalem.
- 00:26:13.041 --> 00:26:16.077
- Whatever may be said about jesus of nazareth,
- 00:26:16.077 --> 00:26:19.247
- No one can deny his jewishness.
- 00:26:19.247 --> 00:26:22.117
- He was and is jewish.
- 00:26:22.117 --> 00:26:24.853
- He taught the torah and lived by its precepts.
- 00:26:24.853 --> 00:26:27.689
- He attended synagogue on the sabbath day,
- 00:26:27.689 --> 00:26:30.425
- And when torah required it,
- 00:26:30.425 --> 00:26:31.926
- The religious festivals of jerusalem as well.
- 00:26:31.926 --> 00:26:35.263
- He taught his jewish followers to live exceedingly
- 00:26:35.263 --> 00:26:37.799
- Righteous lives according to the torah.
- 00:26:37.799 --> 00:26:40.635
- He certainly fanned the flame of judaism
- 00:26:40.635 --> 00:26:42.937
- During his earthly life,
- 00:26:42.937 --> 00:26:44.639
- Through his death and resurrection.
- 00:26:45.407 --> 00:26:47.709
- He provided atonement for sin
- 00:26:47.709 --> 00:26:49.844
- And the means of eternal life in the presence of god.
- 00:26:49.844 --> 00:26:53.448
- He said he was, among other things, the light of the world.
- 00:26:53.448 --> 00:26:57.552
- If so, he was at the same time a jewish light to the world.
- 00:26:57.552 --> 00:27:03.124
- While the debate over jesus messianic claims continue
- 00:27:03.124 --> 00:27:05.994
- As before, you could deny the influence this one
- 00:27:05.994 --> 00:27:09.731
- Solitary jewish life has had on the course of history.
- 00:27:09.731 --> 00:27:09.731