Biblical Overview: Acts to Philemon

Greetings and welcome to the Faith Chapel Podcast. My name is Jason and I am

the pastor of Faith Chapel.

In the podcast right now, we are going through an overview of six sections of

the Bible to look at how the whole story points to Jesus.

In today's episode, we will be covering the books of Acts through the letters

of Paul in the New Testament. Thanks for joining us today.

As we continue to look at the different sections of the Bible,

we generally start these by talking about why it's important to read Scripture.

And the passage that I want to pull out today is from 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17,

2 Timothy 3:16

which says, All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,

for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man

of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

And so what we can pull out of this as to why we should read the Bible,

it is because the Bible is God's revelation to us through human-inspired authors.

The concept here is that it is breathed out by God.

It's coming from his mouth. and because of that,

it is useful to us to be able to teach and to train us, to equip us for every

good work, to correct us when we are wrong.

And so we connect with Scripture because it teaches us what we should do,

it corrects us when we're wrong, and it trains us to be God's workers here while

at the same time being from the mouth of God,

being his revelation to us.

So there is no greater document that we should be connecting with than scripture

because it comes from our creator's mouth.

And that's why I think we should read scripture.

Moving on from there, a quick recap of the Bible would go like this as we begin

to talk about the second section in the New Testament,

the section from the book of Acts all the way through the letters of Paul.

The recap would go something like this.

The Old Testament is the beginning of a story without an end.

People were still separated from God because of their sin and rebellion against

God at the end of the Old Testament.

And the promises of God had yet to come to fruition, especially the promise

for a blessing for the entire world.

So we find the fulfillment of the Old Testament in the life,

ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

So the question should be asked, why isn't that the culmination of the story?

Why isn't that the end of the Bible? And the answer to that is because people

have to live out their faith in Jesus in a broken world, which is extremely challenging.

And so these next two sections are mostly about how do we live according to

Jesus's teachings in this broken world?

And how do we live out what Jesus commanded us in terms of loving our neighbors,

praying for those who persecute us?

How do we act in accordance with him?

And how are our insides, our thoughts, and our attitudes transformed by our faith and trust in him?

And to begin to answer those questions, we look at the book of Acts.

The book of Acts is written by Luke. It is written to the same person,

Theophilus, and by extension, the Christian church, which includes both Jews and Gentiles.

And so the idea here is that the book of Acts serves as a sequel to Luke's gospel,

which ended with the resurrection of Jesus and the resurrection appearances.

So it details the ongoing story of the resurrected Christ through his church.

The book is usually called the Acts of the Apostles, but it should be more generally

perceived as the acts of Jesus through his apostles.

And it shows us how Jesus's words in Acts chapter 1, 8 are lived out by the

Acts 1 · chapter mention

apostles and the leaders of the church.

And in Acts chapter 1, verse 8,

Acts 1:8

these are the words that are fulfilled throughout the rest of the Bible.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will

be my Jesus's witnesses telling people about me, Jesus, everywhere in Jerusalem.

Throughout Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

And this is what we see happen throughout the rest of the book of Acts.

In Acts chapter two is where the Holy Spirit comes into play.

We read in Acts chapter 2 verses 1 through 4, On the day of Pentecost,

Acts 2:1–4

all the believers were meeting together in one place.

Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like a roaring of a mighty windstorm.

Filled the house where they were sitting. Then what looked like flames or tongues

of fire appeared and settled on each of them,

and everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other

languages as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

The Holy Spirit was poured out upon them on that day, and it gifted them with

the ability to speak in other languages.

And this was the power that Jesus had promised the disciples to wait in Jerusalem

until you receive this power, this Holy Spirit.

And without this Holy Spirit, the disciples were still afraid.

They were afraid of the religious leaders.

They were afraid of being arrested, being tormented, being put in prison.

They were afraid of so many things that they were gathering behind locked doors.

But when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they walked out onto the balcony of

the room that they were in, and they proclaimed boldly the message of Jesus.

In Jerusalem, they witnessed boldly about him.

In Acts chapter 2, verses 22 to 24, this is a part of Peter's sermon on that

Acts 2:22–24

day of Pentecost, where he says, people of Israel,

listen, God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles,

wonders, and signs through him.

As you well know, but God knew what would happen and his prearranged plan was

carried out when Jesus was betrayed.

With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.

But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life for

death could not keep him in its grips.

And so part of the witnessing that was happening in Jerusalem was a proclamation

of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

This was what Jesus was talking about when he told the disciples to be his witnesses.

Proclaim my resurrection in this world. Proclaim belief in my name in Jerusalem.

Proclaim the gospel message about salvation by faith in Jesus alone.

It was also accompanied by miraculous healings.

In Acts chapter 3 verses 4 through 8, we read these words, Peter and John looked

Acts 3:4–8

intently at him. And Peter said, look at us.

The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money.

But Peter said, I don't have any silver or gold for you, but I'll give you what I have.

In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, get up and walk.

Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up.

And as he did, the man's feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened.

He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk.

Then walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the temple with them.

So it wasn't just a proclamation of the gospel message. witnessing about Jesus

was also about miraculous healings that God worked through the apostles.

In this case, a man who had been lame was not able to work for himself,

was begging for money at the entrance to the temple. He was miraculously restored to vitality.

He was able to walk and leap, jump, and praise God for what had happened to him.

And the proclamations of the disciples about Jesus being dead and being raised

from the dead as proof that he is the Messiah,

along with these miraculous events that were happening through these disciples,

but coming from God,

started a series of persecutions for the disciples.

For instance, in Acts chapter 4, verses 1 through 3, we read,

Acts 4:1–3

while Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests.

Captain of the temple guard and some of the Sadducees.

These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people

that through Jesus, there is a resurrection of the dead.

They arrested them. And since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning.

The religious leaders were taking notice and they wanted to quell this uprising.

The disciples, because of the Holy Spirit being poured out inside of them would not relent.

They were continually praising God. They were continually worshiping him and

proclaiming the name of Jesus in Jerusalem where Jesus told them to start.

This leads us to the first Christian martyr, which takes place in Acts chapter

Acts 7 · chapter mention

7 with a guy by the name of Stephen.

Stephen proclaims boldly in front of the Jewish leaders that Jesus is the Messiah,

that they killed him, but God raised him from the dead, and they couldn't handle it.

They took him outside the city gates, they stoned him, they left him for dead, he died.

And this again is the part of the persecution that arose as a result of the

proclamation in Jerusalem.

But many people came to faith in Jesus as a result of their witnessing in Jerusalem.

This then leads to a spreading of the church.

The persecution that arose after Stephen's martyrdom allowed or forced the followers

of Jesus to go out of the city of Jerusalem.

And this fulfills what Jesus said in, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria.

And that's where the book of Acts takes us next, especially in Acts chapter

Acts 8 · chapter mention

8 with a guy by the name of Philip.

Philip, in Acts chapter 8 verses 5 to 7, we read, Philip, for example,

Acts 8:5–7

went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.

Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message

and see the miraculous signs he did.

Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims,

and many people who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.

Again, it was a proclamation about Jesus being the Messiah, the reasons why

the disciples believed Jesus was the Messiah, and it was accompanied by miraculous signs and wonders.

And it led, especially in Samaria, later in Acts chapter 8, to a number of people

Acts 8 · chapter mention

becoming faithful believers in Jesus.

Acts chapter 8 verse 12 says this, but now the people believed Philip's message

Acts 8:12

of good news concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Christ.

As a result, many men and women were baptized.

And so their proclamations were not falling on deaf ears, even though they were

outside Jerusalem, even though they were in the former nation of the 10 tribes

of Israel known as Samaria,

even though they weren't fully Jewish people, the proclamation was being spread to them.

And there were many people coming to faith in Jesus.

In Acts chapter 9, we meet an important figure for the rest of the book of Acts.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

And all of the letters that we will go through today.

His name is Saul. He is from a town called Tarsus.

And we first meet him when it

said that the men who were stoning Stephen laid their coats at his feet.

So he was a religious leader and he went to the other religious leaders and

asked for permission for a note to go to a city called Damascus and to arrest

all of the followers of Jesus.

On the way to Damascus, he sees a vision of the Lord Jesus.

He is blinded for three days. He is fasting from food and water.

A disciple of Jesus by the name of Ananias comes to him, and he lays his hands

on him, prays over him, and the something like scales fall off his eyes, and he can see again.

And what happens in Acts chapter 9, verses 20 and 21 is again a miracle of God.

Acts 9:20

And immediately Saul began preaching about Jesus in the synagogue,

saying he is indeed the Son of God. All who heard him were amazed.

Isn't this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus' followers in

Jerusalem, they asked? And didn't he come here to arrest them and take them

in chains to the leading priests?

And so this is an example that nobody is too far away from God to be called by God into service.

This is a proclamation that God can heal any heart.

Someone who was so hardened that he wanted to arrest and eradicate all the believers

in Jesus suddenly becomes a preacher of this same Jesus.

And so God has an instrument now, Saul of Tarsus.

He has a person that he is going to use, but now he needs the disciples to understand

that this message of salvation is for all the nations.

And so he uses an event in Acts chapter 10 to help us to see that.

Acts 10 · chapter mention

Peter sees a vision of a blanket being let down from heaven,

and there are unclean animals in this tent.

And the voice says, rise, Peter, kill and eat.

But Peter says, no, I am not going to disobey the dietary laws of our people.

And then what the voice says is what God has made clean, don't make unclean.

At that same moment, people arrive.

At the place where Peter is staying, knock on the door and say,

hey, I have a guy by the name of Cornelius.

He had a vision of God. He wants you to come to him, but he is a Gentile.

And so Peter is trying to wrap his head around this determination that Gentiles

are being included into the ministry of the church.

When he gets there, Cornelius explains what had happened, how he had a word

from God and that he was to send for Peter and that he was to send for Peter.

And he gathered everyone there to hear what Peter had to say.

And in his proclamation of the message of Jesus, Peter says in Acts 10,

34 to 36, I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.

In every nation, he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.

This is the message of the good news for the people of Israel,

that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

And so this is the beginning of the inclusion of the Gentile people into the

followers of Jesus. So God has an instrument by the name of Saul of Tarsus.

He has this proclamation that all people deserve to hear the message of salvation,

which is in fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise about a blessing for the whole world.

And so he has these two things. He merges them and he sends Paul to the ends

of the earth, which is the end of Acts chapter one, verse eight, which says again.

You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

They are to proclaim the message of Jesus all over the place.

And in Acts chapter 13, Paul gets sent out with a man by the name of Barnabas

Acts 13 · chapter mention

by the Holy Spirit to go and be an instrument of God to the rest of the world.

Acts chapter 13, verse 4 says, So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 13:4

They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.

This began a missionary journey for them.

And throughout the rest of the book of Acts, Paul takes three missionary journeys,

proclaiming the message of Jesus,

telling people he is the Messiah, and that they need to put their trust and

faith in him, showing them by miraculous signs and also experiencing mass amounts of persecution,

including riots, including being stoned and left for dead.

He goes through it all. And it is again about the proclaiming of the name of Jesus.

At the end of the book of Acts, after his third missionary journey,

Paul comes back to Jerusalem and a riot ensues because of him.

The Jews are furious with him because he was once them and now he is a follower of Jesus.

As they are furious with him, all the people of Jerusalem are in an uproar.

Paul gets arrested for starting a riot and he spends the rest of the book of Acts in jail.

Waiting trial to come before Caesar and to take the message of Jesus all the

way to the capital of the Roman Empire.

The book of Acts ends without us hearing what happened of that trial.

Paul has made his way to Rome and he is proclaiming the message of Jesus there,

but there is no resolution to his imprisonment.

Church history will tell us that he gets out of that imprisonment and he continues

to go around the Mediterranean basin for a time before his death in Rome.

And so that's how the book of Acts ends. It's about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

It's about how Jesus's disciples and his apostles are to go and be his witnesses

all over the place. and it shows how they do it.

The next book in the New Testament is the book of Romans.

These next several books, all of the rest of the books we're going to talk about

today, are attributed to Paul as authoring letters to specific churches and specific situations.

It's been equated to the idea of hearing a one-sided conversation when you're

listening to someone on the phone,

you get to hear what the person that's near you is saying to that person,

but you don't get to hear what they are responding to or how the people respond

in kind to these letters.

But nevertheless, they are full of important things.

Teachings that help us to know how to live for Jesus in this broken world.

In the book of Romans, Paul explains the gospel's depth and unity to a church

who is wrestling with ethnic tensions and growing pains.

The Gentile Romans and the Jewish Romans are at odds with each other,

and there is internal conflict in this church.

And so this letter is to explain what the gospel is and how deep and wide it

is to bring unity to a church that has dissension.

So some of the main points in the book of Romans is that there is a universal need for the gospel.

All people sin and fall short of the glory of God. That's Romans 3.23.

It's one of the key passages. And what we need to know is that we are all guilty before God.

There is one transgression, only one that makes us impure, unclean.

That makes us a sinner. And if we do that one, there is no way to eradicate

that one blemish from our record.

All we can do is hope for grace at that time. And everybody has made at least one error.

They have made at least one sin. They are broken.

They are defiled. They are stained, and they cannot get that stain off of them.

But Paul says there is hope because we have justification by faith.

Justification means that we as followers of Jesus, we are declared not guilty in front of God,

but not because of us being not guilty, because of Jesus paying the price for our transgressions.

He bore the weight of our penalty and because we believe, trust in him, then we are justified.

We are found not guilty.

We are righteous by faith and we follow Abraham's example, which scripture declares

that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Another aspect is that the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, is available to all

believers. It's not just on the day of.

All believers in Jesus, and we are sanctified by the Spirit.

We are no longer under the throes of slavery to sin, but we now have the Spirit

that enables us to say no to sin.

We are set free from the power of sin, and we are made alive by the power of

the Spirit. We also have salvation for the entire world.

It's not just for Jews. It's for all people of all time, those who put their trust in Jesus.

In Romans 10, 9 through 10, we read, if you openly declare that Jesus is Lord

and believe in your hearts that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God,

and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

There is no qualification about whose family you're in. It's all about whether

or not you put your trust in Jesus.

So it doesn't matter if you are ethnically Israel. It doesn't matter if you

are some other nationality.

All people have the ability to be saved.

And then he ends his letter with practical Christian living.

So how does the gospel transform us?

And it shows up in relationships, service, civic responsibility.

For instance, these are some of the practical Christian living teachings that

Paul gives in this last section of Romans.

Romans 12, 9 through 11 says, Don't just pretend to love others.

Really love them. Hate what is wrong. hold tight to what is good,

love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

His letter to the Romans is about bringing unity to the church in Rome.

It's about helping them to see the depth of the gospel that all people need

to be saved and that all people have the ability to put their trust in Jesus.

After the letter to the Romans, we have the letters to the Corinthians.

So 1st and 2nd Corinthians are about a diverse church with a troubled congregation

who are struggling with many different things, moral issues,

divisions, misunderstandings about the gospel.

In particular, 1 Corinthians is about Paul urging the church to be united in

Christ, not in human leaders.

1 Corinthians 3 verses 4 to 7 says, when one of you says, I am a follower of

1 Corinthians 3:4–7

Paul and another says, I follow Apollos, aren't you acting just like the people of the world?

After all, who is Apollos, who is Paul. We are only God's servants through whom

you believed the good news.

Each of us did the work the Lord gave us.

I planted the seed in your hearts and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.

It's not important who does the planting or who does the watering.

What is important is that God makes the seed grow.

And so this division was about, oh, this person is more eloquent.

And so I'm going to follow after their teaching.

And this person was here first, so I'm going to follow after their teachings.

And so we had different divisions and factions starting in this church.

And Paul says, stop it. We are united in Jesus. It's all about him.

It's not about me. It's not about Apollos. It's not about Peter.

It's about Jesus Christ.

Another issue that they face is immorality. and Paul is going to encourage them to live in holiness.

1 Corinthians 6, 18 through 20 says, Run from sexual sin.

No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does.

For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives

in you and who was given to you by God?

You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price,

so you must honor God with your body.

And so the idea of sexual immorality was rampant in this city,

and even Christians were falling into the temptations and patterns of that, and Paul says, no,

that is not what living for Jesus in this world looks like.

Paul then goes on in a section where he answers practical questions about what

marriage should look like,

what food to eat and what food not to eat, what worship should be,

and these instructions are done so people can know how to follow God in the new covenant age.

This is the whole desire of all the letters that Paul is writing,

to help people live for Jesus in this broken world. Later on in the book of

Corinthians, the second to last chapter, chapter 15.

Talks about the importance of Christ's resurrection and the future resurrection of believers.

In 1 Corinthians 15 verses 3 to 8, we read, I passed on to you what was most

1 Corinthians 15:3–8

important and what had also been passed on to me.

Christ died for our sins, just as the scriptures said.

He was buried and he was raised from the dead on the third day,

just as the scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve.

After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time,

most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.

Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.

So the proclamation of this is about understanding the bodily resurrection of Jesus,

that it really happened that so many people saw him, and that because Jesus

bodily rose from the dead, those who believe in him and trust in him for their salvation,

those who have been justified by him, they will be with him in eternity.

They will rise together with him.

And that's the importance of Christ's resurrection. If Jesus didn't rise, we have no hope.

But if Jesus did rise, then all the hope is ours because this life isn't the end.

The second letter to the Corinthians is, again, confronting the Corinthians

about some of their misunderstandings of his teachings.

One of the ones is that Paul defends his authority and expresses his deep care for the church.

For instance, in 2 Corinthians 2.17, we read, You see, we are not like the many

hucksters who preach for personal profit.

We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority,

knowing that God is watching us.

So he is proclaiming, there are people out there that are teaching wrong and false things.

Beware of them. But you know me. You know the service that I have done to you

in Corinth. He defends his authority.

Later on, Paul urges the church to give generously for the needs of other believers.

There is a famine in Jerusalem, and he is collecting tithes and offerings from

all of the churches that he is visiting, and he urges the church to give generously

to the needs of other believers.

And then the last section, he describes his sufferings and commitment to the work of Jesus.

So he had been beaten by the Jewish leaders with the 39 lashes.

He was beaten with rods three times.

He was stoned and left for dead once.

Three times he had been shipwrecked. He spent a whole night and day adrift at sea.

He had many long journeys. He's faced danger from rivers and robbers,

from his own people and Gentiles, and in the cities and in the deserts and on the seas.

He has this authority. And that ends the book of 2 Corinthians.

Paul is then credited with writing the book of Galatians, which is written to

the region of Galatia, which is modern-day Turkey.

And it's mostly Gentile believers who are facing pressure to follow the Jewish customs.

So Paul wrote Galatians to address a crisis, which is some teachers were insisting

that Gentile believers must be circumcised and to keep the law to be truly saved.

Paul defends the gospel of grace alone. It's not by works, but it's by God's grace alone.

In Galatians 2, 15 and 16, Paul explains justification by faith, not by law keeping.

So we read in Galatians 2, 15 through 16, We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners.

Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law,

but through faith in Jesus Christ.

So we also have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in

Christ, and not by works of the law, because by the works of the law,

no one will be justified.

And he goes back to the argument that I've already said about if you commit

one crime, if you break the law one time, you are guilty for the whole law.

And there is nothing you can do to wipe that guilt away.

It has to be paid for. It has to be atoned for. And when we're talking about sin.

Can only be done with the shedding of blood. And that shedding of blood is by Jesus on the cross.

And so we are justified, not because we do so many good things after messing

up that one time, but we are justified by putting our faith and trust in Jesus.

In Galatians, Paul also writes that the purpose of the law was as a temporary

guide until Christ came.

For instance, in Galatians chapter 3 verses 21 and 22, we read,

Galatians 3:21

is the law then contrary to the promises of God?

Certainly not. For if a law had been given that could give life,

then righteousness would indeed be by the law, but the scriptures imprisoned

everything under sin so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

It is not by works of the law.

The law cannot make someone righteous.

It can only condemn someone. We are only righteous by grace,

by faith in Jesus. Also in Galatians, Paul talks about freedom in Christ and life by the Spirit.

Paul will call believers to live by the Spirit and not by flesh and to serve each other in love.

Galatians 5, verse 1 says, For freedom Christ has set us free.

Galatians 5:1

Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

The flesh wants to be mastered by sin, but by the spirit that's inside of us,

we can overcome that and we can live for Jesus in this broken world.

So Paul is again credited with writing the letter to the Ephesians.

It was written to the believers in the city of Ephesus and the surrounding churches in Asia Minor.

Ephesus was a major port city with a diverse religious and strong pagan influences.

Paul's letter encourages believers to understand their identity in Christ and

to live united as God's people.

And in the book of Ephesians, there is an emphasis on salvation as a gift, again, not by works.

A famous passage from the book of Ephesians is chapter 2, verses 8 through 10,

Isaiah 2:8–10

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing,

it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

So we are saved by God's grace through our trust and faith in Jesus.

This is not anything that we can do.

This is all a gift of God so that none of us can boast.

When we surrender and submit to him, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and.

And we are equipped to do good works.

That's what we're created for, to bring God glory and to bring more people in eternity with us.

Other aspects of the book of Ephesians is a prayer that Paul prays for spiritual

growth, and then he urges believers to maintain unity and maturity.

There's also instructions for Christian living, practical guidance on relationships

between a husband and wife, between parents and children.

He talks about spiritual warfare and putting on the armor of God in Ephesians as well.

The next letter that Paul is credited with writing is the book of Philippians.

The church in Philippi was a group of believers in a Roman colony in Macedonia

known for their loyalty to Rome.

Paul wrote Philippians from prison, encouraging the believers to rejoice in

Christ regardless of circumstances.

The letter is unlike other letters in that it is very warm. It is filled with joy and calls to unity.

There's hardly any correction that happens in the letter of Philippians.

It is mainly about keep doing what you're doing.

For instance, in chapter 2, Paul calls for humility and unity,

using Christ as an example of self-emptying love.

So Paul writes, in chapter 2, verses 3 and 4, do nothing from selfish ambition

or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourself.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

You need to have the mindset of Jesus, who in humility emptied himself.

Came down and was born a helpless baby.

Then he served us to the point of death on a cross, and then God exalted him.

And because he was humble in his earthly life, we should follow that example.

Also in the book of Philippians, there are warnings against false teachers and

encouragement to stand firm in the faith.

Paul warns against legalism and confidence in the flesh, and he urges the followers

of Jesus to put their full focus on Christ.

Paul then encourages rejoicing prayer and contentment in all situations.

One of the famous passages is from Philippians 4.4, which says,

Rejoice in the Lord always.

Again, I will say, rejoice.

And so that's the emphasis that is put on the book of Philippians.

Paul's next letter is to the church in Colossae, which is called the letter

to the Colossians. The church in Colossae was a small, mostly Gentile congregation

influenced by local pagan and Jewish teachings.

Paul wrote Colossians to combat false teaching that threatened the church.

Emphasizing Christ's supremacy and sufficiency for salvation and daily life.

One of the most beautiful passages that Paul writes in Colossians is in the

first chapter, verses 15 to 20, read like this.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.

Whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through him and for him.

And he is before all things. And in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the church.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might

be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven,

making peace by the blood of his cross.

And so this is an exaltation of who Jesus is.

Just a beautiful passage to remind us of how Christ is suffering.

The other portions of the book of Colossians include Paul cautioning against

legalism, philosophy and empty spiritual practices.

There were many false teachings that were going around and these letters were

trying to correct those false teachings.

And then he also adds instructions for Christian living.

Including calling believers to set their minds on things above and to live in

love, forgiveness, and wisdom.

So that is the book of Colossians. Now the letters to 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

The city that Paul is writing to is called Thessalonica, which is where a young

congregation in a major trade city of mostly Gentile believers is gathering.

Paul wrote these letters to encourage and instruct a new church facing persecution

and confusion about Christ's return.

So in 1 Thessalonians specifically, Paul praises the faith of the Thessalonians,

and he teaches on holy living and preparation for Jesus's return.

The instructions we find in here are on sexual purity, loving one another,

and readiness for the day of the Lord, which is an Old Testament concept about

the day of God's wrath and vengeance.

Scripture passage to help us see what's going on in 1 Thessalonians is from

chapter 4, verses 13 to 14.

Where Paul writes, But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers,

about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so through Jesus,

God will bring him those who have fallen asleep. And so he is teaching them

about what the resurrection means.

And if Jesus rose, borrowing the phrase from 1 Corinthians 15,

if Jesus rose from the dead, we will also rise from the dead.

He was the firstborn. There will be others.

It will happen.

The book of 2 Thessalonians is also about the day of the Lord and Paul trying

to clarify misunderstandings about the timing of Christ's return.

A passage from there to help us understand what's going on is 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verses 5 to 8.

2 Thessalonians 1:5–8

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God that you may be considered

worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are also suffering.

Since, indeed, God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict

you and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us.

When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire.

Inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey

the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

So here we have again a proclamation about that God will come.

This day of the Lord, of God's righteous judgment will happen.

Hold faith in Jesus, trust in him, stay focused on him.

It's encouragement to stand firm and to work hard in the Lord and to avoid idleness

and always remain faithful.

In this broken world, we need that constant reminder to remain faithful.

There are so many pulls of ourselves in so many different directions that we can lose sight of.

Remaining faithful to the Lord. Then we come to the letters of 1 and 2 Timothy.

Timothy is a young pastor and Paul's trusted co-worker, and he is ministering primarily in Ephesus.

Paul wrote these letters to guide Timothy in leading the church amongst challenges

like false teaching, leadership struggles, and persecution.

In 1 Timothy, we read about Paul urging prayers for all people,

including those in authority.

Paul describing what overseers or elders and deacons, what their characters

should be like and what their duties are.

Paul warning against false teachers and addressing heresies and godless myths.

We have Paul's giving guidance for different groups in the church,

such as instructions about elders, widows, slaves, and church discipline and

what that should look like.

And he exhorts people to be content in passages such as 1 Timothy 6, 11-12.

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things, pursue righteousness,

godliness, faith, and love, steadfastness, gentleness.

Fight the good fight of faith, take hold of the eternal life to which you were

called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Paul is exhorting the disciples to stay firm in their faith and to keep fighting,

to be content with their situation no matter what God gives to them to be content

and to continue to fight for their futures, which is eternity with God for those who persevere.

Then in the letter of 2 Timothy, Paul is writing in encouragement for Timothy specifically.

He is reminding Timothy of the gift and of God's call on his life.

He warns about future false teachers who come in, and he's calling him to endure

the hardship and to teach the truth faithfully.

Then in the passage that I read at the very beginning in chapter 3,

he describes what Timothy's reliance on Scripture should be and how he should

teach the gospel without limiting it. teach the full gospel.

And then Paul gives a personal farewell.

Then we have the letter to Titus. Again, this is an individual.

He is a young pastor who is leading the churches on the island of Crete.

Paul wrote to help Titus organize churches, appoint elders, and combat false

teachings in a culture that had many challenges.

Just like in 1 and 2 Timothy, he gives qualifications for elders.

Paul instructs on selecting leaders with sound character and warning against false teachers.

He is instructing different groups and how they should behave and how they should

act, And he is teaching on sound doctrine and godly behavior.

For instance, in Titus 2, 11 to 14, we read, For the grace of God has appeared,

bringing salvation for all people,

training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled,

upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope,

the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior,

Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and

to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

So he is teaching them to remain focused, to be self-controlled,

to live lives worthy of people looking and saying they are living a righteous

life. They are doing good.

Paul also encourages Titus and the people of Crete to live peaceably and to

be ready to continually do good works.

And again, there are warnings against divisiveness, and he insists on good behavior.

The last letter we are going to look at today is the letter that is called Philemon.

It is a very short one-chapter letter, and it is written to,

again, one guy, Philemon, who was a Christian leader and a slave owner in Colossae.

Paul wrote this personal letter appealing for forgiveness and restoration for

Onesimus, a runaway slave who became a believer.

Paul's plea for forgiveness is very similar to the gospel message.

So in Philemon verses 17 and 18, we read, so if you consider me your partner,

receive him, Onesimus, as you would receive me, Paul.

If he, Onesimus, has wronged you at all or owes you anything,

charge that to my, Paul's, account.

So Paul is really showcasing the gospel here by putting himself in between Philemon

as the slave owner and Onesimus as the slave.

And what he is saying to Philemon is, I'm going to pay his debt,

free him, allow him to be a brother in Christ only.

Not a slave, free him and let me pay the debt that he owes, which is very similar

to what Jesus does for us.

We are enslaved to sin, but Jesus is that intermediary who is going to stand

between us and say, if you trust in me, I will pay your debt.

Your debt will be wiped away. And that's what the story of Onesimus and Philemon,

and that letter to Philemon showcases.

So in these books, we see a powerful story unfold,

a story of God's unstoppable work in the early church and his calling for faithful

believers to live in faith, love, and boldness.

In the book of Acts, we learned how the Holy Spirit empowered the first Christians

to carry the good news to all nations, overcoming opposition and building vibrant

communities rooted in Jesus's resurrection.

In Paul's letters, we discovered practical instructions for living as followers

of Christ, whether in faith, hope, love, leadership, unity.

These letters addressed real-life challenges such as false teaching,

persecution, church order, and personal struggles, yet throughout Paul's message remained clear.

Christ's grace transforms lives and calls us to live differently.

We also saw how the gospel breaks down social barriers, as in Philemon's letter,

where forgiveness and reconciliation transcend culture and status.

These books help us to see how to live out faith in Jesus in a broken and complicated world.

It is by the Holy Spirit who comes to every believer who truly surrenders his or her life to Christ,

and by working out our salvation with fear and trembling with other fellow believers.

The culmination of the Christian faith is the life, ministry,

death, and resurrection of Jesus. But that's not where this story ends.

It continues on helping us to live a life that is fully surrendered to our King Jesus.

Thank you again for joining us in our discussion of the books of Acts through

Philemon in the New Testament.

The story of Jesus continues even after the Gospels because he is reigning now

as the eternal king from the line of David.

If you are interested in learning more about Faith Chapel and its ministries,

please visit gofaithchapel.org.

Next week, we will finish our overview by looking at the books of Hebrews through

Revelation. Have a great week.