Acts one

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Colossians Chapter 2

- Though I am absent in body, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

- Paul was not only teaching people about God’s word, he would also encourage them to stay firm by writing to them!

- All his letters demonstrate his concern for the faith of the disciples!

- And whenever it was possible he would travel to meet them personally!

- Once again, a really good example to follow and to learn from him!

- He was like a father for them!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
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Thessalonians Chapter 2

- Indeed, that is why we also thank God unceasingly, because when you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but, just as it truthfully is, as the word of God, which is also at work in you believers.

- These people accepted God’s word from Paul!

- And then they kept on it!

- In fact, it must keep growing and growing!

- Otherwise it gets smaller and smaller!

- You need to feed it!

- You must work for it!

- You can’t leave it alone!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
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1 Timothy Chapter 2

- Likewise, the women should adorn themselves in appropriate dress, with modesty and soundness of mind, not with styles of hair braiding and gold or pearls or very expensive clothing, but in the way that is proper for women professing devotion to God, namely, through good works.

- Dressed with modesty and soundness of mind!

- Doing good works according faith!

- It could be the same for me!

- I don’t see the difference!

- Acting in harmony with one’s faith!

- A simple way of life!

- But quite efficient!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
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Titus Chapter 2

- Keep on speaking these things and exhorting and reproving with full authority. Do not let anyone look down on you.

- Paul tells about the necessity to encourage people to stay faithful!

- Paul tells about the necessity to reprove people when they don’t act or think properly!

- It was the case with Peter!

- We must speak about God’s word!

- And we must look for the truth!

- And it is hard work!

- Because we must check it again and again!

- And never be satisfied!

- There is always something to learn!

- Something we haven’t seen yet!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
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Hebrews Chapter 3

- Consequently, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest whom we acknowledge – Jesus.

- Paul speaks about Jesus as an apostle and a high priest!

- It means he has a special relationship with God!

- Let’s remember Samuel!

- Samuel was jealous for God!

- When the Israelites wanted a human king instead of God!

- Remember Jesus when he was in the temple and he chased the merchants!

- He was jealous for God!

- His service for God was a burning fire he couldn’t stop!

- It would move him to action!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
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Romans Chapter 2

- For all those who sinned without law will also perish without law; but all those who sinned under law will be judged by law. For the hearers of law are not the ones righteous before God, but the doers of law will be declared righteous. For when people of the nations, who do not have law, do by nature the things of the law, these people, although not having law, are a law to themselves.

- If we read Daniel and his prayer to God begging for the reconstruction of Jerusalem, God speaks about the reconstruction of Jerusalem but at the same time its destruction putting an end to the story of the Israelites with God!

- And it echoes Paul when he says “all those who sinned under law will be judged by law”!

- Because they are “hearers of law” but they “are not the ones righteous before God”!

- Only “the doers of law will be declared righteous”!

- We must be “a law to” ourselves!

- It implies efforts and efforts and efforts!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
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1 Corinthians Chapter 3

- So, brothers, I was not able to speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to fleshly men, as to infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough. In fact, neither are you strong enough now, for you are still fleshly. Since there are jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and are you not walking as men do?

- Spiritual men vs fleshly men!

- Are we “spiritual men” or “fleshly ones”?

- Are we “infants in Christ”?

- Can we have milk or solid food?

- Are we strong enough?

- Jealousy? Strife?

- How are we walking?

- Questions we must keep asking ourselves!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
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Galatians Chapter 2

- We who are Jews by birth, and not sinners from the nations, recognize that a man is declared righteous, not by works of law, but only through faith in Jesus Christ. So we have put our faith in Christ Jesus, so that we may be declared righteous by faith in Christ and not by works of law, for no one will be declared righteous by works of law. Now if we have also been found sinners while seeking to be declared righteous by means of Christ, is Christ then sin’s minister? Certainly not!

- We must be declared righteous through faith in Jesus Christ!

- But for that our faith must be alive!

- But for that we must build up our faith!

- But for that we need a permanent checkup!

- But for that we need to study daily and carefully!

- We must feed it up!

- We must shade it up!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
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Ephesians Chapter 3

- So I ask you not to give up on account of my tribulations in your behalf, for these mean glory for you. For this reason I bend my knees to the Father, to whom every family in heaven and on earth owes its name. I pray that he may grant you through the abundance of his glory to be made mighty in the man you are inside, with power through his spirit, and that through your faith you may have the Christ dwell in your hearts with love.

- Paul tells us about the man we must be inside!

- Yes, God’s word must penetrate inside our mind and heart!

- Not only stay at the surface!

- If it penetrates inside our mind and heart, we are going to speak with strength!

- If it stays at the surface, it will only mean mere words and talks!

- But mere words and talks won’t get inside!

- If it penetrates our mind and heart, through our faith we may have the Christ dwell in our hearts with love!

- It must be communicative!

- It must be transmitted!

- It must spread!

- Because a fire that does not keep on dies!

- And we don’t want that fire to die, do we?

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Philippians Chapter 2

- If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any spiritual fellowship, if any tender affection and compassion, make my joy full by being of the same mind and having the same love, being completely united, having the one thought in mind.

- Encouragement!

- Consolation of love!

- Spiritual fellowship!

- Tender affection and compassion!

- Same mind!

- Same love!

- Everything to build up our faith!

- Based on a growing knowledge to feed up our faith!

- We must always grow in faith!

- We must always grow in knowledge!

- We must get closer and closer to God and Jesus!

- It must be an easy job!

- The more we practice it the more natural it is the more easy it is!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
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Colossians Chapter 2

- Therefore, just as you have accepted Christ Jesus the Lord, go on walking in union with him, being rooted and built up in him and being stabilized in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thanksgiving.

- Accepting Christ Jesus the Lord is a continuous process!

- We must show that we keep doing it!

- It is a fire which needs to be maintained and fed!

- We must go on walking in union with him!

- It is not only walking but go on walking and not only go on walking but in union with him!

- We must be one with him!

- We must share everything with him!

- In every aspect of our lives!

- We must breathe him!

- It must get through every pore of our skin!

- Our neurons must be interconnected with him!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
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Thessalonians Chapter 2

- For you, brothers, became imitators of the congregations of God in union with Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you suffered at the hands of your own countrymen the same things that they also are suffering at the hands of the Jews, who even killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us.

- Imitators of the congregations of God in union with Christ Jesus!

- Imitate means take or follow as a model!

- Jesus is our model we try to follow!

- Trying is one thing!

- Doing is better!

- But we will never be him!

- We will keep having our own personality!

- But he is someone we must tend toward or get closer and closer!

- To develop our personal relationship with God!

- To reach one mind and one spirit!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
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1 Timothy Chapter 2

- Let a woman learn in silence with full submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but she is to remain silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. Also, Adam was not deceived, but the woman was thoroughly deceived and became a transgressor. However, she will be kept safe through childbearing, provided she continues in faith and love and holiness along with soundness of mind.

- Learning in silence is great!

- Sometimes we need silence, sometimes we need noise!

- Everything that can build up our faith and knowledge is beneficial!

- Yes, the woman was deceived!

- But Adam chose his wife instead of God!

- And he had received God’s commandment!

- And our faith is alive when we speak about it, when we speak about what we know, when we speak about what we learn!

- And any help can be helpful!

- Sometimes just a word or a thought may help us open our minds to a different opening or a different aspect!

- It’s like when we read the Bible different times, we may catch something new or different or something we had never thought before!

- Learning is a never-ending process!

- If we stop doing it then we are dead!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Titus Chapter 3

- Continue reminding them to be in subjection and to be obedient to governments and authorities, to be ready for every good work, to speak injuriously of no one, not to be quarrelsome, but to be reasonable, displaying all mildness toward all men.

- We must respect governments and authorities!

- But there is no greater authority than God!

- Ready for every good work that build up our faith and others’ faith!

- We must not speak injuriously of others!

- But we must defend our faith!

- And when something is not correct, we must say it but with arguments!

- If we don’t bring arguments on the table, it is better to keep silent!

- Quarrelsome is one thing, defending our faith is another!

- It is the basis for having a living faith and it has no price!

- It is so precious!

- Our faith is not personal!

- If we are not able to defend it, it is dead and worthless!

- Being reasonable and displaying mildness sound good when defending our faith!

- But like Jesus it must be a burning fire which has to get out and live and expand and grow and spread in any direction!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
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Hebrews Chapter 3

- He was faithful to the One who appointed him, just as Moses also was in all the house of that One. For he is counted worthy of more glory than Moses, since the one who constructs a house has more honor than the house itself. Of course, every house is constructed by someone, but the one who constructed all things is God.

- Yes, Jesus was faithful to God!

- And God appointed Jesus!

- But God constructed all things!

- Now Moses was faithful as an attendant in all the house of that One as a testimony of the things that were to be spoken afterward, but Christ was faithful as a son over God’s house.

- Yes, no one can be compared to Jesus because he is God’s son!

- We are His house if, indeed, we hold on firmly to our freeness of speech and the hope of which we boast down to the end.

- And we must hold on firmly to our freeness of speech and to our hope!

- Yes and for that we must study, we must learn and tell everybody about what we study and what we learn!

- It is our responsibility!

- Thus we must keep our faith alive!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Romans Chapter 2

- They are the very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts, while their conscience is bearing witness with them, and by their own thoughts they are being accused or even excused. This will take place in the day when God through Christ Jesus judges the secret things of mankind, according to the good news I declare.

- The very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts!

- There is a big difference between saying and doing!

- Politicians make speeches but others write them!

- You can make a good speech but when someone says something and it corresponds with his life, it is much more powerful!

- So in their hearts!

- And having a conscience bearing witness for us!

- Once again empty words are good to nothing and lead to nowhere!

- Jesus’ words corresponded to his life and his acts!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

1 Corinthians Chapter 3

- For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” but another says, “I to Apollos,” are you not acting like mere men? What, then, is Apollos? Yes, what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord granted each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept making it grow, so that neither is the one who plants anything nor is the one who waters, but God who makes it grow.

- We are all slaves of God and Jesus!

- We must help others to learn about God’s words!

- But no one is more important than someone else!

- We must have a good name before God and Jesus!

- But we are just human beings!

- Religious leaders think they are more important!

- In the Gospels, they think they are those who know whereas the rest is good to nothing!

- But they are supposed to be teachers!

- So in turn the students of God’s word must become teachers otherwise their teachers are good to nothing and they are worst than their students!

- If their students become more efficient than them it tells about their own abilities to teach!

- Otherwise you can forget them!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Galatians Chapter 2

- If the very things that I once tore down I build up again, I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through law I died toward law, so that I might become alive toward God. I am nailed to the stake along with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who is living in union with me. Indeed, the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and handed himself over for me. I do not reject the undeserved kindness of God, for if righteousness is through law, Christ actually died for nothing.

- Paul shows us the way!

- We must not live for ourselves but for Jesus!

- If we live for Jesus, we must act like him and we must teach otherwise we are good to nothing!

- If we are not active, we are dead!

- Of course, according to our abilities!

- But the more we learn and study and train and exchange with others, the more we will develop our abilities!

- Thus there are no excuses!

- These words from Paul are quite interesting because it tells about the union between God and Jesus and the disciples but each one is different!

- It is everywhere in the second part of the Bible but many people do as if it wasn’t everywhere!

- How is it possible?

- It is really strange!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Ephesians Chapter 3

- May you be rooted and established on the foundation, in order that with all the holy ones you may be thoroughly able to comprehend fully what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of the Christ, which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness that God gives.

- Being rooted and established on the foundation!

- For that it is necessary to have deep connections with God’s word!

- For that we need to study carefully and daily God’s word!

- For that we need to check everything!

- We can’t let others do the job and wait and see!

- First milk then solid food!

- Babies then teenagers then adults!

- To be thoroughly able to comprehend fully what is the breadth and length and height and depth… be filled with all the fullness that God gives!

- Is it possible to be more explicit?

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Philippians Chapter 2

- Do nothing out of contentiousness or out of egotism, but with humility consider others superior to you, as you look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others. Keep this mental attitude in you that was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he was existing in God’s form, did not even consider the idea of trying to be equal to God. No, but he emptied himself and took a slave’s form and became human.

- Yes, we must look like Jesus!

- We must develop humility!

- We must develop Jesus’ mental attitude!

- Yes, he did not even consider the idea of trying to be equal to God!

-Yes, he did everything according to God’s will!

- Yes, he did everything to his Father’s will!

- Thus we have a lot to do if we want to look like him!