Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Personal Background
02:49 Teaching Philosophy and Influences
06:09 Chronological Order of the New Testament
08:52 The Role of the Holy Spirit
11:47 First Generation Christians and Their Challenges
14:46 The Growth of the Early Church
17:59 The Importance of Acts 2
21:11 The Role of Peter and Gentile Inclusion
23:45 The Book of James and Worldliness
33:01 The Role of Synagogues in Paul’s Missionary Journeys
36:05 The Judaizer Controversy and Its Implications
39:35 Understanding the Law of Christ
42:39 The Growth and Challenges of Early Churches
46:57 The Centrality of Grace in the New Testament
49:33 Paul’s Trials and the Kingdom of God
52:55 The Importance of Church Leadership and Doctrine
56:30 The Rise of Apostasy and Its Warning Signs
Summary
In this session, Jimmy Clark shares his extensive background in biblical teaching, influenced by notable figures in the field. He discusses the importance of understanding the New Testament in chronological order, the role of the Holy Spirit in the early church, and the challenges faced by first-generation Christians. Clark emphasizes the significance of Acts 2 as a pivotal moment in church history and explores the inclusion of Gentiles in the faith, as well as the themes of worldliness addressed in the Book of James. In this conversation, Jimmy Clark explores the themes of Paul’s missionary journeys, the role of synagogues, the challenges posed by Judaizers, and the significance of grace in the New Testament. He discusses the growth and struggles of early churches, the importance of church leadership, and the rise of apostasy, emphasizing the need for sound doctrine and the centrality of Christ in the church.
Takeaways
- The precision of the Greek language enhances biblical understanding.
- Understanding the New Testament requires knowledge of its chronological order.
- The Holy Spirit played a crucial role in the early church’s development.
- First-generation Christians faced unique challenges in their faith journey.
- Acts 2 marks the beginning of the church and its teachings.
- Peter’s role was vital in the inclusion of Gentiles into the faith.
- The Book of James addresses issues of worldliness within the church.
- The Bible interprets itself through the Holy Spirit.
- Teaching and understanding the Bible is a lifelong journey. The book of James addresses worldliness in congregations.
- Paul’s missionary journeys were heavily influenced by the presence of synagogues.
- The Judaizer controversy raised significant questions about salvation and law.
- Grace is a foundational theme throughout the New Testament.
- Church leadership is crucial for maintaining sound doctrine.
- The church’s growth often comes with challenges and problems.
- Apostasy was foretold and is evident in the early church.
- The law of Christ is essential for understanding grace and salvation.
- The kingdom of God is central to Paul’s message.
- The church must continue to thrive beyond individual leaders.
Titles
- Exploring the New Testament: A Journey Through Time
- The Role of the Holy Spirit in Early Christianity
- Understanding the Challenges of First-Generation Christians
- Acts 2: The Birth of the Church
- Worldliness in the Book of James
- The Legacy of Biblical Teaching
Sound Bites
- “The Holy Spirit has to come.”
- “The Bible is interpreting the Bible.”
- “This is the hub of the Bible.”
- “God keeps them alive to give us a Bible.”
- “The church is a kingdom, kingdom is a church.”
- “You must be circumcised to be saved.”
- “Grace is everywhere in these books.”
- “You are to forgive and to comfort him.”
- “The church will still thrive.”
- “You can’t have the church without Christ.”
- “The apostasy is rising.”
- “Divine revelation is completed.”
Transcript (AUTOMATED)
Jimmy Clark (00:00)
Humbled and honored to be here. Actually, back in the spring when I was to teach a class in the Talladega class, by the the elders and Russ is here from Talladega. I teach a class in what’s called School of Bible Emphasis. Dad started this school in 1985, started at the Hob Street Church of Christ in Athens, Alabama, and then it just spread all over. And then he died in 97 and…
in August, and then in September, the elders at Hob Street asked me to both teach it and direct it, and we’ve been doing this ever since. I’ve been teaching books out of the Bible now for umpteen number of years. I don’t know how long. And actually, Bremen is the place dad was preaching when I graduated in high school. So if there’s any place about this building you don’t know, I probably can show you some places that even they don’t know. No, just kidding.
But matter fact, lived in the house right here next door. I can show you my bedroom and everything has to do with where I lived and lived up and down in here. But this is like homecoming to a degree and I thank you for being here. Don’t know a lot of your names, maybe I’ll get to meet you, but I know they could pick anybody and just about anybody else to do the study. But what I wanna do is to share with you things I’ve learned from men like Franklin Kemp, William Woodson, Tom Holland.
Don McQuarter, Winford Clark, and I could go on and on and on with the names of preachers that were household names in my family. Franklin Camp was my great uncle. Of course, Winford Clark’s my dad. And so that’s my legacy. And the material that I got growing up, particularly as I graduated undergraduate and then went to graduate school, I sat at Franklin Camp’s feet every Monday morning from 10 o’clock to 12.
And I learned more under Franklin camp than the four years I was at Friedhardman. That’s not a throw off against Friedhardman. Because Friedhardman tried to rush you through material because you’re going semester by semester. Uncle Franklin was like a glacier. And I wanna give you an illustration. He was teaching the first chapter of the book of Romans and in two verses, it took six weeks. Two hour classes, six weeks. That’s 12 hours.
of two verses. Now, I’m not going to go that slow. We’re not even going to cover any of these 25 verses in the book of Jude. But when they were approaching me back this spring about doing this, it’s not like we don’t have other things to do. But I’ll assure you of the six months that I’ve been prepping for this for just this day and tomorrow, I’ve learned more about this book of the Bible than I’ve ever learned in my days. And I told Cliff and Keith and Dave, now my…
My way of doing things is probably not gonna be your way of doing things and that’s okay because we’re gonna arrive at truth the same way. But William Woodson lit a fire into me when I was at Fried-Hardman when he was my Greek teacher. And if you don’t know Greek, I’m not here to teach you Greek, but you’re gonna hear a lot of it because once we get past this lesson right here on that outline, we’re gonna go line by line. We’re gonna go verse by verse and I’m gonna show you some things from the Greek New Testament.
that I learned in this study. Now, I heard Hugo McCord, by the way, Hugo McCord was a very close friend of my family. I heard brother Hugo McCord make the statement, you don’t have to know Greek and Hebrew to go to heaven. You know the English Bible, you can obey it, die and go to heaven. But there’s sometimes things get lost in translation. And the Greek language is a very, very precise language.
And Brother Woodson helped me to see that. As a matter of fact, even after I graduated from Fried-Hardman, as long as he lived, I would pick his brain. Y’all know what picking preacher’s brains is. And I’ll give you sermon outline material before also, but by the way, that’ll be mainly tomorrow is a lot of the sermon outline. This is more like the commentary side, background information, commentary side, and then we’ll get into the sermon outlines.
As a matter of fact, I was thinking just today, I got a sermon outlining in my head, I didn’t even put down on the paper that I got up this morning. And all of a sudden the three points came to my mind. So I’ll try to give you that one. Matter of fact, I’m probably gonna preach it anyway down the road at home. So let’s get into this sheet here. I did not think about doing this when these three gentlemen asked me to do this on the book of Jude because they wanted me to concentrate on the book of Jude. But years and years ago, Franklin Kemp,
Uncle Franklin, and by the way, I’ll probably use that phrase more times than not, Uncle Franklin, do you know who I’m referring to? When he’s walking through the New Testament, he began to try to place the books of the New Testament in chronological order. And there’s a reason why he did that. And his philosophy about putting them in chronological order is this. As you go through the book of Acts, ultimately you will come to a point in the book of Acts where Paul writes this letter.
And his point is stop reading the book of Acts and read that letter because that letter is dealing with the time at that point in history. Once you get through with that book, then keep on reading through the book of Acts. When you get to the next book in chronological order, stop reading the book of Acts and read that letter because it has to do with the situation and that point in time. Okay, then keep on going.
By the time you get to the end of the book of Acts chapter 28, then you get the prison epistles. And then I’ll put the book of Hebrews in there. By the way, this is sort of a gist of what Uncle Franklin used to teach, but I have expanded on this. What I have here on this chart is basically not the brotherhood’s position. This is my position on what I believe the New Testament is in chronological order. Okay? So.
You want to crucify me after this is over? You crucify me. You leave everybody else alone. But I am convinced in my overall study of the New Testament that this is how the New Testament is laid out. Now, I’m not starting with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I’m simply starting with the conception and the birth of Jesus Christ. I’m not starting in John chapter 1. In the beginning was the Word, the Word is with God, the Word was God. In other words, the pre-incarnate Christ. So you got the conception, the birth of Christ, and of course then you got John’s ministry.
John’s ministry is to repent for Christ. And then you’ve got Jesus earthly ministry after he’s baptized at age 30, okay? About three and a half years, okay? DBR is death, burial, and resurrection. The very focal point of what Jesus came into the world to do was to die, to be buried, be raised from the dead, okay? And then he gives the commission and then he ascends on high. That is Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and it actually ended Acts chapter one with the ascension of Christ, okay? Now.
Jesus said in his earthly ministry in John 14, matter of fact, I’m gonna mess this up, you’re gonna to might touch it.
Yeah, hopefully that’ll help. That would drive me crazy if I saw that up there. So that’s why I did it. I’m OCD, you like crazy. Okay. Jesus said in his earthly ministry in John 14, 15, 16, that after Jesus left, he would send the paraclete. The Greek word is paraclete. Paraclete literally means one called along to your side. He will help you like I have helped you. How many of have ever had a preacher help you?
Literally, you get into a situation, all of a sudden you call on a preacher and that preacher can clear your head up in five seconds. That was my dad. My dad could do that in five seconds. Dad, I’ve got a problem. Show me in the Bible where this is in five seconds. He said, turn here, turn here. You have any more questions, give me a call. When my dad died, William Woodson became my father. And I literally called Brother Woodson in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Brother Woodson, I’ve got this situation and he could clear my head up in five seconds. Like my dad. Brother Woodson dies.
And I’m like, what in world am I gonna do? Okay. But what I learned is after these guys are dead, they taught me how to use my Bible, which was more valuable in little, many ways, more than anything that they could ever show me. How to do your own study. By the way, Uncle Franklin could do that. Okay. Now the Holy Spirit has to come. The Holy Spirit has to come. When Peter stands on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two to preach that sermon, he did not get a sermon outline up.
No apostle ever got a sermon out lined up.
What did Jesus tell them? Take no thought what you shall say. It will be given you in that moment, in that very moment, what you will say. What you’re to do is to open your mouth. You’re to open your mouth and you’re to start talking. But every word coming out of your mouth is the Holy Spirit’s words through your mouth. By the way, you need to be listening to what you’re preaching to because this is divine revelation coming through the spoken mouth.
Okay? And the entire New Testament times in the miraculous age was that way. Timothy never was told to get up a sermon outline. He was told to use the gift of prophecy and to preach. Now, what do we have to do? Well, they didn’t have a New Testament like you and I have. Okay? Not having a New Testament, how are you going to preach the meaning of the Old Testament? Not having a New Testament. How are you going to know the meanings of these verses? By the way,
How many quotations in the Old Testament do you find in the New Testament? And all of a sudden, the explanation of those Old Testament verses are given by the same Holy Spirit that gave the original statements in the Old Testament. Holy Spirit is explaining the Holy Spirit, correct? We would say the Bible is interpreting the Bible. Best way to interpret Scripture, let the Bible explain itself. Because it all comes from the same Holy Spirit, okay?
So the emphasis is they needed the miraculous gifts. They had to have them. By the way, did God predict that in Joel 2? In the last days, I’ll pour out my spirit on all flesh. And it carries with the idea of what? Through the miraculous age, Joel’s prophecy would be fulfilled. Now the reason I’m saying that, because I’m prepping you for a statement I’m gonna make in the book of Jude that some of you are probably not going to agree with.
But I’m gonna show you why I believe that. By the way, it’s chapter 20, excuse me, chapter one verse 20, or Jude verse 20, where it says, praying in the Holy Ghost. I’m just giving you a heads up. Praying in the Holy Ghost. I wanna ask you, what do you think that means? And I’m gonna walk you through what I believe that means and why I believe it. Okay? So I’m not telling you to believe what I believe. I’m asking you to…
walk through this as I walk you through it. Okay? But the Holy Spirit was required in order for them to be able to know all truth. So I’ll talk about the infancy of the church. In other words, what I mean by infancy is the early part, the growing part of the church. You remember in Ephesians chapter four, he talks about, we come to a full grown man, okay? Till we all come to the unity of the faith, to the perfect man. Perfect doesn’t mean sinless.
It means complete. The fullness of revelation now will be found with man. By the way, that’s what your New Testament is. Your New Testament is the completion to produce the full-grown man. But when you don’t have all of divine revelation, what do you need? Well, you’re basically in an infancy stage. And preachers used to use that phrase. The Bible didn’t use that phrase, but we used to use that phrase to talk about the growing of the church. Now, let make this observation about the New Testament church.
How many of you are more than one generation Christians in this room? Like I’m fifth generation Christian in this room. I can trace my lineage back five generations. How many first generation Christians or five generation Christians you find in the first century?
So when you’re looking at these converts in the New Testament, particularly the book of Acts, these may very well be the first generation, by the way, probably are. The only passage I can think of that has at least three generations that are New Testament Christians is Timothy.
Lois, Eunice, Timothy. By the way, that’s all in the first century. They had a Hebrew background or a Jewish background, and Timothy is the third generation of that. But by the way, they could all be early Christians. By the way, likely all of them are. By the way, in Acts 2, how many Christians did you find before Acts 2 and verse 41? By the way, they weren’t even called Christians.
And Acts 2.41, when were they called Christians? Acts 11.26, right? In Antioch, by the way, I believe that’s by design. But the fact of the matter is, when you’re looking at this chart here, these are not third and fourth and fifth and sixth generation Christians. They are first most of the time. I have ever preached for a whole congregation of first generation Christians? When I was in Australia,
at the Noles Road Church of Christ in Adelaide, South Australia. We supported the work there. I was asked to do some preaching and teaching while I was there. We stayed there for about three weeks. Well, the next thing, you know, I wanted a photograph of the whole congregation so that could show it back to the folks at home and had them all stand up where the pulpit is. And I took the photograph just to get a group shot. And then I said, now I want to take one other photograph. Everybody stay where you are. Raise your hand if you are.
the only Christian in your family, in your first generation Christian. Half, literally, half of that crowd held their hand up. I’m the only Christian in my family, some of them, and I am the first generation of my entire family to ever be a New Testament Christian. Let me ask you question. Who could they talk to to help them walk them through the Bible?
You’re going to ask a non-Christian to help you walk yourself through the Bible? So when you’re dealing with first-generation Christians, okay, you got Old Testament scriptures, it is written in written form, and the New Testament is first being spoken and gradually being written, right? So when we start interpreting verses out of the New Testament, some of these verses, we need to see it from their vantage point. Let me tell you something. Acts was not written originally to me. Do you know who the book of Acts was originally written to?
a man named Theophilus. Are you familiar with that in Acts chapter 1? The book of Luke was written to Theophilus. The book of Luke was not originally written to me, nor Acts is written to that man. So I must try to look at the book of Acts from how would Theophilus understand it?
Come on, shake or not. Dad used use that expression, shake or not. I must see the book of Acts the way Theophila saw it. Not how I see it in the 21st century. By the way, in the non-miraculous age. Do you understand what I just meant by that? If you don’t, stay with me. We gonna be here all weekend. Okay, because I am going to hammer this point over and over and over.
Because I believe there are major verses in the New Testament with reference to the Holy Spirit that in many ways, some folks of us have taught that that’s not what that meant in the first century. That’s not how they would have ever seen it. Okay? Now, let’s go to Acts 2. We know this is the beginning. How do I know that? What does Acts chapter 11 verse 15 say? That the Holy Ghost fell upon them as on us at…
the beginning. By the way, that’s not the beginning of time, okay? And that’s not the beginning of the Jewish nation. That is the beginning of the church. The Holy Spirit explicitly says, right there is the beginning. Everything from your Old Testament, Genesis 3, all the way to Acts 2 is pointing to Acts 2. And everything from Revelation 22 is pointing back to Acts 2. This, as has been said, is the hub of the Bible.
This is the hub of the Bible. As a matter of fact, there’s a book written by a gentleman called The Hub of the Bible, and it’s about the book of Acts, starting in Acts chapter two. Any lesson you want to preach on the plan of salvation, any lesson you want to preach on the identifying marks of the church, you start right here, this first church. And all other congregations are modeled off this first church. All of them.
Everything is going to funnel back to what the apostles told them in Acts 2. How did they get in the church? Well, they did what an apostle told them. How was the church organized? Well, after you’re baptized, what does the Great Commission tell you? Teaching them to observe all things which are arrived, commanded you, right? So no one knows anything on how to function as a church member unless you continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine. Well, let me ask you question.
How do you know how to function as a preacher? How do you know how to function as an elder? How do you know how to function as a congregation? Well, you open up your New Testament, right? They didn’t have one.
Understand, they did not have one of these. Then how are they going to function? They had to have what Joel’s prophecy was about. By the way, that wasn’t just an outpouring on the apostles. Your sons, your daughters, your young men, your old men, your male servants, your maidservants. All of a sudden,
It’s not going to be limited to a certain group of individuals called prophets. It’s going to expand to members of the church.
Are you with me? Joel’s prophecy is the emphasis of the fact that the miraculous age is going to be in that time to reveal what you and I have in the New Testament. They had to have it. Okay? Now, I wished I had the Holy Spirit and could just give you word for word what’s coming out of my mouth and trust every word that I’m saying. Because by the way, it would be infallible.
wait, if I was wrong, it wouldn’t be the Holy Spirit. It’d have to be me, right? How many of know anybody that claims to be able to speak for the Holy Spirit? How do you know the difference between what the Holy Spirit says and what the Holy Spirit doesn’t say? Well, I’ll take what the Holy Spirit has said and compare what this guy’s saying to what this says. Because I know this is the Holy Spirit. By the way, every time the Holy Spirit has ever talked to me, I know exactly what he said. You know that? Every time.
All I gotta do is read it to you. And there are seven times in the book of Revelation chapters two and three you find this phrase, he that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Now, how do I know what the Spirit said to those churches? All I gotta do is read the book of Revelation.
Because that’s what the Holy Spirit said to those seven churches.
Understand? Shake or not. Okay? So I’m gonna do a lot of talking here about the Holy Spirit. Okay? By the way, there’s an election on the Holy Spirit. It’s about to book a Jew. Okay? But not having a New Testament, you had to have the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. And that’s Acts 2. Okay? So, the Gospels preach and the church begins. Okay? You’re gonna trace the history of your congregation. Where do you trace it back to? Alexander Campbell?
Barton W. Stone, where do you trace your congregation back to? Ask anybody in the religious world, where do you trace your church back to? Where do you trace it? By the way, if you can’t trace it back to here, what do I automatically know? I automatically know something, right? How many people outside these walls, and I am in Bremen, Georgia, right? I had never received religious persecution until I lived here.
Now all the times I lived in the state of Alabama, I never had anybody challenge me because I was a Christian. But I did in this town right here, Bremen, Georgia. When I was over here at this high school, at Bremen High School, a friend of mine, by the way, later on I learned it was the Baptist preacher’s daughter, first Baptist preacher tent right here in Bremen, Georgia, challenged me with reference to what I believe. If you want to know about that, we’ll talk about that later. We got ground to move.
So now you move from Acts chapter 2, what’s happening? By the way, is the church being added to daily? Okay, so that sermon in Acts chapter 2 is not the only piece of material that you’re going to find. People are obeying the gospel daily. We don’t have any of that teaching. We just said it was being done. Okay? Now, when I move chapters 3 to 9, what do I find? Well, the church is in its embassy and it’s got some growing pains. It’s got some major growing pains.
Matter of fact, you got persecution from without, starting with the Sanhedrin. And then all of a sudden, you got a husband and a wife that are doing what? Acts 5. They didn’t give according to what they said. And then all of a sudden, the numbers grow in chapter 6, and what’s happening with the widows? They’re being neglected. Then all of a sudden, we’re gonna call these seven men, Philip, Stephen, among those seven. You get to chapter 7, what’s Stephen doing? Stephen preaches.
Stephen’s dead. By the way, who killed him? Romans? Gentiles? No. The Jewish nation killed him, stoned him. By the way, is there a young man holding the coats of that? Why is that man mentioned? Why does he play a major role in the book of Acts? Why does Theophilus need to know that? Okay, because listen, if you can convert that man, you can convert anybody by the power of the gospel.
Because Paul calls himself what? The chiefest of sinners. Nobody lower than Saul of Tarsus. By the way, but he did it ignorantly and unbelief. By the way, he was a Pharisee and his daddy was a Pharisee according to Acts 22, excuse me, Acts 23. So what do you’ve got? You’ve got the growing pains of the church, you got the ups and the downs. By the way, you’re gonna have that with first generation Christians and first generation congregations.
But the major thing now is you’re gonna convert this guy.
Up to Acts 9 and verse 31, the church did not have peace. The church was in turmoil everywhere, because this guy would go to strange cities. He would go to foreign cities to ferret out those of the way. Correct? But now, he’s a convert. Not only is he a convert, now he is an apostle.
By the way, that will be challenged by many people in the church that he’s an apostle. You’re not one of the original 12. Okay? And he will be accused of all kinds of things. None of them are true. You’re familiar with the phrase that Paul makes in 2 Corinthians 11 when he talks about all these perils that he was in danger of. And one of them is, perils of false brethren.
How many of have ever experienced perils of false brethren? Well guess who is in your shoes?
Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul, was in peril of false brethren. Keep that in your memory bank when I take you to Jude, verse four. Keep that in your memory bank. You it. I don’t know, can you ask, you just want me to lecture until I get through? We’ll come back to you. Okay, I’m watching my clock try to get through all this, because I’m not even to where I want to go with this, because let’s move on, okay?
So now, Saul’s conversion. What does Acts 9.31 say? Then the church had rest, peace. The church is comforted. By the way, the major persecutor of the church is now a convert. What did Paul say in Galatians chapter one? There was none my equal, right? None my equal. By the way, it doesn’t mean persecution is gonna end for the church, but it means his part in the persecution of the church is now over. By the way, he is not gonna preach the faith.
that he used to be, he now preaches the faith he once destroyed, Galatians 1, right? So Saul’s conversion. Now, Acts 10 to Acts 12. And I put here the book of James probably at the end of Acts 12, or maybe even at end of Acts 11, and I’ll come to that in a minute. Now you got the Gentile growth. It is my conviction that there are two major prophecies of the Old Testament, I would say two major promises.
of the Old Testament that is the Book of Acts. The first promise is the promise God made to Abraham, that in thy seed all nations… Did you hear the phrase? Not just a nation or the Jewish nation. All nations would be blessed. That is the first promise that has to be fulfilled of the Old Testament. Second one is that out of David’s own loins one would come that would sit on his throne.
And according to Zechariah 6, 13 and 14, he will be a priest on his throne. Remember that when we get to the book of Hebrews. He will be a priest on his throne. If he’s a king, he’s a priest. If he’s a priest, he’s a king. And by the way, if he’s a priest and he’s a king, he’s the high priest. He’s not of the priest of Levi or Jimmy, he’s of the priest of Melchizedek foretold in the Old Testament.
Listen, what I am doing, I hope you’re seeing this, is explaining the entire Bible to you as best as I know how to do it. Okay? Are you following me? Okay? So what happens here is, in Acts 10 and in Acts 11, immediately, not Paul, he’s going to be the apostle to the Gentiles, yes, but not Paul, who is our man who’s going to be preaching to Cornelius. Peter. Peter. What Peter say in Acts chapter 2 with reference to this promise of Joel.
for the promises unto you, to your children, to those that are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Did Peter understand that? If Peter understood that, why does he make the statement he does in chapter 10? Of a truth I perceive, God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation. He that fears God and keeps works righteousness is accepted to him. Acts 10, 34 and 35. So now what’s Peter understand? What I said in Acts 2, I now get it.
But by the way, did the church get it? Did those Jews inside the church get it? No, in chapter 11 of Acts, verse 3, it says, are objecting because you did go in unto them, circumcised, and did eat with them. You’re putting them on the same level with us. You literally are putting them on the same level with us. That’s the problem in the book of Acts, in the beginning in particular. Okay? So when you come to Acts chapter 12, what do you find? You’re in Jerusalem. By the way, James is dead.
Right? Peter is in prison. Peter’s about to die. Okay? Well, it looks like Peter’s over. By the way, Paul’s an apostle, so the work could go on. But what does God do? God spares Peter. He’s not gonna spare him indefinitely, because when we get to 2 Peter, what does he say in chapter one, verse 14? Knowing that shortly, I must put off this, my tabernacle. Okay? So Peter’s going to die, but not now. The apostles need to keep on doing their work. Why?
Why? Until that which is perfect is come. Until revelation is done through the apostles’ work. Because if you and I don’t have a Bible, we can’t have faith. And it’s impossible to please God without faith. How does faith come? Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. Right? So I gotta have the word of God. How am I gonna get the word of God? I’ve got to have the work of the Holy Spirit through these people to get me a Bible. So God keeps them alive to give us a Bible.
Okay, so why not put the book of James here? It’s my conviction, this is exactly where the book of James fits. Okay, the book of James has nothing to do with the Jew and Gentile problem. That will arise in Paul’s epistles in particular. But the book of James, in my estimation, is the double-minded man.
In James 1 and verse 7, talks about, or verse 8, it talks about that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. When you get to chapter 4 and verse 8, he calls them ye double-minded. What does double-minded mean? You’re adulterers and adulteresses. No, you’re not. He that is friend to the world is enemy to God. You cannot be a friend of God and a friend of the world at the same time. I paraphrased that, but you understand. What’s happened? By the time you get to the book of James, what has happened among the Jews is they haven’t gotten the world out of them.
The rich members of the church are abusing the poor members of the church. Read chapter five, you’ll see that. The book of James is dealing with worldliness. Worldliness. Okay? The entire book, the theme of the book of James to me is the worldly church. Okay, matter of fact, that’s how I’ve taught it. Okay? Now.
When he come to James chapter two, he says about the rich that they do blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called. What is that? What is that worthy name by which you are called? Christian. Well, they’re not called Christians until Acts 26. Are you with me? That’s where I then put the book of James after Acts 11 and verse 26, but before the first missionary journey.
Because now you’re gonna have a lot of Gentiles incorporated in Acts 13 and 14 in the first missionary journey. But this is a Jewish problem that the world is still in the Jews. Now, let me take you to James 1.27. Pure religion, none defiled before God and the Father is what? Visit the Father and the widow and to keep himself unspotted from the world. by the way, is there a lot more to pure and none defiled religion than those two qualities? Is there? Yeah, there are a lot. How about not being a false teacher?
whole book of Jude talks about not being a false teacher. Well, show me an example where the church in Jerusalem has already dealt with being spotted by the world. How about Acts chapter five? Show me an example where you’re neglecting widows in the book of Acts in the church in Jerusalem. How about Acts chapter six? So what would these people understand James 1.27 to mean? Do you follow me? Are you with me?
What’s happening is James is correcting and bringing to their mind things that they’re struggling with. By the way, what is ecclesia mean? Called out. But by the way, can the world still be in the church while you’re still in the world? Let me tell you something. That book right there deals with worldliness better than any book you’ll find in your New Testament. But there’s a lot of other passages in these books that talk about the world. Love not the world. Neither things are in the world. Be not conformed to this world, right? All over the Bible.
That book is about the world. And if you find worldliness in your congregation, you do a heavy dose of the book of James. Because that’s what that book’s about, again, in my judgment. But it has nothing to do with the Jewish Gentile controversy, because there’s no discussion of that in the book of James. That’s why I put it early in the New Testament. But then you come to the first missionary journey, and all of a sudden,
What do you find among this first missionary journey? Who are the real culprits of Paul’s work with Barnabas? Jews, right? By the way, how many synagogues do you find Paul going to? By the way, if he goes into a town, there’s a synagogue, what does he do? He avoids it like the plague. No, if there’s a synagogue in a town, what does Paul do? He goes to the synagogue. If he don’t go anywhere, he goes to the synagogue. What if the town doesn’t have a synagogue? Then he goes where people are.
that are religiously minded, like Philippi. Philippi didn’t have a Okay? And I’ve got right here on my notes, probably can’t find it, yes. Here are the synagogues you read about in the book of Acts. There was one in Jerusalem, there was one in Damascus, there’s one in Salamis, Cyprus, there’s one in Antioch, Episcidia, there’s one in Iconium, there’s one in Thessalonica, there’s one in Berea, there’s one in Athens, there’s one in Corinth, and there’s one in Ephesus. And here are all the references in the book of Acts that says there was a synagogue in those towns.
Synagogues are all over the map in the first and second and third missionary journeys. Okay? But by the way, if you go to a synagogue, does everybody that hear the gospel obey what they hear? No, some do, some don’t. Well, what do the ones that don’t do to Paul, Barnabas, Silas, et cetera? They are the ones that are the upheaval of the church. And you will read that all through the book of Acts, all the way to Acts 28.
is by the way, Paul meets certain Jews in Rome in Acts 28 verse 22, here’s what they say, we desire to hear of what you think for concerning this sect, for it is everywhere spoken against. By the way, Paul then appoints a day, verse 23, and he expounds to them the kingdom of God. What people are calling a sect of Judaism, Paul says, all I’m doing is establishing the kingdom of God.
Understand? By the way, how many folks call churches of Christ a sect? And then you and I call it the kingdom of God. How do you explain it’s the kingdom of God? You take the same scriptures and you walk through them. By the way, if you disagree with me, you’re not disagreeing me, you disagree with these scriptures. Because the church is a kingdom, kingdom is a church. This is the fulfillment of the promise God made to Abraham. This is the fulfillment God made to David.
The kingdom’s here and all nations shall flow unto it. Isaiah 2, Micah 4.
Okay? Now, I feel like I’m talking like, you know, Energizer Bunny here, but let’s move on. Okay? So, all of a sudden you get to Acts 15, and what has happened after the first missionary journey? There are certain believers who are Pharisees. And what are they arguing? You must be circumcised to do what? To be saved. In other words, they’re making a law where God did not make one.
Tell me nobody in our brotherhood will ever make laws where God did not make them. And I’m telling you, you’ve never lived in Limestone County, Alabama where I live. Right, Brother John Priel? Okay, well what’s the idea? What all of a sudden happened to heaven? So the first missionary journey ends and then they’re dealing with this problem of the Judaizers. By the way, the letter is sent to where? In Acts 15. Antioch, from Jerusalem to Antioch. Why Antioch? Because by the way,
First missionary journey launched from Antioch. Guess where the second one’s gonna launch from? Guess where the third one’s gonna launch from? Antioch becomes the center.
They become the congregation that sent these missionaries out. By the way, when the missionary journeys are over, guess where these missionaries report? Back to Antioch. So you’re moving away from Jerusalem somewhat, and you’re now moving to Antioch. By the way, now the church is expanding. You will be witnesses unto me, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the uttermost part of the world.
Acts 1 verse 8. That’s what they’re doing. Now, then you come to Acts 16 to 18, second missionary journey. It is my conviction in the book of Galatians, and I put this in my notes, but I didn’t put it on your outline. I put the book of Galatians at Acts 15, verses 35 and 36, that this is when Paul and Barnabas are about to leave Jerusalem and to go check on the brethren. Why would Paul and Barnabas need to go checking on the brethren?
Because Galatians 1 and verse 6, in my estimation, says, I marvel you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of God to another gospel, which is not another, but there be some that trouble you and pervert the gospel of Christ. And so Paul has learned of the fact that the Galatian brethren, which is in the first missionary journey, has now had the trouble of these Judaizers that have gotten into that area and their influence in the church. Okay, so Paul writes the letter.
And then he goes. He goes to check on the brethren. By the way, why is it important to write a letter first before you go check? By the way, did Paul write the second Corinthian letter before he went and got the contribution?
Okay, the idea is I need you to correct it before I show up because if I show up and you don’t correct it, what is an apostle gonna do?
He’s going correct it because an apostle can correct it. Okay? So the point is in my judgment, this is the time in which now the Galatian letter is being placed in here. Actually, it should be back here instead of in here, but this is okay. Then 1 and 2 Thessalonians. By the way, what is the book of Galatians about? In my estimation, it is the law of Christ, Galatians 6 verse 2, has freed you, made you free, and in the liberty that you’re no longer under the law of Moses. He’s dealing with these Judaizers.
You’re not without any law. Because by the way, you are still under grace, correct? I marvel at you here so soon, removing him that called you into the grace of God. Let me stop and make this observation right here. This idea that when you’re under grace, you’re not under any law whatsoever is absolutely foreign to the New Testament. Absolutely, it’s foreign to the whole Bible. Romans 4.15 says, where there is no law, there is no transgression.
By the way, if there’s no transgression because I’m not under any law of any sort, what do I need of grace? I don’t need grace. I don’t have any sin because I’m not under any law that tells me I’m a sinner. If I’m saved by grace, which I am, that necessarily infers I am under a law where there is sin. Shake or not? If I’m saved by grace, and I am and everybody else is,
I have to be under some law of God in order to be saved by grace. So what law am I under in New Testament times after Acts 2? I’m under the law of Christ, Galatians 6 and 2, What does Galatians 6 and 2 say? Bear you one another’s burdens and so fulfill the what? we’re not under any law. The Galatians would never have understood that they were not under any law. They were told they’re under the law of Christ. You’re not under the law Moses.
But you are under law, you’re under law, Christ.
Okay, now, when I come to first and second Thessalonians, first Thessalonians has to do, particular chapter three and verse 10, with Paul writing to the Thessalonian brethren, actually bringing them up to perfection or to maturity. The infancy and now these people are growing. These churches are growing. Okay, now in second Thessalonians, there’s a problem with reference to the second coming of Christ. The some had perverted the teaching of the second coming, they thought it was gonna happen in their lifetime. Matter of fact, they thought it was imminent. Okay, but what does Paul say in chapter two?
that that would not until there’s first of following away, right? And the revealing of the man of sin. Okay, which by the way, hadn’t happened yet. Okay? So the point is these books here have to do with developing and helping the church understand. These teachers back here, they’re not teaching you the truth. They’re leading you away from the grace of God.
What does Jude verse 4 say these false teachers are doing?
turning the grace of God into wantonness. Okay, now, when I get to that point in that outline, I wanna walk you through the grace of God as you walk it through these New Testament books, because grace is everywhere in these books, everywhere, okay? So, second missionary journey, come out of the second missionary journey, then you’re in the third missionary journey. That’s first and second Corinthians, and then obviously then Romans, okay?
1 Corinthians, I believe, has to do with problems that arise when a church will not grow. Take your Bible and turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 2.
instead of me butchering it, trying to quote it, just let me do the easy thing and read it. 1 Corinthians 3 and verse two. I have fed you with milk and not with meat. For hitherto you were not able to bury it. And what’s the rest of that verse say? Neither yet now. So what spiritual condition is this church in according to that passage? You were babes back here in the past.
and you still can’t eat strong meat, you are still babes now. Let me ask you a question. What does a new convert who is a first generation Christian end up creating? Problems.
problems. This book is an illustration of the kinds of problems that arise when you don’t grow spiritually as a Christian and as a congregation. If you’ve got a congregation that’s not growing and developing, that’s the book you need to preach. That’s the book you need to teach. This church is immature. And over and over and over, the book of 1 Corinthians, what you’re going to find is the idea of maturing.
By the way, the word is perfect. Perfect doesn’t mean sinless. Sinless means without sin. Perfect means maturing, full grown. Okay? How about this one from 1 Corinthians 13? When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child. So when I became a man, put away childish things. Yes, I know that’s having to do with the miraculous age, but he’s using the idea of maturity. Quit you like men.
King James says. What does it literally mean? Act like a man. Okay, in other words, I’ve taught you this book, I’ve given you this material to solve your problems, now implement it. What is 2 Corinthians about? 2 Corinthians is about comfort. Comfort. The 1 Corinthians letter worked. The reason I know that, chapter 7 of 2 Corinthians says it worked. Your zeal, your repentance.
By the way, doesn’t mean every problem was solved because you read chapters 10 to the rest of the book, you will find you still got some problems in the church. But the fact of matter is, the first Corinthian letter worked. The second Corinthian letter is to comfort them. Let ask you a question. If you preached a sermon and a person responded obeying the gospel or was restored, what is your obligation to do with these people? What does chapter 2 of 2 Corinthians say they weren’t doing with a person who wanted to come back? They weren’t restoring that member.
And therefore now you are heaping on him. What are you to do? You are to forgive and to comfort him. You are to bring him back. And that’s what 2 Corinthians is about. Also a defense of Paul’s apostleship. And by the way, is that big contribution from the Gentiles going to comfort those Jewish churches? By the way, you see the grace of God in that gift? By the way, Paul pray three times for a thorn in the flesh to be taken away.
of what God tell him would suffice him? Bingo, bingo. Watch that term through all these books. By the what’s 1 Corinthians 15 verse 10, say Paul say he was. By the grace of God I am what I am and that grace was told from me was not in vain but I labor more than all, yet not I but what? Grace of God is with me. Grace, okay, grace, grace, grace.
You get to Romans, what is it? It is a faith that it might be by grace. Romans 4.16. You’re not gonna get away from the subject, guys. It is the very foundation of what makes Christians Christians. It is the foundation of what makes the church the church, the grace of God. Okay? And what are these Judaizers doing? They’re perverting it. And what are these folks in Jude 4 doing? They’re perverting it.
Okay, so what have you and I got to do when we contend for the faith? We got to stand up for grace. And I’m not talking about denominational grace. What am I talking about? I’m talking about biblical grace. What the Bible literally teaches about grace. By way, do you know there are folks out here in churches of Christ that actually believe, actually teach that we don’t believe in grace. I deny that. I deny that categorically.
I have always heard sermons on grace growing up as a child.
And no one is ever going to go to heaven without grace of God. No single individual, no congregation is going to go to heaven without the grace of God. Because none of us deserve anything but the wages of sin is death. You want wages? There’s your wage. You want eternal salvation? It’s the gift of God, Romans 6.23. Grace is a subject you need to talk about and preach about, by the way, to put strength in your members, to put strength in your congregation. wait, gives you hope. It gives you hope, okay?
Get back up here, see where I am. Now you come to end of the book of Acts. What’s Paul having to deal with? By the way, why is he having to appeal to Caesar? Who are his problem makers? The Jews. The Jews are still his problem. By the way, that doesn’t mean Gentiles are not going to give him fits, but the Jews are his problem makers. So he ultimately has to appeal to who? He has to appeal to Caesar because they’re going to send him back to Jerusalem and he knows…
They’re lying in wait to assassinate him if he goes back to Jerusalem. I will appeal to Caesar. Okay? Well, to Caesar you go. But in the meantime, he preaches to three guys.
Felix, Festus, and Agrippa. By the way, they’re Romans. They’re Romans. They’re Roman officials. And by the way, do they treat Paul and somewhat outside of Festus, because he’s a little bit, you know, prejudiced about anything, does Felix tremble at what he hears? Is Agrippa almost persuaded?
So who’s Paul’s real problem? Is it the Gentiles? No, where’s his problem? His problem is the Jews, the unbelieving Jew, okay? And the Judaizers that are in the church, okay? So by the time you get to the end of the book of Acts, what is Paul? He’s a prisoner, by the way, in his own hired house for two years. What’s he preaching? He’s preaching the kingdom of God. Last verse in Acts says that, he’s preaching the kingdom of God, okay? So then I come to Ephesians. Ephesians is eternal.
purpose of God, of man being in Christ. You in Christ, you’re in one body, by the way. Galatians says, there’s neither Jew nor Greek, bond of free, male or female, you’re all one in Christ. There is but one body and one spirit. Even as you’re calling one, hope you’re calling one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father above all through you and y’all. In other words, Jew, Gentile, male, female, it don’t matter. You obey the gospel, you’re in one body.
That’s the eternal purpose of God. Ephesians 3 verses 10 and 11. Now, let me skip Philippians and jump to Colossians. Ephesians is you in Christ. Colossians is Christ in you.
Right? Colossians 1, Christ in you the hope of glory. So it’s not just enough to be in the church.
Christ has got to be in you.
Let me ask you question. How many people are members of the church and they’re not living like Christ in them? When Paul said, am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me. How did you know that? The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Do you mean tell me there are members of the church that don’t live that way?
You in Christ? That’s important. It’s a turn of parts of God. But Christ has gotta be in you. What does that look like? Now you study that book from that vantage point because it describes what Christ in you looks like. If you then be risen with Christ, what are you doing? You are seeking those things which are above. And that’s what the book of Colossians is about. Philippians is to have the mind of Christ. Philippians 2 and verse 5.
Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4 and verse 8. Finally, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever are honorable, whatsoever things are pure, things just, whatsoever things are loving, if they’re being in verse 5 and anything, think, think on these things and have this mind. So all through the book of Philippians, you’ve got the mind, the mind to mind these things, to be of the same mind. So this is you in Christ.
Have the same mind, Christ in you. Philemon is how the grace of God solves problems. Because it was through the letter that Paul wrote with reference to Onesimus that the grace of God to Philemon actually would help Onesimus to be able to come back and not receive him as a slave who Paul will pay his debt off, but as now a brother in Christ. By the way, nobody’s ever owed a member of the church money, right? And they sat down in the same building and worshiped with them and act like Christians.
Philippians is your book if they’re having struggles with that, okay? Then you come to book of Hebrews. I don’t have any doubt what the book of Hebrews is about. Chapter eight, verse one tells me what the book of Hebrews is about. That this is the sum of it. That we have a high priest and where is he sitting? He’s back there at the temple in Jerusalem. By the way, is there a man claiming to be high priest back there at the temple in Jerusalem when the book of Hebrews is written? By the way, God will smite you, you wadded wall. Who did Paul tell that to?
the high priest back at Jerusalem, right? Who’s Paul’s high priest?
That man he used to work for in Acts 9 when he got letters from the high priest to go to Damascus, who’s Paul’s high priest? The one at the right hand of God, and that’s your book of Hebrews. And therefore, if he’s a high priest there and you’ve changed the priesthood, their most of necessity have been a change of the… we’re not under the law Moses anymore.
Book of Hebrews argues that. Who needs to learn that? These Judaizers need to learn that. And these unbelieving Jews need to learn that.
Okay, so I moved from there. Now come the church now is Paul is freed from prison because he writes first and second, first Timothy and Titus. And also now the church is maturing. First Timothy is about chapter five, chapter three and verse 14, 15. These things are written to you hoping to come to you shortly. But if I tarry long, you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God, means the family, the word family there. The church of the living God, pillar and ground of the truth. In other words, book of first Timothy.
is written to Timothy while he’s at Ephesus to help that church continue to act like the family of God. And watch those family features as it runs down through that book. What’s Titus about? Sound doctrine that produces good works. I’ve left you in Crete that you establish elders in every congregation and perfect that or continue that which is lacking. So the church is maturing. When you get to 2 Timothy and now 1 and 2 Peter,
Now you got Nero problems. By the way, who is emperor? Who is Caesar during the days when Peter’s gonna die and Paul’s gonna die? Nero. Nero is the one gonna kill Peter and Paul. By the way, he’ll kill Peter and Paul, will he kill anybody else? Absolutely. Okay, so now what you’re looking at is you’re looking into the 60s. By the way, these are in the 60s, 60, 62. This is the 60s line in here.
Second Timothy, excuse me, first Timothy has to do with the conduct of the church as a family. Titus has to do a sound doctrine that produces good works. Second Timothy is to put the courage in Timothy to keep on doing this work. Second Timothy one in verse seven, Paul says, God’s not given us a spirit of fear, but a power of love and of a sound mind. And you be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Chapter two, verse one. And you keep on preaching this word. You be incident in season, out season, or pre-reconciliation. You endure afflictions as a good…
soldier of Jesus Christ, right? All the passages to put strength in this young man. Because by the way, Paul’s gonna die, what’s the church gotta have? Let tell you something, folks. William Woodson, Tom Holland, Franklin Camp, and my dad are all dead. What does the church still need? People that are alive to do what? Do what we’re doing. By the way, if we all die before the Lord comes back, if it’s 10,000 years in the future, what do we still need?
The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who will do what? Teach others also. In other words, I may die and never teach another word, but that don’t mean the teachings gotta go on. I gotta give you so you can keep on giving it and keep on giving it and keep on giving it and keep on giving it because this is the faith once delivered unto these saints. By the way, when you and I are dead and gone, the church will still thrive. You believe that?
Let me ask you a question. Was the church thriving before you were ever born?
Though if you think you’re indispensable, you check those two boxes. Was the church around here and growing before I was ever born? And if I’m dead and gone, will the church keep on thriving? Then there ain’t but one indispensable person in the church. His name is Jesus Christ, for he has the preeminence. You can’t have the church without Christ, but you can have the church without Jimmy Clark.
And I’ll put your name in that blank too. So by the time you get to 1 Peter, what are you looking at? Look at chapter five and verse 12 of 1 Peter. I’m already past two o’clock. Just stay with me, I’m almost done.
When I was teaching the book of 1 Peter back several years ago, this verse, as it were, jumped off the page with me. By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein you stand. If you’ll go back and study the book of 1 Peter from that vantage point over and over and over, you’re gonna find grace of God, grace of God, grace of God, grace of God, grace of God.
What’s happening is, evidently by implication, some people are beginning to challenge the teaching of the grace of God. And Peter says what they’re saying is not true. This is the true grace of God. Where in you stand? And when you get to 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 18, he closes the book by saying what? Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace runs all through these books, guys. All through these books.
Okay, so by the time you get to that, the apostasy is rising. How do I know? I read 2 Timothy chapter three, Paul talks about perilous times shall come. I read 2 Peter chapter two, by the way, which is a mirror image of the book of Jude. 2 Peter chapter two and Jude are mirror images. Okay, and I’ll point that out to you as we go through here. Paul and by the way, 1 Timothy four.
talks about the apostasy rising. The Spirit speaks expressly in the what? Letter times, some shall depart from the faith, given who is seduced by the Spirit and doctored by the devil. What is that? Perilous times shall come. There were false prophets in the Old Testament, even as there should be false teachers among you.
Chapter two, verse one of 2nd Peter. So the apostasy is arising. Now, by the time you get to Jude, the apostasy is here.
what Peter and Paul predicted is alive and well in Jude’s day.
Jude was going to write about what? The common salvation. And all of a sudden the Holy Spirit told him to do what? Stop. Stop and do what?
I was going to write to you about the common salvation. I’ve stopped writing about the common salvation. By the way, is that a Bible subject? The Bible’s full of the common salvation, New Testament in particular. But I gotta stop, okay? And that you earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. For there are, didn’t say will be, there are certain men crept in. So what they predicted is now here.
And that’s what the book of Jews background is. It is immediately, I have to explain to you what they said would come, it’s here. So when you see it, number one, they already told you it was coming. And I’m telling you by the Holy Spirit, it’s here. It’s here. The time you get to 1 John, what are you looking at? What does chapter two, verse 19 say? They went out from us because they were not of us.
By the way, did they claim to be of us? Yes, but now what’s John doing? Those that seduce you, these things right unto you concerning them that seduce you. Chapter two in verse 26. What is John writing in second John to that woman? What is he thrilled that this woman and her children are doing? They’re walking in the truth. What do you got in third John? Here you got Gaius and then here you got Demetrius, but you got a guy in the church who wants the preeminence and he’s claiming it. Not only that,
He’ll kick out anybody that wants to get in. His name is Diatrophes. By the way, who’s the only one in the church that has preeminence? And if you claim preeminence and he’s the only one, you deny the only Lord God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is denying that Jesus is preeminent by claiming the preeminence. So 1st, 2nd, 3rd John and June are all saying that apostasy that was foretold is here. It’s here.
You don’t have to wait on it, it’s here.
And then you get to the book of Revelation, and that’s another story. But by the time you get to Revelation, divine revelation is completed. And that which is perfect has come, and that which is in part has been done away. And now you’re in the non-miraculous age with 66 books of the Bible, and you go till the Lord comes back.
