 If you can stay with me as we work through the introduction, it's going to help you put together your New Testament, similar to the way in which we put together the Old Testament by working through a book like Ezra, okay? And so stay with me. If you work at it, if you think through with it, me with it, it's going to help you put together your New Testament. It's also going to help prepare you for our next study together. And so hang in there, okay? And if you need to write the text down, think through with me, and then this will be on recording so you can go back and listen to it again, if that will help you, okay? So before we get started, let's pray together. Father in heaven, Almighty God, we thank you for the joy and the blessed privilege of studying your revelation to us, your word. Thank you, Lord, for the grace that is ours in Christ to lay our supplications before you, knowing, Lord, that you condescend to hear our prayer, that you condescend to attend to our great need in the preaching of your word by your spirit. And we thank you for that. A spirit of God, we acknowledge our need before you this morning and ask for your help. Please, Lord, attend to the preaching of your word. Guide us into truth. Glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grip our hearts with the joy that is ours in Him by faith and cause us, Lord, to exalt in praise and worship to you, our triune God, for this great salvation has been given to us. Prepare us, Lord, as we work through this introduction this morning, prepare us for the study that is coming and our verse by verse journey through your word in that study. And please, Lord, work in our hearts this morning to glorify your name. For those who don't know you, Lord, cause them to be born again. And for the saints, Lord, cause us to flee our sin and draw near to you our refuge. We love you, Lord, we thank you for your word. Bless your word to our hearts now as we study in Jesus' name. Amen. All right. According to the end of the Gospel accounts, we just finished the Gospel of John, and so that's essentially where we'll begin today. According to the end of the Gospel accounts, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ leaves the disciples discouraged and demoralized. John's Gospel records that after the Lord's death, the disciples are assembled together in a locked down room in Jerusalem for fear of the Jews. In Luke 24 on the road to Emmaus, the risen Lord encounters two followers of Christ saddened by the Lord's death. Their hopes are dashed, they're demoralized, and they said to him as they walked together, we were hoping that it was he who is going to redeem Israel. The women are the first to see the Lord alive after his resurrection. And many of the disciples refused to believe their account. Luke says to the 11 that the words of the women seemed like idle tales to them. And after the women, however, the Lord graciously and gloriously appears to the 11 as well, enumerous recorded post-resurrection appearances. And not only to the 11, not only to the 11, Paul records that at one point the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to more than 500 disciples together at one time, many of whom he said are alive and well as the New Testament church is being established and as the New Testament documents are being written. There were several reasons that we gave for these post-resurrection appearances of Christ. First, there for the purpose of attesting to the fact that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead in power. Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the one who became flesh, God who became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus Christ conquered the grave. He redeemed his people. God's wrath has been satisfied. God's justice has been vindicated. And Jesus is the first fruits of all those who have fallen asleep, all of us who will fall asleep. And as all of us die in Adam, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. Amen. And the resurrection proves that in power. Secondly, the second reason for these post-resurrection appearances is the Lord used those appearances to encourage and strengthen beleaguered disciples. From the gospel accounts we see the Lord instructing them. The Lord is correcting them, sometimes rebuking them. In all of this the Lord is primarily preparing them for gospel ministry. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will go out to all the world, to the ends of the earth. And it's going to go out initially through the testimony, the attestation of these apostolic witnesses. So the Lord intends to strengthen these men. It will be the truth of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ that would fuel the relentless preaching of the gospel by the disciples in the early church. And the early church would grow at the preaching of Jesus Christ and him crucified and raised from the dead. Thirdly, in these post-resurrection appearances, the Lord commissions the disciples and he commissions all disciples that come after them. He commissions them to be a witness for him. Matthew chapter 28 beginning in verse 18, the Lord Jesus Christ says, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age. And we see this great commission given again to the disciples by the Lord himself in Acts chapter one. Turn to Acts chapter one with me. Acts chapter one. In Acts chapter one, beginning in verse four, again the great commission given beginning in verse four where Luke records being assembled together with them. He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said you have heard from me. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him saying Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, it's not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has put in his own authority. But verse eight, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and to the end of the earth. The promised spirit descends in power upon the disciples gathered together in Jerusalem at Pentecost in Acts chapter two. Flip over to Acts chapter two with me and look at verse one. Now when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as a fire and one sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, look are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes, Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs, we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God. That day, in Jerusalem, about 3,000 souls were added to their number and from the womb of eternal electing grace the church was birthed in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit had descended with power for the purpose of a witness. These disciples were to remain in Jerusalem. They will be witnesses to him in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The Bible says that those new disciples, the new disciples of the church in Jerusalem went everywhere preaching the gospel all over Jerusalem, all over Judea, all over Samaria in Acts 8 we see and to the end of the earth preaching in their own languages, in their own languages the crucified and risen Christ. Now that upstart movement, often called the way in the early church, that upstart movement that the Jews had thought they would squash by murdering its leader, that upstart movement began to spread like wildfire. The Jewish leaders were astounded by the boldness of the Lord's disciples. Now that's a boldness, you understand, that is fueled by the Spirit of God informed by the truth of the reality of the resurrection. The Lord Jesus Christ, him crucified and him raised from the dead. The Lord Jesus Christ is risen, amen? And in the Spirit of God and that truth, that truth the Spirit of God fueled their preaching. And the Jewish leaders were astounded. They preached with boldness. They preached fiery, right? They preached the word of God. The Jews saw that these men were untrained. They were uneducated but they knew they had been with Jesus. And Jerusalem, they said, was being filled with their doctrine. The gates of Hades were not prevailing against the spread of the gospel. The Jews marveled at the miracles being performed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were dumbfounded as Jews by the thousands swelled the ranks of the early church, repenting of their sin and putting their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter stood up in the middle of a meeting of the Sanhedrin in Acts chapter 4, preaching Christ. In the presence of the very men who led the charge to murder Christ, Peter said of Christ in verse 11 in Acts chapter 4 verse 11, this is the stone which was rejected by you builders which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. And as the gospel began to spread, as the early church was being built, the Jewish leaders began to panic. What are we going to do? What shall we do? So inevitably, as the church began to spread, persecution begins to ramp up. Disciples of the way began to be rounded up, began to be imprisoned, beaten and killed. The first of the early church to be martyred for preaching the gospel was Stephen over in Acts chapter 7. And there at the very end of the chapter were introduced to a man who had proved to be a violent and zealous enemy of the church, Saul of Tarsus. Look at with me at Acts chapter 7, verse 57, where Luke records then they cried out with a loud voice. They stopped their ears at the preaching of Stephen and they ran at Stephen with one accord. And they cast him out of the city and they stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. If you look at chapter 8, verse 1, Saul was there consenting to his death. Saul set the bar in his zealous persecution of the church. He would say of himself in 1 Timothy 1, verse 13 that he himself was a blasphemer, a persecutor and an insolent man, the chief of sinners having persecuted the church and persecuting the church to death. He intended to bring back disciples of the way imprisoned, bound to Jerusalem where Paul would later say that he sat in judgment consenting to their death. Concerning the law, Paul said he was a Pharisee. Concerning zeal he persecuted the church. Now Paul is still breathing out threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord when the ascended Christ met him on the road to Damascus in Acts chapter 9. The growing persecution in Jerusalem had fueled a diaspora, a scattering of Christian Jews. Literally, these people were fleeing for their lives. They were leaving behind possessions. They were leaving behind work. Leaving behind loved ones forsaking all for the Lord Jesus Christ. And everywhere they went they were preaching the gospel. However, as the witness for Christ moved beyond the walls of Jerusalem the persecution also followed them. One such group of persecuted Christians had established themselves in Damascus about 135 miles north of Jerusalem and square in the sights of the church's most fearsome enemy. If you look on your map there you can see, I can point this thing right, Damascus here, Jerusalem to the south about 135 miles north is Damascus. This is Judea. Give me an idea. This is modern-day Turkey. Here is modern-day Israel. You've got Syria to the north. This is Cappadocia. You've got Asia here, Bethany here, Galatia through here. We'll talk about that more in a moment. But as the persecuted Christians fled the city of Jerusalem they fled into outlying areas and as they fled, witnessing for Christ, persecution followed them. Look at Acts chapter 9. Look at verse 1. Then Saul still breathing out threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus so that if he found any who were of the way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed, he came near Damascus and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground. He heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Notice he said persecuting him. A persecution of the churches, persecution of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said in verse 5, Who are you, Lord? Then the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goats. So he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what do you want me to do? And immediately, Saul is humbled before the Lord Jesus Christ. What do you want me to do? And the Lord said to him, Arise and go into the city and you will be told what you must do. The Lord instructs then Ananias, a disciple of Christ. He instructs him to meet Saul in Damascus and he tells him down in verse 15. Go, Ananias, for Saul is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake. That's what it means to be an apostle. How many things he must suffer for my name's sake? Saul was filled with the Spirit of God. Saul was given his apostolic charge in Acts chapter 9. Saul was strengthened with a little food in Acts chapter 9. Look down at verse 20. And immediately, Saul preached the Christ in the synagogues that he is the Son of God. He confounded Jews who dwelt in Damascus proving that this Jesus is the Christ. And Saul, also known by his Roman name Paul, becomes a bold herald of the gospel. And before this chapter is out, what happens? The Jews are seen plotting, watching day and night to kill him. Now, if we trace a chronology then of Paul's ministry from here, we can draw that from various texts in his letters. Flip over quickly with me to Galatians chapter 1. Galatians chapter 1. And let's put together a chronology of Paul's ministry. We know that from Galatians chapter 1, beginning in verse 15, that Paul spent three years in Arabia and that three years ended with a trip to Jerusalem to meet with Peter. Look at Galatians chapter 1 and look at verse 15. But when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace to reveal his Son and me that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me. But I went to Arabia and returned to Damascus. Now, here's Damascus. Arabia is this region to the east. So we went into the desert. There's a desert there. Paul goes into Arabia. Verse 18, then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and remain with him 15 days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. Now, concerning the things which I write to you, indeed before God I do not lie. So Paul, after meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, he goes into Damascus and then takes a right. The guys were giving me a hard time with this pointer saying we're becoming emergent. Now I have a laser pointer and we're doing that. We just need a candle. We need a candle on the pulpit. This is a multimedia presentation this morning. So here's Damascus. He goes into the desert in Arabia. He spends essentially three years in Arabia, right? Afterward, it says Paul goes up into the regions of Cilicia and Syria according to Galatians 1 21. So Cilicia you travel north from Damascus. Cilicia is this region here or Syria is this region here. This is called Antioch of Syria and Cilicia is up here. Tarsus Paul's hometown is right here on the coast. So Tarsus down here. That makes sense. You can sketch that out and write these in if you want to if that helps you or I can give you a copy of this map. So afterward Paul goes into the regions of Cilicia and Syria according to Galatians 1 21. Acts 11 25. If you go back to Acts Acts 11 25 records the church sending out Barnabas sending out Barnabas who goes to Tarsus in Cilicia to find Paul. Now he finds Paul in Tarsus. Paul had returned to his hometown essentially Barnabas goes finds him in Tarsus and then he returns and brings him back to Antioch in Syria where Paul and Barnabas then meet with a church there for a year teaching the people. They spend a year in Antioch teaching the people. Antioch becomes a whole a home base so to speak for Paul's missionary journeys and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Okay. Between the two between Tarsus Cilicia, Syria between Arabia and then back in Antioch Paul spent 14 years. It was a period that ended with another trip to Jerusalem this time with help from the church at Antioch to help the church in Jerusalem with famine relief, right? And Antioch would then become a home base for Paul's missionary journeys. Now based on some fixed dates or fixed clues in Acts chapter 18 one of those being a decree from the Emperor Claudius that all Jews were to leave Rome. Another being the rule of Galio as proconsul of Achaia. Those clues in Acts chapter 18 help us pinpoint historical dates here for the ministry of Paul. We can estimate from those dates that Paul was likely converted on the road to Damascus in 34 AD year after the Lord's crucifixion. Paul then went on to Tarsus in 37 AD where he was found by Barnabas and taken to Antioch. Paul was then at the church in Antioch in 48 AD. All this comprising 14 years when the Spirit of God set him apart for missionary work in Acts 13. Look at Acts 13 with me. In Acts 13 Paul and Barnabas and others are serving in the church at Antioch in Syria. They're preaching the gospel teaching the people. When in verse one Acts records that now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers. Barnabas, Simeon, who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Menean, who had been brought up with hair of the Tetrarch and Saul. And they ministered to the Lord and fasted as they ministered to the Lord and fasted. The Holy Spirit said, Now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them they sent Barnabas and Saul away. What would follow then is a description of Paul's first missionary journey through the region of Galatia which is this region here. So Paul's going to go through Galatia preaching the gospel. The terrain of Galatia was incredibly rough on foot. Rivers, swamps, mountains and Paul was likely thinking of segments of this trip when he writes in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 that once he was stoned that happened in Lystra in Galatia. He was in perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils of his own countrymen in perils of the Gentiles in perils of the city in perils in the wilderness in weariness and toil in sleeplessness often in hunger and in thirst in fastings often in cold and in nakedness. Why? Why would Paul go through all that? Because of the preaching of the gospel. He had been called to preach the gospel. He was going to be obedient to the call even at the cost of his own life and he loved those people. He wanted to see them saved. Many of the Jews as he was preaching many of the Jews rejected the gospel at every turn such that Paul and Barnabas then turned their attention to the Gentiles. Drop down to Acts chapter 13 and look at verse 44. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes they were filled with envy. Now that's interesting isn't it? Because that's the same sin that led the Jews in Jerusalem to crucify Christ. And he said it was because of envy that they delivered him up. They were contradicting verse 45 and blaspheming and they opposed the thing spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas verse 46 they grew bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first. But since you rejected and judged yourselves unworthy of everlasting life behold we turn to the Gentiles. Again this acts further judgment on the Jews for their rejection of their Messiah for the rejection of the gospel. Now be warned this is a warning to you and I in our day the same judgment takes place in the hearing of the gospel today. Jesus warns his hearers in Luke chapter 8 verse 18 he says therefore take heed how you hear for whoever has to him more will be given and whoever does not have even what he seems to have will be taken from him. The warning is this if you continue to reject Christ if you continue to reject the gospel reject the command to repent and believe if you continue to carelessly live your life with no concern for God's word with no concern for the truth of the gospel no concern with what the word of God says about your soul right no concern for what God says about your sin and you just continue to persist in your sin then your heart grows harder and harder your self-justifying deceptive heart will convince you that somehow you're okay that you can have your cake and eat it too and you'll grow harder and harder and harder toward the things of God the truth of God the truth of the gospel forgiveness of sins mercy in Christ forgiveness in Christ that truth slips farther and farther and farther away farther and farther from your touch as you become harder and harder and harder and ultimately you find yourself before the judgment bar of Almighty God the great white throne with no hope that hope of everlasting life that was once presented to you now gone and you were lost if you don't take heed how you hear even what you seem to have will be taken from you the Jews harder and harder and harder eventually persecuting those of the way persecuting those who preach the gospel Lord Jesus Christ comes to you now with good news amen He comes to you with good news forgiveness in Christ turn from your sin and put your faith and trust in Him and be forgiven the Jews here in Acts 13 just continue to reject Jesus as the Christ and so eventually in judgment Paul just shakes the dust off his clothes and said I give you up give you up to your sin give you up to the hardness of your arts and we turn to the Gentiles you don't want the Lord doing that with you in a personal way right when you continue to reject the gospel and eventually you're just given over as Paul says in Romans 1 to a debased mind to do those things which you want to do have at it right turn from your sin so here in Acts 13 Paul turns his attention to the Gentiles look at verse 47 because Paul says the Lord has commanded us I have set you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth this gospel is going to go out to Gentiles this gospel is going to go out for the salvation to the ends of the earth verse 48 now when the Gentiles heard this they were glad they glorified the word of the Lord and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed the profound statement of the electing grace and mercy of God as many of those in that region of Galatia and there were many as many of those who were God's people whose names had been written in the book of life from before the foundation of the world as many of those as there were as many of those who had been appointed to eternal life those believed at the preaching of Paul at the preaching of Barnabas concluding his first missionary journey through Galatia this area again here Paul writes the letter to the Galatians around 8049 around 50 AD after returning to Antioch in Syria after his first missionary journey Paul travels back to Antioch and he writes the letter to the Galatians from Paul's letter to the Galatians we know that false teaching immediately creeps in comes through creeps who creep in immediately becomes a problem the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone and Christ alone was immediately challenged immediately corrupted by Judaizers who wanted to add works to salvation specifically circumcision the feast days so between his first and second missionary journeys then Paul takes a trip to Jerusalem and acts 15 for the Jerusalem council and it's for the purpose of clearing up the error of the Judaizers once and for all there at the council in Jerusalem the council affirms the true gospel affirms salvation by faith alone in Christ alone just ask the disciples of the way be sensitive to some of the Jewish customs that they had nevertheless faith alone in Christ alone and then in 8050 50 AD Paul takes Silas now and begins the second of his third or his three missionary journeys they're on their second missionary journey this begins in Acts chapter 15 in verse 36 in Acts 15 36 Paul decides to begin his second missionary journey by going back through Syria back through solicit back through Galatia strengthening the churches that had been planted there Paul and Silas meet Timothy in Lystra and Timothy joins them now it's interesting then what happens next the Bible says that as they are preaching through Galatia that the Spirit of God in Acts 15 the Spirit of God prevents them from going into Bethany and Pontus this area to the north Spirit of God prevents them from going into Asia this area here so the only direction left for them to go is from Galatia into what's called Messiah this northern area here and so what does Paul Silas do? They go into Messiah to preach the gospel prevented from going here prevented from going here so they go between the two into Messiah right as they go the only route available to them they go over Messiah to the port city of Troas which is around here port city of Troas and this is where Paul receives what is known as the Macedonian call you see the Macedonian call in Acts chapter 16 verse 8 Acts chapter 16 verse 8 he has a vision in the night of a man of Macedonia pleading with him to come over and help them in Macedonia Macedonia is this region here Paul is in Tarsus here's Macedonia okay he gets the Macedonian call so Paul, Silas and Timothy understanding that being God's direction to them they immediately head for Macedonia they travel immediately from Troas they spend one night here on this island called Salmon Thrace they immediately go over here they land at Neapolis in Neapolis they pick up Luke they meet Luke in Neapolis and then they immediately go to Philippi which is about right there if I could hold that still and Philippi was considered the capital of Macedonia capital city of Macedonia this region here so they immediately go to Philippi Paul in Acts 16 and 17 plants a church in Philippi plants a church in Thessalonica and plants a church in Berea right here along this sort of along the coastline but a little bit inward inland from that they leave Paul leaves Silas leaves Timothy behind in Berea and Paul departs Macedonia this area here he departs for the south and comes down eventually he's going to wind up in Athens which is about right there right and this is the region of Achaia Achaia and Corinth was the capital city of Achaia Athens right here on the coast so we know from Acts 17 Paul preaches the gospel to the pagans on Mars Hill of the Areopagus in Athens and then he ends up traveling from Athens west to Corinth where in Corinth he spends about 18 months preaching the gospel between 50 and 52 AD and that's recorded for us in Acts 18 look at Acts 18 Paul plants the church there at Corinth Acts 18 verse 1 after these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth and he found a certain Jew named Aquila born in Pontus who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla and that was because Emperor Claudius had issued an edict that all the Jews were to leave Rome right so you can imagine right Priscilla and Aquila then forced out of their home forced out of Rome and they came to Corinth verse 3 so because Paul was of the same trade Paul stayed with them and worked Priscilla and Aquila were also tent makers leather workers like Paul their occupation verse 3 they were also tent makers verse 4 and he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded both Jews and Greeks Paul went first to the synagogue there persuading both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue when Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia Paul was compelled by the spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ but when they opposed him and blasphemed see the pattern again he shook his garments and said to them your blood be upon your own heads I am clean from now on I will go to the Gentiles and he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justice one who worshiped God whose house was next door to the synagogue so justice gets converted then Christmas verse 8 the ruler of the synagogue the administrator of the synagogue so to speak he believed in the Lord with all his household and many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized and the church in Corinth was planted amen but the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision he said to Paul verse 9 do not be afraid but speak and do not keep silent the Lord would say that to you brother sister right don't be afraid speak and do not be silent what is it that keeps our mouth shut but fear fear of man right if you or unbelief fear or unbelief the Lord says speak do not be afraid open your mouth preach the gospel speak to them don't be silent verse 10 for I am with you he says in Matthew 28 even to the end of the age no one will attack you or hurt you for I have many people in this city and Paul continued there verse 11 a year and six months teaching the word of God among them again clear evidence of the elect mercies of God in the city of Corinth the Lord has many people in Orlando amen many people in Orlando preach the gospel preach the gospel do not be silent don't be afraid but speak it's awesome to be used of God in that right to preach the gospel lost people and God has many whom he will save the city of Corinth again was the Roman capital of a Kaia this area here comprising just the north of this area this is a Kaia and the city of Corinth is the capital of the Kaia it's about 55 miles west of Athens it's not an isthmus it's not easy to say this little strip of land they called it the bridge of Greece probably because bridge was easier to say than isthmus okay but it's on this tiny section of land here between the mainland and the peninsula okay Corinth was an important because of its location an important trade center in the first century a center of government a center of politics a center because of the trade a center of economics had a population of about 80,000 and like many commercial centers today you had those in Corinth who were extremely wealthy and those in Corinth who were extremely poor Luke describes in Acts 18 you have Jews there who were like Christmas who was the ruler of the synagogue and then you had struggling Jewish exiles like Priscilla and Aquila from Rome who were tent makers like Paul however based on many of the problems in the church recorded in 1 Corinthians it appears as though the church was largely comprised of Gentile believers mostly Gentiles in the church in Corinth after Paul leaves Corinth and concludes his second missionary campaign problems begin to plague the church in Corinth reports begin to filter into Paul during his three year stay in Ephesus on his third missionary journey he comes to Ephesus he missed according to Acts 20 he spends three years in Ephesus as he's in Ephesus reports begin to filter into Paul about the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians turn over to 1 Corinthians with me in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 down in verse 11 Chloe's people begin to report to Paul that there are divisions in the church many are prideful in the church over their wealth over their stature others are poor gross sexual immorality has been reported to Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 1 these reports begin to come into Paul of problems with the church at Corinth the Corinthians are confused about marriage confused about divorce and singleness we know that from chapter 7 the paganism in the city has raised questions of Christian liberty that Paul has to deal with in chapter 8 there are differences of wealth differences of standing in the church they've caused problems with how the Corinthians observe the Lord's Supper and Paul has to deal with that in chapter 11 there's confusion over spiritual gifts there's false teaching in the church about the resurrection there's over-realized eschatology problems with that in the church at Corinth the city of Corinth so amongst the problems in the church at Corinth the city of Corinth was so given over to immorality to debauchery that it became known throughout the Roman Empire that to Corinthianize meant to give yourself over to your lusts that was the name for it to Corinthianize the Corinthians became known for that anyone who went there often went there for that purpose these difficulties in the church in the area contribute to Paul's deep concern for the churches that he mentions in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 had deep concern he agonized over the church in Corinth the Corinthians have to learn how to live as Christians in a deplorably wicked culture in the same way that we have to maintain a Christian witness in a deplorably wicked culture and because of these problems Paul obviously maintained communication with the church writing letters back and forth with the church at Corinth and those letters go beyond what we see in the New Testament look over with me at 1 Corinthians chapter 5 1 Corinthians chapter 5 and drop down to verse 9 and we have 1 Corinthians in our Bible right? Paul says in verse 9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people so Paul had written a letter to the Corinthian church before 1 Corinthians in which he told them not to keep company with sexually immoral people now he's writing 1 Corinthians to clear up confusion about his first letter verse 10 yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world or with the coveters or with extortioners or idolaters since then you would need to go out of the world but now verse 11 in this letter I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother who is sexually immoral or covetous or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner not even to eat with such a person anyone who calls themselves a Christian and lives like that you're not to keep company with them right? what this indicates then in 1 Corinthians chapter 5 is that Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians before 1 Corinthians that we don't have it's a lost letter non canonical but Paul wrote a letter to them before 1 Corinthians now think with me about the Corinthian correspondence here and let's piece together what that involves scholars call the lost letter referenced in 1 Corinthians 5 they call it Corinthian A Corinthian A first Corinthians then the canonical letter that you have in your Bibles in your New Testament is called Corinthian B Corinthian B look over at 1 Corinthians chapter 16 chapter 16 you following me so far? hang in there like I said it's going to be a little unusual today a little different but hopefully when we wrap this up it'll be helpful to you lost letter Corinthian A 1 Corinthians in your New Testament that's Corinthian B look at 1 Corinthians chapter 16 drop down to verse 5 Paul says in verse 5 now I will come to you he's writing to the Corinthian church and Paul says I'm going to come to you when I pass through Macedonia for I am passing through Macedonia and it may be that I will remain or even spend a winter with you that you may send me on my journey wherever I go I don't wish to simply see you now on the way in other words I don't want to just spend a short amount of time with you in passing verse 7 but I hope to stay a while with you if the Lord permits but I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost so Paul's in Ephesus when he writes this letter he's going to tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost for a great and effective door has opened to me and there are many adversaries so Paul's in Ephesus he's on his third missionary journey he plans to come to Corinth again but not simply in passing he wants to spend some time with them and so he plans to wait until after Pentecost when he's able to come and stay for a while look at verse 10 and if, that word for if there better translated whenever Paul's not certain of his arrival but he sent Timothy to the church so he says in verse 10 and whenever Timothy comes see that he may be with you without fear for he does the work of the Lord as I also do therefore let no one despise him but send him on his journey in peace that he may come to me for I am waiting for him with the brethren that Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 17 that he's already sent Timothy to them it's apparent that when Paul heard the reports the bad reports coming out of Corinth that Paul immediately sends Timothy to the church to help Paul's getting these reports and before he even writes he sends Timothy sends Timothy to the church while Timothy is gone headed toward Corinth through Macedonia Paul receives a letter from the Corinthian church with questions from the church those questions are referenced in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 1 Corinthians chapter 8 1 Corinthians chapter 12 where Paul begins in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1 for example now concerning the things of which you wrote to me so there's some correspondence going back and forth between the church at Corinth and Paul Paul writes a letter the church at Corinth writes a letter back asking certain questions Paul hearing the reports from the church sends Timothy to help and while Timothy is away the letter from the Corinthian church comes by the hand of Stephanus Fortunatus and Akakus in chapter 16 while they are in Ephesus with Paul he then writes Corinthians B which is 1 Corinthians letter that we have in our New Testament and he sends it back with Stephanus, Fortunatus and Akakus look down at verse 12 you're in 1 Corinthians chapter 16 look at verse 12 now concerning our brother Apollos I strongly urge him to come to you with the brethren but he was quite unwilling to come at this time however he will come when he has a convenient time watch, stand fast in the faith be brave, be strong let all that you do be done with love I urge you brethren you know that the household of Stephanus that it is the first fruits of a chaos then they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints that you also submit to such and to everyone who works and labors with us I am glad about the coming of Stephanus Fortunatus and Akakus for what was lacking on your part they supplied for they refreshed my spirit and yours therefore acknowledge such men okay so let's put it together according to 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians Paul planned on making a trip through Macedonia and spending some time in Corinth apparently during the time that Paul spent three years across the Aegean in Ephesus and likely at the return of Timothy it became apparent that the situation in the Corinthian church was deteriorating it was getting worse and worse and so Paul then at the deteriorating condition of the church out of necessity out of concern for the church Paul makes what he refers to in 2 Corinthians as a painful visit a visit that he did not want to have to repeat look at 2 Corinthians chapter 2 2 Corinthians chapter 2 and in verse 1 ESV says it this way for I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you while Paul during his three-year stay in Ephesus at some point Paul out of concern for the church makes a trip over to Corinth to deal with the problems in Corinth it was a painful visit troublesome news about the church at Corinth that prompted the visit and we know from chapter 12 chapter 13 and 2 Corinthians that Paul's next planned visit to Corinth will be his third so the visit to Corinth this painful visit didn't go well Paul goes back to Ephesus devastated, distraught and he writes from Ephesus what is called a sorrowful or severe letter this letter is first referenced in 2 Corinthians chapter 2 down in verse 3 look at verse 3 and I wrote this very thing to you lest when I came I came for the third time I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all for out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears not that you should be grieved but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you so after the painful visit Paul writes a severe or painful letter this painful or severe letter again is lost to us non-canonical that's what scholars refer to as then Corinthian C we have Corinthian A Corinthian B which is first Corinthians Corinthian C which is a severe letter and the severe letter is lost to us the severe letter carried by Titus to the Corinthian church so let's put it together in summary see if you can keep this together a lost letter written by Paul after he had planted the church Corinthian A the Corinthians respond with a letter of their own asking many questions Paul responds from Ephesus with first Corinthians answering those questions which scholars call Corinthian B things deteriorate in Corinth even further and as bad as things appear to be from first Corinthians they get worse in Corinth and so Paul makes a painful visit after which he writes a painful or severe letter from Ephesus that's called Corinthian C after Paul sends a severe letter by Titus to the church the plan was for Paul to meet Titus in Troas he wants to hear how the church responds and he's waited he's anticipating right he's very concerned so he goes to Troas that port city in Asia and he's distressed because he doesn't find Titus there so Paul immediately heads over to Macedonia hoping to see Titus along the way as he's traveling through Macedonia he meets up with Titus and hears the good news look at second Corinthians chapter seven he hears good news about the church in Corinth and second Corinthians chapter seven verse five for indeed Paul says when we came to Macedonia our bodies had no rest but we were troubled on every side outside were conflicts inside were fears nevertheless God who comforts the downcast comforted us by the coming of Titus and not only by his coming but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you when he told us of your earnest desire your mourning your zeal for me so that I rejoiced even more for even if I made you sorry with my letter I do not regret it even though I didn't want to right for I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry though only for a while now I rejoice verse nine not that you were made sorry but that your sorrow led to repentance for you were made sorry in a godly manner that you might suffer loss from us and nothing so it's upon this good news from Titus in Macedonia in fifty five or fifty six eighty that Paul then writes the glorious letter that will occupy the attention of this church for the next couple of years and that's the letter second Corinthians writes his second letter to the Corinthians amen I'm excited to that letter is second Corinthians I think with me for a moment why study second Corinthians why study second Corinthians all of that history all of that background leading up to Paul's final letter to this church in Corinth one because it's in the Bible it's in the Bible and I don't mean that lightly right God's word is amazing it reveals his truth it's amazing to think right in the wisdom of God that God reveals his truth in a specific time in a specific location to a specific church and it's that specific redemptive historical truth that for us clarifies everything right it's to have impact on every square inch of our lives you know the Bible doesn't say much about quantum physics does it but the Bible the Bible God's word puts quantum physics in its appropriate context amen it has a lot to say then about quantum physics the Bible puts this truth meant for this church at that time in such a way that illuminates everything about our lives and what we are as a church and what we're to do how we're to believe how we're to obey and so it gives clarity to our context our life the struggles that we face and so second Corinthians just gloriously does that second reason to study second Corinthians among many is some of the richest and most profound theology found anywhere in the Bible is found right here in second Corinthians the suffering and the Christian life the relationship between law and gospel the new covenant the judgment seat of Christ for all believers particular redemption reconciliation justification the doctrine of separation Christian giving Christian ministries all packed into this letter thirdly living the Christian life in Corinth is not unlike living the Christian life in America today the letter to the Corinthians the second letter here in our New Testament second Corinthians has much to teach us and we have much to learn right Corinth was a highly sexualized a highly sensual culture extremely depraved home to the temple of Aphrodite with over a thousand temple prostitutes people would flock to the temple to worship through prostitution their idol and the temple prostitutes would go down into the city and trade their wares in the city of Corinth on a regular basis Corinth became known for that highly sensualized Corinth was heavily into sports heavily in the entertainment they had the Isthmian games there the theater held 18,000 concert hall held 3,000 in Corinth the largest segment of the populace were freedmen from Rome freedmen from Rome were like gold rush Panthers in California right people that supposedly were self-made millionaires self-made men that pull themselves up by their own bootstraps one commentator called first and second Corinthians first and second Californians we could also call it first and second Floridians right full of pride full of ambition full of greed full of corruption in first Corinthians chapter 6 Paul described the Corinthians Christians he described the Corinthian Christians as having once been fornicators idolaters adulterers homosexuals sodomites thieves covetous drunkards revilers extortioners and Paul said and such were some of you right but you were washed you were sanctified you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God so second Corinthians is a lot like America a lot like our culture we have much to learn as a basic outline to the letter if you want to make notes in the margin of your Bible in preparation for next week second Corinthians can be divided into three major sections three major sections section one runs from chapter 1 verse 1 to chapter 7 verse 16 Paul in chapter 1 through chapter 7 Paul deals practically with his proposed travel plans through Macedonia to Corinth more directly though Paul deals with his past interaction with the church at Corinth there is a tremendous in that section there's this tremendous middle section from chapter 2 verse 14 through chapter 7 verse 4 it's a parenthesis if you will where Paul elucidates or explains new covenant gospel ministry and it is chalk full of just godly living breathing theology it's going to be a tremendous joy for us to go through that section the section ends with a beautiful encouragement to the Corinthian church in chapter 7 verse 16 therefore Paul says I rejoice that I have confidence in you and everything that in section 1 section 2 chapters 8 and 9 chapters 8 and 9 where Paul makes an appeal for the Corinthian church to follow the example of their poor Macedonian brothers and sisters and give to the collection for the famine stricken saints in Jerusalem that's section 2 chapters 8 and 9 section 3 chapters 10 through 13 where chapters 10 through 13 Paul addresses his opponents there were false apostles or super apostles false teachers that invaded the church at Corinth and they were laboring to slander Paul to slander gospel ministry to destroy his influence and Paul is forced to defend himself and in defending himself we have some of the best teaching in all the New Testament on defending or the nature of apostolic gospel ministry gospel ministry we're called to preach the gospel we're going to hear about that in chapters 10 through 13 and you'll notice several beautiful strands that are woven through the fabric of this letter themes that recur as you read through it and I want to encourage you to begin reading through second Corinthians one of those themes is that Christian suffering is a means through which God is glorified we're going to learn about that as we work through the letter man's weakness man's weakness is a means by which God is manifested in power where God's strength is manifested and that God is glorified and I'm going to give you one example one example before we begin our study in second Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1 next week and this comes to us from second Corinthians chapter 4 look there with me second Corinthians chapter 4 and drop down to verse 7 just an amazing text an astounding text why I look forward in about a year or so to get to this section of scripture and work through this text it's going to be a joy look at verse 7 but we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us we are hard pressed on every side yet not crushed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroyed always caring about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body for we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh so then death is working in us but life in you and since we have the same spirit of faith according to what is written I believed and therefore I spoke we also believe and therefore speak knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and will present us with you for all things are for your sakes that grace having spread through the many may cause thanksgiving to abound the glory of God therefore brother and sister we do not lose heart even though our outward man is perishing yet the inward man is being renewed day by day for our light affliction that's what Paul describes as the the troubles that we face the difficulties that we face is just light affliction they face difficulties far more drastic than we do and to them it was light affliction light affliction for our light affliction which is but for a moment that's how long our lives are a moment is working for us a far more exceeding an eternal weight of glory while we do not look at the things which are seen but the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal amen all praise honor and glory be to the one right who gives us this treasure in earth and vessels let's pray Father in heaven Lord thank you for this time to study your word thank you for this letter thank you for the joy and the blessing and the privilege that we have to week by week exposit these texts and dive into this letter to dig out the treasures that you've laid there for us and we are grateful to you for that blessing I pray Lord that as you so graciously blessed in our study through the Gospel of John that you would bless us now Lord as we study this letter this revelation of Jesus Christ by the pen of Paul to the church at Corinth I pray that you would bless us now as we study this letter together bless these truths to our heart or prepare our heart and mind to come faithfully to hear your word preached to apply the truths that we see here to our own lives to live Lord in light of the truth that you expound here in this letter to glorify you for your glory God and for our good I pray Lord Spirit of God you would guide us into truth protect us from error strengthen us comfort us help us Lord to understand spur us on to faithfulness to be a faithful witness we believe therefore we speak I pray Lord you would apply those truths to our heart give us comfort knowing that we are never forsaken and help us Lord as we go through this letter to trust in you more to love you more to obey you more faithfully and Lord just carry us on from faith to faith as you've been so gracious to do we love you or thank you for this letter thank you for your word thank you for this church mostly Lord thank you for Christ in Jesus name we pray Amen