 Okay, welcome everyone to a class on 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus and Philemon. We are studying 1st Timothy. Anyone knows which chapter we are in? Third, right? Yes. Yeah, chapter 3. Okay, so we're looking at chapter 3. Basically, in chapter 1, Paul is emphasizing of living in love with the pure heart, clear conscience and genuine faith. And in chapter 2, he's dealing with things in the local church where he's basically addressing the role of a woman. And we need to understand that when he's addressing these specific roles of women in the church at Ephesus, he's addressing it or it has to do with the cultural context in which they were living. Which means that when Paul says you should not come with braided hair, expensive clothes or pearls, it does not mean that women should not dress or should not wear expensive clothes or braid their hair or jewellery when they come to church. It also does not mean that women need to be silent. They cannot have any roles, responsibilities in the church. No, we need to actually interpret it in the cultural context in which Timothy was living, the church at Ephesus said existed then and why Paul is writing to them. So he's addressing this whole issue of women at the churches at Ephesus basically has to do with the cultural local context which is surrounded. So the cultural context is surrounded around the deity that they used to worship that is Diana. And the priestess there because it was a female goddess, so they had women priests. So the women priests were very vocal about the superiority of women over men that women were superior to men and they were kind of establishing their superiority in society over men having a say and doing everything in the cultural cultural, religious, political and social environment at Ephesus. And when these people were coming from this pagan background into the church becoming believers, Paul was saying, hey, I don't want you to be teaching this heretical teachings because there were priestess in the temple of Diana who were preaching and teaching this cultic teachings and they were doing various rituals to pronounce curses on men so that they can assume responsibility over men. Paul is saying that cannot happen in the church. In that context he's saying women have to be silent they cannot teach it. It does not mean that Paul is saying that women cannot teach at all. We see that he has people who are part of his team, women who are part of his team who were prophets, who were teachers, who were co-workers, co-laborers, one of them also an apostle. So he had women in his team who were teaching, preaching, doing the work of the ministry, they were flowing in the gifts, they were operating in all the gifts, they were operating in their calling, the anointing that God has placed on them. But in this specific context he's saying women cannot teach all of these heretical teachings. Like in the cultural context they cannot assume a superiority over men but he mentions the governmental order in the church. In the church God's governmental order is that man is the head, that women have to walk in submission to men and he explains why. But having said this it does not mean that it's applicable to us in our context or it's also applicable to other churches in outside emphasis that women cannot teach, preach, cannot operate in their gifts because we see the church at current the women were prophesying, when they met in church they were speaking tongues, interpreting tongues, they were prophesying, releasing words of wisdom, knowledge. Also we see that women were part of Paul's ministry team were preaching and teaching and flowing in the gifts. And we see that also in our present day context which does not mean that you know women should not preach and teach and flow in the grips or operating the gifts or in their calling and the anointing. No, it is specific to the church at that this is because of that the local cultural setting that they came from and what was happening there and in that context Paul is writing to the women and reminding them of their role and what is the governmental order or structure that God has established in the church. And after that he addresses other things in the local church like we read in Philippians chapter one verse one Paul basically says you know in the church we have saints who are believers we have bishops and deacons. So bishops are basically those who are spiritual leaders and spiritual overseers deacons are those who have you know are those who are more on the organizational and administrative work help support staff in the church. So basically to think of bishops in our today's context is people who are you know, youth pastors, youth mentors, children's church pastors, children's church ministers, people who are leading life groups or leading, you know, having cell groups and teaching in cell groups. So basically, we would call them as bishops, who are the deacons basically those who are volunteering in church and in terms of setup and pack up and those who serve tea or ushering or collecting the offering whatever, you know, so these are called deacons. But even if you are in those roles which we think are, you know, not the roles of an apostle or a preacher or a teacher or a missionary. But look at the high standards that that God has for people even in these roles, even if you're just volunteering in church, even if you're just teaching in children's church or just teaching ministry. You're part of the core team of the youth in your church or you're just having a Bible study group, you know, how should you live. So how should you conduct yourselves or what are the qualifications that are required for such people. These he enlists for us in 1st Timothy chapter three versus one to seven. So these are basically talking about bishops who are spiritual leaders, spiritual mentors who, like I said, in our present day are people who are children's church pastors, youth pastors, teaching in a children's church or having your own life groups or your own, you know, cell groups or prayer groups, whatever, you know, what are the qualifications required is what is listed in verses one to seven. And we looked at that in detail last Monday and then we moved on to talking about deacons, which he mentions the qualifications for who are deacon is how to choose a deacon. And in verses 8 to 13. Yes, say. Thank you pastor. Yeah, I was just hearing the whole aspect of bishops, the appointment of a deacon. And when you mentioned it, I just remembered that I was going to ask a question. So basically, what you're saying that Paul is referring to as bishops or overseer, not necessarily pastors or apostles or prophets over a church, but mainly like departmental. Is that what you mean, like maybe departmental heads who are heading units or different sections of the church? Because the understanding kind of we kind of have these days is that when someone is called a bishop, it's more like someone who oversees the church, a whole church or multiple churches. But it's like the real explanation for bishop from what you're saying, based on what Paul is, mainly more would I say maybe elders or would I say elders or overseers over like certain aspects of the church. Would that be the correct way to interpret it or could it be both? Yes, in this context, it's not what we look at in our present day situation, present day context of our churches, where we have one bishop who's overseeing so many churches. But here it's talking about when we're talking about bishops here, it's basically talking about the categories that I had mentioned pertaining to bishops and to deacons. Thank you, Pastor. So I don't know if this is out of mind then, where did the whole aspect of the office of bishops come from over churches? I don't know, where did that audience, was it a misuse of what Paul said or misinterpretation? I don't know. Because I come from an Orthodox background and I saw this, we had bishops over different churches, but now it's a different understanding from what you're saying. So that's why I'm kind of trying to ensure I am understanding exactly what Paul actually meant from scriptures. Yes, thank you, Sayi. In those days, the deacons, elders, bishops, we need to understand there were more home churches, smaller groups than churches that were meeting in larger buildings and all of that. So, you know, there were more people who are leaders in specific small groups and so they were kind of overseers, spiritual overseers, spiritual heads for the small groups that they had. And they would also have this whole responsibility of teaching, of ministering to the people. So it's not like just one person that we're talking about a bishop who is overseeing all of the churches there, but we're talking about, yes, somebody who's a spiritual head, spiritual overseer, who's looking at small home churches, groups meeting at various pockets in the city. And deacons as elders who are helping out in various administrative works in these small home churches or group churches. So where did this, our present day concept of bishop come from, maybe it came out of this whole thing because they are spiritual heads, they are spiritual overseers. Yes, but in the context of what Paul is writing to the church, it was these categories that I just mentioned. Thank you, Pastor. Yes. But having said that, you know, we could even, you know, these are some of the qualifications that we would even want in anyone who is ministering in church, you know, pastors or evangelists or even bishops. It's no different. But here, because the small home churches look at the qualifications that are required for those who are overseeing that church or, you know, that small life group or the small home group or fellowship groups, so to say. Yes. So the standards are high. The qualifications require the same, but yes, just a little difference in, you know, how the terms have been attributed then and now. But no difference in the standards that God has said for us. Does that help? It helps very, very well. Thank you. Because I almost, I almost kind of thought maybe was Bishop, the office of a bishop also added later on to the 5-4 office, but with this explanation, I think that has clarified it. Thank you. Okay. So we looked at, you know, the qualifications that Paul lists out for those who are deacons. Paul is saying, hey, you know, even as I said this to women that they can't bring in their heretical teachings, they have to submit to man. It doesn't mean that any and every man, because they have, you know, this authority of being leaders, anyone and everyone can come to leadership positions, take leadership roles and responsibilities, even if you desire it's a good thing to desire it. But, you know, these are qualifications that God requires, that the church requires in God's governmental structure that he's established for the church, and he's telling Timothy also make sure and ensure that, you know, you're choosing such leaders. And then we looked at the qualifications for deacons in verses 8 to 13. So can somebody read that please? Verses 8 to 13, quickly for us. Can I read faster? Thank you, Asha. Deacons, likewise, must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedily for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with clear conscience and let them also be tested first and let them serve as deacons if they true themselves like us. Yes, 2 to 13, please. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanders, but sober-minded, faithful in all things, let deacons each be the husband of one wife managing their children and their own household well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good understanding for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. Amen. Thank you, Asha. So here he says, you know, the deacons must be reverent. That means reverent about, have reverence to the things pertaining to the house of God, of the things of God. And then he goes on to list the same qualifications that are required of a bishop. He, you know, enlists the same things for a deacon as well. But look at what he says in verse 9. He says, you know, he says, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. So once again, you know, Paul is repeating the importance of holding onto faith with a good conscience. And, you know, in chapter one, he's mentioned this twice. He's repeating this year in chapter three as well. It's the third time he's talking about faith with a good conscience. So, you know, your conscience must be clear. Your conscience will be clear when you live right before God and man. And, you know, what Paul is trying to basically say here is even though your spiritual leaders, mentors are not watching over you, it's your conscience that holds you accountable. So some most often we don't have people, you know, and we are grownups, you know, we don't have anyone watching over us. Like we watch over children constantly, but nobody watching us. But, you know, it's our conscience that holds us accountable for what we are doing in secret, what we are thinking our lives in the secret. So even though spiritual leaders are not always watching over us, it's our conscience that holds us accountable or will hold each one of us accountable. And then worse than he says, but let those also first be tested and let them serve as decans being found blameless. So like he mentioned for the bishops, you know, Paul, Paul is telling Timothy, you know, just don't give people leadership roles and responsibilities first because when they come to church, not only they're a novice means when they are new, but you know, first, you know, give them time to prove who they are, their capabilities, their commitment, their faithfulness, their attitudes, their character, you know, test examine and then, you know, test and examine them by giving them small roles, more responsibilities and look at that attitude, see how committed they are, how faithful they are, whether they're able to do it well, whether they're sincere. And then, you know, if you see them committed faithful since they're having the right attitudes, right character, then put them in a place of leadership and responsibilities. And versus 11 and 12, he lists the same important qualifications or requirements that he'll endless for bishops as well. So I'm not going to go through it because I have explained that when we were looking at qualifications required for bishops was 13. He says, for those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith, which is in Christ Jesus. You know, I'm just adding a lot of new notes. So it's some of the things that are not there in your notes. If you can follow, you know, the PDF that is that had posted, you know, if there's something that you like to additional that I'm saying you like to make a note of it, you can go ahead and do so. Okay. So here, he says that when someone serves well as a deacon, there are two things they obtain. They earn a good standing, which means that, you know, they come to a place of strength and stature before God and man. And they also come to a place where they're bold, they're confident about their faith and who they are as believers. So he says, you know, when you serve well as deacons, what is the end result, you have a good standing, which means you have a good place of, you know, a strength stature, a good standing before God and man, but also growing bold and confident in your faith of who you are as believers, who they who you are in Christ. And, you know, you have the confidence that you're able to provide leadership and because you're in a place of strength to serve. And he says, why do you have this confidence that you're, you know, you're able to provide leadership and you're in a place of strength to serve? You know, why? He says, because you have a good track record, because your record has been good, because you've been faithful and sincere and committed to what, you know, has been entrusted to you. And he says, for those who have served well as deacons, that means he says, you know, remember that God sees your faithfulness, he sees your commitment. He sees your hard work, because basically deacons, even in the early church, you know, Stephen and Philip were deacons, they were basically waiting on people on tables, providing food, ration for groceries for those who were widows, those who were poor, you know, it was that this was their responsibility. It was not a glamorous job like apostles going and preaching and teaching and, you know, doing science miracles and wonders, but, you know, it was just a hard labor that these deacons were doing, like Stephen and the rest, you know, brining glossaries, keeping a stock of it, you know, rationing out things, providing food, handing over food to the poor and to the widows. But in spite of this, we see that in the early church that these men who wear deacons, you know, were flowing mightily in the gifts and they're calling that God had called them to. So even if, you know, the job seems menial, like you might be just setting, putting up chairs, you know, laying out the chairs, you know, stacking up the chairs up to service. Maybe you're cleaning, maybe you're doing some, you know, serving tea or you're just welcoming people. But, you know, Paul is saying that when you do these tasks, which can be considered menial, you know, God sees your faithful service and then he says the faith which is in Christ Jesus. So all the work of servant leaders in God's family, in God's church, you know, is pointing towards building God's people in faith, which is in Christ Jesus. So whether you are basically getting people to, you know, instructing people or guiding people where to sit or where to park their cars or their vehicles or serving tea, you know, whatever. It's all pointing towards building God's people in the faith, which is in Christ Jesus. And then after talking about, you know, the qualifications required for deacons, he goes on to talk about the proper conduct in God's house in verses 14 and 15. Okay, before we look at verses 14 and 15, anyone has any questions on verses one towards 13? Any questions? Or verses 18 to 13 that we just looked at? Okay, there are no questions. We'll move on to verses 14 and 15. So can somebody read that please? Verses 14 and 15. It reads, although I hope to come to you soon and writing you this instruction so that if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Amen. Thank you, Sayi. So he says, these things are right to you, though I hope to come to you shortly. Paul desires to, you know, speak these things to Timothy personally, but knowing that he might not be able to come as soon as he wishes or he desires to. But he makes sure that he's writing all this in a letter so that, you know, time is not wasted, harm is not done, things are set in order in the church and things are working smoothly in the house of God. And he says, you know, how he's writing these things so that Timothy can know how he ought to conduct himself in the house of God. So Paul's purpose for writing was to give Timothy, who is a leader, you know, practical information on how to run things at the church's emphasis. And look at how he talks about the church here, he addresses the church as the house of God. So church must be a place where God is, you know, that's what makes church more attractive than anything else. It should not be a place where the pastor, the senior pastor, the person in charge is where he is magnifying himself, or he's exposing himself, or he's elevating himself or putting himself in a high position, but a church is a place where God is. And that is what makes a church attractive. That is what, you know, would edify the church, would build up the church, the people in the church in their faith in Christ Jesus. So the church is God's house because he's the architect. He's the one who planned it, designed it. He's the one who's building it. He's the one who is present there. He lives there. His presence, his manifest presence is tangible, is evident. He provides for his house. And it's a place where he's honored. It's a place where he rules, his sovereignty reigns, rules, his sovereign will is done. So it is, the church is the house of God. And also, you know, the church is the house of God in terms of a family house, you know, a house is where a home is where a family dwells. So it gives us another idea about the church. The church is the house of God where God dwells. Where we saw all of these characteristics. Why is it called, why is the church called the house of God? But also it is, you know, the family of God because a home is where a family dwells. And in the family, there are people across different age groups that are children. They can be preteens. They can be teenagers. They can be young adults. They can be adults. They can be older people, middle-aged, you know, elderly, different ages. So also in the house of God, we have people, you know, different age groups, but also in different, you know, seasons of their growth in the world or in their relationship with Christ. So they can be adults, you know, middle-aged or little past middle-aged, but they're still infants in the world, still infants in their journey with God. Or they can be young people, you know, who can be very mature in their understanding of the word and, you know, they can be grown up in their understanding of the concepts of the things of God in their relationship with God. So, you know, even as there are different sections or ages in a family and, you know, we relate to them differently. You know, how I would relate to my father would be very different, how I would relate to if I had a child who's, you know, three-year-old or four-year-old or 15 or 16 or 18-year-old and how would I relate to my grandparents who live with us at home. So we relate to different ones differently. The same way, you know, in the body of Christ, in the church, we have different people at different levels of maturity in their understanding of the word of God and understanding of God. We need to relate to them at their level, accept them for where they are and build them up and enrich them to where they need to be, take them to where they need to be. So we need to be mentors, you know, parents, teachers, whatever, be sensitive, help them out, help them to grow. And look at what he says also about the church. He says the church is the house of God and he says which is the church of the living God. So basically the word church, the Greek word for church is ecclesia, which means called out. So each one of us are called out for a specific purpose. The same way, you know, each one of us are in a family called for different purposes, have different people, have different roles and responsibilities. And we all have to carry our different roles and responsibilities in the same way in the church as a family, you know, we are, we have different roles and responsibilities and we all need to fulfill our God-given calling, our God-given roles and responsibilities. But also work together and not pull in different directions with the vision and the calling that God has upon our church. Just like all of them in the family work together in unity and oneness to keep the family as one united whole, one united, keep them united and keep them in unity the same way we need to do that in the church. Because the church is the church of the living God because, you know, ecclesia called out. We are called out to be his people. We are called out to be the people of this living God. We are part of his family. We have sons and daughters. And we are called out together to fulfill a specific purpose. And, you know, that's why he mentions church of the living God because we are called as his people. We are called together for a specific purpose and each one of us are called to fulfill that specific purpose and working together in perfect unity and oneness. And then he makes a very profound statement. He says the church is the pillar and the ground of truth. Okay. So the church is a pillar and ground, which means the church is the foundation of truth. The church is the aborder and the barrel of truth in the society. So we, the church needs to know the truth, you know, be grounded in the truth, not just know the truth, but the truth has to translate in the way we speak the truth where we live the truth, walk the truth in our actions. In the way that we live our lives, basically in our lives. But, you know, strategically, sorry, tragically, you know, many churches today don't value the truth as they should, and they compromise on the truth. They kind of compromise to the things of the world. They bring in, you know, worldly systems, philosophies, ideas, way of doing things, accepting different lifestyles. And hence it's left, you know, many churches are left very weak because their pillars are not on strong foundation because their ground is shaking. It's not built on the truth. So Paul, you know, closes this whole entire section by saying that, you know, he's talking about what the truth is, which he mentions in verse 16, and then he says that, you know, it's how important it is for us to embrace this truth and uphold this truth as a community, as ecclesia, as the people who are called out for a specific purpose. And even as we're called out for a specific purpose, it's so important for us to know the truth, to embrace the truth, and to live out this truth. And he goes to speak about the mentions this truth in verse 16. So can somebody please read verse 16? Asthmati chapter 3 verse 16, please. Great indeed. Go ahead, Sastavini. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, Sai. Great indeed we confess is the mystery of godliness. He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. Amen. Thank you, sister. So if you read this in the message Bible, it says, the Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough. He appeared in human body, was proved right by the invisible spirit, was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of people, believed in all over the world and taken up into heavenly glory. So Paul is, before he ends this whole section, he closes by saying, what is the truth? He says that the church is in verse 15, is the pillar and the ground of truth and how we need to be people who are appolders or bearers of this truth in society. And then he goes on to say what this truth is. And he enlists this truth by quoting a hymn that was sung at that time. So he's quoting a hymn which expresses the foundation of Christian truth. Yes, Mangi. Thank you, Pasa. Just this hymn, hymn now, it will sound. Because the message says that mutual Christian, but here it says it's talking about God who came in space. So, Mangi, can you repeat that again? Please, I couldn't get what you said. Sorry, can you repeat that? I'm saying, Pasa, this hymn came here, it's talking about God himself who came as a human. So it's the mystery of God coming to us as a human and it's not about us. So how come the message is saying that it is about believers and not God? Can you explain a little bit about that? Where the Message Bible got this from, it's speaking about God and it's being about believers. Thank you, Pasa. But the Message Bible is saying this Christian life is a great mystery for exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough. Yes, he's saying that there are things that we fully cannot comprehend or understand about God. And that is why this whole thing of false teachers trying to understand things, how to receive salvation, how to be justified by faith and trying to find out their own ways and means of explaining the Jewish laws, bringing it into the context of grace, receiving salvation by grace to faith. So for them, it can be very confusing for them, they're trying to find out things. It can be mysterious and hence he's saying that he might be saying hence there's a lot of false teaching. And some of these things are so mysterious as far exceeding our understanding, which means what these false teachers are trying to teach about salvation by work, salvation by grace and who Christ is, Gnosticism which I explained to you and all of those prevalent cultic teachings, heresies that were prevalent at that time. So he's saying that in spite of all this, there are some things that are clear. And then he's mentioning the truth. He's mentioning the truth about the Gospel. Did you understand it? Because the false teachers were talking about how to live your life by works and not by grace, how to receive justification and sanctification or being righteous in God's sight by works and not by grace. So it's kind of confusing for many people because they will be misled by lifestyle. But here he's saying that there's something very clear and he's mentioning about the truth, which is the foundation of the church, which the church has to uphold and build on. And once there's that solid foundation, the truth that is built on, it will translate into the life that we would live. And these things will become, have more clarity about grace, about works and which he goes on to talk in Chapter 4. Did that help, Mangi? Yes, Pazha, thank you. But he's basically here talking just about the truth about who God is, the foundation truth of the church and not of the foundation truth of lifestyle that he's talking about, of believers. But translates into, once you know the truth, it translates into your lifestyle. I just want to know, as you said, the false teachers who emphasize that the people should leave on their works and they will be justified based on the work. But even so they are called the false teachers. So even there are churches now also, they emphasize on the law and they say that the work is more important and the law is more important. So can we consider them as the false teachers? No. Is it like that? I just want to know that. Thank you. Yeah, and that is called legalism. When they bring in things that you have to do this, you know, in order to please God, to get things from God, you know, living legalistic rituals, doing legalistic ways of doing things and following certain rituals, you know, not because, you know, your love for God, which was what God was telling the Old Testament people, all the sacrifices that you're making, you know, you're not doing it with your, with the heart of love. You don't, you know, it's just, it's just a ritual. That's why he says, I will remove your heart of stone, give you a heart of flesh. I'll write my laws on your heart and my mind. The spirit will help you to keep the laws because it had become a ritual. So that's why God says, you know, look at the animals that you're bringing for sacrifice. You know, they are lame. They are sick. You know, he says, try offering this to your governors. Will they accept it? And he says, you know, shut the door of the temple because your worship is like noise to my ears, your incense that you're burning is detestable in my sight. So it had just become like a ritual that they have to do to please God, to keep God's wrath away so that they, they experience, you know, they just receive his blessings and his goodness and they, you know, not his curses or his punishment. So anything that is, is not according to the truth is a lie. It's something that is false, right? There's no, there's no in between. If it's not the truth, it has to be a lie. And we know where the lie comes from. And this lie can be so manipulative. It's so, it's so subtle. It can be so small in so small subtle ways, just like, you know, when, when Satan deceived Eve, you know, said, God really asked you not to eat from all the trees in the garden. You know, if you eat from the street, will you surely die? You will not die. So, you know, what he said was a partial truth. It was not, it was a lie in that sense. It was not the whole truth. You know, there will surely die God said, but he said, you will not die. See, so it just a simple thing like of, you know, eating something which led on to various, you know, the downfall of the whole of creation and everything that got a plan. So here, when Paul talks about it in First Timothy chapter four, he's saying these fall, these false teachers that they're talking about, you should not marry. You should not eat certain kind of food. You know, we can say, hey, these are so, you're so, so small, so trivial, you know, but, you know, Satan is using the small things to come to just get into our lives that can corrupt the entire truth of what, you know, the entire gospel is and can get a person totally away from their faith. So, yes, if somebody is telling us, you know, bringing about legalism, it is a false teaching. It is not the truth. So whatever you would like to call them, you can call them, but it is false teaching. It's not the truth. Thank you. Yes, say, yes, go ahead, say you have your hand up. Sorry. Yes, I'm trying to get the mic on. So, yes, I just want to ask a question that from this 15, from this 15 downwards to the Lazarus, would it be correct to say that the subject matter in the Godhead that Paul is referring to Jesus Christ? Sorry, can you repeat that again, please? I said from verse 15 down to verse 16. I said, would it be correct to say that the subject matter that Paul here is referring to in the Godhead is Jesus Christ? Yes, he's basically talking about Jesus because the whole, you know, the whole Christian faith as such revolved around the person and the work of Jesus Christ. What he had done and that is what the disciples were teaching and preaching. You know, how God sent his son, how his son came and, you know, died on the cross. Peter's sermon actually after two, how, you know, how he was resurrected, how he, you know, we saw him, we testify of his works of what he has done and what he has said about the coming of the Holy Spirit. And he's telling the people who had come there, you know, on the day of Pentecost, who here heard the sound and who Peter was preaching to. He's saying, you are now, you know, you are, you know, you are witnessing what was prophesied in Joel, you know, that the last days I put out my spirit, what Jesus told us. So you are, you are people who are a witness to the whole fact that you people, you know, crucified Jesus, you people, you know, put him to death, but he rose again. You know, we are witnesses to that. Many others are 500 plus our witness to that. And you are witnesses now to the truth that he said that, you know, the Holy Spirit will come upon us and you are, you know, you see that you're witnesses to that. You've seen it, you've seen and heard, you know, us speaking in tongues. And that's why, you know, 3,000 of them were added to that number that they went when Peter preached. So it's the whole church as such, you know, grew out of this whole thing about the person and the work of Jesus, the second person of the Trinity. Because in the Old Testament, yes, they had an idea about the Father. They knew the Holy Spirit. They knew God as Father, but they did not know him as Abba, Father, a very intimate relationship. And that is what Jesus came to reveal the Father as Abba. And they knew the work of the Holy Spirit. They had a basic inclination to the whole concept of Trinity in terms of son, because Isaiah chapter 9, where Isaiah prophesies, says, you know, for unto us a son is born, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And the government will be upon his shoulders and look at the titles for the son. So basic understanding, but they didn't want to get into it because there was no clarity. But that whole mystery was now made clear when Jesus comes and all of the prophecies being fulfilled in him and early church preaching. So it's yes, basically talking about the second person of the Trinity, the whole, you know, the early church was surrounded or, you know, based on the person work of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity. Thank you, Pastor. Okay, so we'll move on. So this is basically in verse 16, he's talking about him, which is expressing the foundation of the Christian truth. And he says without controversy, which means, you know, the wonderful summary of Christian faith, you know, should be without controversy, which means, you know, this should, these things which he's mentioned here in verse 16, should be accepted without arguing or disputing among believers because there was a lot of arguing and disputing because of Gnosticism and various other cultic teachings. But, you know, it's unfortunate when those who claim to be Christians debate about these fundamental truths, it's very, very sad, because these are the core fundamental truths that we believe are polled. We need to uphold and are basic to our faith, but we need to just believe this without arguing or disputing. So what are these truths? He says, you know, God was manifested in the flesh, which means, you know, that God, the second person of the Trinity, you know, added to himself deity, he became a human being, and thus manifested in the flesh, which means he made a deity known, he made God known in the flesh. He was God in flesh. He revealed the characteristics traits of the attributes of who God is. He was God manifest in the human flesh. So that's what the Apostle John writes, who came full of grace and truth and we beheld his glory, the glory of the one and only who came to us full of grace and truth. So, you know, Jesus manifested God in the flesh. He is God the Son who became his deity, who became humanity. So he's 100% God, 100% man, fully God, fully man. And, you know, he lived his life here on earth and people testify to it, witness to it. They've seen his death, his resurrection, his ascension, how he's alive, he's glorified. You know, they're preaching because they're witnesses of this and they testify to what they have seen, heard, you know, they are preaching this and they're preaching this without compromise. And Paul is saying, you know, we also need to uphold this truth and not compromise on this truth. So this is the truth that church upholds in the world. And then he goes on to say, you know, who was not only manifest in the flesh, but justified in the spirit. Now, we might think this is a wrong phrase to use, justified in the spirit because Jesus did not need to be justified or made righteous because he was already righteous. He was already justified because he was sinless. He need not, you know, need to prove anything or need not have anything to do to make himself righteous because he's already sinless, already perfect and holy. And that is why he could die for the sins of the whole world. But when we say that Jesus was justified by the spirit, not in the sense that he was once sinful and now is made righteous. No, that's not the right truth. But in the sense that he was declared to be by the Holy Spirit, what he always was that he was completely justified before the Father. So he was always righteous. He was always justified before the Father because he is God. And it's not in the sense that he was once sinful and now made righteous. But we look at this whole phrase in the sense that he was declared to be by the Holy Spirit as he always was. And how was he always was he was completely justified before the Father. Okay, we'll stop here. We'll go for a break. And then when we come back, we will take any questions and then we'll move on. Okay, well, thank you and see you after a break.