Biblical Foundations

The Life & Teaching of Paul Love & Hate Acts 21

Christopher W. Martin © 2019

I. Background 

A. Paul’s Successes 

B. The Long Road Home (v.1-3)

II. Paul: Encouraged with Love (v.4 – 20a)

A. In Tyre (v.4 – v.6)

• A warning in love

• A departure with love

B. In Caesarea (v. 7-14) 

• A louder warning in love

• Silent in love

C. An evening with Mnason (v.15-16)

D. In Jerusalem (v.17-20a)

• Welcomed in love

• Worshiping in love

III. Paul: Assaulted with Hate (v. 20b-36)

• The Problem (v.20b-22)

• The Plan (v23-25)

• Restrained (v.26-30)

o The lies

o “…immediately the doors were shut.”

• Arrested (v.31-36)

IV. Conclusion

The Life & Teaching of Paul

Lessons for Lay Leaders

Acts 20: 13-38

Christopher W. Martin © 2019

I. Context

A. Where we’ve been and where we’re going

 Paul’s Journeys

Paul’s Letters

o Galatians

o 1 & 2 Thessalonians

o 1 & 2 Corinthians

o Romans

Paul’s Transition

 Paul’s Imprisonments

o 1 st Imprisonment

 Philemon

 Colossians

Philippians

o Liberty Letters

Titus

 1 Timothy

o 2 nd Imprisonment

 Ephesians

 2 Timothy

B. Leaving Corinth (20:14-17)

II. Paul: A Picture of Powerful Ministry (v. 17-27)

A. Paul’s Model of Service (v. 17-19)

B. Paul’s Model of Teaching (v. 20)

C. Paul’s Model of Evangelism (v. 21)

D. Paul’s Model of Prayer (v. 22-23)

E. Paul’s Model of Humility (v. 24)

F. Paul’s Model of Excellence (v.25-27)

III. Paul’s Challenges to the Next Generation (v.28-38)

A. Paul’s Challenge for Honest Self-Assessment (v. 28a)

B. Paul’s Challenge to Shepherd the Flock (v. 28b)

C. Paul’s Challenge to Guard the Flock (v. 29-31)

D. Paul’s Challenge to Study & Pray (v.32)

E. Paul’s Challenge to Lead as a Servant (v.33-35)

IV. Application (v.36-38)

The Life & Teaching of Paul

Living with Porcupines (Romans part 7)

Romans 13-16

Christopher W. Martin © 2019

I. Context

Salvation by Faith Alone through God’s Grace (Romans 1-7)

 Living in Wretchedness (Romans 8)

The Sovereignty of God (Chapter 9)

The Justice of God (Chapter 10)

God’s Love & Our Love (Chapter 11-12)

o Transition – Loving the Un-loveable (13:8-10)

II. Dealing with People who are Porcupines

A. Wake Up! (13:11-14)

 Our Alarm Sounds (v.11)

 Our Day Begins (v.12)

 Our Lives Displayed (v.13-14)

B. Taboo or Not? (14-1-12)

 The Problem

 Paul’s Guidance

o Fellowship Despite Disagreement (v.1-3)

o The Danger of Judging (v.4, 8-9)

o Our Actions Affect Each Other (v.7)

o Let God be the Judge (v.10-12)

C. Walking the Tightrope of Liberty (14:13-23)

 An Issue of Balance

 Principals for Maintaining Balance

o Nothing that God has made is Intrinsically Unclean (v.14-16)

o Christianity is not found in Externals (v.17-19)

o When exercising Christian Liberty threatens Others, Restrain it. (v.20)

D. Unity Despite Division (15:1-13)

 Controlling Conflicts

 Our Obligation (v.1-2)

 Our Illustration (v.3)

 Our Inspiration (v.4)

 Our Prayer (v.5-13)

III. Application (16:25-27)

The Life & Teaching of Paul

God’s Love & Our Love (Romans part 6)

Romans 11:1-13:10

Christopher W. Martin © 2019

• Context

• Salvation by Faith Alone through God’s Grace (Romans 1-7)

• Living in Wretchedness (Romans 8)

• The Sovereignty of God (Chapter 9)

Predestination Truths & Questions

• The Justice of God (Chapter 10)

II. The Faithfulness of God’s Love (Chapter 11)

• Understanding the Issue (11:1a)

o The Identification Issue

o The Rejection Issue 

• Discovering God’s Plan

o Proof that God has not Abandoned His Promises to Israel (11:1b-10)

o Two Reasons for Temporarily Setting Aside Israel (11:11-14)

 Gentiles

 Jews

• Past, Present & Future

o Hardened but not Irretrievably Lost (11:11-15)

o Illustrations (11: 16-17)

o A Warning (11:18-20)

o God’s Masterplan (11: 23-29)

• Handling Confusion & Doubt

o The Mercy of God (11:30-32)

o The Mind of God (11:33-35)

o The Majesty of God (11:36)

III. The Test of Our Love (Romans 12:1-13:10)

• Looking Within (12:1-3)

o Commitment (v.1)

o Transformed (v.2)

o Self-evaluation (v.3) 

• Looking Outward (12:4-8)

• Looking Like Christ (12:9-13)

• Looking Past Evil (12:14-21)

IV. Application – Loving the Un-loveable (13:8-10) 

The Life & Teaching of Paul

Predestination, Responsibility and Our Future (Romans part 5)

Romans 9-11

Christopher W. Martin © 2019

I. Context

• Salvation by Faith Alone through God’s Grace (Romans 1-7)

• Living in Wretchedness (Romans 8)

• A Proper Perspective

o Who is Against Us?

o Who Condemns Us?

o Who Loves Us?

II. The Sovereignty of God (Chapter 9)

• Predestination Truths 

o Predestination begins with the sovereign choices of God (9:6-13)

o Predestination reflects the perfect character of God (9:14-18)

o Predestination identifies the specific responsibility of God (9:19-23)

o Predestination is consistent with the eternal plan of God (9:24-33)

• Predestination Questions 

Question #1:

Question #2:

Question #3:

III. The Justice of God (Chapter 10)

• What God has Done (9:30-10:7)

• What God Expects

o Because the Gospel is Available, Every Person is Responsible (10:8-10)

o Because the Offer is Universal, Every Person is Responsible (10: 11-15)

o Because Rejection is Permissible, the Unsaved are Responsible (10: 16-20)

o Because God is Faithful, He Continues to Speak to the Responsible (10:21)

IV. The Faithfulness of God (Chapter 11)

• Understanding the Issue (11:1a)

o The Identification Issue

o The Rejection Issue 

• Discovering God’s Plan

o Proof that God has not Abandoned His Promises to Israel (11:1b-10)

o Two Reasons for Temporarily Setting Aside Israel (11:11-14)

 Gentiles

 Jews

• Past, Present & Future

o Hardened but not Irretrievably Lost (11:11-15)

o Illustrations (11: 16-17)

o A Warning (11:188-20)

o God’s Masterplan (11: 23-29)

V. Application

• The Mercy of God (11:30-32)

• The Mind of God (11:33-35)

• The Majesty of God (11:36)

The Life & Teaching of Paul

Living the Life of Faith & Grace (Romans part 4)

Romans 5:12-8:39

Christopher W. Martin © 2018

I. Paul’s Letter to Rome (so far)

 The Gospel (part 1)

 The Biggest Questions of Life (part 2)

 Understanding Salvation (part 3)

II. Living the Life of Faith & Grace

A. Dealing with Guilt (5:12-21)

 Historical perspective

 Sin

 Law

 Living in Grace

B. Dealing with Sin (6:1-14)

 Identification

 Walking in newness of life

 Considering yourself dead to sin

 Living under grace

C. Whose Slave Are You? (6:15-23)

D. Handling Your Self-Image (7:1-25)

 Dealing with the “Rules of Conduct”

 Still “In the Flesh”

 But now “In the Spirit”

E. Walking in Wretchedness (8:1-39)

 Our Judgement

 Our Interests

 The Power of Making Right Choices

 Being led by God

 Hearing His Guidance

 Groaning with the Fallen Creation

 Resting in His Promises

 Chosen by an Omniscient God

III. Application

 Who is Against Us?

 Who Condemns Us?

 Who Loves Us?

The Life & Teaching of Paul

Understanding Salvation: Old Testament Style (Romans part 3)

Romans 4:1 – 5:11

Christopher W. Martin © 2019

I. Review of Romans

II. Understanding Salvation 

A. Understanding Abraham (4:1-3)

• A Theoretical Condition (v.2)

• A Biblical Fact (v.3)

B. Illustrations

• Wages (v.4)

• Gifts (v.5-8)

C. Answering Questions (v.9-15)

• Does Circumcision Help? (v.9-12)

• Does Following the Law Help? (v.13-15)

D. Why must it be by Faith?

• The Principle of Grace (v.16a)

• The Promise of God (v. 16b-17)

E. Seen in the Life of Abraham 

• His Situation

• His Response

o His Response was Against All Hope (v. 18)

o His Believed without Weakening his Faith (v. 19) 

o His Response Grew in Strength (v. 20-21) 

o His Gift (v. 22)

III. Application

 Secure in our Salvation (4:23-25)

 Standing in Grace (5:1-2)

 Joyful in Tribulations (5:3-10)

 Rejoicing in our Relationship (5:11) 

I. Review – “The Gospel”

II. Tackling the Biggest Questions of Life

Question 1: what about the person who has never been exposed to Christianity?

· God’s wrath is real (1:18)

· God reveals himself to everyone in every place (1:19-20)

Question 2: What about all the other religions of the world?

· Incorrect perceptions of reality (1:21) 

· Foolish philosophy (1:22) 

· Replacement Religions (1:23-24)

· Proliferation of sin (1:25-32)

Question 3: What about all the “good people”?

· The need for a different perspective:

· What Jesus said. (Matthew 7:1-5)

· What Paul wrote: (Chapter 2:1-16) 

o The Dangerous Actions:

1)

2) 

o The Inevitable Results: ____________________

Question 4: What about everyone who goes to church? (2:17-29)

· Paul’s Context: 

· Paul’s Truisms:

o Proud of what they possess (2:21-24)

o Trust in what they do (2:25-27)

o Secure in what they belong to (2:28-29)

Question 5: Is the Old Testament meaningless? (3:1-20)

· It’s the Word of God (3:1-2)

· His Promises are Still True (3:3-8) 

Question 6: Are people inherently good or bad? (3:9-20) 

Question 7: Don’t all earnest paths lead to God? (3:21-31)

· Universal disqualification (3:23)

· Unfathomable Love (3:23-26)

Ø …justified… 

Ø …by His grace…

Ø …through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…

Ø …a propitiation by His blood…

Ø …to demonstrate His righteousness… 

Ø …God passed over…

Ø …that He might be just and the justifier…”

· Undebatable Conclusion (3:28) 

I. Application

· Religion is a ________ and not a ________.

· Christianity is trusting __________ and not ______________.

· Religion reveals itself in WHAT we do with what we ____________.

· Religion reveals itself in WHY ____ ____ _______ ____ ____. 

 I. Appreciating the Context

A. Paul

B. Time and Place – Corinth, 3rd Missionary Journey, winter 56-57.

C. His Audience – the Church at Rome

· The City

· The Church

· It’s Pastor

D. His Message (1:16-17)

II. Appreciating the Significance

· Early Church Fathers

· Origen (185 -254)

· Augustine (354-430)

· William Tyndale (1494-1536)

· Martin Luther (1483-1546)

· John Calvin (1509-1564)

· John Wesley (1703-1791) 

· Simon Greenleaf (1783-1853)

· Donald Grey Barnhouse (1895-1960)

III. Appreciating “The Gospel”

A. Recognizing “the Gospel” (v. 1-7)

· Its Relationship to Paul’s Life (v. 1)

· Its Relationship to God’s Plan (v. 2-5)

· Its Relationship to Believers (v. 6-7)

B. Proclaiming “the Gospel” (v. 8-15)

· The Power of the Gospel (v. 8)

· The Personal Nature of the Gospel (v. 9-10)

· The Pervasiveness of the Gospel (v.11-15)

C.  Explaining the Gospel (v. 16-17)

· What does it mean?

· What is it?

· What does it do?

IV. Applying “the Gospel”

The Life & Teaching of Paul

Reflections on Church 

Acts 20: 1-12

Christopher W. Martin © 2019

I. Paul’s Journeys

· 1st & 2nd Missionary Journeys

· 3rd Missionary Journey

II. Life Lessons from the return to Europe

A. Leaving Ephesus (v.1) 

Life Lesson: God doesn’t call anyone to _______ ______. 

B. The Return to Macedonia (v.2a)

_______________ is the key to Christian growth. 

C. Back to Corinth (v.2b-3a)

D. Back to Macedonia (v.3b-6) 

With his “disciples” 

E. Reflections on Church (v.7-12)

· Gathered together

· On Sunday

A Digression on why we don’t worship on Saturday, the Sabbath. 

Ø Sabbath was a sign to __________ of the ___________ Covenant.

Ø New Testament silence

Ø Paul’s silence

Ø Paul’s teaching (Galatians 4:10-11)

Ø New Testament practice

Ø Jerusalem Counsel 

Ø Christian History

· The Upper Room

· To break bread 

· Teaching God’s Word

o Reflections on “hunger”

o Reflections on the Next Generation

Ø A picture of youth: Eutychus

Ø A picture of distance 

Ø A picture of being pulled by the flesh

Ø A picture of eternal consequences

Ø A picture of Grace

Ø A picture of resurrection from death

III. Application