Part 69 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson says that Paul’s letter to the Romans is the longest letter we have from the ancient world, and is very important. Paul is obviously countering arguments. Paul has never met the Roman church so why did he write to them?  David believes that chapters 9 to 11, where Paul speaks so much about the Jews, are the key to the whole letter. David asks what the need in Rome was. There were serious social issues there and that is why Paul deals with such subjects as homosexuality, antisocial behaviour, disobedience to parents, uncontrollable violence and crime. Paul seeks to minister to Christians who have to live in the midst of this city of vice and crime. David explains that what had begun as a church of Hebrew believers in Rome had become one of Gentiles as Jews had been expelled by the Emperor Claudius. But then, when the next emperor invited the Jews back for financial reasons, they found that their church had changed in the hands of Gentiles. David says that everything in this letter is to get those two groups back into fellowship. Chapters 9 to 11 counter replacement theology, the thinking that the Church has replaced the Jews.

Part 68 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson shows the book of Acts is a vital part of our Bibles. Having looked at the original intention in the writing of Acts, David now shows how it can be applied to our lives. The early church wasn’t perfect, but had life and power of the Holy Spirit. The growth of the early church is the most astonishing phenomenon and we need to learn from it. David gives wise advice and says that Paul’s conversion and some other experiences should not be expected as a pattern for further events. Acts gives clarity to some of the issues and people mentioned in the gospels and is a link between the gospels and the epistles. Only Acts shows how Paul counselled enquirers. The gospels, written before Jesus died and rose again, were too early to tell us how to become a Christian. The letters and Revelation were written too late because they were written to people who were already Christian. After Pentecost, nobody was born again without #repenting for their sins, #believing in the Lord Jesus, #being baptized in water and #receiving the Holy Spirit. That is the basic teaching of this book. John the Baptist and Jesus – and the letters - actually mention all four, but separately.

Part 67 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

In looking at the book of Acts, David Pawson says that most of the Bible was written for human reasons but was ‘edited’ for divine reasons. In this first talk, he looks at the human side. The author, Dr. Luke is the only Gentile writer of scripture. Medics were trained to be observant, careful and analytical and this comes out in how Luke wrote his gospel and Acts. In Acts he recorded how the good news of the Gospel went from Jerusalem to Rome – from the Jews to the Gentiles. He had insight because he travelled with the Apostle Paul, possibly to look after his health, on his missionary journeys and he was a skillful writer and at heart, an evangelist. Luke wrote for ‘Most Excellent’ Theophilus and it is possible that he was a judge, or a lawyer who was going to defend Paul at his trial. And from details in the Bible, it would seem that Paul’s lawyer was successful at this particular trial and he was released and able to proceed with his great work. David Pawson says that it was really Christianity that was on trial in Rome, rather than Paul. Luke draws attention to those seemingly small events which resulted in spreading the Gospel.

Part 66 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

In this 2nd talk on John’s gospel, David Pawson shows that he was correcting misunderstandings which had developed after Jesus’ death. He had to correct ancient Greek thinking. They divided the sacred from the secular so had difficulty in seeing that Jesus was both God and man at the same time. So John emphasizes Jesus’ full humanity and his prayer life as well as his full divinity. John introduces 7 witnesses to Jesus’ divinity, 7 miracles which are the most supernatural, and 7 words of Jesus which were absolutely unique. John’s interest in Jesus was in what he was. He went right back to the beginning to show that Jesus already was there as ‘The Logos’ who spoke creation into existence. Jesus is ‘The Reason’ for everything. John says 4 things about The Logos – In the beginning he was already there (eternal); he was ‘face to face with God’ (personal); he was God; and The Logos became flesh and ‘pitched his tent among us’. As believers in Jesus, John says we will know life which continues, we will not walk in darkness, we will live in freedom, not slavery, we’ll live a life of truth (reality), and we won’t live under God’s wrath. This gospel tells more about the Holy Spirit which enables us.

Part 65 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson, in looking at the gospel of John, speaks about the variety and yet the unity of scripture which had 40 human authors and one divine Editor. The authors retained their personalities. The book of John has a difference from the other 3 gospels. David says it’s as though John is looking at the ‘inside’ of Jesus – what was he like, what was his real Person. Of the 12 disciples, John was the closest to Jesus. He omits much said in the other gospels – the conception & birth, baptism, temptations, casting out of demons, the transfiguration, the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the ascension – because of his purpose in writing. But there are some very important extras – 5 particular miracles which he sees as ‘signs’; Peter and the foot washing; Jesus’ dealing with individuals; 7 claims of Jesus. David irons out seeming contradictions. Rather than concentrating on short parables, John writes about Jesus’ ministry in the south of Israel where he was not popular, his arguments with the Jews and long discourses. David explains the difference between the ancient Greek thinking which the West has adopted and Hebrew thinking – which is important in our understanding of the Bible.

Part 64 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson says that while Luke’s gospel is the best loved because of some of its stories, it is the least well known. He is the only Gentile writer in the Bible and was a doctor. Because of his medical background he provides unique details. David compares Luke’s parables. He wrote for one man, Theophilus, possibly to gain freedom for the Apostle Paul who was at that time released and able to continue his missionary journey. While Luke used material from Mark, he also did a lot of original research. Unique to Luke - #1 The birth stories, all from Mary’s angle. #2 A story of Jesus’ boyhood. #3 Details about Jesus’ baptism in water and Holy Spirit. #4 The ‘Sermon on the Mount’ apparently preached at a different time in a different way. #5 A woe for every blessing given. #6 Various parables. #7 Incidents involving individuals. The groups he had an interest in were Samaritans; Gentiles like himself; outcasts; women; the poor; and ‘sinners’. There’s also a definite supernatural aspect to Luke – angels, the Holy Spirit. Luke is the gospel for everybody presenting Jesus as the Saviour of the world.

Part 63 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson says that the gospels are essentially news bulletins, better read aloud. Mark was the first gospel written and he is primarily telling us what Jesus did. The 4 gospels together give us a 4-dimensional portrait of Jesus because they had different readers in mind. Mark and Luke wrote for unbelievers. Though Mark was never a leader in the early church he was an assistant and/or interpreter to no fewer than 4 men at various times. His gospel recorded Peter’s preaching and is a book of action. There are more miracles than parables recorded here. There is nothing of Jesus’ birth or boyhood. It is thought that Matthew and Luke used Mark’s framework and expanded on it from their knowledge for their gospel records. The first 9 chapters deal with the first 2-and-a-half years of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee in northern Israel, then he concentrated on his 12 disciples for 6 months (chapter 10) then the last week of Jesus’ life on earth took chapters 11 to 16. David shows what altered the course of Jesus’ ministry. There is a remarkable emphasis on both the human and the divine aspects of Jesus’ death.

Part 62 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

Two of the 4 gospels were written for sinners (Mark & Luke) and two for Christians. Matthew is a manual of discipleship, the best book of the New Testament to take a new convert through. “You disciple someone by teaching them how to live in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.” The expectations of Jew and Christian regarding the Messiah and the Kingdom differ. We are living in the overlap of the “present evil age” and the establishment of the Kingdom on earth. David says that all 5 sermons of Jesus recorded in Matthew are important, and are all about how to be subjects of the kingdom. The Kingdom needs not only the good Sovereign but also good subjects. The 5 sermons: #1The Sermon on the Mount – the lifestyle of the Kingdom. #2The Mission of the Kingdom: we have a mission to bring others into the kingdom by demonstrating and then declaring the Kingdom. #3What to Expect: Don’t be disappointed that not every seed sown yields a harvest. #4The Community of the Kingdom: Church discipline is included. #5The Future of the Kingdom: 4 clear signs of Jesus’ second coming given. God is both King and Father. Faith, Righteousness and Judgment are themes of Matthew. We must never forget what Jesus has done for us.

Part 61 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David begins by speaking about how God meant us to read the Bible. He says that somebody has damaged our Bibles by adding chapter and verse numbers and we have become ‘text people’. The gospels are not strictly biographies as more than one-third of the text describes the death of Jesus. David says that they are more like extended news bulletins. The writers had witnessed events and they reported on them. Why are there 4 gospels? David compares them. He looks at this book from two angles: who was Matthew hoping to reach and what was his intention. Matthew presents Jesus as the king of the Jews, particularly recording what Jesus said. Jesus was popular in the north of Israel but unpopular in the south where he was eventually killed. Matthew uses Mark as his framework but adds much more, beginning with the conception and birth of Jesus. He has 5 sermons included, collected under 5 themes, interspersed with Jesus’ deeds which illustrated his sermons. Matthew aimed toward Jewish readers, referring often to how Jesus’ life fulfilled Old Testament scriptures, but it is for gentiles as well. David believes this gospel brings Jew and Christian together.

Part 60 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

In studying Malachi, David Pawson points out 3 aspects of God we need to understand: He is the Creator from whom we come, the King under whom we live & the Judge to whom we go. David says the loving Father side in the New Testament supplements this, but doesn’t substitute for this. Malachi challenges the priests. Faulty sacrifices were being made; sermons were given for popularity rather than the truths of God; they were man-pleasers instead of God-fearers. David sees a lack of the necessary fear of God in the Church today because he is treated with familiarity but not with reverence. The people were marrying outside the people of God which God had forbidden, as he has today. Divorce was rife, and Malachi told them that God hates divorce. David says, judgment will come, but it doesn’t come by next Friday because of God’s patience. “Return to Me, and I will return to you.” David says there is a dynamic relationship between God and his people; he is responding to them constantly. There is an important word on tithing as well. At the end of the book: Get back to the Maker’s instructions; and the forecast of the coming of one like the great prophet Elijah to prepare the way for the Lord.