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"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
I know that the "God" in Genesis 1:1 is Jesus Christ because of correlating Scripture we find later in the Bible.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made ... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him ... grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known."John 1:1-3, 14, 17-18
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."Colossians 1:15-17
The Old Testament speaks about God coming to earth in the flesh to minister to the needs of His created beings.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, MIghty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, estblishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever."Isaiah 9:6-7
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."Micah 5:2
Jesus Christ is God, so He is mentioned hundreds of times in Old Testament. He is Jehovah and the Son of Man. He is our Everything.
Also before Pilate He makes the statement that "His kingdom is not of this world otherwise his servants would fight for Him. What does he mean?"
Matthew's Gospel shows how unspiritual the Jews were. Jesus taught them the difference between what the Rabbis taught and what He taught. Jesus told the crowds that their righteousness had to surpass that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. He said that unless it did, they would not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Yes, the people wanted to make Jesus King, but Jesus was not going to be the kind of king they wanted. He had to first die for their sins, offer Himself to them, have them reject Him, introduce the Mystery Body, and return to Israel centuries later. He will be King, but it will be in His time and in His way.
Jesus said what He did to Pilate because of the misunderstanding of the Jews to what His Kingdom would be. They were tied up into thinking the Kingdom of God was simply a physical kingdom. The Kingdom Jesus came to give Israel was a Spiritual Kingdom, one they could not understand nor accept. His Kingdom was from Heaven. It began in Heaven and would return to Heaven. Jesus will set up His Heavenly Kingdom on Earth one day in the future. At that time, Jesus and His followers will fight. He will set up a Spiritual Kingdom and rule the earth with a rod of iron. The Kingdom will continue past that time into eternity on a new earth and in a new heaven. The day Jesus faced Pilate was not that time.
So for example 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 which talks about women being quiet in church could in fact be part of the Corinthian letter to Paul to which Paul replies: "Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge what I'm writing to you is the Lord's command. If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored."
When speaking of what he wrote as being the Lord's command he could have been talking about 1 Corinthians 11:5 where he clearly speaks of women prophesying in church.
I know this is a much talked about and debated passage but I'm really determined to find the truth!
You brought up 1 Corinthians, so let's deal with some specifics from that letter. Paul wrote, "My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you." (1 Corinthians 1:11) Chloe is mentioned only once in Paul's letters, so we don't have much information about her. We can assume that she was a Christian, though we don't know that as fact. It would appear that the Corinthian Christians knew her name because Paul gives no explanation about who she was. We know that members of her household told Paul about divisions in the Corinthian church. How did they know? They may have been members of the church.
At the end of the letter Paul writes, "You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it. I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition." (1 Corinthians 16:15-18) Paul mentioned Stephanas earlier when he wrote, "I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." (1 Corinthians 1:14-17) Stephanas and members of his household were the first converts in Achaia. The name "Achaia" was used for most of Greece during Roman times. Fortunatus and Achaicus are mentioned on this one time in Scripture, so we know little else about them.
Notice that Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus "arrived" to see Paul. They physcially travelled from their home to visit Paul. They "supplied" Paul with what was lacking from the Corinthians. It may have been physical supplies. It may have been information about the church. It may have been spiritual fellowship. Paul does say the three men "refrehsed" his spirit. Paul "urged" the Corinthian Christians to "submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it." He wrote that the household of Stephanus had "devoted themselves to the service of the saints." It may have been that Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus were elders or deacons in the Corinthian Church. Paul used the terms "the work" and "labors at it" for people who led churches spiritually. We're not told, but it might be that Stephanas was a member of Chloe's household. Or it could be that Chloe's household and Stephanus' household were two separate families.
Paul wrote the Corinthians a detailed letter based on things he had heard from members and leaders of the church. What they told him was a sad situation. Paul's letter is proof of that. He wrote them about divisions in the church, jealousy about which spiritual leader was more important, sexual immorality in the church, lawsuits among brothers, marital problems, improper usage of the Lord's supper, misuse of spiritual gifts, lack of unity and love, disorderly worship, and incorrect teaching about the resurrection. The Corinthian church was a mess. Stephanus and the others had their hands full trying to lead the people. They knew they needed Paul's Apostolic influence to straighten out what had gone wrong. Paul started the church in Corinth, so the people knew him personally and should have listened to what he said. We learn from 2 Corinthians that they did.
You asked about 1 Corinthians 14:33-35. That is in the context of Paul dealing with orderly worship and gifts of the spirit--specifically prophecy and tongues. Paul explains the purpose of coming together as a group of believers.
"What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church."1 Corinthians 14:26
Everything we do in a Christian gathering should be done "for the strengthening of the church." Paul goes on to write about tongues, interpretation and prophecy. He had already made it clear earlier in chapter 14 that he would prefer Christians to "speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a gongue." He wrote that "Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers." We know Paul's preference of what should happen in a Christian gathering.
The direct context of 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 is prophecy.
"Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to comeone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church."1 Corinthians 14:29-35
What does that say to you? It's pretty clear that "it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church." The context of "speaking" in the church is "prophecy." Paul even harkens back to the "Law" where Jewish women were not allowed to speak in the conregation of Israel. If they wanted to know something, they asked their husbands at home. Was this something just for the Corinthians and for that time in history? Paul wrote, "As in all congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches."
Paul apparently anticipated the problem people would have with his statements. His next words were, "Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command." Paul's words were not his words. They were the Words of God. They were the "commands" of God. Paul added his apostolic and prophetic position to the arguments by writing, "If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command." If people want to argue this point, they are arguing with the Apostle Paul and with God Himself.
You mentioned 1 Corinthians 11:3-16. Paul deals with the issue of authority in the church.
"Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God."
Paul then goes into detail about men having their heads covered and women having their heads uncovered during prayer and prophesying. Paul wrote that "a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God." He asked "does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering." Paul talks about covering heads, uncovering heads, and shaving off hair. It's not an easy passage. He wrote that "because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head."
Christians will probably argue about long hair versus short hair and what's a covering until we see Jesus in Heaven. However, the real issue here is authority. A Christian man who wears short hair but doesn't allow God to rule his life has missed the point of this passage. A Christian woman who wears her hair long and places other coverings on her head but doesn't allow God to rule her life has also missed the point. Go back to the first verse in this section: "Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." That's what Paul wants us to do.
Millions of Christians disagree with this understanding of Paul's letter. What do we do about that? "If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice--nor do the churches of God." (1 Corinthians 11:16)
I'm curious about that too. What was Paul doing in Tarsus during the time he left Jerusalem (Acts 9:30) and the time Barnabas brought him to Antioch (Acts 11:26)? Comparing Paul's statement about his activities from the time he was saved (Galatians 1:15-24) with the events recorded in Acts 15:36-41, one might conclude that Paul had been doing some evangelizing in Syria and Cilicia during those years. What do you think?
"So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace."Acts 9:28-31
"But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Lord's brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: 'The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.' And they praised God because of me. Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas."Galatians 1:15-2:1
Paul disappeared from the spiritual landscape for several years. Some amazing things happened after he left Jerusalem and returned to Tarsus. The kingdom church was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit. It "grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord." (Acts 9:31) Peter was still prominent in the kingdom church. He traveled about the country preaching, healing and encouraging the disciples. God opened Peter's eyes to the fact He was going to work in the lives of Gentiles (Acts 10 & 11). The conclusion of that event was the Jewish believers coming to an understanding that "God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life." (Acts 11:18).
The next thing we read (Acts 11:19) is that "those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch."
Barnabas had a special understanding of what was happening. He knew it was time to find Paul and get him involved in this new movement of God. Barnabas knew where to find Paul. We don't know what Barnabas said to Paul in Tarsus, but we know Paul traveled with Barnabas to begin ministering to the Christians at Antioch. Paul and Barnabas continued to travel together for some time after that.
Barnabas first met Paul shortly after Paul's conversion.
"When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus."Acts 9:26-27
God chose Barnabas to be involved in Paul's ministry from the very beginning. Barnabas was the person God used to help convince the Jewish believers that they could trust Paul. Barnabas was the person God used to find Paul in Tarsus and bring him to the new Christians in Antioch. Barnabas was the person God used to travel with Paul in the early years of his missionary journeys to reach the Gentiles for Christ.
Your question, and the question of millions of Christians, is what did Paul do for close to a decade in Tarsus? Did he preach the gospel? Did he teach? If so, what? Did he start churches? Did he visit other cities and countries? Did he commune with the Lord alone? Did he have a job? Did he have a wife and children?
We are left with few solid answers. We know Paul returned to his home town after leaving Jerusalem quickly. He would have had many opportunities to witness to members of his family because of his amazing conversion to Christ. We know Paul had a sister. We know that her son, his nephew, was with him in Jerusalem and helped save his life from a murder plot (Acts 23:12-22). Paul may have led his nephew to Christ during the years in Tarsus. Paul may have led other members of his family to Christ, but we have no record of that. Paul did have a trade. He was a tentmaker. We learn that from his letters. He never mentioned having been married, but that's possible because of his background as a Pharisee and teacher of the Law. He wrote sensitively about unsaved spouses leaving their saved spouses (1 Corinthians 7). He may or may not have written from personal experience. He never mentioned having children. Paul was a kind, gracious and loving man. He would have certainly been that way in dealing with his family and business associates in Tarsus. Paul didn't mention attending the synagogue in Tarsus and sharing his new beliefs, but that was his practice during his later missionary journeys. Paul went to Jerusalem as a young man to study the Law under the teaching of one of Israel's brightest scholars. Paul's meteoric rise to stardom as a chief prosecutor for the high priest certainly must have pleased his family. His return to Tarsus as a changed, converted man with a new spiritual purpose and death plots from former allies must have had a deep impact on his family and friends.
God called Paul for a special purpose: "This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel." (Acts 9:15) Paul had a lot to learn. I believe Paul spent much of his time in Tarsus reading, praying, learning and preparing for his special ministry. I think he was ready and waiting for the day when Barnabas found him in Tarsus. I doubt Paul wasted any time following Barnabas to Antioch.
I haven't found any evidence of churches Paul started before going to Antioch. Paul never mentions a Christian congregation in Tarsus. I would think he would have mentioned it and visited it often if one was there. Paul started a lot of churches near Tarsus. It is interesting that we don't know of a Christian congregation there. Towns that were near Tarsus included Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium. Paul and Barnabas visited those towns at the end of their first missionary journey (Acts 14). They preached and won large numbers of people to Christ. After preaching in Derbe, "they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith." Luke wrote that "Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust." This seemed to be the action of starting new congregations rather than re-visiting established ones.
Whatever Paul did during his years in Tarsus, God was preparing him for the great ministry before him. As Paul told the Christians at the end of his first missionary journey, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22) I believe God revealed much to Paul during the years in Tarsus. Paul understood what was before him and left Tarsus with Barnabas gladly to preach the Gospel of the Grace of God.
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"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."
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Last Updated: 12/20/1999