Martyrs: Paul

In session we are looking at a Christian Martyr by the name of Paul. Paul was an Apostle of Jesus and was originally known as Saul of Tarsus, but it is important to note that he was not one of the original Twelve Apostles. According to writings in the New Testament Paul, who was originally called Saul, was dedicated to the persecution of the early disciples of Jesus in the area of Jerusalem.

Different, Divided or United

As Christians we can be very different and still be united and effective in our faith, but most of the time we seem to be divided and somewhat crippled in our faith. The problem is we can easily become disconnected with the body of Christ even while attending church.

Beatitudes: Poor in Spirit

As we think more about being poor in spirit, one would think this is a bad thing. Most of the time when the bible mentions that someone is blessed it is associated with having an abundance of something, but here we see Jesus association being blessed with lacking in spirit.

Authority

1Cor_11:3 But 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. 

The Apostle Paul lays out the order of authority for the man and woman. Our focus here can easily tune in on being authoritative and ruling over the woman, as many have done over the centuries.

Godly Correction

A critical component of being a disciple of Jesus is understanding that being corrected is a part of learning. Many people attribute correction as punishment but that is not always the case. Godly correction can come in the various forms, ranging from being corrected about our understanding to punishment for our wrong actions.

Martyr: Stephen

Stephen is first mentioned in Acts of the Apostles as one of seven Christians appointed by the Apostles to distribute food and charitable aid to poorer members of the community in the early church.

Protection

Mat_1:19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 

Even when we think it is justified, it is never OK to publicly embarrass or humiliate our mate. In all respects Joseph did not know or understand that God was responsible for Mary’s conception and Joseph had the full right to be angry and expose Mary for what seemed to be adultery.

Preaching vs Teaching

Eph_4:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers. 

The Apostle Paul is telling the Christians in Ephesus that there are different roles in the body of Christ. It is important to notice that Teaching is listed as a distinct role for the body of believers and it is not just a subset of skills listed under the other roles. And although these roles have distinct characteristics, they also have some overlap.