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Welcome to NECF sermons.

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Each message here is designed to uplift and strengthen you in your walk with God.

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Don't miss out, stay with us until the end for our rewarding experience.

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Let's dive right in.

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I will start reading from the end part of John 11, 43.

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Now when he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out, come forth. And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with great clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.

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Jesus said to them, lose him and let him go. Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary and had seen the things Jesus did believed in him.

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That's 46. But some of them went away, the Pharisees, and told them the things Jesus did. That's 47. Then the chief priest and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, what shall we do?

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The man works many signs. If we let him alone like this, everyone will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.

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Verse 49, and one of them, Hyphus, being high priest that year, said to them, you know nothing at all, but do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and not that the whole nation should perish?

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Now this he did not say on his own authority, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation and not for that nation only, but also that he will gather together in one, the children of God who were scattered abroad.

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Then from that day on, they plotted to put him to death. Amen.

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So last week, we started some important things trying to answer a question.

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That question was, does the citation on or allusion of some outside material or what we call non-canonical materials in the Bible texts or in many books of the Bible show that those sources are also scriptures, or they can be considered canon?

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And we took time to look at the Old Testament texts, and we saw there are a number of quotations that the prophet made, quoting or picking from some historical books, which are not in the language of scripture, we say they are not inspired, meaning that they were not part of what we call scriptures.

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But then they were quoted, the prophet used them as sources of truth.

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They pick some portions.

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And we looked at a number of things and later then, we also saw that people like Balaam spoke truth, although we saw that he has a way that is a way of unrighteousness.

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He benefited from it.

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In fact, by the time you read in the book of Revelation, that erroneous way have turned to a doctrine, you see the doctrine of Balaam.

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Yet this man prophesied.

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Then we saw also different places as well, where a donkey spoke.

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And then we concluded that that truth is not validated by who said it.

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We say truth is validated by itself.

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So truth is truth, regardless who said it, no matter where he found his truth.

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This is very important.

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That's where we ended last week.

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So this week, we began with this text in John chapter 11, and this text communicated something very important to us that look at verse 47.

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Look at verse 47.

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He said, then the chief priests, you know, after the miracle that happened, Lazarus was brought back to life.

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Some believe and some seems to be that they were, they appear to be informants.

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They moved and went to tell the Pharisee and the chief priests.

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He said, then the chief priests and the Pharisee gathered a council and said, what shall we do?

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This man walks many signs.

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He performs many miracles.

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Suddenly, after the Lazarus was brought back to life, many believed.

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I look at verse 48.

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He said, if we let him alone like this, everyone will believe in him.

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And the Romans will come and take both our place and our nation.

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Now note that.

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He said, both our place and our nation.

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So that was it.

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Because already for those people who were there when Jesus raised Lazarus back to life, they saw what happened.

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They saw how people believed in Jesus.

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And then they say, if we let this man, everyone will believe in him.

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And then we reeks that the Romans will just take our place.

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At that moment, although, yes, the Romans were still there in Israel controlling things.

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However, the Pharisee and the chief priests still have a say in their fears of things.

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Are we together?

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They still have a say.

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So that's why they say we reeks our place.

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That means at that position that we're enjoying, soon if we allow this man, he will spoil the show for us.

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He will spoil the show.

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We won't get that position again.

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But look at verse 49.

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He said, And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, you know nothing at all.

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No, do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and not that the whole nation should perish?

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Now, this man was speaking based according to their concern.

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Remember their concern that if they allow Jesus, they will lose both their place and their nation.

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So he was saying that for us to allow this, no, we won't allow it.

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It is better that we kill this man.

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It's better that this one man died than the entirety of our nation.

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But you see, this man was saying this.

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He never knew that he was actually prophesying.

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Look at verse 51.

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He said, now this he did not say on his own authority.

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That what if you look at authority is in, is in italics.

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So authority there is not there in the song.

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It is just inserted by the translators.

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So he did not say on his own.

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But being high priest that year, he prophesied.

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Look at it.

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He prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation and not for the nation only,

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but also that he will gather together in one, the children of God who were scattered abroad.

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Now, what can we learn here quickly before we continue in our discussion that truth can come from an unbeliever.

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Chaiaphas was one of them, was a Pharisee, yet he was prophesying about the date of Christ.

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He did not know what he was, he was thinking, he was speaking concerning their concern that let's kill Jesus.

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It's better for Jesus to die than the entire nation be taken away from us.

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But actually he was prophesying.

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So what I'm trying to say is that is bootressing the fact that truth is truth.

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Even from an unbeliever, truth is truth.

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Remember Pharisee are unbelievers.

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The Bible tells us that they shut the gate of knowledge.

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They refused to enter and they also refused others to enter.

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They prophesied.

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So what are we trying to say?

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So will you now invalidate the prophecy that Chaiaphas made just because he is an unbeliever and he is looking for to kill Jesus?

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No, he prophesied.

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And truth, what he said is truth.

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Paul says that in 2 Corinthians 5, 14 and 15, that the love of God constrains us or the love of God compels us depending on which translation you are using.

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He said because we trust George, if one man died, then all died.

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That's what Paul said.

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He said if one died, then all died.

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Verse 15 now said that and that he died, that those who live to henceforth no longer live for themselves, will live for him who died and rose again for them.

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So what exactly Chaiaphas was saying was that one man will die for all.

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And that's the gospel.

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That's what he was prophesying.

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That's what actually happened.

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So nonpublica sources have been repeatedly quoted in the New Testament.

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Now last week we saw how many texts in the Old Testament, particularly historical.

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We saw many books, the books of Joshua, the Act of Solomon, the Annals or the Chronicles of David and so on and so forth.

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We saw it last week.

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They used those materials too.

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Now let's look at the New Testament quickly.

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We see, let's see, we are particularly epistols where many quotations were made.

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I mean the quotes were from actually outside materials, materials not from scriptures or noncanonical texts.

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Acts 17. Look at Acts 17 quickly.

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Act 17, Act 17. Come with me. Let me probably read from verse 16.

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That will give us what exactly we want from verse 16.

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Now, while Paul waited for them at Athens, so that means this event was in Athens.

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I think, I think I have a map here that could help us.

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Let me come, that will help our understanding also.

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Yes. So this is Athens here. This is Athens here.

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So just note when we are speaking about Athens.

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We will talk about Crete. So just pay attention.

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Of course, we talked about this other time.

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This is the part of Turkey. Remember we talked about this place.

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We talked about the Syrian Antioch. Remember?

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We talked about also the Pisidian Antioch.

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And we know the difference.

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And then we can see that this area is Turkey, is in Turkey.

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But the Syrian Antioch is not in Turkey. It is of course of Syria.

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Then you can see close to Jerusalem.

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And of course around the, you know, in those days we don't have all these demarcation like we have today.

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I mean these, what we call countries.

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We don't have them before.

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So they call this place a Syrian Antioch.

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Of course, you know that now in our current demarcations,

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Syria, Lebanon, and the time all have boundaries with Israel and all that.

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So but in those days they call this place the Syrian Antioch.

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And this is, you can move down to Jerusalem and here to Jerusalem what we have today, Jerusalem.

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Are we together? So that's fine. What I want us to just know in that.

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So as I speak today, we will be talking around this area.

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This area because this is Greece, around Greece today.

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So just pay attention around this area. I'm going to, this is where we are reading.

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Okay. So he said, okay.

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So verse 16. Now when Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him.

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When he saw that the city was giving over to idols,

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therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with Gentiles, Gentiles,

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worshippers and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.

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There's certain Epicureans and the stoic philosophers entered.

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Sorry, encountered him, encountered him.

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And some said, what does this babbler wants to say?

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Others says, said, he seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods

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because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.

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Verse 19. And they took him and brought him to the

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Aropagos saying, may we know what this new doctrine is, of which you speak.

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For you are bringing some strange things to our ears.

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Therefore, we want to know what these things mean for all the Athenians

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and the foreigners who were there, spent their time in nothing else,

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but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

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So you can see these people like secrets or mysticism.

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They always want to hear the new thing.

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Remember, we talked about some philosophical thinking, mystical thinking,

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narcissism. Are we together? Yes.

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So they always want something new. They are not satisfied with.

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You want something. Unfortunately, we have some believers like that.

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They don't like routine. They don't like a truth to stay in truth.

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They move from one doctrine to doctrine.

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And of course, this is a sign that you're a child.

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If you always want your ears to be tickled, they are close to and through

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by every wind of doctrine.

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Today, the man of God said, the Lord has sent me to the body with a message

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of, else shall die because you shall not die.

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So, you know, all those kind of things, those kind of rhymes and punch lines.

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People like it.

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So for verse 20, you are bringing some strange things to our ears.

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Therefore, we want to know what these things means for all the Athenians

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and the foreigners who were there, spend their time in nothing else,

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rather to tell or to hear some new thing.

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Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said,

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Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things, you are very religious.

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For as I was passing through and considering the object of your worship,

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I even found an altar with this inscription.

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I wanted to note that by this Paul, it shows that Paul was a man of great

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intellect. He observed a lot.

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He observed a lot.

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It means he's a man that pays attention to details.

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He's widely read.

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He understands what is going on.

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He said with this inscription, to the unknown God, therefore,

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the one whom you worship without knowing him, I proclaim to you,

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God, who made the world and everything in it,

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since he is Lord of heavens and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands,

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nor is he worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything,

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since he gives to all life, breath and all things,

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and he has made from one God every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth

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and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.

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27. So that they should seek the Lord in the hope that they might grope for him

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and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

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Verse 28, that's where I'm going.

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Look at verse 28 very well.

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He said, for in him we live and move and have our being,

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as also some of your own poets have said, for we are also his offspring.

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So he is making reference to one of their poets, their poets.

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Do you see verse 28?

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Now, I just want to focus on the second part.

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Don't worry about the first part.

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Maybe sometime we will look at it again, because also it's quotation.

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Now look at verse 28, because he was making reference to their own poets.

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So definitely this person is a non-believer.

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And this person, because he's a poet, so definitely you know who a poet is.

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So he's making reference to the writings of this poet, who is one of them,

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who is Sanitianian, and in history it has been noted that this quotation is from Arastus, Aratus.

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A-R-A-T-U-S. A-R-A-T-U-S. Aratus poem.

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It is called the phenomena, phenomena, P-H-A-E-N-O-M-E-N-A.

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P-H-A-E-N-O-M-E-N-A.

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So that's the title of that poem, it's called the phenomena.

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And that's a part of it.

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And later, also this quotation is also found in the hymn of Zeus.

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The hymn to Zeus, sorry. The hymn.

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So not just only in that poem of the poet Arastus,

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it's also found in a hymn called the hymn to Zeus.

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Hymn, just the hymn. Hymn to Zeus. Zeus is Z-E-U-S. Z-E-U-S. Z-E-U-S.

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That hymn to Zeus, or to Zeus, whichever one, is it Zeus or Zeus? Zeus.

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Glory to God. I believe if they come to Africa, they also struggle with her name.

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So don't worry about it. Amen. Especially if they move to the west,

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they begin to hear Olua Tobiko. And so I know they will struggle with that.

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So glory to God.

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Okay. So this hymn to Zeus is a hymn by Clintus.

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Clintus is the word from clean and test, that is C-L-E-A-N-T-H-E-S.

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That is clean, then T-H-E-S. So it's normally called the Clintus hymn to Zeus.

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So this quotation, first and foremost, is actually written or picked from the Arras 2's poem,

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which we call the Phenomena, and it's also contained in the Clintus hymn to Zeus.

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Of course, you know, Zeus. So I think those of us who know Zeus, Zeus is a Greek god.

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Zeus is a Greek god. Normally they consider Zeus as a sky and weather god,

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or sometimes they call it the thunder god. And who, of course, is identical to the Roman god Jupiter.

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You know, Jupiter is also a Roman god. It is also a god that is associated to weather.

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So just identical to that. So although today, you know, we have Jupiter as a solar part of the solar system.

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Right. Okay. So what am I trying to say? Zeus is regarded as one who sent thunder, who sent lightning, rain, wind.

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So that's why they call it the god of thunder or god of sky and weather. Now, I wanted to note something

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which is very critical, that these Arras 2's, which is actually most of the one accredited to this quotation,

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I mean, Paul Peking from him, was regarded as one who also was a Cilician, one of Paul's own countrymen.

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And in his writing, likely because Paul, definitely because they come from the same town,

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Paul must have been acquainted with his writing. Just the same way, for example, for those of us who are in Nigeria,

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when you are in your secondary school, because we have Woleso Inka, right, of course, he's only a believer.

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You must have read his number of his books, animal farm, and so on and so forth.

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And you probably must have read other texts of other people like Chinua Chibi also.

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So because they are all from our, so you don't expect us, although we, for us, we read a number of these literatures,

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Africanized entertainment and many texts by other people from other African countries, you understand.

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Now, but most especially when I was in secondary school, we also read a lot from particularly Chinua Chibi,

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Woleso Inka, in fact, I was in the drama club. We used to act Woleso Inka's books.

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So, I mean, to read them, we would, we will add them because a number of his books, they are like a drama, understand.

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So we will act them on stage. So also it appears that because this man is coming from Paul's own place also,

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so he must have been acquainted, which is right. And that's why he's referring to that text also.

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However, whatever it is at that time, because you already know Paul is an intellectual, so he must have read a lot, knowing a lot about those people.

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But now in the argument, in the argument of they are worshipping an unknown God and Paul was trying to make them to understand,

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he will now quote actually a person which they are acquainted, they know, and what he said in one of their writings or point.

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Now, in this case, the phenomena. And so what I'm trying to say is that it's not just, it's not just a matter of the Old Testament text.

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We see now again in the New Testament, Paul is using the text that is not, of course, not written by a believer,

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not even inspired in the son is quoting from that to make a case. That's one I wanted to note.

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OK, let's read also quickly. First Corinthians, I'm coming. I'll make a statement after I just lay out these things.

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First Corinthians 15, look at verse 33. We normally quote this very well. It's part of the quotation we quoted.

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You can read the background, but the background is also an argument concerning issue of doctrine.

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And for Paul, verse 33 says, do not be deceived. Evil company corrupts good habits. Evil company corrupts good habits.

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This quotation is from what we the the person called Menander Menander is M E N A N D E R M E N A N D E R Menander actually was a Greek dramatist.

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He's a Greek dramatist and a best known representative of the Athens comedy. Of course, it's not today that comedy started.

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And who was created to have written a lot of comedies, a lot over a hundred of comedies.

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So this evil company, corrupt good habit is a quotation and this quotation is not from a prophet. It is from a Greek dramatist.

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We can see a Greek comedian. Amen. OK, let's look at another one. Titus chapter one, verse 12, Titus one twelve.

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He said one of them a prophet of their own. Now, this one is even a prophet.

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Now, this is talking to to you know, this is in Crete. Now look at Crete here. Yeah.

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Which I've mentioned. Yeah, this is Crete. It's an island. Right.

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It is important that we know there. Look at verse 11 or from verse 10. For there are many unsubordinate. Verse nine. Look at verse nine.

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All of us, the faithful word as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine, but remember, he calls.

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Look at what? Look at verse five. Come back to verse five.

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He said, for this reason, I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I command you or as I commanded you.

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So that means there are many irregularities, especially in terms of doctrine also.

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Then Paul left, left him here, of course, Titus so that he can set things in order, set things in order, set things in order, because there are many things that are lacking.

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I say you should put, you should appoint elders. And then he laid down the criteria for elders or those who should be elders.

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And one of them jumped to verse nine. He said, all the first faithful word as he has been taught. So that means that person who is an elder must be someone who has been taught.

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You know, elder when you look at verse seven, you say for a bishop. So what he's trying to say that an elder is a bishop also.

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So bishop is not a title. Bishop is an office occupied by training or an elder is a position occupied by training. Right.

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He said as he has been taught, he said that he may be able by sound doctrine, both to exalt and to convict those who contradict.

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So there are increase those who contradict the sound teaching or the sound doctrine.

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But there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers, deceivers, especially those of the of the circumcision. So that means there are those who are the Jews.

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They are there. They are talkers. They are deceivers. They are impostors. They are impostors.

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He said whose mouth must be stopped. We have them today. That's why we said that. That's the reason why we're doing this.

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This Bible translation. And we took this length of time because you know, just say, and me, I will just preach the gospel.

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No, you don't understand what preaching the gospel means. Preaching the gospel also means fighting.

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I don't mean by blow because our our our our enemy is not flesh and blood. And also we do not fight. We don't wrestle against flesh and blood.

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Are we together? So he said whose mouth must be stopped? There are many people.

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You see, if you are not willing to be to be abused, you can preach the gospel.

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And you will not say me, I won't say anything against anybody. He said whose mouth must be stopped, must be shut up.

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You understand? He said who survived the whole household teaching things which they ought not to, ought not to, for the sake of dishonest gain.

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For the sake of dishonest gain. You have to point it out. No, you cannot say no problem. Jesus will save everybody.

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What do you mean by that statement? Why somebody is telling that, you understand, to to to to be able to secure your place in heaven, you must give.

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I mean, what nonsense. You have to say something is not true. The amount must be stopped.

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You know, you can't allow people to be talking and keep talking and say nothing will happen. No, you understand.

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So he said whose mouth must be stopped? He said who survived the whole household teaching things which they ought not to, ought not to, for the sake of dishonest gain.

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He said one of them, a prophet of their own set. He said cretins are always liars. Evil beasts, lazy glutons.

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Now this quotation, it was quoted from their prophets. You understand? Their prophets. It's a gluton. Their prophets.

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This prophet, his name is Epimenides, or you can say Epimedes, E-P-I-M-E-N-I-D-E-S, E-P-M-E-N-I-D-E-S, Epimenides or Epimenides, whichever one.

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If you want to call it in English, you will say Epimenides or Epimenides, or many days. At least you got the spelling.

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Now, what am I trying to say? This was a sixth century BC poet. He's a prophet.

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That means he's not just only a philosopher, but a religious person. Of course, from this Greek philosophy we're talking about.

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He lived later, I mean, much more after the famous philosophers like Aristotle and Plato, who lived in the fourth and around fourth century BC before Christ.

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But he lived about two centuries ahead of Aristotle and Plato. That's about six centuries.

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So he's perhaps the best known. You know, normally today in Greek philosophy is more or less like the author of what they call, today the term that Epimenides paradox.

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Why do they call it paradox? Because it's a claim that all cretins are liars, knowing also that he is the prophet, also one of the, he's also a cretins.

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So if you say all cretins are liars, meaning that he is including him. So it's more or less like a paradox. So that they normally call it that paradox or cretins paradox.

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Now, what am I trying to say in general? In the sense, the point is that in this text, Paul was referring to texts that are not biblical, so to say, or they are not part of the inspired text, but to make a case of when he was preaching concerning doctrine and other issues.

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Maybe just come, let's look at Second Timothy. Look at Second Timothy chapter three. Second Timothy chapter three, verse eight.

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He said, now as James and Jembray resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Men of Corruptment disapprove concerning the faith. Disapprove concerning the faith.

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You understand? These James and Jembray are actually magicians, which actually we never have any text in the Bible that refers to these people, you understand? In the Old Testament text.

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We don't have any. That means perhaps Paul must have read them somewhere else. And probably they were part of the magicians that Moses contended with. Remember?

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Exodus chapter seven, verse ten to twelve. Exodus chapter ten, verse seven to twelve. Remember when he encountered Pharaoh? He would throw his snake.

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I mean, he threw his staff and then he turned to the snake and they also did the same, you know, something. So that could be, we don't know, but probably could be part of those. I mean, this man could be part of those magicians then.

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So Paul also quoted, look at Acts 20. Maybe I will just read this one. The last thing, I'll make some words, some statement of defense of all these before I just conclude it all.

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Look at Acts 20, verse 35. He said, I have shown you in every way by laboring like this that you must support the weak.

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And remember the words of our Lord Jesus that he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Again, we do not have any record of this statement recorded in the gospels.

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In the gospels, we are discredited because this is a quotation also that Jesus said. So likely, Paul must have, there are two thoughts here. Paul must have obtained this quotation from the eyewitness who had been with Jesus, just like Luke.

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You remember Luke? Because Luke also, in Luke chapter one, verse one, when you read, you will see that Luke also got his account from those who were ministers of the world, those who were eyewitness, meaning that those who were the twelfths.

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Because so he obtained those, that, I mean, that truth from them. Now, we also note again that apart from the twelfth, we saw that there are others who were eyewitness. They are not believers.

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They are not, in fact, they were the ones who crucified Jesus, like the Pharisees who have been following him. And Peter made note of that in Acts chapter three.

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Look at Acts chapter three. Maybe you can read that one because we read that scripture over and over. We are still considering that scripture during our, I mean, currently now in our Bible teaching in the cell groups.

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So in Acts chapter three, from verse 11 to 15, Peter noted that they were also eyewitness, particularly verse 15. Peter said, which you were eyewitness.

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So that means those who killed Jesus and those people who are responsible, they were also eyewitness of what happened.

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It is possible that Jesus must have gotten that from those people who were eyewitness, even though they are, because many people have been following Jesus.

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Not, I mean, I'm just saying that it could be those people, not likely those people actually who are against Jesus, but probably those people who have been following him to eat, to drink, you understand?

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I'm just giving that text to show that there are people who are not part of those who believe yet they have been following Jesus.

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So from all this, what can we say? All these texts, I mean, all these passages in which we read, what can we say?

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Now, all this shows to us that some sources that are not scriptural sources or inspired sources can contain truth in them, can contain truth in them, meaning that it can contain truth with them.

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I want you to pay attention very carefully, please pay attention now, pay attention.

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Now, when a portion of a book is quoted, when a portion of a book is quoted, that does not suggest that the person that the person quoting it or the person, sorry, the person who wrote that thing which was quoted is right, I mean, is right, meaning right, I mean, he is a believer.

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Now, that does not mean that the entire book from which the court was taken is also truth. Let me repeat myself again.

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When a portion of a book is quoted, it does not validate that the writer is a believer or is a prophet of God.

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Two, it also does not validate that the entire book is truth, just because a portion of the book is quoted does not mean that the entire book is truth.

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Please, I want you to know these two things.

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When a portion of a book is quoted, it does not mean or does not, that quotation does not validate that the person who wrote that book is a believer or a prophet, or it does not also mean that the entire book is right or is truth.

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That is important.

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Some, because in this argument, you see where we quoted, we just go through scripture and we find those things. There are many people who argue that because, for example, also which I will note six, in the same, in Jude chapter nine.

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This is an allusion, this is not a direct quote.

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Jude chapter nine, sorry, Jude verse nine and verse 14, maybe probably verse 14 and verse 15, but verse nine, verse 14 and verse 15.

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Jude, let's read it, let's read it quickly. Jude verse nine, yet Michael the archangel in contending with the devil when he disputed about the body of Moses, did not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke you.

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Now see that word the Lord rebuke you is also a quotation.

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Right. And also he was making about the issue that Michael contending for the body of Moses.

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Look at verse 14.

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He now make reference to Enoch also. Now Enoch, the servant from Adam prophesy about this man also saying, behold, look at it in the quotation, behold, the Lord comes when 10,000 of his sent to execute judgment on all to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds,

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which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

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We don't have any place in scripture, where this Jude was referring to. This is not in any of the text of the Old Testament, and then but this quotation have been credited to be to allude to some Gnostics gospel texts, and the book of Enoch, one verse nine, and then also the

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assumption of Moses, verse nine, book of Enoch, that's verse 14 to 15, the book of Enoch, one verse nine, and of course the assumption of Moses, verse nine, which is of Jude, verse nine.

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So, neither of these are can make a we've already discussed some of these Gnostics gospel texts. Now remember I mentioned something earlier on when we're dealing with that Gnostics gospel that in the Gnostics gospel there are those some texts, for example, the wisdom, I think the wisdom or wisdom or something like that.

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I, I mentioned that not all these Gnostics gospel are actually messages against the gospel.

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Some of the texts, although they are all considered Gnostics gospel, but the texts are just wisdom about Egypt. So they say nothing against the gospel, they're just basic wisdom about life and things of Egypt, I mean, wisdom.

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So, what I'm trying to say is that now some critics use all this to now argue that either Jude, that by Jude quoting those verses, which alludes to the book of Enoch and as well also the assumption of Moses, that Jude believed that these books are scriptures, or the book of Jude is not also scripture,

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that you remember you see the argument that either you accept that the books which from where Jude quoted in the sun, they are scriptures, or Jude itself is not a scripture.

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But I wanted to note also what we have said already. One, we noted earlier on in the writings of Paul, how he cited or quoted many non canonical sources, right.

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And this does not suggest that the apostles were saying that the entire book, or the materials, they quoted was true. Remember what we said, just by quoting a portion does not mean the apostles are saying the entire book is true.

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No, not at all. Now, this is just the same way like today. Like for example now, there are many things that have been done more work. Today we read a lot of things.

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In the textbooks, now we are in school, most of us are students. Imagine a preacher and then make reference to let's say birds.

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And then quoted from a book of an atheist, because the atheist did a research and discovered many things about birds.

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Or today you are making reference to issue of money. And then you make reference to someone who is an unbeliever. You understand? Are we together? An unbeliever who doesn't believe.

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Are you trying to say that the book he wrote, or everything about the book is true? No. You're just trying to make an illustration, and you can quote something about someone which he has done.

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And just quoting a portion of what he did does not make that his entire work is true, or he himself is true, or he's a prophet. Are we together? You see the argument? Yes.

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So we find this kind of critics also. Some people again say that, especially for example, Jude 14. Look at Jude 14. He said, now Enoch, the servant from Adam prophesied about this.

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And he's also saying that because of the word prophesied, which was used, so because they say the book of Enoch, so they were refining that, okay, this, the idea that speaks of the inspiration of the book of Enoch in the sun.

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However, we have already noted that clearly, that even those who are not believers still can prophesied. Are we together? We saw that with Caiaphas, right?

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So this does not show just because Paul, even Paul make reference to the man who he called the prophets, you understand? One of them. Their prophet in Crete.

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That does not mean that he is validating that everything they are doing is right, is true, and so everybody should go here. No, that's not what we're saying.

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This is why we're making, taking time to make this argument that would, that which connects to everything, that this is just common sense.

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The fact that the apostles and the prophet of all quoted some of these portions, you understand, of historical book and many other different books does not in any way shows that those books they quoted from, they are actually inspired, or the people that wrote them, they are actually prophets.

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Not at all. So that's where we are concluding.

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Then to note very clearly that you can be able to stand for the truth. You can shut the mouth of people. You understand? Of course, we will have a break, but we shall return because we have not finished.

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We still have a long way to go.

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Glory to God.

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But I want you to note that what makes this Bible inspired is not men. Men do not confer power upon this material. You understand?

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Remember we said, truth is not validated by those who speak it.

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Truth is truth, is validated by itself. Truth is not validated by when, quote unquote, it works. You know these days. It's after all what I'm, it is working for me, it's working for me.

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The fact that it's working does not make it truth. Are we together? So we must learn to come to settle with truth, to know that when we are speaking about truth, some people can argue to us and say, okay, show us how it works.

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It's the same way like they told Jesus, okay, proof that you are the Christ by showing us a sign. Is it a wicked generation of sick people? Fine. Is it about only a sign of Jonah shall be given to them?

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The sign that truth is truth is that it tells about the gospel, or is the gospel the suffering of Christ, the dead of Christ, his resurrection, his ascension. That is the truth. That is the truth.

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So I want us to go having confidence that we can be able to stand and defend what we believe, what we believe. And nobody can introduce some dirty things by the corner.

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People cannot smuggle some certain things and make argument without thinking and make argument without thinking and make argument without thinking.

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So the evidence that the Bible is true, that the Bible is the inspired word of God is in the Bible itself. And truth is Christ, the embodiment of truth. Thank you Father.

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Thank you for watching this video.

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If you are encouraged, share this message with someone you care about.

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Until next time, stay blessed.