Are you ready for our fourth lesson? This one will be about Paul - who was he? Just how committed was he to Jesus? and his fellow man? Paul is one of those biblical characters that seems to have very few flaws or weak moments. I'm sure we can learn a lot from Paul.
Lesson Four, Day One
10 comments:
Done for today. I can't believe I'm the first one to say that!
woohoo, Sarah!
I too am done for today (and Friday). Am I the only one who struggled with the questions today? She says it will be clearer tomorrow...I sure hope so. I was pretty confused.
The questions are certainly thought-provoking. I think I have an idea but I'll see what more I learn tomorrow. Of course, Julie will enlighten us all with her answers soon.
Okay, now I'm going to have to hold back my opinion until tomorrow too! :) I want to see what Julie thinks first!
Done for today...and I, too, was confused...
Here they are - my answers.
1.I am not going to rewrite the passage she chose because we all read it. However, I was curious why she didn’t include 2 Cor 11:22-28. This passage is so specific of some of his suffering whereas the other is more general.
2.
3.Using Philippians as a guide, it would appear that Paul is filled up by the service the Colossians are doing (v1:6). However, as I read the context before he says this, the knowledge of the gospel being preached and the Colossians believing and being fruitful sustains him through his sufferings for Christ.
4.He can rejoice in his sufferings just like the other apostles (Acts 5:41) that he is ‘counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.’ Also, James 1:2-4 – count it all joy when you suffer trials that the …produces patience (I forgot my memory verse – and I use to know it so well :(
Here it is 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Sorry so late.
Oh no, you are actually going to read my answers!!! Oh, the pressure - I am glad I didn't read the blog before I posted.
I had a totally different take on this. I did have some questions for #2: Exactly how was Paul suffering for the Colossians when he had never met them? Was there some kind of suffering quota - why did he need to fill up what was lacking in Christ's afflictions? After looking at the way the phrase is used in Philippians I came up with this: in Philippians it seeme Epaphoditus did for Paul what the Philippians would have done if they could. In Colossians Paul was doing for Jesus what He would have done in person if he were still in the flesh.
That's my thought right now. Any other ideas out there?
That's similar to what I was thinking, Debbie. I thought Paul was saying that he was willing to suffer like Christ suffered, but because he emphasized that Christ's body was the church, I also wondered if he was saying that if the church was lacking those willing to suffer, he was willing to suffer even more, in their stead. ???
I do think being willing to suffer in their stead could be part of it - he certainly WAS willing to suffer for them and all the saints. He also claimed in another passage that suffering was a part of his specific "job" as an apostle. (2 Corinthians 4 - specifically verse 12)
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