1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,320 In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:07,040 Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,920 mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the light of the world 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:13,920 and the life of all. Give us wisdom by. 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,720 Your law and enlighten our. Impulses by your knowledge. 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,760 Sanctify our souls by your truth, and grant that we may be 7 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,240 obedient to your words and may fulfil your commandments at 8 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:26,520 every hour. O you who? 9 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,040 Enlightens the rational with the knowledge of Your greatness. 10 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,600 Do enlight, O my Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate 11 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,680 upon Your holy and divine Scriptures at all times, O Lord 12 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,440 of all Father and Son and Holy Spirit, forever. 13 00:00:42,240 --> 00:01:03,640 Amen. studies on the Book of the Acts 14 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,680 of the Holy Apostles, Chapter 15. 15 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,440 Just to recap that last episode, we read that Simon after hearing 16 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:16,680 and taking into consideration the appeal by the Pharisees who 17 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:19,680 had converted to Christianity, let's call it Christianity 18 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,320 because today that's what we call it, who had believed in the 19 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:25,720 Lord Jesus Christ. So Simon listened and and 20 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,600 considered the appeal by the Pharisees to the Holy 21 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,080 Scriptures. Genesis 1710 to 13 and other 22 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,960 verses. But that was our main verse in 23 00:01:36,960 --> 00:01:42,320 regards to circumcision of the Gentiles who had also believed. 24 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,160 And then he brings forward his argument against the burden to 25 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:52,880 be placed on Gentiles according to his experience with and the 26 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,800 guidance of the Holy Spirit in a vision. 27 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,600 And his points were number one, that God chose the Gentiles to 28 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,320 hear the word of the gospel that is Jesus from his mouth. 29 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:09,479 And that was referring to Cornelius, the Italian cohort. 30 00:02:10,199 --> 00:02:13,360 And then he goes on to say that God, who knows what is in the 31 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:19,160 hearts, testifies to them, and gave the Gentiles the Holy 32 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:20,840 Spirit as he did to them as well. 33 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,600 So the Jews and the Gentiles both received the Holy Spirit. 34 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,120 And also that God made no distinction between the Jews and 35 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:33,280 the Gentiles because he purified their hearts by faith. 36 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:38,240 He received them, and he justified the Gentiles as well 37 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,560 as, as He did, the Jews who believed in Jesus Christ. 38 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,680 Now justification doesn't mean salvation and doesn't mean 39 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:46,440 righteousness because they're two different words. 40 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:51,720 Justification means made right. God made both the Jews and the 41 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,920 Gentiles right through their faith and knowing their heart 42 00:02:55,920 --> 00:02:58,360 and purifying their heart. And then he goes on to say that 43 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,640 they should not put a yoke on the Gentiles necks, which not 44 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:07,520 even their fathers nor they were able to bear because they're all 45 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:11,200 sinners. And by the grace of the Lord 46 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:15,520 Jesus Christ, he continues, that is that God did it through Jesus 47 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:17,840 Christ grace. Is that what God has done 48 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:23,480 through Jesus Christ? Again, they, the Jews believed 49 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:26,560 in order to receive life as did the Gentiles. 50 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,040 So God worked in both their lives. 51 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,720 So now we cannot place this burden on them. 52 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,520 We'll pick it up from verse 12. Then the whole congregation was 53 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,600 silent. That's why when we come to 54 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,720 church, the congregation is silent. 55 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:47,480 We don't run around doing the shuffle. 56 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,560 We don't do that. We don't scream out Hallelujah, 57 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:52,600 praise God, yes, Amen, Hallelujah. 58 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,680 We don't do that. The congregation was and the 59 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:57,800 congregation are not the apostles, but the church. 60 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,520 They were silent because the apostles were now conversing. 61 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,560 The apostles were talking. The apostles were going to come 62 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,720 to this agreement, and you walk into a church. 63 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:14,920 Ambience, silence, respect. I walk through your courts in 64 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,399 honor, reverence and respect. Not loud and rowdy. 65 00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:21,959 No, no, no. So the congregation was silent 66 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,840 and listened to Paul and Barnabas who were declaring the 67 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:29,480 miracles and signs among the Gentiles and every Gentiles 68 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:33,000 sorry, and everything which God had wrought by their hands. 69 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:35,120 They're still giving evidence. It wasn't that. 70 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,960 Hey, let us tell you what we did, what God has done through 71 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,160 US. No, no, no, These were their 72 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:46,080 arguments in regards to the circumcisions of Gentiles who 73 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,320 had received Jesus Christ and believed in the Lord Jesus 74 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:51,200 Christ. And their hearts were purified 75 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,880 by by God and they had received the Holy Spirit. 76 00:04:55,440 --> 00:05:01,400 So after Peter, Paul speaks, Barnabas speak, one at a time, 77 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:05,320 not all at the same time. Paul speaks, Barnabas speaks, 78 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,680 and everyone was silent and no one silences them. 79 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:13,800 There were other apostles. They didn't say, hang on, you 80 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,880 guys, just wait a second. There are apostles here that 81 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,280 need to speak. No, no, James, who was there, 82 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:24,120 waits patiently as that does not jump in. 83 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:29,680 What a beautiful order they show in these proceedings. 84 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:34,560 All right, order. Bells are ringing, right? 85 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:38,480 Those who read their gospels, the Holy Scriptures, bells are 86 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:45,960 ringing, yes, 1 Corinthians 1433 because God is not chaotic but 87 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:50,080 peaceful as in all the assemblies of the holy ones, 88 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:51,920 that is the Saints, that is the church gatherings. 89 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:56,560 God is not chaotic yes. Oh, you know, we go to church 90 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,840 and you just have to sit there. We want to engage, you know, we 91 00:05:59,840 --> 00:06:02,760 want to, you know, you know, there is no engagement. 92 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,800 We see from the scriptures, let's go solar Scripture, as you 93 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,160 know, we refuted that just before but a few episodes ago, 94 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:12,520 but from the Scriptures, it was silent. 95 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:14,800 There was order. There was an order in it. 96 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:16,240 There must be an order in the church. 97 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:19,400 There must be order when we come to worship the Lord Jesus 98 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,520 Christ. And the order is that each time 99 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:25,600 we worship like did the prophets and those in the Old Testament, 100 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,920 we offer a sacrifice. So on a Sunday, that is our 101 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:32,360 worship service, along with our sacrifice, which is the 102 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,800 commemoration of the death, burial and resurrection of our 103 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,040 Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. 104 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,720 Eucharist needs to give thanks. We come to worship them, so we 105 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:43,800 must give thanks. This is the order. 106 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,280 That's what we call taksa. That's why it's called taksa, 107 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:53,600 liturgy, order, Taksa order. How do we come to worship? 108 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:56,120 Here is your order. You do it in order. 109 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,560 Not well. You know what it it, it's nice. 110 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,840 If you get up now and it'll it'll be, you know, it'll be 111 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:04,880 really cool. There's nothing cool. 112 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,120 Nothing lies, nothing playing on emotions. 113 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,120 No, no, no, no, no. There's got to be an order. 114 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,120 No word from John here. Nothing from the other apostles. 115 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,760 They hold their peace. They were still listening, 116 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:23,120 beloved. James says, be quick to listen, 117 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:28,640 slow to speak, verses 13 to 15. And when they had ceased 118 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:34,200 speaking, James rose up and said, men and brethren, hear me. 119 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,280 No one said listen to me. Simon didn't say listen to me. 120 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:42,840 Paul, Saint Paul and Barnabas didn't say, oh, brethren, listen 121 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:44,720 to us. No, no, But James says, listen 122 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:46,080 to me. We're going to hear why. 123 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:54,040 We're going to learn why. Listen to me, hear me. 124 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,920 Simon Peter has told you how God from the beginning chose a 125 00:07:59,920 --> 00:08:02,640 people from the Gentiles for his name. 126 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:09,400 And with this, the words of the prophets agree as it is written. 127 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:17,640 Let's stop there now Who was James what is Saint Paul write 128 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:22,720 about James in one Corinthians 15 seven that Jesus appeared to 129 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,960 James. Now the understanding or the 130 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,120 tradition of the church I'm going to talk about that is that 131 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:36,280 James was either 1/2 brother or the cousin of Jesus. 132 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:43,559 James was the son of Caliphate who was Joseph's brother. 133 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:48,000 So Brundt Mamuna first cousin. There was no word of cousins in 134 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,480 the Scriptures until in one of the one of Saint Paul's writings 135 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,920 that's hundreds of years after the word cousins appears Mamuna 136 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:58,400 actually uncle, but there was no they were all brothers. 137 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,080 So he he was a either a cousin called a brother or a half 138 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:05,680 brother called a brother and tradition in the church. 139 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:08,720 Here it is. Now, if you dare to say to me, 140 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,960 show me in the Bible, I'll say to you, well, you haven't been 141 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:13,360 listening to these episodes, have you? 142 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:17,280 Not everything is in the Bible. Not everything. 143 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:19,880 It's not solar scriptura. We don't we don't adhere to 144 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:23,840 solar scriptura because we just proved and we're still proving 145 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:29,680 that the disciples themselves, the apostles themselves didn't 146 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:35,160 act upon solar scriptura, but the experience of the Holy 147 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:39,360 Spirit within the apostles, Simon himself and Saint Paul and 148 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:42,760 Barnabas. So the tradition and and this is 149 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:47,000 what Saint Paul writes in in in Thessalonians stand firm on the 150 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:48,920 traditions, whether by word or mouth. 151 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,560 Now some of them are written by some of what given oral oral 152 00:09:52,560 --> 00:09:56,880 traditions. The tradition in the church is 153 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:02,040 that Christ when he met and appeared to James after his 154 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:07,800 resurrection, his stepbrother or his cousin appointed him as 155 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,880 Bishop of the church or the community in Jerusalem. 156 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:16,280 He speaks last because he's going to Alham Manik. 157 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:21,080 Let God rest the soul of my beloved Lecter, Dennis Marzi. 158 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:24,480 Those who are in Sydney will testify. 159 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:28,560 We'd, we'd be meeting and then we'd, we'd go around, as you 160 00:10:28,560 --> 00:10:31,320 know, discussing and he would say I'm going to put an end to 161 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:32,840 it. And he would do that hand too. 162 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:37,680 I'm going to put an end to it. So James does what the late 163 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:42,040 Lecter God rest his soul of blessed memory, Dennis, he's 164 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,520 going to put an end to it. He's going to seal it. 165 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,160 Notice his wisdom, though. He acknowledges, he honors and 166 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:54,360 he values Simon's experience by what God's promised, what God 167 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,480 promised by the prophets. And it was Amos Chapter 9, verse 168 00:10:57,480 --> 00:10:59,480 11. We're going to read them and 169 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:03,960 that is that God would take for himself a people out of the 170 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:08,200 Gentiles, His name. Now see, they're referring to 171 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:15,320 the Scriptures, but without the experience of the Holy Spirit, 172 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,280 there would have been a great dilemma because if they only 173 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,600 refer to the Holy Scriptures. And please let me correct 174 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:23,680 myself. I'm not I'm not refuting the 175 00:11:23,680 --> 00:11:26,480 scriptures, but it's not only the scriptures. 176 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,560 If they only adhered to the scriptures, well then the 177 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:33,000 Gentiles would have been circumcised. 178 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:39,000 No, but they they appealed to the Holy Spirit and through the 179 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:43,080 Holy Spirit, the scriptures also were being fulfilled at the same 180 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:48,760 time, complementing one another. And it says, let me, let me read 181 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:53,840 the, the prophecies is the after this, this is Amos Chapter 9. 182 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,720 After this I will return and I will set up, set up again the 183 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:01,080 Tabernacle of David, which is 0 We'll talk about that, the 184 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:04,880 Tabernacle of David which has fallen down, and I will repair 185 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,320 what has fallen from it. And I will set it up so that the 186 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:13,080 men who remain may seek after the Lord and also all the 187 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:16,640 Gentiles upon whom my name is called. 188 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,800 So said the Lord, who does all these things. 189 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:25,800 The works of God are known from the very beginning. 190 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:30,120 So Saint Paul is saying that listen what Simon is telling us. 191 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:36,120 It was also foretold by God for His name, meaning for His glory. 192 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:40,360 His name is not ashamed by taking the Gentiles, indeed all 193 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,800 the glory or there is a great glory in His name when the 194 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:48,760 Gentiles receive His name. You know how much more zeal, how 195 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:53,480 much more we see the power and the love and the glory and the 196 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:59,160 praise of God when a non Christian, be it a Muslim, a 197 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:04,000 Buddhist, A Hindu, A Vishnu, whatever it is, you know, 198 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,520 converts to Christianity. They have so much zeal and love 199 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,440 for the Lord Jesus Christ. Even if their lives are in 200 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,920 danger, even if there are fatwas put upon them, they don't care 201 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,600 because they say if we die, we die for Jesus Christ. 202 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,640 We go to Christ. Now that's not for their glory, 203 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:25,040 that's for the glory of God. So God meaning that they will 204 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,480 have my name, that is my glory upon them. 205 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:34,160 Now he confirmed Simon's agreement by returning to the 206 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:35,480 prophet of old. Why? 207 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:41,080 Why didn't James also present an experience that he had? 208 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:45,280 Because he had no experience. He had no acts of experience of 209 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:50,160 his own own to the to declare, unlike Saints Peter and Saint 210 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:54,960 Paul, Saints Peter and Paul, he began with brothers. 211 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:58,400 He says listen to me. He had no experience, but yet 212 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,360 he's still going to speak. Brothers. 213 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:04,080 Yes, it's the love of the community. 214 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:08,600 Listen to me, He says you need to now listen because now I'm 215 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:12,440 going to speak. How great is he's he's self 216 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,000 controlled. He waited until the time was 217 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,800 right. And how more amazing and 218 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:20,600 complete is this speech that he gives? 219 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,600 You know, it puts and he puts an end to this discussion. 220 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,320 Now notice they don't vote. They all come to an agreement. 221 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:31,040 Why? Why does he do this? 222 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:37,760 Because as we said, he was in charge as overseer, as Bishop of 223 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:39,960 the church, the community in Jerusalem. 224 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:45,840 There is order. When a Bishop is going to leave 225 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:50,640 his diocese to visit another diocese, this is the order. 226 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:52,840 And this is where the these orders have been set. 227 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:59,160 He will first courteously notify the patriarch, beseeching or 228 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:03,680 seeking his permission, and the patriarch will say, God bless 229 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:04,760 you. Go. 230 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:09,360 Then he will notify the diocese and Bishop that he is going to 231 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:14,280 visit that I am entering your territory not because it's a, 232 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:16,960 it's a territory factor. You know, this is my territory. 233 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:17,760 You can't. No, no, no. 234 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:20,280 It's out of courtesy and out of order, order. 235 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:24,120 And the Bishop that goes into another diocese has no authority 236 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,360 to practice his authority in that diocese. 237 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:29,600 No, no, no. That's why when people come to 238 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,720 talk to him about whatever, complaining, whatever, he will 239 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,160 say, you have priests, you have bishops. 240 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:36,480 You don't. Speak to them. 241 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,400 I'm only here on vacation. I'm only here, for example, to 242 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,680 visit family. And yes, while I'm here, I will 243 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,040 serve the liturgy. I may be asked to preach, and I 244 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,800 will visit some people. And yes, there will be respect. 245 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,040 See, Order. The church must have order, 246 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:54,840 beloved. That's why when we attend the 247 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:58,040 Assyrian Church of the East, some say, you know, you just sit 248 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,360 there and you stand up. Well, you don't know why, but 249 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,560 there is a reason why we stand and sit, and then we'll talk 250 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:05,360 about that. You're not permitted to shout 251 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,560 out Amen, Amen, Hallelujah, Amen. 252 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,680 No, you don't do that because everyone was silent. 253 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,880 All right? You sit there, you partake, You 254 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:16,400 engaged in the liturgy by singing. 255 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:24,880 Holy God, holy mighty unto you, Lord Oval, we confess, you 256 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,680 engage, but you don't engage in singing along with the priest 257 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:32,760 because the liturgy, the order instructs the priest will play 258 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:34,520 pray. Yes, I know many of you 259 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:36,840 complain. Oh, there's this woman sits 260 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,840 behind me. She's singing everything right? 261 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:43,160 Well, don't get annoyed. Thank God that you have ears to 262 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:47,360 hear, because some people don't. But no, you're absolutely right 263 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,480 to show that I know the liturgy. No, you don't need to do that. 264 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:55,480 The if you knew the liturgy, you would stop when the priest is is 265 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,440 crying out the cannon. You won't sing along with the 266 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,840 deacons, but you will sing where the liturgy, the order, the 267 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:07,160 order says and the faithful sing. 268 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:15,599 Yes, I'm into that, having been entrusted with leading the 269 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:19,440 Jerusalem, with the leading role of the church in Jerusalem. 270 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:21,720 You see, there was no enemy from others. 271 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:23,440 We don't. We won't hear that. 272 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:24,680 They're going to complain. Oh, hang on. 273 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,560 Well, why should we listen to you? 274 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:28,640 Why is it that you're putting an end to this? 275 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:29,400 No, no, no. Hang on. 276 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:30,760 What about my experience? No. 277 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,960 They were so free of the love of glory. 278 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:38,320 They had no glory for themselves, because they learned 279 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,760 from their master. Who would run away, who would 280 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:43,920 not run away, but who would depart? 281 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:50,800 Avoid all vain glory. After this I will return, and I 282 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:52,880 will set up again the tabernacles. 283 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:57,360 And the tabernacles of David means the race of the Jews, the 284 00:17:57,360 --> 00:18:01,960 race of the law. Remember it was the King Cyrus, 285 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:10,040 King of Persia when he this is circa 530 to 570 BC. 286 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:13,960 When he freed them from the captivity of the Babylonians. 287 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,280 He returned them to Judea and allowed them to build. 288 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:21,240 He build them the temple of God so they they they could worship 289 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,400 one more time. The son of the son of the Shah 290 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:32,880 of of Iran, the late Shah Reza Reza. 291 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:39,040 Recently, within these weeks, he he appeared in a video and he 292 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:41,520 was pleading with the Israelites, with Israelis, with 293 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:47,120 the Jews that we should work together in order to free Iran 294 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:52,240 from the situation it is in. And he quotes that it was the 295 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:57,400 king of Persia, Cyrus, who freed you from the captivity because 296 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:01,240 after the Cyrus brought down the empire of the Babylonians, he 297 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:05,120 freed them from captivity and allowed them to go back to Judea 298 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,680 and to build their temple. So now it's like it's time you 299 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:15,040 scratch my back, Mr. Netanyahu, my kings, this is what resides 300 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,760 saying the son of the lecture, my King Cyrus in history 301 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,600 scratched your back. It's time for you now to scratch 302 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,080 my back isn't amazing when it comes to politics. 303 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,640 And if it befits me, I'll use scripture. 304 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,960 You know, at Christmas time, Netanyahu comes out, Bibi comes 305 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,800 out and says, I invite all Christians to come and see the 306 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,680 birth of Jesus. Well, number one, you refer to 307 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,960 him. Bibi, Mr. Netanyahu, there's 308 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:41,640 probably alarms going off here and there. 309 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,720 Oh, the word Jew. And Mr. Netanyahu, Bibi, thank 310 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,080 you for invitation. First and foremost, you refer to 311 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:51,840 him as Jesus Christ, not just Jesus Christ because He is the 312 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:54,920 Messiah. And thank you for inviting me to 313 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:57,360 come and see the birth place of Jesus Christ. 314 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,840 But please come out during Easter time and invite me to 315 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,920 come and see the empty tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ, the risen 316 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,760 Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to his name. 317 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:13,040 Little side note. Verse 19 Because of this I say 318 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,440 do not trouble. So because of all of what I've 319 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:20,400 said, Simon's experience and the Scriptures, because of this, I 320 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:23,960 say do not trouble those who turn to God from among the 321 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:27,120 Gentiles. The Gentiles who have turned to 322 00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:31,880 God, not necessary to keep the law or the covenant of the 323 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:34,040 flesh. Let's not do that, but rather 324 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:37,120 they need to keep the law and the covenant of the Spirit, 325 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:41,080 which is what the apostles were made worthy to minister 326 00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:47,640 according to Two Corinthians 36. God made us worthy to to be 327 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:52,360 ministers of the new covenant, not the Scripture, the Kitawa in 328 00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:55,840 the Shatta version, but the the Spirit. 329 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:59,640 For the scripture kills, but the Spirit gives life. 330 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:06,160 And that's what we need to also expect and command them to do. 331 00:21:08,360 --> 00:21:11,560 Verse 20 and 21. But let us send word to them 332 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:17,000 that they abstain from definement by sacrifices to 333 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:21,800 idols and fornication, and from animals strangled and from 334 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:24,280 blood. For Moses from the very early 335 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:28,680 centuries had preachers in the synagogue's in every city to 336 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:32,520 read his books on every Sabbath day. 337 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:37,400 Fornication, Sexual immorality. Let me quote what Marishu did. 338 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:41,160 The Patriarch of the Church of the East writes and comments not 339 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:45,760 only about the thing itself. Does he speak here like he's not 340 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:50,480 specifically saying fornication, only fornication, but of what 341 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:52,520 they did. These are the pagans. 342 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:54,440 Remember, some of the gentiles were pagans. 343 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:57,840 They were worshipping idols. They had the idol, idol temples. 344 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,120 And some of the gentiles weren't pagans. 345 00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:04,720 They were more adhering to the Judaism faith and they were 346 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:09,480 almost accepting to be, you know, received in the in 347 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:12,320 Judaism. So he's not talking about 348 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:16,640 itself, about fornication specifically by itself, but of 349 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:21,640 what they did according to the gust custom for the appeasing of 350 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:27,760 demons, because their idols were demons, meaning that it was not 351 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,920 allowable for women to belong to men unless they had first, this 352 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:33,680 was their, this was their, their laws. 353 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:37,480 A woman was not allowed to belong to a man unless they 354 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:44,520 first had been prostituted to the priest in the idol temple, 355 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:50,720 the temple of the idols. So what James is saying, we got 356 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:54,080 to tell they got to stop this. No more, no more. 357 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,640 No fornication. They don't prostitute their 358 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:58,400 women. No, that's that's done, that's 359 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:00,960 finished from strangled and blood. 360 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:09,720 Well read Leviticus 1710 to 12. Both the Jews and the foreigners 361 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:14,520 were deprived, were commanded not to eat an animal with its 362 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,040 blood because life is the now let me let me give you another 363 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:21,760 side note. When we partake in the bread 364 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:27,200 that is the body of Christ, real presence, the elements don't 365 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,240 change, the accidents don't change, but mystically, 366 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,720 spiritually, it is united with the body that is in heaven. 367 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:37,200 Saint Paul writes in One Corinthians, the bread we break, 368 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,680 it's not just normal bread. No, no, no, it's not just normal 369 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:42,840 bread. The bread we break, is it not 370 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:51,760 united or has association or has has a sharing or or united to 371 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:53,760 the body that is in heaven, Jesus body. 372 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:58,160 So the bread we break and eat on a Sunday during our Eucharistic 373 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:03,160 service, we are partaking in the body of Christ because we're 374 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:09,480 still flesh and the blood which denotes life winning soul. 375 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:14,240 So we partake beloved, in the body and soul of our Lord Jesus 376 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:16,320 Christ. If this doesn't bring you to 377 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:21,440 church every Sunday, you go and examine your faith because your 378 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:26,400 faith is built on something that I don't know, plucked out of the 379 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:28,640 air or what I think, how I believe. 380 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:33,640 No, no, I quoted you scripture. So Leviticus 1710 to 12. 381 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:37,000 They would, you know, there was so much blood offering with the 382 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,040 with the pagans. That's got to stop. 383 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:44,040 You don't drink blood anymore. You don't just strangle animals 384 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:46,280 and eat. No, no, you got to cut them, you 385 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,600 got to slaughter them and you got to allow the blood to drain 386 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:53,120 and then you will eat the meat cooked, not raw. 387 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:57,120 Wow. Although today you see some men 388 00:24:57,120 --> 00:25:00,200 is becoming more and more like an animal as Saint Peter writes 389 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:05,400 and Moses had preachers, the law was preached everyday in the 390 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:10,800 synagogues and we too will strive to preach the Lord Jesus 391 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:15,960 Christ and the law of grace. And this is what Jesus did from 392 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:20,640 his dawn, from when he appeared, He began to fulfill the law of 393 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:25,480 the flesh, but then introduced the law of grace, the law of the 394 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:27,400 Spirit. And this will grant them 395 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:32,400 equality together as Christians. No more Jews, no more Gentiles, 396 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:34,600 no more slaves. As Saint Paul writes, we are now 397 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:38,880 all children of God, renewed by the Spirit. 398 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:43,480 So our understanding thus far has been Scripture within the 399 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:47,720 experience, framework, and life of the Apostolic Church. 400 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:56,240 Apostles authority and order. The Apostles authority and order 401 00:25:56,240 --> 00:26:00,160 within the Church and the guidance of the apostles by the 402 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:07,800 Holy Spirit, which at times allowed them to not adhere to 403 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:11,440 the laws of the Scripture and Scripture we're talking about is 404 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:13,960 the Old Testament. There was no Bible back then and 405 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,760 we saw that. So praise and glory be to Christ 406 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:21,840 our Lord, beloved, that today we have the Holy Scriptures. 407 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,640 We appeal to the Holy Scriptures when we don't understand. 408 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:29,400 Please don't sit around. You know, Saint Paul says the 409 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,080 interpretation, St. Peter says the interpretation of 410 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:33,360 the Scriptures is not for anyone. 411 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,520 So this gathering in Bible studies and each giving our 412 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:41,400 thoughts and understandings and interpretations, that's 413 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:46,040 dangerous. Don't do that, don't do that, 414 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:49,120 that's dangerous. Scriptures have to be 415 00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:52,280 understood. Scriptures have to be 416 00:26:56,160 --> 00:27:01,280 interpreted and preached and lived according to the 417 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:04,920 experience, the guidance of the Holy Spirit within the framework 418 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:07,280 and the life of the Church. Which Church? 419 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:12,280 The one holy and Apostolic Catholic, universal Catholic, 420 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,640 meaning universal Church. Praise and glory be to the Lord 421 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,960 of the Church, now and at all times and forever. 422 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:49,890 Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's 423 00:27:49,890 --> 00:27:52,210 message. Please don't forget to rate and 424 00:27:52,210 --> 00:27:54,930 review this podcast and share with your friends and family. 425 00:27:55,210 --> 00:27:58,690 For any future topic suggestions or to give us detailed feedback, 426 00:27:58,930 --> 00:28:01,250 please visit our link in the show notes. 427 00:28:01,530 --> 00:28:05,930 Linktr dot EE forward slash double edged sword. 428 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,160 Until next time, God bless you all.