Jeffrey: I am only into this interview by about 25 minutes and I am already fearing that it will finish long before I am going to be desiring. Had there not been the UMC split what would have been the chances, or what ARE the chances that as then UMC people, we would ever been given the treat that I am absorbing at this moment. Thank you both for delivering Fruit, Character, and Holiness.
Now at about minute 50, and we are talking about my guy, Paul, and that thorn. First, going back to Jesus’ earlier days in choosing the 12. We always hear that he chose the uneducated, those not really so clean fishermen, and assigned them to stay with the circumcised. And then after the cross event, Jesus chose one more, this one to go straight to the uncircumcised world, one who was highly educated, very accustomed to receiving teaching, coming from a family well established in Tarsus, and possessing Roman citizenship (but not trained in public speaking, like Joel Osteen!). And yet Paul was given a “thorn” to carry until death, and not being able to receive forgiveness, only Grace alone. So what is this thorn? No one seems to know…but to me it seems very simple. The highlight of Paul’s existence prior to the Damascus Road incident, is that he “approved of,” and probably witnessed the murder of Jesus’ youngest Apostle disciple, Steven, by stoning, and whose death followed nearly the same words of Jesus from the cross….”Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”
Jeffrey: I am only into this interview by about 25 minutes and I am already fearing that it will finish long before I am going to be desiring. Had there not been the UMC split what would have been the chances, or what ARE the chances that as then UMC people, we would ever been given the treat that I am absorbing at this moment. Thank you both for delivering Fruit, Character, and Holiness.
Now at about minute 50, and we are talking about my guy, Paul, and that thorn. First, going back to Jesus’ earlier days in choosing the 12. We always hear that he chose the uneducated, those not really so clean fishermen, and assigned them to stay with the circumcised. And then after the cross event, Jesus chose one more, this one to go straight to the uncircumcised world, one who was highly educated, very accustomed to receiving teaching, coming from a family well established in Tarsus, and possessing Roman citizenship (but not trained in public speaking, like Joel Osteen!). And yet Paul was given a “thorn” to carry until death, and not being able to receive forgiveness, only Grace alone. So what is this thorn? No one seems to know…but to me it seems very simple. The highlight of Paul’s existence prior to the Damascus Road incident, is that he “approved of,” and probably witnessed the murder of Jesus’ youngest Apostle disciple, Steven, by stoning, and whose death followed nearly the same words of Jesus from the cross….”Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”
AL, I'm glad you liked the segment. I hope it bears fruit among the people called Methodist for a long time to come!