Paul Speaks From Living Letters (1960s?)

[Music] how do you do my name is Jack Odell writing books and Motion Pictures and radio programs such as Unshackled has made me very conscious of the importance of communication the Apostle Paul after 19 centuries definitely his letters live and they have a very special life as translated in living letters the paraphrased Epistles of the New Testament this is communication at its best recently a professional actor converted to Christ became so impressed by the warmth and presence of living letters that he began to memorize them the combination of his sensitive interpretation the simple Clarity of the paraphrase as well as the enduring Integrity of the word produced a curiously living impression of the man Paul let's go inside to hear Russ Reed as Paul [Music] now I'd like to introduce to you our special guest of the evening Mr Russ Reed about 2,000 years ago a young Jewish man by the name of Saul of Tarsus had a personal encounter with the Messiah his life was completely changed from a leader of the Christian persecution to a leader of the Christian persuasion even his name was changed to Paul and in all of history no one man has ever exerted more influence upon Christian doctrine evangelization Church organization than did Paul he taught he uh exhorted he loved he judged all in a lifetime of service to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ now because I also am Jewish I think I can appreciate and understand Paul's typically Jewish way of saying things his use of uh subtle humor of sarcasm of inuendo and Underneath It All His deep and Abiding Love for the people whom he considered to be his children in the faith and so for the next few minutes I shall become the Apostle Paul as he relates to you through the last four chapters of 2 Corinthians his defense of his apostleship I hope that not only will Paul's words take on new meaning and importance to you but that you will become better acquainted with Paul the man one who is too often relegated to the realm of Legend I understand that some of you are saying Paul's letters are bold enough when he's far away but when he comes here he'll be afraid to raise his voice I hope I won't need to show you how harsh and rough I can be I don't want want to carry out my present plans against those of you who seem to think my deeds and words are merely those of an ordinary man it's true I am an ordinary weak human being but I don't use human plans and methods to win my battles I use God's Mighty weapons not those made by men to knock down the devil's strongholds these weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding him with these weapons I can capture Rebels and bring them back to God and change them into men whose heart's desire is obedience to Christ I will use these weapons against every Rebel who remains after I first have used them on you yourselves and you surrender to Christ the trouble with you is that you look at me and I seem Weak and Powerless but you don't look beneath the surface yet if anyone among you can claim the power and authority of Christ I certainly can I am not in the least embarrassed by my strong claims of authority over you authority to help you not to hurt you for these claims are all true I say this so that you will not feel that I'm am just blustering when I scold you in my letters don't bother about his letters some say he sounds big but he's all noise when he gets here you'll see there's nothing great about him and you've never heard a worse preacher this time my uh personal presence is going to be just as rough on you as my letters are oh don't worry I wouldn't dare say that I'm as wonderful as these other men who keep telling you how good they are their trouble is they are comparing themselves only with each other measuring themselves against their own little IDE ideas well we are not like that our goal is to measure up to God's plan for us and this plan includes our working here with you we're not going too far when we claim you as part of our work program for we were the first to come to you with the gospel of Christ we're not trying to claim the credit for the work someone else has done among you and when your faith is strong enough I hope to go much farther still to other cities that are far beyond you where no one else is working then there will be no question about being in someone else's field if anyone is going to boast let him boast about what the Lord has done and not about himself when someone boasts about himself how well he has done it doesn't count for much but when the Lord says so that's different would to God that you could be patient with me as I keep on talking like a fool do bear with me and let me say what is on my heart I'm jealous for you with the Deep concern of God himself jealous that your love should be for Christ Alone just as a pure Maiden gives her love to only one man the one she will marry but I'm frightened fearing that in some way you'll be led away from your pure and simple devotion to our Lord as Eve was deceived by Satan in the Garden of Eden you you seem so gullible you believe whatever anyone tells you even if he's preaching about another Jesus than the one we preach or a different Spirit than the Holy Spirit you received or shows you a different way to be saved you swallow it all yet I don't feel that these other marvelous messengers of God as they call themselves are any better than I am if I am a poor speaker at least I know what I'm talking about as I think you'll realize by now now for we've proved it again and again did I do wrong and cheapen myself and make you look down on me because I preached God's good news to you without charging you anything instead I robbed other churches by taking what they sent me and using it up while I was with you so that I could serve you without cost and when that was gone and I was getting hungry I still didn't ask you for anything for the Christians from m onia brought me another gift I have never yet asked you for one scent and I never will and I promis this with every ounce of truth that I have in me that I will tell everyone in Greece about it why because I don't love you God knows that I do but I will do it to cut out the ground from under the feet of those who boast that they are doing God's work in just the same way we are God never sent these men all their phonies who fooled you into thinking they are Christ's Apostles yet it doesn't surprise me for Satan can change himself into an angel of Light so does it is no wonder that his servants can do it too and seem like Godly ministers in the end they will get every bit of punishment their wicked Deeds deserve again I plead don't think I've lost my wits talking like this but even even if you do listen to me anyway a witless man a fool while I boast a little as they do and such bragging is not something the Lord commanded me to do for I'm acting like a brainless fool but these other men keep telling you how wonderful they are so here I go you think you're so wise yet you listen gladly to these fools you don't seem to mind at all when they they make you their slaves and take everything you have and take advantage of you and put on HS and then slap you in the face I'm ashamed to say I'm not strong and daring like that but whatever they can boast about and I'm talking like a fool again I can boast about it too they brag they are Hebrews do they well so am I and they say they are Israelites God's chosen people so am I they say they are relatives of Abraham wow I am too they say they have served Christ but I have served him far more have I gone mad to boast like this I have worked harder been put in jail oftener been whipped times without number and faced death again and again and again five different times the Jews gave me their terrible 39 lashes three times I was beaten with rods once I was stoned three times I was Shipwrecked and once I was in the water all night and the whole next day I've traveled many weary miles been often in great Danger from flooded rivers and from robbers and from my own people the Jews as well as at the hands of the Gentiles I have faced grave dangers from mobs in the cities and from Death in the deserts and from storms at Sea and for men who claim to be brothers in Christ with are not I've lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights often I've been hungry and thirsty and Gone without food often I've shivered with cold without enough clothing to keep me warm then besides all this I have the constant worry about how the churches are getting along who makes a mistake and I don't feel his sadness Who falls without my longing to help him who is spiritually hurt without my Fury Rising against the one that hurt him but if I must boast I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is to be praised Forever and Ever Knows I tell the truth for instance in Damascus the governor under King aritus kept guards at the city gates to catch me but I was let down in a basket from a hole in the city wall and so I got away oh what popularity HH oh this boasting is all so foolish but let me go on let me tell you about the Visions I have had and Revelations from the Lord 14 years ago I was taken up to heaven for a visit don't ask me whether my body was there or just my spirit for I don't know only God can answer that but anyway there I was in paradise and heard things so astounding they are Beyond The Man's power to describe but to put into words anyway I'm not allowed to tell them to others but that experience is worth bragging about but I will not do it I will boast only about how weak I am and how great God is to use such weakness for his glory I have plenty to boast about and would be no fool in doing it but I don't want anyone to think more highly of me than he should from what he can actually see in my life and in my message I will say this because these experiences I had were so tremendous God was afraid I might be puffed up by them and so there was given to me a sickness a thorn in my flesh a messenger from Satan to hurt and bother me and to prick my pride three different times I begged God to make me well again each time he said no but I'm with you that is all you need my power shows up best in Weak people now I'm glad to boast about how weak I am I'm glad to be a living demonstration of Christ's power instead of showing off my own power and abilities since I know it is all for Christ's good I'm quite happy about the thorn and about the insults and the hardships and the persecutions for when I am weak then I am strong the less I have the more I depend upon Him you've made me act like a fool boasting for you people ought to be talking about me instead of making me talk about myself there isn't a single thing these other marvelous fellows have that I don't have too though I'm really worth nothing at all when I was here with you last time I certainly gave you every proof that I was truly an apostle sent to you by God himself for I patiently did Many Wonders and signs and mighty Works among you the only thing that I didn't do for you that I do everywhere else in all other churches was to become a burden to you I didn't ask ask you to give me anything to eat or a place to stay please forgive me this wrong now I'm coming to you again the third time and it is still not going to cost you anything for I don't want your money I want you and anyway you're my children and little children don't pay pay for their fathers and mother's food it's the other way around the fathers and mothers buy the food for their children I'm glad to give you anything I have and myself in order to help you grow even though it seems like the more I love you the less you love me I suppose some of you are saying it's true his visits didn't seem to cost us anything but he's a sneaky fellow that Paul and he fooled us as sure as anything he must have made some money off us some way but how how did any of the men I sent to help you get anything from you when I begged Titus to come and visit you and sent our other brother with him did they make any profit no of course not for we have the same Holy Spirit and walk in each other's steps doing things the same way I imagine you're thinking that I'm saying all this to get back into your good graces no that isn't it at all I tell you with God listening as I say it that I have said this to help you to build you up spiritually and not to help myself for I'm afraid now that I'm here I won't like what I find and then you won't like the way I will need to act for I'm afraid that I'll find you quarreling and envying each other and being angry with one another other saying wicked things about each other Whispering behind each other's backs and that you'll be loud and coarse yes I'm afraid that God will humble me and I'll feel sad and embarrassed because of some of those who have sinned and don't even care about the wicked impure lives they have led their lust and immorality in The Taking of other men's wives this is the third time that I have come to visit you scriptures say that if two or three see a wrong it must be punished well this is my third warning as I come now for this visit I've already warned those who had been sinning when I was here last and now I warned them again and all others at this time I come ready to punish severely and I will not spare them I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me Christ is not weak in his dealings with with you but is a mighty power within you his weak human body died on the cross but now he lives by God's Mighty power we too are weak as he was but now we live and are strong as he is and have all God's power to use check up on yourselves are you really Christians do you pass the test do you feel Christ's presence and power more and more within you or are you just pretending to be Christians when actually God has rejected you I hope you can agree that we have stood that test and truly belong to the Lord I pray that you will live good lives not because that'll mean a feather in our caps proving what we teach is right no for we want you to do right even if we are despised our responsibility is to encourage the right at all all times not to hope for evil we're glad to be weak and despised if you are really strong our greatest wish and prayer is for you to become mature Christians I say this to you now in your hopes that I will not have to scold and punish during my visit for I want to use God's power to make you strong not to punish you I close with these last words Rejoice grow up in Christ be comforted live together in harmony and peace and may the god of love and peace be with you all greet each other other warmly and the Lord all of the Christians who have been with me send you their best regards May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all may God's love and the holy spirit's friendship be yours [Music] h