Living Letters (Epistles)
11 Cor. 3:2-3
Statement: A Christian is the world’s Bible; so validity, depending on the person being read, etc…………. life being of such evidence manifested; to obvious to ignore.
Paul responds in letter due to outsiders trying to lead the body of Christ (Church) to mistrust against him. Things must be straightened out; He was charged with being egotistical braggart, recommending himself among other things. Paul declares his competency, integrity and uses his character, and personality to promote the ministry to wart off the vicious attack.
Outsiders to the church causes havoc, stirs hatred, and haunts the body with vain heiresses, brings dis-ease
Paul writes to herd off false apostles who would use the church for references in an attempt to confirm their work as travelers (they needed letters to authenticate them).
In literature it is style we pay attention to: Paul’s writing style
Ask a question, then answers it; v.1 Should we brag, etc
He called Christians epistles, letters- the character of communication must always be determined by the nature of the medium through which it shall be made
Pail was evidence of his speech- Do I need a letter?
Think on a letter, what it does, says, etc
You are the expression of our labor
The Church- doesn’t need to write, but live
A. Reveal the material invested in them
B. Legible lives expressed in community service
C. Indented behavior practiced
D. Spaced attitudes exemplified
The way they lived could be read plainly and clearly
Letters written well are understood
Pail expressed- what you are lives inside is (our hearts for all to read), v.2 infested with Pail’s teachings
The Church is that writing, etc…………………………………
Paul’s declaration (statement) as letters, v.3
When presenting a letter, the author states the communication as authentic when referring to correct data from other and many reliable sources
Paul states, ministered by us, v.3a
A. Personal performances and efforts
B. Labor in the word, consistently with them
C. Sanctioned by our commitment- 3 yrs.
The endeavors of the team gleaned to their benefit abroad
YOUR VERY LIVES ARE A LETTER THAT ANYONE CAN READ
Letters spread by carriers of the message, etc
Note: Writing starts in the brain first then to the heart, then to the hands, etc
Paul says, not with ink, not in tables, but in fleshly tables of the heart
One point may be- the old style of writing- tables on stone, like the ten commandments,(Exodus) hand writing on the wall,(Daniel) etc
His point: Larger Hands are involved here
A. They are Christ credentials
B. Christ styled to live
C. Christ fonted
The spirit of the living God makes alive
Church can impact the world when she allow larger hands to dictate
Remember, not all writings are sold, books are fancy, etc but the message isn’t strong enough to make a difference, the book fails
Somebody need to read the churches letters
Write your letter into a life today, like Paul
Jesus was a pretty good writer
Wrote about a impotent man, woman with a blood issue, trees and short men, blind men alongside the road, a man with a withered hand, deaf ears, dead men
Have you watched his writing style lately?
One of his famous letters was- Calvary
Wrote about his trial, his suffering, how they hit him, spat on him, how they nailed his hands rib bit his feet
One of his famous lines were- It is Finish
(I told you writing has to be clear)
What is finished? Law is finished, no more blood of animals,
I am writing it correct on a hill called Calvary
Wrote it in his blood- it came streaming down
Makes me sing, I know it was the blood for me
He just hung his head and died
