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Saul to Paul - The Book of Acts · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. Then Saul, who also is called Paul,
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  Speaker 1: filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes upon him.
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  Speaker 1: Acts 13.9 Dear Lord, as I speak, I thank you
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  Speaker 1: that you are transforming me from a lamb into a lion.
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  Speaker 1: In the same way that you promoted Paul with a
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  Speaker 1: name change, today I receive my new name. Because of Jesus' sacrifice,
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  Speaker 1: I was once called fearful, but now I'm called courageous.
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  Speaker 1: When I was once called doubtful, I am now called faithful.
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  Speaker 1: And when I was once called invisible, I am now seen.
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  Speaker 1: When I was once ignored, I am now heard. At
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  Speaker 1: every new season in my life, I will now level
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  Speaker 1: up and step into a new dimension of who I
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  Speaker 1: am with an even greater influence and understanding. I declare
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  Speaker 1: that any and all old names that have ever limited
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  Speaker 1: my life are gone and done away with. Behold, I
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  Speaker 1: stand as a new creation, ready to proclaim the works
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  Speaker 1: of Jesus. In Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To
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  Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life, stay tuned for the
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  Speaker 1: Bible in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 3: Psalm to Paul In our last story, we witnessed the
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  Speaker 3: tragic yet noble death of James. He would be the
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  Speaker 3: first apostle to be martyred, and he would not be
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  Speaker 3: the last. As persecution of the church increased, so did
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  Speaker 3: the risk of imprisonment. Yet death was no match for Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: nor is it a threat to those who believe in him.
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  Speaker 3: So Peter pressed onward. Now we focus on the ministry
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  Speaker 3: of Saul, who learns how to protect the sheep of
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  Speaker 3: God with his words, and thus transitions into the ministry
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  Speaker 3: of apostleship, inspired by the book of Acts.
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  Speaker 4: Hello, once again, this is Jack Graham in the Bible
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  Speaker 4: in a Year podcast. Our goal in the Bible in
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  Speaker 4: a Year podcast is to encourage you in God's Word,
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  Speaker 4: the Scriptures, so that we can not only know what
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  Speaker 4: the Bible says, but live out the truth of the Scriptures. So, welcome.
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  Speaker 4: In our last episode, we heard how Herod put James
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  Speaker 4: to death and imprisoned Peter. It seemed that the enemy
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  Speaker 4: had gained an upper hand. But the church gathered in
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  Speaker 4: fervent prayer, and God delivered Peter from his chains and
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  Speaker 4: dealt with Herod also, striking him down for seeking glory
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  Speaker 4: over God. The church continued to grow and multiply, powered
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  Speaker 4: by the work of the Holy Spirit. These prayerful, faithful
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  Speaker 4: Christians shared courageously the good news of Jesus Christ to
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  Speaker 4: the world. And today we'll hear how Saul grows into
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  Speaker 4: his own ministry and stands firm in the truth. Saul,
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  Speaker 4: who was dramatically and dynamically converted on the road to Damascus,
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  Speaker 4: is about to defend the flock against false teachers who
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  Speaker 4: try to lead them astray. So let's listen now to
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  Speaker 4: God's holy word.
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  Speaker 3: The church in Antioch continued to strengthen day by day
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  Speaker 3: through the teaching and leading of Barnabas and Saul. As
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  Speaker 3: the leaders of the church prayed with one another, the
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  Speaker 3: Holy Spirit tugged on their hearts to depart from Antioch
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  Speaker 3: towards Cyprus. Barnabas and Saul listened and set sail for
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  Speaker 3: the island of Cyprus. They were filled with hope that
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  Speaker 3: the Lord would move, but there was no telling what
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  Speaker 3: dangers dwelled in the middle of the island. Barnabas and
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  Speaker 3: Saul stepped foot onto the shores of Cyprus. The peaceful
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  Speaker 3: port country was filled with sailors, fishermen, and synagogues. However,
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  Speaker 3: underneath the quaint exterior was a lingering evil, a presence
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  Speaker 3: that slowly poisoned the people without knowledge. Saul sensed it
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  Speaker 3: and kept alert as he met the people of Cyprus.
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  Speaker 3: The two men ventured to Paphos, which was at the
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  Speaker 3: end of the island. Saul sensed a shift in the
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  Speaker 3: air as they walked. Something was not right. Something was unsettling.
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  Speaker 3: Emerging from a home nestled on the shores of Paphos
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  Speaker 3: was a man by the name of Bar-Jesus. He emerged
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  Speaker 3: from his home with staff in hand, glaring at the
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  Speaker 3: two travelers. The second Saul's eyes met his, he knew
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  Speaker 3: that this man was the source.
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  Speaker 2: Of the evil.
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  Speaker 3: This man had a mind held by the enemy. Bar-Jesus
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  Speaker 3: was a man of dark arts. He dabbled in things
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  Speaker 3: better left alone and sacrificed to them for power. Not
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  Speaker 3: only this, but he was also a man of great
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  Speaker 3: influence and intelligence. It made him dangerous. Saul and Barnabas
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  Speaker 3: went to preach in the city, but Bar-Jesus would whisper
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  Speaker 3: lies into their ears and spin tales about them. Saul,
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  Speaker 3: filled with the Spirit of God, confronted him. You are
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  Speaker 3: a son of the enemy himself, Saul said with commanding force.
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  Speaker 3: He took a step forward, causing Bar-Jesus to step back.
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  Speaker 3: You are an enemy of righteousness and filled with corruption.
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  Speaker 3: Look me in the eyes and hear what I am saying.
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  Speaker 3: Stop muddying the pure waters of God. Saul paused to
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  Speaker 3: look at Bar-Jesus. There was no sign of remorse in
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  Speaker 3: his eyes. Saul pointed to him and said, The Lord's
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  Speaker 3: hand is upon you. For a time your eyes will
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  Speaker 3: be dimmed to the light of the sun. Blindness will
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  Speaker 3: overtake you as it once did to me. Every person
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  Speaker 3: watching saw Bar-Jesus' eyes fade into darkness. As if he
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  Speaker 3: was caught in a dark cloud, Bar-Jesus stumbled blindly onto
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  Speaker 3: the floor. This was the moment Saul had truly felt
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  Speaker 3: the Spirit of God move through him. Bar-Jesus was leading
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  Speaker 3: the sheep of God astray, and as Saul spoke, he
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  Speaker 3: felt the shepherding heart of God He spoke in boldness
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  Speaker 3: and stepped forward in authority. This was the moment Saul
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  Speaker 3: of Tarsus ceased to exist. Now there was only Paul
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  Speaker 3: the Apostle. So Paul and Barnabas ventured forth to preach
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  Speaker 3: in Pamphylia. They sat in the synagogues and proclaimed the
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  Speaker 3: word of the Lord. Paul was able to take what
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  Speaker 3: he had learned as a child and weave the story
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  Speaker 3: of Israel and the story of Jesus together into a
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  Speaker 3: beautiful tapestry. At first they preached to the Jews, and
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  Speaker 3: then droves of Jews and Gentiles alike gathered together to
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  Speaker 3: hear Paul speak. The Jews became jealous that the Gentiles
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  Speaker 3: were allowed to enter into Paul's presence and hear his teaching.
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  Speaker 3: They spat and reviled them, but Paul would not stand
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  Speaker 3: for it. The word of God was given to you first,
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  Speaker 3: yet you treat it like trash and toss it aside.
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  Speaker 3: So behold... We preach to those who have been far off.
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  Speaker 3: We preach to those who would listen. We preach to
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  Speaker 3: those who have not grown complacent in their hearing of truth.
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  Speaker 3: So the Gentiles rejoiced that they were able to enter
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  Speaker 3: into God's presence. They looked to Jesus and believed. Yet
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  Speaker 3: some of the Antioch Jews were not without their bitterness.
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  Speaker 3: They plotted against the disciples and sought to destroy them
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  Speaker 3: as they once did Jesus.
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  Speaker 4: In God's Word today, we read that Barnabas and Saul
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  Speaker 4: are ministering in Antioch. Under their guidance, the church there
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  Speaker 4: had grown in numbers and in strength, with other leaders
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  Speaker 4: emerging to guide the body of Christ in that city.
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  Speaker 4: And so, as Saul and Barnabas prayed and fasted, the
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  Speaker 4: Holy Spirit spoke to them, saying they were to leave,
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  Speaker 4: there was work to be done in other places, brand
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  Speaker 4: new places. So the Christians in Antioch laid hands on
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  Speaker 4: them and sent them off to pursue God's calling. With
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  Speaker 4: them was John Mark, a young believer from Jerusalem. They
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  Speaker 4: set sail and arrived on the island of Cyprus, where
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  Speaker 4: they began proclaiming the gospel in the synagogues. These missionaries
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  Speaker 4: traveled across the island, telling all who would listen about Jesus,
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  Speaker 4: the Son of God, who had come, lived, and died,
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  Speaker 4: rose again, in order that they might know eternal life.
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  Speaker 4: When they reached the far end of the island, they
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  Speaker 4: encountered a man named Bar-Jesus. He was called a magician.
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  Speaker 4: and was a false prophet who led many astray with
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  Speaker 4: his considerable influence. Persecution was not the only threat to
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  Speaker 4: the church in the work of spreading the good news.
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  Speaker 4: Satan does not employ one single tactic to lead people
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  Speaker 4: away from God and his truth. This false prophet worked
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  Speaker 4: to undermine Saul and Barnabas' preaching and turn people away
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  Speaker 4: from the one true God. Saul saw the danger of
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  Speaker 4: this false teacher, Bar-Jesus, and so he says in Acts 13,
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  Speaker 4: verses 10-11, You son of the devil, you enemy of
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  Speaker 4: all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you
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  Speaker 4: not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
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  Speaker 4: And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you,
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  Speaker 4: and you will be blind and unable to see the
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  Speaker 4: Son for a time. As Paul spoke these words to Bar-Jesus,
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  Speaker 4: the man became blind, dependent upon others to lead him around.
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  Speaker 4: This man, whose name literally meant son of Jesus, was
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  Speaker 4: anything but the son of Jesus. He was the son
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  Speaker 4: of the enemy, and Saul was not going to allow
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  Speaker 4: him to lead others away from the Lord. Here we
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  Speaker 4: see the zeal of Saul, now Paul the missionary. Paul
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  Speaker 4: was defending the truth with passion and conviction, and this
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  Speaker 4: was his calling, his high calling as a From this
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  Speaker 4: point on into the scriptures, Saul is referred to as Paul.
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  Speaker 4: This was not a new name. Rather, it was his
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  Speaker 4: Roman name, whereas Saul was his Jewish name. It is
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  Speaker 4: symbolic as Paul has now become a minister not only
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  Speaker 4: to the Jews, but to the Romans, to the Gentiles everywhere.
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  Speaker 4: And so Paul and Barnabas continued to travel around the region,
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  Speaker 4: speaking not only in synagogues, but to the Jews in
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  Speaker 4: the town squares, to Gentiles who came to hear the
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  Speaker 4: word of God. This was God's plan all along. that
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  Speaker 4: everyone would hear the good news of Jesus Christ and
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  Speaker 4: experience his grace. Many Jewish people, however, were angry and
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  Speaker 4: still felt that salvation was not for the Gentiles. But
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  Speaker 4: Paul stood against this false teaching, rebuking those who tried
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  Speaker 4: to turn the Gentiles away from God's grace and mercy.
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  Speaker 4: The Gentiles rejoiced and received the gospel gladly, but the
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  Speaker 4: Jews in Antioch grew angrier and stirred up persecution against
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  Speaker 4: Paul and Barnabas. who now had to run to a
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  Speaker 4: new place, Iconium. The gospel was still on the move,
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  Speaker 4: and those whom God was working through were filled with
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  Speaker 4: the joy of the Holy Spirit as they courageously took
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  Speaker 4: the message of Christ to as many people as they could.
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  Speaker 4: Paul and Barnabas' ministry would bear great fruit, but it
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  Speaker 4: would not be without challenges. And the next time, we'll
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  Speaker 4: hear as Paul experiences the pain of persecution firsthand. Let's pray. God,
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  Speaker 4: we thank you for your word. Thank you for reminding
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  Speaker 4: us to stand firm on the truth and to be
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  Speaker 4: watchful of false teachers who would undermine the message of
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  Speaker 4: Jesus and the gospel. Give us the boldness to take
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  Speaker 4: the good news not only to the nations but to
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  Speaker 4: our neighbors as we share the love of Christ and
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  Speaker 4: his power to save. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you
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  Speaker 4: for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. Again,
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  Speaker 4: this is Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. I would encourage
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  Speaker 4: you to download the Pray.com app and make Bible study
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  Speaker 4: and prayer the priority of your life. And if you
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  Speaker 4: are enjoying this podcast, let someone else know. Pass the
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  Speaker 4: good news around to others. And if you want to
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  Speaker 4: know more about the Bible and how to live God's
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  Speaker 4: truth in your life, go to JackGraham.org. That's JackGraham.org. There
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  Speaker 4: are resources and Bible studies there available for you that
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  Speaker 4: you may know and grow in your faith. We want
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  Speaker 4: to equip you and encourage you in the word of God.
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  Speaker 4: God bless you. Thank you for joining us today.
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  Speaker 3: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative healthcare solution
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.
• 13:04
  Speaker 4: Hello, I'm Dr.
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  Speaker 2: Tony Evans, and I'm excited to have you join me
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  Speaker 2: on this new podcast, Heroes in the Bible.
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  Speaker 3: Come to me, boy. You and your God will crumble
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  Speaker 3: beneath my feet.
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  Speaker 1: He beckoned the giant and said.
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  Speaker 3: I come to you in the name of the Lord
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  Speaker 3: of hosts and creator of the stars.
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  Speaker 2: You know, we all have giants that we face in
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  Speaker 2: our life. And when you understand that the greatness of
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  Speaker 2: God affects our ability to handle the giants of life,
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  Speaker 2: it will encourage, inspire us, and challenge all of us
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  Speaker 2: to our faith in God and our growth in Jesus Christ.
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  Speaker 4: Listen to Heroes in the Bible with Dr. Tony Evans
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  Speaker 4: on the iHeartRadio app, Apple
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.