Christ’s Birthday/Paul & the Urban Church
Speaker Notes
Luke 2:1-7
The Birth of Jesus
2.1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Acts 13 Biblegateway link
Acts 14:26-28
26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through themand how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
Acts 18:23
23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
Dr. Bob Cooley is President Emeritus, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (President 1981-1997)