On 30 Dec 2020, at 2:45 pm, Ray <ray@...> wrote:

?G'day all,

I trust that this email will find everyone recovered from a very Merry Christmas and looking forward to a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year's Eve, from which you will also soon recover.

The main reason for this email is to advise that my former email address which I have had for some two decades has been hacked or otherwise corrupted and is now almost unusable.? My new email address may be somewhat familiar: ray@...

Our schedule for Term 1, 2021 has me quite energized.? We'll start off with a study of the almost completely unknown but fascinating Old Testament book of Lamentations, which has been bitter-sweet as I have been observing the swift collapse of my birth country from a democratic Republic to what may well become an elitist-run totalitarian state in thrall to Communist China by early 2021.? Many of Jeremiah's laments over the fallen Jerusalem and Judah of 586 BC strike shockingly responsive chords.? But we won't dwell on current politics, because God's Word has much more to say through this book.? If you haven't studied the book of Lamentations, and few have, prepare yourself to pick up some exciting insights.? One such is that Lamentations is a striking example of sophisticated Hebrew poetry.

Following on from Lamentations, we'll examine Paul's First Epistle to Timothy and then close the term with his Second Epistle to Timothy.?

Paul wrote First Timothy soon after he was released from his first imprisonment at his house in Rome near the end of the book of Acts.? First Timothy puts forward Paul's blueprint for an effective first-century ekklesia, which we call today a "church" or "congregation." In it, Paul answers many questions of vital importance, such as the roles of men and women within the Body of Believers. Some passages have caused many heated discussions and substantial confusion when people focus on a phrase or verse or two and ignore other parts of the passage. Paul also had strong views on leadership within the?ekklesia. We'll examine what Paul really had to say, stripped of any modern sense of political correctness.? The?purpose of our study is merely to examine what the Bible actually has to say, not to challenge or reinforce any particular religious doctrine or dogma.

When Paul wrote his Second Epistle, his situation had changed drastically.? He was now formally incarcerated in chains in Rome and facing imminent execution by beheading.? Many of his associates had vanished and few remained at his side.? But in this dark time, as he was penning his final words, Paul's main concern was for Timothy and the success of his gospel ministry.? This is a very human letter by an author very aware of life, death, and life after death.?

Classes start at 10:45 on 28th January 2021 via Zoom.? Log-in details will be provided a week or so before the first session.? In the meantime, please send any of your comments or queries via this Discussion Group or direct to me at my new email address.? Thanks.

You can unenroll from this Discussion Group by following a link on this email or by emailing me directly with your request.

Blessings,

Ray

Ray Sarlin
U3A Tutor R09