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Welcome to the R09 Class Discussion Group This email discussion group is for all past and present participants in the U3A Course R09 "What the Bible is About - An Informed Discussion of the Bible". Joining and participating in this optional discussion group provides a way to communicate with each other and handle out-of-class Q&As. U3A Brisbane recommended the concept of email discussion groups as a way to facilitate online discussion between class members while we are sequestered during the CCP Virus (a/k/a/ coronavirus, COVID-19). The idea is that we have a dedicated email group where we can exchange ideas, artworks, photos, etc. with each other. Each person can contribute simply by sending an email to [email protected] just as you would send any other email. Images and documents can be attached as well. All participants see everyone's messages and can choose whether or not to reply. Thanks for joining this discussion group. Blessings, Ray

G'day all, I hope that this email finds you all well. Some of you were unable to participate in Session 1 (Term 2) last Thursday where we discussed the introduction to Paul's epistles to the Thessalonians and covered Chapters 1 and 2. Some of the material presented may be useful in fully grasping Chapters 3-5 of 1 Thessalonians as well as 2 Thessalonians in forthcoming Zoom class sessions, so a 23-minute video was prepared to cover what you may have missed (excluding the section from the book of Acts). You can watch the video at https://play.soundslides.com/jZhRCghb Any and all comments are most welcome. Ta. Blessings, Ray P.S. Hope to see you for the discussion of 1 Thessalonians Chapters 3-5 this coming Thursday. You can use the same login information as last week: To join the Zoom meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81918820881?pwd=jKIZRdGdK_Rcvx-1tQR_iw3WRTF5Lw Meeting ID: 819 1882 0881 Password: 025694 Or phone in on +61 731 853 730 Australia (this is the Queensland number 3185-3730, use the Meeting ID and Password shown above) One tap mobile +61871501149,,81918820881#,,1#,025694# Australia +61280156011,,81918820881#,,1#,025694# Australia

Hi Ray and all fellow Students, Re your Two Videos: In answer to your question “should I post a link ..... website etc.” my answer would be a definite YES. In appreciation of the time and care taken to make these videos I believe they deserve a place where they can be viewed from time to time along with the rest of the material on your website, and not lost after the conclusion of this Term or year at U3A. I didn’t detect a “tinny sound” from your recording. Next time I will use my BOSE headphones which are more sensitive to sound. However, I did have to turn the Volume almost up to Full. Once again I used the computer inbuilt speakers and didn’t listen through headphones or earbuds. Thanks to Ray and everyone for your participation in the Group. Funny, I hardly got to know any of you during physical classes, but through this Group faces are becoming real people!! Nice getting to know you. Cheers, Merlene

G'day all, Our three-part presentation of Paul's two epistles to the Thessalonians is now complete. These two epistles are extremely important statements on Eschatology - the study of the End Times - yet they are little studied, preached, read, discussed, or understood. You can now see why. Session 3 slides are now posted on our class website. The Session 3 video is available at https://play.soundslides.com/M1JfXWTk The theme building on our study of the book of Revelation will continue next week with a study of the book of Jude. There will be a few surprises in that study. The following week, we'll begin a study of the book of Zechariah, another eschatological tour de force. The book is often called the Apocalypse of the Old Testament. It is also the most Messianic book in the Old Testament. Zechariah covers God’s future plans for His people through eight night visions, four messages, and two burdens. Hold onto your seat: the first "burden" is a prophecy of Christ's First Advent, where Jesus came to earth as the Suffering Servant. The second "burden" involves the Second Coming of Christ, where He will arrive as the Conquering King. Imagine that, these are just two of Zechariah's prophecies, written around 520 B.C. Your questions and comments will be much appreciated. Blessings, Ray

G'day all, Our scheduled Zoom meeting this coming Thursday will focus on the book of Jude, one of the most fascinating books in the Bible. Although it's very short at only 25 verses, it dips into some rarely discussed parts of the Old Testament and even the book of Enoch, which we'll cover to add context. Speaking of context, Jude adds context to our recent study of the book of Revelation. The study of Jude is also an entry into some of the biggest controversies in the New Testament, including the concept of Perpetual Virginity and the seeming overlap of Peter's Second Letter with Jude. But wait, there's more! But I don't want to give everything away. :-) The meeting log-in details are shown below. I hope that you can make it. Blessings, Ray Topic: U3A Term 2, 2020: R09 What the Bible is about - An Informed Appreciation of the Bible Time: May 14, 2020 11:00 AM Brisbane Every week on Thu, 7 occurrence(s) May 14, 2020 11:00 AM May 21, 2020 11:00 AM May 28, 2020 11:00 AM Jun 4, 2020 11:00 AM Jun 11, 2020 11:00 AM Jun 18, 2020 11:00 AM Jun 25, 2020 11:00 AM Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system. Weekly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZUkduGgrDsiEtWMdTyT0gSzjetQEgY273Ku/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGppzoiEtaVuBGGRpwcHYj4WfzzpmJHj7dqsRvRGhQDZTDsPOdWA5d4KYqH Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81918820881?pwd=jKIZRdGdK_Rcvx-1tQR_iw3WRTF5Lw Meeting ID: 819 1882 0881 Password: 025694 One tap mobile +61871501149,,81918820881#,,1#,025694# Australia +61280156011,,81918820881#,,1#,025694# Australia Dial by your location +61 8 7150 1149 Australia +61 2 8015 6011 Australia +61 3 7018 2005 Australia +61 731 853 730 Australia +61 861 193 900 Australia Meeting ID: 819 1882 0881 Password: 025694 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdRoumyo4v

Hi Ray (and to all Members of the Group), Thank you for Video 3 – the sound effects at both beginning and end are very dramatic – well done !! A couple of things to think about from this Letter, one not so important as the other two. 1. I didn’t appreciate the fact that the Anti-Christ will not be revealed until AFTER the rapture. I always assumed that he would appear before the rapture, but your explanation makes it very clear he comes after. 2. Re the “Restrainer” – your reference that He has been with mankind for over 2,000 years has important implications - a. That He wasn’t with, or dwelling within, mankind prior to the coming of Christ. b. That He came to be “with” mankind after the Day of Pentecost and remains within Believers until He (Restrainer) leaves with those Believers who have accepted Christ, and by default, the Restrainer, also into their hearts. c. That those that remain on earth after the Rapture have No Holy Spirit protection or intervention over their lives – they are now entirely under the control of Satan, the AntiChrist and all its forces. Pretty awful situation that would be! Unimaginable behaviour – mankind at its very worse with inconceivable corruption! The world can be cruel nowadays with the “Restrainer” – don’t think about the alternative! 3. Back to the Video, at about 25.35 minutes – Paul giving 3 Practical Admonitions to the Thessalonians - a. Pray and be Patient b. Work if you want to Eat c. Be Doers, not Hearers Why is no reference made to “and be filled with the Holy Spirit” Paul is absolutely silent on this aspect of the practical way for the new Christians to live, but surely as new Christians they would have been filled with the Holy Spirit – or were they? Let’s take this thought further – as to why he omitted to include being filled with the Spirit. Does that mean that the Spirit that appeared on the Day of Pentecost, with all its supernatural manifestations, did not then apply in the Thessalonians’ time, and also today! Obviously some religions still believe in supernatural spiritual manifestations such as healing, prophecies, speaking in tongues, etc. but the majority of Christians don’t appear to do so, or else there would be a lot more evidence of it in our times. So, why did Paul not encourage the new believers in Thessalonica to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Blessings to all, Merlene

G'day all, I hope that this email finds you all well. Because so many in last Thursday 28 April's session (U3A Term 2 Session 1) indicated that the video on 1 Thessalonians Chapters 1 and 2 from 21 April was appreciated, last Thursday's presentation has been condensed into a second video. The 27-minute video covers 1 Thessalonians Chapters 3, 4 and 5. - You can still watch the 1 Thess. Chapters 1 and 2 video at https://play.soundslides.com/jZhRCghb - You can still watch the 1 Thess. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 video at https://play.soundslides.com/znNyZDhv Should I post a download link to these videos on the class website at https://www.b4uc.xyz? If this course continues during our CCP-virus lockdown, more videos will probably be made if there is any demand for them. The U3A Term 2 Session 2 notes will be posted on the class website later this weekend. I deeply regret all the technical difficulties that I have been having with Zoom. They are all to do with my unfamiliarity with a computer program that, like all suchlike for the past three decades or so, is billed as so "intuitively obvious" (code for "simple") that a child can use it without training. Being an engineer and complex project manager who has applied many complicated technologies in the past, I am mindful that the only people who can fully master such concepts as hyperspaces and quantum physics seem to be little children and advanced mathematicians. I also hope to find the right buttons or sliders to push and or slide on my audio recording software to get rid of the tinny sound (although maybe that's just me). Thank you for your patience thus far. Any and all comments are most welcome. You can send emails by replying to this email (at [email protected]) that all groups members will see, or to me in private at ray.sarlin@.... Ta. Blessings, Ray P.S. Hope to see you for the discussion of 2 Thessalonians this coming Thursday 7 May 2020. You can use the same login information as last week: To join the Zoom meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81918820881?pwd=jKIZRdGdK_Rcvx-1tQR_iw3WRTF5Lw Meeting ID: 819 1882 0881 Password: 025694 Or phone in on +61 731 853 730 Australia (this is the Queensland number 3185-3730, use the Meeting ID and Password shown above) One tap mobile +61871501149,,81918820881#,,1#,025694# Australia +61280156011,,81918820881#,,1#,025694# Australia

G'day, Belated Mother's Day greetings to you all (y'all for those in Texas). The slides for last Thursday's Term 2, Session 4 on Jude are posted on the website and the Jude video is available at https://play.soundslides.com/lbTNtG7c This video is 47 minutes long. Should anyone be interested, the videos are also available as stand-alone mpeg4 electronic files. Hopefully, everyone can now appreciate what a gem Jude's epistle is, and why it has been called "the canon in a grain of sand". Alas, for the same reasons, it is often referred to as the most neglected book in the Bible, and that's saying something! Next week we'll look at another tiny book that's often in the shadows, Peter's Second Epistle. Because it has some concepts in common with Jude's letter, they are often studied together and a scholarly controversy (tempest in a teacup) exists over who borrowed from whom. But what's important about this letter (and Peter's longer First Epistle that covers similar ground) is its focus on defending the Faith. Some argue that Peter's are the very first texts on apologetics. This unlearned fisherman not only commands each believer to be prepared to give an effectively reasoned argument for our hope in Christ but like Jude he provides extensive practical guidance. I hope that you'll be able to join us at 11 AM next Thursday. Your feedback, comments, questions, suggestions, and complaints are all earnestly appreciated. Blessings, Ray

G'day all, The video on the Second Epistle of Peter is now available online at https://play.soundslides.com/cFYsjTkL Enjoy. Blessings, Ray P.S. Whether you enjoy it or not, your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

G'day everyone, Tomorrow, Thursday 28 May 2020, will be a special time, for we will start a multi-session study of the absolutely amazing Old Testament book of Zechariah. This book of prophecy is incredible, and it has been called both the Apocalypse of the Old Testament AND the most Messianic book in the Old Testament. Both are true, and Jesus appears throughout this book in many guises and under many conditions. If you're not already an aficionado of Zechariah, this study may make you one. Some called the book of Jude the "canon in a grain of sand." Zechariah, although the longest of the Minor Prophets at 12 chapters and 211 verses, is still a smallish book: however, it not only covers an interesting time in Israel's history but also the entire sweep of the New Testament - five hundred years before it occurs. And, yes, Jesus is written of on every page! It is bittersweet that Zechariah's namesake, the great apologist Ravi Zacharias (the Greek version of the Hebrew Zechariah) passed away last week on May 19. He was joined by one of my favourite Bible teachers, David Pawson, on Ascension Day May 21. You have been the beneficiaries of them both, because I rely heavily upon their work as I prepare these lessons. Each left a huge legacy. Session joining instructions are below. We start at 11 AM. If you haven't already allowed Zoom to update your software, tomorrow will be the last time that your old software will work. Zoom assumes all of us that if you log in fifteen minutes early or so, your application can be upgraded to Zoom 5 for free before the session starts. Next week's session, June 4, will require Zoom 5. Please join me in wishing Linda a complete and speedy recovery from her hospitalisation. She will be greatly missed at tomorrow's session. I had been contemplating whether or not to keep doing the videos, but when I heard about Linda from Christine I immediately started on Zechariah I. They are a lot of work (primarily making the audio track) but I must admit that I enjoy doing them. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow if you can make it. Blessings, Ray Ray Sarlin is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: U3A Term 2, 2020: R09 What the Bible is about - An Informed Appreciation of the Bible Time: May 28, 2020 11:00 AM Brisbane Every week on Thu, 5 occurrence(s) May 28, 2020 11:00 AM Jun 4, 2020 11:00 AM Jun 11, 2020 11:00 AM Jun 18, 2020 11:00 AM Jun 25, 2020 11:00 AM Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system. Weekly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZUkduGgrDsiEtWMdTyT0gSzjetQEgY273Ku/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGppzoiEtaVuBGGRpwcHYj4WfzzpmJHj7dqsRvRGhQDZTDsPOdWA5d4KYqH Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81918820881?pwd=jKIZRdGdK_Rcvx-1tQR_iw3WRTF5Lw Meeting ID: 819 1882 0881 Password: 025694 One tap mobile +61871501149,,81918820881#,,1#,025694# Australia +61280156011,,81918820881#,,1#,025694# Australia Dial by your location +61 8 7150 1149 Australia +61 2 8015 6011 Australia +61 3 7018 2005 Australia +61 731 853 730 Australia +61 861 193 900 Australia Meeting ID: 819 1882 0881 Password: 025694 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdRoumyo4v

G'day all, This is to advise that the video of Part 1 of our study of Zechariah is now online at https://play.soundslides.com/LK35tc0b. It runs for 37 minutes. As mentioned earlier, the videos will be exported to mpeg4, and made available through Dropbox to you later should you wish to have a copy. Please feel free to invite friends (or enemies?) to attend, as there are no restrictions on "class" attendance with Zoom. The deeper my study of Zechariah gets, the more my appreciation of this "minor" prophet grows. At times it seems like reading the New Testament... except that it was written five centuries before Christ. Many, many thanks to those of you who communicate via both email and our group message board. You help keep life interesting! The Zoom link log in details should remain the same, but please be aware that you may hit a glitch if you haven't updated your Zoom to Zoom 5. You can do that by loading Zoom at any time and looking for the upgrade instructions. Don't be alarmed, you may already have Zoom 5 loaded. If nothing else seems to work, just go to the Zoom site and download the program again. Blessings, Ray

G'day all, A very interesting and insightful question arrived in my email today. I have blanked out the sender's name. Here it is: Hi there Ray hope you are enjoying this beautiful winter weather. Been thinking about our class when you said when the Jews were not obedient to God they suffered and you gave us examples. Can you give an example when the Jew followed and were obedient to God and they prospered? Thank you take care. Here's my response. Thanks for the email and the question. The entire history of the Nation Israel from the time of Moses was obedience followed by disobedience. The first example of obedience was the very first Passover when the Angel of Death swept through Egypt killing the first-born. The Israelites obeyed God and sacrificed lambs and painted their lintels with blood so the Angel would pass-over their homes. They were also obedient in following Moses out of Egypt. Then they backslid under Moses and they refused to trust in God and enter the Holy land and thus everybody over 20 lost the right to enter Caanan (except for faithful Joshua and Caleb). The next generation was again obedient (somewhat) under Joshua as they conquered the Promised Land. I say "somewhat", because despite being ordered by God to kill every one of those in the tribes with giants (Nephelim), they didn't. Israel has been paying for that disobedience ever since as they battle the descendants of the tribes they were to kill in generation after generation, including today. Anyway, the obedience of particular note to this week's lesson is that AFTER ZACHARIAH'S VISIONS, the remnant got off their backsides and finished the Temple in two years. Look at the symmetry, they had dithered for two years before laying the foundation stone when they first returned, then ran out of steam over some 16 years working lackadaisically until Haggai blasted them and Zechariah followed with his sermon a month later. They then went into high gear and finished the Temple. Presumably, they were obedient to God for a bit after that as well. This obedience was rewarded when Jesus was born five centuries later. One of the points is that God doesn't look at time the way that we do. Like little children, we tend to want to see our rewards soon after we've done whatever we think we did to deserve them. God has a bit more patience! :-) Some might argue that the subjugated Jews over that 500 years probably were obedient and disobedient a few more times as well. One of the obedient times MIGHT have been the Maccabean Revolt (167-160 BC) that led to Jewish self-rule under the Hasmonean Dynasty (140–37 BC) for 100 years. That started with the cleansing and re-dedication of the Temple in 164 BC after three years of battling for freedom from Seleucid Greece (more on that this coming Thursday) that is celebrated every Hanukkah. So some might argue that the rewards for obedience during Zechariah's time might have been the Maccabean success, and the First Coming was related to the good part of their 100-year rule. I have two things to say about that. (1) God doesn't keep score the way that we do, because He isn't playing games. (2) See if the three chapters that we study next Thursday don't marry up Zechariah's period with the First Coming. Sorry. Probably too much information. Blessings, Ray

G'day all, I hope to see you tomorrow at 11 AM for our fourth session on the challenging but fascinating book of Zechariah. Videos of the first two sessions are available as follows: Zechariah Part 1 https://play.soundslides.com/LK35tc0b Zechariah Part 2 https://play.soundslides.com/ZcwgDrxl Zechariah Part 3 is in process and Part 4 will hopefully be available next week. I'm having simple problems like finding that if my room door is closed the soundtrack sounds like it was recorded underwater. Go figure. No wonder professionals have studios built for purpose. Contact details for the two remaining Term 2 sessions are posted below. Some of you have signed up for Term 3 at U3A. Thanks. Blessings, Ray -------------------------- Topic: U3A Term 2, 2020: R09 What the Bible is about - An Informed Appreciation of the Bible Time: Jun 18, 2020 11:00 AM Brisbane Every week on Thu, 2 occurrence(s) Jun 18, 2020 11:00 AM Jun 25, 2020 11:00 AM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81918820881?pwd=jKIZRdGdK_Rcvx-1tQR_iw3WRTF5Lw Meeting ID: 819 1882 0881 Password: 025694 One tap mobile +61871501149,,81918820881#,,,,0#,,025694# Australia +61280156011,,81918820881#,,,,0#,,025694# Australia Dial by your location +61 8 7150 1149 Australia +61 2 8015 6011 Australia +61 3 7018 2005 Australia +61 731 853 730 Australia +61 861 193 900 Australia Meeting ID: 819 1882 0881 Password: 025694 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdRoumyo4v

G'day all, Well, our very challenging two terms on eschatology - the study of the End Times - has now come to a close with the completion of the formidable book of Zechariah. You can see why Zechariah is known as both the Apocalypse of the Old Testament and the most Messianic of the Old Testament Prophets. It should also be clear why it is the most frequently quoted Minor Prophet book in the New Testament. It may also be evident now why most modern Protestants and almost all Catholics avoid the book as if afraid of catching the plagues that it discusses. It has been a loaded two terms as we went through the book of Revelation in Term 1, along with Daniel 9, Hosea 5:15, and many others of the 808 verses that it cross-references with. That was followed during the intermission with a look at the End Time battles covered by Psalm 83 and Ezekiel Chapters 38-39. Term 2 started with three sessions on Paul's two epistles to the Thessalonians before moving on to the book of Jude and Peter's letters, especially 2 Peter. Then, of course, we had five weeks being thrilled by Zechariah. It's been heavy going and may take some time, study, and thinking to come to grips with everything we covered. All notes are now posted on http://www.b4uc.xyz. Please, please, please don't hesitate to ask any questions as they arise via email. Remember, if you have a question the chances are high that others have been wondering the same thing(s). We have this group discussion board to discuss anything within our group at large, or you can email me directly at ray.sarlin@.... Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated; they are the best feedback that any tutor can receive. Thanks. Have we covered everything on eschatology in the Bible? As Paul might say (and did in Romans 11:11 and Galatians 6:14), "μ? γ?νοιτο" (God forbid!). We've covered a large number of the 1,800 prophetic End Times verses in the Bible, enough perhaps to begin to comprehend God's overall plan of redemption. But keep in mind that these events are predicted in 8 times more verses than predict Christ's First Coming. Also, recall that the ONLY UNFULFILLED PROPHETIC VERSES in the Bible refer to the End Times. So others will pop up as we study other Old Testament and New Testament books, but they shouldn't be as concentrated as experienced in Terms 1 and 2 this year. Next week will be a bye (no class on 2nd July). Then we'll start another short series on the women in the genealogy of Jesus. I'll probably skip Eve and even Mary to a degree because we did cover her (and the Three Mary's) earlier. Most people are also well aware of both from attending church. But three of the 66 books are specifically about women, and whole chapters have been devoted to others (Bathsheba even wrote a chapter in Proverbs). You may recall a slide from our introduction to prophets and prophecy as we started Zechariah that listed the female prophets (prophetesses) in the Bible; some of them have very compelling lessons for today. But you "men's men" shouldn't despair. This is the Bible that we're studying, so there is always plenty of action! So I hope to see you next Thursday week, on 9 July, as we look at John's letters. You'll receive new logins and passwords the week before it starts. And please [he begs], your feedback is really welcome! Blessings, Ray Ray Sarlin U3A Tutor, R09

Hello everyone, Ray Sarlin cordially invites you to a scheduled Zoom classroom session of U3A Course R09 What the Bible is about - a non-religious study of the Bible on July 9, 2020 at 11:00 AM Brisbane time. This Thursday we will start a two-session study of John's three love letters. They occupy a very special place in the theology of John. His gospel largely looks back at the justification of believers and the book of Revelation is focused on the future glorious appearing of Christ (glorification), What's missing is how believers are to live in the present (sanctification), and that's precisely what these three short letters are about - how to live here and now. What is real in the Christian life and how can believers battle for truth and against apostasy? John will discuss those topics. The course Zoom login details for the whole term are included below, so you may wish to save this email. Remember, questions are always welcome. You can ask them to the whole group by replying to this email or email me in confidence at ray.sarlin@.... I hope to catch up with you on Thursday. Blessings, Ray Ray Sarlin Tutor Every week on Thu, 11 occurrence(s) Jul 9, 2020 11:00 AM Jul 16, 2020 11:00 AM Jul 23, 2020 11:00 AM Jul 30, 2020 11:00 AM Aug 6, 2020 11:00 AM Aug 13, 2020 11:00 AM Aug 20, 2020 11:00 AM Aug 27, 2020 11:00 AM Sep 3, 2020 11:00 AM Sep 10, 2020 11:00 AM Sep 17, 2020 11:00 AM Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system. Weekly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZYlc-qtrDssHNVmd0_X9GzZoVC2jl0ZWm7l/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGqpj8pH9aVth-GRpwQGo-gb-_zpmJdgo1rkRu1PBgKRRnMOdRhYLhzQOLn Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82843520661?pwd=UTFZdG1PRm1PeGVMNS9EY2FVQ1Jwdz09 Meeting ID: 828 4352 0661 Password: 326164 One tap mobile +61871501149,,82843520661#,,,,0#,,326164# Australia +61280156011,,82843520661#,,,,0#,,326164# Australia Dial by your location +61 8 7150 1149 Australia +61 2 8015 6011 Australia +61 3 7018 2005 Australia +61 731 853 730 Australia +61 861 193 900 Australia Meeting ID: 828 4352 0661 Password: 326164 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k05KJpny

G'day all, Ray Sarlin cordially invites you to a scheduled Zoom classroom session of U3A Course R09 What the Bible is about - a non-religious study of the Bible on July 9, 2020, at 11:00 AM Brisbane time. Zoom login details are below. Blessings, Ray Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82843520661?pwd=UTFZdG1PRm1PeGVMNS9EY2FVQ1Jwdz09 Meeting ID: 828 4352 0661 Password: 326164 One tap mobile +61871501149,,82843520661#,,,,0#,,326164# Australia +61280156011,,82843520661#,,,,0#,,326164# Australia Dial by your location +61 8 7150 1149 Australia +61 2 8015 6011 Australia +61 3 7018 2005 Australia +61 731 853 730 Australia +61 861 193 900 Australia Meeting ID: 828 4352 0661 Password: 326164 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k05KJpny

G'day all, Welcome to the "official" start of U3A Term 3 for 2020. Ray Sarlin cordially invites you to a scheduled Zoom classroom session of U3A Course R09 What the Bible is about - a non-religious study of the Bible on July 16, 2020, at 11:00 AM Brisbane time. Zoom login details are below. We'll be completing our two-part coverage of John's First Epistle, considered by some to be the Sanctum Sanctorum (Holy of Holies) of the New Testament. Unlike his gospel (theology) or the book of Revelation (eschatology), John's three letters are like family letters and are written in straightforward and loving but hard-hitting prose to those his fellow believers. John speaks to anyone who wants to know more about a personal relationship and fellowship with Jesus. Last week John's focus was on "God is Light." This week, it's on God is Love." Next week we'll examine John's Second and Third Epistles, Blessings, Ray Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82843520661?pwd=UTFZdG1PRm1PeGVMNS9EY2FVQ1Jwdz09 Meeting ID: 828 4352 0661 Password: 326164 One tap mobile +61871501149,,82843520661#,,,,0#,,326164# Australia +61280156011,,82843520661#,,,,0#,,326164# Australia Dial by your location +61 8 7150 1149 Australia +61 2 8015 6011 Australia +61 3 7018 2005 Australia +61 731 853 730 Australia +61 861 193 900 Australia Meeting ID: 828 4352 0661 Password: 326164 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k05KJpny

G'day, In planning for a partial reopening of in-class U3A courses, tutors are completing a brief survey. That prompted me to ask you a few questions to help plan for Term 4 whether or not it proceeds as in-person classes. The survey at the location shown below has just a few multiple-choice questions. Each question includes space for brief comments. Please take a few minutes to complete it. Thank you for your valuable input. If you have any concerns or questions about this survey, please contact Ray via email at ray.sarlin@.... https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7DQRRXY Blessings, Ray

Good morning, Ray Sarlin cordially invites you to a scheduled Zoom classroom session of U3A Course R09 What the Bible is about - a non-religious study of the Bible on July 23, 2020, at 11:00 AM Brisbane time. Zoom login details are below. Blessings, Ray Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82843520661?pwd=UTFZdG1PRm1PeGVMNS9EY2FVQ1Jwdz09 Meeting ID: 828 4352 0661 Password: 326164 One tap mobile +61871501149,,82843520661#,,,,0#,,326164# Australia +61280156011,,82843520661#,,,,0#,,326164# Australia Dial by your location +61 8 7150 1149 Australia +61 2 8015 6011 Australia +61 3 7018 2005 Australia +61 731 853 730 Australia +61 861 193 900 Australia Meeting ID: 828 4352 0661 Password: 326164 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k05KJpny

Hi all, I received an email after class today that read, "Hi there Ray, food for thought this morning. I just have a question and I thought email would be better than class. From what I understand Ruth then King David were in family line of Jesus and I think Ruth was about 1000BC. I think you said you were not sure who wrote this book. Why was her history recorded and how did the writer know that Jesus, the Messiah would be born into this line at a much later date. See you next week take care." I've divided the answers into two parts: Who wrote Ruth and why? Because of the similarity in language between Ruth and the books of Judges and Samuel, Jewish and Christian tradition and the Babylonian Talmud believed that Samuel wrote the book of Ruth. Written sometime during the 42 years of King Saul’s reign, its purpose was to prepare the people of Israel for David to become king after Saul. Note: As with everything about the Bible, modern scholars are confounded about this. As we’ll see next time, David was a direct descendent of Judah, the first of the Royal Line of the House of Judah. In fact, the author will take great pains in Ruth 4:18-22 to show that David was the tenth generation from Perez, the illegitimate son of Judah (see Genesis 38). What happened there is one of the biggest scandals of the Old Testament, which has quite a few of them. Jacob’s son Judah, who convinced his brothers to sell Joseph of the Many-coloured raincoat rather than kill him, was the first of the kin to violate the edict of Abraham and Isaac and marry a Canaanite lady, Shua the daughter of Hiram the Adullamite. They had three boys, Er (“forsaken”), Onan (“sorrow”) and Shelah (“deception”). Er, a wicked man, grew up and marries Tamar. Alas, he died without issue. So as we learned this week, the next eldest son was to be the kinsman-redeemer and marry Tamar to keep Er’s family name alive. Onan was up to the task, but didn’t want Tamar’s kids to inherit the first-born’s double share when Judah died, so he did the Old Testament equivalent of using condoms. God got upset with this, so Onan also died without issue. It was now Shelah’s turn to marry Tamar for the sake of Er’s inheritance, but he was still too young, so Judah told Tamar to wait. So she went to her father’s place and waited for Shelah to come marry her, and waited, and then waited some more. Shelah grew up but was never going to marry her. Now the plot thickens. Remember, this is Boaz’s and David’s illustrious ancestor Judah we’re talking about. Anyway, I’ll leave the story here; if you want to see what happens next (which is directly related to the book of Ruth, believe it or not), please read Genesis 38. Anyway, Tamar tricks Judah and gets both her revenge and a male heir to inherit Er’s double-portion. Unfortunately, the male heir, Perez (“breach”, a twin, the great x8 grandfather of king David is illegitimate, and we covered that Law of Exclusion today in class. But David, being the 10th generation downstream is cool again and the Messianic line continues on to Jesus, with only a few more (well, actually, quite a few more) hiccups along the way. By the way, intermarriage with Canaanites is considered one of the reasons that God punished Jacob’s family of Israelites with the famine that ultimately forced the brothers to go to Egypt to beg food (where they met up with Joseph as the Great Vizier). That story also contrasts the brothers Judah (essentially a good fellow) and Joseph (a great one). My point is that the author of the book of Ruth knew this family history of dirty laundry and was using it to validate Ruth, Boaz, and David. Ruth was accepted by God’s Grace into God’s family because she put her faith in the God of Israel. (This sounds very New Testament, doesn’t it.) Boaz was willing to pay the price to redeem Ruth (and, of course, his kinsman’s widow Naomi), even at the jeopardy of his own inheritance. David of the Royal Line of Judah is absolved of Judah’s sin with Tamar by the requisite ten generations. The stage is now set for another descendant of Judah (and David and Boa