Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians

We just learned about Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians.

Paul wrote two letters to the church in Corinth, so there is a Second Letter to the Corinthians.

This second letter mostly gives instructions to the church about how to collect money for the poor.
There is a common saying of: You reap what you sow.
That is a farming saying that means if you plant a lot of seeds then you will get a lot of crops, but if you don't plant many seeds you won't get many crops.

It's a way to tell people that if they helped poor people by giving to them, then they would be rewarded with many gifts by God.


(from: wikipedia - harvest)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Parable of the Weeds

Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians

We just learned about Paul's letter to the Romans.

Another letter Paul wrote was to the church in Corinth, so the letter is called First Corinthinas because it was the first of two letters.

Most of First Corinthians is Paul telling the people in the church there that they are not doing the right things by God, and he gives them advice on how to fix their actions.

This letter has one of the most famous verses in the Bible, sometimes called the love verse, because it talks on and on about how wonderful love is.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.


(from: wikipedia - metropolis of corinth)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Parable of the Sower

Paul's Letters

We just learned about a man named Saul who became a believer in Jesus.
He later changed his name to Paul, and went on to go tell lots of other people about Jesus by visiting them or writing letters.
The greek word for letter is the word epistle, so sometimes his letters are called the Epistles of Paul or the Pauline Epistles.

These epistles were not just letters he wrote for fun to say hi to someone, they were more like instructions or small books with wisdom to help churches and people follow God's word.

He wrote 13 letters:
Romans - To Rome, Italy.
First Corinthians - To Corinth, Greece.
Second Corinthians - To Corinth, Greece.
Galatians - To Galatia, in what is now Turkey.
Ephesians - To Ephesus, in what is now Turkey.
Philippians - To Phillipi, Greece.
Colossians - To Colossae, in what is now Turkey.
First Thessalonians - To Thessalonica, Greece.
Second Thessalonians - To Thessalonica, Greece.
First Timothy - To his friend Timothy.
Second Timothy - To his friend Timothy.
Titus - To his friend Titus.
Philemon - To his friend Philemon.


(from: wikipedia - pauline epistles)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Do Unto Others

Saul's Conversion

We just learned about Philip and the Ethiopian

In the times after Jesus' lived, the apostles were going places and telling people about Jesus.
Some of the people who did not like Jesus tried to stop the apostles and would put them in jail.

One of the people who really did not like Jesus was named Saul.
He was a very powerful leader, and was on his way to a town to go arrest a bunch of Jesus' followers.

While he was going there, he saw a big flash of light and heard a voice say "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me".
He fell down on the ground and said "Who are you, Lord?"
The voice said "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

Paul got up, but he was blind, and couldn't see for three days!
They took him to a city called Damascus, and God told a person there named Ananias to go help Saul.
Ananias put his hands on Saul like God told him, and Saul could see again.

(from: wikipedia - conversion of paul the apostle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ask, Seek and Knock

Philip and the Ethiopian

We just learned about the Choosing of Stephen.

The apostles went out into the world to spread the word of God.
Philip the apostle was walking along the road and God sent him a meessage to tell him to go to a chariot that was coming down the road.
Inside the chariot was a very powerful man from a place called Ethiopia who was reading about the prophet Isaiah, but he did not understand what it meant.
Philip went with him and explained it, and the man believed and Philip baptized him.

(from: wikipedia - philip the evangelist)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Do not judge others

Choosing of Stephen

We just learned about The Apostles being Persecuted

When the 12 apostles were out doing the work for Jesus, there were people who were asking for a lot of help but there weren't enough apostles.
So they all got together and chose 7 other people to help out.

One of the men was named Stephen, and he was a man full of faith.
He went on to do great wonderful things, but he made the people who did not like Jesus angry.
They got so angry that they put him on trial and even had him killed.


(from: wikipedia - saint stephen)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Treasures in Heaven

The Apostles Persecuted

The apostles kept going around and helping people, doing miracles and telling people about Jesus.

Crowds of people came to them to be healed.

The people who did not like Jesus were upset and took the apostles and put them in jail.

When the apostles where in jail, an angel came and opened the doors and let them out.
The apostles went and talked to the people about Jesus, which made the other people that didn't like Jesus very mad.
They told the apostles not to talk about Jesus but they refused.

They left and went out telling more and more people about Jesus.

(from: wikipedia - apostle (christian))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Love your Enemy

Peter and John put in Jail

After Peter had healed a man, he and the apostle John were both put in jail.
They were arrested by some of the leaders who did not believe Jesus was the messiah.

They brought them in front of a bunch of powerful rulers and asked them how they healed the man.
Peter said that he was healed by the power of Jesus who was crucified.

They still did not believe Peter, but they were afraid of what would happen if they kept them in jail or tried to hurt them.
Many people had seen Peter heal the man, and they knew that if they did something to Peter it would look very bad.
So they yelled at Peter and told him not to talk about Jesus anymore.

Peter said he was not going to listen to them and would still teach people about Jesus.
They let Peter and John go, and they went on teaching people about Jesus.


(from: wikipedia - saint peter)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Eye for Eye

Peter Heals a Lame Beggar

After the Holy Spirit came to the apostles, they went out and spread the teachings of Jesus.

They even performed miracles to heal people.

One time there was a man who could not walk that was begging for money near a temple.
The apostles Peter and John came by and saw him, grabbed him by the hands, told him to walk in the name of Jesus, and the man was healed!

People were amazed that the man was healed, and Peter told them that it was through the power of faith in Jesus.

(from: wikipedia - saint peter)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: The Light of the World

Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

After Jesus had gone up into heaven, the Disciples were together one day and they heard a very loud sound like the blowing of a large wind.

They saw what looked like tongues of fire set on each of them!

After that they were able to speak in many other languages, and were able to talk to anyone no matter what language they spoke.

Some people thought they were being crazy, but Peter came out and told them that it was the Holy Spirit that had come to the disciples to let them talk to everyone and tell them about Jesus no matter what language they spoke.

(from: wikipedia - pentecost)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Salt of the Earth

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

We just learned about when Jesus Restored Peter.

After Jesus had appeared to his disciples at different times and talked to them, he finally ascended to heaven.

The word ascended means to go up, climb or rise up.

The disciples were all standing together talking to Jesus, and he told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit.

He went up to the sky into a cloud and was gone.

While they were all standing around looking up, two men in white came up and told them that Jesus will come back some day.

(from: wikipedia - ascension of jesus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blessed are the Peacemakers

Jesus restores Peter

We just learned about when Jesus appeared to Thomas.

When Jesus was being taken to be crucified on the cross, people saw Peter and said that he was a follower of Jesus.
Peter was scared that they would kill him too just for knowing Jesus so he said he didn't know him.

Jesus had told Peter even before he was arrested that Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed.
After Peter had told people he didn't know Jesus three times, he heard a rooster crow.
He felt very sad about saying that because he loved Jesus, he was just too afraid.

When Jesus had come back to life after the cross, he was talking to Peter.
Jesus asked if Peter loved him.
Peter said yes that he does.
Then Jesus said to feed his sheep.

He did this three times in a row, to show Peter that he forgave him for denying him three times.

He told Peter to feed his sheep because he wanted him to tell the whole world about Jesus.
Peter became one of the first leaders for churches that followed Jesus words.

(from: wikipedia - restoration of peter)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blessed are the pure in heart

Jesus appears to Thomas

After Jesus had appeared to his other disciples in their house, one of them named Thomas was not there.
The other disciples told him that they saw Jesus, but he said that he would not believe that Jesus had been resurrected until he saw the nail marks in Jesus' hands, and the cut in his side from the soldier's spear.

A week later Jesus came and again appeared inside the disciples house, even though all the doors were locked.
He said "Peace be with you!"

Then he said to Thomas "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.".

Thomas said "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said to Thomas "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Because Thomas doubted whether Jesus was really alive, he is sometimes called Doubting Thomas.


(from: wikipedia - doubting thomas)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blessed are the merciful

Jesus appears in his disciples house

We just learned about when Jesus appeared to Peter.

After Jesus had been crucified, his disciples were scared of the people who had put him on the cross.
They thought maybe people were going to come arrest them next, so they were in a house with all the doors locked.

Suddenly Jesus appeared to them and said "Peace be with you!".
He showed them his pierced hands and side.

The disciples were very happy to see him, and very surprised because all of the doors were locked and Jesus just appeared.

He told people "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.".
This meant he was sending his disciples out into the world to spread his message.

Then he breathed on them and said "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.".
This meant he was trusting them to go out and be leaders in churches to tell people about forgiveness.


(from: wikipedia - william hole (artist))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

Jesus appears to Peter fishing

We just learned about when Jesus appears on the road to Emmaus.

Another time Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection was when they were fishing.

Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and John Zebedee and two other disciples were out fishing in the boat.
All night long they didn't catch anything.

In the morning they saw someone by the shore who asked if they had caught any fish.
They said no, and the person said to throw the net on the other side of the boat.
They did what the person said and they caught so many fish they couldn't even pull the net in!

Peter realized that it was Jesus on the shore, and he jumped out of the boat and went to Jesus.

They came and ate some bread and fish with Jesus around a fire and talked to him.

(from: wikipedia - miraculous catch of fish)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blessed are the meek

Jesus appears on the road to Emmaus

After Jesus had risen from his tomb and appeared to Mary, he later appeared to some of his disciples who were walking down the road to a town called Emmaus.

When they saw him, Jesus didn't let him know who he was.
He walked with them on the road and they talked about how Jesus had just died and was not in his tomb.
He went to their house for dinner, and then they knew it was Jesus, and then he disappeared.
They went on to tell everyone what they had seen.

(from: wikipedia - road to emmaus appearance)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blessed are those who mourn

Jesus appears to Mary

We've learned how the two women named Mary found Jesus' empty tomb and men in bright clothing that were angels telling them that Jesus had come back to life.

When the two women were leaving the tomb, Jesus appeared to Mary!
She was very excited to see him, but he told her that he had not yet gone up to heaven to see God the Father, and he wanted her to go tell his disciples what she saw.

(from: wikipedia - noli me tangere)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blessed are the poor

Jesus Tomb - Angels

When Mary and Mary found Jesus' empty tomb there were men there in bright white clothing like snow or lightning.

These angels told them that Jesus was not there and that he had risen to heaven as he said he would.


(from: wikipedia - matthew 28:2)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jesus' Sermon on the Mount

Jesus Empty Tomb

After Jesus was buried, the two women named Mary went to Jesus' tomb to put some nice smelling spices on his body in the tomb.

When they got to where his tomb was, the guards that were supposed to be keeping people away from the tomb were gone, and so was the stone blocking the tomb!

The women ran off to tell the disciples what they saw, but the disciples did not believe them.


(from: wikipedia - Empty Tomb)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jesus' Miracles - Calming the storm

Jesus Burial

We just learned about Jesus saying it is finished at his crucifixion.

After Jesus had died, one of Jesus' disciples named Joseph of Arimathea asked Pontius Pilate for the body.
Joseph took Jesus' body, wrapped it in a clean cloth, put it into a tomb, and rolled a big stone in front of it.

Jesus' mother Mary and Mary Magdalene who was a follower of Jesus were both outside the tomb.

Since Jesus had told everyone that he would rise again in three days, Pontius Pilate had a guard stay by the tomb to make sure it was closed up tight, and stand outside to make sure that nobody would steal Jesus' body and then pretend like he had risen from the dead.

Some of the women who were followers of Jesus went home to make some spices and perfumes which were used on people's bodies after they died, with plans to bring them back later for Jesus' body.

(from: wikipedia - burial of jesus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jesus' Miracles - Walking on water