Paul began his career as a fanatical enemy of Christians; he then became arguably its greatest leader.Next to Jesus, Paul is most important person in the New Testament. Paul was not only a Christian activist and theologian, he was a very devoted follower of Christ whose life should serve as a model for all of us.
Paul started out wealthy and educated, a Roman citizen, he lived a rare life for a Jew at the time. Paul was fluent in Greek and very familiar with secular literature at the time. He saw himself as a devout Jew and studied theology in Jerusalem under the famous rabbi Gamaliel. Paul viewed Christianity as heresy and joined a campaign to search for, arrest and execute Christians.
In Acts (9:1-19) an encounter with Jesus changes his life, and in one of the greatest conversions in history, Paul became what he hated and persecuted, a Christian. He became so passionate it was shown is everything he wrote and in one of my all time favorite verses Philippians (1:21) it is evident; “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”.
After Paul's conversion some years passed before he found his role. Paul then traveled almost constantly preaching the Good News to both Jews and Gentiles around the Mediterranean Sea. Paul lived out his life a missionary, overcoming many obstacles like a ship wreck, snake bite, beatings and many narrow escapes. He started many new churches and 13 of the letters in the New Testament were written by Paul to those churches. Paul never stopped thinking of himself as a Jew and he was probably one of the first in the Church to support racial reconciliation, he believed the Jew and the Gentile were equal citizens in the kingdom of God because faith in Jesus is all God required.
Paul’s life is an example of living a Christ-centered life. May we all strive to live with this kind passion for Jesus.
Thanks for checking in > John
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