Paul the Apostle: A man on a mission

If you’ve done much reading in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, you will recognize that Paul the Apostle was an author, teacher, mentor, evangelist and missionary–he committed nearly thirty years of his life to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

But, that wasn’t always the case. Who is this man–Paul–who dedicated his life to be a witness for Jesus? In the next few weeks, I’ll share a series of blog posts that focus on the Apostle Paul–a man on a mission—who changed his mission in life in order to alter the course of history.

Paul the Man

Paul wasn’t always a follower of Jesus. He was called by a different name (Saul) when readers of the New Testament are first introduced to him. Furthermore, he was well known as a persecutor of those first members of the faith.

Perhaps the most recognized example of this persecution is Stephen:

Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Acts 6:8

But, as is the fate of many faithful and compassionate people who work for the good of others, jealousy, fear and a struggle for power intervened. Hatred lifted its ugly face against the fledgling church of Jerusalem. Some who opposed Stephen’s work of spreading the Gospel of Jesus promoted opposition among the Jewish leaders and Stephen was eventually seized (Acts 6:12) and brought before the Sanhedrin (the highest Jewish Council in the first century).

Has jealously and a struggle for power ever caused a breakdown of love and compassion within your church?

Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin summarized the history of the Jewish people from Abraham, through Moses and King David (Acts 7). He ended his words with a harsh attack on the Jewish leaders:

You stiff necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him–you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it. Acts 7:51-53

The members of the Sanhedrin were outraged by Stephen’s criticism. They drug him out of the city and stoned him to death. Stephen prayed:

Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell to his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Acts 7:59-60

Can you picture the scene? Stephen lay dying, the Light of Love for his Lord shining in his face and his last thoughts are to pray for his murderers. Reminds us our our Lord Jesus, doesn’t it?

But, guess who was watching and approving of this murder?

Yes–it was Saul. He was an eye witness–most likely encouraging the anger and hatred of the mob attacking Stephen.

Fueled with adrenaline and evil enthusiasm, Saul set off on another mission:

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. Act 8:1-3

But, we know that our God has a bigger and better plan, don’t we? Saul was about to meet someone who would change his life forever.

Saul’s Conversion

The event which changed Saul’s life occurred on the road to Damascus, probably around the year 34, not long after the crucifixion of Jesus (Kee). It was there Saul encountered Christ. When Paul is arrested in Jerusalem (around 37), he speaks to the angry crowd about his background:

I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city (Jerusalem). Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison.” Acts 22:3-5

Paul then describes to the crowd his meeting with Christ as he traveled to Damascus (he was then known as Saul) to escort prisoners (followers of Jesus) back to Jerusalem to be punished. Acts 22:5-21 provides the full description of Saul’s conversion and the Lord’s directive:

Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'” Acts 22:21

Naturally, the disciples and others that accepted Jesus as the Christ did not believe Saul had changed so radically. They expected treachery, remembering his zealous persecution of their comrades in faith. But, Saul persevered and Barnabas believed in him:

Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. Acts 11:25-26

Two important points here:

Saul was forever changed by his encounter with Jesus.

Barnabas believed in Saul and served as his mentor.

It was at the church at Antioch that other leaders in the Way received direction from the Holy Spirit in regard to Paul:

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Acts 13:2

From this point on, Saul became known as Paul and his work for Christ became recognized and accepted.

Like Paul, we’ve been changed by our encounter with Jesus. Can you share your story? Have you had a mentor like Barnabas who believed in you when no one else did?

Next week: Paul and the Law

Disclaimer: There is certainly not space in a mere blog post (or series) to adequately discuss the influence Paul the Apostle had (and still has) on the spread of Christianity. This blog series will barely scratch the surface of his contributions. But, I hope this initial post and those to come will share some insight about Paul and the tremendous impact he had in sharing the Gospel (the Good News) of Jesus Christ.

Sources:

Barclay, William. (1958). The Mind of Paul, New York:  Harper & BrothersPublishers.

Ehrman, Bart D. (2006). Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene:  the Followers of Jesus in History and Legend,  New York:  Oxford University Press.

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. (2003). Holman Reference, Nashville: Tennessee.

Kee, Howard Clark. (1993). Understanding the New Testament, 5^th Ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersy: Pearson Education.

Yoder, J.L. (2009). Class lecture notes for Religion 383: The Life and Teachings of Paul.