The Apostle Paul

Over the years, The Apostle Paul has become one of my favorites. What a remarkable man he was.

You Christians know that Paul was first Saul of Tarsus, an enemy of Christ and the early church. He was a hard, determined man, a strict Pharisee, and he went after the early church with an ardent fury. He was present when Stephen was murdered. Saul went to the Jewish leaders of the time, and obtained permission to hound Christians, and bring them to "justice".

The road to Damascus saw a miraculous change in Saul's life. He met Christ. He then became Paul, and began an amazing journey, and ministry. Other than Christ Jesus, Paul may have been the most influential man in human history.

If you study the transformation of Paul, you see what Christ' power can do for men.

Before Paul's conversion, he was a driven man, pushed to fight for what he believed. Driven to succeed, driven to win.

After Paul's conversion, he was a driven man, pushed to fight for what he believed. Driven to succeed, driven to win.

What? He was the same guy?

If you take a glass of water, you have all the qualities that make water special, that make it a necessity of life. Take a tea bag and drop into that water, and a transformation takes place. The transformation becomes so profound that we don't call it water anymore, or even tea-water, we call it tea. Take that same glass of water and put arsenic in it, and you have poison.

The same water, that can take that tea and make it a pleasant drink to enjoy and refresh, can take arsenic, and using the same qualities, kill you.

Paul's transformation was one of purpose, goals, and new leadership. The same man could bring the Good News of Christ, or hunt down Christians, depending on whom he was infused with.

Paul was often in jail for preaching Christ, and Him risen, and from jail, Paul writes some of the most beautiful letters. I carry with me the Living Bible on CD, and I do so enjoy listening to Paul's letters that way.

To give you an idea of the character of Paul, lets consider his letter to the Corinthians, in which Paul says "... I have been in prison many more times, been beaten more severely, and have faced death more often. Five times the Jewish leaders have beaten me with 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the cities, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the seas, dangers among false brothers. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness."

Then comes a remarkable statement: "In addition to all the other things, there is that which comes on me every day, the care of all the churches." If you dig around in some of the Greek words used by Paul, you get an idea that Paul said something like this, "besides all these meaningless troubles, I worry about you."

That is the true soul of the believer in Christ. Yes, we have obstacles, and troubles, and difficulties. Who escapes these things? Paul's main concern, and it should be ours, was for the Good News of Christ, and for the care of those whose choose Christ, above their own life or liberty.

If you have a chance, try and get the New Testament on CD. The Living Bible is a bit loose on some text, but the incredible story and journey of this remarkable man is so well laid out in the Book of Acts. Paul's letters are remarkable, those he wrote on the road, and those he wrote from jail.

Paul was not above using of his "rights" as a Roman Citizen to further the cause. In Jerusalem, the crowds seized Paul, and were near to killing him. The riot on the street brought out the Roman soldiers to stop the riot, and Paul was carried to safety, by the Roman soldiers. The Commander ordered Paul beaten so that he would "confess" his crimes, but Paul proclaimed that he was a Roman Citizen, by birth, and the soldiers were scared that they had almost beaten a Roman without trial. Paul was ushered to safety, in the middle of the night, by the Romans, via seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen.

Later, after Paul's wonderful speech to King Agrippa, Paul made a citizens right to appeal to Caesar. Thus, Paul used the Romans to continue his Ministry, and take him all the way to Rome. Paul eventually had converts, all along the journey, and in Rome, even in the palace of Caesar.

I am guilty of not always keeping my eye on the goal. Being a mere human, I sometimes forget where the real fight is, as Paul said, "we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers in high places."

Paul was one tough hombre, and yet tender hearted, and loving. I would do well to try and be the same way.

God Bless.