PAUL’S STORY

Our pilgrimage in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul, which will focus on his second missionary journey, will officially start next week. Today we will focus on an overview of his life. Paul’s given name when he was born in AD 5 was Saul which is of Hebrew origin.  He was an Israelite, from the tribe of Benjamin, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, which is considered part of Asia Minor, known as Turkey today. Saul was considered a Roman citizen because his father was a Jewish Roman citizen.

At a young age, Saul lived in Jerusalem, studying the Hebrew Law with the Jewish scholar Gamaliel. He excelled in his studies and became a devout Pharisee who is someone who believed a person must keep every one of the traditions of Judaism, as well as all the commandments. He was very legalistic.

Saul hated Christians and gave his approval of the first execution of a Christian leader, a man named Stephen.

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.  –Acts 7:59-8:3  (NIV)

Stephen, a man filled with the Holy Spirit, displayed courage and great faith as he was being stoned to death for his belief in Jesus. He, like Jesus did at His death, prayed for those who put him to death. Saul gave his approval of this tragic death and began his mission to hurt, imprison, and even murder all those who followed Jesus.

 

 

As he [Saul] neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.  –Acts 9:3-9  (NIV)

While Saul was on a 100-mile trek from Judea to Damascus to arrest any followers of Jesus, he had the most powerful encounter with Jesus. A bright light from heaven blinded Saul, and he was unable to see for three days.  During that time he refused to eat or drink. He realized he was hearing the voice of Jesus speaking directly to him.

 

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man [Saul] is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.”  –Acts 9:10-15  (NIV)

The Lord used Ananias, who was afraid of Saul because of his persecution of Christians, to restore Saul’s sight. Ananias was also the first person to learn that Saul would now be bringing the Good News to the Gentiles, the non-Jewish people. Jesus came to save all people.

 

…Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.  –Acts 9:19-22  (NIV)

Saul’s encounter with Jesus turned his life around. People were shocked to see the changes in him. Isn’t that often the case with our lives when we have a personal encounter with the living Jesus?

 

Photo courtesy of Tony Kummer under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)

 

Saul went from being an arch-enemy of Christians to, amazingly, becoming probably the greatest Christian missionary of all time. We learn from Scripture that he later became known as Paul. He is the author of more books of the Bible than anyone else and is also known as the “Apostle to the Gentiles.”

 

Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord?”  –Acts 13:9-10  (NLT)

 

Paul spent the rest of his life determined to spread the gospel to as many Gentiles and places as he could throughout Europe and Asia. He preached boldly even in Jerusalem and often encountered opposition and received death threats. He pressed on in faith because of the difference Jesus made in his life. He traveled on three main missionary journeys, another one to Rome and then his final journey after being released from two years of house arrest.

• First missionary journey:  (AD 47-49) Main route: Cyprus,Turkey—1,400 miles
• Second missionary journey: (AD 49-51) Main route: Syria, Turkey, Greece, Jerusalem—2,800 miles
• Third missionary journey: (AD 52-57) Main route: Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Israel—2,700 miles
• Journey to Rome:  (AD 57-62) Main route: Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Crete, Malta, Sicily, Italy—2,250 miles
• Other journeys: (AD 62-64) Main route: Macedonia, Troas, Miletus, Crete, Nicopolis, and back to Rome, where he was beheaded in AD 64, when Nero was emperor of Rome.

 

Paul lived for 59 years and spent 27 years preaching the Good News. Seventeen of those years he spent on his missionary journeys traveling throughout Europe and Asia.

A major theme of Paul’s preaching and his letters is about the grace of God. He realized that it was the free gift of God’s grace that Jesus extended to him which radically changed his life.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. –Ephesians 2:8-9  (NLT)

What a gift we have in receiving God’s grace each moment of every day. It is a free gift; there is nothing we can do to earn it!

Be encouraged this week to…

…pray for those who persecute you.

…thank Jesus for how He has changed your life.

…rejoice in the way you share the gospel with others.

…see how God’s grace is reflected throughout your day.

 

REFLECTION:

Is there someone who could benefit from learning your conversion story?
What is the greatest grace that has impacted your life?

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.  –Philippians 4:13  (NLT)