The life of the apostle paul
The Apostle Paul is known as the greatest missionary of the early church. Paul, who once avowed to wipe out belief in Jesus
Christ, was later converted to do the work of Christ. He would author almost half of the 27 books in the New Testament. He
endured sickness, rejection, and repeated attacks on his life to bring the message of God's grace and forgiveness to Gentiles. Paul
was the apostle largely responsible for the solid inception and growth of Christianity. He spoke before Jews, Greeks, and
Romans. Paul is known as the apostle to the Gentiles. He defended God's Word before kings and emperors of this world. By
the end of his life, much of the Mediterranean world had been reached with the gospel.
The Apostle Paul was born around the year of 3 A.D. in the Jewish community of Tarsus. Tarsus was the chief city and capital
of the province of Cilicia.When he was born, his strict Pharisee parents dedicated him to the service of God and did all they could
to bring him up as good Jew. At eight days old, his parents named him Saul, after Israel's first king who was from the tribe of
Benjamin. His parents also gave him the Latin name of Paul because they lived in a Roman society.
Saul did not believe Jesus was the Messiah because Jesus often denounced the Pharisees and seemed to oppose all their rules.
He had once heard that Jesus taught the people to disobey the rabbis and had caused chaos in the synagogues. All true Jews
accused Him as enemy of Israel. Saul believed that anyone who followed Jesus should be put to death. With this thought in mind
he returned to Jerusalem and offered his service to the high priest to persecute anyone who is opposed to the way of the
synagogue.
Saul took his job so fiercely that every worshipping assembly feared his name. He had a temper and was merciless. He was
quick to punish. Saul literally dragged believers, cast them into prison, and sentenced them to death. Paul's spent final years
traveling from city to city visiting the churches he had established. Paul made a trip to Ephesus and was delighted to see that the
church had grown significantly. Nicopolis was an important city for Paul's missionary work. He believed that it would make a
perfect center for spreading Christianity. In 64 AD, Nero blamed the Christians of Rome for the great fire in the city. Nero
ordered all the Christians to be arrested and killed.While in Nicopolis in 67 AD, a Roman officer recognized the Apostle Paul as
a leader of the Christian faith. Paul was arrested and sent to Rome. Paul's main accuser in both trials was a metal worker named
Alexander. He testified before the court that Paul was the leader of the Christian church. Paul gave his defense with power. The
court was impressed with the defense and adjourned for another trial in the future. At his second trial, Emperor Nero influenced
the court to quickly convict Paul and have him executed. The court, doing as he wished, found the Apostle Paul guilty was
sentenced to death by decapitation. That same day the Roman guards lead Paul outside the city of Rome. Paul was ordered to
kneel on the ground. The Roman captain drew his sword and beheaded the Apostle Paul. Paul's long and illustrious life greatly
influenced the spread of Christianity. His zealous for Christ's work led many to follow in his footstep. He will be remembered as
the Missionary to the Gentiles
Why Paul converted to Christianity?
Angered by his futile efforts to stop the spread of Christianity, Saul prepared a trip to Damascus, where he had heard many
Christians were hiding. Not only were they hiding, they were also preaching Christ in the synagogues there. So, accompanied by
a troop of armed temple guards, Saul rode out of Jerusalem to the city of Damascus, which was about one hundred and fifty miles
away. As they neared the outer edge of the city, a shaft of light much brighter than the noonday sun suddenly fell upon the little
company. The group fell to the ground trying to protect their eyes from the blinding light. A voice from heaven spoke to Saul.
"Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Then Saul asked, "Who art thou, Lord?" The voice replied, "I am Jesus of Nazareth,
whom thou persecutes." Then Saul asked what he should do. Jesus answered "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told
thee what thou must do.
Saul was blinded for three days and neither ate nor drank during that time. In Damascus, there was a certain disciple named
Ananias. The Lord came to him in a vision. In that dream the Lord commanded Ananias to look for Saul and put his hands on
him that he may receive his sight. Ananias went out in the city of Damascus and found Saul. He did what the Lord told him to
do, and Saul received his sight and was baptized.
Saul was now a converted Christian. He would live a life for the cause of Christ.
Paul
1. Paul hunted Christians.
- He was born a Jew with Roman citizenship.
- Converted to Christianity on a mission to arrest Christians in Damascus on the way there he had a vision of Jesus
saying to him "why do you persecute me"
Main idea:
-Paul began the idea of Christians not practicing the Mosaic Law.
-The idea of not having to do circumcision.
-The idea of not been have to keep mitzvot.
-This led to the separation of Christianity and Judaism.
Paul converted pagans and was the leading Christian Missionary.
-The reason Christianity was so attractive to Pagans is that it is based on myth.
-The second reason is that Christianity is based on faith in g-d therefore and not commandments. Therefore there is freedom from
the law. For example, Pagans believed that sexual indulgence stopped the soul from rising to the higher level, but Paul believed
that as long as you believe in Jesus, g-d that if your intentions are good the act doesn't matter.
Bibliography
1. The Authorized King James Bible.
2. Ball, Charles F. The Life and Time of the Apostle Paul. Wheaton: Tyndale House
Publishers, 1951.
3. Fredrick, Kenneth. Bible Truths for Christians Schools: Level C Lessons from the early church. Greenville: Bob Jones
University press, 1994.
4. Author: Maccoby, Hyam, 1924 The Mythmaker
Publisher London Weidenfeld & Nicolson
5. Author: Wilson, A, N, 1950
Title- Paul: The mind of the apostle
Publisher New York: W.W Norton & co. p, 273
6. Author: Muggeridge, Malcolm 1903
Title: Paul, envoy extraordinary
Publisher: London, Collins. P 159
7. Author: Ronald Brownwigg
Title: Who's who the New Testament
Publisher: 1971 Weidenfeld & Nicolson