The following is an overview of an apostle of Jesus Christ; his name was Paul. He was formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, a city in modern day Turkey, and was an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin.
Paul the Pharisee
He was a Pharisee, which was a religious leader of the Jewish faith, and lived during the early part of the first century. He received his religious training under Gamaliel and in addition to those pursuits, he was a tent maker by trade.
He was very zealous in the Jewish faith, even to the point of persecuting believers of a new sect of that time, called The Way, later called Christianity. He saw it as his mission to root out the believers and teachers of the Way. On one occasion, he stood by while a crowd stoned a man, named Steven, to death because he was preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. This spurred him on further as he went and requested permission from the Jewish leaders to continue to seek out and arrest Christians as far as Damascus.
However, an intervention was about to take place.
Paul’s Conversion
While on the way there, a great light was shown, and he was knocked to the ground and it blinded him. He heard the Lord Jesus asking him about why he was persecuting Him. The Lord gave him instructions to meet a person in the next town. He then met with this person, received his sight, and converted to be a follower of Christ.
His life did a complete 180, from persecuting Christians, to one of the strongest advocates for Christianity that the world has ever seen.
While he was not immediately accepted by current Christian leaders because of his past hatred for them, he eventually proved to them that his conversion was genuine. So genuine that he, himself, was persecuted for preaching the good news. He was beaten with rods, stoned, imprisoned, falsely accused, and received many lashes.
Paul’s Ministry
He went on three missionary journeys to spread the gospel throughout many regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. He planted several churches and penned many letters to these churches, which fills up much of the New Testament, to help guide earlier believers in the faith. In addition, he used his superior knowledge about the Law and the Prophets to explain how Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah and the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.
Paul’s Impact
Paul created a foundation that allowed for all that followed him to carry out the Great Commission by making disciples of all the nations and teaching them to observe all that Christ had commanded. Much more could be said, but this a basic overview of His life and ministry.
Stay tuned for a more in-depth perspective of this apostle.
Dan Buteau has been married for the last 33 years and is a father of four adult children. He is also a grandfather to five children. He serves as a Pastor at a church in southern Maine. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Math Studies from Granite State University and he is currently a Master’s of Theology student at Liberty University. In addition, Dan served in the United States Marine Corps for four years and is retired from a 25-year career in law enforcement. He has a hunger and thirst for the Word of God and is continuing to obey the calling of his Savior, Jesus Christ, as he carries out the Great Commission.
