Encouraged by the Faithful - Pt 10

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Philippians 1:12-14 ESV). There is much we can learn from the life of the Apostle Paul. Far from ordinary, Paul was given the opportunity to do extraordinary things for the kingdom of God. The story of Paul is a story of redemption in Jesus Christ and a testimony that no one is beyond the saving grace of the Lord. However, to gain the full measure of the man, we must examine his dark side and what he symbolized before becoming “the Apostle of Grace.” Paul’s early life was marked by religious zeal, brutal violence, and the relentless persecution of the early church. Fortunately, the later years of Paul’s life show a marked difference as he lived his life for Christ and the advancement of His kingdom. Paul was of Benjamite lineage and Hebrew ancestry. His parents were Pharisees, who sought to protect their children from “contamination” from the Gentiles. Anything Greek was despised in Saul’s household, yet he could speak Greek and passable Latin. His household spoke Aramaic, a derivative of Hebrew, which was the official language of Judea. Saul’s family were Roman citizens but viewed Jerusalem as a truly sacred and holy city. At age thirteen Saul was sent to Palestine to learn from a rabbi named Gamaliel, under whom Saul mastered Jewish history, the Psalms and the works of the prophets. His education would continue for five or six years as Saul learned such things as dissecting Scripture. It was during this time that he developed a question-and-answer style known in ancient times as “diatribe.” This method of articulation helped rabbis debate the finer points of Jewish law to either defend or prosecute those who broke the law. Saul went on to become a lawyer, and all signs pointed to his becoming a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court of 71 men who ruled over Jewish life and religion. Saul was zealous for his faith, and this faith did not allow for compromise. It is this zeal that led Saul down the path of religious extremism. The pivotal passage in Paul’s story is his meeting with Jesus Christ on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, a journey of about 150 miles. From this moment on, Saul’s life was turned upside down. Through prayer, Saul received the Holy Spirit, regained his sight and was baptized. Saul immediately went into the synagogues proclaiming Jesus and saying He is the Son of God. The Apostle Paul spent his life proclaiming the risen Christ Jesus throughout the Roman world, often at great personal peril. It is assumed that Paul died a martyr’s death in the mid-to-late 60s A.D. in Rome. Of all the things to learn from Paul, I believe most important is that God can use anyone who is willing to surrender completely to God. Paul was in prison when he wrote our reading today. Through his hardships and suffering, Paul knew the outcome of a life well lived for Christ. He had surrendered his life fully, trusting God for everything. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (cf. Philippians 1:21). I hope we can all make the same claim.