Saint Paul
Saint Paul, c.5 AD -- 64/65 AD
born, Saul of Tarsus (Roman province in Asia Minor)
The Importance of Paul
Why Paul?
Jesus called Paul "a chosen instrument of mine" (Acts 9:15).
Paul was the perfect vehicle for the Lord's purposes:
- Affirm the New Covenant ("Testament")
- Clarify the New Covenant for the Jews, Gentiles and Christians
- Spread the Gospel across the Roman Empire and beyond
- Establish and guide the new Churches and communities
And, Paul was beyond smart. His logic is impeccable, his arguments deep, and his faith is unimpeachable.
| Jewish | ✓ |
| Roman citizen born outside of Isreal | ✓ |
| Studied Greek philosophy | ✓ |
| Studied Jewish religion (under the famous rabbi Gamaliel) | ✓ |
| Conversion from grave sin | ✓ |
Paul's Name
- Jesus called him "Saul":
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4) “Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul." (Acts 9:11) "I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’" (Acts 22:7) We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.’ (Acts 26:14)
- First called "Paul" in Acts 13:9:
"Saul, who also is called Paul."
- it was common for Jews to keep a Hebrew and Greek name
- Παῦλος, or "Paulos"
- However, in his Letters, Paul calls himself "Paul":
Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,* called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, (Rom 1:1)
Overview
- Paul is author of 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament
- Before his conversion, Paul persecuted Christians
- Christ converted him with the explicit purpose to convert the Gentiles
- which is ironic, since Paul desperately wanted to convert Jerusalem
But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites,m16and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name. (Acts 9:13-16)
Criteria for Sainthood
| Crteria | |
|---|---|
| Holiness | ✓ |
| Model of Christian Life | ✓ |
| Teacher of the Church | ✓ |
| Intercessor | ✓ |
| Miracles | ✓ |
| Martyrdom | ✓ |
Notable Biblical passages
Peter's admission that Paul is "hard to understand"
And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you, speaking of these things as he does in all his letters. In them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures. (2 Pt 3:15-16)
We can better take Peter's observation that Paul is "hard to understand" in the sense that the Gospel itself is hard to understand. In these verses, Peter extols the importance of understanding Paul, and elevates Paul's teachings to the level of "scriptures" -- Amazing!
Acts 6: Accusation against Stephen
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. (Acts 7:58)
Acts 22: Paul’s Defense before the Jerusalem Jews
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison. (Acts 22:3-4)
Paul’s Defense before the Jerusalem Jews
Paul Imprisoned
Acts 22: Paul before the Sanhedrin.
Paul divides the Pharisees and the Sadducees, Acts 23:6-11:
Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; [I] am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three. A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, “We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue him from their midst and take him into the compound. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”