Paul, An Apostle
Paul is recognized as the first and greatest of church missionaries and systematizers of Christian theology.[1] He was both mouthpiece that spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire and instrument who wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament.[2] Paul was an apostle, an official spokesman of Jesus Christ.[3] However, Paul’s life was not always known by these great feats.
The Greek name “Paul” means “little.”[4] As a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin (Phil 2:5), he proudly bore the name of Israel’s first King, Saul.[5] Paul was born in Tarsus, an important city located in the Roman providence of Cilicia that is now modern Turkey (Acts 9:11;21:39). [6] He was also a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37; 22:25).
The majority of his early life was spent in Jerusalem as a student who sat under the renowned rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). And like his father, Paul was a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), a member of Judaism’s strictest sect (Phil 3:5).[7] Due to his zealous adherence to the traditions handed down by his forefathers, he progressed beyond his religion’s contemporaries (Gal 1:14).
Before his conversion, Paul was “persecuting the church of God” and was fixated on “trying to destroy it” (Gal 1:13). The word Paul uses was eporthoun, a Greek term used for sacking a city.[8] John Chrysostom said the word signified “an attempt to extinguish, to pull down, to destroy, to annihilate, the church”[9] This was Paul’s chief end. To Paul, Christianity was an idolatrous and blasphemous religion that need to be exterminated. Therefore, he went “entering house after house” dragging Christian “men and women and committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3). Moreover, Paul casted his vote to put them to death (Acts 26:10). In fact, Paul approved the first documented Christian martyr (Acts 7:58-8:1).
“still breathing threats and murder,” Paul requested letters from the high priest to synagogues in Damascus in order to bring back Christians to Jerusalem for imprisonment (Acts 9:1). As he approached Damascus “a light from heaven flashed around him” and “he fell to the ground” (Acts 9:3). His life changed as he heard the voice of Jesus say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4-5). Christ then commanded “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6). For three days, Paul could not see, eat, or drink (Acts 9:8-9). In Damascus, Jesus called a Christian named Ananias in a vision, giving direction to Paul location and commanding him to “place his hands on [Paul] to restore his sight” (Acts 10-11). Though Ananias feared Paul, Jesus revealed Paul’s purpose: “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:15-16).
Paul’s apostleship did not derive from himself, the traditions of men, or through a man, but directly from the Son of God, Jesus Christ (Gal 1:1,12). Therefore, Paul’s message is Jesus’ message. Their two messages are not mutually exclusive, they are two sides of the same coin. Philip Ryken comments, “Anyone who sets aside [Paul’s] apostolic teaching sets aside the gospel truth of Jesus Christ.”[10]
[1] James Montgomery Boice, Romans: Justification by Faith Alone Vol. 1 (Michigan: Baker Book House 1991) Pg. 22
[2] John McArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc 2005), pg. 1688
[3] Ryken, P. G. (2005). Galatians. (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.) (p. 6). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.
[4] Longenecker, R. N. (1998). Galatians (Vol. 41, p. 2). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
[5] Ibid., pg.2
[6] MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1688). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.
[7] Ibid., pg. 1688
[8] Ryken, P. G. (2005). Galatians. (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.) (p. 34). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.
[9] John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Epistles of St. Paul the Apostle to the Galatians and Ephesians, trans. Gross Alexander, ed. Philip Schaff, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series (1889; repr. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994), 13:10.
[10] Ryken, P. G. (2005). Galatians. pg. 7
The Greek name “Paul” means “little.”[4] As a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin (Phil 2:5), he proudly bore the name of Israel’s first King, Saul.[5] Paul was born in Tarsus, an important city located in the Roman providence of Cilicia that is now modern Turkey (Acts 9:11;21:39). [6] He was also a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37; 22:25).
The majority of his early life was spent in Jerusalem as a student who sat under the renowned rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). And like his father, Paul was a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), a member of Judaism’s strictest sect (Phil 3:5).[7] Due to his zealous adherence to the traditions handed down by his forefathers, he progressed beyond his religion’s contemporaries (Gal 1:14).
Before his conversion, Paul was “persecuting the church of God” and was fixated on “trying to destroy it” (Gal 1:13). The word Paul uses was eporthoun, a Greek term used for sacking a city.[8] John Chrysostom said the word signified “an attempt to extinguish, to pull down, to destroy, to annihilate, the church”[9] This was Paul’s chief end. To Paul, Christianity was an idolatrous and blasphemous religion that need to be exterminated. Therefore, he went “entering house after house” dragging Christian “men and women and committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3). Moreover, Paul casted his vote to put them to death (Acts 26:10). In fact, Paul approved the first documented Christian martyr (Acts 7:58-8:1).
“still breathing threats and murder,” Paul requested letters from the high priest to synagogues in Damascus in order to bring back Christians to Jerusalem for imprisonment (Acts 9:1). As he approached Damascus “a light from heaven flashed around him” and “he fell to the ground” (Acts 9:3). His life changed as he heard the voice of Jesus say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4-5). Christ then commanded “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6). For three days, Paul could not see, eat, or drink (Acts 9:8-9). In Damascus, Jesus called a Christian named Ananias in a vision, giving direction to Paul location and commanding him to “place his hands on [Paul] to restore his sight” (Acts 10-11). Though Ananias feared Paul, Jesus revealed Paul’s purpose: “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:15-16).
Paul’s apostleship did not derive from himself, the traditions of men, or through a man, but directly from the Son of God, Jesus Christ (Gal 1:1,12). Therefore, Paul’s message is Jesus’ message. Their two messages are not mutually exclusive, they are two sides of the same coin. Philip Ryken comments, “Anyone who sets aside [Paul’s] apostolic teaching sets aside the gospel truth of Jesus Christ.”[10]
[1] James Montgomery Boice, Romans: Justification by Faith Alone Vol. 1 (Michigan: Baker Book House 1991) Pg. 22
[2] John McArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc 2005), pg. 1688
[3] Ryken, P. G. (2005). Galatians. (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.) (p. 6). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.
[4] Longenecker, R. N. (1998). Galatians (Vol. 41, p. 2). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
[5] Ibid., pg.2
[6] MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1688). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.
[7] Ibid., pg. 1688
[8] Ryken, P. G. (2005). Galatians. (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.) (p. 34). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.
[9] John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Epistles of St. Paul the Apostle to the Galatians and Ephesians, trans. Gross Alexander, ed. Philip Schaff, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series (1889; repr. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994), 13:10.
[10] Ryken, P. G. (2005). Galatians. pg. 7
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