12 Incredible Reminders from Paul’s Life and Ministry
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“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:20-21).
The apostle Paul is a man many of us are probably familiar with. For myself, it feels like I almost know him personally. We know his story, his trials, his temptations, and his prayers to the Lord. We know what he went through wherever he traveled. And if you are familiar with your Bible, you also know that Paul was previously known as Saul.
Paul’s Early Life as a Persecutor
Saul was a Pharisee’s Pharisee, an up and comer. And he used the position to persecute followers of Christ. While some believe that Paul killed Christians, the truth is the Bible does not say that Saul killed Christians or had them killed. It does say, in Acts 7:58, that Saul was present at the stoning of Stephen – the first martyr for Christ – and that he approved the act. He continued to “breathe out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” (Acts 9:1).
And then Saul’s life was turned upside down and twisted around. He was on his way to Damascus with orders from the high priest – at least, according to Saul at the time – to take as prisoners any who belonged to “the Way,” the Church of Jesus Christ, and take them back to Jerusalem (Acts 9:2). The whole story can be found in Acts 9. It tells of a conversion unlike any before or since.
Subsequently, Saul became Paul – the most prolific writer of New Testament books. He was a man absolutely committed to the gospel message and discipleship. What Paul may not have been aware of were the Lord’s words to Ananias, who was being sent to aid a blinded Saul:
“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).
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Paul’s Missionary Journey
And brother, did Paul’s life live that out. Paul became an apostle who traveled around the entire Roman territory and even into Greece. He wrote 13 out of the 27 books of the New Testament:
• Romans
• 1 and 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians (from prison)
• Philippians (from prison)
• Colossians (from prison)
• 1 and 2 Thessalonians
• 1 and 2 Timothy
• Titus
• Philemon (from prison)
Of course, in these letters we find a great many of our lessons and theology. And yet too, there is much that can be a bit challenging to grasp. Even Peter said in one of his letters, referring to Paul: “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16).
Between the lessons of Jesus and those of Paul, there is much to learn. But, without any doubt, we can also learn a great many lessons from the life of Paul. We learn from who he was, what he did, and what he endured:
“I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).
So yes, I do believe that there is much we can learn from Paul’s life, even if we have not been whipped, beaten, exposed to death, stoned, or shipwrecked.
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12 Lessons Paul’s Life and Ministry Teach Us
1. The Power of God’s Grace
Our past does not define our future. Saul had stood against Jesus-followers from the very start and was a formidable persecutor of the Church. Until he met the resurrected Jesus, that is. Paul recognized his undeserved favor from the Lord.
We, too, are offered the same new start. The same new life. We can believe that God’s grace is not just some theological idea for after we die; it is a living reality in the here and now. And in that grace, we can find strength to grow, and to serve, and to sacrifice.
2. Jesus Was His Foundation
Paul, quoting the prophet Habakkuk, reminded us that “the righteous live by faith” (Romans 1:17). Who are the righteous? We are, through Christ Jesus. He also taught us that “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Yes, Paul worked hard, sacrificed much, and served the Lord, but he knew he had been crucified with Christ and the life he lived was “by faith in the Son of God.”
Faith should be the foundation of everything we say or do. In that way, our lives will be like the “the wise man who built his house on rock” (Matthew 7:24-27).
3. Commitment to Discipleship
Paul was clear in his calling: to plant churches throughout the Roman world. But he was also quite committed to Jesus’s “great commission” to create disciples. Through all of his letters and visits to the churches he founded, he was teaching how to be a true disciple of Christ. He wanted to leave behind “reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
May the same be said for us. It is not just about converts but about discipleship. And it is not just the responsibility of our local churches and pastors – it is ours. Let discipleship be the call on each of our lives.
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4. Courage, Boldness and Perseverance in Sharing the Good News
Paul spent the balance of his life boldly preaching the gospel – even under intense opposition. He was certainly no stranger to hardships and challenges, yet he refused to give in or give up. He was determined to “press on…to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Despite all the trials, all the frustrations, and sometimes the slow progress, Paul persevered – knowing that the Lord’s direction would yield fruit that would far outlast life’s short-term obstacles.
His example ought to encourage us to do the very same, even if the circumstances tempt us to stay silent. Paul was fearless. And he shows us that we, too, can trust God’s power rather than our own.
5. Paul Was Eternity-Minded
Paul’s life was all about Christ, and he knew that what awaited him after death was greater than anything he faced on earth. Paul lived to please God and not man (Galatians 1:10) and he did not live for this world in any way.
Let us live the same way – committed to Christ, knowing that what awaits us is eternity with our Creator.
6. Joy in the Midst of Trials
As we mentioned, Paul’s life was filled with trials and struggles: prison cells, stoning, shipwrecks, threats and arrest. And yet, despite all of that, he never let his circumstances rob him of his joy. From a Roman jail, he wrote: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Indeed. Rejoice in the Lord always, regardless of what is going on around you.
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7. Unanswered Prayers
Paul prayed “three times” to the Lord for the “thorn in my (his) flesh” to be taken away. While we don’t know what that thorn was, Paul described it as “a messenger from Satan.” The Lord’s response? “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.”
So often our response to unanswered prayer is disappointment or even a drifting of our faith. Yet Paul experienced unanswered prayers and then boasted about his weakness, proclaiming “for Christ’s sake, I delight in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.”
8. Contentment Beyond Circumstances
Paul displayed an inner strength and stability that was entirely reliant on the Spirit of Christ within him. Rather than worrying about temporary, ever-changing conditions in this life, Paul kept his eyes and his heart on the power of Christ in his life. Paul knew, he “could do all this through Him who gives me strength.” He knew the Lord would supply him with everything he needed.
We worry about everything, it seems: our finances, our possessions, our loved ones, the list is endless. This fear of tomorrow’s unknown outcomes can often paralyze us today. Moreover, we have everything we need but always want more. That desire for more can take our eyes off what is truly important.
Jesus says to trust God, to not spend our time worrying about tomorrow. God knows what we need before we do.
9. Persistence in Prayer and Thankfulness
Paul’s letters reflect his commitment to prayer. They were – and remain – a source of inspiration and guidance for all believers. He often would include prayer requests for himself, for others, and for all God’s people. Then, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, he encouraged us to “pray without ceasing.”
The truth is, so many of us are so weak in our prayer lives. We may toss up a prayer or two when we need something, but otherwise? Not much. Yet, there are so many opportunities throughout our days when we can lift our hearts to God. Sitting in traffic or at a stop light; waiting in line at the market; while we are cooking or cleaning; when we lay our head on the pillow; or maybe we should shut off the TV and our phones for a few minutes. Even if it’s only a few short words, let us pray without ceasing.
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10. Unity in Christ
In Paul’s view, we are all children of God through faith. We have all clothed ourselves with Christ, and in that, we are all one in Christ Jesus. We are not male or female, Jew or gentile, protestant or Catholic or Baptist. If we belong to Christ, then we are heirs to the promise. Unity was also Jesus’ prayer for us in John 17 – that we may all be one. Paul encouraged us to accept one another without passing judgement on disputable matters (Romans 14:1-4).
Let us try to find our common ground in Christ with all other believers – and do not judge other believers based on issues that can be debated. Neither let our ego or self-confidence overwhelm our relationships with others because we think we know better. Keep the first thing the first thing: Christ.
11. Love: The Greatest Gift
We have heard it spoken at weddings so often we might think it applies only to husbands and wives. But Paul’s words apply to each and every one of us in our treatment of and relationship to others. Paul tells us that we can have all the gifts we can speak of, but if we don’t have love, then we are “only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” In other words, if we do not live with love, then our message is nothing but words. Faith, hope and love all remain; but the greatest is love.
We can have all the success in the world, we can speak and preach about Jesus and being a Christian, but if we don’t have love, if we don’t love our neighbors as ourselves – then we have nothing of Christ in our hearts.
Paul’s Greatest Lesson
Many years ago, I had the honor to meet Archbishop Henry Orombi of the Anglican Church in Uganda. Henry told a few of us, “It is so difficult to be a Christian in America. In America, you already have everything and don’t need God. In Uganda, we need God for every meal, every day.”
When he first said the words, I thought he was kind of crazy. I thought, “Wow, but it’s so easy to be a Christian here, since we have freedom of religion and no persecution.” Little did I realize at that moment that Henry was speaking of being a true disciple of Christ, not a disciple in name or words only.
True discipleship is indeed always costly. Of course, here in the U.S., it likely will not cost us our lives, but it will cost us our self-will. It will cost us our selfish desires and our own plans. Jesus Himself set the standard for us to live as disciples:
“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” (Luke 9:23-25).
This is perhaps the greatest lesson we could learn from Paul. This is how he lived his life – he gave up everything for Jesus.
Instead of controlling our own lives, we are to turn them over to Christ Jesus. Someone once said that “Salvation is free but not cheap.” Indeed, it cost Jesus His life. But it will cost us as well. We may not be beaten or shipwrecked or whipped, but we are called to give Jesus everything. Nothing could be greater, more important, or more fulfilling.
Please don’t live for this life – it will not continue forever. Live with eternal salvation in view.
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
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Greg doesn’t pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else – in pursuit of truth.
Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.