Paul: The Apostle

This month I wanted to go all the way back to the Bible to look at people who could be called “saints” or “missionaries”. Perhaps, one of the greatest known examples of saints is Paul. When you read books like “Titus” or “Philemon” or even more books of the Bible, you are reading about Paul’s work he did in the Bible. He is actually known as what is called an “apostle”.

An apostle is someone who helps lay the foundation for the church. Many people don’t understand how the church works as a unified group of people. Similar to building a house, we have people who lay the foundation, create the blueprints, tell everyone about it, care for those inside, and teach about the house. These are the different roles of leaders in the church - at a top level. Paul was the one who laid the foundation for the church.

During this time, many had not heard the Gospel and church truly was a new concept. Partially because Jesus had not been gone from the earth that long. Paul would go into a community, set up a church and then find local people to keep the church in its proper order. As Paul travelled the world, he would write letters (you can find these in the Bible) that would outline problems and solutions the leaders would encounter. For example, you can read 1 Corinthians and it is a letter from Paul to the church in Corinth. He is addressing issues that they are facing in their day.

Paul spent his life, from the moment he found Jesus, devoted to building the church and it’s people. He actually worked as a tentmaker - because he didn’t want paying him to be a stumbling block for people. He had ministry partners - men, women, and married couples. Paul set the standard for how single people should embrace serving God. He spent every moment knowing God and doing His will.

The craziest part? That wasn’t the start of the story. Paul actually started as part of a religious sect that persecuted Christians. He was known as a man who killed Christians and hated them vehemently. One day God smote him blind and he turned to Jesus. From that moment forward, he became the most passionate Christ follower of his time - known throughout all of history for his acts of bravery for Christ. 

God took a man that was once blind and helped him see. He gave him new life and a fresh start. The man that terrified Christians brought them hope. To this day, his words continue to give courage and correction to believers all over the world. I encourage you to go read one of Paul’s books of the Bible this week. See how you can apply some of his standards or advice to your own life.