Tuesday, November 12, 2013

My favorite books in the Bible are the ones that Paul wrote.  I have given you a little overview of the manner in which James and Peter wrote.  But Paul.  That is an entirely new level of writing.  Paul had such an advantage over the other New Testament writers.

He was a Roman citizen.  He had studied at the very best "universities" of his day.  He was an expert in Jewish law.  He was extremely respected by the Jewish leaders of the day.  And he hated Christianity so much that he had given his life to killing them.  In his mind, Christians were a threat to the one true God.  The one true religion.  Judaism.   His plan was to stamp out all the Christians and thwart the movement that declared that Jesus was God.  The Jewish Messiah.  Paul even held the coats of the people who stoned Stephen.

But he didn't take into consideration the power of the Holy Spirit.  Until, one day, as he was traveling to Damascus to carry out his reign of terror, he was struck blind. Cut down by a Holy God.

Acts 9:1 "And Saul, (Paul) yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went into the high priest, (Jewish) And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, (Jewish) that if he found any of "this way", (Christians) whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem."

He got the official papers, set out on his journey, and when he was almost there he was blinded by a light from heaven and a voice:  "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"  Saul asked who He was, and received a life changing answer.  Verse 4b:  "…I am Jesus who you persecute…"

The rest is history.  Saul began to tremble and asked the eternal question of Jesus:  "…Lord, what will you have me to do?"  When you meet Jesus, that's a very good question to ask him.

 

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