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PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE

Acts 9-28; Romans 7:15-25; 2 Corinthians 4; Galatians 1:10-14; 3 Ephesians 4; 2 Timothy 4

Introduction:

To deal with every aspect of the life of Paul would require a lengthy series of lessons. We have more Scriptural information on Paul than any other person other than the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

No person, apart from Jesus Himself, shaped the history of Christianity like the apostle Paul.

Even before he was a believer, his actions were significant. His persecution of Christians following Stephen’s death got the Church started in obeying the Great Commission.

Paul’s personal encounter with Jesus changed his life tremendously. We would describe it as doing a one-eighty, but he never lost his fierce intensity. He put at least as much energy, if not more, working for the cause of Christ as he did against the cause of Christ before he was saved.

In the course of this lesson we are going to deal primarily with the personal aspect of the man.

Our primary goal will be to see, from the human side, what moved or motivated this man in such a manner as to make him the great Christian that he became.

In the course of our study we will also see some things about his missionary endeavors and his writings.

I.         THE BACKGROUND OF THE MAN PAUL. (Acts 21:39; 22:3)

            A.        The meaning of his name. (Acts 13:9)

                        1.         Saul, his Hebrew name, means "asked for".

                        2.         Paul, his apostolic name, means "small" or "little one".

            B.        His family background.

                        1.         He was born of Jewish parents of whom we know little.

                        2.         He had one sister mentioned in Scripture and a nephew. (Acts 23:16)

                        3.         The fact that Paul worked as a tent maker would lend itself to concluding that his father worked at the same occupation. (Acts 18:1-3)

            C.        His early life and training.

                        1.         He was reared in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia. Acts 21:39

                                    This was a thriving city with many things to experience.

He would be familiar with the slave markets where he would have seen slaves receiving their "mark" on their foreheads and hands.

This would, humanly speaking, account for his often use of the term, bond slave, to illustrate his relationship to Christ.

                                    This could have been in his thoughts as he penned Galatians 6:17.

Seeing the Roman soldiers in the city would account for his many uses of military illustrations in his writings and preaching.

                                    (2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6)

Athletic centers in Tarsus would have provided opportunities to participate and/or watch and account for the illustrations he used in 1 Cor. 9:24-26.

In Tarsus he would have been brought up as a "Hellenist" or Greek speaking Jew.

                        2.         His Jewish background was quite extensive and would have called for strict training in matters of the Hebrew religion.

                                    a.         He was a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee. (Acts 23:6)

                                    b.         He described himself as being of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews. (Philippians 3:5)

                                    c.         He was a pupil of Gamaliel, one of the greatest teachers of the Jewish law in his day. (Acts 22:3; Galatians 1:14)

                                    d.         He was apparently a student of Greek as well as Jewish literature. (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12)

                                    e.         Paul's training distinguished him from all the other apostles.

                                                (1)       His educational background was far superior.

                                                (2)       He was fitted, by birth, education, and experiences to fill a special place in the development of the early church.

            D.        Paul held the distinction of being a Roman citizen and therefore a free man.

                        (Acts 22:24-29)

                        1.         In that day the majority of men were slaves and citizenship was highly esteemed.

                        2.         Paul exercised his right as a citizen to demand that he be tried in Rome rather than Jerusalem.

                        3.         The fact that Paul and his family were Roman citizens did not cause them to deny or renounce their Jewishness.

            E.        Paul's marital status.

                        Paul definitely did not have a wife during the time of his apostolic ministry.

                        (1 Corinthians 7:1-8; 9:5-6)

            F.        Paul's physical appearance.

                        1.         The descriptions that we have are derived from limited fourth century sources (information from a public record and medallion found in a Roman cemetery and a glass dish in the British museum of London).

                                    We also have some references to Paul's appearance in Scripture.

                        2.         From these outside sources the following description is given.

                                    a.         He was less than five feet tall.

                                    b.         He was broad shouldered and athletic.

                                    c.         He was prematurely bald.

                                    d.         He had close-knit eyebrows and a thick beard.

                                    e.         He had a hooked nose.

                        3.         In Lystra Paul was taken for Mercurius, a god sometimes described as small and vivacious. (Acts 14:12)

II.       PAUL’S RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE AND HIS SALVATION.

            A.        As A Jewish Zealot He Was A Strong Persecutor Of The Church.

                        1.         His first mention in Scripture is his involvement with the stoning of Stephen. (Acts 7:58-60)

                        2.         He was involved in the persecution that would scatter the Jerusalem church. (Acts 8:3-4)

                        3.         He described himself as a determined persecutor.

                                    (Acts 26:9-11; Galatians 1:13)

                        4.         He obviously felt that Christian teaching threatened the essential features of Judaism (as the Pharisees understood those teachings). Therefore he felt that Christianity must be exterminated.

            B.        His Salvation Experience. (Acts 9:3-8,15)

                        1.         The importance of Paul's salvation is seen in the fact that there are four full length accounts of it in Scripture.

                                    (Acts 9:3-19; 22:6-21; 26:12-18; Galatians 1:11-17)

                        2.         Let’s examine his salvation experience. (Acts 9:3)

                                    a.         He was on a journey to Damascus. This was six days by horseback.

                                    b.         As he was traveling a light shone from heaven. (Acts 9:3)

                                    c.         Apparently he saw Jesus personally as well as hearing His voice.

                                                (1 Corinthians 9:1)

                                    d.         Jesus asked Paul why he was persecuting Him. (Acts 9:4-5b)

                                    e.         Jesus asked Paul why he kicked against the pricks. (Acts 9:5c)

The pricks were warnings or evidence he had been denying or ignoring.

                                                (1)       Barnabas had been saved and some think they might have been friends before Paul's salvation.

                                                            (Acts 9:27; 11:25)

                                                (2)       The speech by his teacher, Gamaliel. (Acts 5:33-40)

                                                (3)       The defense and death of Stephen. (Acts 7:9-60)

                                                (4)       His fanatical persecution of Christians indicates that he was insecure with Judaism.

                        3.         Paul confessed Jesus as Lord. (Acts 9:6)

III.      PAUL’S GROWTH AS A CHRISTIAN.

            A.        He was humbled by three days of blindness and being without food or drink.

                        ( Acts 9:9)

            B.        He was taken to Ananias where he was filled with the Spirit and baptized.

                        (Acts 9:10-18)

            C.        He went to Arabia before going to Jerusalem to meet Peter and the others. (Galatians 1:16-18)

                        1.         It is possible that he spent three years in Arabia.

                        2.         While there he conferred not with flesh and blood.

                                    a.         This made his authority independent of all but the Lord himself.

                                    b.         God was preparing him for a very special work.

                        3.         Details of his stay are unknown but it can be assumed that it was spent searching the Scriptures.

                        4.         His already deep knowledge of the Old Testament would be greatly enhanced by newly acquired knowledge of Christ.

            D.        Paul was chosen to be the apostle to the Gentiles.

                        (Galatians 2:8; Romans 15:8-16; Colossians 1:25-27)

                        1.         To Paul the mystery of the church age was revealed. Ephesians 3:1-12

                        2.         To Paul the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ was revealed. Romans 16:25-26

IV.      PAUL’S MINISTRY AS AN APOSTLE.

            A.        The secret to Paul's success was his complete confidence in Jesus Christ.

                        (2 Timothy 1:12)

            B.        Paul's ministry involved three missionary journeys.

                        1.         He went as the Lord led.

                        2.         He was qualified to minister to people in all stations of life.

                        3.         He endured all manners of trials and persecutions.

                                    (2 Corinthians 11:23-31)

            C.        Paul's ministry involved extensive writing.

                        1.         He wrote fourteen books of the New Testament if Hebrews is attributed to him.

                        2.         Nine of his writings were to churches and dealt with their position in Christ.

                                    a.         Romans, written from Corinth, emphasizes justification in Christ.

                                    b.         1 Corinthians, written from Ephesus, emphasizes sanctification in Christ.

                                    c.         2 Corinthians, written from Philippi, emphasizes consolation in Christ.

                                    d.         Galatians, written from Corinth, emphasizes liberation in Christ.

                                    e.         Ephesians, written from Rome, emphasizes exaltation in Christ.

                                    f.         Philippians, written from Rome, emphasizes jubilation in Christ.

                                    g.         Colossians, written from Rome, emphasizes completion in Christ.

                                    h.         1 Thessalonians, written from Corinth, emphasizes translation in Christ.

                                    i.         2 Thessalonians, written from Corinth, emphasizes exhortation in Christ.

                        3.         First and Second Timothy and Titus were written to instruct and encourage young pastors.

                        4.         Philemon was written as a personal letter in behalf of a runaway slave.

            D.        Paul is generally believed to have been beheaded by Nero.

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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD