Paul's Life Gives Me Hope

 

Saint Paul

I've written about Paul before. I've been reading some social media posts that are not hopeful. fortunately, I'm sufficiently familiar with Bible stories the give examples of why I continue to believe:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, KJV)

Not an eye witness to biblical events, I can have faith in their validity. No one can prove the historical events did not happen, plus archeology continues to confirm history contained in the Hebrew Tanakh. Judaism retained belief for hundreds of centuries following Moses' leading Israelites out of Egypt, back to land they had grazed through generations until the moved to Egypt. 

Judaism had divisions when Christ was born, just as they, Christianity, and Islam do today. Scholars, who while disagreeing on some doctrine, believed in a singular deity, just as today. 

Paul was such a scholar. As a student under a member of the Sanhedrin, he was zealous in defending their faith to the point of seeing Jesus' followers (not yet called Christians) in prison or dead. 

What changed Paul? 

He never denied his own religion. Israel's being the focus of God's interaction with mankind remained the foundation. Jews were looking for action from God. The land promised to them had passed through many hands and they wanted it back. Scriptures promised there would be a future for the Jewish people and the timing was just about right for the promised one.

Paul had studied all those scriptures in Jerusalem, the center of Judaism and Jewish culture. The High Priest conducted ceremonial offering just as they had been done as Aaron did in the Tabernacle, only Paul saw them done in the third - and so far last - temple. Paul took pride in being a Jew, a Pharisee, and being taught by Gamaliel:

I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. (Acts 22:3-4)

Apparently Paul did not heed Gamaliel, who stood up in the Jewish Council and said:

Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. . . . And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. (Acts 5:34-35, 38-39)

What hope of salvation was there for a man who sought Jesus' followers and persecuted them unto death? Frankly, the same hope of all sinners -  which is everyone in our world today. Paul had that same hope. His renowned teach even said to the Council that they could be found fighting against God.

What changed Paul? A face to face meeting with the resurrected Jesus. The whole story is in Acts, and I've referenced it before. Either take my word for it, or look it up. It does take a meeting with Jesus for us to realize what is meant in John 3:16-18. The majority do not have that brilliant meeting Paul had - but we don't have the job God gave Paul. And for that I am extremely grateful.

I do have the same hope of salvation that Paul preached for the rest of his life. It is as simple as John 3:16 and as difficult as the entire book of the Bible. Accepting Jesus as God's plan of salvation is totally based on faith - which is:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

What is faith to you? When did you discover you had faith? Can you share specific events of faith with others? Paul did all of that - defined faith, discovered it on the road to Damascus, shared it with people for the rest of his life. Let's do our part. Share the substance of things you hope for. With anyone.