BULLETIN ARTICLE – 27 May 2018
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)
The life of the Apostle Paul, from the early Christian Church days, is an inspiration to Christians through the centuries and to many of us even today. Paul spent his life in constant intimacy with God, involving himself in the lives of the many churches he started and always taking opportunities to share his faith in the resurrected Lord Jesus freely to various and many audiences in Israel, Syria, Asia Minor, Turkey and Europe. From him we can learn many inspirational lessons for our lives today.
1. Growing in Christ
In Gal 1:11-12, Paul spoke of his own learning about the Christian faith: “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” How does one receive revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ? It comes about from a close communion with Jesus in prayer and in meditating on the Bible. Paul commented of the Corinthians in 1 Cor 3:2: “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.” As we look back at the number of years of our being Christians, can we say that we have grown in the Christian faith? Even as God grants us time on earth, we need to be continually strengthened in the faith, grounded in the Bible and mature in him.
2. Involvement in Church
In Acts 9:26, when Paul arrived in Jerusalem, he sought to join the disciples and to be involved in the ministry of the community of the Way. In the later part of Paul’s travels, various groups of people were also involved with Paul. God calls all kinds of people to do his work. These included Ananias who helped Paul to regain his sight. He was “a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there” (Acts 22:12). Women were also specifically mentioned by Paul for their faithful witness and hospitality. These included Lydia from Thyatira (Acts 16:14), and Euodia and Syntyche (Phil 4:2,3).
3. Sharing about Jesus
As a young believer, Paul was ready to share his faith in the resurrected Jesus with others. In Acts 9:20 “At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God” and also in Acts 9:28b “speaking boldly in the name of the Lord”. Paul’s sharing of his faith was so powerful that the Jews in Damascus (Syria) and Jerusalem (Israel) repeatedly sought to kill him.
As we study the Book of Acts and examine the inspirational life of the Apostle Paul, let us take heed of his wise counsel to us today: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1).
“It is my one aspiration – Forgetting what lies behind
Reaching out to what lies ahead – I press on – To the goal
To win the prize of God’s high calling – In Jesus Christ my Lord”
