Reflection: Missions in the New Testament
The Apostle Paul is considered the greatest missionary of all time; he is called the Apostle to the Gentiles since he was mainly responsible for the spread of Christianity into the Gentile world. The Church owes much to Paul for its growth; he pioneered its early expansion through his mission labors and his theological reflection.
There is much we can learn from the life of the Apostle Paul. Far from ordinary, Paul was given the opportunity to do extraordinary things for the kingdom of God. The story of Paul is a story of redemption in Jesus Christ and a testimony that no one is beyond the saving grace of the Lord. However, to gain the full measure of the man, we must examine his dark side and what
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Some of these people have done despicable things to other human beings, while some just try to live a moral life thinking that God will smile upon them on the Day of Judgment. When we read the story of Paul and know what he had done, it is difficult for us to believe that God would allow into heaven religious extremists who murder innocent women and children. Today, we might see people on death row as unworthy of redemption because their crimes against humanity are just too great. Yet we live our lives in a sinful manner, expecting that God will be impressed by the fact that we haven’t killed anyone. The story of Paul is a story that can be told today he isn’t worthy in our eyes of a second chance, yet to God he is worthy. The truth is that every person matters to God, from the “good, decent,” average person to the “wicked, evil” degenerate. Only God can save a soul from …show more content…
Arguably, no other human figure in the Bible demonstrated more humility while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ as Paul. Acts 20:19 tells us that he “served the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to him through the plots of the Jews.” In Acts 28:31, Paul shares the good news of Jesus Christ: “Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul was not afraid to tell others what the Lord had done for him. This verse is the very definition of Paul’s newfound life in Christ. He would spend the rest of his days working tirelessly for the kingdom of God. Paul saw himself as the “least of the apostles” and the “chief of sinners” (1 Corinthians 15:19) Like Paul, the truly humble will glory in the grace of God and in the cross, not in self-righteousness (Philippians