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CHAPTER 7
The Testimony of the
Apostle Paul
Paul's Conversion
I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in (Jerusalem). I was
carefully trained at the feet of Gamaliel in the Law of our forefathers, and was
zealous for God.
I persecuted to death this new faith, continually binding both men and women
and throwing them into prison, as the high priest also and all the elders can
bear me witness. It was, too, from them that I received letters to the brethren
in Damascus, and I was already on my way to Damascus, intending to bring those
also who had fled there, in chains to Jerusalem, to be punished.
But on my way, when I was now not far from Damascus, about noon a sudden
blaze of light from heaven shone round me. I fell to the ground and heard a
voice say to me, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
"Who are you, Lord?" I asked. "I am Jesus, the Nazarene" he replied, "whom
you are persecuting. But rise, and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to
you for the very purpose of appointing you my servant and my witness both as to
the things you have already seen and as to those in which I will appear to you.
I will save you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you
to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the
obedience to Satan to God, in order to receive forgiveness of sins and an
inheritance among those who are sanctified through faith in me."
I am thankful to him who strengthened me - even Christ Jesus our Lord -
because he has judged me to be faithful and has put me into his service, though
I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and had been insolent in
outrage. Yet mercy was shown me, because I had acted ignorantly, not having as
yet believed; and the grace of our Lord came to me in overflowing fullness,
conferring faith on me and the love which is in Christ Jesus.
Faithful is the saying, and deserving of universal acceptance, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I stand foremost. But
mercy was shown me in order that in me as the foremost of sinners Christ Jesus
might display the fullness of his long-suffering patience as an example to
encourage those who would afterwards be resting their faith on him with a view
to eternal life. To the immortal and invisible King of the Ages, who alone is
God, be honour and glory to the ages of the ages! Amen.
Paul's Ministry
I proceeded to preach first to the people in Damascus, and then to those in
Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they must repent and turn
to God, and live lives consistent with such repentance.
Persecutions and sufferings I endured, things which happened to me in
Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. The persecutions, the Lord delivered me out of
them all. Indeed every one who is determined to live a godly life as a follower
of Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
The sacred writings are able to make you wise to obtain salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus. Every Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for
teaching, for convincing, for correction of error, and for instruction in right
doing.
Know that it is not through obedience to law that a man can be declared free
from guilt, but only through faith in Jesus Christ. For if acquittal from guilt
is obtainable through the Law, then Christ has died in vain. All who are
depending upon their own obedience to the Law are under a curse, for it is
written, "Cursed is every one who does not remain faithful to all the precepts
of the Law, and practise them.” It is evident, too, that no one can find
acceptance with God simply by obeying the Law, because "the righteous shall live
by faith". Christ has purchased our freedom from the curse of the Law by
becoming accursed for us, because "cursed is every one who is hanged upon a
tree". Our freedom has been thus purchased in order that in Christ Jesus the
blessing belonging to Abraham may come upon the nations, so that through faith
we may receive the promised Spirit. The Spirit brings a harvest of love, joy,
peace, patience towards others, kindness, benevolence, good faith, meekness,
self-restraint.
His Preaching in Europe
When they perceived the mission which was graciously entrusted to me, James,
Peter and John, who were considered to be the pillars of the Church, welcomed me
to their fellowship, to go to the Gentiles and they to the Jews.
After we met with suffering and outrage at Philippi, we summoned up boldness,
by the help of our God, to tell God's Good News (at Thessalonica) amid much
opposition. The Message sounded forth throughout Macedonia and Greece.
Everywhere faith in God has become known. I planted and Apollos watered, but it
was God who was, all the time, giving the increase.
I have made myself the slave of all in the hope of winning as many converts
as possible. To the Jews I have become like a Jew in order to win Jews; to men
under the Law as if I were under the Law, although I am not, in order to win
those who are under the Law. To men without law as if I were without law,
although I am not without law in relation to God but am abiding in Christ's law,
in order to win those who are without law. To all men I have become all things,
in the hope that in every one of these ways I may save some. And I do
everything for the sake of the Good News, that I may share with my hearers in
its benefits.
Jesus Christ the Son of God, he who was proclaimed by us, that is by Silas
and Timothy and myself, did not show himself a waverer between "Yes" and "No.”
But it was and always is "Yes" with him. For all the promises of God, whatever
their number, have their confirmation in him and for this reason through him
also our "Amen" acknowledges their truth and promotes the glory of God through
our faith. I repeated the all-important fact which also I had been taught, that
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried,
that he rose to life again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
and was seen by Peter, and then by the Twelve. Afterwards he was seen by more
than five hundred brethren at once, most of whom are still alive, although some
of them have now fallen asleep. Afterwards he was seen by James, and then by
all the Apostles. Last of all he appeared to me also.
If Christ has not risen, your faith is a vain thing, you are still in your
sins. It follows also that those who have fallen asleep in Christ have
perished. If in this present life we have a hope resting on Christ, and nothing
more, we are more to be pitied than all the rest of the world. But, in reality,
Christ has risen from among the dead, being the first to do so of those who are
asleep.
If we believe that Jesus has died and risen again, we also believe that,
through Jesus, God will bring with him those who shall have passed away. For
this we declare to you on the Lord's own authority, that we who are alive and
continue on earth until the Coming of the Lord, shall certainly not forestall
those who shall have previously passed away. For the Lord himself will come
down from heaven with a loud word of command, and with an archangel's voice and
the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Afterwards we who
are alive and are still on earth will be caught up in their company amid clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall be with the Lord for ever.
The day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. While they are saying
"Peace and safety!" then in a moment destruction falls upon them, like
birth-pains on a woman who is with child, and escape there is none. But let us
be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the
hope of salvation. For God has not predestined us to meet His anger, but to
obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died on our behalf, so that
whether we are awake or sleep we may share his Life.
Preaching in the Roman Province of Asia
From the first day of my setting foot in the province of Asia, serving the
Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through
the plotting of the Jews, I never shrank from declaring anything that was
profitable, or from teaching in public and in homes, urging upon both Jews and
Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord.
As for our troubles which came upon us in the province of Asia, we were
exceedingly weighed down, and felt overwhelmed, so that we renounced all hope
even of life. We had the sentence of death within our own selves, in order that
our confidence may repose, not on ourselves, but on God. He it is who rescued
us from so imminent a death, and we have a firm hope in him that he will also
rescue us in all the future.
The Fruit of the Mission and Future Projects
I bade them farewell and went on into Macedonia. Macedonia and Greece have
kindly contributed a certain sum in relief of the poor among God's people in
Jerusalem. The Churches of Macedonia, while passing through great trouble,
their boundless joy even amid their deep poverty has overflowed to increase
their generous liberality. For I can testify that to the utmost of their power,
and even beyond their power, they have of their own free will given help. With
earnest entreaty they begged from us the favour of being allowed to share in the
service now being rendered to God's people.
Beginning in Jerusalem and the outlying districts, I have proclaimed without
reserve, even as far as Illyricum, the Good News of the Christ, making it my
ambition not to tell the Good News where Christ's name was already known, for
fear I should be building on another man's foundation, but, as Scripture says,
"Those shall see, to whom no report about Him has hitherto come, and those who
until now have not heard shall understand.” And it is this which again and
again prevented my coming to proclaim the Good News in Rome. For I am not
ashamed of the Good News. It is God's power which is at work for the salvation
of every one who believes - the Jew first, and then the Gentile. For all alike
have sinned, and all consciously come short of the glory of God, gaining
acquittal from guilt by His free unpurchased grace through the deliverance which
is found in Christ Jesus.
Standing then acquitted as the result of faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. God gives proof of His love to us in Christ's
dying for us while we were still sinners. If therefore we have now been
pronounced free from guilt through his blood, much more shall we be delivered
from God's anger through him. The Spirit himself bears witness, along with our
own spirits, that we are children of God.
I plead with you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present
all your faculties to him as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to him. And
do not follow the customs of the present age, but be transformed by the entire
renewal of your minds, so that you may learn by experience what God's will is -
that will which is good and beautiful and perfect.
Paul Becomes a Prisoner and is Taken to Rome
I went up to worship in Jerusalem, after an interval of several years. I
came to bring alms, and to offer sacrifices. But certain Jews from the province
of Asia seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. I stood before the
Sanhedrin. I was handed over as a prisoner into the power of the Romans, in
custody in Caesarea. They, after they had sharply questioned me, were willing
to set me at liberty, because they found no offence in me for which I deserve to
die. But, at last, the opposition of the Jews compelled me to appeal to Caesar.
What I have gone through has turned out to the furtherance of the Good News
rather than otherwise. And thus it has become notorious among all the imperial
guards, and everywhere, that it is for the sake of Christ that I am a prisoner.
Paul's Testimony in His Last Days
Our Saviour, Christ Jesus, has put an end to death and has brought life and
immortality to light through the Good News, of which I have been appointed a
preacher, Apostle and teacher, to the Gentiles. That indeed is the reason why I
suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know in whom my trust reposes, and
I am confident that he has it in his power to keep what I have entrusted to him
safe until that day.
The time for my departure is now close at hand. I have gone through the
glorious contest; I have run the race; I have guarded the faith. From this time
onward there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the
righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to
all who love the thought of his Appearing.
At my first defence I had no one at my side, but all deserted me. May it not
be laid to their charge. The Lord, however, stood by me and filled me with
inward strength, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and that
all the Gentiles might hear it; and I was rescued from the lion's jaws. The
Lord will deliver me from every cruel attack and will keep me safe in
preparation for his heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory until the ages of the
ages! Amen.
Verses used to construct this history:
Chapter 7: Acts 22:3-7; 26:15-18; 1 Tim. 1:12-13,16,15; Acts 26:20; 2 Tim.
3:11,12,15,16; Gal. 2:16,21; 3:10,13; 5:22-23; 2:2,9; Gal. 2:7,9; 1 Th. 2:2;
1:8; 1 Cor. 3:6; 9:19-23; 2 Cor. 1:19.20; 1 Cor. 15:3-8,17-21; 1 Th.
4:14-18; 5:1-3,8-10; Acts 20:18-20; 2 Cor. 1:8-10; 2 Cor.2:13; Rom. 15:26; 2
Cor. 8:1-4; Rom. 15:19,20,22; 1:15,16; 3:23; 5:8,9; 8:16; 12:1,2; Acts
24:11,17,18; 26:21; 24:20; 28:17-19; 25:4; 28:17-19; Phil. 1:12-14; 2 Tim.
1:10-12; 4:6-8,16-18.
> Click on Next to move on to Chapter 8 or Back to go to
Chapter 6.
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