Apostle Paul

The Apostle Paul is dearly beloved by millions of Christians around the world. Nations are still thankful for this man’s dedication in bringing the Gospel to the then-known world. To many, this apostle was a father in the faith because he spiritually fathered many to the faith of Christianity. He was the only apostle out of the thirteen who had a true heart for the gentiles. His actions spoke of such a love and his sacrifice has resulted in Christianity being a dominant faith around the world today.

Father of the faith

Paul wrote in one of his church letters that he regarded his former life as rubbish compared to his post-salvation life. According to the Bible, Paul (formerly known as Saul) encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus—which subsequently changed his life. Before this event, Paul was very much against the Christian movement as he was a Pharisee who was an expert in Jewish law. But after his encounter with Christ, he dedicated his life to fathering many churches across the known world—preaching the Gospel wherever he went.

A heart for the gentiles

Although the twelve apostles preached the Gospel to their brethren (other Jews), Paul took the message to the Greeks, Romans, and other neighbouring nations. He believed that God had extended the salvation message to everyone, and therefore made sure that everyone heard about Christ.

True love in his actions

In 2nd Corinthians, we get a glimpse of all the hardships Paul went through to bring this message to the world. It states that he was beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, mugged, and even tortured while delivering the Gospel message. We also know from scripture that Paul was eventually martyred for his faith, because the Jews convinced Rome to put him to death. We see from this what true sacrificial love is. Paul was willing to give his life for the people he preached the Gospel to and also willing to endure much hardship along the way.

Because of his sacrifices, the world regards Paul as the greatest apostle who ever lived. He is a testament to the love that Christ showed to him and he passed on that love to others. He urged his churches to mimic his life and act the way he acted. In all things, Paul was a strong but gentle leader; wise in his writings and clear on what his calling was.