no no no no the complete triumphant story of Paul the Apostle of Christ six years have now passed since the miracle of the Virgin Mary brought into the world a dark olive skinned Jewish baby this baby would grow into a man who through his philosophy and actions would alter the very course of history he would shift the tides of times to bridge the gaps between the past present and the future undoubtedly he would stand as the most significant figure to have ever graced this Earth weaving an eternal story of Salvation with his life death and Resurrection yet a little over 1500 kilometers to the north another baby boy enters the world unlike the miracle baby of the Virgin Mary this child does not hold that distinguished title of Savior or Messiah however his influence will forever transform the course of events his impact will not arise from personally embodying the Eternal story of salvation but from sharing the story as well as from showing all people the power and Redemption embodied in the story of Jesus this baby's name was Saul But as time unfolds he will grow and rise to become one of the most influential inspiring and polarizing figures of his time and Beyond his Fame will become only second in significance to the story of the man he dedicates his life to retelling and sharing Saul was born in Tarsus the city situated in modern-day turkey had fallen under Roman rule 70 years before Saul was born Saul was a Roman citizen while it is not clear how he acquired his Roman citizenship it is likely that Saul's grandparents possessed land before Rome's colonization of Tarsus as was the custom owning land within Roman territory bestowed Roman citizenship upon the landowners and their offspring allowing them certain privileges including maintaining and observing local traditions and cultural practices as the capital of silicea Tarsus thrived as a hub of trade affluence and knowledge it had one of the greatest universities in the Known World which was rivaled only by Athens it was in this bustling City that Saul Spends His formative years benefiting from his Roman citizenship and the vast opportunities it provided like every other inhabitant of the city Saul was born into a Jewish Family his father a tent maker and a Pharisee taught his trade and beliefs to his son over 14 years around the age of 14 approximately in 20 A. D Saul's father took him to study under Gamaliel a high-ranking Pharisee and an old family friend it is important to note that not just anyone could study under the esteemed Gamaliel he was one of the most brilliant legal minds of his time in 20 A. D Saul started his training as a Pharisee the Pharisees are a sect of first century Judaism primarily consisting of the middle class they were tasked with interpreting the law for all Jews within their ranks approximately 10 Pharisees were chosen to sit on the Sanhedrin the highest Council on Jerusalem law the Sanhedrin wielded tremendous influence over all aspects of Judaism any legislation passed by the Sanhedrin became binding law for all Jews regardless of their location Saul studied under Gamaliel for eight years before eventually returning to Tarsus to serve in the local synagogue not long after he received a life-changing message he has been nominated by Gamaliel to join the esteemed Sanhedrin Council filled with a mix of passion and excitement Saul sets off from Tarsus to Jerusalem to begin his membership of the council it was the journey he had been looking forward to for a long time however upon his return to the city he discovered a lot has changed he learned of a newly established Jewish sect that had taken the City by storm the followers of the new Faith are devoted to a Man from Nazareth claiming to be God incarnate among humanity and here to fulfill the very prophecies Saul knows so well the followers of the Nazarene even refer to themselves as the way as if the Sanhedrin could no longer provide the way and serve as The Guiding Light for the Jewish people Saul obviously appalled and outraged by the existence of this new movement derogatorily labeled them zealous blasphemers he initiated a fierce campaign within the Sanhedrin to combat their dangerous ideology why do you hate pizza so much because his claims are ridiculous he did more than that he sought out and interrogated the early followers who were ordinary people including fishermen who lack formal education he questioned the source of their Authority challenging the very Foundation upon which their beliefs rest he hoped that he could make them change their views and ways however nothing he did worked Saul along with his contemporaries admonished the disciples strictly forbidding them from proclaiming Jesus as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah however the disciples ignored the warning consequently when one of the nazarene's followers a man named Stephen was apprehended Saul urgently calls for an emergency council meeting they asked Stephen to retract his Declaration of faith and belief in Jesus but the young man would not bulge instead he publicly proclaimed the messiahship of Jesus Chris as the only begotten Son of God this open Defiance provoked Saul to an uncontrollable rage as a symbolic just he tore his cloak signaling his disgust for Stephen the young follower of Jesus the rest of the Sanhedrin did the same thing they cast their cloaks at Saul's feet picked up stones and began to haul it at Stephen as Saul stood by and watched members of Jerusalem's highest Council responsible for upholding the Law and Order committed the act of murder against Stephen a disciple of Jesus Christ this incident shook the early church causing its members in Jerusalem to flee back to their homes fearing for their lives but that was only for a while it was not long before they were back on the streets proclaiming Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah several months passed as the Sanhedrin engages in heated debates they deliberated on the most effective strategy to stop the fast-growing movement started by the Nazarene then finally they resolved to enact a law that prohibits people from participating in this radical New Movement they set a severe penalty of immediate arrest and Punishment the stiff penalty was enough to discourage some but many continued to flaunt the law after enacting the law for it to be effective it had to be enforced throughout the city and who better to lead this all-important task than their very own Saul of Tarsus why not Saul here is a man born and raised in the familiar terrain of Tarsus and possessed a deep knowledge of the roads the council heard that the followers of Jesus were in Damascus preaching the gospel Saul was quickly dispatched to go after them on receiving the assignment Saul prepared and embarked on the Fateful three-day Journey from Jerusalem to Damascus a journey that will not only transform the course of his own life but that will reshape the path of human history forever as Saul was traveling on the road alongside a small Council of servants and peers engaging in serious theological discussions presumably an extraordinary event happened he was struck by a blinding light that leaves him in a state of complete blindness as reported in Acts chapter 9 Saul heard an unseen voice saying Saul Saul why do you persecute me struggling to make sense of the encounter Saul asks who are you Lord the resounding reply comes I am Jesus whom you are persecuting rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do the men accompanying Saul stood speechless and stunned they clearly heard the voice but could not see where it was coming from Saul Rose from the ground his eyes were open but he could not see Guided by his companions he was led by the hand into Damascus for three days he remained blind unable to eat or drink at the end of three days a man named ananias who is aware of Saul's past persecution of the followers of Jesus upon Divine instruction reluctantly prayed for Saul miraculously his vision was restored once again he could see perhaps for the first time in his life he truly understood with Clarity the true nature of God as the scriptures recounts after ananias's prayers immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight then he rose and was baptized in taking food he was strengthened for several days Saul remained with the disciples in Damascus gathering strength and learning from their Fellowship after some time he went to Arabia and then returned once again to Damascus afterward he began his ministry proclaiming the messiahship of Jesus in the synagogues and boldly declaring him to be the son of God those who heard Saul's Proclamation were astounded they asked is this not the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem against those who called upon this very name has he not come here with the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests nevertheless Saul continued to grow in spirit and in strength he continued to confound the Jews residing in Damascus with his passionate and compelling proclamations that Jesus was indeed the long-awaited Christ but the Jews did not stay confounded for long after some time they have had enough of Saul's blasphemy and decided that he must be stopped they decided on a plan to kill him they monitored the gates day and night waiting for his arrival to execute their plan but Saul and the followers of Jesus in the city became aware of their plot without wasting time they whisked Saul away under the cover of Darkness they took him through an opening in the city wall and lowered him in a basket to safety on the other side of the wall that is how Saul escaped the first attempt of his life as disciple of Jesus there will be many more to come after a span of three years Saul made his way back to Jerusalem in the holy city he sought counsel from Peter and James engaging in intense discussions for 15 days concerning the resurrection and the life and identity of Jesus Christ Saul was excited to be among the Believers those who saw and lived with Jesus while he was on Earth yet Saul's homecoming was far from welcoming the Sanhedrin had caught wind of his arrival and his preaching they were not happy with him fearing the potential backlash and revenge against Saul the apostles decided to send him back to his hometown of Tarsus they thought he would be safer in the familiar environment of the city that is how Saul departed Jerusalem and spent the next three years in Tarsus the city of his birth while Paul was away in Tarsus Apostle Peter received a powerful Revelation as he gazed Skyward in a dream a sheet descended from the heavens bearing a multitude of clean and unclean animals Peter was confounded by the vision until God showed him the meaning of the symbolic vision God told Peter that it means the Gentiles were to be welcomed into the Salvation offered by Jesus Christ armed with this newfound Revelation Peter and the other Apostles decided to send one of the faithfuls Barnabas to Antioch his mission was to help nurture and guide the burgeoning Gentile church that had taken root in the city Antioch is the city where the word Christian denoting the followers of Jesus Christ was first used realizing his limited knowledge of the city Barnabas recognized the need for a capable companion he promptly sought out Saul a man well versed in Hellenistic culture to assist in nurturing the emerging community until now news of Jesus Christ had primarily spread through the accounts of Travelers who had journeyed to Jerusalem heard the good news and returned to their homes however after a year of guiding the Antioch Church Saul and Barnabas received a Divine calling to proclaim the message of Salvation and Redemption embodied in Jesus Christ to the Gentile cities scattered throughout the known world they believed that by establishing local churches the global kingdom of God would flourish their Vision extended Westward reaching as far as Spain in pursuit of their mission they Enlisted the help of John Mark although the initial missionary journey may seem modest The Experience helped Saul's identity and the collective identity of the Christian church the group embarked from solely a bustling Port City in Antioch and set sail for Cyprus it was there that a Roman Proctor named sergius paulus embraced Christianity this was a major breakthrough for the early church realizing the potential for greater Outreach by adopting a more Hellenistic name like their Newfound convert Saul officially changed his name to Paul of Tarsus after departing Cyprus they aimed for Persia in pamphilia however they encountered formidable opposition along the way the situation was so bad that John Mark had to withdraw from the mission for fear for his life he later returned to Jerusalem undeterred Paul and Barnabas pressed on venturing further north to another city named Antioch but this time in presidia it was in presidia that Paul delivered a powerful sermon in a Jewish synagogue however facing staunch resistance once again he made the decision to redirect his preaching exclusively to the Gentiles leaving the Jewish audience for the time being their Journey continued from Antioch of pasidia heading east to Iconium where they confronted yet another wave of opposition they were faced with the threat of being stoned to death they fled to lystra this marked a turning point in their mission after witnessing the miraculous healing of a crippled man in Jesus name the Gentiles mistook Barnabas for Zeus and Paul for Hermes the Greek gods but the local Jewish leaders were not amused they thought Paul and Barnabas have encouraged the blasphemy by their actions they sought to Stone Paul and nearly succeeded [Music] Paul and Barnabas escaped from lystra and sought refuge in Derby where they found respite and preached the gospel returning along the northern route they visited the more receptive churches in Antioch of posidia before eventually reaching Italia upon their return to Antioch they found certain disciples from Judea who had arrived at their church and were insisting that the Gentile converts must adhere to the law of Moses as well as undergo circumcision to be considered true Christians this generated a serious debate Paul and Barnabas resolved to take the matter to the apostles in Jerusalem a journey they undertake between 48 and 50 A.
D under the guidance of apostle James who presided over the Jerusalem Council Peter John and the other apostles who chose to remain in Jerusalem engaged in a passionate debate concerning the significance of the law of Moses for the Gentiles this discussion would resonates throughout the New Testament on this crucial Day James and the apostles sided with Paul affirming that Gentile Believers need not adhere to specific Jewish customs in order to follow Jesus Christ the cross of Jesus Christ had achieved what we could not accomplish by the Fulfillment of the law no longer were Gentiles obliged to observe the law but rather they were to Express gratitude and reverence for the god of Israel filled with excitement over this liberating decision Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch in that same year they resolved to embark on another missionary journey spreading the good news among the Gentiles however an unexpected disagreement arose between the two missionaries remember that John Mark had for fear for his life left an earlier Mission he embarked on with Paul and Barnabas while Barnabas forgave John Mark and was willing to include him on the new Journey Paul viewed him as a liability and refused his participation heavy discussion ensued however both Paul and Barnabas could not agree on the issue consequently Paul parted ways with Barnabas and embarked on his second missionary journey alongside Silas and a young man named Timothy the plan for this second Journey mirrored the first to revisit the churches they had established on their initial trip however they decided to venture further west to troas departing from Antioch they Revisited the churches in lystra Iconium and Antioch of pasidia with the intention of extending their reach into bithynia however unexpectedly through divine intervention they were led to trois instead while sleeping at their camp in trois Paul abruptly awoke to find himself on the shores of the Port City beholding a man across the waters in Macedonia beckoning to him recognizing this as a message from the spirit of God Paul understood that a new chapter awaited them the following day the missionaries embarked on their Journey towards Apollonia a port city in the northern corner of Greece accompanying them was their friend and writer Luke diligently gathering information for his book they trekked northward from Apollonia reaching Philippi after a half Day's Journey it was in Philippi that Paul and his companions experienced imprisonment for the first time it was not a pleasant experience as you would imagine ancient city prisons were wretched and cruel places wreaking of dampness and resembling horse stables often they were mere holes or caves dug in the Heart of the City Paul and Silas even in prison continued to pray praise and sing joyfully for God heard their prayers and the Holy Spirit moved in and rendered the gates of the prison open this miracle was so evident that even the jailers were converted to Jesus Christ departing from Philippi they arrived in Thessaloniki causing such a commotion that they had to make a hasty night escape to Berea from Berea they set sail to Athens a city that surely held great anticipation for Paul however their stay there was brief Paul delivered his renowned sermon on the areopagus but was met with ridicule prompting their quick departure to Corinth in Corinth they settled for a year and a half during which time Paul composed his letters to the church in Thessaloniki after one year and a half in Corinth they embarked on a sea Journey making stops at centria and Ephesus before finally returning to Jerusalem though the journey was significantly longer it enabled the spreading of the Gospel message even further yet Paul's work was far from complete he planned for a third missionary journey setting out for it a year later in 53 A. D at this point Paul is nearing the age of 47 surpassing the average lifespan of many of his Brethren by almost a decade as he departs from his home base in Antioch little does he realize that he will never return yet as he will later write to live is Christ and to die is gain in approximately 53 A. D he sets out from Antioch revisiting all the churches in Asia Minor before embarking on a direct Westward trajectory his first significant stop is Ephesus where he invested three arduous years at the church he had established two years earlier many remarkable events unfolded within this church Paul composed his renowned letters to the Corinthians urging them to support the relief efforts for the famine stricken Jerusalem at the time he also dispatched missionaries from Ephesus to the churches in colossi and laodixia which the Visionary John will later address in his writings through extraordinary Miracles and impactful sermons Paul led many people to Jesus Christ continuing his journey Paul proceeds to throw us where his late night sermon inadvertently causes a young boy to fall from a window resulting in his death Paul raises the boy from the dead solidifying his place among the illustrious Biblical characters we read about today departing from troas he traveled through Macedonia and Ikea composing his letter to the Roman Church and addressing the galatian church along the way however eventually his extensive four-year Journey Drw to a close Paul concludes his travels with one final stop in the small Port City of melitus preferring not to return to Ephesus he summons the leaders of the Ephesian church to meet him there it was here Paul revealed a plan to travel back to Jerusalem both he and the Ephesian leaders understood that this will ultimately end up in his arrest and death of course the Ephesian Council of church leaders advising against Paul's return to Jerusalem however his mind was made up after a while amidst tears they ultimately surrendered to allow God's will to Prevail thus Paul set off on his journey towards his inevitable death upon his arrival in Jerusalem the atmosphere was as tense as he had foreseen the Sanhedrin was incensed by his departure from Judaism and his preaching to the Gentiles they accuse him of advocating for the abandonment of the law of Moses and disregarding the Lord's commands Paul denied these allegations however his appeal and denial of the their charges made no difference Paul was arrested again from Jerusalem Paul was transported to the coastal city of caesarea Paul had access to study materials writing supplies and preaching resources yet instead of engaging in these activities he opted for a much needed rest in contemplation for a significant period of time he eventually appealed to be sent to Rome around 60 A.
D Festus assumes the role of procurator over the Council of Judea he received Paul's appeal ultimately Paving the way for his journey to Rome this journey is marked by no less trouble than his previous Ventures he endures shipwrecks storms snake bites and several confrontations by 61 A. D Paul arrives in Rome where he spends the final year of his life under house arrest however this period of seclusion and rest served as a catalyst for his prolific work he writes renowned letters such as Colossians Ephesians Philippians and Philemon within the confines of his house arrest he assumed the role of a pastor answering inquiries addressing issues and resolving complex theological challenges that plagued the early church after a year under house arrest Caesar orders Paul's release and he embarked on a journey back to Macedonia he spends several months traveling throughout Macedonia and Asia Minor visiting and encouraging the churches he had established years ago during this time he composed his first letter to Timothy and his letters to Titus however in 62 A. D Nero ascends to the Roman throne and everything changed it is difficult to underestimate the profound impact that Nero had on the first century church although his name may not be explicitly mentioned in the Bible his presence looms large Nero's ruthless acts such as burning Christians alive for his Twisted entertainment instigated much of the persecution referred to in letters like James and revelation many scholars even view him as the archetypal embodiment of the Beast described in the Book of Revelation some would say his brutal and fervent opposition to Christianity could explain why his name is conspicuously absent from the biblical text when the great fire engulfed Rome in 64 A.
D Nero seized the opportunity to lay blame on the followers of the Jesus the growing sect that had emerged across his vast Empire he accused Paul The prominent advocate for the Gentile Christians of setting the fire to the city consequently Paul was arrested for the final time it was during this imprisonment that he wrote his power letter known as second Timothy soon after he was bound led to the Executioner's block and beheaded under the direction of Nero sometime between 64 and 68 A.
