Get to Know Apostle Paul
Apostle Paul is an enigmatic character. Every Christian denomination claims to have the correct understanding of his actions and his theology, but none capture either his personality or the complete teachings of the Apostle. While his epistles form a large part of the New Testament, they are a fraction of the totality of his mission. He taught in person. He fostered disciples through direct guidance. Sometimes this was relatively quick within a few weeks and at other times he taught for two or more years in a single location.
My initial impression of Paul was extremely negative. The elderly, Southern Baptist trained minister at my childhood church talked about all the ways that one is judged for their sins. He conjured up hellfire and brimstone to be cast at anyone who participated in any of the long lists of sins that Paul mentions. Old Pastor Stotsenberg convinced my young mind that Paul was not to be trusted. At an early age I formed the impression that the Apostle was a mean old man ready to judge and ‘damn to hell’ all of the souls who crossed his path. This is unfortunate because I retained that initial impression for over 40 years. It wasn’t until the pandemic began in 2020, that I decided to reconsider Paul and his epistles. Here are a few things that I have learned about Paul.
Almost immediately, I realized that Paul has a sarcastic sense of humor. Whether he is…
