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The Apostle Paul

by Grant from Texas

My Hero: Apostle Paul. October 19, 2010

The Apostle Paul was persecuted, shipwrecked, thrown into jail, and martyred; despite this he kept the Lord's word in sight throughout his life. Paul was born in Tarsus into a traditional Jewish family where his father gave him the name Saul. When he grew to an age of thirteen Saul journeyed to Jerusalem to train as a rabbi. By the time of the crucifixion of Christ, Saul held much of the power and authority among the Pharisees and took on the task of destroying the early church in Jerusalem. When he was pursuing some of the Christian church who had fled from Jerusalem to Damascus, a brilliant light suddenly surrounded him and his companions. In this light, the Lord Jesus came down from heaven and asked him why he was persecuting his children. After this encounter with the creator, Saul converted to Christianity and took up the name Paul.

After Paul's conversion, God worked in Paul's heart, molding him into the person that could bring his word to the Gentiles. God then sent Paul on mission four times in his life, during which Paul planted numerous churches all over the Mediterranean. Even after those churches creations, Paul still helped them learn and grow by visiting them and sending letters of encouragement and guidance. In these letters, Paul gave valuable insights on how God wants his children to always act. After Paul's final mission to the Church in Philippi, he was arrested and imprisoned in Rome. Shortly thereafter Paul was executed, because he would not renounce his faith in the Lord. Paul's letters continue to guide christians on their walk with God even to this day.

Paul sacrificed a tremendous amount in order that others would come to know Jesus Christ. After his conversion Paul devoted his entire life to Jesus Christ and the spreading of his word to the world. Paul guided the early church through their problems and arguments, helping them learn and grow as a church body. During the persecution by the Romans, Paul took every opportunity given to him to preach the gospel, evangelizing even to his captors. Never did he just choose to do what he wanted, always doing what God called him to over his will. Never did he take credit for the work he did, giving it all to God instead. Paul is my hero, because he held firm to his faith no matter the situation, always giving the glory to God, not himself.

Resources:

Matthew, Easton. "Paul." WebBible Encyclopedia . ChristianAnswers.net, n.d. Web. 20 Oct 2010. .

Page created on 2/23/2011 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 2/23/2011 12:00:00 AM

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