The Apostle Paul, a key figure in the New Testament, experienced a radical transformation through the power of God. After encountering Jesus, he developed an unshakable passion for spreading the Gospel. Despite enduring constant persecution, Paul demonstrated remarkable perseverance and refused to give up on his God-ordained mission. His life and letters offer profound lessons, especially into what it truly means to live for Christ.

Name

Paul was originally named Saul, which is a Jewish name meaning “asked of God.” Descending from the tribe of Benjamin, it’s possible he was named after King Saul. While on his first missionary journey, he was called by his Greek name, Paul (Acts 13:9). This may have occurred since Paul means “small,” suggesting he was shorter than average, or, as one appointed to be an apostle to the Gentiles, it was better to have a non-Jewish name.

Outstanding Characteristics

Perseverance and passion.

Summary

Although Paul was a Hebrew-speaking Jew, he was born and raised outside Israel in Tarsus, present day Turkey, making him familiar with the Greek language and culture. He was a descendant of Pharisees (Acts 23:6). As a young boy, he went to Israel to study under Gamaliel and distinguished himself as “a Pharisee of the Pharisees.” He first appears in Acts 7:58 as a first-century terrorist, persecuting Christians. After meeting the resurrected Lord Jesus, he was transformed into one of the greatest missionaries the world has known. In the face of personal hardship and danger, he persevered in his divine mission of boldly proclaiming the grace of God in Christ, planting churches, and teaching believers. Although he saw himself as the chief of sinners, God used him to turn the world of his day upside down and leave a legacy through penning much of the New Testament.

Key Scripture

Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ…God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:8, 10)

Lessons Learned

1. Choose to fully surrender and persevere

Once Paul decided to follow Jesus, there was no turning back. His fully surrendered life and perseverance were governed by the truth that knowing Christ is the best thing in this world and the next. “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

2. Pray for courageous action

Paul’s prayer regarding his preaching the Gospel was,

And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should (Ephesians 6:19, 20).

God answered Paul’s prayer again and again.

3. Trust God through suffering

Paul trusted God implicitly when it came to suffering trials. “In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9). This was Paul’s perspective through the multitude of difficulties he faced.

4. Be passionately constrained

It was the Jews of whom Paul wrote, “for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them. They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children” (Romans 9:3, 4a). With passion, Paul modelled Christ’s constraining love towards the individuals he introduced to the Saviour and churches he planted in his travels (see Romans 16:1–16).

5. Have faith and endure

Paul endured a physical handicap while relying on the grace of God. “So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud” (2 Corinthians 12:7). Having a disability does not necessarily mean a liability. Paul teaches us that we can find an advantage in adversity. When God didn’t heal him of his handicap, Paul recognized God’s purpose in it and changed his attitude. God gave Paul the grace to deal with his adversity. Thereby, God’s power was displayed in Paul’s life.

Paul’s radical transformation following his encounter with Jesus fueled a passionate commitment to the Gospel. Paul gives believers a profound example of living for Christ with perseverance.