Sunday, September 14, 2008

Paul and Even Greater Things.

3:30 PM by Christi Bowman

After realizing that the more in tune to the Spirit we become, and the more, with His help, we die to ourselves, the more Christ gets formed in us I read and reread Acts. There is so much excitement in that book as real people, like us, come alive with the help of the Holy Spirit. We quickly see the apostles stepping into their destiny as the Glory of God shines brightly through them. The man I most took notice of, though, was Paul.

He was Saul in chapter 8 as he stood by approving the murder of Stephen. In chapter 13, we read that he is also called Paul, and he is referred to by this name throughout the rest of the Bible. He is self proclaimed, in I Timothy 1:15, as being the worst of sinners.

Being very interested in how these early Jesus followers were able to so much more look and act like Christ than the Church today, I couldn't help but notice the parallels of Jesus' life with Paul's:

Paul's good bye, in Miletus, to the elders of the church (Acts 20:17-38) sounds very much like the conversation Jesus had with His disciples during the last supper (John 14-16). Jesus, in Matthew 16, predicts His death while setting His face towards Jerusalem. Likewise Paul, was also compelled to go to Jerusalem even in the face of sure persecution as foretold by the Holy Spirit. Paul stood trial because of the hatred of his own people just like Jesus, and just like Jesus the Roman leaders could find no fault with Paul. Also, just like Jesus, Paul tells us in II Tim 4:16 that he was deserted during his defense. On a boat, journeying to Caesar so that he could stand trial, Paul predicts a storm, and when no one heeds his warning he is still able to comfort the men on the boat by a word from the Lord. Jesus also comforted his disciples during a storm...though Jesus calmed the storm and Paul gave strength to weather it. On the boat the men had not eaten for 14 days because they had to throw out provisions in order to stay afloat during the storm. Paul took some bread and after giving thanks to God he broke it in front of them and began to eat. Paul urged the other 276 men on board to eat, and when all had eaten they had to lower the leftovers to lighten the ship (Acts 27:33-38). Jesus fed the 5,000 in the same way. Paul's boat was shipwrecked on the island of Malta, and during his 3 month stay he healed all their sick. Jesus also, wherever He went, healed the sick.

As I wrestle with my destiny I find it comforting, and believe it no accident, that God called out the "worst of sinners " to live out the life of Jesus in his flesh. Not only was Paul a persecuting murderer...but he was a religious pharisee as well. In Paul, we see the worst of both worlds collide and yet after an encounter with Jesus and the help of the Holy Spirit he was able to die completely to himself and embody Christ.

2 Timothy 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.

What are the possibilities?

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