The Humanity of Paul

A Look Into The Humanity
Of The Great Apostle

And How God Used Paul To Accomplish HIS Glory

Chapter One

Introduction: Without Paul
Doctrine of Confession: Homologeo
Emotionalism and God's Will

Introduction: Without Paul

It is impossible to overstate the contributions that the Apostle Paul made to Christianity, especially to we who are Gentiles in the flesh. Dr. Boyce W. Blackwelder stated in his book “Letters From Paul”:

“The Apostle Paul stands as the foremost evangelist and interpreter of the gospel of Christ. More than any other individual, the thinker from Tarsus promoted Christianity’s expansion into the Roman Empire, and ultimately the whole Western world came under the influence of his thought.” (Letters from Paul, page ix, Warner 1971)

In “Who’s Who In The Bible” (Reader's Digest) we read:

“Although he was the leading persecutor of Christians in the first years of the new faith, Paul became a believer in Jesus and the most influential voice – after Jesus Himself – in the history of the Church. Paul’s conversion placed him on the borderline between two worlds. He had been raised in a strict Jewish home that led him to devote his life to the defense of Mosaic Law against a “sect” that not only questioned that Law and worship in the Temple, but also claimed a crucified Galilean teacher was the Messiah. Paul’s transformation convinced him that indeed the crucified Galilean was the Messiah and Son of God and that the Messiah’s message was not only for Jews but also for Gentiles.”

Without Paul the elders of the Church of Jesus Christ would not have offered the Gospel to we who are Gentiles in the flesh. The earliest history of the Church bears this truth out. Or, if they had offered the Gospel of salvation to us lowly Gentiles, that Gospel would have only been offered with the caveat that we accept Jewish ritualism (such as the custom of male circumcision). The leaders of the early Church were given a very clear commission to preach the Gospel to all nations:

(Matthew 28:19-20 KJV) "Go ye therefore, and TEACH ALL NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: {20} Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

A commission that our Lord Jesus Christ ratified prior to His ascension to Heaven:

(Acts 1:8 KJV) "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

There was no ambiguity here. Some who would twist the Scripture out of context would say that Jesus only referred to Jews in Jerusalem, Judea, and in the uttermost part of the earth - but you can only make this twisted interpretation if you ignore SAMARIA and what Samaria meant to the Jews. No Orthodox civilized Jew would set foot in Samaria, for Samaritans were the hybrid offspring of Israel's disobedience. Those who inhabited Samaria were not considered Jews, but were regarded as shameful reminders to Israel that it bred with the heathen contrary with the commandment of God. Jesus used the term "Samaria" for a reason: He wanted His disciples to clearly understand that the Gospel message was now to be preached to all people, whether Jew or Gentile, Samaritan or Orthodox Jew. Yet for the first eight chapters of the Book of Acts the Apostles ignored the will of our Lord and stayed in Jerusalem - a decidedly Jewish territory. While the Church at Jerusalem grew and grew, the Gentile world that Jesus DEMANDED be incorporated into His Body was ignored by Church leaders who should have known better. Evangelization of the Gentiles was only accomplished in a experimental manner by godly men like Philip the deacon and evangelist:

(Acts 8:5 KJV) "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them." (cross-reference to Acts 6:1-6, the first deacons of the Church)

(Acts 8:26-27 KJV) "And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. {27} And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,"

Also the godly deacon Stephen went forth with the Gospel while the Apostles buried themselves in Jerusalem:

(Acts 6:9 KJV) "Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen."

The deacons, called by God to be "table waiters" in Jerusalem, became evangelists to the Gentile world out of necessity. God's Will will be done, dear believer - listen, dear Pastor, hear this, beloved flock - God's Will will be done. If you will not follow your calling then the Creator will raise up others to fill your deficiency. The same God who can "of these stones raise up children unto Abraham" (Matthew 3:9) can take a stone headed follower and raise up another to take his place. His Will will be done.

Prior to the beginning of Paul’s ministry, God sent the Gentile Cornelius to Peter to hear the Gospel message. FINALLY it began to penetrate Peter’s thick skull – what Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19 and Acts 1:8 was not some secret code. What Jesus said was what Jesus meant – WITNESS to the GENTILES:

(Acts 10:30-35 KJV) "And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, {31} And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. {32} Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. {33} Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. {34} Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: {35} But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."

Peter said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons". What an amazing statement! Yet, I suppose we should not take Peter to task too harshly, for how often have WE refused to leave our comfort zones when God called us to service? Peter heard Jesus' command and commission but he, as we ourselves have been guilty of, perhaps thought to himself "tomorrow - I'll go tomorrow". Perhaps he thought of a thousand reasons why he shouldn't leave his comfortable pulpit in Jerusalem. No matter. Peter at this point stands as a man without excuse. He understands that the Gospel of salvation through Christ is to be preached to all people, regardless as to their nationality. Did this spur him outward to new missionary fields? No, for though he knew that the Gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles, he still allowed earlier Judaistic thought to influence his thinking. Peter promoted preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, but allowed Judaizers to teach in the Church that the Gentile, in order to be accepted, must be circumcised. This is totally contrary to the salvation message of “Faith alone in Christ alone”. The message of the Gospel just wasn’t being promoted among the Gentiles. Then came Paul.

Jesus commanded that the early Church leadership promote the Gospel among the Gentiles, yet that same leadership stayed in and preached in areas that were predominantly Jewish. God allowed Saul of Tarsus (soon to become the Apostle Paul) to persecute the early Church:

(Acts 8:1-4 KJV) "And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. {2} And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. {3} As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. {4} Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."

Again, dear believer, God's Will will be done! What the leadership of the early Church would not do willingly – preach to the Gentiles at large – the Church would do when it was scattered. Saul so effectively persecuted the Church at Jerusalem that it scattered, carrying with it the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. God’s Will WILL be done, whether we support that Will or not.

Yet this was not enough. The Church needed an Apostle that would be firmly on the side of the Gentiles. The Jews had their representatives in the Church, as the eleven Apostles remained in Jerusalem even after the dispersion. As our text above states, "they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles". The Church needed an Apostle who would drive boldly forward into the Gentile mission fields. The other Apostles should have been obedient in this matter, but they were locked in their thinking in Judaistic thought.

So our Lord Jesus Christ commissioned another Apostle. This Apostle, himself steeped in Judaistic thought, would be flexible enough in his mind to accept the Will of Jesus in preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles. He would be a man that stood firmly in OUR corner, who would not add to the Gospel of Salvation by Faith in Christ. He would be a man that would be willing to go against the current trends and thoughts in religion and reach out to the Gentile world in love, telling us the “Good News” without impediment. This Apostle would not be the only Apostle to the Gentile Church as those who are hyperdispensationalists teach, but he would be the Apostle who predominantly ministered among the Gentiles. From the beginning his ministry would be to those outside of the nation Israel. Because he followed the Will of God in promoting Salvation by faith in Christ alone among the Gentiles, Paul would suffer seclusion, persecution, and ridicule from Jewish friends and family.

We who are Gentiles in the flesh are indebted to the Apostle Paul.

Yet Paul was not perfect.

Though Paul was one of the greatest men who ever lived and served our Lord Jesus, he was human, just as we are. Paul had his own place of ministry. He was to reach out to the Gentiles, to be the primary missionary to the Gentile world. Paul, because of this calling, walked a somewhat lonely path. Though he had helpers that assisted him in carrying the Gospel message, Paul was considered a pariah by the Orthodox Jewish community. He was also persecuted from within the Church, for many who had previously been Orthodox Jew and were now Christian mistakenly brought Judaistic ritual into the Body. When Paul addressed this error (predominantly in the Book of Galatians) he became an object of scorn in the First Church at Jerusalem. Many felt that Paul was a traitor to Israel itself – and this persecution prompted Paul to make a decision that he would live to regret.

Paul would leave a fantastic and fruitful ministry among the Gentiles in order to go to Jerusalem to explain his calling to friends and family there. His great hope was that he could lead Israel, or at least more of Israel, to salvation by faith in Christ. His motives were pure, without a doubt. Yet Paul was NOT called to be a missionary to Israel; the Church already had eleven Apostles locked in that time warp, focused on Israel. No, the Lord wanted Paul to do what he was called to do, to be a missionary to the Gentiles. Paul would live to regret his decision in going to Jerusalem.

Though it’s hard to consider, the Apostle Paul, like all of us, had an Old Sin Nature – and fell into grievous sin when he followed his own heart and that nature rather than the Will of God. In 58 A.D., while in a Roman prison because he stepped outside of the Will of God and went to Jerusalem, Paul wrote the following:

(Colossians 3:25 KJV) "But he that doeth wrong (Present Active Participle adikeo, keep on doing wrong) shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons."

Every believer, whether male or female, has a place that he or she is called to be in. Each one of us has an assigned role within the Plan of God. As Paul, under the guidance of God the Holy Spirit said:

(1 Corinthians 12:7-11 KJV) "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. {8} For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; {9} To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; {10} To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: {11} But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."

The humanity of Paul shows us that God disciplines the believer who walks away from HIS Will. God is no respecter of persons. Whether Apostle, minister, deacon, singer, Pastor, Minister of Music, Youth, or the Seniors - in any position you can name in the Body of Christ, if you walk away from God’s leading you can expect to be disciplined. I have seen self righteous Pharisees slaughter their Pastor in order to seize control of a congregation, only to have their efforts turn against them. People who should have known better are, even as you read these words, making decisions divorced from the Will of God - and they will suffer the consequences of their actions. God's Will will be done! Certainly when we slip into sin, if we recognize and confess our sin before God the Father, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin (1 John 1:9), and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But hear this, beloved. When we depart from the Will of God we may set a series of events into motion that, though the Father will certainly forgive us, the events, like falling dominoes, must continue to fall until all consequences are completed. Paul’s life was evidence of that.

(Ephesians 3:14-19 KJV) "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, {15} Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, {16} That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; {17} That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, {18} May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; {19} And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

(Romans 8:29 KJV) "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

Because we are members of the Family of God by faith in Christ, we are disciplined when we walk out of God’s will for our lives, or when we sin against God. This truth was stated before by Paul in Colossians 3:25, but is also highlighted in:

(Hebrews 12:5-11 KJV) "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: {6} For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. {7} If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? {8} But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. {9} Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? {10} For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. {11} Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."

The “chastening” {paideia: Strong's Concordance 3809}, discipline from a parent, in this case, God our Father, exists only to draw us back to God’s Will for our lives. I repeat, this chastening exists ONLY to DRAW US back to God’s Will. Once we recognize that we have moved into sin by Homologeo, confession of sin, then we are removed from the chastening – though NOT NECESSARILY the CONSEQUENCES of our actions. In the course of this study we will see how disobedience to the Will of God in the life of Paul led to his imprisonment – but we will also see how God used this imprisonment to spread the Gospel message throughout the Roman Empire.

Doctrine Of Confession: Homologeo

As humans, even as Christians, we are all imperfect beings. We are not perfect, nor can we achieve perfection in this life:

There are some within Christianity that have placed the Apostle Paul in the same position that they would place an idol. Though Paul wrote Scripture without error while under the control of God the Holy Spirit, (see studies here and here and here), he was not perfect and sinless. Only Jesus Christ holds the position of Perfect Man.

(Hebrews 4:14-15 KJV) "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. {15} For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

Jesus was and is sinless, perfect man, but Paul, just like us, was fallible. He was not perfect, nor did he pretend to be perfect, but he was a sinner saved by Grace.

(Philippians 3:12 KJV) "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

(1 Corinthians 15:42-44 KJV) "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: {43} It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: {44} It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."

(Romans 7:17-20 KJV) "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. {18} For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. {19} For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. {20} Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."

Though it would be improper to excuse or condone sin, it is a fact that Christians (even Paul) are not perfect. We still have an Old Sin Nature, and at times fall into sin. When we sin, we are to homologeo, confess our sin to God. When we do this, God forgives us of our sin because of the relationship we have with Him by faith in Jesus Christ our Savior:

(1 John 1:9 KJV) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse (katharizo, purifies) us from all unrighteousness. (adikia:G93, noun of adikeo)"

This is a condition that has always existed with God. Confess, and God will forgive you. Fail to recognize and confess your sin, and bring the discipline of God into your life.

(Psalms 32:5 KJV) "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah."

(Psalms 51:2-4 KJV) "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. {3} For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. {4} Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."

Just as we can neither earn nor deserve our salvation, we cannot earn nor deserve our return to fellowship with God. Salvation and its continued state is a Gift from God:

(2 Corinthians 9:14-15 KJV) "And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. {15} Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."

(Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man should boast. {10} For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

When we judge our own lives by confessing known sin to God, we remove the discipline of God from our lives:

(1 Corinthians 11:31-32 KJV) "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. {32} But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world."

However, sin does have its consequences. When we sin, we can bring into our lives uncontrollable circumstances that cannot be negated by the forgiveness of God. For instance, we can incur the AIDS virus by sexual sin, and kill others in the process. We can disobey the laws of our land and drive a vehicle while intoxicated, bringing death and injury to ourselves or others. Sinful actions on our part can cause the innocent to suffer. We, like Paul, can make decisions that imprison us. As believers we need to realize our own humanity and fallibility, but we also need to walk carefully lest a desire of the flesh lead us into terrible calamity.

Our Heavenly Father loves us, and only wants the best for our lives. For this reason we must reject all impulses that do not come from the clear teaching of the Word of God, and the clear leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As the blessed Apostle said:

(Ephesians 4:17-20 KJV) "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, {18} Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: {19} Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. {20} But ye have not so learned Christ;"

Emotionalism And God’s Will

As we progress through this study we will see that it was God’s will for Paul that he be the Apostle, the missionary to the Gentile world. Paul's ministry was directed toward this end, but instead he decided that he needed to present himself and the Gospel in Jerusalem. How foolish, for eleven Apostles – Peter among them - were focusing on evangelizing Jerusalem. What led Paul to move into a calling that was not his own?

As we said before, and will say again, Paul was just as human as you or I. He had the best of intentions when he headed to Jerusalem. Paul had a great love for his Jewish brethren:

(Romans 9:1-5 KJV) "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, {2} That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. {3} For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: {4} Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; {5} Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen."

Put yourself in Paul's place for just a moment. All of Paul's friends were in Jerusalem. His family was in Jerusalem. The Temple, along with the teachers that he so loved, were in Jerusalem. Being human Paul allowed his emotions to drive him toward the Holy City. He had a great desire to be (1) accepted of his brethren; and (2) to see those whom he loved saved by faith in Christ.

I certainly do not want to condemn Paul for his desires, for I would be a liar if I did not say that I have acted similarly in my lifetime. Who among us would not give our own lives if our children would but accept Christ as Savior? And who among us would not use every resource at our disposal to convince our parents, our brothers and sisters, our closest friends, and our coworkers to accept Christ as Savior? Only the most hard hearted believer would look the other way while those whom we love blindly stumble into eternal damnation. Yet, dear friends, when all is said and done, two things are absolutes in this life.

First, we cannot accept Christ for someone else, nor can we coerce them to the Cross. When I was young and new in Christ I so desired that my brother and sisters accept Christ as Savior. I remember threatening my younger brother to “accept Christ or else” – and foolish as I was, I was ready to give him a beating if it would lead him to Christ. Oh, but to let others see the vision of hell in my mind’s eye, and the vision of Heaven so clearly shown me by the Father! But, dear children, we cannot force others to Christ. I tried, and have tried many times in my life to cajole, to bully, to wheedle, to coax – but only God can lead the unbeliever to Christ. As much as it pains me, I can make no one accept Jesus – that is between them and their Maker. I pray that God will lead them to His breast for, as Charles Spurgeon said:

“I only know this, that if He had not sought me out, I would never have come to Him.”

Second, we are, one and all who are believers in Christ, members of the Family of God. As members of that Family, we are called to follow the Will and Word of the Creator. As creatures with emotions the Lord expects us to use those emotions. Yet He does NOT expect us to step outside of His will and Word in order to satisfy our emotions. We each have responsibilities to God. Paul had a great responsibility assigned to him by the Lord Jesus. His job as the Apostle to the Gentiles was to lead missionary journeys into the Gentile world. Though his great desire for Israel is understandable, a soldier must stand where he is placed. When the soldier in the army of God steps outside of his assigned area, ignoring the direction of our Lord Jesus, he can cause grievous harm to the whole mission. Those of you who have never served our country in the military may not understand that each member of the unit has to work together toward the Greater Plan if the Plan is to succeed. Though Paul was not in the governmental Army, he was in God’s Army. He was given an assignment, a vital assignment – to act as missionary to the Gentiles.....

Because as much as he wanted to go, he was NOT needed in Jerusalem. The other eleven Apostles were in and around Jerusalem and Israel, preaching to the Jews without ceasing. They were holding Church services on Solomon’s Porch:

(Acts 5:12 KJV) "And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch."

Which is part of the Temple in Jerusalem. Listen to me, beloved! The Jews couldn’t be more exposed to the Gospel, and many were accepting Christ as Savior. Paul had absolutely NO contribution to make to the effort to save Israel, other than to stir up trouble when he entered Jerusalem. Quite simply, his emotions got the best of him. Paul ignores the efforts of the other eleven Apostles and went to Jerusalem to participate in a ministry that he was not called to. His motivation was right, but his efforts were doomed to fail. His efforts were not God directed.

(John 14:26 KJV) "But the Comforter, (parakletos, mentor, consoler, intercessor, advocate) which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Paul did not follow the leadership of God the Holy Spirit when he went to Jerusalem. In fact, his disobedience in going to that city was extremely dangerous to both himself and the other believers there. Up to this point the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of elders in Jerusalem, had persecuted Christians, but had done so under cover. Believers were meeting for Church services on Solomon’s Porch. The Sanhedrin commissioned assassins to sneak around and attack the Church, but their most effective attack against Christianity came when they commissioned Saul of Tarsus to be their chief attacker. Saul was EXTREMELY effective in attacking the Church, and literally scattered the Church at Jerusalem about the countryside. Then Saul, who would become the Apostle Paul, met and accepted Jesus Christ as Savior.

Though this conversion of Paul on the Damascus Road was a fantastic blessing for the cause of Christ, the Sanhedrin regarded his conversion to be an act of treason. As long as Paul stayed out of Jerusalem, the headquarters of the Sanhedrin, he was relatively safe. These elders had no true authority in the Gentile lands where Paul preached and, insofar as they were concerned, as long as he stayed away from their city he was “out of sight, out of mind”. But when Paul entered Jerusalem the Sanhedrin would become livid. The traitor had come home and, believe it or not, wanted to speak in the Temple! Paul’s presence in Jerusalem was like throwing gasoline on a fire. Paul would later offer a Nazarite vow at the Temple in an effort to become more “politically correct” to the Orthodox Jewish element (Numbers 6:2-8):

(Acts 18:12-18 KJV) "And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, {13} Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. {14} And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: {15} But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. {16} And he drave them from the judgment seat. {17} Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things. {18} And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow."

But Paul would discover that compromise with the unbeliever never bears fruit. Though it may not have been sinful for Paul to offer the Nazarite Vow, the very action of taking this Old Testament Age of Israel vow did not promote the Gospel. No, it clouded the Gospel message, and allowed the Judaizer to say, “Paul did it, so it must not be wrong”. Yes, it was wrong. We are now in the Dispensation of the Church:

(Galatians 3:28 KJV) "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

(Colossians 3:11 KJV) "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all."

Though there are still genetic Jews and Gentiles, all become equally part of the Body of Christ at the point of salvation in Christ. The Old Law of Moses was fulfilled by Christ, and we now stand as one people, Jew and Gentile, in one Church Body – saved by the blood of Christ. To look backward and offer a Nazarite Vow would not be in keeping with the ONENESS of the Body that Paul so richly taught throughout His Church Epistles.

Summary of Chapter One

The Apostle Paul was a great man. In fact, I am certain that, without his intervention, the Gospel of Christ would not have been properly presented to the New Testament Church. God used Paul to correct the failures of the other eleven Apostles in fulfilling the Great Commission. Paul was used by God: First to scatter the Church at Jerusalem (when he was Saul of Tarsus) and second as the Apostle to the Gentiles. God used Paul to write inerrant Scripture to both genetic Jew and Gentile in the Church of Christ. Yet Paul was not perfect. He was, just as we all are, human. He allowed his great desire for Israel to lead him to where he was NOT called, an action of emotionalism that would eventually lead to his arrest and imprisonment.

But his humanity would not end his ministry, as we will see in the rest of this study. Read on, beloved of Christ, read on.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven