Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Research Project
NBST 520-B07
by
Jan H. Molina
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................1
Transcription .....................................................................................................................3
Transcription ......................................................................................................................6
Transcription .....................................................................................................................8
Transcription ...................................................................................................................11
Transcription ...................................................................................................................15
Transcription ...................................................................................................................17
Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................18
Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................19
ii
Introduction
Paradoxically, Paul, called Saul of Tarsus, is not one of the Apostles appointed by Jesus;
nevertheless, in his condition of Disciple, he is the one that wrote more books giving to know the
Without having belonged to the initial circle of the Twelve Apostles, and traveling on
paths marked by misunderstandings and adversities, "Paul" became the motor of construction
and expansion of Christianity in the Roman Empire, thanks to his talent, conviction and character
indisputably missionary. His thinking formed the so-called Pauline Christianity, one of the four
basic currents of early Christianity that eventually integrated the biblical canon.
The so-called “Pauline Epistles” are the primary sources that help to fix some dates of
Paul's life, establish a relatively precise chronology of his activity, and a quite finished
semblance of his impassioned personality. His writings, of which we have received copies as old
as the papyrus dating from 175-225, were unanimously accepted by all the Christian Churches.
His figure, associated with the summit of experimental Christian mysticism, was inspiring in arts
Christianity, since its earliest times, an inescapable source of doctrine, of spirituality and
Christianity.
On one occasion Paul himself wrote, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1
Corinthians 11:1). Through the example of Paul as an apostle, these lessons will inspire the
reader to study and apply in his life the apostle's lessons to the Gentiles.
1
Lesson # 1 - Who was Saul of Tarsus?
There was a man in the time of the apostles named Saul, born in a city called Tarsus,
located today in Turkey. Saul would mark not only his future, but the future of a people born in
A. Early Years
_____________________________________________________________________
2. What else does the Bible mentions about Saul’s first years? Philippians 3:5
_____________________________________________________________________
B. Education of Saul
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2
_____________________________________________________________________
C. Live
The purpose of this section is (1) to meditate on your past and on something that has
prevented you from surrendering to Jesus, then (2) analyze Saul's past and compare it
with yours.
D. Share
Saul had a past, like all who have reached the feet of Christ. Choose a companion from
your study group, and share some of your past situations that prevented you from approaching
Jesus, then pray with him or her. In prayer, intercede especially for those barriers of the past that
prevent you from giving yourself more to Christ and working on His cause.
Transcription
The Apostle Paul, is considered the first theologian and the greatest missionary of
Christendom, also called the Apostle of the Gentiles. He was born in Tarsus (now Turkey) and
his parents, faithful followers of the Jewish religion, called him Saul as the old Hebrew king and
on the eighth day was circumcised as stipulated in Jewish Law. It is also mentioned in Acts.
23:16 that he had a sister. He was educated with the utmost rigor, according to the Pharisaic
interpretation of the Law and as a young Jew of the Diaspora (the dispersion of the Jews in the
Greco-Roman world), he chose the Latin name of Paul, for his phonetic similarity with his.
His letters reflect a deep knowledge of Greek rhetoric, something he learned without a
doubt as a young man in Tarsus, but his models of thought also reflect a formal education in the
Mosaic Law, perhaps received in Jerusalem from the famous teacher Gamaliel, the Elder during
3
preparation to become in rabbi.1 An outstanding scholar of the Law and a staunch defender of
Jewish orthodoxy (see Ga.1:14; Phil 3:6), his zeal led him to persecute the early Christian
Church as a Hebrew sect contrary to the Law and which was to be destroyed (see Ga.1:13). The
Acts of the Apostles tells of his participation as a witness in the stoning of the young Esteban,
Lesson #2 – Conversion
Saul of Tarsus, encouraged by the zeal he had for his religion and for God, began to
persecute the early Christians. The persecution led to the martyrdom of even the leaders of the
rising church, but something would happen in Saul's life, which would change him forever.
A. Conversion
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
1
Charles L. Quarles, “Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological
Society (September 2005): 655-675.
4
_____________________________________________________________________
4. What two phenomena’s did Saul experience on his way to Damascus? Verses 3-4
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
C. Live
The purpose of this section is to meditate on the way Jesus called you to be a part of His
people.
5
D. Share
Every child of God has been called with a purpose. God has different purposes for each
of his children, the primary purpose is the salvation of his children, and the second is the
preaching of the gospel. Now take time to share with a group partner about the way God called
Transcription
Jerusalem to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19; 22:5-16; 26:12-18), which obviously implies a change
from one religion to another.2 For him, this revelation of Jesus Christ was the sign of the end of
all creeds and, therefore, of all religious differences (see Genesis 3:28).3 Instead he speaks with a
reiterated insistence that God “called him” to Christianity and to the evangelization of the
Gentiles. Although he recognized the legitimacy of his mission among the Jews, such as the one
carried out by Peter, he was convinced that Christianity was a call that God made to all people
If there is anyone special in the Christian church, that is Saul. It is the clear evidence that
God does not care who the person is, but what it can become in His hands. A murderer like Saul
2
Brittany E. Wilson, “The Blinding of Paul and the Power of God: Masculinity, Sight, and Self-Control in
Acts 9.” Journal of Biblical Literature (2014): 367-387.
3
Wendel W. Meyer, “Sermon: The Conversion of St. Paul.” Anglican Theological Review (2003): 13-17.
6
A. First mission after conversion
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
B. Paul’s vocation
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4
Sean M. McDonough, “Small Change: Saul to Paul, Again.” Journal of Biblical Literature (2006): 390-
391.
7
_____________________________________________________________________
C. Live
The purpose of this section is to meditate on your mission. Also in the gifts that God has
given you to build His church. Those who have received the Lord feel a burning desire to share
D. Share
Share with a classmate what you think is your calling. Also share what gifts you think
you might have and how you plan to use them. Then pray together so that, like Paul, you can
Transcription
Paul had just been converted and as soon as he came out of the waters of baptism he
began to have to overcome great obstacles. Of course, Paul’s experience is not unique, in fact
every new Christian will be tested. Now, the way in which our faith will be tested and the
temptations we will have to overcome will be different in each case. The devil knows us well and
knows in which areas of our lives we are most vulnerable. Paul was tested precisely in those
5
David J. Downs, “Paul’s Collection and the Book of Acts Revisited.” New Testament Studies (2006), 50-
70.
8
According to the well-known account contained in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul carried
out three clearly defined mission trips. His letters reveal that his missionary itinerary was guided
(1) His vocation to evangelize territories not yet trodden by other Christian evangelists,
hence his plans to head west to Spain (Ro 1:14 and 15:24-28), (2) his interest in revisiting his
own congregations when problems arose, such as his various visits to Corinth, and (3) his
unwavering determination to give himself in the Judeo-Christian Church of Jerusalem the money
collected in his Gentile churches. Although scholars do not convincingly grasp Paul’s motives in
this endeavor, it was indeed intended to unify the churches of their Gentile mission with those of
Speaking of his vocation, “Paul” makes it go back long before the event that occurred on
the road to Damascus. He states that “God had called him by his grace, from the womb.” At the
origin of his existence, even before his birth, "Paul" had been marked by the vocation. God had
put it away or had chosen it, that is to say that he had separated Paul from other men and the
world, to take possession of his life, reserving it for himself. He had called him by his grace, that
is to say that by an entirely gratuitous favor, he had decided to make him hear his call. In this
The apostle Paul was a man with the gift of speech. His eloquence reached the rich and
the poor, doctors and illiterates. He preached to Romans and Greeks, debated with Jews and
reached the first Christians. However, Paul fulfilled the task that bears the title of apostle.
9
Apostle means, “one who is sent.” Paul not only preached, but traveled to many places to plant
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
B. Paul’s Travels
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
10
C. Live
The purpose of this section is to meditate on the message you must carry, and to whom
you must preach it. We are all called to be apostles, and you are no exception.
D. Share
Share with a group partner what you think the message is. Also share who you think you
should preach, and what forms you should use to get the message across. At the same time, ask
Transcription
The Church of Antioch of Syria was the starting point of their travels, where for the first
time the Gospel was announced to the Greeks and where it was also coined the name
“Christians,” that is, believers in Christ. From there he first set out for Cyprus and then on
different occasions to regions of Asia Minor (Pisidia, Lycaonia, Galatia), and then to those of
Europe (Macedonia, Greece). More revealing were the cities of Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica,
In the apostolate of “Paul” there were no shortages, which he bravely faced for the sake
of Christ. He reminded himself that he had to endure “labors, imprisonments, scourges, dangers
of death, many times, three times I was beaten with rods, once stoned, three times I was
shipwrecked, frequent trips, dangers of rivers, dangers of robbers, of my race, the perils of the
Gentiles, the dangers in the city, the dangers of depopulation, the dangers of the sea, the dangers
of false brethren, work and fatigue, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, many days without food,
cold and nakedness. And apart from other things, my daily responsibility: the concern for all the
Churches.” In a passage of the Letter to the Romans his purpose to reach Spain is reflected, to
11
the edge of the West, to proclaim the Gospel everywhere to the ends of the land then known.
Why not admire such a man? How can we not thank the Lord for giving us such an apostle? It is
clear that he would not have been able to face situations so difficult, and sometimes so desperate,
if he had not had an absolute valuable reason before which there could be no limits. For “Paul,”
this reason, we know, is Jesus Christ, of whom he writes: “The love of Christ urges us... died for
all, lest those who live should live for themselves but for him who died and rose again for them
On the first missionary journey,6 in the year 46 together with Barnabas and his cousin
John Mark's assistant, they departed from Seleucia, the port of Antioch, to the island of Cyprus.
In Salamis they preached for a year. This was the first place where they preached to non-Jews,
that is, to the Gentiles or pagans. It was here that Saul began to be called by his Roman name
After this they leave the island of Cyprus.7 John Mark returned to Jerusalem. Paul and
Barnabas arrived up to the south of Galicia. As they found a bad reception by the Jews resident,
they decided to address the pagans, form communities and leave them to the care of managers.
The second trip was from the years 49 to 52. In this tour you will find less violent reactions than
in the previous trip, but these are not lacking and are quite serious. He visits the churches he
founded on the first trip and intends to continue preaching in Asia Minor but a message from
heaven prevents him and tells him to go to Europe to preach. He meets with two collaborators:
the evangelist St. Luke (whom he calls the most beloved physician) and Timothy, who will be
6
Jipp, Joshua W. “Paul: Missionary of Jesus-After Jesus, Volume 2.” Trinity Journal (2009), 293-294.
7
Tuner, Geoffrey. “Paul and the Globalization of Christianity.” New Blackfriars (2005), 165-171.
12
his most faithful secretary and servant, and whom after he will write two letters that have
become famous. The first city of Macedonia that he visited was Philippi (in dreams he heard
someone asking for help and going to Macedonia, where he healed a girl who guessed the future.
When they finished the business to those who charged for every divination, they attacked against
Paul and his companion Silas, and they fiercely beat them up, but in the prison where they were
taken, they succeeded in converting and baptizing the jailer and his whole family Paul always
kept a great affection for the inhabitants of Philippi and they drove after one of his most
He then went to the city of Athens, which was very famous for its culture and its
philosophers. There he preached, although many people laughed at him for speaking that Christ
had risen, converted several people. Then he went to Corinth an important merchant’s port.
There he spent a year and a half preaching, achieving a large number of conversions. From here
the letters will come to the Corinthians. In the spring of the year 54 he began his third missionary
journey, established his center of operations in Ephesus, capital of Asia Minor. He stayed there
for about three years. In the light of the conflicts that arose in the community of Corinth, he
wrote the first letter to the Corinthians in the year 54 and the second letter to the Corinthians at
the end of 57. In the face of conflicts with the Judeo-Christians, he wrote letters to the
He traveled to Corinth at the end of 57, where he spent the winter. He wrote the letter to
the Romans in the spring of 58 and returned to Jerusalem to deliver the collection of Christian
communities from paganism. In Jerusalem Jews from Antioch accused him of violating Jewish
law and attempted to kill him in a revolt. The Roman tribune, Claudius Lisias prevented him
13
from being assassinated, imprisoned and sent to the province of Judea, where he was held by
procurator Felix for two years, from 58 to 60, waiting for a ransom for his freedom. In the Letter
to Philemon “Paul” declares himself an old man. (He wrote it when he was a prisoner, in the
mid-fifties in Ephesus, or in the mid-sixties in Caesarea or Rome.) At that time, old age was
supposed to reach the age of 50 or 60. Porcio Festo succeeded Marco Antonio Felix as Judea’s
procurator. Paul appealed to his right as a Roman citizen to be tried in Rome. After an uneven
journey, he arrived in Rome in the spring of the year 61 and was released in 63.
Paul is a great example for Christians. This man was called by Christ from his own
darkness to His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). From his calling, Paul developed a close
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
B. His trust
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
14
6. What was Paul’s passion? 1 Corinthians 9:16
_____________________________________________________________________
C. Live
The purpose of this section is to meditate on Paul's relationship with Jesus, and at the
D. Share
Share with a group partner where you believe your relationship with Christ is. From zero
to five, with zero being the worst and five being the best, evaluate yourself, not with the goal of
Transcription
Paul was a fascinated, in love with the person of Christ. Meeting with the Risen Jesus
was the greatest, most profound and decisive experience of his life. Experience of joy, love and
freedom. Christ broke the slab of the sepulcher of his pride and self-sufficiency, which was
peculiar to the Pharisees, and raised him from within. From now on he will feel the need to
evangelize: “Woe to me if I do not evangelize!” “The love of Christ pushes me.”8 Passionate for
the Truth, he preaches it in Arabia and in Damascus and is moved to tears by an unbelieving or
idolatrous city. It preaches the naked truth of all human adornment, and preaches it in time and
out of time. His sufferings, which he knows are invaluable, because in them the whole body
participates, the heart that suffers and cries, the will that accepts and offers, and the faith that
gathers merit, are mainly the doors that open the doors to the gospel everywhere, “As a mother
8
Daniel R. Langton, “The Myth of the ‘Traditional View of Paul’ and the Role of the Apostle in Modern
Jewish-Christian Polemics.” Sage Journals (September, 2005): 69-104.
15
lovingly cares for her children, so, in our tenderness for you, we would have wanted to give you
together. Our work and our sufferings, we labored day and night, so as not to burden any of you
Lesson # 6 – Be Imitators
The testimony of Paul is in the Bible so that the readers follow his example. Paul had a
bad past, but was restored by Christ, began to preach to him who saved him. Paul was called to
be an apostle, and he was a great missionary. Thanks to Paul, the gospel was spread outside
Israel.
A. Imitators
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. In which ways did Paul imitate Jesus? Acts 19:8; Acts 20:25, cf. Mark 1:14-15;
_____________________________________________________________________
B. Imitating Jesus
16
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
C. Live
The purpose of this section is to meditate on who you are imitating. Sometimes humans
tend to imitate the artist of the moment. Even within the church, some may tend to imitate a
famous preacher.
D. Comparte
Share with a group partner how you would like to imitate Jesus. What aspects of the
character of the Savior you would like to reflect. Then pray together and ask to be transformed
Transcription
In Mark 1:1 we read about the beginning or beginning of the gospel, or of the message, of
Jesus Christ. In verses 14 and 15, “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom
of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” “Now it came to pass, afterward, that He
went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of
God. And the twelve were with Him” (Luke 8:1). What did the risen Jesus and his disciples talk
17
about? Luke tells us in the same passage that it was no other than the kingdom of God, “...being
seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God”
(Acts 1:3).
It is shown that the gospel preached by Jesus and his disciples in different towns and
cities was the kingdom of God. Jesus Himself said that for this, that is, for the preaching of the
kingdom of God, He was sent by His Father into the world (Luke 4:43).
Likewise, Paul begins to imitate the preaching of Jesus. “And he went into the synagogue
and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the
kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). He told the Ephesians that he had come to them “Preaching the
Kingdom of God” (Acts 20:25). Paul preached about Jesus as the ruler of a literal kingdom is
evident from the reaction of his adversaries in Thessalonica. They accused Paul of saying things
that “acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus" (Acts 17:7). It
is either that the coming kingdom of Jesus was seen as a threat to the Roman emperor.9 We can
be sure that the preaching of a mystical or symbolic king would not have raised such a reaction.
While in prison for his beliefs he was able to say to his visitors: “because for the hope of Israel I
am bound with this chain” (Acts 28:20). This hope is defined a few verses later, “...the kingdom
of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from
All his activity in prison is summarized in the last verse of Acts: “preaching the kingdom
of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one
9
Davina C. Lopez, “Paul, Apostle to the Conquered: Reimagining Paul’s Mission.” Journal for the Study
of the New Testament (July, 2010): 73-86.
18
forbidding him” (Acts 28:31). Now Paul says, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (1
Corinthians 11:1). Are you imitating Paul in his evangelical work, as he did with Christ?
Conclusion
From the Acts of the Apostles it is known that Paul was imprisoned in Jerusalem after the
riots provoked by his Jewish antagonists, and that he was taken to Rome. In the same text he also
refers to the possibility of his death (see Acts 20: 24; 20:38). Most likely he was executed in
The New Testament contains thirteen epistles bearing the name of Paul as the author,
seven of them written almost certainly by him: 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians,
the Romans, the Philippians, and Philemon. These letters, in which he sometimes speaks of his
personal experience and his work, are the main source of concrete news about his life and most
scholars concentrate on them, referring to the Acts of the Apostles as a subsidiary source.
In Paul's life any Christian could be seen reflected. He was rescued, ordained and guided in the
ministry. He traveled as a missionary in the region to spread the gospel. He had opponents and
was persecuted, but the apostle always had a close relationship with Christ, and in the end, won
19
Bibliography
Downs, David J. “Paul’s Collection and the Book of Acts Revisited.” New Testament Studies
(January, 2006): 50-70.
Jipp, Joshua W. “Paul: Missionary of Jesus-After Jesus, Volume 2.” Trinity Journal (Fall 2009):
293-294.
Langton, Daniel R. “The Myth of the ‘Traditional View of Paul’ and the Role of the Apostle in
Modern Jewish-Christian Polemics.” Sage Journals (September, 2005): 69-104.
Lopez, Davina C. “Paul, Apostle to the Conquered: Reimagining Paul’s Mission.” Journal for
the Study of the New Testament (July, 2010): 73-86.
Mammoser, Thomas. “Peter and Paul, Apostles.” Currents in Theology and Mission. 35.2 (Apr.
2008): 154.
McDonough, Sean M. “Small Change: Saul to Paul, Again.” Journal of Biblical Literature
(Summer, 2006): 390-391.
Meyer, Wendel W. “Sermon: The Conversion of St. Paul.” Anglican Theological Review
(Winter, 2003): 13-17.
Quarles, Charles L. “Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography.” Journal of the Evangelical
Theological Society (September 2005): 655-675.
Tuner, Geoffrey. “Paul and the Globalization of Christianity.” New Blackfriars (March 2005):
165-171.
Wilson, Brittany E. “The Blinding of Paul and the Power of God: Masculinity, Sight, and Self-
Control in Acts 9.” Journal of Biblical Literature (2014): 367-387.
20