Real Hope: Acts (A Study of Acts 18 -23)Sample

All in for the Gospel

It’s difficult to overstate the impact that Paul of Tarsus has had on world history. His theology is the backbone of church doctrine. Movements have come and gone as the interpretation of his writings has changed. It wouldn’t be reaching to suggest Paul’s thought has shaped western moral consciousness.

Yet for all this, Paul himself remains a bit of an enigma. It’s sometimes tempting to think of him as a theologian writing from a comfortable chair. The reality is almost the opposite. As we read through Acts, we discover a life lived all in for the Gospel. Paul was a church planter and evangelist who left it all on the road. He followed the Holy Spirit through the heights of success and the depths of despair. He faced some of the most bizarre circumstances as people struggled to fit his countercultural message into their existing ideas. He confounded Jews, Gentiles, and even the original apostles, to forge a new way that would become what we now understand as orthodox Christianity.

When we first meet the apostle in Acts 7, he is one of the key ringleaders in the persecution of The Way–a new messianic movement troubling the peace around Jerusalem. Only two chapters later, this same man is passionately advocating for Messiah Jesus in the synagogues in Damascus. What on earth happened? As we’ve read, he encountered Jesus. Paul’s radical transformation is a reminder of just how compelling this Jesus is. Take a moment to think about your own story. Is there a moment when you first encountered Jesus? Was it more of a slow burn? Either way–how has your encounter with Jesus shaped your story?

Written by CHRIS GRESHAM-BRITT

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