Paul is responsible for thirteen books in the New Testament. He wrote to individuals and churches. Nine times out of those books Paul referred to himself as an apostle. Three times he referred to himself as a servant. Once he called himself a prisoner. Some of the subjects in these books were church discipline, doctrine, church organization, the identity of Christ, treatment of fellow believers, leadership within the church. The book of Galatians was actually written to a group of churches in the area of Galatia.
Paul had the highest credentials possible as a Pharisee trained under Gamaliel, a Jewish scholar with a significant reputation. (Acts 5: 34; 22: 3) He was born in the city of Tarsus that had a considerable propaganda for culture which provided him with the use of the common Greek language exposing him to what the people spoke in the streets and marketplace. Originally his name was Saul which was a common Jewish name but in Acts 13:9 he shifts to the name Paul which made it more comfortable for him to deal with Gentiles. Most scholars believe that he came from a wealthy family and had a high position in the community as a tent maker. (Acts 18:3) as a student of law. He was expected to have a trade to support himself.
As a young man, he was an accomplice to the murder of the first Christian martyr, Stephen. He observed the spirit of Christians who lack bitterness when persecuted. This gave him an opportunity to witness the peace Christians hand that he is likely long for. He tried to resolve his own inner struggles by persecuting Christians but that intensified his unsettled soul. Paul was a man of inner conflict with his mind and heart embattled. When he had the experience on the road to Damascus, seeing a vision of Christ and talking to him, his enter struggles came to a new creative state of internal life. He referred to his experience as the power of Christ, the spirit of Christ and being in Christ. His transforming state was not made public until after he lived in Arabia seeking God for 10 to 12 years. Being the scholar that he was, Paul was a likely instrument of God to interpret Old Testament passages and the law while dictating to new Christians what a real life of Christ was.
In the same way Paul was driven as a Pharisee persecuting Christians, he was driven, obsessed, by his relationship with Christ and the Lord’s mission given to him. There was no room for compromise or question for how God intended believers to come into the fold. This is why Paul’s ministry quickly focused on Gentiles, not Jews. He was furthering the work of Christ to include anyone and everyone as part of the church, the body of Christ. He conducted three missionary journeys through much of the known world arriving in Rome where he was likely martyred by Nero. Before that, the 13 letters that he wrote were scholarly and authoritative. His own background presented himself to the world is a man who knew he was talking about. Paul being inspired by the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life, gave him conscious knowledge directly from Christ and that’s why he called himself an apostle even though he never interacted with Christ while Jesus was still on the earth.
Keep in mind how the apostle Paul presented himself as a servant, as a prisoner, and as an apostle. Never was he a braggart. Never did he demand financial or other types of support from others. His background, education, intense attitude, and closeness to Christ made him the ideal for us to learn from today.
Christian Writer 