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The Gospel According To Paul

Apart from Jesus, who was the greatest New Testament figure?

We have John the Baptist, Peter, Mary, etc… but none compare to the significance of the ministry of the Apostle Paul when it comes to teaching church doctrine, and to the formation of the local church pattern, and when it comes to missions.  He was the greatest.

  There were men doing great things before Paul, e.g. Peter, Phillip, James, etc…, but when Paul walked into the New Testament in Acts 9, we soon became acquainted  with the deepest theologian of all times.

   It was through him God chose to reveal church doctrine, and the operations of the local church, ( Col.1:25-26; Eph. 3:2-5)

   The greatest of these being plan of salvation.

  Salvation was made known before Paul stepped on the scene, but it was never made more clear that when God began to speak through him in his letters to the churches.

  When speaking about Paul’s writings, Peter said, 2 Peter 3:16…in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; In which are some things hard to be understood…There are some things hard to understand, but one thing he made very clear, how to get saved.

  I’m not much for church tradition or man- made treaties, but I would like to quote an excerpt from the Baptist Confession of 1689:  “All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves,  not alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned in a due use of ordinary means, may attain to a sufficient understanding of them.”

  Paul made it clear how to be saved and he made it clear it was our duty to see other saved.

  There will never be another Apostle Paul.  He was an example to us all.

  Through his example we can examine our life and see where we are concerning missions.

 I.                   His Conversion Experience (v.15-16 grace)
 When he penned down 2. Cor. 5:17 he knew what he was talking about.  (Gal. 1:23) 
  He saw how the Gospel affected others.
  His love for God and his hatred toward sin.

 II.                His Concern for Others
We hear of sacrifices made from others throughout the centuries, but never like the Apostle Paul.
1. We see it in his words, (Rom. 9:3)
2. We see it in his travels, Four recorded mission trips over a period of twenty years. 
3. We see it in his sacrifices, (2 Co. 11:16-28)

III.             His Continual Fruit (1Tim. 2:3-6)