Paul bashing is a popular past-time both within and without the church. Even Christians do this. They try and divide Jesus and Paul, to distinguish the two. 'I love Jesus', they say, 'but I can’t handle Paul!' 'Jesus - all loving, all accepting, nice to children, friend to sinners - I like him. Paul - narrow, harsh, restrictive doctrinaire, more Pharisee than Christian - No, I don’t like him!'
Go into Angus and Robertson or Dymocks or some other secular book shop, try and find their religious book section. Hidden away behind all the new age and self help books, past the pop psychology and books about Oprah, underneath the plastic encased confirmation award bibles and children’s bibles, hidden away there somewhere, you’ll find the so called ‘Christian’ books. And most of them would have this view of Paul. Purple-shirted bishops write them. Religious academics write them, giving the world what they want to hear.
And they say, 'It’s Paul, not Jesus, who condemns homosexuality, lesbianism and the gay lifestyle. It’s Paul, not Jesus, who says wives must submit to husbands in everything. It’s Paul who says women should not teach or have authority in the church. It’s Paul who tells women to stay at home and look after children. After all, he says women will be saved through childbearing! And it’s Paul who tells slaves to obey their masters. He even sent one back when he ran away! Here is Paul the homophobe, Paul the misogynist, Paul the chief agent for the continued oppression of slaves and women and homosexuals. And they say, surely this is not the Christianity of Jesus! This is not what Jesus taught!
They would have us keep 1 Corinthians 13, that’s good for weddings and bookmarks and wall hangings, and a few scraps taken out of context about God’s infinite love and acceptance. But they would have us excise from our bibles 1 Timothy 2, and Ephesians 5, and Romans 1, and 1 Corinthians 6, and Titus 2. Because none of this applies anymore, and maybe Paul didn’t even write them. Someone lied and put Paul’s name to it.
Well, today, I want us to reject all this, and stand with the Apostle Paul. [We have a church called St Paul’s Warragamba. To you I say, 'People of St Paul’s, stand with St Paul! That's not too much to ask, is it? To stand with the Apostle after whom you are named?']
The Apostle Peter said that Paul’s writes with the wisdom that God gave him (2 Peter 3:15-16). So if we reject St Paul, we also reject St Peter. Sure, Paul has some things that are hard to understand, and that ignorant and unstable people distort them. But what part of Scripture hasn’t been twisted?
And today’s reading shows us that if we reject Paul, we also reject Jesus. Because Jesus sent Paul. And Paul was exactly the sort of apostle people like us need.
Now it is probably but not definite that no-one here is Jewish. I could be wrong, but my guess is we are all non-Jews. The bible word for us is ‘Gentiles’. We’re in the rest of the world team.
And as we read the gospels, we see that Jesus confined his personal, earthly ministry almost exclusively to Jews. Jesus taught and preached and healed among his own people. He stayed within the boundaries of the relatively small Jewish community. And we read not just once that Jesus refused to go to Gentiles. It wasn’t that he wasn’t able. Jesus made a deliberate decision to not minister to Gentiles.
For example, Jesus at first ignored a desperate Canaanite woman. He says to her in the midst of her despair about a sick child, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel' (Matthew 15:24; compare Mark 7:24ff). We need to factor this event into our views about gentle Jesus meek and mild. Only her dogged persistence, only her preparadness to be likened to a Canaanite lapdog catching the crumbs that fall from the Jewish table, brings her the reward she sought.
Similarly, around this time, Jesus commanded the 12 apostles not to go to the Gentiles. 'Do not go to the Gentiles.' Their ministry, like his, was to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 10:5).
In fact, when Greek Gentiles ask to see Jesus, Jesus treats this as the trigger to head off to Jerusalem to die (John 12:20). In other words, 'The Gentiles want my ministry, so it's time to die!'
Now, there are of course other instances when Jesus does minister to Gentiles. The Centurion and the Demoniac are two examples. But Jesus’ attitude was clear. ‘I was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel’.
And that might seem very discouraging to us Gentiles. What’s wrong with us? Why doesn’t Jesus want to deal with people like us, or speak with us? Are we not good enough for the Son of God?
But even though God sent Jesus almost exclusively to the lost sheep of Israel, Jesus did have a plan for us. For Jesus intended to be rejected by his own people. And they did kill him by the hand of Gentile soldiers, as he planned. But Jesus also rose again. He rose as King, not just of the Jews, but his resurrection and ascension marked Jesus out as the ruler of the whole world.
And it was then that our risen King turned to consider us Gentiles. Good things are worth waiting for. And Jesus had a good thing in store for us. For Jesus had a special plan.
Jesus took a man who by his own admission was the most bigoted, murderous, anti-Gentile, anti-Christian there was: Saul of Tarsus, whose Roman name was Paul, meaning ‘small’, hater of Christians and Gentiles together. And the Risen and Glorious Jesus grabbed small Saul-Paul mid-stride, on one of his pogroms, knocked him to the ground on the Damascus Road, blinded him for three days, and said these things:
'This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.' (Acts 9:15 NIV)
Again…
'I will send you far away to the Gentiles' (Acts 22:21 NIV).
And yet again…
'I am sending you to them [the Gentiles] to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' (Acts 26:17-18 NIV)
Jesus turned small Saul Paul from a bully to a believer. And then Jesus sent Paul to us.
Jesus handpicked Paul. If you’ve got a problem with Paul, complain to Jesus. Because Jesus chose him, picked him, changed him and sent him. You cannot say 'I like Jesus but not Paul', because Paul is the way Jesus ministers to us. Jesus sent Paul. We Gentiles only know Jesus because Paul brought him to us. That which Jesus didn't do himself, Jesus didn't leave undone. In love, Jesus sent the small man to us, Saul, also known as Paul.
Who was this Paul? What was his background? We learn this from both Luke, and from Paul’s letters.
Paul was born in Tarsus, and was a citizen of that city (Acts 21:39). Now, not everyone born in Tarsus was a citizen of Tarsus. There was a property qualification. So his family was probably wealthy. It’s likely his family trade was leatherwork and tent making. And it seems that their business had prospered.
Paul was also a Roman Citizen. He received this at birth. This was an unusual privilege for someone to have outside Rome. Possibly, his father or grandfather had been rewarded with it. Roman Citizenship gave Paul the protection of the mighty Roman empire, a fact which would be important in his later Christian life (see Acts 22:25-29, 23:27). And as a Tarsian, he grew up speaking Greek. This was the language of commerce and trade in the Roman empire (Acts 21:37).
But Paul was also a Jew. He was from the tribe of Benjamin. So his parents named him after the greatest member of that tribe, King Saul (Romans 11:1; Philippians 3:5). His parents circumcised him on the 8th day, in fulfillment of the Law of Moses. And Paul grew to be proud of his heritage.
From his youth, Paul would also have spoken Aramaic, the language of Jewish Palestine. For Jerusalem was where Paul was raised. Probably while Jesus was ministering around the countryside, Paul was a rich young ruler in the city, pursuing his studies at the Pharisaic School of Gamaliel. His education was strict, we might say, ‘fundamentalist’. He was taught the law and the traditions of the fathers (Acts 22:3). And more than likely, he would have learned Hebrew, so that he could interpret the Scriptures.
An analogy might be the family of a young intelligent muslim youth, whose parents are from Pakistan. The boy is born in Australia, so he knows English, the world language. And his Pakistani parents speak Urdu at home, so he knows that. But they want him educated in Pakistan so he can study Islam at the feet of a great Muslim scholar. So he also learns to speak Arabic, and is fluent in Urdu, as well as English. He is at least Trilingual, like many people in our Europe or Asia. If such a boy exists, he would have an analogous background to Paul.
Paul looks back at his education at Jerusalem as a period of success, at one level. He thrived, he made progress. He says of himself:
'I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.' (Galatians 1:14 NIV)
He knew the Old Testament Scriptures and the Jewish Traditions. And he combined this with a zeal, even obsession. More like ‘Hitler Youth’ than ‘Youth Group’. He can say of his adherence to the law before he became a Christian:
‘…as for legalistic righteousness, faultless’ (Philippians 3:6 NIV).
When he looked at God’s law, at least it’s outward observance, he could have said with a straight face what an anonymous rich young rulers says in the gospel accounts:
‘All these I have kept since I was a boy’ (Matt 19:20; Mark 10:20; Luke 18:21).
Paul’s upbringing would fit him for his Christian mission later in life. He knew Greek, the language of the Roman Empire. Peter and John who were Palestinian Jews. They were probably not that fluent with Greek. But Paul was a Hellenistic Jew, born in a Greek speaking city. He was familiar with the words and ways of the Greek speakers. As Joseph and Moses knew the wisdom of the Egyptians, and as Daniel was trained in the wisdom of the Babylonians, so Paul knew the Greek poets and prophets (Aratus Phaenomena 5, Ceanthes?: Acts 17:28; Epimenides, de Oraculis: Titus 1:12; Menander, Thais (218): 1 Corinthians 15:33). But he also had the benefit of schooling in Jerusalem, under the respected elder Gamaliel. He was trained as a Rabbi, to know the Old Testament Scriptures and the traditions of the elders. And added to all of this, he had all the zeal of a Pharisee. No wonder he looks back and says, ‘God …set me apart from birth’ (Galatians 1:15).
Well, after Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and the day of Pentecost 50 days later, the gospel of Christ spread through Jerusalem like wildfire by the power of the Spirit. They must have been heady weeks and months in Jerusalem. Thousands of Jews believed that Jesus was the Christ and now risen. Jerusalem was filled with the teaching. Jewish pilgrims from around the world would have taken the news about Jesus back home with them. And there seemed nothing the authorities could do.
Paul’s teacher, Gamaliel was taking the softly, softly approach. 'Let the Apostles go', Gamaliel said 'It will come to nothing if it’s not from God'. (Acts 5:34-40) 'It’s just a phase they’re going through – they’ll come round.' But Paul would have observed that sitting around, waiting for Christianity to fade away, wasn’t working. In fact, more and more people kept coming to Christ. Even some priests became Christians (Acts 6:7). And many Greek speaking Jews – Jews like Paul - had become Christians, too. This was getting way out of hand.
So in steps the Synagogue of the Freedmen. These are Paul’s type of men. They are Greek speaking Jews (Acts 6:9), like Paul. Many come from Paul’s province, Cilicia (Acts 6:9). They do something. They challenge Stephen, one of the leading Greek speaking Christians. They are men of action, they do what has to be done. Sure they cut a few corners, maybe don’t do things by the book. But it was for a good cause. And they took Stephen out, made sure the case stacked up, and stoned him to death.
And that is where we meet the young Saul. Saul stands there, like his Old Testament namesake, among the bags, the young man watching the clothes. Watching, and approving of the killing. Finally some action against the blasphemers, the sect of the Nazarene!
Stephen’s murder marks a turning point, both for the church and for Paul. The church is scattered from Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). Now there is an organized crack down on them. And Paul sets himself to pursue them. Paul got the taste of blood, and wanted more. It drove him from house to house, synagogue to synagogue, looking for Christians. Men, women, it doesn’t matter. They are a danger. Perhaps they might recant. So Paul tried to make them blaspheme (Acts 26:11). He himself blasphemed Jesus (1 Tim 1:13).
But if they don’t turn, they must be destroyed. And it seems Paul picked the stubborn ones (Acts 26:10), the ones that preferred death for Christ to denial of Christ. And that is why he is traveling to Damascus.
But at that very point, Jesus steps in. When Paul was midstride on his wicked pogrom, that was just the right time. Because Jesus is all about justifying the wicked. It was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us. And it was while Paul was still bullying believers that Christ made him one. And so the hunter becomes the hunted. The pursuer was pursued. Christ caught him and turned his life around.
Perhaps you think you are too far gone, too sinful to receive God’s mercy. Too hardened to Christ, too much water under the bridge. Maybe you are, humanly speaking. Perhaps your family or friends have gone too far; too much blasphemy of Christ, too much sinful opposition to Christ and his people.
Well, Jesus Christ is in control of the universe. Nothing has slipped under his radar. No matter what opposition or persecution has happened, Christ is in control. Jesus knows, and has allowed whatever has happened, for his own reasons. And the power is his to turn the sinful, wicked, mad, bigot around. Paul is an example of this. He was once a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man (1 Timothy 1:13-17). Yet he was shown mercy. He believed Jesus was a deceiver and blasphemer. He was himself arrested by the same glorious Jesus Christ who is both Lord and Saviour. Paul learnt this by experience. He would later write:
'Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.' (1 Timothy 1:15-16 NIV)
Paul shows us that none of us are too far gone for God. You are not the worst sinner. There was one much worse than you: the apostle Paul. He is Christ’s great trophy, who shows that Christ can save anyone he wants.
But Paul was saved to suffer. That is what the risen Jesus Christ said. Verses 15 and 16:
'This man is my chosen instrument [lit elect vessel] to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.' (Acts 9:15-16 NIV)
We do not leave today’s reading before we see Paul’s suffering. The Damascus Jews wanted to kill Paul. So he fled. Later the Palestinian Jews wanted to kill him. So he fled. And that would mark his life thereafter. For this is the way of Christ. Rejection by people, suffering, and death. That is why Jesus said he must suffer. Paul carries a treasure in his earthen vessel. The treasure is the name of Jesus Christ. And the way of that name is suffering in his weak body.
In 2 Corinthians 11, forced to justify himself and his actions before a hostile church, he writes of his sufferings, his hard work, sleepless nights, floggings, shipwrecks, beatings, hunger, thirst, and worries about the church (2 Corinthians 11:23ff). All on Christ’s commission. All to get the message of Christ to the Gentiles. All of it for us. No wonder Paul says he fills up in his flesh what is lacking regarding Christ's afflictions (Colossians 1:24)!
Are you a Christian? Do you see how much you owe the Apostle Paul, humanly speaking? Yes, at one level, he was nothing – merely a servant. But at another level… He is Jesus’ 'chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.' (Acts 9:15 NIV). He is our Apostle. I hope you thank God for him, and believe everything he writes. Don’t join in the chorus, ‘Oh yes, but that was just Paul, but Jesus thinks differently.’ Jesus sent Paul and told Paul what to think and say. Instead, follow Paul’s example, as Paul follows Christ. For if you follow Paul, you follow Christ. Just like the Apostle Peter did, who said that God gave him the wisdom to write the things he did. For Paul is the one who brought Jesus to Gentiles like us.
Let’s pray.