Sabbath school bible study guide/ Lesson 11- Paul: Background and call

Happy sabbath to you all.

This is my first time of sharing with you our lesson study and I have decided as much as I can to always share the lesson study for the week.

The lesson study for this quarter ( July to September) is captioned MISSIONARIES. We've studied previously about alot of missionaries: Abraham been the first missionary and lots more like Ester, Peter, Philip, and Jesus the master of all missions.

From the lessons studied previously, we have been able to understand how these missionaries worked for the progress of God's works and how we can emulate these missionaries in spreading God's words.

Today's lesson is captioned : 

Paul, Background and call

Memory Text: "But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of is real. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name" (Acts 9:15, 16, NIV).

INTRODUCTION

One of the most central figures in the New testament was Paul, originally Saul of Tarsus. Paul was to the early Christian church what Moses was to the children of Isreal. The difference is that while Moses brought God's people out from the Gentiles in order that Isreal would be able to do God's will, Paul brought God's word from Israel to the Gentiles in order that the Gentiles could do the same, that is, to do God's will. More is known about Paul than any other first-century Christian. He is especially remembered for significant contributions to the tremendous Christian outreach during the past two millenia. His missionary visits and activities to the nation's around the Mediterranean Sea set a powerful example for Christian missions in coming generations. Paul is credited with lifting biblical absolutes from their Jewish culture, where civil, ritual, and moral laws were so integrated into the fabric of Jewish life that there was hardly any distinction between the Jewish custom and what they thought was God's everlasting message to the nations.

Saul was born in Tarsus. Saul parents were Diaspora Jews ( Jews who were not living in the land of isreal) from the tribe of Benjamin. His birth name was Saul though, after he began his mission to the Gentiles (Acts 13:9), he took the name Paul( Latin Paulus, name of a prominent Roman family). 

Paul's pharisaic background was an important element in his successful missionary work for both Jews and Gentiles. It equipped him with detailed knowledge of the Old testament, the only scripture available for the early Christian.

Paul was clearly a man of great conviction and zeal. Before his born-again experience, he used his zeal to persecute the early church. He supported the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), took the initiative in imprisoning Christian women as well as men (Acts 8:3), made murderous threats against the disciples (Actsb9:1) and organised a raid on Christians in a foreign country (Acts 9:2, Gal. 1:13)

At the same time, too, we can see how his zeal and fervency were to be used for good, as he dedicated his life to the preaching of the gospel, despite incredible hardships and challenges. Only a man totally dedicated to what he believed would have done as he did. And though he lost all things for Christ, he counted them as "rubbish". Paul was also a humble man . No doubt, partly from the guilt of his former persecution of Christians, he viewed himself as unworthy of his high calling.

   " One ray of the glory of God, one realm of the purity of Christ, penetrating the soul, makes every spot of defilement painfully distinct, and lays bare the deformity and defects of the human character".

One thing is certain about all of Paul's missionary endeavours: no matter where he went, the preaching of Christ and him crucified was central to his message. By making it so, he was been faithful to the call that christ has first given him, that he should preach about Jesus.

The message for missions today is obvious: whatever else we preach and teach, we must keep christ and Him crucified at the front and center of all our outreach and mission work.

Think about the last time you witnessed to someone, in whatever capacity. How central was Jesus to what you said? How can you make sure that you always keep him central?

Thanks for reading.

Love always, Martyna.