Of all the deciples Jesus trained for his work only Paul was trained in the ministry. He was trained to be a Jewish leader but the Lord needed him for something more. While Jesus was amung us here on Earth the two men never met. But Jesus never lost sight of him.
The fear of Jesus brought the Jewish leaders of the Sanhedrin and the Rabis to seek his life. The fear was of the change that Jesus death would bring to they're way of life. It would bring an end to the life and service of the temple that had been in place from the time of Moses. It was change they did not want.
We first learn of Pail at the stoning of Steven. A young man choosen by the deciples to replace Judus who betrayed our Lord for a bag of gold coins. Steven was a dedacaded young man who spoke before those men in the temple of the truths they refused to hear. When they stoned him he never stoped his praise to the moment of death.
The one most noted for his death was Saul. Given the charge of percecuting the new christian movement in the land. When he met Jesus on the Damascus road his heart was forever changed. He had been given a new purpose. A new life of service for the Lord and the growing ministry in those early days it desperatly needed.
Paul was chosen to bring the new and the old teachings together. For our benefit his gift was the greatest we have seen. For only Paul had the education and the ability to teach the world not only what the old writings taught but to bring to the world as Jesus sacrifice fulfiilled would be to the world for the rest of time utself.
At the moment of Jesus death the vail on the temple between God most holy place was divide opened because it was the moment that ended the old animal sacrifices for our redemtion. That was the one thing the Jewish leaders feared. They feared they would no longer be needed to continue the work they had been given to do. They refused to change. Refused to accept Jesus as Gods own son. The very Messiah they had so long been expecting.
Pauls teachings were not easy for them to accept. Fact is they have never accepted it. Paul never stopped teaching the world what Jesus death ment for a lost and searching world. Jesus was the one who brought heaven closer to us. No longer a need for the vail of the temple to seperate us from God the Father. Jesus is the way to the Father.
The book of Romans was the first book Paul gave us. His teachings were so mater of fact. Many even today have a difficult time understanding them. But when we do we are all the more richly blessed for it. Paul is a blessing to our faith. His insights at bridging the truth of the old testament and the teachings of Jesus to the new way of life through salvation by faith is enduring. We still see the benefits of Pauls teachings.
We are so richly blessed by his teachings. So many lives sacrificed to preserve these writings for our times has never been more important then now.
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