Beth Moore - Paul: 90 Days on His Journey of Faith

Paul: 90 Days on His Journey of Faith

Copyright 2010 by Beth Moore

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 978-1-4336-7304-7

B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

BHPublishingGroup.com

Dewey Decimal Classification: 225.92

Paul, Apostle \ Christian Life

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture passages are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible ( hcsb ), copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Other versions used include the New International Version ( niv ), copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. And the King James Version ( kjv ).

Unless otherwise stated, all Greek word definitions used throughout this book are taken from The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament by Spiros Zodhiates, et. al., eds. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1992). Definitions marked Strongs are taken from A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament by James Strong (New York: The Methodist Book Concern, 1890).

Printed in the United States of America

To all those who have followed in the footsteps of the apostle Paul, risking life and loneliness to take Christs gospel to the uttermost parts of the world

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus....

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:36, 2021 (niv)

W elcome aboard! Im so glad youre joining me on an expedition through Scripture with the apostle Paul. Our travels will take us by land and sea to places we never dreamed wed go. I hope youll soon agree with me that the apostle Paul was a remarkable man. His persistence and undying passion will no doubt convince you that he truly encountered the risen Christ.

Decades after Jesus interrupted Pauls plans on the road to Damascus, the apostles account of that event remained consistent. Something dramatically changed the life of a brilliantly devious persecutor. I pray that the same Someone will also interrupt our lives with His glorious presence as we take this journey together.

Ive been a fan of the apostle Paul for years. In my estimation, his writings embody a passion for Christ that is unparalleled in the New Testament. I have accepted many of his words as a personal challenge. I want to know Christ has become my plea. To live is Christ and to die is gain has become my hope. And to borrow his words once more, Not that I have already obtained all this... but I press on (Phil. 3:12). I genuinely love Christ, and I am a fan of all those past and present who have loved Him with their whole lives.

Having admired the apostle Paul for years, I was somewhat surprised by a few comments made by people who learned I was writing a book on his life. I received questions like, How can you, a woman, write a Bible study about a man who obviously had no tolerance for women in ministry?

Sadly the controversy surrounding small bits of the apostles teaching has often kept students from delving into the heart and liberating theology of the whole man. I think youre really going to like himonce you get to know him. When weve turned the last page, even if you didnt like him, youll have to agree he loved and served his Lord with every ounce of breath and every drop of blood he had. His passion for Christ was indomitablereason enough to study his life and be challenged by his Spirit-breathed words.

This book traces the life of the apostle Paul from his presumed childhood to his death, centering on one mans amazing ministry. If you respond to his work and writings like I did, youll be greatly refreshed by the obvious mercy of God to allow those who have really blown it to repent and serve Him wholeheartedly and effectively. Youll also be amazed by Pauls tenacity, and through his example I think you will find encouragement to persevere in your trials. You will also become acquainted with Pauls humanity and perhaps realize he was not so unlike the rest of usproof that God can greatly use any of us if we are fully available and readily cooperative.

I was greatly affected by the study of Pauls life in many ways. But above all, I sense like never before a quickened awareness of the personal calling God has placed on my life. I feel a renewed sense of my purpose in Gods plan. I am praying for you to have the same response. You are a Christian in this present generation for a very good reason. Your life has purpose. He planned your visitation on this planet and wants to fulfill 1 Corinthians 2:9 in your life: What no eye has seen and no ear has heard, and what has never come into a mans heart, is what God has prepared for those who love Him.

May these pages enhance your love and devotion for Christ so dramatically that He is indeed freed in your life to do more than your eyes have seen, more than your ears have heard, and more than your mind has conceived.

Allow God to do a fresh work in your life for these next ninety days. Let every journey through His Word be a new experience, a new opportunity. Invite Him to have His perfect way so you can cry out with the apostle Paul, For to me, to live is Christ! Beloved, when you can say these words and mean them, you have discovered life at its fullest.

Come on along. Lets get started. Today.

Read Genesis 17:111

This is My covenant, which you are to keep, between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every one of your males must be circumcised. (v. 10)

You may or may not come from a family line of Christian belief. But what value do you place on religious heritage? What do we give up by living only in the present?

What role do ceremony and tradition play in your and your familys life, especially your life of faith? How have you been blessed by keeping these spiritual markers over the years?

P aul grew up in an orthodox Jewish home in a Gentile city. The Bible gives us only a few pieces of information about his upbringing, but based on these tidbits, we may draw a number of conclusions. The following narrative describes the events that most likely took place soon after his birth. The story line is fictional to help you picture the events, but the circumstances and practices are drawn from Scripture and the Jewish code of law.