Even Amidst Hatred, God Thrives

Today’s reading: Corinthians 15 1-11

It is always exciting to remember that the Apostle Paul, author of at least 7 New Testament books, was once a viscous opponent of Christianity.

I’ve never read that Paul did any of the murdering himself, but  it is clear that he played an active role in the violent, torturous campaign his beloved Roman government conducted against Christianity. (Some commentators say he was akin to the soldiers of Nazi Germany who did not actually operate the gas chambers but who were always eager to round up Jews and turn them over to the men who did.) It is clear that Paul’s spirit once held a deep hatred for Christ and a deep misunderstanding of Christianity.

Their miraculous irony makes Paul’s letters to early Christians more powerful than if they had been written by one of Jesus 12 original disciples. Jesus certainly knew what he was doing on the road to Damascus where he appeared to Paul. Billions of souls since that day have been saved through similar miraculous conversions, but none can be more powerful than Paul’s experience.

Paul’s atonement was much more than just an apology. It remains an eternal inspiration for the entire world.

That even this great man, whose letters have inspired nations, could say of himself  “For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (verse 9) gives eternal hope to the greatest of sinners who will turn to his words through the ages.

I am confident that I will never persecute a fellow Christian as Paul admits he did, but it’s thrilling to see from Paul’s example, if I were to commit such a horrendous act, God would find a way to turn it into an eternal blessing for the world.

Thanks be to God for eternal victory of Christ’s glorious name.