Introduction
Studying Saul of Tarsus, afterward known as Paul, is interesting because of his transformation from fervent persecutor to committed follower of Christ. Paul actively participated in the persecution of the Church and Christians. However, the power of heaven and Christ’s sacrifice fully transformed him, and he became one of God’s most valuable servants. His entire existence mirrored that of Christ, the one who saves. In one of his talks, Paul invited the Corinthians to follow Christ alongside him (1st Corinthians 11:1).
From Paul’s day to the present, the call to follow Christ has always been true and genuine. Paul is right that Christians should change their whole way of life when they become Christians. This optimism stems from his spiritual enlightenment and complete change after he met Christ.
To be a Christ-follower means to strive to emulate the Savior in individuals’ actions, priorities, and character. Those who follow Jesus’ teachings and depend on God by abiding in Christ, living in the Spirit, thinking about God’s word, taking communion (praying), and working with the body of Christ experience changes in mind, heart, and life. These people then inspire others to do the same (local church). The Christian lifestyle should, therefore, be similar to the life of Christ when he was in the world as a human. Such a life is dominated by several qualities that distinguish a saved person from the rest of the world.
Christian Characteristics According to Paul
Humility
One of the most important qualities a Christian should show in life is humility. From before his birth till now, Jesus Christ has been a very modest person. He claimed God desired the plan to save humans to win at the Heavenly Council and allowed it to happen. Being humble leads to greatness and is how God benefits people. Because God opposes arrogance and exalts the humble, people should all be submissive and humble (1 Peter 5:5).
Most of the time, humble reactions are kind and warm. It is the source of a good person’s moral strength. People who follow God’s path of humility are grateful for the benefits bestowed upon them by the Almighty God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Given Paul’s advice to do nothing out of self-seeking desire or conceit, but in humility, people should esteem others more valuable than themselves.
Courage
The Savior’s courage is the second quality people should admire and live in him. Jesus’ courage is seen from the beginning when he taught the physicians of the law in God’s temple at only 12 years old. According to the book of Acts, Paul was threatened with imprisonment following the confrontations in Philippi and Ephesus. Two groups have already attempted to kill him, so these threats are not meaningless (Acts 21). Paul was imprisoned, the Roman government brought a bogus lawsuit against him, and he was executed later.
Given the issues discussed, it is not unexpected that pursuing God’s kingdom contrasts with the world’s ways of trying to dominate people. Nonetheless, Paul demonstrates incredible bravery. Although his Roman and Jewish captors threatened to kill him, he continued to fulfill his preaching. The point is not that Paul is a brave individual but rather because the Holy Spirit provides Christians with all the strength required to do God’s tasks.
Paul claims that the Holy Spirit has enabled him to persevere in adversity. This gives Christians hope because it implies they can seek the Holy Spirit to give them the bravery they require in this world. If they are paralyzed by generalized worry and never take the initial step toward adopting God’s kingdom principles at work, they are more likely to quit in the face of their greatest fear. Paul simply encourages believers to do what is right, even if it means going against popular opinion.
Mercy
The third positive aspect of Christ is that he is merciful, which includes the ability to forgive. Jesus Christ prevented an unfaithful woman from being stoned to death during His earthly ministry. He told her to leave and stop engaging in adultery (John 8:11). According to the Bible, once the woman requested God to pardon her, she began to praise him. This is how forgiveness works and should lead the believers’ way of life.
Paul pleaded with Philemon to accept God’s forgiveness so that the power of God’s love, which conquers sin and even death, could inspire him to forgive Onesimus from the deepest part of his restored and believing heart. This illustrates how the Christian concept of forgiveness works in practice. As Christians, people must be willing to apologize to and forgive those who have wronged them.
Sacrifice
The Savior’s willingness to die for others is the fourth distinguishing feature. This is a component of the good news of Jesus Christ, also known as a sacrifice. According to Paul, sacrifice includes helping those in need, forgiving those in debt, and sharing in others’ joys and sorrows. To elaborate, sacrifice can also refer to a Christian’s willingness to risk their own life for Christ. It takes bravery to risk getting in trouble by preaching or spreading the gospel in locations where it is forbidden.
After Christ’s death, the local authorities turned against Peter and his fellow apostles. They were all mistreated, and some were even killed simply because they were Christians. This fourth characteristic was what gave people hope for a better future. Christians, according to Paul, should not be scared to serve Christ since there is more to this world than meets the eye.
Linking Christian Life to Ethics
The following can be deduced from Paul’s perspectives on the Christian lifestyle. Theology of the Christian Life examines how Christian ethics differ from other religions. The Bible is the one place where everyone can agree on what is correct and incorrect. Because all other moral systems conflict with Christianity, it is the only one that makes sense. In this context, ethics refers to judgments about one’s life and the world based on the standards outlined in God’s Word. As a result, assertions founded on ethics that are not Christian are not immediately ruled wrong.
Because God inspires Christian ethics, they are difficult to comprehend. The Bible clearly states that God is holy, just, loving, and forgiving, among other attributes. So, for ethics to have any meaning in a Christian’s life, it must possess all of these characteristics and be relevant to the Christian’s daily existence. These characteristics cannot be obtained by intellect or any other type of examination. A Christian learns to be moral by being disciplined in his or her actions, which necessitates self-control and sacrifice. Frame wishes to argue against the notion that humans are predisposed to act on egotistical goals that contradict leading a moral life.
Everyday events throughout the world demonstrate that people have made moral and immoral decisions at various times. People frequently say one thing but do another. Leaders frequently make promises they cannot keep to obtain public support and boost their reputation. Even though the Bible clearly defines Christian ideals, most people would rather not adhere to them. Paul understands this, and in his many letters, he highlights and leads the kind of life all Christians should follow. Christianity is simply a lifestyle of its own and defines the right moral ethics for God-pleasing choices and livelihood.
Application
Paul is frequently mentioned when discussing Bible characters who caused conflict and unrest in different regions. For a long time, Christians have followed his teachings on faith, the fruits of the Spirit, and salvation. On the other hand, his listeners today are less inclined to agree with him on every subject. People will most likely remember him for his conflicts with the apostles, his criticisms of women’s roles, and his support for slavery. His writings contain timeless themes that are still relevant today.
Paul’s teachings are still relevant today because he establishes the ground principles for Christian fellowship, defends women’s positions in the church, and uses the covenant to connect the Old and New Testaments. First, Paul talks about the essential matter of church unity. In his works, he writes a lot about the Lord’s Supper, prophecy, the usage of languages, and even how a person appears. Additionally, he emphasizes several significant principles, one of which is that Christians should operate as a body with many diverse sections. Paul teaches Christians in these passages that they are ‘one body in Christ and each a member of the other’ (Romans 12:5). Since they are brothers and sisters in the Lord, Christians should treat each other with respect and love.
When asked how it may be done, Paul gives several ways. Realizing that everyone’s skills are crucial to the success of the whole is an important lesson to acquire. In 1 Corinthians 12:12–26, a large list of different body sections is assigned a low-priority ranking to indicate how absurd the situation is. Since each body component has a specific job, it is impossible to state that the arm is more significant than the eye. Paul’s message to the church of his day is the same: All people have distinct gifts and skills to serve the body. In a community, each part is just as vital as the rest, and none can be disregarded. Therefore, Paul’s teachings have been applied in the modern church to unite all believers. Even with different gifts, most know they have to appreciate others because they are vessels the Lord uses to accomplish His saving goal.
Keeping up with this idea of unselfish love is hard. Still, this is what Christians have in common. Christians may be able to differ without fighting because they care about each other and want the best for them. Like a family, the church can have people who believe different things but love and support each other. The fruits of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1 highlight the importance of love. This is the greatest of all; others cannot exist without it. While it is hard, Paul encourages love, even for enemies, just like Jesus did on the cross. He died even for those persecuting him because of his great love for everyone.
Some critics of Paul’s work target his perspectives on women’s place in the church. Several Bible scriptures are typically utilized to support this viewpoint. 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 specifies that ladies should be silent when people are worshipping together. The law tells them to keep silent and observe the regulations. Despite what many people think, most of what Paul says regarding women is very current for his time. Romans 16 is an excellent place to observe this in action. The fact that Paul sent the letter to Phoebe demonstrates that he had faith in her. In this case, Paul encourages equality in the church and clarifies how men should relate to women. Jesus is more interested in the heart than gender or anything else.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Paul has exploited almost every aspect of the Christian life, illustrating how believers should behave in different situations. He changed from a persecutor of Jesus to a complete follower and teacher of the Godly life. He requires Christ’s followers to follow his way and be humble, forgiving, selfless, and loving, so a distinction is seen between those who believe and those who do not. Anyone who receives Christ must change their mind completely and adopt the godly life, led by Christ and the Holy Spirit, helping believers will and do for his pleasure.
Bibliography
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Gooder, Paula. “The Living Paul: An Introduction to the Apostle and his Thought. By Anthony C. Thiselton.” (2010): 746-748.
Gray, Patrick. “An Introduction to the Study of Paul–By David G. Horrell.” (2007): 155-155.
Khobnya, Svetlana. “Preparing women for ministry in 1 Cor 14:34-35 and 1 Tim 2:8-15: Asking questions about the texts” Nazarene Theological College.
Longenecker, Bruce. The New Cambridge Companion to St. Paul. Cambridge University Press, 2020.