Moment of Medittation: Who Is Paul?

As we begin a study of St. Paul's epistle to the churches in Galatia, we begin with the question: Who is Paul? Paul was raised in Tarsus in Cilicia. He was raised in a strict Jewish home. He went to Jerusalem as a youth to study at the feet of Gamaliel, the greatest rabbi among the Pharisees. As a strict Pharisee, Paul persecuted the Way (what Christians were originally called) and imprisoned many. He makes his first appearance in the Bible as the stands by while the Sanhedrin stones St. Stephen to death (Acts 7:58; 8:1). He was blinded by an appearance of Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Through his conversation with the risen Savior he had been persecuting, Paul becomes a Christian. Simply being a Christian wasn't enough for Paul. He was zealous as a persecutor (Philippians 3:6). He was equally as zealous as a missionary for the Church. As a Roman citizen, Paul was able to go places where the other Apostles were not. In so doing, Paul established many congregations throughout Asia and Macedonia where he also wrote many epistles. Galatians being one of the earliest. It is this man--persecutor turned missionary--to whom we listen for this series as he instructs the Galatians about their issues. Issues that are the same today. Amen.