Why Paul?

By Tammy Lacock

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)

The question Warren Litzman begins with this week is, why did God choose Paul to deliver a message to humanity that no other person had ever heard before? In order to answer this question, it’s important to look at Paul’s life before his conversion on the way to Damascus. Paul was born into a wealthy Jewish family, privileged as a Roman citizen and highly educated. Today, his education would equate to two doctorates. In Philippians 3:5-7, Paul boasts of his life before Christ to show us that he had everything going for him in an earthly sense, considering himself to be an avid obeyer of the Jewish law and, in fact, blameless. He even persecuted Christians in his adherence to the law. He was a Pharisee.

Yet, in Philippians 3:8, Paul makes it clear that he now counts his upbringing and scholarly background worthless, nothing but dung. Without any doubt, he gladly loses it, lest any or all of it get in the way of knowing Christ.

Paul was utterly determined to share with the world what Christ, Himself, revealed only to him. Paul’s gospel is by Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, we as believers, are rebirthed, given a new life. Christ’s death ushered in God’s amazing Grace being poured out unto us by the Holy Spirit. By His grace, God can now uproot the sin-natures and replace it with the incorruptible seed of Christ (Peter) in our very spirits, making us one spirit in Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). Christ now lives in us, literally, not figuratively. By Christ living in us, we are born again into God’s family, now His bona fide sons and daughters.

We see in Ephesians chapter 1 that Paul was given insight into God’s plan. In verse 4, Paul reveals that Christ living in us was God’s plan before the foundation of the world. It took over 4,000 years for God to reveal His plan, and Paul knew it. Furthermore, Paul knew it was only revealed to him. In chapter one, Paul continues to reiterate that God’s plan has everything to do with Christ. He makes it clear in verse 10:

“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.”

Throughout Paul’s writings, we can see that this is a man whose heart and mind has been captured by Christ. He was determined to know Christ. If this meant suffering, then he says bring on the suffering. He was determined to share this revelation of Christ in him to the world because he knew Christianity wouldn’t work without it.

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2)

God used Paul’s zeal in his new life in Christ. God chose Paul to reveal His Son in him first because He knew Paul’s zealous mind could now be used to reveal this message to us. By the help of the Holy Spirit, Paul was given this radical mind-change of an outer Christ to Christ living in him. He wanted nothing more than to know this Christ and for us to have this radical mind-change, too!