Gifted Like Apostle Paul

13 April 2014

Portrait of Apostle Paul

1. His Amazing Giftedness2. His Spiritual Strengths3. A Character and Heart to Match

1.1 Paul’s Giftedness

• His Brilliant Mind

• Strategic Reasoning Skills His Superior Education and Knowledge of OT

(Acts 26; 1Cor 17; 2 Pet 3:16)

I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa … because you are familiar with all the customs and

controversies of the Jews…According to the strictest party of our religion

I have lived as a Pharisee …Therefore O King Agrippa,

I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. I stand here testifying …

saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass:

that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead,

he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.

Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.”

Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words.

For the king knows about these things, andto him I speak boldly.

For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice for this has not been done in a corner.

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?I know that you believe.”

Acts 26

Men of Athens,I perceive that in every way

you are very religious. … I found an altar,

‘To the unknown god.’What therefore you worship as

unknown,this I proclaim to you.

Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for “in Him we live and move and have our being” as even some of your

own poets have said,“For we are indeed his offspring.”

Being then God’s offspring,we ought not to think that the divine being

is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.

Acts 17:22 - 31

Paul’s unconventional but wise preaching strategy to Athen’s intellectual, unbelieving but

curious philosophers.

•Captured the hearts of his pagan audience by affirming their religiosity •Cleverly revealed their ‘unknown god’ as the Lord God, their Creator.•Unafraid to use pagan resources, quoting Epimenides and Aratus, so that his audience would readily relate to his preaching

… our beloved brother Paulalso wrote to you according to the wisdom given

him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters.

There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable

twist to their own destruction,as they do the other Scriptures.

2 Pet 3:15,16

1.2 Paul’s Giftedness

• His ‘Apostolic’ Leadership Skills

- His Visionary Courage and Determination- His Self-Starting and Team Building Ability

1.3 Paul’s Giftedness• His Amazing Teaching Gift

(Acts 20:27 - the whole counsel of God)- The New Covenant; The Law of Christ/Love- By Christ, Grace and Word alone (Luther)

- The Holy Spirit and the Church of Christ- The Transforming Power of Renewed Minds- How to live for Christ and His Kingdom etc..

• His Often Unrecognised Pastoral Gift- His Ability to Model, Train and Disciple

Paul’s Giftedness

• His Brilliant Mind ,Strategic Reasoning Skills Superior Education and Knowledge of OT

• His ‘Apostolic’ Leadership Skills• His Amazing Teaching Gift• His Often Unrecognised Pastoral Gift

2.1 Paul’s Spiritual Strengths

His Absolute Devotion to Christ and the Gospel

(Phil1:21; Gals 2:20; Acts 20:22-24)

Paul’s Devotion to ChristFor me to live is Christ, and to die is gain

Phil 1:21

I am crucified with Christ.It is no longer I who live but Christ who

lives in me.And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and

gave himself for me.Gals 2:20

To Ephesian EldersAnd now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by

the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that

imprisonment and afflictions await me.

But I do not account my life of any valuenor as precious to myself,

if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received

from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

(Acts 20:22-24)

2.2 Paul’s Strengths

His Miracle-WorkingFaith in Christ

(Acts 19:11-12, Acts 27:23; 2Tim 1:12)

His Extraordinary Miracles

And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or

aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and

the evil spirits came out of them.

Acts 19:11,12

The people that do know their God shall bestrong and do exploits

Dan 11:32

He knew His GodFor this very night there stood before me an angel of God to whom I

belong and whom I worship

Acts 27:23

But I am not ashamed (of the testimony about our Lord nor of me his prisoner)

for I know whom I have believed andI am convinced that He is able

to guard until the Day

what has been entrusted to me.

2Tim 1:12

2.3 Paul’s Strengths

• His Absolute Devotion to Christ and the Gospel• His Extraordinary Miracle-working Faith

in Christ who He knew and to whom He belong• His Fear of God more than Fear of Man

(Acts 23-26)

3.1 Heart and Character to Match

Outspoken and Intolerant of Character Flaws

BUT

Eminently Humble, giving all glory to God He was the ‘Foremost Sinner’(1Tim 1:15)

Spiritually Discerning and Wise

… our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him

as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters.

2 Pet 3:15,16

Heart to Match

• Forgiving, Kind and Considerate

- Philemon/Onesimus, Mark, Peter- “Weak” and poor Christians in Corinth- Collection for Famine-Stricken in Jerusalem

- Recognition of Women despite Cultural Odds

Character to Match

• Exceptionally Hard-working, both in his secular work and ministry (2Thess 3:10; Acts 20:33-35 )

• Unafraid or Unashamed of Culturally Despised Menial Work or His Imprisonment (Phil 1:12-14)

I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my

necessities and to those who were with me.

In all things I have shown you thatby working hard in this way

we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, “It is more

blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:33 - 35

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that

my imprisonment is for Christ.And most of my brothers … are much more bold to

speak the word without fear.

Phil 1: 12-14

Character to Match• Resolute and Resilient

- fight ‘the good fight of faith’(1Tim 6:12), and press in for the “prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14)

- ‘athletic’ training of the body more valuable (1Tim 4:7)

- Suffering for Christ’s sake (Phil 3:7-10; 2 Tim 2:1- 3; 2 Cor 11:23-27)

Apostle Paul’s Absolute Christ-Centered

• Devotion (For me to live is Christ)

• Dedication (Living Sacrifice)

• Determination (To win the Prize)

Portrait of Apostle Paul

1. His Amazing Giftedness2. His Spiritual Strengths3. Heart and Character to Match

Hope for the Strong-headedand Self-Willed

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”

(1Cor 11:1)

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is GOD who works in you,

both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12-13