Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  5000 Humanity  »  5070 Individuals in OT and NT  »  5107 Paul  »  5109 Paul, apostle to Gentiles

Paul saw his encounter with the risen Christ as a call to apostleship, with a special mission to proclaim the gospel to the Gentile world. Paul's complete dedication to Jesus Christ made his own personal weaknesses a vehicle for the power of God.

Paul's calling as an apostle: origins and implications

His calling began with his encounter with the risen Christ

Galatians 1:15-16 See also Acts 9:3-19 pp Acts 22:6-16 pp Acts 26:12-18; 1 Corinthians 9:1

His calling involved his being sent to the unevangelised Gentile world

Galatians 2:9 See also Acts 22:21; Romans 15:18-21; 2 Corinthians 10:13-16; Ephesians 3:7-9

His calling put him under an obligation to preach the gospel

1 Corinthians 9:16 See also Romans 1:14-15; 2 Corinthians 5:11-14

Paul's commitment to his apostolic calling

He supported himself in order to present the gospel free of charge

1 Thessalonians 2:6-9 See also 1 Corinthians 9:3-18; 2 Corinthians 12:13

He put the gospel before everything else

2 Corinthians 4:5 See also Romans 9:1-3; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; Philippians 1:12-26

He boasted in his weaknesses

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 See also 2 Corinthians 4:7-10; Corinthians 6:3-10; Corinthians 11:21-29

He experienced God's power at work through him

2 Corinthians 12:11-12 See also Acts 13:6-12; Acts 19:11-12; Romans 15:18-19; 1 Corinthians 2:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

He had a confident attitude to death

Philippians 3:10-11 See also 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Philippians 1:20-24; 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Paul and the example of Jesus Christ

His appeal to Jesus Christ as an example to the churches

2 Corinthians 8:9 Paul here uses the example of Jesus Christ in order to encourage the Corinthians in their giving. See also Romans 15:1-3; Philippians 2:5-11

His own exemplary imitation of Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 11:1 See also 1 Corinthians 4:14-17; Philippians 3:12-17; Philippians 4:8-9; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-9

His sharing of Jesus Christ's sufferings

Colossians 1:24 Paul is not suggesting here that there is any deficiency in Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice. Rather, there are some aspects of suffering which Christ could not experience because they arose only as a result of people preaching the message of the cross and suffering because of it. See also 2 Corinthians 1:5-9; Corinthians 4:7-12; Galatians 6:17

Paul and the churches

His integrity in dealing with the churches

2 Corinthians 1:12 See also Acts 20:17-21; 2 Corinthians 2:17; Corinthians 4:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12

His love for the churches

Philippians 1:8 See also 2 Corinthians 11:7-11; Corinthians 12:14-15; 1 Thessalonians 3:12

His prayers for the churches

1 Thessalonians 1:2 See also Romans 1:8-10; Ephesians 1:15-19; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

His dependence on the prayers of the churches

1 Thessalonians 5:25 See also Romans 15:30-32; Ephesians 6:19-20; Phm 22

Paul's imagery of apostleship

As Jesus Christ's ambassador

2 Corinthians 5:20; Ephesians 6:19-20

As a builder

Romans 15:20; 1 Corinthians 3:10

As a farmer

1 Corinthians 3:5-9

As a father

1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

As a mother

Galatians 4:19; 1 Thessalonians 2:6-7

As God's captive

1 Corinthians 4:9; 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 Paul portrays God as a victorious Roman general, with himself as a captive, bringing up the rear of the triumphal procession.

As Jesus Christ's slave

The word translated “servant” in these verses commonly meant “slave”:

Romans 1:1; 2 Corinthians 4:5; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1

Paul's successors were to safeguard the truth of the gospel after his death

2 Timothy 2:1-2 See also 2 Timothy 1:13-14; Timothy 3:10-4:8

See also

1416  miracles
2339  Christ, example of
3030  Holy Spirit, power
5112  Peter
5560  suffering
7020  church, the
7510  Gentiles
7706  apostles
8342  servanthood
8357  weakness
8428  example