Paul and the Gospel

Recently, I have set out to read the New Testament in thirty days. This plan requires that you read ten chapters a day, on average. It has been interesting as I have proceeded through because you connect dots and stories that you might not have otherwise connected. You begin to find a rhythm and see a pacing that you (or at least I) usually miss. One of the things that has stood out specifically is Paul’s commitment and total surrender to the gospel.

For 21^st century Christians, we tend to look at the gospel as a few truths, presented in a staccato like fashion, to which we must give ascent. We are sinners. Jesus, who was God in flesh died on our behalf, and we must accept Him as our Savior. I think that Paul would find such a thing incredibly shallow and void of any real weight or purpose.

Here are several things that stand out about Paul as it relates to the gospel. First of all, we see that Paul is radically called to salvation on the road to Damacus. This was no mere “gospel presentation,” calling for a decision on Paul’s part. Paul met the living Lord face to face and was called to give an account of his life and the sin therein. Paul was stricken blind and had to wait for God to move on his behalf. Once God did move, nothing was ever the same for Paul. His encounter was life changing, not a mere course correction.

The second thing that stands out is that Paul was willing to give up everything for this gospel. Paul says in Philippians 3:8, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” When Paul met Christ, he did not view Christ as something merely added to his life. He viewed his old life as a total loss, and a new life was birthed that was founded in Christ.

Third, Paul was committed to getting to the gospel to others. Really and truly, the vast majority of the New Testament is committed to this reality. However, we see it clearly stated in several places. One specific passage is Romans 9:3, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” Seeing others come to Christ was not a mere prayer request for Paul, but the driving mission of his life.

Fourth, Paul was committed to raising up others for this gospel mission. While one can find numerous people that Paul invested in throughout the New Testament, one really stands out in the person of Timothy. Paul challenges Timothy in his second letter to him, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 2:6-7). Paul wants Timothy to be strong in the proclamation and defense of the gospel.

Finally, Paul defended the gospel with all that he had. Every book in the New Testament that Paul wrote was in one way or another related to his defense of the gospel. Preserving the integrity of the gospel was no small, secondary task to Paul. He took these things very seriously. He says, in Galatians 1:8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” Paul believed that life and death existed within the gospel. To change the gospel, even a little, would put people in danger of a fiery eternity.

Here is my question: If Paul was willing to give his life to, and willing to die for (which he did), this gospel, how have we become so casual about it? How is it that we fail to proclaim it? How is it that we do not defend it? How is it that we do not prepare others to share and defend it? What happened to our passion?

Could it be that we simply do not believe what Paul believed? Could it be that the gospel does not mean to us what it meant to Paul? What must we do to rediscover such a passion? How do we come to the point that we feel the weight of this gospel as Paul did? Until we figure it out, Christianity will continue to lose ground in our land, our churches will remain anemic, and we stand to lose the next generation all together.

Lord, stir within us a passion for the gospel.