Acts 13:1-3 - Paul and the early church were led by the Spirit. What did this mean for them and what does it mean for us today? Theologian Gordon Fee says: By and large, Protestants think theologically, and then almost completely in terms of soteriology—what does it mean to be saved? We’ve read Paul through the lens of his letters to Galatia and Rome, where the issue was justification by faith. We’ve read these texts so often we tend to understand Paul only as a theologian. But Paul was a person of prayer before he was a theologian. His desire was not to be a precise theologian but to know Christ personally. That was the passion of his life. Any reading of Paul that doesn’t take that seriously, doesn’t understand Paul. If you had asked Paul to define what a Christian is, he would not have said, “A Christian is a person who believes X and Y doctrines about Christ,” but “A Christian is a person who walks in the Spirit, who knows Christ.” He wouldn’t have denied the importance of doctrine, but it would not have been the first thing he would have mentioned. (Christian History Magazine-Issue 47: The Apostle Paul & His Times (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 1995).

Acts 13:1-3 - Paul and the early church were led by the Spirit. What did this mean for them and what does it mean for us today? Theologian Gordon Fee says: By and large, Protestants think theologically, and then almost completely in terms of soteriology—what does it mean to be saved? We’ve read Paul through the lens of his letters to Galatia and Rome, where the issue was justification by faith. We’ve read these texts so often we tend to understand Paul only as a theologian. But Paul was a person of prayer before he was a theologian. His desire was not to be a precise theologian but to know Christ personally. That was the passion of his life. Any reading of Paul that doesn’t take that seriously, doesn’t understand Paul. If you had asked Paul to define what a Christian is, he would not have said, “A Christian is a person who believes X and Y doctrines about Christ,” but “A Christian is a person who walks in the Spirit, who knows Christ.” He wouldn’t have denied the importance of doctrine, but it would not have been the first thing he would have mentioned. (Christian History Magazine-Issue 47: The Apostle Paul & His Times (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 1995).

Acts 13:1-3 - Paul and the early church were led by the Spirit. What did this mean for them and what does it mean for us today? Theologian Gordon Fee says: By and large, Protestants think theologically, and then almost completely in terms of soteriology—what does it mean to be saved? We’ve read Paul through the lens of his letters to Galatia and Rome, where the issue was justification by faith. We’ve read these texts so often we tend to understand Paul only as a theologian. But Paul was a person of prayer before he was a theologian. His desire was not to be a precise theologian but to know Christ personally. That was the passion of his life. Any reading of Paul that doesn’t take that seriously, doesn’t understand Paul. If you had asked Paul to define what a Christian is, he would not have said, “A Christian is a person who believes X and Y doctrines about Christ,” but “A Christian is a person who walks in the Spirit, who knows Christ.” He wouldn’t have denied the importance of doctrine, but it would not have been the first thing he would have mentioned. (Christian History Magazine-Issue 47: The Apostle Paul & His Times (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 1995).

Acts 13:1-3 - Paul and the early church were led by the Spirit. What did this mean for them and what does it mean for us today? Theologian Gordon Fee says: By and large, Protestants think theologically, and then almost completely in terms of soteriology—what does it mean to be saved? We’ve read Paul through the lens of his letters to Galatia and Rome, where the issue was justification by faith. We’ve read these texts so often we tend to understand Paul only as a theologian. But Paul was a person of prayer before he was a theologian. His desire was not to be a precise theologian but to know Christ personally. That was the passion of his life. Any reading of Paul that doesn’t take that seriously, doesn’t understand Paul. If you had asked Paul to define what a Christian is, he would not have said, “A Christian is a person who believes X and Y doctrines about Christ,” but “A Christian is a person who walks in the Spirit, who knows Christ.” He wouldn’t have denied the importance of doctrine, but it would not have been the first thing he would have mentioned. (Christian History Magazine-Issue 47: The Apostle Paul & His Times (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 1995).

Acts 26:16-18 - The calling Paul receives at his conversion is more radical than we might immediately recognize. The nature of his call is a challenge for us as well as really good news.

Acts 26:16-18 - The calling Paul receives at his conversion is more radical than we might immediately recognize. The nature of his call is a challenge for us as well as really good news.

Acts 26:16-18 - The calling Paul receives at his conversion is more radical than we might immediately recognize. The nature of his call is a challenge for us as well as really good news.

Acts 7:54-8:3 - The Ultimate Transformation looks at the events surrounding the conversion of the Apostle Paul. Within this story is an important message for us as we recognize the ways God has been pursuing us. God invites us to experience the "ultimate transformation."

Acts 7:54-8:3 - The Ultimate Transformation looks at the events surrounding the conversion of the Apostle Paul. Within this story is an important message for us as we recognize the ways God has been pursuing us. God invites us to experience the "ultimate transformation."