Wednesday, January 24, 2018

The Apostle Paul Teachings, His Main Message

By Kathleen Perry


Apostles of Jesus remained behind to amplify his message. Something stands out in the messages of each follower. The apostle Paul teachings focus on particular themes that can be traced in almost all his epistles. Here are some of these themes that stand out whenever one looks at the works of Christ.

He emphasized on the Lordship of Jesus Christ. His focus was not only on Christ as the source of authority but also as King. An example is perfectly captured in chapter 16, verse 22 of the first book of Corinthians. His message that that those who do not recognize Christ should be accursed. The idea is that, being a Christian must also come with recognizing Christ as the Lord. Every Christian is invited to recognize the supremacy of Christ.

Paul is emphatic about the place of resurrection in Christian life. Having been a Pharisee, he understood the idea too well. He could also interpret scripture with a unique depth that was not available to other apostles. He borrowed heavily from the resurrection of Lazarus when he stated that if death obeyed Christ, then everything on earth should follow suit.

Being justified and the justification of faith are central themes in the epistles of Paul. These are words and ideas that have been repeated numerous times, enough to be noted. His assertion is that the justification is through Christ, who also lends legitimacy, without which, any Christian or human being remains useless. This message comes from John chapter 1 where those who accept Christ have the power to be his followers.

Grace is also a central theme in his teachings. Notably, his salutations captured this word alongside his benediction at the end of his epistles. In Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8, the message captured is that salvation comes with grace as a result of faith. Romans 3, 24 indicates that grace and justification are the pillars of Christianity.

Faith cannot be divorced from the teachings of Paul. Faith is one of the most frequent words you will find in his epistles. In fact, Romans 1, 17 features the word three times in a single sentence. Hebrew chapter 11 is considered the heaviest chapter in the bible about faith. His message borrows heavily from the Old Testament and is therefore impossible to divorce the two.

A common characteristic of the message of Paul is its clarity. He is deep about the issues affecting the people he is writing to. Having traveled widely, he gave sufficient time to the people who hosted him along the way. His focus was to ensure that they understood the message deeply. His message was so powerful that it caused him to be kicked out of some cities. Because of concern for Christianity wherever he went, his message resonated intensely.

The teaching of Paul was not any different from that of Christ. His emphasis on certain themes makes his work standout and easy to relate for most Christians. He was also a very travelled follower who ended up in Rome, Italy in the hands of Emperor Nero. He was executed by beheading to become a martyr alongside Peter whose death was said to be by crucifixion.




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