Paul was a tough guy. In one situation an angry crowd swarmed around him and beat him to the ground. An eyewitness described the scene: They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple…seeking to kill him.

Only a cohort of Roman soldiers saved Paul’s life. Remarkably, as they pulled him from the clutches of the mob, Paul asked to address the crowd. Wiping blood from his face, he delivered a speech about his conversion. Needless to say, the rabble was not impressed. They demanded Paul’s life. Whisked away by his guards, Paul escaped to teach another day.

God needed a resolute and hardened man to take the message of Jesus to the world. As a bonus, Paul came highly educated and wrote brilliantly. Physical courage and intellectual prowess characterized this most unlikely apostle.

Paul shared the secret to his boldness when he wrote to live is Christ and to die is gain. While alive he would preach Jesus, and when he died he would go be with Jesus. In his wake many would discover Jesus.

I may not possess Paul’s bravery, or compulsion to preach to hostile crowds, but I benefit today from his writings and life example. Let’s pray for more and more followers of Jesus with the brains and brawn of Paul to spread the gospel anew in our world today.

Acts 21 & 22

Photo by Jon Tyson