An 'Interview' with the Apostle Paul

So ... what did you do, Paul?

Welcome to the studio, sir. We’re glad to have with us today, Mr. Paul the Apostle. (Let’s all use our imagination about how Paul would answer, given from Scripture.)

So tell the audience, where are you from? 

“I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia” Acts 22:3a. 

Thanks, Paul. Glad to have you here. We are encouraging the listening audience today to write down their OWN answers to these SAME questions, as we go along, in preparation for being able to witness more effectively of the power of the resurrection and the spiritual transformation upon receiving this gospel. Sounds like you’ve prepared a bit, right Paul?

“Hmmmm.”

So, where did you grow up, Paul? 

“My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews” Acts 26:4. 

And where did you go to school? How did you first learn about God?  

“Yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day” Acts 22:3b.

[Those] “Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee” Acts 26:5. 

That’s great, Paul! What’s something you were passionate about before salvation?

”Do you mind if I just read from Scripture what the Holy Ghost wrote through my pen and ink many years ago?”

Awe, no sir. Go ahead. That’d be even better.

“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of ‘this way’, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem” Acts 9:1,2. 

Whoa, that’s heavy. How did you used to think about Christians and the whole idea of church before your salvation?

“And Saul was consenting unto his death [speaking of the martyr, Stephen] ” Acts 8:1a.   

 “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison” Acts 8:3.  (That word: haling literally means dragging, hauling to prison and punishment before a judge.)

“And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women” Acts 22:4.

Okay, wow. How did you previously think about God and religion in general before getting to know Christ Jesus our Lord? 

“I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” Acts 26:9. 

Did you do some things before salvation trying to earn favor with God?

That same passage continues: “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.  And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities” Acts 26:10-11. 

That saying was fulfilled in me: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” John 16:2. 

So, how did God begin to make Himself known to you? 

Do you remember a circumstance where God started to work in your life? 

“And as he [Paul] journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” Acts 9:3-5. 

Wow. Who guided you to understand your need for salvation? 

“And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. … And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” Acts 22:12,13,16.    

“And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a Voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me” Acts 26:14-18. 

That’s amazing, Paul. Who else taught you and helped make salvation clear to you, so that you could make salvation clear to others?  

“And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. … And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he [Stephen] spake. … And cast him out of the city, and stoned him [Stephen]: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul” Acts 6:8,10, 7:58. That was me.

What singular Scripture-concept illuminated your heart and mind at the point of salvation, your moment of new birth? 

“Stephen’s sermon made a lasting impact: ‘Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and hears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye’” Acts 7:51.

Simple-version works fine: "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” Acts 16:31. 

So where is the place where you accepted the Great Gift?

“And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me” Acts 22:6. That’s where it happened.

About what time of day did you receive Christ? 

“At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me” Acts 26:13. 

How soon after salvation did you personally tell someone else how to be saved from eternal death by receiving eternal life offered freely through the Messiah? 

“And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. … And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God” Acts 9:9,19,20. 

That’s great. When did you get baptized?

“And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized” Acts 9:18. As soon as I could see.

Do you believe you have been specially chosen by God to work some unique work together with Him? And how do you know that?

Well, in Acts 22:14 God led me to write, “And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.  For thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.”  

Where did you go to church when first saved?  

“Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus” Acts 9:19b. 

Was anyone not excited that you got saved? 

“But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.  And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him” Acts 9:22,23. They didn’t like it.

“Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep” Second Corinthians 11:24,25. 

“Ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer” Acts 25:24. 

Hmmm. How many people have you told about eternal salvation in Christ? 

“Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come” Acts 26:22.  

“And this continued by the space of two years; so that ALL they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.  Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout ALL Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away MUCH people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands” Acts 19:10, 26. 

So, what’s something you’re passionate about now? 

“Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears” Acts 20:31.  I warned them about salvation and spiritual growth.

How much energy do you spend writing or thinking about this topic of salvation?

“God used me as a humble pen to scribble down 13 or 14 official books or epistles. Plus one lifetime devoted to gospel distribution across the known world.” 

Where did you go, Sir Paul, carrying this good news? 

“We were assisted by the help of God in an attempt to cover the known world. Delivering the gospel to 15 cities on our first tour of about 1,500 miles. Second TEAM adventure was 19 cities. Our third missionary journey covered 31 cities. Then 10 cities on the way to Rome. We recorded together 10,000 miles on foot, on hoof, and on boat.” 

Wow! How many people do you calculate could read or hear your personal testimony of how God uniquely reached into your life and presented the gospel to you personally? 

Well … “And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away MUCH PEOPLE, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands” Acts 19:10, 26. 

Paul, before what audience would you start the gospel by sharing your personal testimony of coming to salvation? 

Is there an audience where you would chose maybe a different approach? 

“Sir, all 3 times in Scripture, and thousands of times through life personally, God just guided me to start sharing … at the point where He personally transformed me from such an enemy of the Cross to now a carrier of the Cross, as everyone should have a similar experience of meeting Jesus and never being the same, and being compelled then to tell everyone, everywhere of this Good News.”