The Gift of Grace Given to Paul

1 Timothy 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.

How did that happen? Paul, then known as Saul, was a "zealous" Pharisee who "intensely persecuted" the followers of Jesus. Says Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians:

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. — Galatians 1:13–14, NIV

Paul emphasizes his calling was a gift, a gracious gift of God Not because of who he was… “I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: Philippians 3:4

“Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless” Philippians 3:5,6

Paul’s position in life… Would have made it very difficult to communicate with him about the gospel. Why?

Paul was educated, a famous person among Jewish leadership possessing authority to go to other cities to arrest Christians, bring the back to Jerusalem cause them to blaspheme (torture them?) and then have the put to death

Paul credits his conversion to the resurrected Christ giving him a wake-up call Acts 91ff Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest

and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

1 Corinthians 15 Paul want believers to remember the very essence of the gospel … “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.”

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:

I Corinthians 15:3 “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,”

1 Corinthians 15:4 “that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

God has given you evidence of that Christ has risen from the dead I Corinthians 15:5 “he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.”

1 Corinthians 15:6,7 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

1 Corinthians 15:8,9 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

‘But by the grace of God I am what I am’ 1 Corinthians 15:10 ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am’

1 Timothy 1:12,13 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.

1 Timothy 14,15 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

Why was this done? But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:16