Following the Gospels in the New Testament, the Book of Acts gives us the narrative history of the early church up through the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero, followed by a series of letters between believers which allows us to “double click and zoom in” on various parts of that history. Dominating both that narrative and the quantity of letters authored is the Apostle known as Paul (in Greek) or Saul (in Hebrew). It would appear this man was serendipitously born, well educated, and ready to use his influence to get ahead in his community. However, much of the New Testament proceeds to tell a story of how this man undergoes a dramatic conversion, and far from “throwing away” his power and influence as some aristocratic ascetics would in centuries to come, he harnessed it, used it to access the halls of power, and proclaimed Christ to the creme de la creme of the Roman world. Social capital was not worldly baggage to be abandoned, it was a ticket to be used (and sometimes burned) in order to reach and teach the Nations, or in parlance of early Christians, to become Apostle to the Gentiles.

Establishing Paul’s Bona Fides

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:4-6)

Paul/Saul was an up and coming star in the first-century Jewish community. He establishes his credentials above in letter to the Philippians as a self-described “Hebrew of Hebrews,” in Acts he lets us know he was instructed “at the feet of Gamaliel” the prominent Jewish rabbi, and as the first martyr Stephen is being stoned, he is said to be present and sitting in a position of authority in the court. All of these imply internal clout amongst the Hebrew people both in Jerusalem and through the greater diaspora which he would use in his missionary journeys to gain access to synagogues, and he was regularly invited to speak to the entire Jewish community in any city he visited.

But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. (Acts 16:37-39)

There is another credential he held which would grant him access in his geo-political world; he was a Roman citizen. Citizenship in Rome was not easily conferred upon non-Italians. Generally it was only attained by very wealthy elites in prominent Roman Imperial cities, or could be conferred upon the families of fathers who completed a 20-year career in the Roman military. Citizens had the right to vote (which was increasingly meaningless as the Republic had turned to Empire), freedom from arbitrary punishments, the right to a fair trial, and the right to appeal decisions all the way up to the Emperor (foreshadowing alert). It was also illegal to crucify a Roman citizen, which is why (spoiler alert) tradition holds Paul was beheaded. Paul wields this weapon of citizenship to great affect and is able to leverage it for significant external clout during his missionary journeys, and as mobs are stirred up to attack him Roman law enforcement must come and protect him from the agitators.

He holds internal sway amongst the Jews throughout the Roman Empire, and across that Empire he held a special legal status. This meant the young man Saul could establish himself as a powerful force if he learned to “play the game.” When we meet him, it appears he is doing just that. As a young man who has maneuvered into a position of authority, he finds a cause in which he might distinguish himself- stamping out this new heretical group referred to as “The Way” and later as “Christians.” His talents were noticed by friends, enemies, and resurrected Deities.

Recruiting Saul

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. (Acts 9:1-2)

The passage above is an antithetical foreshadowing of Paul/Saul’s future missionary journeys. He is on a mission from God (or so he thinks), he leverages his well-placed connections to engage this mission, and he has the social wherewithal to focus on the major civic center at Damascus in order to have the greatest effect. Saul demonstrates a political savvy which will prove invaluable in persecuting the young movement, assuming nothing drastic changes…

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” (Acts 9:1-6)

The synagogue leaders and high priest were not the only ones who saw the potential in Saul. The risen Christ saw his talents, his connections, and his political savvy as a great asset to His growing Church, so he co-opted them rather dramatically. Through this we can distill our lesson for today- the Lord wants to use all people, from all backgrounds, with all talents, to serve Him. Sometimes that means laying down your life or livelihood, and very often times that means serving and ministering to the poor and downtrodden who live in the periphery of society. But we are also called to minister to the center of society; the halls of power. Through this study we are looking to faithful believers who did that, and it is important to realize that the conversion of the Greco-Roman world happened as Saul (now called Paul) ministered to successful business leaders living in the prosperous Roman cities, debated the philosophers of Athens, defended himself in front of the highest court in Jerusalem, and made a connection (that looks oddly similar to a friendship) with the corrupt but apparently reasonable Roman Governor Felix and his wife so that he might share the good news with them. This Gospel we preach is not just a bottom-up message. It is the good news for all people in all walks of life, and it must be woven into all levels of society if we are to see a Reformation and Rebirth of our institutions.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle…

…set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:1-7)

Paul’s letters throughout the New Testament bear his unique introductions and signatures through which he deftly weaves both his credentials and theology. They denote a clarity of mission and a certainty of grace, and they serve as a point of teaching for us. Paul is humbled by that grace, “counting all things to be loss” compared to Christ, yet that humility does not lead him to denounce his God-given talents. Instead it causes him to denounce his plans and his desires so that he can more fully recognize those talents.

What are the fortunate coincidences of your birth, or your innate capabilities, or the unique gifts you have been bestowed? How might we avoid the opposite but equally counter-productive sins of either wasting those talents in pursuit of our own worldly goals, or of wasting the leverage which they lend us to perform the Lord’s work and build for his Kingdom? We will continue this study by observing how Paul took all of those- his natural eloquence honed through education, his explicit claims to being born into a well-connected family, and his connections throughout the Roman Empire- and applied them to his mission to be Apostle to the Nations.

(cover image courtesy of catholicnewsherald.com)