"God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you"
Paul relies on God to be his witness and protector. It is most interesting to me that as those who would logically seek revenge or at least load Paul with distrust instead subjected themselves his direction and authority.
It seems today that there are some that question Paul’s intentions as I’m sure many early believers (more justifiably) did as well. If the victims of Paul’s cruelty and terror were able to come to trust his teaching as legitimately from God why today do some dismiss him because of his unusual conversation? Is it that we more discerning then those uneducated illiterate and naive early Christians? Or is it that we (as I imagine to be the case) are so “educated” and literate that we are determined to not to fall for Paul’s scam.
Never mind that Paul’s letters to the early Church affirm and draw on the teachings of Jesus and the revelations and promises of God in the Old Testament. For some, because Paul did not walk with Jesus before he was crucified Paul’s teaching is suspect. Some might prefer to receive instruction from Judas Iscariot since he better meets their qualifications. For me, I will take as credible the testimony of Paul evidenced by the 180 of his life and the trust early believers showed when they gave this former terrorist their ears. I pray that I would never miss something God wants to say to me because the "background check" of one He uses does not meet my expectations.
Tye Parks 