The Unlikely Apostle Pt. 5: “The Chief of Sinners”

Perhaps the greatest pleasure of my life is getting to talk with people about Jesus. Though these conversations are built into my regular routine on Sundays and Wednesdays, it’s the gospel conversations that happen outside of those times that often feel the most impactful.

I’ll never forget an interaction I had with a soldier one day about Jesus, Paul and the power of the gospel to transform lives.

There I was at my table, when he came up beside me and sat down. Knowing that I’m in ministry, he began to ask a few questions about God and various spiritual matters. I felt led to investigate what might be prompting him to seek me out, so I asked him to tell me a bit of his story.

This man was a highly intelligent officer who had fought bravely in the Middle East for several years. During the line of duty and throughout several intense battles, he had killed many, many people, sometimes in extremely violent ways. He was so overwhelmed by the things he had done, said and thought that if anyone was irredeemable, he was sure it was him.

I said that it would be foolish for me to try to empathize with him, but I knew of someone who could. So I paraphrased the Apostle Paul’s testimony from 1 Timothy 1:12-16.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. – 1 Timothy 1:12-16

I reminded the man that Paul said his testimony in 1 Timothy is a trustworthy statement that deserves full acceptance. These are words we can bet our lives on. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and Paul is the worst who ever lived.

Not you. Not me. Paul.

Not only did Jesus save the worst sinner who ever lived, He transformed him through the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit into one of the most influential people in history. And we should humbly accept this fact that we cannot change, because Jesus specifically chose Paul as an example for us of the love and power of the gospel.

If Jesus wanted Paul to be a part of the kingdom of God, He certainly wants you and the people you hate. If Jesus could save Paul, He can certainly save you and the people you hate. If Jesus could transform Paul into a mighty, church-planting Apostle who wrote half the books of the New Testament, He can certainly transform you and the people you hate.

Jesus can take violent, blaspheming persecutors of the Church and turn them into compassionate, godly pastors who love their enemies and seek to see even their oppressors become disciples of Christ. Jesus can take hardened, cold hearts and melt them with His touch.

It was powerful seeing the Holy Spirit working in my friend’s heart that day as he began to believe Paul’s testimony. May you too believe and be changed by the words of that unlikely Apostle. And may you bring that message of hope and transformation with you wherever you go.

“This is a faithful saying, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief.” … Paul … after being a persecutor of the Church of God and a bitter opponent of believers, who went so far even as to deliver over the disciples of Jesus to death, so great a change afterwards passed over him that he preached the Gospel of Jesus from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum … to places where the Gospel of God in Christ had not been proclaimed at all. – Origen 225CE, Volume 4, p. 730 [CD-ROM]