The Legacy of the Apostle Paul to Apostolic Faith and Mission Today

Abstract

As we have seen, Acts is a book of “new beginnings” as well as a “single thread.” In Acts 9 we discover a new beginning for both Saul of Tarsus and for the world mission of the early church. Saul the persecuter is about to become Paul the apostle—miraculously converted and divinely sent to deliver a singularly important message and do a uniquely important work. And that is going to make “all the difference in the world” when it comes to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Paul and his ministry constituted a real conundrum for liberal scholars of the 19th and 20th centuries. They questioned the significance of his conversion and call; the chronology of his writings and ministry; and his views with respect to the Law, justification and eschatology. The results for both church and mission have been sad indeed.Here we want to affirm the fact that Paul’s message and ministry were Holy Spirit-inspired; that Paul played a crucial role in the mission of the early church; and that his legacy is still crucial to apostolic faith and mission today.It is crucial in at least three ways.