The Fruit of the spirit
The Fruit of the Spirit
In this three part lesson we will explore the Fruit of the Spirit, what they mean and how we should apply them to our lives today. But we will take a deeper look at Paul the Apostle the author and the churches of Galatia who he was speaking to.
Let's start with the Apostle Paul.
The Apostle Paul was unique in many ways, how he was raised as a child, how he persecuted the church, and later became a believer. Paul was an example of when God has a purpose for your life nothing will stand in His way.
Paul’s birth name was Saul, he was born in Tarsus in Cilician and was of Benjamite lineage. His parents were devout Jews and nationalists that followed the Law of Moses, without compromise. His parents were also Pharisees and had Roman citizenship. (Acts 22:22-29) Paul was raised in a very disciplined and religious family. (Philippians 3:5-6) At the time Paul was growing up the persecution of Christians was rampant; it was a violent and brutal time. Followers of Christ were viewed as enemies of the Jews only wanting to corrupt the young Jewish people and turn them away from their religion.
Saul was thirteen when he was sent to Judea to learn from the Rabbi Gamaliel. His education for about six years included Jewish history, the Psalms, and works of the prophets. (Acts 22:3) Saul became a lawyer and was very zealous in his faith, you could say he was a religious extremist. But you can see his love for his religion and extreme hate for anyone that comes in with a new doctrine. Jesus was that enemy; his entire life was contrary to Jews teachings. But God had a plan, He took the worst by converting Paul. Believers feared him and the Jews elite admired him.
So, we all know that eventually Saul was converted and started preaching that Jesus was the Son of God. Paul became hated by the chief priest and the believers were unsure of his conversion. He went on to plant churches and disciple leaders. He was considered one of the greatest Apostles. For further study about Paul’s conversion, the book of Acts chapter 9. To sum up who Paul was I think the scripture in Galatians 1:1 says it best: “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)”
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Note: Pharisee: a member of an ancient Jewish sect, distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law, and commonly held to have pretensions to superior sanctity. a self-righteous person; a hypocrite.
Gamaliel was an influential Pharisee and an expert of the law in the Jewish religion during the days of the Apostolic Church. He was also a key member of the highest Jewish council called the Sanhedrin. Gamaliel was Saul’s mentor and teacher before he was converted and changed his name to Paul.
Resource: Got Questions.org, Who was Paul in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org, Who was Gamaliel in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org
Bible study
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This month our study in prayer explores the Lord's Prayer do we just o quote it word for word or is