Paul's Story, Rejection, and the Plot to Kill Him

Study Questions

Paul’s experience continues to be rife with tension and suffering. However, he is committed to sharing his story and advancing the gospel. We also should be sensitive to the opportunities God gives us to share how the gospel has changed our lives.

Application

1. Although Paul’s past is difficult, he uses it to advance the gospel. How can your past create opportunities for you to connect with others? Do you ever struggle with letting your past define you? If so, how can the gospel provide freedom and hope?

2. In our culture, it can be easy to over identify with our country. However, a believer’s true citizenship is in God’s kingdom. If this concept creates tension or difficulty for you, consider why that is the case. How do you need to grow in this area?

3. Think about how hearing others’ stories has affected you. Are you telling your story? How has telling your story in the past affected your faith? If you haven’t told your story, consider why.

Key Points

• God continues to put Paul in unique situations in order to spread the gospel, and he is willing to take risks to share his story in compelling ways.

• Paul does not allow his past to define him. If we struggle to overcome our past, it is often because we don’t have full faith in the gospel’s power to pay for our sins and make us new.

• Just as Paul’s story is a powerful vehicle for sharing the gospel, so is any believer’s story. It does not have to be dramatic or sensational in order to display Jesus’ transformative power in our lives.

• It is easy to over identify with our earthly citizenship, but we must remember our true identity is as citizens of God’s kingdom.

• God often puts us in situations where he wants us to share our story with unbelievers, and we should be attuned and sensitive to those opportunities.

Other Scripture References

2 Corinthians 5:17

1 Corinthians 9:20-21