Several decades had passed since Jesus returned to heaven.
The apostles with the help of other faithful followers of Jesus had taken Christ's parting command to teach this gospel of the kingdom to every nation, tongue and people, to heart. And with whole hearted seriousness took it to the whole known world.
Col. 1:23 "the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, which was preached to every creature which is under heaven" Paul, at first a zealous persecutor of Christians, was specially called by Jesus, to be an apostle to the Gentiles.
Acts 9:15-16 "The Lord said... he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake".
For the rest of his life, Paul's whole zeal and ambition was now to witness for Christ, and tell everyone of our wonderful Savior.
Acts 26:22 "Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
26:23 That Christ should suffer, [and] that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles." Romans 5:10-11 "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
And not only [so], but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement".
1 Cor. 1:24 "Unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." This quarter we will study letters written by Paul, near the end of his life, as he sat in prison. He is writing to churches he established, writing to confirm their faith, and their walk in Christ: showing aspects of Jesus as our Savior, Redeemer and source of everything good including life itself.
