"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
To be completely honest, I can be a little (and I probably should say "a lot") skeptical of overly famous preachers, especially when they pastor large megachurches. Nevertheless, I found the book, "Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit," by Charles R. Swindoll to be an incredibly encouraging read as the author tells the history and story of Paul, drawing largely from the book of Acts and incorporating numerous passages from his many epistles to illustrate the teaching that was going forth during the varying seasons of the apostle's life.
The book was especially appropriate and compelling during this season of quarantine as it dove into the reality of the significant amount of time Paul spent waiting on the Lord, sitting in prison, desiring to be with the people he loved and desperately wanted to disciple, but yet the patience and tenacity he demonstrated in using that time well. For truly, as Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13, these seasons had taught him contentment in Christ. "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." It was a convicting read and made you want to read all his letters and especially the book of Acts again with new perspective on where he started and the many miles he traveled to share the good news of Christ.
Briefly, here are some of the truly wonderful highlights of the book: the weaving of the teachings and words of Paul's letters to the churches into his chronological experience, the large amounts of Scripture it contained, the convicting faithfulness of the life of Paul, the emphasis on teaching truth courageously and spending significant time in the Word of God, and the overall emphasis on how the Lord uses even the weakest and seemingly greatest of sinners, by redeeming them and equipping them for service. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, "It is always upon human weakness and humiliation, not human strength and confidence, that God chooses to build His Kingdom . . . He can use us not merely in spite of our ordinariness and helplessness and disqualifying infirmities, but precisely because of them" (241).
Like all books, it did have its shortcomings. The author at times gets swept up in his own personal reflections on his career as a highly successful pastor, seeming to forget that not all ministries do (and possibly even should) look like his and not all persons share his same experiences and background. He also can go off on some odd application tangents using catchy terms like "authentic" and "gritty" that leave you wondering how we got there. As with many biographies, he occasionally slips into imagining and filling in gaps, forgetting to stress well that we don't fully know what Paul was thinking or all the details of every moment of his life. (And one final random Jackie critique, but he also quotes The Message and Wild at Heart a few times which always sets my little red flags off 😆).
However, despite these critiques, the life of Paul is beautifully captured and the book is so full of direct quotes from Scripture that it allows the reader to really get a sense of the experiences and timeline that shaped the man who wrote much of the New Testament. I recommend the book and was greatly encouraged by it and love anything that makes me want to read Scripture more.
Briefly, here are some of the truly wonderful highlights of the book: the weaving of the teachings and words of Paul's letters to the churches into his chronological experience, the large amounts of Scripture it contained, the convicting faithfulness of the life of Paul, the emphasis on teaching truth courageously and spending significant time in the Word of God, and the overall emphasis on how the Lord uses even the weakest and seemingly greatest of sinners, by redeeming them and equipping them for service. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, "It is always upon human weakness and humiliation, not human strength and confidence, that God chooses to build His Kingdom . . . He can use us not merely in spite of our ordinariness and helplessness and disqualifying infirmities, but precisely because of them" (241).
Like all books, it did have its shortcomings. The author at times gets swept up in his own personal reflections on his career as a highly successful pastor, seeming to forget that not all ministries do (and possibly even should) look like his and not all persons share his same experiences and background. He also can go off on some odd application tangents using catchy terms like "authentic" and "gritty" that leave you wondering how we got there. As with many biographies, he occasionally slips into imagining and filling in gaps, forgetting to stress well that we don't fully know what Paul was thinking or all the details of every moment of his life. (And one final random Jackie critique, but he also quotes The Message and Wild at Heart a few times which always sets my little red flags off 😆).
However, despite these critiques, the life of Paul is beautifully captured and the book is so full of direct quotes from Scripture that it allows the reader to really get a sense of the experiences and timeline that shaped the man who wrote much of the New Testament. I recommend the book and was greatly encouraged by it and love anything that makes me want to read Scripture more.
Man, my list of want-to-reads was already so long 😉😁 I would love to get a better grasp on how all the letters fit into the chronology of his life. And I also love the point that he was longing to be with and disciple people - that by itself makes me want to dive into his letters!! Thanks for sharing ❤️
ReplyDelete