Faith & Love: A One Year Bible Reading Plan - Part 5ናሙና
The fast-growing first church was broken up and scattered. Saul steps forward as a defender of the Jewish faith and witnesses the death of Stephen, the first martyr. But what seems like a huge tragedy turns out for the progress of the gospel. Saul would never be able to forget what he saw.
Many years later, Saul’s teaching shows many signs of having been shaped by his memory of Stephen's teaching. Salvation is by grace and through faith. It has nothing to do with tradition, religion, law, or the temple. Saul, now called Paul, becomes the new reference for understanding the good news of the Gospel.
In Galatians 1:13-16, Paul describes the huge change that happened in him: "But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I could preach him among the Gentiles”. A changed life is the result of seeing the Son, Jesus, for who He is and what He did on the cross! When I put my faith in Him, change is possible!