Mission of St Paul the Apostle

St Paul the apostle claimed that his vision demonstrated that Jesus was alive in heaven, that he was the Messiah and God’s Son, and that he would return soon. Furthermore, Paul believed that the intent of this revelation was to prepare him for his ministry among the Gentiles. 

He could clearly define his own position in God’s plan by the time of his last extant letter, Romans. He wrote that the Hebrew prophets predicted that God would restore the tribes of Israel in “days to come,” and that the Gentiles would then convert to worship the one true God. Paul insisted that his role in this plan was to win Gentiles.

While Paul’s method for converting Gentiles is unknown, one possibility is that he gave lectures in public gathering places (Acts 17:17 ff.). However, there is another chance. Paul acknowledged that he was not a talented speaker (2 Corinthians 10:10; 11:6).

How St Paul Spread the Gospel?

Furthermore, he had to spend a significant number of his time, if not all, working to support himself. He worked with leather as a tentmaker, and leatherwork is quiet. As a result, he might have talked while working, and if he had anything interesting to say, people would have stopped by to listen from time to time. It’s quite likely that Paul used this method to spread the gospel.

Travels and Letters of St Paul the Apostle

Since St Paul decided to keep going west, he only had the ability to visit his churches on rare occasions. By letter and by sending one or more of his assistants, he sought to keep his converts’ spirits up. He answered their questions, and solved their problems. 

The letters of St Paul the apostle show a remarkable human being: committed, compassionate, sensitive, at times harsh and furious, clever, supple in argumentation, and passionate about devotion to God, Jesus Christ, and his own mission. After his death, one of his followers compiled some of the letters. After editing them, he published them in public.