The Apostle, the Life of Paul by John Pollock
Last week, I finished reading The Apostle, the Life of Paul by John Pollock.
Though you might think that you know all there is to know about Paul, sometimes we need a bit of imagination to fully grasp the significance of what He went through and did for God.
John Pollock does as good a job as anyone is helping the life of Paul to come alive. I really enjoyed the book for several reasons:
First, the author tries to stay as true to the Scriptures as he can. If he did fill in some details for the sake of the story, he lets it be known. He also points out where various people disagree, so that you don’t get opinion mixed with fact.
Second, the book helps you understand more of the context of the various epistles of Paul. So often we read books like Ephesians or Philemon and don’t think about the historical context in which Paul wrote them.
Third, the tenacity and commitment of Paul to persevere in serving Christ despite the repeated intense beatings and sufferings he endured is greatly emphasised. Paul was a real warrior for God who endured much, and it reminded me that I should be willing to suffer for Christ as well.
I found the book quite easy to read through as I am already quite familiar with Paul’s life, but I highly recommend it as a fresh perspective on this great servant of the Lord.