The apostle Paul has been hated for 2000 years by many men and women. People hated him to his face. They hated his preaching. And they hated, and many still do, hate what he wrote. But there have also been many of us—including many women—who love him. We don’t see Paul as misogynistic; we’ve found his letters true, good, liberating, and full of hope, both for this life, and for the life to come. Below are 5 reasons why I as a woman love the apostle Paul.
1. He preached and wrote about the gospel of grace.
Through his preaching and writing, Paul shows that the most important thing about a woman’s identity is not her physical appearance, nor her marital status, nor whether she’s had children, nor her education, health, wealth, or age. Rather the most important thing about a women’s identity is whether she is in Christ, or out of Christ. This impacts all of our eternity. Women and men therefore need to be saved, and so the gospel needs to be preached (Acts 20:20-24; Eph 1:1-3:13).
Paul wanted what was best for women.
Paul shows that the most important thing about a woman is not her appearance, marital status, children, education, health, wealth, or age, but whether she is in Christ.
2. He was a Christ-like leader.
Paul loved the church and he loved the lost. He was self-sacrificial. He endured suffering. He did all he could so that women and men could hear the saving gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 11:1; 2 Cor 11:16-33; Phil 1:7-26; 3:1-21; 1 Thess 2).
Paul was Christ-like to women and so women can imitate Paul.
3. He trusted God.
Paul’s letters are full of his prayers and references to his prayer life which show that his trust was foremost in God, not in any man or woman (Phil 1:3-11; Eph 1:3-23). Paul was not concerned to be popular; he was concerned to glorify God. He didn’t fear human opinion; he entrusted himself to God. Paul’s trust in God made him trustworthy.
Paul was someone women could trust.
4. He was a great team player.
Paul recognised God’s good plan to give gifts to men and women so that they can work together to build Christ’s church and reach the lost with the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He made it clear that Christian women have been gifted, and are co-workers in the gospel (Rom 12:3-8; 16; 1 Cor 12-14).
Paul rejoiced in the gifts of his female co-workers in the gospel, so that the church would be built up, and so that many would hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul rejoiced in the gifts of his female co-workers in the gospel, so that the church would be built up, and so that many would hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
5. He showed us what it means to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Paul’s letters explain clearly what it means for us to live with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour (1 Cor; Eph 4-6; 1 Tim). These truths, since they are fundamentally about God not us, don’t change—no matter who we are, and no matter what our culture is saying. More than anyone else, Paul helps me (and all of us) to, understand what it means to be a Christian woman in 2020.
Paul is an Apostle that women can still trust to teach us how to live as Christian women today and every day until our Lord and Saviour Jesus returns in glory.
