Why I Love the Apostle Paul
30 Reasons
by John Piper
208 pages // published in 2019 // Christian non-fiction
BOOK DESCRIPTION
"Besides Jesus, no one has kept me from despair, or taken me deeper into the mysteries of the gospel, than the apostle Paul." --John Piper
No one has had a greater impact on the world for eternal good than the apostle Paul--except Jesus himself. For John Piper, this impact is very personal. He does not just admire and trust Paul. He loves him. Piper gives us thirty glimpses into why his heart and mind respond this way.
Can a Christian-killer really endure 195 lashes from a heart of love? Can a mystic who thinks he was caught up into heaven be a model of lucid rationality? Can an ethnocentric Jew write the most beautiful call to reconciliation? Can a person who lives with the unceasing anguish of empathy be always rejoicing? Can a man's description of the horrors of human sin be exceeded by his delight in human splendor? Can a man with a backbone of steel be as tender as a nursing mother?
If we know this man--if we see what Piper sees--we too will love him. Paul's testimony is a matter of life and death. Piper invites you into his relationship with Paul in the hope that you will know life, forever.
"Besides Jesus, no one has kept me from despair, or taken me deeper into the mysteries of the gospel, than the apostle Paul." --John Piper
No one has had a greater impact on the world for eternal good than the apostle Paul--except Jesus himself. For John Piper, this impact is very personal. He does not just admire and trust Paul. He loves him. Piper gives us thirty glimpses into why his heart and mind respond this way.
Can a Christian-killer really endure 195 lashes from a heart of love? Can a mystic who thinks he was caught up into heaven be a model of lucid rationality? Can an ethnocentric Jew write the most beautiful call to reconciliation? Can a person who lives with the unceasing anguish of empathy be always rejoicing? Can a man's description of the horrors of human sin be exceeded by his delight in human splendor? Can a man with a backbone of steel be as tender as a nursing mother?
If we know this man--if we see what Piper sees--we too will love him. Paul's testimony is a matter of life and death. Piper invites you into his relationship with Paul in the hope that you will know life, forever.
The apostle Paul was a passionate man. After he became a Christian, he was on fire for God. Isn't he someone that all Christians should emulate? Do you think we could end up shining as bright for our world, as he did back in biblical times?
"He held a more negative view of depraved human nature than most people can fathom, and a more exalted view of human destiny than most people can dream."
So many excellent topics are covered, including contentment, suffering, love, leaving sin behind, friendships, joy, and the amazingness of God's hand in our life... and still much more. Loads of wonderful ideas to ponder over.
This book revealed character traits of Paul's to me, which remind me so deeply of my own grandfather. Both men being missionaries, their focus on life being to go where the gospel hasn't gone before, and to run the race well.
"Love means gladly embracing the quest to bring others into your experience of joy in God, even if it costs you your life."
Minimum age to read: 16 and up. It vaguely mentions a topic or two suited only for older teens and adults, but it doesn't go into detail about it.
Overall? This isn't an average biography on Paul, in fact, it's really not one at all. So even if you think you know Paul's story front to back, I guarantee at least 1 of these 30 reasons will shock you into thinking about him in a new perspective. More than likely though, you'll find new ideas aplenty from Piper's book.
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I love the Apostle Paul too, and our Women's Bible study at church has had several 10 week long studies of the Scripture he wrote. I think this book sounds very meaningful.
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