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INTRODUCTION

The Bible Biography Series is a series of books written about various Bible characters by John G. Butler. These books are expository studies of the Scripture. They are extensively organized and outlined and filled with practical applications of Scripture to every day life. They are written in easy-to-understand laymen’s language, and theologically and morally they take a strong, old-fashioned, fundamentalist position which is increasingly unpopular but greatly needed in our day. These books are very helpful to preachers in providing material for sermons and lessons. They will also provide much instruction for the individual in his or her personal Bible study; and because of their organized structure, they are very adaptable to Sunday School classes and Bible study groups. The complete Bible Biography Series consists of twenty-five books which include books about Joseph, Jonah, Elijah, Elisha, Gideon, Samson, John the Baptist, Peter, Abraham, Lot, Paul, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Nehemiah, Jacob, Hezekiah, Mordecai, Ruth, Daniel, Solomon, Noah, Job, and Heroes (a study of Hebrews 11).
The author, John G. Butler, is a native of Iowa. He has been a Baptist minister for over a half a century and pastored for over thirty-five years with pastorates in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa. He attended Tennessee Temple University and Cedarville University back in the days when these schools were strong, fundamental, Bible-believing schools with high and holy standards and policies. He is a also veteran of the United States Navy. Other books by the author include the Studies of the Savior—a series of ten books about Jesus Christ, and a four-book daily devotional series entitled Daily Bible Reading.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

I. PERSECUTOR OF BELIEVERS (Various texts)
A. The Background of the Persecutor
B. The Brutality of the Persecutor

II. POWER OF GOD (Acts 9:3–18)
A. The Revelation of Christ
B. The Response of Paul
C. The Role of Ananias

III. PREPARATIONS FOR SERVICE (Acts 9:19–31, Galatians 1:15–21)
A. The Seclusion in Arabia
B. The Sojourn in Damascus
C. The Season in Jerusalem
D. The Stay in Tarsus

IV. PLACEMENT IN SERVICE (Acts 11:19–30; 12:25)
A. The Seeking for Paul in Tarsus
B. The Serving of Paul in Antioch
C. The Sending of Paul to Jerusalem

V. PREMIÈRE OF MISSIONS (Acts 13:1–13)
A. The Summons in Antioch
B. The Start in Salamis
C. The Sorcerer in Paphos
D. The Shirker in Perga

VI. PREACHING IN PISIDIA (Acts 13:14–52)
A. The Place of the Preaching
B. The Particulars of the Preaching
C. The People and the Preaching

VII. POLARIZATION IN ICONIUM (Acts 14:1–6)
A. The Ministry of God’s Servants
B. The Menacing of God’s Servants

VIII. PROBLEMS IN LYSTRA (Acts 14:6–20)
A. The Health Problem
B. The Honor Problem
C. The Harassment Problem

IX. PROCEEDING TO COMPLETION (Acts 14:20–28)
A. The Furtherance of the Gospel
B. The Follow-up of the Converts
C. The Furlough of the Missionaries

X. POLEMICS ABOUT LEGALISM (Acts 15:1–35, Galatians 2)
A. The Contenders for Legalism
B. The Conference About Legalism
C. The Communication Against Legalism
D. The Censure Involving Legalism

XI. PARTING FROM BARNABAS (Acts 15:36–16:5)
A. The Concern of Paul
B. The Conflict over Mark
C. The Change in Associates
D. The Commencement of Traveling

XII. PLAN OF GOD (Acts 16:6–15)
A. The Discerning of God’s Will
B. The Doing of God’s Will
C. The Dividends of God’s Will

XIII. PRISONERS IN PHILIPPI (Acts 16:16–40)
A. The Disturbance of the Missionaries
B. The Detention of the Missionaries
C. The Deliverance of the Missionaries

XIV. PROPAGATING IN THESSALONICA (Acts 17:1–10)
A. The Ministry of the Word
B. The Meanness of the Wicked

XV. PRUDENCE IN BEREA (Acts 17:10–15)
A. The Details of Their Prudence
B. The Disdain of Their Prudence

XVI. PAGANISM IN ATHENS (Acts 17:16–34)
A. The Stirring Because of Paganism
B. The Situation Amidst Paganism
C. The Sermon Against Paganism

XVII. PARISH OF CORINTH (Acts 18:1–23)
A. The Significant Circumstances
B. The Steadfast Communicating
C. The Surprising Court
D. The Strange Conclusion

XVIII. PROCLAIMING IN EPHESUS (Acts 18:23, 19:1–20)
A. The Traveling Prelude
B. The Teaching Experiences
C. The Transcendent Miracles

XIX. PANDEMONIUM IN EPHESUS (Acts 19:21–41)
A. The Contemplation Before the Pandemonium
B. The Cause of the Pandemonium
C. The Character of the Pandemonium
D. The Cessation of the Pandemonium

XX. PURSUING THE PLAN (Acts 20:1–16)
A. The Stay in Greece
B. The Service in Troas
C. The Sailing to Miletus

XXI. PAUSING TO INSTRUCT (Acts 20:17–38)
A. The Example in the Instruction
B. The Exhorting in the Instruction
C. The Exit After the Instruction

XXII. PERSISTING ABOUT JERUSALEM (Acts 21:1–14)
A. The Prohibiting in Tyre
B. The Protesting in Caesarea

XXIII. PURIFICATION IN JERUSALEM (Acts 21:15–39)
A. The Days Before the Purification
B. The Desire for the Purification
C. The Disturbance From the Purification

XXIV. PLEA BEFORE TROUBLEMAKERS (Acts 21:39–22:29)
A. The Credentials of Paul
B. The Conversion of Paul
C. The Calling for Paul
D. The Contempt for Paul

XXV. PROVOKING THE SANHEDRIN (Acts 22:30–23:11)
A. The Smiting of Paul
B. The Schism Over Paul
C. The Solace for Paul

XXVI. PROTECTION FROM CONSPIRACY (Acts 23:12–35)
A. The Need of the Protection
B. The Nephew in the Protection
C. The Nature of the Protection

XXVII. PERFORMANCE BEFORE FELIX (Acts 24)
A. The Public Trial
B. The Private Hearings

XXVIII. PROTESTING BEFORE FESTUS (Acts 25:1–12)
A. The Prompting of the Trial
B. The Particulars of the Trial

XXIX. PROFESSION BEFORE AGRIPPA (Acts 25:13–26:32)
A. The Occasion for the Hearing
B. The Occurrence of the Hearing
C. The Outcome of the Hearing

XXX. PERIL AT SEA (Acts 27)
A. The Progress Before the Storm
B. The Prediction About the Storm
C. The Particulars of the Storm
D. The Proclamation During the Storm
E. The Pretenders in the Storm
F. The Preservation in the Storm

XXXI. PROMINENCE IN MELITA (Acts 28:1–10)
A. The Place of Prominence
B. The Protection Initiating Prominence
C. The Performances Amidst Prominence

XXXII. PASSING TO ROME (Acts 28:11–31)
A. The Particulars of His Move
B. The Pursuit of His Ministry

QUOTATION SOURCES

PREFACE

James Stalker said, “There are some men whose lives it is impossible to study without receiving the impression that they were expressly sent into the world to do a work required by the juncture of history on which they fell … This impression is produced by no life more than by that of the Apostle Paul.” When it was time, in the gracious plan of God, to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world, Paul was the special instrument chosen by God to lead the way in world missions. Though to man’s way of thinking, Paul was a most unlikely choice because of his great persecution of the church; yet he proved to be the right choice as do all of God’s choices. His three missionary journeys are legends in missionary endeavor, and they show the principles and inspiration for all missionary work to follow.
Paul’s missionary work made him very prominent in the Bible. In fact, outside of Jesus Christ, no person is more prominent in the New Testament than the Apostle Paul. Prominence was a natural characteristic of Paul. We agree with Stalker that had Paul not gained his prominence in Christianity, he would have gained it in some other field; for wherever he went, he soon became the foremost personality.
This study of Paul is taken primarily from the book of Acts. Some reference is made to his epistles in our study, but Acts is the main text. His epistles are studies in themselves. Our emphasis is on the narrative of Paul’s life as given in the Scripture. Acts gives that narrative; in fact, it gives more narrative of Paul’s life than of anyone else’s life. Of the twenty-eight chapters in Acts, seventeen of them are a chronicle of Paul’s life. And what a great life it was of consecration to the cause of Jesus Christ. He could indeed say at the end of his life that “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). May the study of this book on the life of Paul help others to be able to say the same when they come to the end of their earthly sojourn.

Butler, J. G. (1995). Paul: The Missionary Apostle (Vol. Number Eleven, pp. 3–11). Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.