The Ministry of the Apostle Paul [Audio Version]

When this book was begun in late November 2013, the intent was to write a commentary on chapter five of Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus. But about fifty pages into that endeavor, it became clear that the book was not going in that direction. For one thing, his letter to that church had not even been mentioned in those pages. For another, the focus up to that point had been on Paul's missionary journeys. The reason for those problems was that the original intent had been to put his letter to the church into the context of his journeys. But there was so much to say about the journeys that his letter to the church had taken a back seat. So the title was changed to its current title, and the remaining efforts were applied in that direction.This book is a history of Paul's ministry. Great effort has been expended to try to date when and where Paul had gone. Then, at each stopping point, the more significant events of what had happened to him are shared. Most people would probably not think of him as taking five separate missionary journeys. But that is because the first one and the last one were not as carefully documented as the middle three. In the pages that follow, the reader will be able to clearly see those five journeys, plus his two separate imprisonments in Rome. Most people also have probably never attempted to put his writing of his thirteen letters to the churches and certain individuals into the context of what was going on in his life at the time. But this book has done that and has also dedicated space to trying to report what he was saying in those letters.For example, the person who reads this book will learn what Paul had meant when he wrote in Romans 1:20-32 that God turned certain individuals over to a reprobate mind. He or she will learn what Paul had meant in I Timothy 2:11-15 when he wrote about women being silent in the church. He or she will learn what Paul had meant in I Timothy 3:1-7 concerning men and women being involved in the ministry. He or she will learn in what city Paul was in