16 ‘now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the gentiles. I am sending you to them. [acts 26:16-17]
a story worth repeating.
any event worth talking about is worth talking about often, to anyone willing to listen. the stories that shape our lives are often the ones that we discuss the most. if you spend enough time around me you will soon hear stories of miracles i have seen, places i have been, and prayers God has faithfully answered.
paul had one particular experience that he spoke of repeatedly – the moment when Jesus captured his attention and his heart.
the power of paul’s acceptance of Christ holds a prominent place in the book of acts, as it is repeated three times (acts 9, acts 22, acts 26), each time before a different audience.
since it is the single most important event in paul’s life, and arguably among the most important in history, it is no surprise that he shares it repeatedly. That makes sense.
but why does luke, the writer of acts, use precious ink to share the same story repeatedly? is it that important?
it absolutely is. we see paul share his testimony with various people at various times. It reminds us that he tells of his encounter with Christ whenever he can, and that the account never loses its meaning.
it is a story that has immense benefit to us. because of paul’s testimony to the gentiles, the Gospel has travelled across the miles and centuries to us, as powerful and meaningful as ever.
like paul, we must know our Gospel story well, and be prepared to tell it to whomever will listen.
~ jason soroski