In 1 Timothy 1:15 the apostle Paul declared, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." Before his personal, Spirit-based encounter with the risen Christ of faith, Saul was a faithful, Rabbi, leader and teacher of the letter of the Law as given by Moses. He was however spiritually asleep, spiritually blind, spiritually deaf and spiritually dead. He did not grasp Jesus' universal message of God's salvation, through the Christ of faith, in the spiritual body of all people [John 3:14-17]. Unbelieving and arrogant, in dark ignorance, Saul so fiercely opposed this universal Good News of the Gospel of Christ, that he eventually became violent, within his own Jewish religion.
He initially rejected the person, Spirit-based message and ministry of his fellow Rabbi, the historical Jesus. He sought to persecute and destroy all Jews who believed and embraced God's grace, mercy and truth, as revealed in the historical Jesus. After his personal encounter with the risen Christ of faith, conversion, confession, spiritual awakening and spiritual discernment, Saul was so radically transformed in his feelings, experiences, actions and thoughts that he labeled himself, the chief of sinners. His name was eventually changed from Saul to Paul.
In John 1:14-17, the apostle John shines some light and spiritual understanding on Saul's hostile feelings, distorted experiences, wicked actions and erroneous mindsets when he states, "And the Word [Logos / Christ] was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, ) full of grace and truth. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ".
Divine grace and truth are eternally present as gifts of God, in the spiritual body of all persons. No person has to, nor can anyone earn God's grace, love and truth. They come equally to all people alike, because all people are created in the image and likeness of God, for God's glory, honor and sovereign reign [Genesis 1:26-31]. The historical Jesus actually lived, taught and revealed not only the literal but also the metaphorical, metaphysical and mystical meanings of the Law of Moses, by living the Paschal Mystery.
The inner spiritual meaning of the Law, 'Christ [Logos] in you the hope of glory', has been hidden from humankind down through the ages and generations [Colossians 1:26-29]. This truth cannot be discerned nor realized by human beings who choose to be spiritually asleep, spiritually deaf, spiritually blind and spiritually dead. Often erroneous religions and belief systems by design hide and distort mankind's true relationship with God. They foster spiritual sleep and spiritual death [Romans 8:1-11].
The historical Jesus declared if any person would come after him, they must deny self, take up their own cross daily and follow him [Luke 14:25-35]. The universal, personal cross that the historic Jesus is referring to is the personal casting out of the same spiritual blindness, spiritual sleep, spiritual deafness and spiritual death which the apostle Paul experienced before his conversion. In the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, taking up one's own cross means casting out the unbelief, rejection, religious xenophobia and arrogance which Saul experienced and demonstrated.
Following the historical Jesus means lifting up the universal, indwelling Christ of faith [Logos], the image and likeness of God, within the historic Jesus, within one's self and within all persons, in kingdom living [Genesis 1:26-31, Luke 17:20-21]. Imitating the historical Jesus, must involve the vital practice of daily living the letter as well as the spirit of the Law. Through repentance, faith and taking up one's own cross daily, believers in all the world religions can release the old sinful life, and establish the new life in Christ, by following the historical Jesus in living the Paschal Mystery.
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