Have you ever thought about the irony that God chose Paul to be one of the most effective church planters in history? Paul’s mission in life until he met Christ was to kill Christians and destroy the church. Yet God transformed Paul’s life and Paul dedicated his life to re-presenting Christ to the world.

The transformation was huge! Enough for Paul to say, “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” (Colossians 1:24) Paul was now willing to suffer for the thing he was once trying to destroy.