Was Paul an abrasive preacher or filled with compassion?
 

I recently heard someone characterize Paul as saying this, "Paul just got on with the business and told those women to shut-up! He didn't mince words."

I suppose they are referring to "Women keeping silent in the church", but it made me think, as I've heard many say, that Jesus and Paul were more caustic and "in your face" than I have ever perceived them to be.

When I am in prayer and the Lord speaks to me He never has come across as anything but gentle and loving, even when he is correcting me.

I remember one instance when I was working in sales. The girl at the front desk would play up to whoever she was currently speaking to. She was trying to draw me into her drama. I felt sorry for her. When I went to lunch, and that was usually my prayer time, the Lord brought this scripture to me: II Timothy 2:4 "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."

A very gentle reminder and a wonderful time in prayer.

I read Paul's works and see the loving passion that Paul sets out before he begins to admonish the saints. In the middle of some of the chapters (ex. Ephesians 3:8) he puts himself in their shoes careful not to show the preeminence.

He first builds up their faith by acknowledging they are accepted in Christ. He points out that it is not with excellency of speech that he presents what he has to say and then goes on to show them a better way.

I never have perceived Paul as being an angry person.

What say you?

Not abrasive ... he seems to me to be the quintessential Christian ... very meek and temperate ...

Was he assertive? ... you bet ...

Yeah, he was both.

I agree. Very assertive and his boldness came with his compassion and understanding. I see him passionately directing and not pointing fingers in an angry way. Building up and not tearing down.

Making them feel confident that they were well able to progress in Jesus Christ.

without a doubt paul was powerful and passionate not of himself but the spirit that dwelt in him, not abrasive but loving and kind like his lord, at the same time mentoring the new ones and leading the lost to the cross, i dont think he was mean, at all , and was a very wise man so would not have been offensive to others, but kind and gentle in proper perspective to lead them to Jesus, just my own thoughts, dt:hypercoffee

I totally agree, DT! Excellent post!

Our son preaches in another state and on a visit mentioned how "in your face" Paul was. I understood his mindset because I knew the leadership he had come from.

I said, "No, read it again. Go off all alone and read it again."

Paul thought of himself as a father-type figure and a servant to the children of God. He instructed us to pray for those with faults and weaknesses with meekness and set forth Christ as our example. But he wasn't a pushover to our enemy.

Paul? meek? temperate?


uhm. i dont know if I agree.

Boy, I must be in left field.

I see paul as pretty self assured and abrasive. He got run out of town a number of times. He got in a knock down drag out with Peter and the jewish christians that had to be settled by arbitration.

he ended up in such a rift with Barnabus that they went differnet directions.

he called John Mark a mamas boy.

He is also responsible for changing the course of Western Civilization.

Paul was neither Meek nor Gentle. Paul was in my estimation a guy so confident that he was right, that he would stand at nothing to achieve his goal. He was put off by those that were not as committed as himself, he hated hypocracy (especially in the ministry) but he also subjected himself to his leadership and he was full of compassion for a lost and dying world.

i agree that all of us have our own perceptions of Paul but the fact is we dont have enough of the specific details to know how all of this transpired and was handled, what ever his temperament, he was a powerful man of the spirit, who had great passion for the work of god, dt:hypercoffee