When we explore the letters of Paul, we get more than systematic theology lessons on salvation, adoption, and justification. These epistles are real letters written by a real man to real people. A real man with real suffering, real weaknesses, real burdens, real and genuine love, trying to minister to his brothers and sisters in Christ, not only displaying glorious doctrines but also displaying himself. At this year's conference, we get to explore what it means to face the heartaches of life, the joyful and broken stories of our own lives and ministry, and in it all to know Christ and to pursue him. We get to be on this journey with Paul of seeing the faithfulness and worthiness of his Savior, our Savior.
Join us at the 2025 CCEF National Conference as we learn from the apostle Paul. In-person and virtual tickets are available. Learn more and register below.
Transcript
It's been helpful for me to have an expanded perspective on the letters of Paul. In the past, I would think of him primarily for doctrine. What does Romans or Ephesians teach about salvation, about adoption or justification or sin, marriage or singleness, on and on. And so I'd skim the opening and closing greetings and names, the “fluff,” to skip to the “real stuff.” And of course, reading Paul, I would inevitably pick out a handful of isolated verses I liked and wanted to memorize for my own encouragement. Maybe already obvious to others, but it was a paradigm shift for me to realize that the words of Paul that we have in Scripture, they’re letters. They’re letters written by a real man to real people, a real man and real people with real suffering and sin, real weaknesses, real heartaches and burdens, real and genuine rejoicing and faith and love. Paul is trying to serve and minister to his brothers and sisters in Christ, not only displaying glorious doctrines, but displaying himself. I get to see someone's heart. Someone's wrestlings, someone's life.
The reality is, many of us know the burdens that come with life and ministry. Loving and serving people is hard. Life is complex. It's messy, and through the letters of Paul we don't only get systematic theology lessons, but we get glimpses of a man who deeply loved Christ and deeply loved people, yet he was continually confronted with all of the burdens and obstacles that come with it. At this year's conference, we get to dig deeply into the riches of Paul's words and learn what it means to face the heartaches of life, the broken and joyful stories of our own lives and ministry, and to in it all know what it means to know Christ and to pursue him. And maybe more importantly, we get to be on this journey of seeing the faithfulness and beauty and worthiness of the Savior who is faithful to Paul, of the Savior who is faithful to us. We hope you'll join us as we learn together.
