‘Did Paul really mean that? Episode 3 - Liberation’ by Owen Lynch - May 10 2020
What is the big story that shapes how you see the world and your part in it? In this talk, Owen Lynch looks at the story which shaped Saul’s beliefs in the time of Jesus. The Jewish people had lost their freedom to worship God and thrive in the way they had in the past, and they were waiting for a promised liberator to overcome what stood between them and their ideal life with God.
However, Jesus was misunderstood by many, including Saul at first, perhaps because they failed to recognise what was truly holding them back. Jesus showed a way, through love and self-sacrifice, to be free not just from oppressing empires but also from personal wounds, addictions and other drivers to selfishness. When we think about our big story in a society which prizes freedom, how much of this is driven by Jesus’ example, and how much by self-centred desires from which we still need to be liberated?
REFERENCES
Tom Wright - Paul: A Biography - a light and easy introduction to Paul.
NT Wright - Paul and the Faithfulness of God - a more comprehensive overview of Paul and his theology - a bit more to chew!
Steve Chalke - The lost message of Paul - another big overview of Paul and his theology - drawing from many sources.