The Apostle Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, was a man who was greatly taught in the way of the Pharisees.  He was a Jewish man with a Roman citizenship, which allowed him privileges other Jewish people did not have.  We read in Acts 22:27-28, “Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.” 

Paul said of himself in Philippians 3:4-6, “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”  He certainly had the credentials to go far in the Jews’ religion.  He was brought up under the tutelage of the respected teacher, Gamaliel. (Acts 22:3). 

Saul was a great persecutor of the church until he had an encounter with the Lord Jesus while on the way to imprison Christians in a town called Damascus.  Read the account of his salvation in Acts 9:1-20.  One of the first pieces of Paul’s theology is found in Acts 9:20 where we read, “And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that HE IS THE SON OF GOD.”  Paul boldly declared that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  You may recall the reaction the Lord Jesus received when He declared that He was the Son of God in John 10:30-33, “I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”  The people try to kill the Lord when He spoke of Himself as the Son of God, therefore claiming that He was God.  This was the first thing that Paul preached, and he continued to proclaim the Lord’s person for the remainder of his life.  He declared in Romans 1:3-4, “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” 

Some other things that Paul taught were:

*  The sovereignty of God in grace – “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:4-5).

*  The reality of God’s wrath against sin – “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” (2 Corinthians 5:11).

*  The headship of Christ over His church and His preeminence in all things – “ And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1:18).

*  The believer’s membership in the body of Christ – “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” (Ephesians 5:30).

*  The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in all believers – “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30).

*  The rapture of the church – “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

The list goes on and on as Paul expounds on the glorious person of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I encourage you to read all of Paul’s epistles.  You may want to begin with the book of Ephesians, which gives some of the highest truths in the Bible regarding Christ and who we are in Christ.  (400.6)