Paul Essentials — His Life, His Letters, His Lord

What this book is

Paul’s story is about what Jesus Christ can do with a life. The man who tried to destroy the church became a servant who carried the gospel across much of the Roman world, and his letters still help believers understand salvation, grow in holiness, love one another, and hold fast through suffering.

This book follows Paul’s life from Saul the persecutor to the road to Damascus, the three missionary journeys, arrest, shipwreck, and Rome; explains the heart of his message; and introduces all thirteen New Testament letters that bear his name — with a detailed timeline, journey guides for each mission, a list of his companions, and a manageable reading path. It is meant to be read beside an open Bible; no scholarly training is needed. Illustrations are artistic reconstructions, and Scripture is paraphrased with references.

What is inside

• Begin here · Who Paul was and what he did · Detailed timeline: life, places, and letters
• Paul's imprisonments — the most widely accepted order (added in this edition)
• 1. Saul before Jesus stopped him
• 2. The road to Damascus
• 3. Ananias and the early years
• 4. Barnabas, Antioch, and being sent
• 5. The first journey
• 6. Grace and the Jerusalem Council
• 7. A divided team and an opened door
• 8. Philippi: suffering and salvation
• 9. Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens
• 10. Corinth: work, courage, and care
• 11. Ephesus and the third journey
• 12. The journey toward Jerusalem
• 13. Arrest, hearings, and an appeal
• 14. Storm, shipwreck, and Malta
• 15. Rome and the closing years
• 16. The heart of Paul's gospel
• 17. Growing into the likeness of Christ
• 18. The church, suffering, and hope
• The thirteen letters: Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
• The likely order of Paul's letters · Why Galatians comes first and 2 Timothy is last · Postscript on Hebrews (added in this edition)
• Paul's companions · Journey guides for the first, second, and third missions and the prisoner voyage
• A manageable reading path · Closing: look where Paul points

Scripture in this book

This book quotes or cites Scripture about 234 times, from 15 books of the Bible. Each reference opens in the ESV at Blue Letter Bible.

Acts (122 references)

Acts 5
7:58-8:3
9:1-9, 9:1-31, 9:3-9, 9:5, 9:10-19, 9:10-22, 9:19-22, 9:23-30, 9:26-27, 9:28-30, 9:30
11:19-30, 11:25-26, 11:27-30
13:1-4, 13:1-12, 13:4-12, 13:9, 13:13, 13:13-14:21, 13:13-43
14:1-20, 14:21-28
15:1-6, 15:1-35, 15:1-41, 15:7-21, 15:22-35, 15:36-18:22, 15:36-41, 15:40, 15:40-16:10
16:1-3, 16:1-10, 16:11-15, 16:11-40, 16:16-24, 16:16-40, 16:22-25, 16:25-28, 16:29-34, 16:35-40
17:1-10, 17:1-34, 17:11-15, 17:16-31, 17:32-34
18:1-3, 18:1-8, 18:1-17, 18:9-11, 18:12-17, 18:18-22, 18:18-23, 18:22, 18:23, 18:23-21:17
19:8-10, 19:11-20, 19:23-41
20:1-2, 20:1-12, 20:2-3, 20:6-21:17, 20:17-27, 20:17-38, 20:22-24, 20:28-38
21:27-23:30, 21:27-23:35, 21:27-28:31, 21:27-36, 21:39
22:1-29, 22:3
23:31-26:32
Acts 24
26:9-11, 26:14
27:1-8, 27:1-28:16, 27:9-26, 27:21-44, 27:27-44, 27:39-28:1
28:1-10, 28:11-22, 28:16-31, 28:23-31, 28:30-31

Romans (19 references)

1:16-17
3:21-26, 3:24-4:25
5:1-11
6:1-14
7:14-8:17
8:28-29, 8:28-39
15:22-29, 15:24, 15:25, 15:25-26
16:1-2, 16:3-5
Romans 45

1 Corinthians (11 references)

1:11, 1:18-31
1 Corinthians 12
15:1-8, 15:8-10, 15:32, 15:50-58
16:8
1 Corinthians 46

2 Corinthians (8 references)

1:8-9
4:1-18
7:5-7, 7:5-16
11:23, 11:23-29, 11:32-33
2 Corinthians 47

Galatians (16 references)

1:11-24, 1:15-16, 1:15-17, 1:15-18, 1:18-20, 1:21-24
2:3-5, 2:15-21
3:26-29
4:4-7
5:16-25
Galatians 48

Ephesians (6 references)

1:15-23
2:1-10, 2:11-22
4:17-32
6:21-22
Ephesians 49

Philippians (13 references)

1:12-14, 1:12-26, 1:25-26
2:1-16, 2:19-24, 2:25-30
3:4-6, 3:4-11, 3:5
4:13
Philippians 50

Colossians (5 references)

1:15-23
4:3-18, 4:7-9, 4:14
Colossians 51

1 Thessalonians (4 references)

1:1, 1:2-10
4:13-18
1 Thessalonians 52

2 Thessalonians (2 references)

1:3-12
2 Thessalonians 53

1 Timothy (7 references)

1:3, 1:5, 1:12-16, 1:12-17
1 Timothy 54

2 Timothy (8 references)

1:6-14, 1:8, 1:16-17
2:9
4:11
2 Timothy 55

Titus (9 references)

1:5, 1:5-9
3:5, 3:8
Titus 56

Philemon (3 references)

Philemon 8
Philemon 24
Philemon 57

Hebrews (1 reference)

13:23

Topics

PaulActsMissionary JourneysRoad to DamascusEpistlesRomansCorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossiansThessaloniansTimothyTitusPhilemonNew Testament