For Me To Live Is Christ And To Die Is Gain

Final Thoughts On St. Paul

Jun 19, 2026

In November of 2023, we first met St. Paul during our study of Acts 7, as he stood by and consented to the martyrdom of St. Stephen, the first martyr of our faith. We then followed St. Paul as he persecuted the Church, had his life changed by meeting Christ on the road to Damascus, and went on to carry out one of the most beautiful ministries recorded in our tradition.

In May of 2024, we began our journey through St. Paul’s Letters, starting with his Letter to the Romans, in order to understand his teachings and how they guide our faith today. Now, in June of 2026, we have come to the end of our reflections on St. Paul’s Letters.

Coming to the end of his Letter to Titus, after almost three years of studying this great saint, I feel as though I am saying goodbye to a dear friend who has shared so much wisdom with us. He will always be with me, yet I see that this stage of our relationship has come to a close, and I look forward to what will come next.

St. Paul and I have had a complicated relationship, primarily because for much of my life, I did not take the time to understand him. In my ignorance, I thought Paul was sexist, strange, and unnecessary, for I believed that all we needed was the Gospel.

Yet thanks to my professor of New Testament, Dr. Bruce Beck, who first opened my eyes to the ministry of St. Paul, and to this journey I have taken with him, I could not be more grateful to have had my heart softened by the glory of all that Paul shares and teaches.

St. Paul’s whole ministry, in my opinion, can be summed up in his words to the Philippians:

“For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

True life for St. Paul is found in all that Christ has provided for him. He had once lived for earthly zeal, becoming the arch-persecutor of the Church. Yet, knowing his potential, Christ met him on the road to Damascus, struck him blind, and revealed just how blinded he was to the truth.

Rather than remaining in his ignorance and blindness, Paul is described as having the scales fall from his eyes. He acts in faith, changes the way he lives, and redirects the zeal he once used to persecute the Church toward proclaiming Christ in the synagogues:

“He is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:19–22)

Paul takes up the calling God reveals to Ananias:

“Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:15–16)

In doing so, we see that the saving acts of God continue to take place through His servants.

The life of St. Paul reminds us that we have a role to play in God’s saving work and that, in order to do so, we must recognize that we are bound to Him by the gifts He offers us. In this bond, we become servants—or slaves—of God, as Paul proclaims:

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God.” (Romans 1:1)

He is bound to Christ through the saving gifts that have been offered to him, and in this bond, Paul discovers true freedom, for salvation is the ultimate gift God offers us.

Paul repeatedly identifies himself in this way throughout his letters, including Philippians 1:1, Titus 1:1, Galatians 1:10, 1 Corinthians 7:22, Ephesians 6:6, and Colossians 3:24.

Paul sees himself—and all of us—as servants of God, for we believe in a God who came not to be served but to serve. In His service to us, we become heirs of His promise, co-heirs of salvation.

In Romans 8:16–17, we hear:

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

God holds us in such high esteem that He offers us His Son so that we may be united with Him as His children. Paul sees this reality throughout his life, and recognizing this honor fuels him to share this great message of salvation with everyone he encounters.

Paul also connects this promise to the promise made to Abraham:

“For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.” (Galatians 3:18)

God has made His promises known to us since the beginning, and now, through the gift of Christ offering Himself to us, we become full inheritors of that promise.

In taking up his call to share the Gospel, Paul suffers throughout his life. He is shipwrecked, stoned, scourged, imprisoned, afflicted by a thorn in his side, and ultimately martyred by beheading for his faith. Yet Paul tells us:

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

His eyes are always fixed on Christ, giving meaning to all he suffers.

At the end of his life, we hear Paul proclaim:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7–8)

Paul’s entire ministry is a reminder of what a life centered on Christ looks like. Despite struggles and crosses, he keeps his eyes fixed on the crown of righteousness Christ offers. His example inspires us to live with purpose and hope in God’s promises: that we shall be His people and He shall be our God.

Our Lord is always with us, and Paul reaffirms this reality constantly to those he ministers to. He repeatedly prays that grace—the gift of the active presence of our Lord—and peace—the sign of our Lord’s presence—be with all those under his care. Thus, even when Paul is harsh in his letters, he does so with the prayer that our Prince of Peace will be with them to mend their wounds.

Paul is a loving father to all he ministers to because, in everything, he models our Heavenly Father by offering the same love that God offered him. Paul is patient because God was patient with him. He is stern and corrective because, as we saw on the road to Damascus, God did the same for him. The result of this correction is that Paul’s life is transformed.

Paul tells us:

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

This faith drives him in everything he does in ministry. God promises that we will be His people and that He will be our God, and in faith—even amid struggle—we are called, like St. Paul, to journey toward Him and learn to trust His promises with our whole lives.

This experience of studying St. Paul has changed my life for the better. I struggle with faith. My pride often eats away at me when it is time to carry my crosses, and all too often I find my heart hardened to the loving will of our Lord.

Yet, through the humility of St. Paul, I have been continually humbled to see just how much love God has to offer all of us. This love, as revealed in the example of St. Paul, has shown me that in the midst of my struggles, God provides all I need for life in Him. It is my calling—and all of ours—to keep our eyes fixed on Him, crying out for His saving presence.

St. Paul has shown me how profoundly God changes our lives through the gifts He offers us. In a way, we are all persecutors of the Church at times when we fail to prioritize the love of our Lord. Yet in His love for us, God reveals our errors so that we may see the path toward His loving and saving presence.

This is how the once arch-persecutor of the Church became one of the greatest saints we know.

When we follow the path our Lord lays out before us, we struggle as Paul did, yet we begin to see the truth of his words:

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

God calls us to love and serve as He does for us, and as we take up this calling, He provides us with everything we need according to the riches of His glory. By this firm conviction, St. Paul bore witness to the gifts God offers us throughout his entire ministry.

It is bittersweet now to say a fond farewell to St. Paul’s letters. It feels as though I am saying goodbye to a friend who is moving away. I know he will always be with me, yet our relationship will now take on a new dimension.

I am profoundly grateful for all the gifts St. Paul has given me over these past few years. By reading his letters and following his life, I have had the privilege of meditating on the witness of this great saint who truly lived for the love of God above all things. From his compassion for those to whom he wrote, to his long-suffering for the sake of the Gospel, St. Paul made the reality of the Gospel visible in everything he did.

Thank you all for going on this journey with me. My goal in our Bible study has been first to wrestle with these texts myself while challenging all of us to ask how we can apply the depth of meaning found within them to our own lives.

St. Paul’s example truly reminds us of the gain found in a life centered on Christ and lived according to the Gospel. To this end, I pray that this work continues to inspire us to seek our Lord at all times.

If I have led any of you astray in my reflections, I ask your forgiveness and pray that our Lord continues to fill in what is lacking.

Now, as we conclude this journey with St. Paul, it is my prayer that we may constantly seek the loving gifts of our Lord so that we, too, may proclaim with all our hearts:

“For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

May St. Paul’s intercessions be with us always.

Amen.

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