Why I Love the Apostle Paul

“Besides Jesus, no one has kept me from despair, or taken me deeper into the mysteries of the gospel, than the apostle Paul.” ?John PiperNo one has had a greater impact on the world for eternal good than the apostle Paul?except Jesus himself. For John Piper, this impact is very personal. He does not just admire and trust Paul. He loves him. Piper gives us thirty glimpses into why his heart and mind respond this way.Can a Christian-killer really endure 195 lashes from a heart of love? Can a mystic who thinks he was caught up into heaven be a model of lucid rationality? Can an ethnocentric Jew write the most beautiful call to reconciliation? Can a person who lives with the unceasing anguish of empathy be always rejoicing? Can a man’s description of the horrors of human sin be exceeded by his delight in human splendor? Can a man with a backbone of steel be as tender as a nursing mother?If we know this man?if we see what Piper sees?we too will love him. Paul’s testimony is a matter of life and death. Piper invites you into his relationship with Paul in the hope that you will know life, forever.

1. Opening Credits
2. Introduction
3. Part 1: The Beautiful Transformation | Chapter 1: From the Angry Killer to Apostle of Christ
4. Chapter 2: Beyond Rational Persuasion to the Revelation of Glory
5. Chapter 3: Steady in His Calling Through Incomparable Sufferings
6. Chapter 4: Unwavering Love for Those Who Scourged Him
7. Chapter 5: Unshakable Contentment Whether Abased or Abounding
8. Part 2: Loving the Man Who Shaped My Life | Chapter 6: Magnifying Christ Through a Satisfying Death
9. Chapter 7: Love for People as the Overflow of Joy in God
10. Chapter 8: From Rabid Ethnic Arrogance to Herald of Deepest Reconciliation
11. Chapter 9: My Friend with the Best News During Cancer
12. Chapter 10: Learning Late in Life to Know and Kill My Most Besetting Sins
13. Part 3: A Mind for Logic, a Heart for Love | Chapter 11: Rigorous in Reasoning, Transparent in Feeling
14. Chapter 12: Speaking with Feeling About the Glory of Christ, Not Religious Activity
15. Chapter 13: From Logic on Fire to Lyrics of Love
16. Chapter 14: Turning High Thoughts to the Help of the Lowly
17. Part 4: Making the Mysteries Sing | Chapter 15: More Awed by the Glory Revealed than the Glory Concealed
18. Chapter 16: Reveling in God’s Power in and Through Ours
19. Chapter 17: A Global Grasp of Suffering and a Heart of Personal Empathy
20. Chapter 18: The Horror of Human Sin, the Hope of Human Splendor
21. Chapter 19: Showing the Truth of Christian Freedom, but Not in a Simplistic Way
22. Part 5: A Personal Passion for Precious Community | Chapter 20: Not Lonely at the Top, but Linked with Precious Friends
23. Chapter 21: Christ Was All-Sufficient, and Community Was Crucial
24. Chapter 22: Backbone, Blunt, and Beautifully Affirming
25. Chapter 23: Zeal for Gospel Accuracy, Slow to Take Personal Offense
26. Chapter 24: Not a Conforming Chameleon, and Not a Ministering Maverick
27. Part 6: Counting Others More Significant Than Himself | Chapter 25: Lover of God’s Sovereignty with Tears for the Lost
28. Chapter 26: Apostle of the Happy God and the Hard Life of Spreading Joy
29. Chapter 27: Admitting Imperfections and Turning Them for Love
30. Chapter 28: Unrivaled Success as a Missionary, with No Conceit
31. Chapter 29: The Pursuit of Pure Doctrine and Passion for the Poor
32. Part 7: The Best Gift Paul Could Give | Chapter 30: The Greatest Chapter in the Bible and the Most Important Promise in My Life
33. A Final Commendation
34. Desiring God
35. Closing Credits

John Piper

John Piper is an American New Testament scholar, Calvinist theologian, pastor, and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In addition to his pastoral duties, Piper is widely recognized as the founder and senior teacher of desiringGod.org, an organization named after his influential book "Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist"

Throughout his career, he has authored numerous acclaimed books, including ECPA Christian Book Award winners and his bestselling works have resonated with audiences worldwide.

Piper's impact extends beyond his literary achievements. In recognition of his exceptional preaching skills, Baylor University honored him in 2018 as one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in English. Piper's dedication to scholarship, theological insight, and inspiring teachings have made him a prominent figure in the Christian community, leaving an enduring legacy that continues to shape hearts and minds.