Contrast #09: courage vs cowardice … (10/06/18)
More than a few Christians take offense when Paul’s cowardice is mentioned by “non-believers”, claiming that no martyr can ever be properly labeled as such. Aside from the fact that Paul was not a true martyr – in that a true martyr (like Stephen, for example, whose brutal murder Paul witnessed and of which Paul himself approved – see Acts 7:58 to Acts 8:3) is given the choice to recant and yet chooses to remain steadfast and die anyway (whereas Paul was simply imprisoned against his will and executed by Nero thereafter), there is a large amount of biblical evidence showing Paul as having a cowardly character. Yes, Paul was a blowhard who openly claimed to be “ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem” (Acts 21:12-13), and yet real courage is not shown by what one says, but rather by what transpires thereafter – by what one does. And what happens to Paul after he makes his proud claim? We see him rescued from martyrdom by the Gentiles in Acts 21-23, we see him protected from the Jews by Felix in Acts 23-24, and we see Paul appealing to the mercy of the Roman Emperor and the regulations of Roman law in Acts 25:9-12 – and this, despite Paul himself telling his followers in Corinth to never ever “go to law before the unrighteous” (1 Corinthians 6:1-11 – see also Contrasts #7 & #8 on page 27 herein) …
Jesus, on the other hand, not only had the courage to consistently preach and personally embody an extremely uncomfortable Gospel that directly challenged the current religious authorities (see Matthew 5, Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 2:1-12, Mark 2:23-27, Mark 11:27-33, Mark 12:35-37, Luke 5:29-32, & Luke 20:1-8 et al) but he also had the courage to confront his accusers with bold silence (see Matthew 26:62, Matthew 27:12-14, Mark 15:3-5, Luke 23:9, & John 19:9), the courage to arrange his own crucifixion (as his final and ultimate sermon on selflessness – see Note 9 at the bottom of page 27 herein), and then the courage to face down his persecutors with amazing grace (“Father, forgive them; they know not what they do” ~ Luke 23:34).
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