Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

If I asked you who was the first missionary for Christ, some of you might answer, the Apostle Paul.

And, you’d be right.

Paul took several missionary journeys chronicled in New Testament books of the Bible, a number of which he wrote in the form of letters to churches.  With him, he took others, such as Barnabas, Silas, and Timothy.

My wife and I have been reading again about these journeys as we continue our trek through the entire Bible, which so far has taken us more than a year, but it’s clearly been worthwhile.

Then, this in this morning’s Links Players devotional written by John Bown who attends the Links Bible Study with me and others at The Palms golf course in La Quinta, California:

“…God had a different path in mind for Saul.  After his dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul’s life shifted from opposing Jesus to advancing the gospel as the Apostle Paul.

“The impact of Paul’s career change is remarkable.  He’s credited with authoring 13 books in the New Testament, and most scholars agree that he traveled more than 10,000 miles on his missionary journeys, continually putting his life at risk to proclaim Christ crucified boldly.”

So, beyond Bown’s comments, I did not know enough about Paul’s journeys on my own, so I consulted Mr. Google, which, these days, is infused with AI.

Here is a summary of what I re-learned:

Paul took three primary missionary journeys in the years AD 46–57.  They are recorded in the book of Acts, then refined in specific letters Paul wrote to Christians in Galatia, Ephesus, Thessalonica, and Corinth.

He also took a final journey to Rome as a prisoner, traveling over 10,000 miles to establish churches throughout Asia Minor and Greece. These journeys, starting in Antioch, focused on preaching to Gentiles after facing Jewish opposition, often involving significant hardship, imprisonment, and miracles. 

Here is a quick summary of the major missionary journeys.

• 1st Journey (Acts 13–14):  Paul and Barnabas set out from Antioch, traveling to Cyprus and Asia Minor (Perga, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe), where they faced intense opposition but established several churches.
• 2nd Journey (Acts 15:36–18:22):  Paul, now with Silas and Timothy, revisited churches, then traveled into Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea) and Greece (Athens, Corinth), establishing key Christian communities
• 3rd Journey (Acts 18:23–21:14):  Paul traveled through Asia Minor and Greece, spending over three years in Ephesus, strengthening existing churches and spreading the gospel throughout the region.
• Journey to Rome (Acts 27–28):  After his arrest in Jerusalem, Paul traveled as a prisoner, ultimately reaching Rome around AD 61, where he continued to spread the gospel under house arrest. 

Paul typically began by preaching in local synagogues before turning to Gentile populations when he was rejected in some of the Jewish places.  He endured severe persecution, including being stoned, beaten, and imprisoned.

But, his journeys were instrumental in expanding Christianity beyond its Jewish roots, transforming it into a — if not the — major religion across the Roman Empire.

In addition, words from one of the books Paul, 1 Corinthians, chapter 4, verses 1-5 summarize how he wanted to be viewed as a missionary:

“This, then, is how you ought to regard us:  As servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.  I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 

“My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.  Therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.  He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.  At that time each will receive their praise from God.”

Why do I focus on this?

Well, no single answer.  I have just found it to be interesting to read about Paul’s approach, not to mention his courage.  He found many ways to call people – people of all ages, types, backgrounds, and locations – to follow Christ.

Good words from Paul, even uttered so many years ago – and they apply today as our own roles as missionaries.

Thus, Paul is a solid example for us in our Christian life.