Today, I want to talk about Paul and how he modeled Jesus. Not the soundbite version of Paul, but the real man, rooted in the gospel and radically effective because he understood people, context, and culture.

If Paul were around today, I think he’d be deeply misunderstood. One crowd would accuse him of “platforming pagan voices.” Another would say he’s “too culturally relevant.” But Paul wasn’t chasing applause, he was chasing souls.

He quoted poets, engaged philosophers, and adapted his methods—but never compromised his message. He wasn’t soft. He wasn’t rigid. He was mature, and maturity doesn’t always fit neatly into either/or categories.

Let’s talk about what that means for us today.