August 12, 2026 | Be Connected
Apostle to the Gentiles
Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:7(NIV)
7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
Devotional
Paul was a Jew among Jews. Highly educated and well-trained, he was on his way to Damascus to deport and imprison Christians when Jesus appeared to him. Those followers of Jesus were a threat to Judaism. That is why it is so striking that the Lord declared, “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15). So much for protecting Judaism.
Paul believed that Peter was called to spread Christianity among the Jews, while he himself was called to take it to the non-Jews, that is, the Gentiles. This call is what led Paul to take his missionary journeys, including his three-year stop in the Roman city of Ephesus. Praise God that he and others answered this call, as most of us reading this are not Jews by heritage.
Remember that Paul was writing this letter to Timothy, whose grandmother and mother were Jewish people who had accepted Jesus as the Messiah. They raised him in the faith. But Timothy’s father was a Gentile. He did not have his son circumcised according to Jewish custom and apparently did not participate in his spiritual upbringing. Paul is reminding Timothy of his heritage as well as his call to stay in Ephesus.
Who are the “Gentiles” in your sphere? Who are the people who seem far from God? Who lives on the other side of the tracks? Who is on the other side of the world?
Now for the hard part. Who is God calling you to reach out to? Name them now.
Pray this prayer:
Dear Lord, show me people you want me to reach out to. Open my eyes, ears, and heart to them. Give me courage to minister to them, encourage them, and share my faith. I ask for favor with them. Make them receptive to my efforts. Bring them to church. Bring them to Jesus. Bring them to salvation. And show me how I can be a friend as they grow in their faith. Amen.
