by Jerry Senn
Scarcely a greater contrast can be drawn than that between Paul and Nero. Nero was the Roman emperor, seated on a throne. His name was known throughout the empire. When he spoke even the people on the street stopped to listen.
Paul was an obscure Jew, totally unimpressive in his physical appearance—he says so himself in his letters. In a distant corner of the Roman Empire, Paul was a leader in a small, heretical sect that was known only as a group of troublemakers. Virtually no one had heard of Paul, while everybody had heard of Nero.
Paul refused to stop speaking about Jesus, the Savior of mankind, and was killed because he was unashamed of the gospel. Nero’s death was due to his own disgracefully immoral lifestyle and evil leadership.
The interesting thing is that now, two thousand years later, we name our sons Paul, and our dogs Nero.
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. So then, let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
—Galatians 6:7-9