Introduction

Paul’s school of faith begins on the Damascus road and unfolds through his letters as a single, blazing claim: in the gospel, the righteousness of God (dikaiosynē) is revealed and “the righteous shall live by faith” (Rom 1:16–17) For Paul, justification (dikaioō) is God’s courtroom verdict—an unearned acquittal granted through Christ and received by faith, not by works (Rom 3:21–26; 5:1).

That verdict launches salvation as a whole life: once-for-all, being-worked-in, and finally completed (Eph 2:8–9; 1 Cor 1:18; Rom 5:9–10). From there Paul trains us to live in the Spirit rather than the flesh (Rom 8), to embrace the obedience of faith (hypakoē pisteōs, Rom 1:5; 16:26), and to practice faith that works through love (Gal 5:6).

His own scars teach that grace is perfected in weakness (2 Cor 12:9), while his churches and sons in the faith (Timothy) show faith transmitted by discipleship and mission. This is Paul’s curriculum for pastors and believers alike: grounded in justification, formed by the Spirit, obedient in love, resilient in trial, and propelled to the nations—living by faith, from faith to faith.

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The School of Faith of Paul – 9 Lessons

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Lessons 1. The Righteous Will Live by Faith

• Verse: Romans 1:17 – “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”

• Greek Word: Dikaiosynē (δικαιοσύνη) – righteousness, justice, the state of being in right relation to God.

• Core Meaning: In Greek, dikaiosynē carries the idea of being declared just, acquitted, or made right before God. It is not human morality or personal merit, but a legal and relational standing given by God through faith.

• Explanation: Paul draws from Habakkuk 2:4 to show that God’s righteousness is not revealed by law, effort, or heritage, but by faith. The believer’s life is sustained by this righteousness received from God.

• Lesson: The School of Faith begins here: the Christian life is not built on human effort but on the righteousness of God received through faith. Pastors must teach that justification by faith is the foundation of all ministry and life with God.

Lessons 2.Faith Comes by Hearing

• Verse: Romans 10:17 – “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

• Greek Word: Erchomai (ἔρχομαι) – to come, arrive, be brought forth, to make an entrance.

• Core Meaning: Erchomai implies movement or arrival. Faith is not static; it comes into the heart through a channel — the Word of Christ. It is like a seed that arrives, is planted, and begins to grow.

• Explanation: The way faith increases in a believer’s life is not by emotion, tradition, or effort, but by filling the heart with God’s Word. The more Word you receive, meditate on, and store in your spirit, the more faith comes and takes root. Faith does not appear in a vacuum — it “arrives” when the Word of Christ enters.

• Lesson: If a pastor wants to build strong believers, he must continually sow the Word. And if a believer wants stronger faith, he must continually expose his heart to the Word. More Word = more faith.

Lessons 3.The Word of Faith We Preach

• Verse: Romans 10:8 – “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim.”

• Greek Words:

• Logos (λόγος) – the full message, reason, principle, or eternal Word (often used of Christ Himself, John 1:1).

• Rhēma (ῥῆμα) – a spoken word, an utterance, a declaration made alive in a moment.

• Core Meaning: Logos is the eternal, unchanging Word of God. Rhēma is when that Word is spoken, applied, or quickened to the heart. Paul here uses rhēma because he is speaking of the proclaimed gospel — the Word that is believed in the heart and confessed with the mouth. Faith doesn’t just stay in Scripture as logos; it becomes effective when declared as rhēma.

• Explanation: Paul shows that the word of faith is not distant or inaccessible. It is “near you” — in your heart (believed) and in your mouth (spoken). When the eternal logos of God becomes a personal rhēma in the believer’s life, it produces salvation, transformation, and power.

• Lesson: Faith is not complete until it is confessed. Pastors must teach believers to turn what they read (logos) into what they declare (rhēma). The preached Word brings faith alive because it is the rhēma of God’s promise made present.

Lessons 4. Obedience of Faith — Faith That Hears and Acts

• Verse: Romans 16:26 — “but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith.”

• (cf. Romans 1:5 — “Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.”)

• Greek Word: Hypakoē (ὑπακοή) — responsive obedience; literally “to hear under” (from hypo = under + akouō = hear). It’s hearing with surrendered intent, resulting in action.

• Core Meaning: For Paul, faith is not mere assent; real faith submits to what it hears and acts accordingly. The goal of the gospel among the nations is obedience-of-faith—a whole way of life under Jesus’ lordship.

• Explanation: Because faith “comes” by the Word (Rom 10:17), the next step is hearing-under that Word—ordering conduct, speech, and decisions to it. This isn’t legalism; it’s trust expressed as loyal obedience.

• Lesson (for believers/pastors): Disciple people into a hearing-and-doing lifestyle. Measure growth not by information but transformation

Lessons 5. Faith Working Through Love

• Verse: Galatians 5:6 – “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

• Greek Word: Energeō (ἐνεργέω) – to be active, to work effectively, to be energized.

• Core Meaning: Paul explains that faith is not a dead belief but a living force, energized and made effective by love (agapē). Love is the atmosphere where faith operates.

• Explanation: Rituals like circumcision or external rules don’t give power to faith. Instead, love is the true engine that makes faith effective. A faith without love is powerless and empty, but faith rooted in love is unstoppable.

• Lesson: For pastors and believers, faith must never become cold, harsh, or self-centered. It must flow through love in words, actions, forgiveness, and daily relationships. Faith works when love fuels it.

Lessons 6. The Shield of Faith

• Verse: Ephesians 6:16 – “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

• Greek Word: Thureos (θυρεός) – a large, door-shaped shield that covers the whole body.

• Core Meaning: Faith is not only offensive but also defensive. It protects the believer from Satan’s attacks — lies, temptations, accusations, discouragements.

• Explanation: Roman soldiers used the thureos shield to cover themselves and interlock with others, forming a wall of defense. In the same way, faith protects individuals and churches when they stand together.

• Lesson: Believers must keep faith lifted at all times. Pastors must teach their congregations that faith is the shield that quenches the enemy’s arrows — fear, doubt, condemnation — and allows us to stand firm in Christ.

Lessons 7. My True Son in the Faith

• Verse: 1 Timothy 1:2 – “To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

• Greek Word: Gnēsios (γνήσιος) – genuine, authentic, legitimate.

• Core Meaning: Paul affirms Timothy as his authentic son “in the faith.” Here faith is not only personal trust but also a shared life, a bond of discipleship and spiritual fathering.

• Explanation: Faith is relational and transferable. Paul did not only preach faith; he imparted it to others through mentorship. Timothy became a son in the faith because he received Paul’s teaching, example, and spirit.

• Lesson: Pastoral ministry requires raising genuine sons and daughters in the faith. Faith is multiplied when it is passed on to the next generation of leaders.

Lessons 8. Fighting the Good Fight of Faith

• Verse: 1 Timothy 6:12 – “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

• Greek Word: Agōnizomai (ἀγωνίζομαι) – to contend, struggle, compete, fight with intensity.

• Core Meaning: Faith is not passive or easy. It requires struggle, endurance, and perseverance. The life of faith is pictured as a battle or athletic contest.

• Explanation: Paul’s words connect faith to both confession and perseverance. Faith must be confessed openly, and then defended courageously in trials and opposition.

• Lesson: Pastors must train believers to be spiritual athletes and soldiers. Faith must be fought for daily — resisting sin, enduring trials, and holding fast to eternal life.

Lessons 9. From Faith to Faith – Walking by Faith

• Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:7 – “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

• Greek Word: Peripateō (περιπατέω) – to walk about, to live, to conduct one’s life.

• Core Meaning: Faith is not a moment but a lifestyle. To “walk” by faith means that faith governs every step, every decision, every day.

• Explanation: Paul also describes this as “from faith to faith” (Romans 1:17) — faith growing, deepening, moving forward. Life in Christ is a progressive journey where faith expands continually.

• Lesson: The summit of Paul’s School of Faith is living daily by faith, with eyes fixed not on what is seen but on what is unseen. Pastors must model this lifestyle of constant trust, leading believers from one level of faith to the next.

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Conclusion 

For Paul, faith isn’t a topic; it’s the air the Church breathes. From “the righteous shall live by faith” (Rom 1:17) to “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7), he makes pistis the engine of justification, sanctification, mission, and endurance. It’s no accident that Paul uses “faith” more than any other New Testament writer—well over a hundred times in his letters (roughly half of the NT’s total uses), with Romans and Galatians alone saturating the reader in the language of faith.

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The fourteen churches Paul planted across Acts did not grow on programs but on the faith he imparted—a preached word that created belief (Rom 10:17), a lived example that modeled obedience (Acts 20:20–21), and a guarded deposit passed on to faithful people (2 Tim 1:13–14; 2:2). Luke’s verdict is clear: “the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers” (Acts 16:5).

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That is the pattern we must recover today—pastors proclaiming the word of faith, believers standing firm and being established (1 Cor 16:13; Col 2:6–7), and every church handing a living faith to the next generation, not mere structures. If we live by that same faith and pass it on now, fruitfulness and endurance will follow.