Paul The Apostle of Christ – uk movie review (no spoilers)

9 June 2018 Faith

It was such an honour to be contacted by Sony Pictures via my website a few weeks ago to attend an exclusive screening of this movie yesterday at SONY in London before its release on Digital & DVD in the UK on June 11th & July 16th respectively. My fiancé and I attended the screening and there were about 25-40 people there, of which most attendees were Church leaders. They gave us some nibbles and drinks before the screening kicked off.

MY REVIEW & PERSPECTIVE (with no spoilers)
I have watched several versions of “Paul The Apostle” movies but this is by far the most transparent, unbiased and biblically accurate version I’ve seen so far. This movie is truly fitted for this last hour! Those who are acquainted with the book of Acts will love this movie as it is not only accurate but reveals a side of the Paul that most would have not perceived before; a vulnerable side. The movie will also appeal to those who don’t necessarily know the Scriptures or know Christ because it will bring a depth of knowledge about Christianity’s origins and way of life in the early days of Christianity. The movie certainly highlights a milder persona of one of the greatest apostles in the gospel of Christ through his transparency concerning his burdens, weaknesses, sufferings of imprisonement and lashes, the daily haunting thoughts of his past actions encompassed around the famous phrase “thorn in the flesh” and his testimony of love highlighted in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Furthermore, the depth of love and patience Paul showed to his opponents really reflected the maturity he had and also showed me the great need of showing God’s love to this hurting world of today.
During this movie we see the God-ordained friendship Paul had with Luke which is a very enlightening example of a selfless ministry partnership! Luke was a key vessel in Paul’s ministry. He plays an important role in not only writing Paul’s letters and being a physician to those in need but also a role of being Paul’s encourager and a partaker in his sufferings demonstrated by risking his life through their partnership/friendship. This will certainly teach many what Godly friendships look like especially for those in ministry. Luke’s character also allows the viewer to take note of the importance of using our gifts and talents for God’s kingdom and to His glory. As a fashion designer, Luke’s character in this movie really made me to evaluate my gift and the sole direction I want to taking in using my it in this world, for God.

Moreover, the movie shows the viewer the importance of winning souls as demonstrated through the interactions of Paul and his enemy, a Roman prefect named Mauritius who kept all Christian prisoners scourged from time to time and in prison until their death sentence, under the command of Nero the Emperor. Paul’s ability to evangelically reason with his enemy in love, with patience, kindness and forgiveness is heart capturing for any Believer and truly brings home the reality of what walking in Love is and it’s triune purpose of evangelism. You and I can truly win the hearts of our enemies through Love; it never fails.

I will not anger the gods by bringing a Christian in my home – by Mauritius

More importantly, this movie opens our 21st century eyes to how persecution has lost its meaning today, especially in 1st world countries, as compared to that of the early days of Christianity. What we call persecution in 1st world countries is a murky drop of water in a clear blue ocean as compare to that of the days of the Apostles. I say this because today people in churches can have disagreements or spats and call this persecution. We see exchanges of bullying take place on social media being classified as persecution. Disagreements, rebukes, call-outs, accusations and the like are not real persecution. This movie will certainly attest to what real persecution is, putting into perspective how true persecution is seen through those whose lives were in danger of death for the gospel and name of Christ. It emblems the degree and penalty of death that faithful men and women of God faced for the sake of the gospel and Christ Jesus. Some were scourged, others received lashes, yet others were burned alive like animals, still others fed to wild animals in arenas; it was forbidden to speak in the name of Christ! Those who professed to be Christians were in danger of death daily. Romans 8:36 says, “As it is written: For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” This movie certainly put this Scripture and others into perspective for me.

I know we can’t help everyone but Christ has asked us to try – by Priscilla

In the midst of the persecutions faced, we are introduced to the bible “power couple”, Aquila and Priscilla who played a pivotal role in the safe keeping of the Saints in those dangerous and life-threatening times. The movie reflects how Aquila and Priscilla’s hearts were full of love and patience for souls and those in various needs i.e. widows, beggars, the sick, those injured and facing death. This power couple dedicated their lives to serving God’s people with all they had in taking strangers into their abode, even through life threatening circumstances and disappointments. Their unity, the essence of their equal yoke and ability to work together in the midst of shattering devastations was incredibly inspiring to my fiancé and I. Their role will certainly inspire all couples who desire to do more for the Kingdom and serve God with their money and also with all their hearts.

To conclude, Apostle Paul is one of my favourite of all biblical servants of God. His tenacity, endurance, spiritual maturity, love for Christ and influence is incomparable and he is truly an inspiration and example (after Christ) for many Christians of all generations. So when I first saw the trailer of “Paul The Apostle of Christ” back in February, I was so excited and anticipated watching it with my fiancé once released on the UK big screen. However, I eventually learned that it would not be released on the big screen in the UK, hence, it’s a privilege to have been one of the first in the UK to watch it last night before the big release on Digital and DVD! This movie is certainly fitting for this last hour in Christendom Entertainment and will open your eyes to what’s important and what’s not important when it comes to how we view the Gospel today and our individual walk of faith. There are some scenes of violence that may not be suited for young children but other than that this was a brilliant movie to give us all a wake up call to get up and do more for Christ, to be resilient and long suffering, to bear long with others for the sake of soul winning, to win as many and most importantly to love God with all your heart, mind and strength. The rendition of Scripture at the end of this movie will draw your heart in perfectly and encourage you to re-evaluate your walk with Christ. I encourage you to watch this movie and pray that it will change your life. If you are in the USA & Canada and other parts of the world, I believe it is still showing on the big screen but you can view more info via their website – http://www.paulmovie.com/site/
You can purchase it on digital here – https://amzn.to/2Hz0qqV
or DVD here – https://amzn.to/2M9JCdL

Love
Dephne