If you’ve watched the newly released, major motion picture entitled “Paul, Apostle of Christ” from Affirm Films, (and even if you haven’t!) the novelization written by Angela Hunt is also a definite must-read. Based on the screenplay by Andrew Hyatt and published by Bethany House just before Easter 2018, this powerful story sweeps us away to the lives of Paul and Luke, and reveals a behind-the-scenes retelling of how “their faith challenged an empire”.

So, here are 5 great reasons to pick up a copy of “Paul, Apostle of Christ” today…

1. It will inspire you! As the stories of Paul and Luke are revealed through a compelling (partially fictionalized) account, their courage to follow the leading of Jesus will encourage us in our own journeys.

2. It will bring the stories of the New Testament to life! Luke was the author of the New Testament books of Luke and Acts, and “Paul, Apostle of Christ” gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how these two inspired books came to be written.

3. It will challenge you in your faith! After reading the accounts of Paul’s life through the fresh eyes of this story, it really causes us to question the strength of our own faith in our own lives and our own daily struggles.

4. It will help you remember the struggles early Christians faced each day! Not only is the story of Paul highlighted in this book, but also the other members of the early Church who lived in Rome during the reign of the cruel emperor Nero.

5. It will give you insight and better understanding of the movie. I watched the movie first, and while it was very well-done and relatively easy to follow, reading the novelization gave me a much clearer and stronger comprehension for each scene. The novel expanded on several storylines, as well.

If you have plans of journeying to the theater to watch “Paul, Apostle of Christ”, I definitely recommend reading the book as well. Just like the movie, it does contain some descriptive and horrifying violence, and is definitely not a story for very young audiences. For adults, however, it will undoubtedly prove to be a powerful reminder of the gifts of faith the early Christians – Paul, Luke, and so many others – gave to the world, including you and I, all these years later.

“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”