The writings of St. Paul have provided teaching, insight, and guidance to Christians from the church's earliest days right up to our own. A missionary, theologian, and martyr, he was at all times a pastor to the early Christian communities scattered throughout the Roman Empire. By exploring three passages from his letters (1 Thess 1:2-10; 1 Cor 12:12-31; Gal 5:13-16) we will discover that God's people now still need his encouragement and instruction.