New Paul Movie Aims to Show Audiences 'Where Sin Abounds, Grace Abounds More'
A young Saul of Tarsus led the charge in wiping out Christians until his journey to Damascus was interrupted by a blinding light and a voice from heaven.
This remarkable transformation is portrayed in the new major motion picture Paul, The Apostle of Christ, opening in theaters nationwide on March 23.
There has never before been a theatrical feature film about the life of Paul. Next, to Jesus, no one played a more central role in the growth of the early church. Paul and Luke wrote a significant part of the New Testament.
The producers of this inspirational movie hope to show audiences that where sin abounds, grace abounds more.
Watch this short Persecutor to Persecuted featurette.
In the film, Paul suffers alone in a Roman prison, awaiting his execution under Emperor Nero. Mauritius, the ambitious prison prefect, can hardly see what threat this broken man poses. Once he was Saul of Tarsus, the high-ranking and brutal killer of Christians. Now his faith rattles Rome.
At great risk, Luke the Physician visits the aged Paul to comfort and tend to him—and to question, to transcribe and to smuggle out Paul's letters to the growing community of believers. Amid Nero's inhumane persecution, these men and women will spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and change the world.
Great pains were taken when the film was in production to maintain biblical accuracy, according to the producers. Using scripture as the only reference, director Andrew Hyatt has recreated the story of Paul, including the close relationship with Luke, whom at the end of Paul's life, at his own peril, traveled in and out of the prison carrying Paul's writings which we can still read today.
The movie stars Jim Caviezel (THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST), James Faulkner ("Downton Abbey"), Olivier Martinez (S.W.A.T.), Joanne Whalley ("A.D. The Bible Continues") and John Lynch (THE SECRET GARDEN).
The film is produced by Affirm Films, a division of Sony Pictures.
In anticipation of the movie's release, Affirm Films is releasing "Letters from Paul." The letters are drawn directly from the apostle's epistles and are narrated by Faulkner, who portrays Paul in the film.
Beginning this weekend, CBN News will post a new "Letters of Paul" video to our Facebook page. Be sure to watch for a new video every weekend prior to the film's release.
Here's the first Letter of Paul. - 8
