Traditions vs Truth: Green Beer, and most St. Patrick’s day traditions have nothing to do with Saint Patrick. St. Patrick had everything to do with preaching Christ and planting churches.
Saint Patrick was a Saint.
That’s what anyone is called once they trust Jesus Christ as Savior. Jesus makes any sinner a saint who confesses Him as Savior. Got questions? See this.
An Extreme Mission Evangelist, born 384 years after Christ
Did you know that St. Patrick was a missionary in the extreme? Did you also know that St. Patrick was an evangelist? St. Patrick was an Extreme Mission Evangelist, preaching the gospel to the isolated and hard to reach of his day. Here are some excerpts from St. Patrick’s own confession. (Read the actual document, translation here.)
An Extreme Sinner, his confession
Here is a quote from Patrick’s own writing. Remember this was written a long, long time ago. St. Patrick died about the year 465 AD.
“I Patrick, a sinner, the rudest and the least of all the faithful, and an object of the greatest contempt to many…”
An Extremely Adventurous Life, captured by pirates
Patrick grew up on a small farm in Britannia. He recounts,
“I was taken captive. I was then nearly sixteen years old; I was ignorant of the true God, and was brought to Ireland.”
In need of Extreme Forgiveness
“And there the Lord brought me to a sense of my unbelief, that I might, even at a late season, call my sins to remembrance, and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God”
Extreme Quoter of Scripture in the 5th Century AD
There is no other God nor ever was nor will be after him except God the Father, without beginning; From whom is all beginning; Who upholds all things as we have said: And his Son Jesus Christ whom together with the Father we testify to have always existed; Who before the beginning of the world was spiritually present with the Father; Begotten in an unspeakable manner before all beginning; By whom were made all things visible and invisible; Who was made man, and having overcome death was received into heaven to the Father: And he hath given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God.
Wow!
Extreme Courage to Follow God
He worked as a captive servant for seven years then escaped Ireland to return to his home in Britannia. After many years the Lord worked on his heart to return to the land of his captivity and to preach the gospel.
Extreme Calling, to the “Limits of Human Habitation”
So that at this day I can constantly rejoice among the nations, and magnify thy name wherever I may be, not only in prosperity, but in adversity teaching me that I ought to accept with a contented mind whatever may befall me, whether good or evil, and always give thanks to God, who showed me that I should believe in him forever without doubting, and who heard me that although I am ignorant, I should in these last days attempt to undertake so holy and wonderful a work, so that I should imitate those who the Lord long since foretold should preach his Gospel for a “witness to all nations” before the end of the world, which has been so accomplished as we have seen. So we are witnesses, that the Gospel has been preached up to the limits of human habitation.
Extreme, Dangerous, Hard to Reach, New Ground for Christ!
“…and I went among you everywhere for your sakes, in constant danger even to those distant parts beyond which there were no inhabitants, and where no one had ever come to baptise, or ordain clergy men, or confirm the people; and the Lord assisting me, I adopted every means for your salvation, using all diligence and zeal.”
Extreme Results, Extreme Fruit from God
The following is from Rev. John Summerfield Wimbish, D.D. in an article entitled, St. Patrick was a Baptist.
After the king believed, Patrick won and baptized multiplied thousands of converts and ere his thirty-three years of ministry were finished, all Ireland was evangelized. Innumerable churches dotted its hills and valleys and from their ranks sent forth zealous missionaries to proclaim the message of redemption with incomparable passion to the pagan tribes of Scotland, England, Germany and Gaul.
St. Patrick was without a doubt an Extreme Mission Evangelist
St. Patrick’s Hymn, by St. Patrick
I bind this day to me for ever
by power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spiced tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom;
I bind unto myself today.
I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken to my need,
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the name,
the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the three in one, and one in three.
Of whom all nature has creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word,
Praise to the Lord of my salvation;
salvation is of Christ the Lord.