The 13th Apostle

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Summary: What if there had been a 13th Apostle?
Review: If you enjoy wondering what if, this is the book for you. What if there had been a young boy who had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with Christ? What might have happened? Paul Murphy has created Gamaliel to give us another view of early Christianity. The story is fast paced, easy to read, and leaves you wanting to know what happens next. I hope Mr. Murphy writes the next chapters soon!

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Summary: A New Perspective on the Old Story
Review: This book is a must-read for teens and adults alike. Paul Murphy combines Biblical fact and fiction to give us a wonderful look into the beginnings of Christianity. We see Jesus' final days from the perspective of a young believer, Gamaliel. Through this young boy's words and deeds, Paul Murphy teaches us the Christ-like character we should all aspire to. The story helps to personalize the stories from the Bible. As we identify with Gamaliel, we are transported back to those early days, and we witness from a "first-hand" perspective the events that changed the course of the world.

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Summary: Personal Adventure Story
Review: This book is awesome! It is a fictional account of a young man and his friends during the time immediately after Christ's crucifixion. Paul Murphy is a great story teller. This story is a must read for teenagers. Not only is it entertaining, it brings life, adventure and imagination to the New Testament. Well worth it. Highly Recommended.

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Summary: The 13th Apostle
Review: This book is inspiring! The main character Gamaliel will remind the reader that all things are possible with God. I don't want to give the entire story away but it is uplifting to see Gamaliel who becomes homeless as a child, remain so faithful to God and as a result have his life become more amazing then he could have imagined. While it is a great book for people in their teens, it contains wonderful messages for adults. Paul Murphy does a superb job simply communicating the sacrifice Jesus made for us and clarifying items from scripture that still confuse people today like what did Jesus mean when he talked about the creation of a new kingdom and freeing people from oppression. Through the characters in this book, Paul explains that the creation of a new kingdom is a spiritual kingdom that Jesus rules and the freedom from oppression is about how God protects us from our enemies. I highly recommend this book to people of all ages.

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Summary: An inspirational character
Review: When I started to read the 13th Apostle I immediatly got hooked. Even though I knew the story surrounding Jesus' death, to hear about it through the eyes of this amazing character, Gamaliel, made the story completely new. Gamaliel's faith and his love for life and all those in it made me think about the person I want to be. The book wasn't just about this important time in history, but about believing in the goodness in people and caring for all living things. Gamaliel is an inspiring character and this book was incredible to read.