… and an apostle of Jesus Christ …
Summary: Paul’s credentials tell us who he is and what his authority is.
Paul’s second credential is an interesting counterpoint to the first. His first credential is that he is a servant of God. That alone is enough to garner attention. Then Paul tells us that he has been sent as a messenger from Jesus Christ.
The word “apostle” means “one who is sent.” More specifically, the apostle is “sent forth with orders.” Paul, the servant of God, has been sent by God’s Son, Jesus Christ, for a specific purpose. For those who know Paul’s history, this statement is in itself a concise synopsis of the Gospel.
Paul (the man formerly known as Saul) started as an enforcer of sorts. He was a self-appointed enforcer of God’s laws as given through Moses. Utterly indignant that these followers of The Way would dare to defy the Pharisee’s authority, Saul was intent on rooting out every single one of them. (Acts 8:3)
After scourging Jerusalem and Judea, Saul heads north. He suspected enclaves of Jesus’ followers were hiding out in a city called Damascus (Acts 9:1-2). The trip was long, well over a hundred miles, but Saul was determined. On the way, his life was changed. He encounters the risen Jesus. (Acts 9:5) The fact that Paul is now an apostle of Jesus by itself testifies to the nature of Christ. Paul has been redeemed, forgiven, and changed. More than that, he has been entrusted with a unique mission. Until his death in the flesh, Paul never once wavered in that mission. This alone would be enough to convince anyone that knew him that he was a different man.
Since few of his former friends now associated with him, Paul was known mostly by his reputation. Yet, to ensure that there was no misunderstanding, God provided Paul with a unique credential given only to a very few. Paul was given power over disease and death (Acts 20:7-12; Acts 28:7-10).
Many people claim to have special knowledge of God’s will. Some people act like apostles and want to impose their ideas on others. There is no shortage of people who want to tell you how to live. Yet the true apostle has rare and unique credentials that cannot be duplicated. They have been called by God personally, and they can do things that mere men cannot do.
Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ. A man with a message.
Application: Question credentials.
Food for Thought: If Paul had not been an apostle, but had still believed and wanted to share his faith, how might his life have been different?
If Paul had not been called as an apostle, his life may have been simpler with less suffering. But being an apostle was anything but boring. Acts 9: 15 – 16; 2 Corinthians 11: 23 – 33
Rich,
There are worse things than being bored, but not many! 🙂 It is inspiring how Paul took all of that in stride.
Though most of us (myself included) have not encountered God in such a powerful way as to be physically blinded, I think the Bible makes it clear that each of us who are Christian are sent with a message.
We may not be given authority over death, but we are certainly messengers of the good news in the specific field that God would have it.
EJG,
Welcome! Thank you for stopping in and sharing your thoughts with us. I absolutely agree with your point: we all have a message to share about our Lord.
I do not know. Paul was personally picked by the Lord Himself on the Damascus road in a blinding vision of His presence. Some, perhaps all of our conversion experiences might not be quite so dramatic.
But I believe the Father has a plan for each of us, and each of us is called to use and manifest our natural talents, gifts, and spiritual gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit for His purposes, God’s glory, and the furtherance, enlargement, and development of His Kingdom and it’s citizens (all true believers, who are His son’s and daughters, and joint-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ of His Kingdom.
How this works itself out through individual bodies of churches, and ministries is complex and best left to the only wise, all-knowing, omnipotent, Sovereign over all things, who just also happens to be the Head of the Church; i.e. JESUS CHRIST.
If He is given the reins and full control it is and would be phenomenal what might be and is being accomplished.
Jeffrey,
Good morning! So you are suggesting that for Jesus to have control over his church, we have to hand over the reins? Interesting concept! I wish more people understood that.
It’s only in the past couple of years as I’ve grown in my faith that I’ve truly started to understand the significance of the story of Paul. While I started attending church in 1996 and was baptized in 2002, it actually took a traumatic event just over three years ago to really draw me into a relationship with Christ and change my life. As a result, I started thinking about Paul and trying to learn more about him.
Paul went from being someone who despised Jesus to an Apostle of Jesus. Wow! I mean, just wow! Think about the testimony Paul had and the witness he was to those around him and even to those of us today. I imagine at times, people were like, what happened to this guy?!?! Was it worth it for him to go from this life to a life of surrender for Jesus? I mean, he was beheaded after all. And other times, I like to think people were like, look at how this guy’s life has changed and I want to know more about this Jesus guy.
I agree with Rich in that Paul’s life may have been simpler, maybe even a little boring, but his story would not have had the impact it’s had. If Paul had not allowed Jesus to use him in the way God wanted to, how different would the story of Jesus be today? Paul’s life is one of the greater testimonies for Jesus. He literally gave up everything.
As EJG points out, each of us who are Christians are sent with a message. We each have different gifts, but we are called to use our gifts for His glory. What if Paul had chosen to continue living for himself? Paul certainly put aside his will for God’s will and became a messenger for Him.
Darla,
Well said! Thank you for sharing!
If Paul were not an apostle, he would have been a pastor (which would require him to sing off key).
On a serious note, I think he would have had the same desire to share about Jesus and for well being of those he reached.
Rob,
Thank you for your “key note” speech! I agree, I think he would have had the same desire to share about Jesus. I wonder, though, how his ministry might have changed. One big change would have been that his letters would have lacked the authority of being from God.
I don’t think the letters that we associate with Paul would be in the bible based on the assumption that since he isn’t an apostle that he wouldn’t be chosen to write down God’s message.
His role might look more like ministry of Apollos for example.
If Paul had not been an apostle, but had still believed and wanted to share his faith, how might his life have been different?
God would have determined His ministry and I think we can all agree he would have been eager to serve God in any capacity, and would have been very effective.
1 Corinthians 12:4-14
4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, a and to still another the interpretation of tongues. b 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 12Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by c one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Ron,
You are so right! I appreciate your reference to 1 Corinthians 12, too. God provides a multitude of gifts and uses us in different ways.
If Apostle means one who is sent,..then he wouldn’t have been sent,..he would have struck out on his own with the gospel of Christ,..that is if he thought the persecution was worth it to him. His story wouldn’t have the credibility that it holds today,..
He may not have been in the race that he was to get the gospel out,..his eagerness could of been on the back burner not looking for the opportunity to share as much as he did,..he may have been just another guy on the street corner praying real loud,..there are a lot of may have been’s and could have’s,…but there isn’t,..
He was a man with a message,..like all of us should be,..messengers with the good news of Jesus Christ
John,
Thank you for stating the obvious! (Some of us [i.e. – me!] needed that. 🙂 ) You are right, he wouldn’t have been “sent” in the sense that the Apostles are sent. Yet, given Paul’s intensity and drive, it is hard to see him not being an effective street preacher.
👍🏻
I sing off key?
🙂
I read everyone else’s responses and sometimes I feel like I completely miss the mark in my response. However, I always learn so much in reading everyone else’s responses. Thank you for always sharing.
Darla,
Just for the record, I appreciated your response. Your words provided a great perspective on Paul. Not only as an apostle for Jesus, but also as an example of Jesus’ willingness and power to use someone like Paul. What I heard in your words is what I have experienced in my own life. If Jesus can take a murderous monster like Saul and turn him into a loving, sacrificial ambassador for God’s Son, what might he do with you and me?
So thank you! The mark you hit was spot on. 🙂