I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—
Summary: The question of Paul’s authority is addressed in this passage. Paul received a commission from God. Discerning the validity of that commission rests with each believer.
Over the years since our Lord Jesus Christ walked the earth and then ascended into heaven, many people have laid claim to teaching the “true” word of God. Sometimes, these teachings vary from the Bible a little and other times, they are way off. The one thing that remains constant with all these people has been their limited reach. There is only one Paul, and his work for the Lord has survived the test of time.
“Who is this upstart?,” is the question that comes to mind for many people. “Why should I believe what Paul says?”
Good question!
This is where credentials come into play.
In Luke’s record of the “Acts of the Apostles,” he tells the story of the Apostles being thrown into jail by the Sadducees (Acts 5:17-42). A meeting of the Sanhedrin is called, and all the elders of Israel start arguing about what to do with these so-called Apostles who insist on making trouble. Some of the leaders wanted to put them to death. At this point, Paul’s instructor, Gamaliel, stands up and gives a speech.
During his speech, he gives several recent examples of people who had claimed to “be somebody.” In each case, Gamaliel points out that the movement died out naturally. His advice to the council concluded with this statement:
“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39)
Paul discovered the truth of this statement himself. He was against Jesus before he was for Jesus. When he worked to imprison believers, God worked against him. After meeting Jesus personally, Paul had a change of heart. When he worked for Jesus, God was with him.
The miracles God worked through Paul during his ministry on earth testified to two things. First, they were a testimony to the power of God. Second, they were a testimony to the fact that God had chosen Paul to be his emissary. The commission Paul received from God was real, and the evidence of that commission is still obvious today.
Application: We can have confidence in Paul’s teachings.
Food for Thought: What qualifications did Paul have for being commissioned by God?
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