…by the command of God our Savior …
Summary: Being an apostle is not all it’s cracked up to be. The work is hard, and the pay is lousy — at least from a worldly perspective.
Why would anyone become an apostle of Jesus Christ?
Does being an apostle give you status? Are people impressed by you being an apostle?
How about pay, benefits, and perks? Is the compensation good? What about 401K options?
Are there side benefits to being an apostle? For example, are people lining up to take you to lunch? Do you get free tickets to sporting events? Do apostles get a lot of free sample products in the mail to try out and include reviews of in their sermons and speeches?
No?
You mean being an apostle doesn’t give you any of this?
What do you get if you become an apostle? Let’s review a brief summary of Paul’s experiences as one:*
- Flogged five times with forty lashes minus one
- Beaten with rods three times
- Stoned once
- Shipwrecked three times
- Spent a full night and day adrift at sea
- Threats from rivers and bandits
- Opposition from fellow Jews and Gentiles
- Danger in cities, rural areas, and at sea
- Betrayal or harm from false believers
- Continuous labor and exhausting work
- Frequent lack of sleep
- Hunger, thirst, and lack of food
- Exposure to cold and lack of proper clothing
Hmmm …
So let me get this straight. There is no pay, no compensation package, no “benefits,” no 401K plan. Instead, an apostle can expect abuse at every turn, obstacles, danger, and betrayal.
Tell me again why anyone would become an apostle?
“[B]y the command of God our Savior.”
Oh.
Apostles don’t have it easy. Being an “apostle” is not a cushy job, nor is it one that most people would even recognize as a job. It is a calling.
God commanded Paul to become an apostle, and Paul really didn’t have much say in the matter.
It is interesting how this works. Being an apostle is not so much a matter of title and authority as it is a function of being obedient to God.
Returning to our last meditation for a moment (“1 Timothy 1:1b – Apostle”), we discussed how we earth-bound humans use the word “apostle.” In reality, what we decide to call someone doesn’t matter.
What matters is what God decides.
If God calls you to do his work, the world isn’t going to be impressed. God never calls humans to accept glory on his behalf. That belongs to him. Our job is to obey the command of God our Savior.
Application: Listen to God’s calling, and obey.
Food for Thought: What does it mean when someone suffers because they followed God’s command?
*2 Corinthians 11:24-27
What does it mean when someone suffers because they followed God’s command?
As counter-intuitive to the world’s logic as this sounds, when someone suffers because they followed God’s command, they are blessed. One who suffered in obedience to the Lord’s Will suffers with Christ. The suffering in obedience and with thanksgiving strengthens the relationship with Christ.
1 Peter 4:13
13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
Romans 5:3-4
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
2 Corinthians 12:10
10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Thank you, Chris!
Yes, I agree. Life with Christ is counter-intuitive! 🙂
I am going to cheat today and let Jesus answer this question for me. Matthew 5:,10 – 12: Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Thanks Rich!
That kind of “cheating” is always welcome. 🙂
What does it mean when someone suffers because they followed God’s command?
Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
As believers, we have become new beings, a completely new creation.
We will receive new sight, strength, and purpose which will cause us to begin seeking Gods will over our own and will be contrary to all we were before we received Jesus Christ in our hearts.
We will experience emotional pain as we begin to more clearly see good and evil, separate ourselves from past practices, people, and family who had become part of our lives, but now seek to block our growth in Christ. There will be a time when you may be separated from your past yet not yet fully comfortable as part of Gods family, but God continues to provide the strength you need to keep moving forward.
In time, the opinions of other people simply no longer matter, and we focus all on seeking His will over our own and growing in our Lord, serving Him as He guides us each moment of each day. Knowing His love for us becomes so powerful, all pain getting to this point simply fades away.
James 1:2-4, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Romans 8:28, We know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
Thank you, Ron!
Excellent comment and verses. I especially appreciated this:
“In time, the opinions of other people simply no longer matter…”
It is not that we stop caring what others think, it is simply that we care more about what God thinks.
I don’t have any of the other Paul’s problems, but I have many good Christian friends. Thankyou Jesus
Ha Ha Ha! 🙂
Thank you, Paul!
I am honored to be one of them!
And yes, we are blessed!