Apostle
Today, may the God of grace teach you anew the right understanding of the forgiveness you have in Christ!
Today we continue our discussion of 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the great resurrection chapter. Paul has already affirmed the truth of the resurrection, and he ends with the statement in verse 8, Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, He also appeared to me. Paul is affirming his position as an apostle. We see in the book of Acts that it was necessary in the replacement of Judas to have a man who was eyewitness to the ministry, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus. Paul is affirming that he is an eyewitness to the resurrection of Jesus. As an up and coming leader among the Jews, and as a highly educated Pharisee, there is no doubt that Paul was familiar with the life and ministry of Jesus. There is very little doubt to the fact that he was witness to the trial of Jesus, though he never mentions it directly. He certainly fit the qualifications but what was unique is that Jesus came to him personally on the road to Damascus and called him to be an apostle.
Paul has this to say concerning his ministry, For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed. 1 Corinthians 15:9-11
He says he is the least of the apostles and not worthy to be called an apostle because he persecuted the Church of God. What would be our response to a man who opposed all that we stood for and was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people who believed in us? I think it's fair to assume that most of us would count this person as absolutely unworthy. This is the apostle Paul. He is a man who by all human standards is unworthy to serve God. Yet, he proclaims boldly that the grace of God has opened the way for him to serve as an apostle.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. It is an amazing thing about the grace of God that it is not discriminatory toward anyone nor does it show favoritism toward anyone. The grace of God is His love in action for the salvation of anyone who will receive Jesus as Savior. When Jesus revealed Himself alive to Paul, he understood in that moment that he had been wrong and was deserving of judgment. He acknowledges it is the grace of God in which he now stands that assures him of forgiveness.
He also says that God's grace in his life was not in vain. Would that we could say the same in every aspect of our lives. When Paul was converted and understood Jesus as his Savior, his whole life became focused on the ministry of the Gospel for the salvation of the world. He even says, On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. We might think on the surface that this is an egotistical statement. Rather than seeing it this way understand that Paul's heart, moved by grace, sought to proclaim Jesus to as many people as humanly possible before his death. Paul lived with a sense of urgency! He knew the time was short. He understood that because of persecution, or just simply the fact that he would one day die, he needed to work as hard as he could while it was day, before the night came.
We know that throughout Paul's life he established numerous churches, ministering in each one from a year and a half to two years before moving on. He had as his desire to literally minister around the Mediterranean Sea. I have no doubt he would have accomplished his task had his life not ended tragically in martyrdom.
We also need to understand that Paul is not speaking derogatorily concerning the other apostles. His statement, Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed, helps us to understand that what is important is that they heard the message of Jesus and believed. It is not about the messenger, it is always about the message. It is not about the preacher, but always about Jesus. Paul is affirming that his work simply dovetailed with the work of the other apostles, because they all had the goal of lifting Jesus up that the world might be saved.
As he writes to his recipients in Corinth, he is affirming that they believed the message of Jesus and His resurrection. Why has he spent so much time affirming the validity of the resurrection and their belief in that same truth which was proclaimed to them? Because he is about to launch into the heart of the issue. There are those among them who are denying the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and teaching others to reject this illogical teaching, because resurrections don't happen!
While we will save that discussion for next week, it is a sad reality that we must deal today with the fact that the vast majority of Christians in the world, or at least in America, deny the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead. How sad it is that God has made such a great sacrifice for us that we might be forgiven of our sins, and by His grace be granted eternal life through simple faith in Jesus and throw it away because it sounds illogical to the world.
Paul was an extremely intelligent man, and he would not have spent his life in service to God proclaiming the resurrection if he did not know for a fact that it was true. And while men may propagate a lie for their own selfish gain, there are none who will sacrifice their life for a lie. Paul and all the other apostles save John, gave their lives into death proclaiming Jesus as Savior, the One who was resurrected from the dead.
It is not a burden to be those who proclaim the truth. It is a privilege to speak for God in a world which denies Him. May we with boldness proclaim the resurrection of Jesus for the salvation of the world, even if the world calls us fools.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Russ
Today we continue our discussion of 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the great resurrection chapter. Paul has already affirmed the truth of the resurrection, and he ends with the statement in verse 8, Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, He also appeared to me. Paul is affirming his position as an apostle. We see in the book of Acts that it was necessary in the replacement of Judas to have a man who was eyewitness to the ministry, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus. Paul is affirming that he is an eyewitness to the resurrection of Jesus. As an up and coming leader among the Jews, and as a highly educated Pharisee, there is no doubt that Paul was familiar with the life and ministry of Jesus. There is very little doubt to the fact that he was witness to the trial of Jesus, though he never mentions it directly. He certainly fit the qualifications but what was unique is that Jesus came to him personally on the road to Damascus and called him to be an apostle.
Paul has this to say concerning his ministry, For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed. 1 Corinthians 15:9-11
He says he is the least of the apostles and not worthy to be called an apostle because he persecuted the Church of God. What would be our response to a man who opposed all that we stood for and was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people who believed in us? I think it's fair to assume that most of us would count this person as absolutely unworthy. This is the apostle Paul. He is a man who by all human standards is unworthy to serve God. Yet, he proclaims boldly that the grace of God has opened the way for him to serve as an apostle.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. It is an amazing thing about the grace of God that it is not discriminatory toward anyone nor does it show favoritism toward anyone. The grace of God is His love in action for the salvation of anyone who will receive Jesus as Savior. When Jesus revealed Himself alive to Paul, he understood in that moment that he had been wrong and was deserving of judgment. He acknowledges it is the grace of God in which he now stands that assures him of forgiveness.
He also says that God's grace in his life was not in vain. Would that we could say the same in every aspect of our lives. When Paul was converted and understood Jesus as his Savior, his whole life became focused on the ministry of the Gospel for the salvation of the world. He even says, On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. We might think on the surface that this is an egotistical statement. Rather than seeing it this way understand that Paul's heart, moved by grace, sought to proclaim Jesus to as many people as humanly possible before his death. Paul lived with a sense of urgency! He knew the time was short. He understood that because of persecution, or just simply the fact that he would one day die, he needed to work as hard as he could while it was day, before the night came.
We know that throughout Paul's life he established numerous churches, ministering in each one from a year and a half to two years before moving on. He had as his desire to literally minister around the Mediterranean Sea. I have no doubt he would have accomplished his task had his life not ended tragically in martyrdom.
We also need to understand that Paul is not speaking derogatorily concerning the other apostles. His statement, Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed, helps us to understand that what is important is that they heard the message of Jesus and believed. It is not about the messenger, it is always about the message. It is not about the preacher, but always about Jesus. Paul is affirming that his work simply dovetailed with the work of the other apostles, because they all had the goal of lifting Jesus up that the world might be saved.
As he writes to his recipients in Corinth, he is affirming that they believed the message of Jesus and His resurrection. Why has he spent so much time affirming the validity of the resurrection and their belief in that same truth which was proclaimed to them? Because he is about to launch into the heart of the issue. There are those among them who are denying the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and teaching others to reject this illogical teaching, because resurrections don't happen!
While we will save that discussion for next week, it is a sad reality that we must deal today with the fact that the vast majority of Christians in the world, or at least in America, deny the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead. How sad it is that God has made such a great sacrifice for us that we might be forgiven of our sins, and by His grace be granted eternal life through simple faith in Jesus and throw it away because it sounds illogical to the world.
Paul was an extremely intelligent man, and he would not have spent his life in service to God proclaiming the resurrection if he did not know for a fact that it was true. And while men may propagate a lie for their own selfish gain, there are none who will sacrifice their life for a lie. Paul and all the other apostles save John, gave their lives into death proclaiming Jesus as Savior, the One who was resurrected from the dead.
It is not a burden to be those who proclaim the truth. It is a privilege to speak for God in a world which denies Him. May we with boldness proclaim the resurrection of Jesus for the salvation of the world, even if the world calls us fools.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Russ
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