The Apostle began this section of his
letter by talking about the gospel that he preached and they had received in
the Corinthian church. He saw that the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus is
essential to the Christian faith. To establish the resurrection, Paul set out
to list several of Jesus’ appearances between his crucifixion and his ascension
into heaven. This list is certainly not comprehensive in the sense that it
refers to all Jesus appearances. These were the appearances that the Holy
Spirit led Paul to tell about. I assume that these might have been most
important to the Corinthian Christians. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 15:8-10. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he
appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles,
unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 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, though it was not I, but the
grace of God that is with me.
The apostle, led by the Holy Spirit,
introduces his magnificent teaching concerning the resurrection of the dead by
pointing out the power of grace. God’s grace is revealed in relation to all
people everywhere. Everyone is affected positively by God’s grace. His grace
held his hand back in the Garden of Eden. He let Adam and Eve live so that we
could live in order that many could be saved. God’s grace revealed His goodness
and mercy, even to unbelievers. God’s grace demonstrates God’s justice that
will be revealed. Finally, God’s grace is designed to demonstrate God’s glory.
Ending the list of those who were
eyewitnesses of his resurrection…
Paul was the least and the last Apostle! Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 12:12. The signs of a true apostle were performed among
you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.
Paul desired that the church in Corinth recognize his apostleship. In order to
establish his claim without a doubt, he
pointed to, “the signs of a true apostle” that were done by him. Signs that
were patiently presented by him. He was an apostle by the grace of God!
You will recall that after Judas’
betrayal and suicide there was a need to replace him in the group of apostles
(Acts 1:21-26). Many have argued that the choice of Matthias was not God’s best
plan. I hold to the position that God was in charge of the decision as it’s
recorded in the Bible. Therefore it was not a bad decision. Other individuals
are referred to in the Bible as apostles. Paul and Barnabas were both referred
to as apostles on their missionary journey (Acts 14:14).
There is no doubt…
God’s grace works in the least. Now let’s turn to Ephesians 3:7-9. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the
gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To
me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to
preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and
to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages
in God, who created all things.
Paul viewed himself as the least and
last of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ because he had persecuted the
church. It was Paul who led in the persecution of the church after the
martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 8:1-3).
Peter’s statement before the choice
of Matthias was, “So one of the men who
have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out
among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up
from us — one of these men must become with us a witness to the resurrection.”
(Acts 1:21-22). After his choice, Matthias was numbered as one of the twelve.
Paul did not meet the requirements
set forth by Peter. He had not been with the group of disciples that followed
Jesus. However, he was definitely a witness of the resurrection since he had
seen the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. Paul’s view was that the grace of
God had chosen him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Peter had been the
first to bring Gentiles into the church (Acts 10) but he was not going to be
able to be the leader in that project. He was just too much of a Jew to
continue as a witness to the Gentiles.
By the grace of God Paul was the
chosen witness to the Gentiles. Peter might have been considered the leader of
the apostles but Paul considered himself the least. Paul considered himself to
be unworthy. We all feel that way about ourselves from time to time. So we
should be encouraged by the fact that…
God’s grace works in the unworthy. Let’s turn to Galatians 1:15-16. But when he who had set me apart before I was born,
and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his
Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not
immediately consult with anyone;
Paul was unworthy due to his arrogant
persecution of the church. He never fully recovered from the reputation he had
earned. When he first arrived in Damascus he could not have been elected to any
position in the Christian church. God had to convince Ananias to go and bear
witness to Saul of Tarsus. With the support and encouragement of Ananias, Paul
was able to begin preaching and teaching in Damascus. When he went back to
Jerusalem, some three years later, the Christians avoided him. They could not
believe that he had actually changed. They thought he was only pretending to be
one of them so that he could find them, have them arrested, and put them to
death.
Paul was only able to minister among
the Christians of Jerusalem because there was a sensitive believer there named
Barnabas to introduce Paul to the church. Barnabas responded to the move of the
Holy Spirit in his spirit. Paul recognized that God had chosen him before he
was born to be the witness to the Gentiles. God had chosen to reveal his son,
Jesus, in Paul’s life! Paul did not choose Christ — God chose Paul! Paul was
careful not to go seeking advice from others until he understood God’s call in
his life. We must remember that…
God’s grace determines who we are. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 4:7. For who sees anything different in you? What do you
have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if
you did not receive it?
Paul appealed to God’s grace as the
basis of his ministry. He was unconcerned about man’s opinion of him and wanted
to encourage the church to hold the same attitude. Even if he had been judged
by people and failed the judgment he would still be the minister that he was
because God had chosen him.
We need to remember this for
ourselves. We don’t have anything in our lives that we did not receive from
God. It was James, the Lord’s brother, who told us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the father of lights,” (James 1:17). It is God’s grace, and his gifts,
that determine who and what we are. The minute we begin to think that we have
made something of ourselves we will fall into the devil’s trap. Pride goes
before destruction! (Proverbs 16:18).
Paul would later write to the Romans, “I say to everyone among you not to think
of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober
judgment,” (Romans 12:3). We need to guard ourselves and not become self-centered.
We have nothing that God did not give us. In every way, it is God’s grace that
decides who we are and what we do. We are totally dependent upon him. This does
not mean that we are an unimportant part of the process. As human beings, we are inadequate in ourselves to
strengthen our ministry in any way.
We must remember that…
God’s grace produces powerful results. Let’s turn to Colossians 1:28-29. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching
everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For
this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
Christian maturity is absolutely
essential to our ministry in this world. Paul had written to the Corinthians challenging
them to grow up, become mature so that they can process the spiritual truths
that he had to share with them (1 Corinthians 3:1).
This challenge to the church came
after his assurance that the Corinthians had everything they needed. Since they
had received Christ Jesus as Lord, God had given to them wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption, so that
the one who boasts must boast in the Lord not in themselves (1 Corinthians
1:30). We need to remember that…
God’s grace never fails. Let’s look at Philippians 1:6-7. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work
in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It
is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart,
for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the
defense and confirmation of the gospel.
Do you ever feel like you don’t
deserve the love of God in Christ Jesus? Well, I’m here to tell you that you
don’t! Before you think that I’m condemning you I assure you that I don’t
either. Some people think it’s a negative thing for me to say that we all
deserve death and hell rather than Christ and heaven. This is not intended in
any way to be negative. It’s a very positive statement. We do not get what we
deserve we get what God gives to us.
Look at verse six. “He who began a good work in you” is
none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not saved by our good works. We
are not saved because we are worthy. We are saved by the grace of God through
faith. We did not come to this idea on our own. Let me quote Charles H.
Spurgeon’s (1834 – 1892) description of his coming to faith:
“One week-night when I was sitting in the house of God, I was not
thinking much about the preacher's sermon, for I did not believe it. The
thought struck me, “How did you come to be a Christian?” I sought the Lord.
“But how did you come to seek the Lord?” The truth flashed across my mind in a
moment—I should not have sought him unless there had been some previous
influence in my mind to make me seek him. I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, How came I to
pray? I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How came I to read the
Scriptures? I did read them, but what led me to do so? Then, in a moment, I saw
that God was at the bottom of it all, and
that he was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened
up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire
to make this my constant confession, “I ascribe my change wholly to God.”
Our salvation depends on God not on
ourselves and for that I praise him. We receive what we do not deserve because
of God’s choice! He is the giver of salvation for us. God does nothing halfway.
He did not bring the children of Israel out of Egypt to abandon them in the wilderness.
God did not lead millions all around the world to believe in him just to
abandon them! He did not lead us to establish this church unless he intended it
to make a major difference in this community! He never fails to complete what
he begins.
Fanny Jane Crosby, though physically blind,
wrote these words more than 100 years ago:
To God be the glory, great things he has done; so love to the world that
he gave us his son, who yielded his life an
atonement for sin and open the life gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord,
praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice! Praise the Lord, praise the
Lord, let the people rejoice! Have come to the Father, through Jesus the son,
and give him the glory, great things he had done.
The Giver gets the Glory!
All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English
standard version. 2001. Wheaton, Ill, Standard Bible Society.
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