The Set-Up
Isn’t it frustrating when people don’t trust who you say you are? Or when people question your authority?
This was one of the issues Paul had with the Corinthian church. Even though he had started the church a few years earlier, they refused to acknowledge his authority as an apostle. We’ll look at some of their reasons for this later this week, but Paul starts out this section by throwing down the hammer – the fact that he was the one who brought them the gospel should be enough evidence of his apostleship.
The work that we do – the words we speak, the way we live and act – should be evidence to others of our faith. In the book of James, James spends some time talking about this. We are saved by faith alone, but the things we do prove that our faith is genuine (James 2:19-24). Paul is using that same argument here in regard to his apostleship. There may be people who doubt his apostleship, but the Corinthian believers should know and accept his authority as an apostle because they’ve seen the work of God done by Paul firsthand.
In today’s divisive environment, there may be times when your faith is doubted by other believers because of the stances you take. You may hear, “You can’t be a Christian if you vote this way,” or “You’re not really a Christian because you (fill in the blank here) during COVID.” But ultimately, your faith is between you and God. Paul knew he was an apostle because he had an experience with the resurrected Christ. It didn’t matter if other people accepted that or not, but he continued to live in a way that reflected his belief in Christ. In the same way, we can know we are true believers because we know we’ve accepted Christ’s forgiveness and have chosen to follow Him. Our salvation is not based on other people’s standards or opinions. Regardless of what others might say, continue living in the way God has called you to live. How you live your life will be proof of your faith – maybe not in this life, but definitely in the next one.
Passage to Read
Reflection Questions
Have you ever had your authority questioned? What did that feel like? How did you respond?
Has anyone ever questioned your faith because of a choice you made? How did you handle that situation?
Why are our works – the things we say and do – important for proving our faith?
Prayer Idea
Thank God that it is only His opinion that truly matters. He places people in our lives who challenge us in appropriate ways and help us grow, but there are people who may cause you to doubt your salvation. If that is happening to you, or if you are doubting your faith for another reason, ask God to help you find reassurance and trust in His promises.