Young People's Group

“Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ”

by Mitchell Tan
May 13, 2017

WHAT IS AN APOSTLE?

Paul was specially appointed as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “apostle” referred to a person who was a messenger that was commissioned by another to represent him and to do his bidding. Paul was sent out by the Lord Jesus to be a messenger of the gospel. The word “apostle” in Greek has two aspects. Firstly, it emphasised the office of being an apostle of Jesus Christ. When Paul wrote to the Galatian Church, he introduced himself as an apostle. He wrote of how his apostleship did not come from man nor through man but through the Lord Jesus (Galatians 1:1). It was with this office of an apostle that he was able to write to them with authority. Secondly, the word “apostle” emphasised the person who was being sent out by the Lord. This was Paul’s emphasis as he wrote his second epistle to Timothy.

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ”
2 Timothy 1:1

1. DEEP CONSCIOUSNESS OF BEING “SENT OUT” BY THE LORD JESUS

Paul was deeply conscious that it was the Lord who had sent him out to do the work of bearing witness to the Gentiles. The Lord Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus and spoke of how He would deliver him from the hands of the Jews and the Gentiles, to whom He would be sent so that he may open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and that they may have salvation in Christ (Acts 26:17-18). Paul was not disobedient to this heavenly vision (Acts 26:19). This “sent out” mindset had become so much a part of him.

2. DEEP ASSOCIATION WITH THE LORD JESUS WHO WAS ALSO “SENT OUT” BY GOD

The Lord Jesus Christ was also “Sent out” by the Father to do His will.

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”
John 4:34

“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”
John 9:4

The Lord Jesus recognised how it was God who had sent Him to do His will. It was His food to obey His will and to finish the work that He had been sent to do. There was also the sense of urgency in doing the works of Him who had sent Him because He knew He had a short time. The apostle Paul had deep association with the Lord concerning being “sent out”.

APPRECIATING PAUL AS AN APOSTLE

“By the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus”
2 Timothy 1:1

Paul was helping Timothy appreciate his commitment as an apostle. By doing this, he hoped that Timothy would also possess this consciousness of being “sent” by the Lord to do the work that he had been called to do. Paul was most conscious that his apostleship came about through the will of God. He was given the office of an apostle and he sought to faithfully fulfil it. As a servant of God, he was obedient to the very end. As he served consistently, he was also able to experience the reality of the promise of eternal life. He was able to have this abundant life in Christ. This was something that Paul wanted for Timothy. He set himself as an example for Timothy to follow so that he too could have this abundant life in the Lord. May our hearts truly appreciate Paul’s example in how he was most conscious of being sent by the Lord. Young people, let’s learn to possess this “sent out” mindset that we would seek to be faithful to the Lord Jesus as we serve Him each week.

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