Speaking Faith

Of you do a good job, shouldn't you let people know?

Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.  For I am the least of the apostles, unfit 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 has not been 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.  Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe. - 1 Corinthians 15:8-11

One thing that can be said for Paul - he was not shy.

He tells the members of the church in Corinth that he may be the least of the apostles, but he has worked the hardest.  And while that sounds boastful and arrogant, it might just be true.

But Paul has set aside humility for the sake of evangelism.  I will boast in the Lord, he has told us, and here is a perfect example of that claim.

I can't help but wonder what it would have been like had he been a supporter of Jesus when Jesus was alive.  How would the movement have been different?  Would he have been put in his place by Jesus, or lifted up and praised?

Clearly he was different from the twelve, at least in how we have come to know them.  They were more like students of the rabbi, while Paul was more educated.  He experienced Jesus differently. 

One could say Paul's conversion was more dramatic and possibly more meaningful.  He had to turn around completely, from persecutor to supporter.

Much of what we know about the early church, we know because of Paul.

So, maybe the lesson for us is to be more like Paul, to let our faith speak.  Maybe we should ratchet up our boasting of our work in faith so others can come to know about us and about Jesus from us.

We are told we should be humble and we should be an example of our faith without boasting, but why not give boasting in the Lord a try?

More to come...