Scripture to Read: 1 Corinthians 9:1–2
God had Paul continue to write to the Christians in Corinth. We read in 1 Corinthians 9:1–2, “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus, our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.” Remember what God had Paul write so far. God had Paul write to the Corinthian Christians about their freedom to eat meat or not to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Remember, God had led Paul to ask the Christians in Corinth to give up their freedom to eat meat, especially if it caused a weaker Christian to stumble. Then, God led Paul to ask some questions that have obvious answers. “Am I not an apostle?” We know that Paul was an apostle, but his apostleship was obviously doubted by some in Corinth. “Am I not free?” Paul was under the authority of Jesus Christ and had been freed from the power and penalty of sin. “Have I not seen Jesus, our Lord?” Paul had not seen a vision of Jesus, but rather, the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus, which authenticated him as an apostle. “Are you not my work in the Lord?” God had used Paul in Corinth to lead many to surrender to Christ as Lord. According to verse 2, though some doubted Paul’s apostleship, they had no reason to. As believers, don’t be surprised when people doubt our salvation and what Christ can do for them.
Challenge & Application
With all of the evidence of Paul being an apostle, why do you think people still doubted?
With all of the evidence for the authenticity of the Bible, plus every Christian’s changed life, why do people still doubt today?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!