Read Galatians 1:1–10
Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus
Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.
Galatians 1:1
In the early days of the church, God called special men to do special
tasks. Among them were the apostles. The word apostle means “one
who is sent with a commission.” While He was ministering on earth,
Jesus had many disciples (“learners”), and from these He selected
twelve apostles (Mark 3:13–19). Later, one of the requirements for
an apostle was that he had to have witnessed the resurrection (Acts
1:21–22; 2:32; 3:15).
Paul’s miraculous conversion and call to apostleship created some
problems. From the very beginning, he was apart from the original
apostles. His enemies said that he was not a true apostle for this reason. Paul points out that he had been made an apostle by Jesus Christ
just as much as had the original Twelve. His apostleship was not from
human selection, but by divine appointment.
But in his ministry, Paul had a second basis for authority: He
founded the churches in Galatia. He was not writing to them as a
stranger, but as the one who had brought them the message of life!
Something to Ponder
Why is “relationship” important to Paul’s claim of apostleship? How
do your relationships affect your ministry?