"This letter came from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any human authority, but by Jesus Christ Himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead." (Galatians 1:1 NLT)
Paul opened up his letter to the Galatians the way he opened almost every letter – with a statement of his divine credentials.
"This letter is from Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach the good news." (Romans 1:1 NLT)
"This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus." (1 Corintihans 1:1 NLT)
"This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ," (2 Corinthians 1:1 NLT)
"This letter is from Paul, chosen by the the will of God to be an apostle of Jesus." (Ephesians 1:1 NLT)
"This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ." (Philippians 1:1 NLT)
"This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus," (Colossians 1:1 NLT)
"This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Jesus Christ who gives us hope." (1 Timothy 1:1 NLT)
"This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 1:1 NLT)
"This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives." (Titus 1:1 NLT)
"This letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the Good News about Jesus Christ." (Philemon 1:1 NLT)
It is critical to know Whose you are and whose you are not. Paul understood unequivocally: he belonged to God.
Apostle Paul was a formally educated man. He knew that credentials matter and he presented them consistently, but maybe not for the reasons we’d think. Perhaps Paul wasn’t proving his qualifications to his audience as much as he was reminding himself? Nearly every time he sat down to compose a letter, he recalled his original encounter and calling. Paul was concerned with fulfilling the command of God on his life far more than pleasing or displeasing the fickle early churches.
Paul reminds us with every introduction; how we think about ourselves is critical to our messaging. We do not belong to the world. We belong to God. We are not accountable to the world’s judgements, opinions or acceptance. We are accountable to God. His judgement, opinion and acceptance is imperative. We must prioritize and protect our relationship with Him.
Paul proved his preoccupation with pleasing God at the start of every letter. He set the filter of answering to God for every paragraph that followed. I don’t think he was self-promoting. These opening statements aren’t peacock-parading. They are a litmus test for the writing that came after. Paul’s words had been sifted through the sieve of God’s consent because Paul answered to the Almighty and not to the people.
This seems like such a healthy way to interact with the world. How much might change if we began every day, every conversation or email with our divine credentials? “Anna, servant of Christ” would surely recall which Kingdom she served. Perhaps the opinions of others would fall off more readily. Maybe she’d filter her comments more carefully? Certainly, she’d invite others to live in a similar manner: consumed with satisfying the agenda of her Heavenly Father over herself.
"Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant." (Galatians 1:10 NLT)
Honestly, it’s not obvious. I still struggle and maybe you can relate? Paul’s string-on-the-finger on the front end of almost every letter serves as a wonderful wakeup for for us forgetful folks. We want to please God!
Lord, please help us. We all too often forget Whose we are. Thank You for Apostle Paul’s repeated, persuasive reminder in scripture. He convicted himself before he opened his mouth or picked up a pen. May we be faithful to live likewise, consumed with pleasing You. Amen.