You want to know how Paul dealt with all the conflict, persecution, peril and outright hell he had to endure as an apostle and martyr of the early church? He got small. Praise the Lord that Jesus counted them as forgiven! In this letter, Paul called himself “the chief of sinners” because he counted his sins so grievous. No longer quoting his credentials and touting his God-given titles, he wrote to Timothy, the young pastor of the biggest church in the world at the time. Three years later, at the end of his life and sitting in a Roman dungeon, Paul did not consider himself higher than anyone in the church. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ… – Ephesians 3:8. In fact, Paul sees himself as “least among the saints.” – 1 Corinthians 15:9Īnd about five years after that, in 64 A.D., he doesn’t even call himself an apostle. His perception of himself has changed dramatically.įor I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. Just a year or so later when he writes to the Corinthians, Paul doesn’t put so much stock in his title or credentials. Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)… – Galatians 1:1 When he wrote his letter to the Galatians in 58 A.D., he starts off by letting everyone know his credentials. Paul got smaller the longer he walked with the Lord. Tell others of His works in your life and He will show up in big ways. God is looking for those who will magnify Him. The more you focus on Jesus and magnify Him, the smaller you will become.
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