2 Corinthians 11:5 (KJV)
For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
While the passage is modestly expressed, it carries a great deal of weight. There is something to be said for the ability to speak in restrained terms and still advance a powerful idea. George Washington seemed to possess that kind of reputation. He did not need to brag in order to exert influence.
I know of another leader who, though doing a commendable job as President, would likely serve his purpose better if he learned to express himself with greater modesty.
The word suppose is especially significant. The Greek carries the idea of an account or a reckoning. While the statement is not brash in tone, it rests on the weight of the record. This is an evidence-based assertion. Paul is not the slightest behind the “very chiefest” apostles.
At first glance, a casual reader might assume Paul is placing himself alongside apostles such as Peter, James, and John. A careful student of Scripture will recognize that this is not the issue at hand. While it is true Paul stands on equal apostolic ground with those men, they are not the subject of this passage.
Though no names are mentioned, the men Paul refers to are false apostles—men who made much of themselves. The term very chiefest describes something the true apostles had learned from the Lord Himself not to seek. These men were not followers of Christ; they were seekers of glory. They were self-promoters.
And they were nowhere in the league of Peter, James, John—or Paul.
Greatness in the eyes of the Lord neither needs nor seeks promotion.
#BiblicalHumility #TrueApostolicAuthority #NoSelfPromotion #MeasuredStrength #GreatnessBeforeGod
Quiet Authority: False Apostles vs. Apostle Paul
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