[ZNPaaneah]

Originally Posted by JJ

Some have said Paul gives a defense of his apostleship in 2 Cor 5:13-6:13, and if someone claims to be an apostle, their life should be compared to the things Paul says were true of his apostleship.

Compare this list Paul gives to your favorite apostle, and see how they fare.

Excellent, here it is:

13For whether we are beside ourselves, it is unto God; or whether we are of sober mind, it is unto you. 14For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.

1. Apostles do not Iive unto themselves but unto Him who for their sakes died and rose again.

16Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more. 17Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.

2. Apostles are a new creation, their old life according to the flesh has passed away.

18But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation; 19to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

3. Apostles have a ministry of reconciliation. Everything that happened in their life is of God and a testimony of God reconciling the world to Himself.

20We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. 21Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.



1And working together with him we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain 2(for he saith,
At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee,
And in a day of salvation did I succor thee:
behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation):

4. Apostles are working together with God that the world might be saved.

3giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed; 4*but in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God,

5. Apostles are very concerned that nothing they do would give an occasion of stumbling.

In all of these things they are commending themselves as ministers of God:

in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; 6in pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned, 7in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

6. All of the biases, the middle walls of partition, the ways in which the believers wall themselves off from others, that is not of the Apostle’s fellowship but is something in their flesh.

11Our mouth is open unto you, O Corinthians, our heart is enlarged. 12Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections. 13Now for a recompense in like kind (I speak as unto my children), be ye also enlarged.