Read:
A king might send his messenger to another country to negotiate. But how would the recipient of his message know the person in front of him was really sent by his friend across the mountains? Often, the messenger brought a letter sealed by the king himself—proof that they had his authority to negotiate.
In the same way, how did the new believers of the ancient Middle East and Asia know which teachers they could trust? Peter, John, Matthew, Philip—they had walked with Jesus for three and a half years. They had heard his teaching, saw his miracles, and received the Great Commission directly from him:
“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations...Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Jesus himself had given them authority, so the new church could trust them.
But what about Paul? Wasn’t he the one who used to persecute believers? Wasn’t he there at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7)? Hadn’t he traveled around to arrest anyone who followed Jesus (Acts 8)? Who can blame these early Christians for being a bit on their guard?
But Paul was a life changed by Christ, and although we don’t know the details, Paul got his authority from Jesus, too. He told the Colossians that his commission came from God. And he wasn’t alone—Barnabas, a trusted leader in the early church, came alongside him.
As we read Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we can be confident his words carry the same weight as the words of Peter or John. And we can also see that even apostles didn’t do life alone.
Pray: Dear God, help me understand the words of Paul. Thank you for the truth of his life—that everyone can be changed by Christ! Amen.