"Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord."
(I Corinthians 9:1-2)
Evidently, Paul's authority was being questioned by some in Corinth - presumably those who came after Paul had left. Here in chapter 9, when he begins to state his case, he starts with the people of the Corinthian church itself! "You are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord."
Gone are the days when a seal was made on the outside of an envelope - a wax dripping with a particular mark that distinguished the sender. A king's seal was especially powerful. Anything with that seal meant the king sent it. Period. Later, people would stamp seals over their signatures (embossed, even!), again indicating authenticity. I guess the closest we have today might be a notary public's seal. Anyway, when challenged, Paul doesn't list his own accomplishments (at least not here at this time)... instead he points to the people whose lives he's impacted for the Lord. They are his seal. When others see them, they'll know the influence and mark Paul had. That's why he's an authentic apostle. Even if nobody else gives him credit for it. he knows. The people in Corinth know. And God, especially knows.
Which got me thinking... who are the "seals" in my life? Sure, as a pastor I may have had the opportunity to "officially" speak words of faith into people's lives (through sermons, Bible Study & pastoral care). But I dare say that my greatest seals would have to be my own family! My kids: Ezra & Emily. And Jody, too - we "seal" each other. We influence & impact each other's faith. But then there are the others, too, that I've been blessed to impact (whether I intended to or not). Maybe very few "religious" words were ever expressed (at least not overtly) - to soccer families, baseball families (when I coached), school kids & families (while I've volunteered while my kids were involved), Common Grace kids (Bradley & Ipu), etc. We all have countless relationships where we have potential influence & impact on the lives of others.
What kinds of seals are we leaving behind? May they truly be testimonies to God's power and place in our lives. Thanks be to God. AMEN.
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