Just a Little Apostle Talk

Scripture: Romans 1:1-6 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, 6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

Observation: This paragraph and indeed the rest of the letter were written by Paul. Yet this particular part of his message, it seems, could just as easily come from other ordained people.

Application: This probably seems crazy, but what if I were to exchange my name for Paul in the above Scripture passage? At that point it would obviously no longer be Scripture—I’ll concede that fact right away. Yet aside from that admittedly important fact, my name—or that of any other ordained minister—might still fit. The hedge would be on how one interprets the name “apostle.” Literally to be an apostle is to be sent. However, it is also more narrowly interpreted to apply to the original apostles and to Paul who was sent directly by the risen Jesus. I don’t normally think of myself as an apostle. Nor do most other pastors. The few times I’ve encountered a pastor who referred to him or herself as apostle (none of which were ever Lutheran, by the way) I’ve always viewed with suspicion. It seems presumptuous to ever claim that particular title. In the Lutheran church we speak in terms of being called and sent by God through the church, but we usually use the title of pastor rather than apostle. For the record, I have no desire to be called an apostle, nor have I ever, with the exception of this little diatribe, actually thought of myself in those terms. Still, the heart of the message that pastor’s are called and sent to share is quite similar if not identical to that of people like the Apostle Paul himself. Perhaps this is why Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:5 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” Ministry is always about God’s work in the world; the actual human vessel through which God does it will always pale in comparison. Call me and other pastors or apostles whatever you wish, but give the real nod to our Lord Jesus Christ to whom all glory is due.

Prayer: Lord, let us not worry so much about our names but rather about your name that is above all names. Yes, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Readings today included: Romans 1-4)