This blog might seem a bit strange and different from the usual Day Shares. I am trying to imagine what an advert or job description of a New Testament apostle might look like. Obviously, the apostles were called by God and the post was never advertised. But bear with me.
Preamble
We are currently looking to recruit experienced and dedicated candidates who would be willing to join the small team of apostles.
The Organisation: The Christian Church is growing and expanding at an unprecedented rate across the Roman Empire with new converts being added on a daily basis.
Post of Apostle - Job Specification
Potential candidates must be able to demonstrate the following:
Evidence of the new birth
Personal acquaintance with the founder Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah
Extensive knowledge of Christian theology and doctrinal principles
Exemplary dedication and commitment
Ability to cope with everyday hazards such as shipwreck, imprisonment, torture, starvation, character assassination etc. etc.
Care for a growing number of troublesome churches across a wide area.
Apostles - Remuneration
There is no financial reward or remuneration for service
Successful candidate will be expected to engage in hard physical labour in order to be financially independent of new converts
Apostles are of no fixed abode and may experience hardship associated with being homeless
Read 1 Corinthians Chapter 4 which provides the basis for this imaginary job description. The background is that the apostle Paul had founded the church at Corinth while on his missionary journey. He had spent at least 18 months there teaching first of all in the synagogue and then in a house belonging to a Gentile. He had seen some converts and had been rejoicing in the birth of a Christian church in such a godless, immoral city. When he left, however, his reputation was ruined after the visit of Apollos who was a very skilled orator. The Corinthians who loved smooth talking and human wisdom compared Apollos very unfavourably to Paul who seemed to be an unassuming figure and not a great public speaker. Furthermore, the church soon developed some disturbing habits - they began to divide into cliques or camps following various apostles rather than continuing in the ways Paul had taught them. There was also some serious immorality permitted in the church. The Corinthian Christians were proud and smug and reckoned that they did not need to listen to this odd little apostle. His reputation as an apostle was at stake but more seriously the credibility of his teaching was at risk.
So Paul sent a letter to deal with these issues but it was lost. Here in his first surviving letter to the Corinthians he deals with these matters of concern. Here in chapter 4, he is dealing with their treatment of him. He points out the discrepancy with the way they are 'living like kings,' and he compares the luxury of their state to the demands made on apostles. Paul pulls no punches in describing the way apostles are regarded in the Roman Empire and the sharp contrast with the careless indifference of these Corinthian believers. They are completely disregarding the suffering of the apostles as they proclaim the Gospel to a hostile world. He is shaming them with their indifference and lack of genuine concern.
When the young men returned home from the trenches during the First World War, they were shocked at the complacency of the people at home. For the most part, people were blissfully ignorant of the atrocious conditions on the Western Front. This was what was happening in Corinth. Here was a church that was feeling so proud of their wisdom and their learning and disregarding the sacrifice made by the apostles in the cause of Jesus the Messiah. Maybe, there is a lesson for us. We live very materialistic lives and we complain about the weather or the restrictions on our way of life due to the Covid pandemic while at the same time thousands of Christians are suffering untold persecution - many thousands are being martyred and others are beaten up for naming Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. We always find something to complain about in our pampered western world while at the same time many of God's people are being treated as refuse or scum in their society while we are living like kings and queens.
In the next Day Share we will look in more detail about Paul's description of the way apostles were treated in that society. This does not make for pleasant reading.
[Photo by Aneta Foubikova on Unsplash]
A very thought provoking, reflective and challenging read at the start of a day!