Sermon Tone Analysis

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus…” [1]

Reading Paul’s letters, I’m always struck by his introductions.

With the exception of his missives to the Philippian saints, the Letters to the Church in Thessalonica and his letter to Philemon, Paul always introduces himself as an Apostle.

Why should it be necessary to emphasise that he is an Apostle?

If I am corresponding with people who know me, I do not normally feel compelled to iterate that I am a pastor.

It is passingly strange that Paul does this.

Perhaps an examination of this inclusion will be instructive to our understanding of the Apostle.

Candidly, I am certain that our appreciation of Paul’s labours will be heightened through even a cursory study of his introduction penned to the various churches.

Today, however, it should prove beneficial to think why Paul would need to stress to Timothy that he was an Apostle of Christ Jesus.

*APOSTLES ARE MADE, NOT BORN* — “Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.”

When we concluded 1 Timothy, Paul was on the road.

He stated in his First Letter to Timothy, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” [1 TIMOTHY 3:14, 15].

Now, however, Paul was chained and in the Mamertine Prison in Rome.

This was a dank, dark underground chamber with a single hole in the ceiling for light and air.

He had already had a judicial hearing that he alludes to when he writes, “At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me.

May it not be charged against them!

But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.

So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.

To him be the glory forever and ever.

Amen” [2 TIMOTHY 4:16-18].

This is not Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome.

You will remember that he had been accused by the religious leaders, and when Festus suggested that Paul appear in Jerusalem for trial the Apostle appealed to Caesar.

In his first incarceration, he had lived in relative comfort in a rented house [see ACTS 28:30, 31]; now he was isolated in the dreaded Mamertine Prison.

In his first imprisonment he was visited by many friends.

This time, he was deserted by many.

Demas had abandoned the Apostle because he was “in love with this present world” [2 TIMOTHY 4:10]; Crescens had gone to Galatia and Titus was dispatched to Dalmatia [2 TIMOTHY 4:10, 11].

In his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul had enjoyed many opportunities to witness for Christ.

In this imprisonment he was securely locked away; and though he was permitted opportunity to read and to write, he was unable to interact with many people as before.

In his first imprisonment the Apostle was expecting freedom [see PHILIPPIANS 1:19, 24-26; PHILEMON 22]; in this final imprisonment, he expected execution and afterward, heaven [2 TIMOTHY 1:8-12; 2:8, 9; 4:6-8, 18].

Paul was imprisoned the first time from about sixty to sixty-two A.D.; it is now five years later.

Was Paul’s confinement not sufficiently worrisome in itself, matters had deteriorated in Ephesus where Timothy was pastoring.

Hymenaeus, whom Paul had excommunicated, still vexed the Apostle as he performed his wicked deeds [see 2 TIMOTHY 2:17].

Thus, the Apostle wrote out of deep concern for the congregation and under personal duress arising from his personal situation.

Paul knew that he would soon be killed because of his faith, but he does not fear death.

He does fear dishonouring the Saviour who redeemed him.

Therefore, he will ask Timothy to come, bringing some items of clothing for warmth, but especially to bring the parchments—copies of the Scriptures—that he had not been able to bring with him.

We will never know in this life if Timothy and Mark were able to reach Rome before Paul was executed, but the request was made, nevertheless.

So, Paul writes this second letter to the Pastor of the Church in Ephesus.

Again, note that he identifies himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus.”

I find it odd that Paul would need to identify himself in this manner, especially since Timothy had travelled with Paul during so many of his missionary journeys.

I can imagine several reasons why Paul would have felt the need to identify himself as an Apostle in this letter.

It is possible that though he was writing a letter to Timothy, Paul knew that his ultimate audience was much broader.

In other words, it is conceivable that Paul knew that he was guided by the Spirit of God to pen a missive that would ultimately be included in the collection of writings that we know as Scripture.

This is a position adopted by many commentators both now and in days gone by.

I am not convinced, however.

There must be another reason that Paul felt it necessary to identify himself as an apostle.

In order to explain what seems apparent to me in explaining why the Apostle wrote in such a formal style in this letter, it will be helpful to establish what it meant to be an Apostle.

Though some communions designate some leaders as Apostles, no individual can say he is certified by the Son of God today.

Paul is careful to stipulate that his apostleship is “by the will of God.”

In other words, Paul claims that his was an appointment from God to serve in this particular position on behalf of Christ Jesus.

We know that the Twelve were personally chosen by Jesus during his ministry during the days of His flesh.

Throughout the Gospels, this band of men is identified as “the Twelve.”

Some twenty-four or possibly twenty-five times, they are simply spoken of as “the Twelve.”

This group, specifically chosen by Christ the Lord, included Judah Iscariot.

Such a choice by the Saviour should not be disturbing to the follower of Christ—it magnifies the grace of God who permits even the wicked to come near that they might hear the message of life.

If they reject the gift of life, though even standing in the very presence of the Son of God, then how great must be their condemnation!

That God did not immediately condemn them and slay them exalts His grace and mercy.

After Judas hanged himself, Peter led the remaining men to seek God’s approval to appoint one other person in order to ensure a full complement as “the Twelve.”

When there was dissension in the congregation about the distribution of benevolence, it was “the Twelve,” including Matthias who had been chosen to replace Judas, that called the congregation to order, insisting that they seek out men qualified to function as deacons, overseeing the distribution of benevolence [ACTS 6:1 ff.].

Paul recognised that this designation for that body of men was appropriate, for when he spoke about the Master’s resurrection, he testified that Jesus appeared to “the Twelve” [1 CORINTHIANS 15:5].

Thus, “the Twelve’ speaks of those men whom Jesus specifically “appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons” [MARK 3:14, 15]; and it now included Matthias, chosen by lot to replace Judas [see ACTS 1:21-26].

Remember that the Apostle whom we know as “Paul,” was given the name “Saul” at his birth.

He was known as Saul until his first missionary venture [see ACTS 13:9].

Perhaps it was that when he learned he was being sent to the Gentiles, he chose to identify himself with a Gentile name rather than a Jewish name.

Soon after his conversion, he was sought out by Barnabas who introduced the new convert to the saints in Antioch, vouching for his conversion.

We read in the Scriptures of “Barnabas and Saul.” [2] However, as Stalker writes, “the subordinate [became] the leader; and as if to mark that he had become a new man and taken a new place, he was no longer called by the Jewish name of Saul, which up to this point he had borne, but by the name of Paul, which has ever since been his designation among Christians.

[3]

When Saul was struck down by the brilliance of the light that shone around him as he travelled to Damascus, he heard a voice identifying Himself as “Jesus of Nazareth” whom Saul was said to be persecuting.

The Risen Master identified Himself so closely with His people that He said to persecute His people was to persecute Him.

Saul, clearly alarmed at what was happening, asked, “What shall I do, Lord?”

At this, the voice that spoke said to him, “Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do” [ACTS 22:8-10].

Note the language, because it will prove germane to our study today.

The voice, identified as “the Lord,” instructs Paul to go into Damascus where he will learn “all that is appointed for you to do.”

Here, God used a word that speaks of assignment to a particular role or function.

[4]

Ananias, informed by God that Saul was “a chosen instrument” [ACTS 9:15], said to the blinded man, “The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard” [ACTS 22:14, 15].

Ananias testified that Saul was “appointed.”

Here, God employed a different word.

This word means “to choose in advance, to select beforehand or to designate in advance.”

[5] Thus, we are confident that Paul’s understanding was that he had been chosen to this particular position long before the actual appointment.

Later, testifying before Agrippa, Paul recalled that appointment in these words, “I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” [ACTS 26:16-18].

What is apparent from this testimony before Agrippa is that Paul knew what his specific appointment entailed.

From these accounts, we learn that Paul’s appointment was divinely determined long before the appointment itself.

Paul was appointed to hear directly from the mouth of the Risen Lord of Glory that he was to be a witness to all whom he would meet of what he had seen and heard.

When Paul expanded on that message before Agrippa, he testified that he was told that his appointment would make him immortal until his service was concluded by God, that he would be sent (from the same root we obtain the word “apostle”) to the Gentiles in order to turn them from darkness to light and to deliver them from the power of Satan to God and so they could receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by faith in the Living Christ.

Paul’s appointment was specific and powerful; and it was appointment as an Apostle.

This brings us back to the question of why Paul was compelled to identify himself formally as an Apostle in this letter to a colleague and fellow servant of the Risen Lord.

I believe the more likely reason Paul identified himself as an Apostle is revealed through comparing those writings in which he did not identify himself as an Apostle with those letters in which he did identify himself as an apostle.

I do want to look at these various letters, but take note that Paul referred to himself as an Apostle no less than sixteen times in his letters.

Yet, when writing to the Christians in Philippi, to the saints under pressure in Thessalonica and to Philemon, Paul makes no mention that he is an Apostle.

Paul did not identify himself as an Apostle when writing to the Thessalonians, to the Philippians or to Philemon.

Writing in either Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul writes to encourage them to stand firm in the face of opposition.

He seems not to be particularly concerned that they are about to deviate from the faith.

I suppose one could make an argument concerning the fact that these are very early letters from the Apostle; that he had not “learned” to pull rank at this point in his service.

However, the Letter to the Galatians churches was written about the same time, so I am hesitant to push this point.

Writing the Philippians, Paul invests considerable time in a reflective mood.

He reviews his own call and service; however, there are no particular doctrinal errors that he is compelled to address.

This is a delightful letter written to a church that must have given the Apostle great joy.

Each time he thought of them, it is likely that a smile broke out on his face.

Philemon is an intensely personal letter.

The purpose is focused on accepting a slave as a brother.