Being Sent

 DEVOTION

THE 2^ND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

BEING SENT

2 Cor 8:22-24

22 In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24 Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.

NIV

Once again, a lot of personal notes from Paul regarding others that work alone side of him, and some are known in the Corinthian church and some are not, but they will meet them on their arrival. What we can pick up on is the testimony that Paul gives regarding these brothers. One, they are representatives of the churches. It would be more appropriate to translate this as messengers of the gospel or apostles as this is the Greek word that is used.  Two, whoever, these brothers, or brother is for it could be either as the Greek does not imply singular or plural, they are an honor to Christ. This is a testimony that would be good to be said about us. First, that we are a good representative of the church, that is we represent Christianity, thus Christ well. What would being an apostle or representative of the church look like? We always think that an apostle has to be one sent with others, some translations of the word apostle include being sent as a messenger of the gospel with miraculous powers. That would seem then it only applied to the twelve apostles. However, Jesus said that those who have faith in him will do what he has done and in fact will do even greater things, for he is going to the Father and if we ask anything in his name, he will do it. So then, it is possible to be a messenger of the gospel and the fact that we have been told to go into all the world, we have been sent with orders and we can, if we have faith, have miraculous powers. Granted, that would require living beyond mediocrity in our Christian walk. That would require a full-fledged, all-out commitment to being all that we can be and being a messenger, a representative. This would mean that we would have to represent the gospel, and that is not done by observation of rules, or even good works, for even the pagans, obey rules of conduct and do good works. When we think of what a representative in government is supposed to do, whether they do it or not, they are supposed to speak for the people who sent them. This is the same as being an ambassador, who only speaks for his sovereign. This means that if we are all in as being a representative of the church, of Christ, then we have to do more than good works, we have to speak up for the gospel, we have to use our words, demonstrating the power of God, both in our lives and through our lives, as we have been sent to honor Christ.