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THE RECOMMENDATION THAT MATTERS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 16
2 Corinthians 3:1-3
1 Corinthians 4:4-5
 
“Do we begin again to
commend ourselves?”
 
THE RECOMMENDATION THAT MATTERS
 
When a person applies for a scholarship, he may be required to submit a letter of recommendation. A similar letter may also be required when a person is being considered for promotion within a company. This letter attests that the person is of good character and aptitude, and thus worthy of receiving the scholarship or promotion.
 
In the first century AD, letters of recommendation were often given to Christian pilgrims to prove that they were honest and worthy of reception by the churches. Paul apparently lacked such letters. These caused the opponents of Paul to question his credentials. Furthermore, these accusers had strings of (likely deceptive) certificates and credentials to back them up. Paul seemed like nothing compared to them.
 
In response, Paul said that there was no need for him to have such letters of recommendation. The Corinthians should know better. God had used Paul to establish the Corinthian church (Acts 18). Was there really any need for him to reintroduce himself to the Corinthians? They had seen how Paul conducted himself in a godly fashion from the very beginning.
 
Moreover, the Corinthians themselves were living proof that Paul was a genuine minister of the gospel. Their lives were transformed by the gospel of Christ which Paul preached. Such living epistles of the transforming power of the gospel are worth much more than letters engraved in stone or written in ink. The Corinthian Christians themselves are thus “the epistle of Christ … written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God” (2 Cor 3:3) and this far outweighs any paper recommendation.
 
On the other hand, there may be many in Christendom who have strings of theological degrees, but nothing in true spirituality and godliness. We must not be like these men. The commendation that matters is from God. Read 1 Corinthians 4:4-5.
 
THOUGHT: Genuine spirituality? Or worthless certificates?
PRAYER: Father, how I long to hear Thy commendation!

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