“Credentials”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Monday, October 24, 2022
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (Forward, p. 87) CEV p. 1202
Sadly, both then and now, our world has been quite rife with those who ‘make up’ stories or invent so-called facts, often with barely a fragment of evidence to back it up. We have seen it in the political realm, and elsewhere as well. Take a small piece of information, misapply or misinterpret it and add your own spin to it, and who knows where it will go or where it will take you.
The ancient world was no stranger to this phenomenon, and so the apostle Paul goes to great lengths to detail just where his teaching and his authority come from. His message, his teaching, is none other than what he obtained from competent witnesses, without even the least deviation or change. It is exactly what he had heard from them. He has not ‘made up’ any of it.
And, furthermore, just as these folks had been witnesses to the Resurrection, so too has he—not in quite the same manner, to be sure—but still a witness, nonetheless. And to Paul, this is quite incredible, quite a miracle, quite unexpected, as he had been a persecutor of the church. But, God, in His grace and mercy, chose him anyway, and has continued to work in his mission and ministry. As a consequence of this mercy, Paul can do nothing but work all the harder and praise God for His abundant kindness in choosing a person such as himself.
To me, this reminds me of two things. Firstly, that our gospel is not some cleverly invented fable, but something based on verifiable, first person, eyewitness accounts. And not just one or two, but as many as 500, all at once, had been witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection. Surely this could not be a ‘mass hallucination’!
And secondly, it reminds me that God does not chose us because of our impeccable qualifications or track record. All of us, like the apostle Paul, have flawed backgrounds and credentials, none of us are lily white. And yet, God, in His mercy and kindness and in a wisdom totally unlike our own, chooses us and uses us, as only He can. And what are our credentials?
Only that He loves us and has chosen us and given us His incredible message to share with others. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Forward notes: “Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe” (verse 11).
“Paul teaches about Christ’s resurrection, assuring those in Corinth of the number of people who have witnessed the risen Christ, first the apostles, then others, and lastly himself. He’s become a witness and is going forth to carry that good news to others. As he gathers others to the faith, he urges them to continue to proclaim that good news to even more people.
“Reading this reminds me of the outward ripples in still water when a stone is dropped into a pond. Have you ever watched to see how far the ripples travel in the pond? Or whether the ensuing circles travel in the same way? Now consider the ripples Paul created among those who would listen and those who came to believe. Follow those ripples all the way to our day. Can you imagine the ripples 2,000 years from now? We are called to help those ripples continue, to proclaim and share our belief in the risen Lord.”
Moving Forward: “If you are near a body of water, take a walk and drop a stone into the water. As you watch the ripples, say a prayer of thanksgiving for the reverberating message of Christ’s love.”