That’s quite a shocking headline, huh? “Murderer Called to Ministry.”
Without any context, you might have one of several possible responses…
- “What! Some sins permanently disqualify a person from ministry. This is heresy, unsafe, and unwise!”
- “Wow! What restorative grace!”
- “Whoa! I need to hear more of the context to even begin to wrap my brain around this and make an intelligent assessment…”
Bad News from the Corinthian Post
And how would your response be impacted if you learned that this is not a modern headline from the Christian Post, but an ancient headline from the Corinthian Post—also known as 1 Corinthians 15:9?
“For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”
Persecuted the church—to the extent of being complicit in the murder of Stephen (Acts 8) and to the extent of “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” (Acts 9:1). John Piper even addresses the direct question, Why Did God Let Paul Become a Murderer?
Paul is right. He does not even deserve to be called an apostle. In fact, Paul reminds us that he—and everyone—is undeserving of salvation. Salvation is all of grace, all of mercy.
“Even though I was once a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and a violent man, I was shown mercy…” (1 Timothy 1:13).
Good News from Inspired Scripture
As always, we need to read the rest of the story—in 1 Corinthians.
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
And we need to read the rest of the story in 1 Timothy.
“The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. “But for this very reason I was shown mercy so that in me—the worst of sinners—Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:14-16).
If Not “Reckless Love;” At Least “Astonishing, Startling Grace”!
Paul the murderer is called into ministry “by the grace of God” (1 Corinthians 15:10). And it was this great grace that motivated Paul—God’s grace was not without effect. Grace motivated works—“I worked harder than all of them.”
But even Paul’s calling to ministry and his work in the ministry was not of Paul.
“Yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
I read 1 Corinthians 15 this morning as the last passage in my nearly-year-long devotional time in the life of Christ. Since 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 contains Paul’s discussion of the last historical appearances of Christ—it is a capstone to the life of Christ on earth.
I was struck that this last passage matches up with the first passage I read back on January 1, 2019, from John 1:1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
In the beginning, and even before the beginning of the gospel story, Jesus was with God. In the end of the historical telling of the gospel story, Paul says that the grace of God was with me.
Was with...
We think of 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 as one of the most concise summaries of the nature and historicity of the gospel. It is that. But it is soooo much more. It is a living testimony of astonishing, startling grace.
I’d call it “reckless love” to make a murderer a minister…but then we’d have a book-long debate about the use of “reckless” for God. So, instead, let’s call it:
Astonishing, startling grace that was, is, and always will be with us in Christ!
What an mind-boggling conclusion to the life of Christ. He is with us in grace that saves a murderer and calls that murderer into ministry. The gospel calls a murderer into gospel ministry!
Astonishing, startling grace!
My Concluding Prayer
Here’s what I wrote this morning in my concluding prayer to a ten-month devotional time in the life of Christ.
“Jesus—the Word—the Logos of John 1, What an amazing grace conclusion to a year of walking with You. None of us deserves salvation. None of us deserves to be called a Christian—much less a Christian leader. This passage—1 Corinthians 15—illustrates the gospel more than it just tells the history of the content of the gospel. The gospel is grace that makes a murderer a minister! As You were eternally with God—the beginning of my devotions in the life of Christ—so at the conclusion of my devotions in the life of Christ—your grace was, is, and will always be with me—face-to-face in Coram Deo soul contact! This is amazing grace! This is astonishing love! That I would be set free! That I would be reconciled! That I would be useful for ministry! That I am set free not to be set aside but to be set apart to help others to grasp the grace-love of the great Triune God! Amen and Amen!”
It’s similar to how Paul ends his prayer of praise in 1 Timothy 1:17:
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Join the Conversation
What is your prayer of praise to our God of astonishing, startling grace-love who calls you to salvation and calls you to ministry—by grace?
