The Power Of A "one Thing" Person

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” [1]

Have you ever heard a preacher lionized by other Christians as “the greatest preacher since the Apostle Paul?” We each have our favourites when it comes to the pulpit; and ultimately, we Christians compare whoever happens to be under our rhetorical microscope to the Apostle to the Gentiles. Let’s admit something up front concerning Paul’s oratorical abilities—in terms of public speaking, the Apostle does not appear to have been a notable speaker. Certainly, he didn’t hold an exceptionally high opinion of himself. The Apostle honestly assessed his rhetorical abilities when he wrote in his first letter to the Church of God in Corinth, “Even if I am untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not untrained in knowledge. Indeed, we have in every way made that clear to you in everything” [2 CORINTHIANS 11:6 CSV].

And you may recall that in an earlier letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul wrote, “Christ did not send me to baptise but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” [1 CORINTHIANS 1:17]. The Apostle was rather blunt in his assessment of his ability at public speaking; and he did not overestimate his abilities nor overstate his prowess as a preacher.

When we speak of someone as the greatest preacher since the Apostle Paul, we are inevitably praising that individual’s ability to present a powerful sermon that captures and holds our attention. But Paul was not a trained speaker. He didn’t correct his detractors when they said, “His bodily presence is weak, and his speech is of no account” [2 CORINTHIANS 10:10b]. And yet, no one underestimates the impact of Paul’s ministry. He not only carried the message of Christ to far flung regions of the Empire, but he inspired multitudes of other followers of the Christ to likewise deliver the message of life. Within his lifetime, the Gospel of Christ had reached the farthest outposts of the Empire, even reaching such distant pagan regions as India, China and Japan. A major motivator of this worldwide outreach must be recognised to have been Paul, the thirteenth Apostle.

Paul definitely made an impact on the world. He motivated, and continues to motivate, Christians to pursue the will of God with radical abandon. Paul could honestly say, “In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation” [ROMANS 15:17-20].

HOW I GOT HERE — “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own” [PHILIPPIANS 3:13a]. The Apostle to the Gentiles appears to have been confessing that he had not arrived. He knew that some things he accomplished in his life would be recognised as good. He was not unaware of what he had accomplished: the cause of Christ had been expanded significantly; many people had come to faith in the Son of God; churches had been established where there was no church before he had preached in those locations; and errant teaching had been confronted. Paul recognised that God had worked in his life. Paul had served faithfully, and Christ had used him in His work.

Nevertheless, the Apostle knew that he had not done this alone—others had been necessary to accomplish what was done. Paul was quick to give credit to those faithful men and women who laboured with him in the demanding work of advancing the cause of Christ. Paul knew he was not a one-man show. In the letters he wrote to the various churches and individuals, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy each received well-deserved praise. Paul was quick to note Titus’ work on behalf of others and spoke of his trust in this young man. He had high praise for Epaphroditus when he was writing to the congregation in Philippi. When Demas had stood with Paul in the hard place, he was recognised as deserving praise. Likewise, when Demas revealed his love of this present, dying world, he was exposed for his perfidy. Whatever the Apostle may have meant by this statement in the text before us, we must never imagine that he was stinting in giving praise to those who laboured together with him in advancing the cause of Christ.