Untuchable

                         

Think about the apostle Paul, what comes to mind?

Author, missionary, man of God, martyr, pillar of faith? Matt Chandler, pastor of the Village Church in Texas, would claim that the apostle Paul was untouchable.

Untouchable? surely not. Lets think about that list Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 11:22-29

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

 Does that sound untouchable to you, beaten, flogged, imprisoned, shipwrecked, adrift at sea, danger from everyone? Where is it I see untouchable as being a characteristic of the apostle Paul?

First, If you threaten to kill him Paul says, "to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21). Paul is ready to die, in fact he almost can't wait to die in order that he might be in the presence of his Lord and savior Jesus Christ. "...My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." (Phil. 1:23)

Then, we decide to let him live, and Paul says, "for to me to live is Christ" (Phil. 1:21).

Well then we will beat you. And Paul will reply, "I am ready and welcome suffering for the sake of Christ." (Phil. 1:29)

Alright Paul then we won't kill you and just throw you in jail. Paul's response is alright I'll convert all the guards and most of the prisoners.

Paul is indeed untouchable. Lets go back to the 2 Corinthians passage, because before he lists off all these troubles, he says, "for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (2 Cor. 4:17). Isn't that crazy? Paul sees flogging, beatings, shipwrecks, and being stoned and left for dead, as being light afflictions.

Why does the apostle Paul seem so untouchable, so free? Because he is so filled up by the gospel of Christ. That is how we become free and untouchable like Paul, we constantly go back to the gospel.

It is when we are willing to die that we will be able to truly live.