A Christian Minister's Credentials. (2 Cor 3: 1-3)

Suppose for a moment you were on a church committee, tasked with finding a new pastor. What would you look for? 

Most of us instinctively think of three things: ordination, maybe graduation from a Bible College, and a recommendation.

Ordination indicates that other ministers have examined a man and found him to be in line with their doctrine. Graduation from a university or Bible college suggests he has academic ability. And then there are letters of recommendation, which usually prove one thing above all: that the man has friends willing to write good things about him!

But do any of these really demonstrate the heart of a minister as described in the bible? Do they actually prove that that person has been called by the Holy Spirit and is trustworthy?

That’s the question the Corinthians were asking of Paul. 

He was ordained by none other than the risen Christ Himself on the Damascus Road. 

He studied under a Rabii called Gamaliel, one of Israel’s most respected scholars. And he had believers across many churches who would gladly have written him glowing letters of recommendation.

But when pressed, Paul didn’t actually point to any of those things. Instead, he pointed to something else entirely—something living, breathing, and far more compelling than a certificate or a commendation. He pointed to the people themselves.