Jesus Is The Standard

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority. [2 Corinthians 13.5-6]

As Paul encourages the Corinthian believers to examine their faith for genuineness, he points out that he and those working with him had not failed the test of apostolic authority. What was that that test?

Let's look back a few verses:

When I was with you, I certainly gave you proof that I am an apostle. For I patiently did many signs and wonders and miracles among you. [2 Corinthians 12.12]

The proof of Paul's apostolic authority was in the many signs and wonders and miracles he had performed among them. In 2 Corinthians 13.5-6, Paul is telling the Corinthians to check themselves for genuineness in the same way he checked himself for genuineness for apostolic authority. And, that proof would be found in the same way as it was in Paul: in many signs and wonders and miracles.

Although there are those who wish to limit the word "apostle" (Greek, ἀπόστολος) to "one of the twelve disciples," the actual definition of the word "apostle," while inclusive of the twelve, more broadly means "one who is sent out." Specifically, Strong's Lexicon (on Biblehub.com) defines "apostle" as follows:

...a messenger, envoy, delegate, one commissioned by another to represent him in some way, especially a man sent out by Jesus Christ Himself to preach the Gospel; an apostle.

An apostle is therefore any and everyone who follows Christ. The only reason anyone would limit that definition to the twelve disciples would be to to mask their insufficiency in their own apostolic authority as defined here. And, for the record, if any of us has been "sent" by anyone other than Jesus Christ Himself, we are in the wrong business!

Jesus was clear:

Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” [John 20.21]

But before saying this to his twelve disciples in John 20, Jesus was even more clear about the scope of His commission in a couple telling phrases in His prayer to the Father in John 17:

Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. [John 17.18]

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. [John 17.20]

Without doubt, the apostle Paul understood his "apostleship authority" and encouraged the believers in Corinth to do the same for themselves. The "test" was a simple one: to examine themselves for the absence or presence of many signs and wonders and miracles.

The test parameters Paul laid out for the Corinthians timelessly carry forward to us today. Nothing has changed in "apostolic authority." What has changed however is that people today mistakenly compare themselves to themselves, or someone else as the standard, and not to Christ.

Genuine faith looks and acts like Christ. Genuine faith manifests in many signs and wonders and miracles. This is what the Bible teaches and, regardless how insufficiently we match up, it IS THE STANDARD. Christ Jesus is the standard! Otherwise, it is pointless to call ourselves "Christian," or "like Christ."

So, let's examine ourselves! Is Jesus Christ seen through our lives (we're talking about Jesus of the Bible, not the powerless Jesus of modern religion)?

Before we note that pretty much no one looks like Christ today, let's also examine what it is we are doing when we make that observation: we are comparing ourselves to everyone else AND NOT JESUS! JESUS IS THE STANDARD - BE LIKE JESUS! 

Father, I am only further convinced today that Jesus is the standard we are to live up to. I am also convinced that few "Christians" today are actually "Christ-like" according to the test Paul said we should examine ourselves by. There is much work to be done to change this! May our pursuit of Jesus Christ be relentless - not in the pursuit of miracles, but purely in the pursuit of Jesus Christ with miracles identifying and confirming that we are indeed effectively pursuing Christ. So be it.