Paul’s Resume

When putting together a resume you want to put it out there who you are and to put the object of your purpose. A resume should say who you are in a short concise manner.

Paul was a very accomplished individual. He was a learned man, a Pharisee, he was known as a zealous man who prior to his conversion he persecuted the followers of Jesus. He was known and feared. He was a brilliant mind, a commanding knowledge of philosophy and religion, and could debate with the most educated scholars of his day.

After his conversion is credited for writing at least 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. The dude should have an impressive Resume…

Yet when reading the New Testament he does not intriguing himself on his accolades.

In Romans he opens it up on verse 1 with his resume;

“Paul, passionately engaged by Jesus Christ, identified in him to represent him. My mandate and message is to announce the goodness of God to mankind”

Okay,  so this is not necessarily his resume but he states his accreditation and his objective.

His accreditation:
He is validated by his “passionate engagement in Christ, identified in HIM to represent HIM” 

Purpose/Objective:

“My mandate and message is to announce the goodness of God to mankind”

His identity was not based on himself, it was not based on his abilities,  or his history. It was purely based on Christmas in him. It was determined by not what he could do for God,  but what God had done for him, what God had provided already.

It’s relational it’s not ability or accomplishment based. 

In the start to his letter to the Ephesians he re-asserts his resume;

Ephsians 1:1-4

1 Paul, employed by the delightful resolve of God and commissioned to represent Jesus Christ to the saints in Ephesus, also to every believer in Christ Jesus,
2 I greet you with the grace and peace that proceed from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Let’s celebrate God! He lavished every blessing heaven has upon us in Christ!
4 He associated us in Christ before the fall of the world ! Jesus is God’s mind made up about mankind! He always knew in his love that he would present us again face-to-face before him in blameless innocence.

It’s on God’s doing and action not what man could ever do!