Living Epistles

Apostle Paul starts 2 Corinthians 3 speaking of how he doesn’t need to testify of his apostleship, because those in the church, who are the fruits of his labour, testify that he has been sent by God. In the midst of many individuals in the Corinthian church discrediting His apostleship, Paul says the lives of the ones he has discipled are living epistle, read by all men, that proclaim the truth of his assignment. 

Epistle - a poem or other literary work in the form of a letter or series of letter

In order to understand what Paul meant by this, and how we can also be living epistles, we have to look at the many varied purposes of an epistle.

First, commendation. An epistle is an official statement of praise or honour given for admirable actions.

Many of Paul’s epistles started with commendation. He mentioned to the Church in Colossae that their faith was being known around the world and he was glad because they were walking in the love of God (Colossians 1:3-4).

To be a living epistle, our lives must be an official statement of praise given for admirable actions. We are to be salt, light, and agents of societal transformation. When communities begin to praise God because of the lives we lead and the way we serve them, then we truly know we have become living epistles. 

Daniel 11:32 - 'the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. '

Secondly, communal reading and circulation. Epistles were written and expected to be read aloud and communally shared.

Jesus speaks about this in Matthew 5:16 that we are to do good works so that men can see them and glorify our Father in heaven. This links to our first point on commendation. When people read us they should see an accurate representation of Jesus. For some of the people around us, we are the only Bible they will ever read.

People seeing us is not for the glorification of self but so that more people will see the Lord. 

Thirdly, authorisation. An epistle bears the authority of the one that writes it and legitimises what it has been sent to do.

In Luke 10:19, Jesus delegated authority to us to legitimise His purposes on the Earth. Many of us are unaware of the authority that we’ve been given by the Lord and it’s evident in the lives we live. There are many things happening on Earth that should not have happened, but as the Church we forget we have the authority to determine what happens on the Earth. Jesus restored to us the authority we had lost in the garden and expects us to use that authority to push forward His kingdom on this earth and push back against darkness. If the purposes of God are not achieved on this earth, the responsibility lies with us not with God. He’s given us everything we need. We come under the kingship of Jesus and therefore are sent as the king’s ambassadors, with His protection and authority, to make sure His rule is established on this earth. 

Finally and ultimately, divine revelation. Epistles provide divine revelation of Jesus and help men to understand scriptural foundations and principles.

In the same way, we have been placed on this Earth to reveal and glorify Jesus. Do our lives testify of the God that we know? Through our lives, they should see that God is good, He is loving, He is merciful, He sacrificially gives, He heals and delivers. We are here to reveal Him and glorify Him alone. 

The Church must embody the message it proclaims. People read our lives more than they listen to our words. We are to testify of what God has done. We are to become living epistles.