The Price of Apostleship

The second thing that Paul calls himself is an apostle of Jesus Christ. Makes one wonder if being an apostle is somehow tied to the slavery to God? Paul would report earlier in scripture thusly-
I Corinthians 15:8-9 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

The overt humility of Paul here is neither overdone nor Hollywoodesque, but purely a statement of the essence of Paul’s identity here on the earth. One of life’s greatest battles is humility.
• Understand that humility is NOT denying the truth of your life.
• Humility is not clothing oneself in rags and claiming this to be humility
• Humility is not a faking of your station in life.
But rather, humility is recognition of who you are and what you are seen through the clear lens of how God placed you there.
This is why Paul could, without conflict, first assert that he was a slave, a servant, and then immediately claim apostleship. It came with a recognition of who he really was in terms of what and where God had placed him.
The literal Greek translation of this "apostle" meaning both ambassador and commissioner of God. Dormant in this passage is the implied understanding of power that backed up both the slave and the apostle. Paul would claim apostleship numerous times in the New Testament, as a preface to instructions given to him by God. It helps to underscore the latent power that was placed in his hands as an apostle, which became a bit more important as the letter progresses.

-Often we want the apostle portion without the servant part...
-Often we would rather the authority of apostleship but not the footwashing consigned to the slave...
-Often enough, the bonds of slavery are enough to drive us far from ever being considered for apostleship...

Sadly, there is much apostleship that needs fulfilment, but the portion of the slave is too "beneath" us to ever achieve the heights of where He would lead.

This upside down Kingdom is both difficult and demanding. Yet it is the only way...