If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
Parallel translations
- WEB If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
- KJV If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
- BSB Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
- NKJV If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
- NLT Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Even if others doubt his apostleship, to the Corinthians Paul is certainly an apostle, for their very existence as a church is the seal proving it. Their conversion authenticates his ministry.
Overview
Paul appeals to the Corinthians' own faith as the visible confirmation of his apostolic calling. They, of all people, cannot question his authority, since he founded their church through the gospel. The "seal" imagery conveys authentication and ownership. Their transformed lives are the credential the Lord has stamped on Paul's work, even where skeptics elsewhere remain unconvinced.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 2 Cor 12:12Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty works.
- John 6:27Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”
- 2 Cor 3:1–3Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 9:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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