These are a Few of My Favorite Adversative Conjunctions - 1 Corinthians 15:10
January 19, 2023 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement
I love adversative conjunctions because they exalt the power and grace of God by uniting two opposing statements that present seemingly impossible scenarios. Let me highlight a few of my favorites.
Most would agree that the apostle Paul was an incredible minister for the gospel. Through his ministry, the gospel spread far throughout the Roman Empire. Much of the New Testament was penned by Paul. Some of our most beloved verses on the gospel and God’s grace come from Paul.
In all of this success, however, Paul remained humble. We get a window into the source of his humility, and the power behind his ministry, through an adversative conjunction found in 1 Corinthians 15:10. We need to start with verse 9, where Paul states, “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” He is speaking about the resurrection appearances of Christ. He mentions in verse 8 that Christ appeared to him as the last appearance.
Paul wants to explain that seeing Jesus on the road to Damascus was not an occasion for boasting. He was absolutely humbled because he knew clearly that he did not deserve the grace to know Christ as Savior, let alone see him. So, in verse 9 we see the source of Paul’s humility: the ongoing acknowledgement that his sin made him unworthy.
In 1 Timothy 1, Paul again admits to his unworthiness by saying that he was the foremost of sinners. This does not mean that Paul necessarily committed the most heinous sins of all humanity (although he did oversee the execution of Christians). What Paul emphasizes is that he believed that he was no more deserving of salvation than any other single person.
Back to 1 Corinthians 15… in verse 9 Paul acknowledges that he has no right to be an apostle. His credentials, character, and reputation disqualified him from the office. By all human appearance and reason, Paul should never have been an apostle.
At this moment, the adversative conjunction opening verse 10 shines the spotlight on the power and kindness of God’s grace. Paul writes, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” Paul was not an apostle by human ingenuity or strategic planning, but purely by God’s grace. The adversative conjunction emphasizes this stark reality.
In verse 10, Paul celebrates the kindness and power of God’s grace. The kindness is implied when Paul says, “by the grace of God I am what I am.” He does not hide the fact that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ, as he opens nearly all of his letters. He admits that he was unworthy to be saved and called as an apostle. It is only by the kindness of God’s grace that Paul knows the forgiveness of his sins and the call to serve as an apostle. You and I are in the same boat. We are not worthy of salvation. But by the grace of God we are who we are: the blessed, beloved children of God. That is incredible kindness.
It is not only the kindness of grace highlighted in 1 Corinthians 15:10, but also the power of grace. When Paul says, “I worked harder than any of them,” he is speaking of his missionary efforts for the sake of the gospel. No apostle traveled more than Paul. No apostle sacrificed more for the gospel. What an incredible transformation! From a man who actively sought to wipe out the name of Jesus to being the man who spread the name of Jesus further than anyone else in the 1st century! Paul quickly clarifies, though, that he takes no credit for such a transformation. He says, “though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” That is the powerful working of God’s grace. It takes the most unworthy and uses him for the building of the church.
You and I are in the same boat. On our own, we are weak and incapable of overcoming sin and becoming fruitful ministers for the gospel. But God’s grace is sufficient. His power is perfected in our weakness. We can say with Paul that we have worked harder than we were ever capable, though it was not us, but the grace of God that is with us.
Let the adversative conjunction of 1 Corinthians 15:10 lead you to celebrate the kindness and power of God’s grace for you!
