2 - Paul, Christ's Apostle

It is important for the Colossian believers to understand that the man who is writing to them is writing under the direct authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that what he will have to say to them will carry the weight of Christ's own authority, and it will require the attention and submission that goes with that kind of authority.

Here, from the very first sentence of the book of Colossians, we have Christ's preeminence declared. Paul is not exalting himself. He never does that. He is exalting the Lord Jesus Christ here in Colossians, just as he does everywhere in his letters and in the book of Acts. It is because of Christ Himself that I came to saving faith, Paul will say. It is because Christ Himself confronted me, and called me, and commanded me to do what I am doing. That is the stamp of genuine apostleship. Every true apostle was called by the Lord Jesus Christ personally. And every true apostle spent time being instructed by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Now you might ask, how could that be true of Paul? He wasn't converted until after Jesus ascended to Heaven. And that's true. So how could he have received his training and instruction directly from Christ? We have the answer in related passages of the Word.