¹⁰… the gospel, ¹¹for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. ¹²For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

What was Paul’s spiritual gift? That is a popular question we ask today about others and about ourselves. Paul self-identified his gifting, or as he puts it here, his appointed sphere of ministry. This echoes what he wrote in his first letter to Timothy (1 Tim. 2:7). He was an apostle, as he points out here and elsewhere. That was a foundational gift (Eph. 2:19–20) and an equipping gift (Eph. 4:11­–12). Though not one of the original twelve witnesses who were called apostles, Paul was one of the few who performed a similar foundational role in establishing the church, though his particular focus was on the Gentiles (Gal. 2:7–9). The gift of apostleship was foundational in that it was a necessary function at the beginning of the church of God in the first century. It is still active today, in the sense that we benefit from the solid foundation the apostles laid and we have the record of Scripture that was either written by the apostles or endorsed by them. But there is now no longer any need for living apostles since that work is already finished.

Paul also self-identifies as a preacher, one who proclaims the Word of God. And he also says he is a teacher. The majority of Greek manuscripts add “of the Gentiles,” similar to the phrase found in 1 Tim. 2:7, where Paul says he was a “teacher of the Gentiles.” The NKJV reflects this, although most English translations (like the NASB) leave it out based on a few older manuscripts. Regardless, Paul was a missionary to the Gentiles, and teaching was a big part of his work. Much has been written about the difference between preaching and teaching. But we might say the former is the proclamation of the truth, whereas the latter is the explanation of the truth. The first focuses on the response of obedience, the second on the clarity of understanding. Both, of course, are needed for the work of an apostle, and both are also needed today.

Paul, using himself as an example to Timothy, says he knows his calling and gifting and is therefore not ashamed or afraid to carry on his work despite hardships. He is certain, he knows for sure, he is convinced of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one in whom he believes. God will guard Paul’s commitment and ministry, for the apostle firmly trusts in Him. He knows the one who commissioned Him, and He is trustworthy to watch over Paul while he carries on his appointed ministry.

Lord, help me know my calling so that I will have confidence in You.