Credentials

A new ambassador stands before the Prime Minister and formally hands over an introductory letter sealed with the mark of his own government.

A hopeful business recruit emails her CV and academic record to a prospective employer.

A starry-eyed couple meet over coffee, swapping life stories in an effort to test the polarities of magnetism between them – will they continue to attract or will repulsion render this a one-off encounter?

There are varieties of ways for presenting credentials.

The Apostle Paul somehow does it in reverse. Having defended himself against charges of misrepresenting himself as an apostle with the authority to guide the church in Corinth, he presents his concerned hearers as his very credentials! Living witnesses to growth in Christ are all the credentials he and they require of each other! See 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Paul has a refreshing turn of phrase for cutting through conflict hiding behind formalities and red tape that bind rather than liberate!