“If to others,
I am not an apostle,
At least,
I am to you.
You are the seal
Of my apostleship
In the Lord.”
εἰ ἄλλοις οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος, ἀλλά γε ὑμῖν εἰμι· ἡ γὰρ σφραγίς μου τῆς ἀποστολῆς ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν Κυρίῳ.
Paul said if to others (εἰ ἄλλοις), he was not an apostle (οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος), but at least he was to them (ἀλλά γε ὑμῖν εἰμι). They were his seal (ἡ γὰρ σφραγίς μου) of apostleship in the Lord (τῆς ἀποστολῆς ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν Κυρίῳ). At least Paul had been an apostle to the people at Corinth. Even if other people did not think he was an apostle. After all, he was not one of the original twelve apostles. However, for the Christians at Corinth, he certainly was the apostle who brought them to Jesus Christ. They were the seal, the σφραγίς, the authentic seal in Roman society, for these Corinthians. The Book of Revelation would use this term a lot. Sometimes, σφραγίς was used to indicate the real coming of the Holy Spirit. Were they sealed with the Holy Spirit? This Christian community at Corinth was a sign or seal of Paul’s apostolic work among them. Has someone ever doubted your Christian work?
