THAT PAUL HAS LEFT A LEGACY for the ages is indisputable. His letters comprise almost one-quarter of the NT. His second letter to the Corinthian church was probably written in A.D. 52-53, long before such thoughts of heritage that he expressed in his later letters surfaced in the second of his incarcerations in Rome, near the end of his life. From there, he says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness.” (2 Tim. 4:7-8) In his second letter to the church in Corinth, he speaks to what will mark his true legacy, in this way: “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.” (2 Cor. 3:2)
Not many will leave a mark on history that will endure with the lasting power of spiritual influence that overflows from Paul’s letters. Be it presidents or kings, warriors, scientists, or poets, few works last beyond the memory of a meager number of generations. And if that is the memory of those well-known figures of their respective time, what of us common folk?
Paul’s impact across generations comes first because of the message he speaks, and second because of his consistently recorded integrity in the context of the message. The message is the greatest message mankind has ever received—that being, the message of the gospel of Life. For people of true faith in any religion, the message of a life worth living is the most important thing they will ever hear. For those who examine carefully the deliverable promises of various religions or worldviews, Christianity arguably is not only like no other, but offers a promise, if true, that supersedes all other promises. That promise is the promise of eternal life in our uniquely shaped identity and personality. Not a good life, not a joyful life, not a significant life, though all those things are true of Christianity, but instead, eternal life formed in the primordial image of the one true God.
Christianity has one very specific ‘thing’ that no other religion has, and that is Jesus. John says of him, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” (John 1:4) This was the light that Paul encountered that changed his life. “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” (Acts 9:3)
From this light came the message that Paul lived, spoke of, wrote, and preached for the rest of his life. “I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Cor. 2:1-5) Paul remained faithful to his call literally to his dying day, with this left behind in his words to Timothy, and therefore to you and me: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship. Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead. This is my gospel.” (2 Tim. 2:2-8)
The power of such a testimony regarding the gospel coming from our own mouths has the same kind of effect that it did from Paul. “We are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.” (2 Cor. 2:15) As we live out that testimony, in whatever way God has destined us to do so, we impact the lives of those around us with whom we develop relationships.
For some of us, this occurs in a formal ministry setting. For some, this includes a narrow or a wide array of friends. For all, it should include our families, with whom we are in closest relationship. In each of these cases, the legacy, for good or for ill, is “written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Cor. 3b, c) This is written for ill, if our testimony is without personal integrity, but for good, if we are faithful followers of Jesus. It is his message, not ours that is life-giving. Ours is only life-affirming, but that is no small thing.
We will all leave a legacy. Some of us are blessed with the means to leave an estate; some form of financial blessing. This the heirs will remember with gratitude. Some will leave a legacy of love, care, compassion, and friendship. They will be remembered for several generations, with fond memories told and retold as circumstance affords.
But some of us have received the light of life, and this becomes our charge as Christians; from this we will leave a spiritual inheritance from Christ. Consider your legacy, then, in this context: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Ex. 20:5-6)
Q. What will my great-great-grandchildren, who will never know me, know of my legacy?
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