The story of how Paul selected Timothy is recorded in the sixteenth chapter of Acts – which, as we have already observed, immediately followed the council in Jerusalem in which Paul played a major role in helping the early church leaders come to the conclusion that it was unnecessary for gentile converts to receive the ritual of circumcision that was a major tradition for Jews and anyone who would desire to convert to Judaism. Although Timothy was Jewish from his mother’s side of the family, he was Greek from his father’s side of the family and had, therefore, not been circumcised as a newborn. When Paul selected Timothy to become his traveling companion, he decided that his young companion should be circumcised so as to defuse any challenges that might arise against him. Although he had just fought a valent battle to win liberty for his converts, Paul felt it necessary to set a high standard in the life of this one individual – likely because he knew that Timothy was destined for a very significant role in his own life and in the establishment of the church. In other words, Paul set the bar high so that he could obtain Olympic-quality performance from this unique man. And world-class results did come out of the relationship between Paul and Timothy. In fact, Paul described Timothy with unparalleled accolades, “I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.” (Philippians 2:20-22)
Based on this intimate relationship and single-heartedness between Paul and his protégé, we can likely gain some significant insight into the man and ministry of Paul by examining what it was that Paul imparted into him – the premier product of his ministry. In one of the personal letters that the apostle wrote to his disciple, Paul gave us an articulate list of the aspects of his life and character that he had invested into his young disciple.
But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. (II Timothy 3:10-11)
Let’s use the apostle’s own outline as an approach to understanding who this man really was. Since these were the aspects of his life that he felt had most significantly shaped Timothy, they were obviously the major traits that defined the man and ministry that has had maximum impact in the history of the world we live in.
The first item that Paul mentioned that he saw as a determining factor in impacting Timothy’s life was his doctrine. Obviously, the theological teaching of the Apostle Paul is a subject that could fill libraries; therefore, it is a subject beyond the scope of one simple manuscript. Fortunately, we have a three distilled versions of his teachings available in the New Testament – Romans and the companion volumes of Colossians and Ephesians. The New Testament is not a theology book, although it is the only reliable book on theology. When I say that it is not a theology book, I am intending to say that it is not a systematic study of theology. Rather it is a book of applied theology; it is a practical application of theology to the everyday problems of life. For example, Paul did not write the book of Galatians to impart theological lessons to the believers in Galatia but to correct errors and misconceptions in their church. In doing so, he had to explain a lot of theology along the way. The most significant time when Paul did put quill to parchment in a theological statement was when he penned the epistle to the Romans. This church was not one he had founded; since he was not involved in their lives like he was in the other churches, he could not speak to them in the corrective tone with which he addressed other congregations. To the Romans, he imparted his spiritual gift of teaching in a more methodical manner by laying out a systematic explanation of the theology of salvation. Interestingly enough, he gave a condensed version of this same theology in chapter two of the book of Ephesians and an even more condensed synopsis in the first chapter of the letter to the Colossians. In writing to the Romans, Paul made reference to his desire to visit them and impart a gift to them so that they would be established. (Romans 1:11) After consideration of all the possibilities of what it could have been that he planned to give to these fellow believers, the most apparent possibility is that he wanted to leave them with a clear understanding of the doctrine of Christ. This is exactly what his epistle to the Romans is – a full systematic treatise on the theology of salvation, explaining that all men are sinners, that God has made a plan for salvation and complete restoration for man, that the Holy Spirit is the power of the Christian life, and that certain responses are required on man’s part. In this, the book of Romans stands apart from Paul’s other writings. Since he was not correcting their behavior or theology, he took the opportunity to write to them about the comprehension he had of what was essential to the gospel.
In the first chapter of Romans, Paul established the fact that God has revealed Himself to mankind, but it is man’s attitude toward Him that determines how they will experience God, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” (Romans 1:17-18) He went on that say that all the depravity in the human condition is a result of men’s refusing to pursue a proper acknowledgment of God, “When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.” (Romans 1:21-25) In chapter two, Paul focused on the gentile nations who do not have the written revelation of God in the Old Testament as do the Jewish people. He concluded that they are guilty of violating the natural revelation given to them even though they don’t have the codified law of God to guide them, “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.” (Romans 2:12) In the second half of the chapter, the apostle turned his attention to the Jews who had the explicit law of God to follow. In doing so, Paul summarized that they, too, were guilty of sin before God because they did not follow the law even though they had it tangibly with them, “Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God.” In chapter three, Paul wrapped up his discussion of sin by declaring that everyone is guilty, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) However, in the same breath, he presented the hopeful message of the gospel that human sinfulness has been overcome through the gracious gift of forgiveness that is not dependent upon human achievement but upon God’s free gift through faith in Jesus, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe…Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-24) Paul then introduced such theological concepts of justification (Romans 5:9), reconciliation (Romans 5:10), and atonement (Romans 5:11) to explain the salvation process. In chapter six Paul centered the discussion around the sacrament of baptism as a physical object lesson of the transformation that occurs in the salvation experience, “We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4) In chapter seven, the apostle grappled with the question of why we sometimes don’t see the practical transformation that we know has spiritually occurred in accepting salvation by grace through faith, “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” (Romans 7:22-23) But it is in chapter eight where Paul answered the questions he raised in chapter seven – it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer that he can ever manifest his inner spiritual transformation in his practical life, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:2-4) In chapters nine through fifteen, the apostle addressed issues that exemplify how this spiritual transformation is to be walked out in the practical world; and in chapter sixteen, he concluded with some personal notes and the promise that there is soon to come a final resolution to the whole spiritual battle that is raging in human hearts, society, and history, “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” (Romans 16:20)
The other concise presentations of Paul’s doctrine are the companion epistles of Ephesians and Colossians. Even a cursory overview of the two letters reveals that Colossians is very similar to Ephesians. This similarity has led Bible students to surmise that it is likely that the two were written at about the same time and may have even been based on the same outline — at least the same mental outline, if not the same physical outline. But before we can see exactly what these books reveal about Paul’s theology, we need to do a bit of background analysis. When compared to the way most of his letters give point-blank advice to specific issues in the churches, it is readily observable that the Ephesian letter has a rather unique generalized tone. Because of this general terminology coupled with the fact that the very earliest copies of the letter to the Ephesians do not include the word “Ephesians” in the title, many Bible scholars have concluded that Paul had intended the letter for a much wider audience than just one church. It is likely that the copies that do say “Ephesians” were from the copy of the circular letter that was actually sent to that specific city while other copies went to other churches in the same general area, perhaps the seven churches of Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation chapters two and three. Based on references in Colossians about another letter that had been sent to the Laodicean church, some scholars have gone so far as to suggest that Colossians was also a circular letter that was to be passed between the two churches of Colossi and Laodicea, if not all the churches in Asia Minor. It is an intriguing idea to consider that this “Laodicean letter” may have even been the untitled version of the letter we now know as Ephesians.
In a previous section, we have alluded to the fact that these letters were likely written during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. If this suggestion is correct, then they are some of the last works of the apostle. This chronology places the letters late in his life, meaning that these letters give us the full benefit of his total spiritual maturity. Although Paul came to a comprehensive revelation of the gospel during his sojourn in Arabia, he did have experiences that matured him throughout his lifetime – one example can be seen in the experience in Athens that we will discuss in a later section. If his ministry approach changed so significantly on that short episode of his life, imagine how much more seasoned he must have been by the time he came to those last few years and stood poised at the very portal of heaven.
If these letters were indeed circular letters, there is a certain richness to them that will not be found in the more where-the-rubber-meets-the-road letters like the Corinthian epistles and the letter to the Galatians in which he offers more practical counsel concerning specific issues. In the Corinthian correspondence, for example, the church members had sent him a list of questions that he enumerated and then addressed. (I Corinthians 7:1-16:18) In the Ephesian and Colossian letters, he is not addressing any specific issues; therefore, he is able to give in-depth revelation concerning the main issue — who Christ is in us and who we are in Him! Furthermore, if indeed these missives were circular letters that were associated with Ephesus and Laodicea, we have a parallel with the book of Revelation. Ephesus was the first church addressed, and Laodecia was the last. A further parallel can be seen with the depiction of the Risen Lord given in the Revelation as the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. The fact that these letters were for more than one church parallels with the message of the Revelation, “Let him who has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Notice that the point is repeatedly made that the message is to be heard by all the churches, not just one specific one. It is a message of all-encompassing importance: Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith. In the first chapter of Colossians, Paul incorporated “The Christ Hymn” (Colossians 1:14-20), a section of scripture that most scholars assume to be a pre-existing creed that Paul saw as a crystallization of who the church saw Christ to be. Using this pre-existing creed or hymn would not be considered inappropriate or plagiarism any more than if you or I quoted from “Amazing Grace” or the Twenty-third Psalm in one of our speeches or sermons. However, poetry was certainly not outside Paul’s abilities. After all, no one has ever questioned that he penned the magnificent words on love in I Corinthians chapter thirteen. Regardless of whether Paul borrowed an existing hymn or composed his own, this section of the epistle epitomizes the revelation of the Risen Christ.
But the message of the two epistles is not simply a statement about the magnificence of Christ – but an expose on the concluding remark we gleaned from Romans about Christ crushing Satan under our feet and the message that Jesus commanded Paul to preach when He arrested him on the road to Damascus. (Acts 26:18) He says that we are “strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power” (Colossians 1:11) and that the efforts he put forth in the gospel were actually the strivings of God working through him mightily (Colossians 1:29). He recognizes that it is not his or our ability, but the mighty ability of God working through him and us that makes a difference. Verse fifteen of chapter two of Colossians is the climax of the discussion on this powerful authority, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” The historical context of the imagery used in this passage comes from the ancient practice of humiliating conquered enemies to show that they have been totally subjugated. The term “spoil” means “to strip naked,” a reference to the practice of stripping away every vestige of position, authority, honor, and respect from a defeated foe. No longer would the king have his crown, the general his stripes, the athlete his accolades, the soldier his medals, the judge his regalia, the scholar his mortarboard, or the priest his rosary. Now, naked as the day they were born, they would be marched through the streets for all to see that these once feared and respected individuals have nothing to trust in or boast of. Paul furthered this imagery in his second epistle to the Corinthians. In chapter two verse fourteen he said that God always causes us to triumph in Christ, and in chapter ten verses four and five he spoke of the weapons of our warfare that are mighty through God to pull down strongholds, to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. The mention of “triumph” is a reference to the above-mentioned practice in which the defeated enemies and all the confiscated treasures were marched through the arch of triumph in celebration of the victory. In this parade, the enemies who were formerly threats are now displayed as slaves with no power or authority. Paul says that God is working in us to bring the enemy of our souls – the devil – to this public display of humiliation in our lives. One interesting observation about the synopsis as recorded in Colossians is that the apostle does not mention the contending with spiritual principalities as he does in Ephesians chapter six. It seems clear that a truly spiritual believer should not have to be taught how to struggle since our real position is one of authority over the forces of the enemy. As Dr. Lester Sumrall used to say, “Flies don’t land on hot stoves.” Apparently, Paul omitted this emphasis in order to make a clear statement that the struggle is over and that we live in victory over a defeated foe! No wonder the apostle could have maximum impact – he knew that there was nothing capable of stopping him.
The second element that Paul mentioned as having helped shape Timothy into a man of God was his manner of life. Let’s take a little imaginary journey to see if we can gain a bit of insight into this part of the formula that Paul spelled out as his approach to having maximum impact in the lives of those he came into contact with.
“What is going on?” The question kept cycling through his head. “Why is this man talking like this? Doesn’t he know that this is almost certainly the last time he’ll ever be able to teach us? Doesn’t he know that we have all traveled a long way and put out a lot of effort to be here today? Why is he using these few precious minutes to talk about what he has and hasn’t done?”
Our friend had been one of the Apostle Paul’s followers since the day the preacher showed up on the pleasant Mediterranean shores of Ephesus. Having been a disciple of Apollos who had introduced him to the teachings of John the Baptist, he had eagerly welcomed the evangelist known as a leading spokesman for the new movement that was revitalizing the Jewish faith – that is, when he wasn’t stirring up a riot among the Jews who didn’t want their faith revitalized. Our friend knew that John the Baptist had told his followers that he was only a messenger to announce the Promised One and that he was expecting to decrease so that the Promised One would be able to increase. Apollos had done an excellent job of showing from the Old Testament how all the prophets had pointed to the same message that John had taught. The only problem was that Apollos didn’t know if John had ever revealed who this Promised One was. As far has he knew, King Herod had beheaded the camel-skin-clad preacher before he had been able to identify Him. The day when this new preacher showed up in town made our friend almost giddy with excitement as he wondered if he might be able to help answer some of the questions Apollos had left dangling.
Almost as soon as the new preacher opened his mouth, our friend and his eleven companions realized that he had much to teach them, but it was when he mentioned the Holy Spirit that they realized that not only were they not on the same page with their new teacher – they weren’t even in the same textbook. He had patiently taken them through all the basics and brought them “up to speed” on the new faith. Although our friend had been baptized by Apollos in the method that John had taught, he enthusiastically splashed his way into the creek to be baptized in the name of Jesus in acceptance of Paul’s teachings. Not only that, he had ecstatically begun to speak with unknown tongues as he came up out of the water – baptized not only in the creek, but also in the Holy Spirit that he had only heard of for the first time that day. From that moment on, our friend felt as if he had been fused to the apostle like a conjoined twin. He was with Paul almost every day over the next three months as he found himself in the local synagogues reasoning with the Jews and then over the next two years as the apostle taught each day in Tyrannus’ school building.
What powerful times those were. Every lesson was a new revelation of incredible wisdom as the man who had learned at the feet of the great rabbi Gamaliel and then been taught by the Holy Spirit Himself in the desert of Arabia exposed truth after truth from the Old Testament and showed how they had been fulfilled through the messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Oh, what wisdom had flowed from his lips every time he opened his mouth. And what powerful miracles followed his words with people being supernaturally healed and set free from demonic control – even without his personally ministering to them, but by simply sending handkerchiefs to them!
His wisdom, authoritative teachings, and miraculous deeds had motivated everyone to such unimaginable heights that they soon were spreading the gospel like an epidemic throughout all Asia Minor until they considered that everyone in the region had heard the message within just two short years. In fact, the gospel had taken such root that some of the local artisans who made their living by selling trinkets at the Temple of Diana actually feared that they would go into bankruptcy due to the dramatic decline in devotees visiting the shrine because they had begun to believe the apostle’s message that there is no living god except Jesus. The resulting citywide riot focused on trying to silence this eloquent teacher. The eventual culmination was Paul’s miraculous deliverance from a Daniel-versus-the-lions-style encounter.
When Paul eventually left the city, our friend had kept in touch with his mentor through his messengers such as Aquilla, Pricilla, Timothy, and Tychicus; but today, after hearing that the apostle wanted to meet the leaders of the Ephesian church in Miletus as he was traveling to Jerusalem, he had eagerly trekked the forty-six miles for one last visit with his teacher. But no matter how exciting it was to see his master’s face again, he was perplexed at the message the apostle had chosen to share. There was nothing of the revelatory insight into the theological mysteries of the gospel, nothing of the stories of the glorious feats of healing or deliverance, no testimonies of the spread of the gospel among the gentiles and Jews alike. Instead, the revered teacher was sharing only about how he had lived among the followers in Ephesus.
Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ…Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God…Remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears…I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. (Acts 20:18-35)
As Paul was wrapping up his personal ministry to the church, he turned to the one significant factor that genuinely substantiated his work among them – his character. He knew that without integrity, none of his brilliant teachings, supernatural experiences, or mind-boggling exploits would be of any real significance. So in this last visit with the church elders that he loved so much, he wanted to leave them with a validation of his ministry and a directive of how they could similarly confirm their work and lives – integrity of character in motive and action.
Paul knew the principle that lack of character would spoil everything else that might be positive in your life. That is why his last words to these church leaders were to verify his purity of motives and action – and that’s why he insisted that Timothy remember what manner of life he had encountered in his mentor.
It has been estimated that the Apostle Paul traveled a minimum of ten thousand miles in his quest to fulfill the mission that the Lord had entrusted to him. Remember that this was mostly on foot and usually under adverse circumstances as he was constantly exposed to the elements of nature, the threat of marauders and bandits, and the peril of wild beasts. But he kept pressing forward and was always looking for more and more frontiers to challenge – the mark of a man motivated by purpose. (Acts 19:21, 20:3, 26:16) Yet, there was one particular journey that demonstrated most significantly how this man was motivated by purpose – his final visit to Jerusalem. In Acts chapter twenty-one, we read the story of how Paul was repeatedly warned by individuals within the church that great afflictions awaited him if he continued his journey to Jerusalem. Agabus, the same prophet who predicted the famine that would necessitate the first large-scale benevolence project in the history of the Christian church (Acts 11:28), dramatized the apostle’s impending fate by literally tying Paul up with his belt (Acts 21:9-11). With the entire congregation in tears as they pled with him to change his direction, Paul stanchly replied, “What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus,” a response that left them with only one alternative – to concede, “The will of the Lord be done.” However, the prophet’s message came as no surprise to Paul since he had already gone on record in his discourse with the leadership from the church at Ephesus who had joined him in Miletus, “I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:22-24) Notice that the apostle’s confession was that the Holy Spirit had repeatedly confirmed to him what afflictions he was to face and that he was unmoved by these revelations because he had a greater revelation of the purpose behind the conflicts he was to endure – the opportunity to share the gospel of the grace of God with an unsaved world! This was the very message that Ananias had emphasized when he confronted Paul with his initial decision to become a follower of Christ, “He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15-16) In his communication with the Corinthian believers, Paul made further verification concerning this purposeful commitment, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (II Corinthians 4:17) Much like the confession of Jesus Christ Himself – for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2) – Paul was no masochist begging for pain; rather he was an optimist rejoicing in the eternal benefit that would result from his commitment to fulfill the purpose behind his temporal sacrifices, challenges, and difficulties.
Next on Paul’s list of determining elements in his ministry to Timothy was his faith – an almost too-big-to-attempt topic. In fact, he uses the word “faith” more than one hundred fifty times in his epistles in addition to a number of references in Acts to his ministry of faith. (Acts 13:8, 14:9, 14:22, 14:27, 16:5, 20:21, 24:24) However, we can find a fairly succinct summarization of Paul’s revelation on faith in the tenth chapter of Romans:
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed…So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:6-17)
In this passage, we see several significant truths concerning faith that defined Paul’s understanding of the subject. First, we see that there is a righteousness – or right standing with God – that is obtained through faith. This relationship with God does not require works – ascending to heaven to find God or descending into the depths of the earth to bring Him back from the grave – to earn His favor. Rather, faith is the release of something that is already inside us. In fact, Paul said in another context that God had already given the necessary faith to every man with the anticipation that each individual would simply activate it. (Romans 12:3) The second thing that Paul addressed in this section on faith is the methodology through which faith is made functional – through the mouth and the heart. Paul clearly defined that there must be two levels of activation for faith to become viable. First, there must be an internal belief in the heart. The concept here is that we must have more than a simple wish, hope, desire, or daydream. There must be a genuine belief inside our hearts that God really does exist and that He is both able and willing to act on our behalf. The companion aspect is that we must verbalize our confession of faith to initiate the desired effect. Contrary to how many may envision faith, Paul insisted that internalization alone without external expression is not genuine faith. Paul would certainly have agreed with the words of his contemporary in the leadership of the early church that internal faith without external works is dead. (James 2:17) One preeminent aspect of Paul’s revelation on faith is that it is a product of not only speaking but also hearing – and specifically hearing the truths of the Word of God. Certainly, Paul was referring to the written Word of God that the believers had at that time in the Old Testament, but it is unquestionable that he was also referring to all that God was saying through His Spirit that would eventually become the codified New Testament completion of the Old Testament revelation. Beliefs, hopes, and anticipations based on anything other than what has been specifically spoken by the Lord – either in written scripture or Holy Spirit expression – may be good, motivational, and inspiring; however, they are not genuine faith because faith is the germination of the seed that can only be planted in our hearts by God Himself through His Word and His Spirit.
In Ephesians 4:2, Paul spoke of the purpose of longsuffering in the church – that of forbearing one another in love. Having already explained in Romans 2:4 and 9:22 that God manifests longsuffering for the purpose of bringing men to salvation, Paul now draws the logical conclusion that longsuffering in the Body of Christ is for the same purpose – to bring our fellow believers to their full salvation. Through patiently working through their errors, immaturity, failures, and even deliberate rebellion, we lovingly hold them in the Body of Christ so that they can develop into strong believers. Paul demonstrated to us that longsuffering is not pampering the errant or enabling them to continue in their failures. His approach – that we would today label as “tough love” may initially seem radical, but it actually mirrors the approach of our heavenly Father who will allow the prodigal to go to the pigpen yet love him through the whole process. Timothy had a personal opportunity to witness this sort of longsuffering in Paul’s dealings with the Corinthian believers. It is amazing how much of his epistles to this congregation is dedicated to the waywardness of the church and the actual hostility that they developed against the apostle in the process. Yet, as Paul addressed and corrected them for their error and attitude, the underlying love that he had for them is evident in his longsuffering acceptance of them as his beloved – howbeit, rebellious – sons (I Corinthians 4:14-15) and the fact that he is perpetually thankful to God for them (I Corinthians 1:4). He point-blankly accused them of being contentious (I Corinthians 1:11), carnal rather than spiritual (I Corinthians 3:1), envious and full of strife (I Corinthians 3:3), and puffed up with pride (I Corinthians 4:18, 5:2). Additionally, he addressed their accusing attitude toward him and the low esteem in which they held him – one who they could judge (I Corinthians 4:3), a fool while they are full of wisdom (I Corinthians 4:10), defamed, and filthy (I Corinthians 4:13). Paul also recorded their mocking response to his attempts to address their errant ways and attitudes – that he might be bold when writing letters but would cower down in a face-to-face meeting. (I Corinthians 10:1, 10:10-11) Yet, he added that he purposely wanted to spare them any harsh face-to-face confrontation. (I Corinthians 4:19-21, II Corinthians 2:1) and even apologized for disturbing them with his previous letter (II Corinthians 7:8). He went on to describe how that he had even sent his two most trusted assistants to help mediate the conflict (I Corinthians 4:17, II Corinthians (7:7) Yet in all this effort to deal graciously with them, Paul was adamant that he would not renege on his position of their fault (I Corinthians 5:3) and that he would not back down on the necessity for the guilty ones to be dealt with (II Corinthians 13:2). Timothy also had another personal occasion to witness this principle in operation in Paul’s own life in the apostle’s dealings with John Mark. Even though Paul refused for John Mark to continue to travel with him after he deserted the team on their initial mission trip (Acts 13:5, 13:13, 15:36-40), Paul later instructed Timothy to bring the restored John Mark to him so that they could spend some time together (II Timothy 4:11). In Colossians 1:11, Paul added a defining aspect that takes longsuffering to an entirely new level – that of demonstrating longsuffering with joyfulness. It’s one thing to put up with other people’s problems and shortcomings, but it is an entirely different thing to do so joyfully – without grumbling and accepting the assignment as an unwelcomed burden. Certainly Timothy must have been impacted when he witnessed Paul’s forgiving heart toward not only John Mark but all the others who deserted and misused his mentor. (Philippians 1:15-16, II Timothy 4:10, 4:14-16)
When thinking of charity in connection with the Apostle Paul, our minds immediately race to I Corinthians chapter thirteen, Paul’s magnificent expose on love. And I do want to go to that section of scripture at this point – but I want to look at it from a different angle than we might immediate anticipate. The opening verse to this section of scripture is I Corinthians 12:1 in which Paul says, that he would not want the audience to be ignorant concerning spiritual gifts. However, the word “gifts” is actually not in the original Greek text; it was added in by the English translators so that the sentence would not be left hanging by ending with the word “spiritual.” Yes, the section of scripture does address gifts, but the addition of “gifts” to the sentence as a viable solution to the awkward translation actually does injustice to the passage. Paul actually addresses much more than just gifts in this section.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. (I Corinthians 12:4-6)
He speaks of administrations and operations as well as gifts. Therefore, it would be more in order to use a generic word – such as “things” – in the introductory sentence so as to be inclusive of all that Paul wants to communicate here. Notice that each of these categories is associated with a different member of the divine Godhead. The gifts are given by the Holy Spirit as spiritual enduements; the administrations are men and women who possess the spiritual eduements and are positioned by Jesus in the Body of Christ so that they can minister in their giftings; the operations are the godly attitudes given by the Father through which the ministers function as they display their spiritual enduements. This is the triple trinity: the trinity of God, the trinity of gifts, administrations, and operations, and the trinity of enduements, ministers, and motivations. Paul specifically listed the spiritual gifts in verses eight through ten: the word of wisdom, the word or knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, discerning spirits, diverse kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. He enumerated at least a partial list of the administrations of the Lord in verses twenty-eight through thirty: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healing, helps, governments, and those who speak in diversities of tongues. He then defined the operations of God in the thirteenth verse of chapter thirteen: faith, hope, love.
Even though the focus of the thirteenth chapter is on love, the implication is that nothing that we do in ministry is profitable unless it is motivated by the heart attitude of the heavenly Father – including faith and hope as well as love. Paul emphasized that any heroic act – even martyrdom – and all our charitable works – like giving every penny we have to feed the poor or house the homeless – would be totally pointless unless they are motivated by the Father’s nature. (I Corinthians 13:3) Without question, Timothy had seen these heroic acts and charitable works in Paul’s life, but Paul wanted to emphasize that it was not the actions themselves that his protégé was to focus on – it was the motivation behind them that mattered. Additionally, Paul stressed that all the supernatural miracles that manifest in our lives through the gifts of the Holy Spirit are pointless without the Father’s heart motivation. He specifically used the illustrations of a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal when referring to speaking in tongues without the proper operation of the godly nature. (I Corinthians 13:1) This allusion helps clarify a couple verses in the previous chapter that would otherwise seem to be spurious or out of place.
Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (I Corinthians 12:2-3)
The reference to idolatry is directly linked to the cymbal and brass in that pagan temples incorporate these instruments to invoke demonic presence when devotees come to worship. Above the entranceways in all Hindu temples hang little bells that the worshipers ring as they cross the threshold. The tinkle of those bells is supposed to awaken the spirits that abide in the temple. Buddhist shrines have gongs that are sounded at the beginning of their ceremonies – again to awaken the demons associated with the shrine. Timothy had witnessed some incredible miracles in the public ministry of his mentor and had undoubtedly seen even more manifestations of the supernatural in Paul’s private life; yet, the apostle wanted to remind his disciple that it was the charity – not the miracles – that made him who he was and allowed him to have maximum impact.
Although we often think of longsuffering and patience as being essentially synonymous, Paul obviously saw them as distinctly different qualities that demanded being listed separately as he addressed the qualities in his life that had impacted the life of his disciple. In looking at longsuffering, we saw that the apostle saw this quality mainly in relationship to our ministry to others; however, it seems that he was more focused on the development of the individual believer when he spoke of patience. Notice how he attributed patience with a major role in the development of a godly character in Romans 5:3-5, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Interestingly enough, Paul also equated patience with miracles as a characteristic that qualified him for apostleship, “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.” (II Corinthians 12:12) In essence, patience is that quality that allows us to let God have the time to work in us and bring us to the place that His character and power can flow through us. Although there is no specific mention of Timothy in the account of Paul’s encounter with the damsel in Philippi who was possessed with a spirit of divination (Acts 16:16-18), it is likely that he was with the apostle during this time since it seems that he had accompanied Paul from Lystra (Acts 16:3) and stayed with him until Paul left him behind in Berea (Acts 17:14). If this is the case, the disciple witnessed an excellent example of his mentor’s life of patience. The narrative makes it very clear that the demoniac followed Paul and his companions about for many days crying out that they were servants of the most high God. It is also clear that this practice grieved the apostle. We are not given any details concerning this encounter – perhaps she was mocking them with the tone of voice she used to make the proclamation, perhaps she was using terminology that suggested that they were actually messengers of some pagan god rather than the true and living God, or perhaps it was just simply that the apostle couldn’t stand the fact that his publicity agent was the devil. Regardless of the circumstances behind the event, the one thing that we know is that the apostle put up with this annoyance for many days even though the whole event was tremendously disturbing to him – patience! When God had done all that needed to be done in the heart and life of the apostle through this difficult experience, Paul turned to the girl and through the authority birthed out of his patience – with one simple sentence – set the girl free and totally changed her whole life!
You could read his body like a book. It was a journal that chronicled his life. His back was a veritable roadmap connecting almost every major city in Israel, Turkey, Greece, and Italy with scars from beatings he had received in each place. Five different lashings of thirty-nine stripes each had left potholes from the violence of the whips as they literally snatched chunks of tissue from his torso. Ribbons of scar tissue testified to the lesions caused as the whips tore through his flesh. The hesitancy in his gait was witness of the three times he had been clubbed. The bald patches on his chest where the skin had been rubbed so raw that no chest hair would grow were the mementoes of the three different times he had spent whole days and nights desperately clinging to pieces of driftwood to keep from drowning after having been shipwrecked in the Mediterranean. Jagged claw marks on his forearms and the scar that ran dangerously close to his jugular vein were evidences of his struggle with wild beasts in Ephesus. The calluses around his wrists and ankles were the signatures left by the chains and shackles from almost every prison between Jerusalem and Rome. The two companion puncture wounds on the inside of his arm were a souvenir left behind by a venomous serpent on the island of Melita. The contusions on the side of his face were reminders of the day he was stoned and left for dead in Lystra. Yet, as he ran his left hand across this ledger of injuries, he picked up a pen and parchment in his right hand and scratched out the memorable words, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (II Corinthians 4:17) How could it be? Why would the Apostle Paul say such a thing? Simply because he was convinced that no amount of persecution could separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35) With this kind of revelation concerning his condition, Paul was in an unshakable position that he described in Romans 12:12, “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing constant in prayer.” He summarized the topic when writing to his disciple Timothy with one overwhelming warning accompanied with an even more overwhelming promise.
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast earned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (I Timothy 3:12-17)
It was this confidence in the fact that God is being glorified through his suffering that motivated Paul to bear the attacks of the religious crowds and hostile governments without retaliation, grumping, feeling sorry for himself, or even attempting to avoid them. In fact, he truly gloried in the privilege of bearing the marks of Christ in his own body. (Romans 8:18; II Corinthians 1:5-7, 2:4, 4:16, 6:4, 8:2; Galatians 3:17, 5:11, 6:12; Ephesians 3:1, 4:1, 6:20; Philippians 1:7, 1:13-16, 1:29, 3:8, 3:10, 4:12, 4:14; Colossians 1:24, 4:3, 4:18; I Thessalonians 2:2, 3:4, 3:7; II Thessalonians 1:5; I Timothy 4:10; II Timothy 1:8, 1:12, 2:9) It is also through this same confidence that he encouraged Timothy to boldly and bravely accept the persecution that would be targets toward them. (II Timothy 1:8, 2:3, 2:12, 3:12, 4:2)
In the passage under consideration today, Paul specifically directed Timothy’s attention to the suffering that he endured in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. Although we have no biblical proof of the connection between these events and his disciple Timothy, we should remember that Paul and Timothy first connected in Lystra. (Acts 16:1) Although this connection was some time after the events spoken of here (Acts 13:14-14:23), there is every possibility that young Timothy would have heard about – or even been an eyewitness to – these momentous events that occurred in “his own backyard.” If so, it is not unlikely that such prior knowledge of the man who was chased out of town, harassed, stoned to death, and raised back to life – and yet kept on with his mission – was the testimony that motivated Timothy willingly submit himself to circumcision and abandon all to become the man’s disciple. If there is reality to this proposed scenario, then we can see why the apostle could take glory in his sufferings – he knew that there was good that would come out of them. His blood did become seed in the life of Timothy – and countless others.