disciples

Called, Confused, and a Little Bit Crazy

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13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons. 16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” 

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”  – Mark 3:13-22 ESV

Jesus had a lot of followers; you might even call them fans. Mark stresses that they came from “Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon” (Mark 3:7-8 ESV). In other words, they came from all over, and they followed Jesus wherever He went; to the point where Jesus had to institute His own form of crowd control.

…he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him. – Mark 3:9 ESV

But it would be wrong to assume that all these people were His dedicated followers. The crowds would have contained a mix of the curious and the semi-committed. Some were always searching for healing. Others were likely bored and seeking entertainment. And there is little doubt that some were legitimately intrigued by this Rabbi from Nazareth.

But Mark indicates that a time came when Jesus decided to narrow the field of His followers. Mark doesn’t explain how Jesus carried out this winnowing process; he simply says that Jesus “called for those he wanted, and they came to him” (Mark 3:13 NET). Did He walk through the crowd pointing out those He wanted to accompany Him? Did He call them by name? We don’t know. Did He call 50, 100, or more? The text doesn’t tell us. All we know is that Jesus consciously chose some and not others. We have no idea what criteria He used to make His selection. But we do know that from among all those He called, He set apart 12, and Mark provides us with their names.

Luke provides another important detail to the selection process. It seems that the entire process took place after a night-long prayer vigil.

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles… – Luke 6:12-13 ESV

Before Jesus prefaced His recruiting effort by seeking His Father’s will. This essential detail sheds light on another prayer Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father more than three years later.

“I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” – John 17:6 NLT

“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory.” – John 17:9-10 NLT

Jesus sought to know His Father’s will and, in response, He was given the identities of those He would choose, including the 12. Mark provides us with their names.

Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. – Mark 3:16-19 ESV

Mark states that Jesus “appointed” (poieō) these men. The Greek word means “to make a thing out of something.” Jesus took these 12 men and ordained or set them apart for a special assignment.

…that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. – Mark 3:14-15 ESV

Jesus handpicked these ordinary men and gave them an incredible opportunity to serve as His apostellōs, or “sent ones.” They had been divinely chosen by God, called by Jesus, and set apart for a special two-part assignment. First, they were called to “be with him.” Jesus was inviting them to experience a personal and intimate relationship with Him. For the next three years, they would have the unique opportunity to spend all their time with Jesus, and this intensive, full-time exposure to the Son of God would prove life-transformative.

But as the term “apostle” implies, their relationship with Jesus would be about more than companionship. They would be expected to preach and be given the authority and power to cast out demons. These blue-collar nobodies from the backwoods of Galilee would become the hand-picked spokesmen for the Son of God. And to validate the message Jesus would give them, they would be equipped with divine power to perform miracles. But this would not be a permanent or full-time capability. Luke tells us that Jesus would dictate the time and place for their God-ordained powers to be revealed.

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,  and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. – Luke 9:12 ESV

Matthew adds another level of detail, outlining the instructions Jesus gave the 12 before sending them out on their own.

“Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

“Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.” – Matthew 10:5-10 NLT

The thought of possessing the power to heal or to cast out demons would have been heady stuff to these men. But Jesus wanted them to know their work would be more than performing miracles. Their ministry would be restricted to their own people, the Jews. They were required to use the supernatural powers placed at their disposal to validate the message that the Kingdom of Heaven was near, and their efforts were to be marked by humility and complete dependency upon God. They were to go empty-handed and wholly reliant upon God’s provision.

Over the next three years, these 12 men would learn some invaluable lessons. They would be tested and find themselves confused and conflicted by their relationship with Jesus. They would experience moments of awe and wonder as they took in all that Jesus said and did. But just as often, they would shake their heads in disbelief as they tried to comprehend Jesus’ puzzling parables and perplexing behavior.

Despite their close relationship with Jesus, even the 12 disciples found Him an enigma at times. Mark indicates that this confusion over Jesus was commonplace. Even Jesus’ family found His behavior difficult to defend and dismissed it as nothing less than insanity.

When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said. – Mark 3:21 NLT

We know that Jesus had brothers and sisters. Technically, they were his half-brothers and half-sisters because Joseph was not Jesus’ father. But these siblings were confused by their brother’s actions. So much so that they assumed He was crazy. Keep in mind, they had witnessed an extreme change in Jesus’ behavior. At some point, He walked away from their home in Nazareth and made His way to the Judean wilderness, where John baptized Him. Then He disappeared for more than 40 days and nights, only to reappear, preaching repentance and declaring that the kingdom of heaven was near. This was not the Jesus they had grown up with. His sudden and strange change in behavior left them perplexed and concerned that He might be mentally unstable.

In his gospel account, Luke records that when Jesus was born, angels appeared to shepherds tending their flocks outside Bethlehem and announced, ““I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12 NLT). When the shepherds visited Mary, Joseph, and their newborn child, they shared what the angel had said and “All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often” (Luke 2:18-19 NLT). It may be that Mary never shared Jesus’ identity with His siblings. For nearly three decades they had lived and worked alongside their older brother, never knowing the truth about who He was. So when, at 30, He began to display uncharacteristic behavior, they grew concerned. Mark adds that others also found Jesus’ actions less than normal.

But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.” – Mark 3:22 NLT

His family thought He was crazy. The religious leaders thought He was demon-possessed. Everyone else wrestled with their own opinions about who He was and how to explain the amazing things He said and did. And the 12 men He had just chosen found themselves at the center of all the controversy, wrestling with their own expectations and apprehensions about His identity and the nature of their relationship to Him. There’s little doubt that they had moments when they questioned their own sanity. Had they lost their minds? Were they crazy for following this strange Rabbi from Nazareth? Having left everything else behind, had they sacrificed it all just to become part of the lunatic fringe? Time would tell.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God Alone

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1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” – Mark 2:1-12 ESV

Mark has noted that Jesus “went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons” (Mark 1:39 ESV). One of the miracles He performed on his ministry junket was healing a man with leprosy. Jesus physically touched the unclean man, removing all traces of the disease and leaving him completely whole and ceremonially pure. And though Jesus had warned him to tell no one, the man couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Eager to spread the news about his restored condition, “he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter” (Mark 1:45 ESV).

Eventually, Jesus returned to Capernaum, a small town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, which served as His base of operations. But as news of His miracles continued to spread throughout the region, the crowds grew in number and intensity. They had heard rumors that Jesus had “healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons” (Mark 1:34 ESV). 

These unbelievable reports created hope and longing among others who suffered from sickness and affliction. Their desperate desire for healing and restoration drove them to seek this miracle-working Rabbi from Nazareth. Mark indicates that they showed up in Capernaum, surrounding the place where Jesus was staying. This was most likely the home of Simon and Andrew, where Jesus had healed Simon’s mother-in-law.

The emboldened crowd pushed its way into the home, filling it to capacity and spilling out into the street. Jesus took advantage of this captive audience by “preaching the word to them” (Mark 2:2 ESV). The Greek word Mark used is logos, which can be translated as “word,” but refers to the communication of a particular concept or idea. Earlier in his gospel, Mark indicated that Jesus had picked up the ministry that John the Baptist had begun by “proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15 ESV).

So, those who had crowded into the home of Simon and Andrew were forced to hear a sermon from Jesus. They came seeking healing but received a lesson on their need to repent. The good news was that the Kingdom of God was near, but the bad news was that they were not prepared to enter that kingdom; they had sins for which they needed to repent. That was the whole purpose of John the Baptist’s ministry in the Judean wilderness.

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. – Mark 1:4-5 ESV

It seems likely that “the word” Jesus spoke that day contained ample references to the need for confession, but confession without forgiveness is insufficient. As John wrote in his first letter, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 ESV).

Confession and repentance, while necessary, will not provide anyone with entrance into God’s kingdom. Without forgiveness, the stain of sin remains, leaving the confessor impure and unworthy to enter God’s presence. The entire Jewish sacrificial system was based on the fact that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV). Sacrifices had to be made. An innocent life had to be taken. Blood had to be spilled.

So, as Jesus preached to the people, He likely declared their need for forgiveness. They came seeking physical healing, but He made sure they understood their need for something far more significant. In God’s sovereign will, an opportunity presented itself to demonstrate what Jesus was trying to communicate.

As Jesus preached, four men showed up carrying their paralyzed friend on a pallet. When they found it impossible to get through the crowd packed into the small home, they went to the roof. In desperation, they cut a hole in the roof and lowered the pallet into the room where Jesus was speaking. The noise and debris must have brought Jesus’ sermon to an abrupt end. All eyes in the room turned to watch as the paralyzed man was lowered into the room.

What happened next is significant. Mark states that upon “seeing” the faith of the friends who had lowered the man into the room, Jesus spoke. But before we look at what Jesus said, we need to examine how He “saw” their faith. These men had come with a specific purpose in mind. They had carried their friend to the home, dug a hole in the roof, and lowered him into the room because they believed that Jesus could heal him. Their faith was evident in their actions. They longed to see their friend made whole, and they believed Jesus had the power and authority to do it.

They had heard that Jesus could heal and were confident He could restore their friend’s mobility. But they didn’t know Jesus could forgive sin. Their pressing need was the healing of their friend’s paralysis, but Jesus knew that physical healing was not enough.  But upon seeing their faith in action, Jesus spoke. He turned to the man laying on the pallet and said, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:6 ESV). Rather than offering physical healing, Jesus declared him spiritually whole. He gave the man something no one in the room had come to receive, and Jesus’ words left the crowd in stunned silence. They didn’t know what to say.

But some Jewish religious leaders in the room heard what Jesus said and immediately declared Him a blasphemer.

“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” – Mark 2:7 ESV

These scribes were anxious to see whether the rumors about Jesus were true. Could he really perform miracles? But when Jesus offered the paralyzed man forgiveness for his sins, they were shocked and appalled. In the minds of the Jews, sickness was a byproduct of sin. Sickness and disease were considered punishments from God for sins committed against Him. The worse the disease, the more egregious the sin that caused it. They considered this man’s debilitating paralysis a punishment from God, and yet Jesus declared that his sins were forgiven. They must have keenly observed that the man remained completely immobilized and unable to move from his pallet.

Jesus, well aware of the impact of His words and the accusation of the scribes, posed a question: “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?” (Mark 2:8-9 ESV).

In their minds, Jesus had committed the unpardonable sin. He had dared to place Himself on equal footing with God, who alone can forgive sins. But Jesus pointed out that forgiving someone’s sins was easy; anyone could do it. The question was whether He had the power and authority to do so. In their minds, the answer was no; Jesus had no business offering this man forgiveness for the sins that had caused his paralysis.

But to prove He had the power and authority to forgive the man’s sins, Jesus did the more “difficult” thing; He healed the man. But He made sure they understood the motive behind the miracle He was about to perform.

“So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” – Mark 2:10 NLT

Then He did something that left everyone in the room slack-jawed and surprised.

Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” – Mark 2:10-11 NLT

It required no effort for Jesus to speak those words; anyone could have done it. But when Jesus spoke, amazing things happened, and this time was no different than all the others. As soon as the words left Jesus’ mouth, “the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers” (Mark 2:12 NLT). In a split second, the man’s paralysis was completely gone; he had been miraculously restored to full health and vitality. If this man’s sickness resulted from sin, then his sins must have been forgiven. Everyone in the room could see that he was no longer under any form of divine punishment or condemnation.

Jesus’ actions did not confirm the scribes’ erroneous belief that illness is caused by sin. He demonstrated that He had the God-given power and authority to restore both physical and spiritual health. He could eradicate the effects of sickness and eliminate the condemnation of sin.

Jesus did not make the formerly paralyzed man sinless; He made him physically whole. The sad reality is that, in his newly restored state, that man went on to live a life marked by sin; it was inevitable and unavoidable. But by healing the man, Jesus displayed His divine power. If He could restore a paralyzed man’s ability to walk, He could also restore the spiritual health of a humanity paralyzed by sin, and that is why He came to earth.

The people “were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’” (Mark 2:12 ESV). They were blown away by the man’s healing, but they missed the point Jesus was making. They saw healing as more difficult and more important than forgiveness of sins. The restoration of the man’s physical condition overshadowed Jesus’ renewal of his spiritual condition. No one in the room had come to receive forgiveness of sins; they longed for healing or the chance to witness a miracle. But all the signs and wonders Jesus performed were intended to demonstrate His power and authority over sin, death, and the grave. He was the Son of God and came to give sinful humanity a way to receive forgiveness for their sins and a restored relationship with God the Father.  Yes, He could heal diseases, but His real mission was “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10 ESV).   

“Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?” (Mark 2:9 NLT). The truth is, both are easy to say, but it takes someone with power and authority to back up their words with actions. Jesus spoke, and the man was healed. He forgave the man’s sins, and it was so. Because He had the power and authority to make the man whole, both physically and spiritually. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Follow the Leader

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16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. – Mark 1:16-20 ESV

After 40 days fasting and being tested by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus took no time off but went straight to work. But Mark alludes to something very significant that happened before Jesus began His earthly ministry: John the Baptist was arrested.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:14-15 ESV

John, chosen by God to prepare the way for Jesus’ coming, was removed from the scene, and Luke provides further details about what happened.

John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others. – Luke 3:19-20 NLT

In a sense, John’s work was complete; he had done what God had commissioned Him to do. Now the Messiah had come, and John no longer needed to “prepare the way.” So, God sovereignly arranged for John’s ministry to come to an abrupt and final end. While we might find God’s method for ending John’s ministry a bit heavy-handed, we must recognize His sovereign orchestration and timing.

John’s removal from the scene was essential to God’s plan. It was vital that John not detract from Jesus’ ministry and mission. His job was to announce the coming of “the light” into the world, and now his work was done.

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. – John1:6-8 NLT

But while preaching and baptizing in the wilderness, John had amassed quite a following.

People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. – Matthew 3:5 NLT

And there were all kinds of rumors circulating about John. So much so that the Jewish religious leaders sent a delegation into the Judean wilderness to determine who he was and what he was doing.

This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.”

“Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?”

“No,” he replied.

“Are you the Prophet we are expecting?”[i]

“No.”

“Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?” – John 1:19-22 NLT

John was bombarded with questions about his identity, and it seems some believed him to be the Messiah. As long as John was on the scene, he would keep drawing crowds and creating confusion. So God brought his ministry to an end, removing any further suspicion that he might be the Messiah.

Luke records that Jesus “returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all” (Luke 4:14-15 ESV). But before recounting one of those synagogue sermons, Mark inserts the story of Jesus calling His first four disciples.

Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee when He spotted Simon and Andrew, two brothers standing along the shoreline and casting their nets into the sea. Mark says Jesus called to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17 ESV), and the two men immediately left their nets and followed Him. At first glance, it seems Jesus walked up to two complete strangers, issued a strange and rather cryptic invitation, and they dropped what they were doing and robotically got in line behind him.

But John adds some important details that the Synoptic gospels left out. This was not the first time that Jesus had met these two men. In his gospel account, John records that Jesus spent time in Judea in the days following His baptism.

The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.

They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

“Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).

Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). – John 1:35-42 NLT

So, this was not Simon and Andrew’s first encounter with Jesus. At some point, they traveled from Galilee to Judea because of rumors they had heard about John the Baptist, and Andrew became one of his disciples.  When Andrew heard John the Baptist call Jesus “the Lamb of God,” he immediately followed Jesus and later brought his brother to meet the one he called “the Messiah.”

Andrew and Simon likely returned to Galilee during the 40-day period Jesus spent in the wilderness, and after John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned. With John’s ministry curtailed and Jesus nowhere to be found, the two brothers returned home to run their father’s fishing business.

But after His 40-day stay in the wilderness, Jesus found them and officially called them to be His disciples. Their abrupt decision to follow Jesus becomes a bit more understandable when you consider all the facts. With Andrew and Simon in tow, Jesus made His way farther up the shoreline until He saw two more brothers mending their fishing nets. Luke reveals that these two men, James and John, were actually business partners with Andrew and Simon (Luke 5:10), and this was not their first encounter with Jesus either. Luke provides yet another detail concerning Jesus’ previous interactions with all four men.

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. – Luke 5:1-11 NLT

All four men were familiar with Jesus, having heard Him speak and teach, but they had not yet decided to become His disciples. Jesus found them casting and mending nets, which shows they were not yet fully committed to His cause. But when He extended the invitation, they immediately responded by leaving everything behind. Jesus would later tell His disciples, “You didn’t choose me. I chose you” (John 15:16 NLT). Their calling was up to Jesus, and He later admitted that God had given all His disciples to Him (John 17:6, 9). 

Jesus began His earthly ministry by calling a group of unexpected, unqualified men to become His disciples and, later, His apostles and ambassadors of the good news. In time, these four fishermen would be transformed into fishers of men, but that transformation would take more than three years and require the coming of the Holy Spirit to be fully complete. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were relatively uneducated fishermen who displayed a rough-around-the-edges attitude and an entrepreneurial spirit. They were anything but refined and well-respected members of society. But God ordained their selection, and Jesus chose them to be His disciples.

Their unlikely calling vividly illustrates God’s grace and the undeserved nature of the gospel. The apostle Paul, another improbable ministry candidate whom Jesus called, described God’s selection process in honest, but far-from-flattering terms.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT

God chooses, Jesus calls, and the foolish, powerless, poor, weak, and despised respond. In the next chapter of his letter, Mark records Jesus stating, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (Mark 2:17 NLT). Jesus later claimed to have come “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10 ESV), and He began by choosing four leather-skinned, sin-prone fishermen from Galilee. They had no idea what they were signing up for when they said yes to Jesus, but they faithfully followed the leader.  

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

All For One, And One For All

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12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. – Titus 3:12-15 ESV

The early community of Christ was close-knit. Paul had traveled from one end of the known world to the other and planted churches in ethnically and geographically diverse regions, yet these far-flung congregations all shared a bond of unity. Wherever they were, these fledgling communities of faith were in the minority and faced extreme opposition. To unbelieving Gentiles, Christians were nothing more than a splinter sect of the Jewish religion that followed the teachings of an itinerant Jewish rabbi. But to the Jews, Christians represented a dangerous heresy that rejected the Mosaic Law and dismissed the rite of circumcision. So, wherever Paul and his companions preached the gospel and saw its message of faith in Christ take root, they encountered strong opposition fueled by extreme antagonism.

These new congregations of believers were often ostracized and isolated from their former communities, and lacked mature spiritual leadership, so Paul felt a strong sense of responsibility to provide them with instruction and encouragement. He wanted them to know they were part of a much larger community of faith spreading around the world. His letters formed a kind of literary highway system linking these distant and disparate congregations together. His growing network of spiritual disciples included men like Timothy, Titus, Artemas, Tychicus, Zenas, and Apollos, each of whom played a vital role in ministering to the distant Christian communities. These men provided much-needed spiritual training to the faithful, but they also served as Paul’s eyes and ears, giving him insight into what was happening within the body of Christ around the world.

Paul was constantly traveling from one place to another, fulfilling his commission to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the nations. But he left a part of his heart in every city, town, and village where the gospel found converts. In many cases, his first visit to a city was his last. His travels didn’t always allow him to circle back and check in on the churches he helped to plant. In time, his lengthy imprisonment in Rome would completely curtail his efforts to minister to those whom he loved like his own children. But Paul never left them without adequate spiritual nourishment or oversight. He desperately wanted them to know that they were all in this together and were part of a much larger family of faith that God was planting around the world. For Paul, it was essential that each of these churches understood their role within the bigger picture. Rather than focus their attention on their particular circumstances, they were to see themselves as members of the growing body of Christ.

Paul firmly believed that when an individual came to faith in Christ, they were to align themselves with a local faith community. They were not to act as a free agent, operating Lone Ranger style, independent and isolated from other Christians in their community. This corporate mentality was essential to the spiritual well-being of the individual and the community. For Paul, it went well beyond geographic confines. He often used the metaphor of the human body to illustrate the interconnected and interdependent nature of the body of Christ.

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 NLT

The concept of a global church made up of people from all walks of life, every conceivable economic background, and diverse ethnic makeups was revolutionary. And this new admixture of individuals into a mutually beneficial community of faith was making a radical impact on the world. The church was growing, people were noticing, and Paul was obsessed with getting his expanding family of faith to understand their need for one another. He encouraged an attitude of generosity and selflessness and praised the churches in Macedonia for their gracious giving toward the needs of the church in Jerusalem.

For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. – 2 Corinthians 8:3-5 NLT

Paul went on to encourage the believers in Corinth to follow the example of the Macedonian churches.

Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. – 2 Corinthians 8:11 NLT

And Paul wanted the believers on Crete to have the same attitude, telling Titus, “let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful” (Titus 3:14 ESV).

The church is a living organism, not an organization. It is an interactive, interdependent collection of individuals formed into a worldwide community that reflects the unity of the Godhead. And the letter that Paul wrote to Titus is as applicable today as it was in the 1st Century in which he penned it. His call to Christlikeness, humility, submission, service, and an unwavering commitment to the truth is as vital today as it ever was. The words Paul used to open his letter still apply.

I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. – Titus 1:1 NLT

Father, Paul had such a clear sense of calling and exhibited an unwavering commitment to accomplish his mission to spread the gospel to the four corners of the world. He was a man obsessed, but for a good cause. His former zeal to eradicate the followers of Jesus had been dramatically altered into a passion to tell the world about Your gift of grace made possible through the death and resurrection of Your Son. But Paul was more than an evangelist, He was a loving pastor who served as a powerful motivational coach to all those he led to Christ. I am challenged by his determiniation to raise the bar of expectation for Christ followers. He refused to accept the status quo or turn a blind eye to those willing to settle for a lukewarm and fruitless faith. I am also motivated by the way he incessantly trained up the next generation of men to carry on the mission after his departure. Even while he was in prison, the work went on because he had raised up faithful men to stand in the gap and continue the work. I want to be that kind of leader. I want to dedicate my life to the cause of Christ, teaching and training others to fall in love with Your Word and live out their faith with confidence, power, and perseverance. Keep me from becoming distracted or defeated. Constantly remind me of my weakness and Your strength. Help me to number my years and to live each one of them for Your glory and the good of others. Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Team Paul

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7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. – Colossians 4:7-18 ESV

As Paul prepares to wrap up his letter to the Colossian church, he mentions the names of eight different men: Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Jesus (Justus), Epaphras, Luke, Demas, and Archippus. Each had played a vital role in Paul’s life and ministry. Two of them, Tychicus and Onesimus, had been chosen by Paul to deliver the letter once he completed it. The first mention of Tychicus in the Scriptures is found in Acts 20, where Luke records his name, as well as that of Aristarchus, among those who accompanied Paul as he left Greece and made his way to Syria.

…he [Paul] decided to return through Macedonia. Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. – Acts 20:3-6 ESV

Tychicus, like the rest of these men, had become a disciple of Paul and had aided him in his ministry. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul refers to Tychicus as his “beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:21 ESV). Paul had instructed Tychicus to deliver his letter to the Ephesian believers and bring them up to speed on his current situation (Ephesians 6:22). And Paul had entrusted Tychicus with the same responsibility when it came to the congregation in Colossae.

Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. – Colossians 4:7-9 ESV

He was accompanied by Onesimus, another disciple of Paul who, at one time, had been a runaway slave. They had met in Rome, where Paul was imprisoned, and Onesimus was hiding from his former master, a man named Philemon. While it is unclear how Paul and Onesimus met, we do know that Paul had the privilege of leading Onesimus to Christ. After discipling his young friend, Paul determined to send Onesimus back to his master. What makes this situation rather strange is that Paul knew Onesimus’ master well. He was a man named Philemon, and the church in Colossae met in his home. Paul wrote a letter to Philemon, asking him to receive Onesimus back, not as a runaway slave, but as a brother in Christ.

I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.

I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced. It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. – Philemon 1:10-16 NLT

According to Colossians 4:9, Onesimus accompanied Tychicus back to Colossae. Tychicus was to deliver Onesimus and the letter from Paul to Philemon. While it is unclear how this reunion turned out, it seems likely that Philemon heeded Paul’s advice and treated Onesimus as a “beloved brother” (Philemon 1:16).

Paul also mentions Aristarchus, a Greek who hailed from the city of Thessalonica (Acts 20:4). Paul refers to Aristarchus as his “fellow prisoner” (Colossians 4:10), but it seems unlikely that Paul was inferring that Aristarchus was also under house arrest in Rome.  Paul used the term “fellow prisoner” when referring to several of his co-workers in the ministry.

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. – Romans 16:7 ESV

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. – Philemon 1:23-24 ESV

It appears that Paul used this term to refer to their shared captivity to the will of God. Paul opened up his letter to Philemon by describing himself as “a prisoner for Christ Jesus” (Philemon 1:1 ESV). He used the same phrase when writing to the church in Ephesus, another Gentile community.

I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you… – Ephesians 3:1-2 ESV

Paul didn’t consider himself a prisoner of the Roman government but of Jesus Christ. His imprisonment was the result of faithfully fulfilling the will of Christ. He viewed these other men as fellow captives, who shared his commitment to carrying the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.

In a sense, Paul was name-dropping, providing his readers with a list of individuals whom they knew well and whose reputations would further enhance and support the content of Paul’s letter. The believers in Colossae had never met Paul, but they were probably familiar with his name and had heard about his miraculous salvation story and prolific ministry. However, he was a stranger to them, so Paul used the names of these men to assure the Colossians that his words could be trusted. Over time, the various churches had heard about Paul’s travels and the assistance he had received from various individuals, including John Mark and his cousin, Barnabas. That is why Paul mentions their names. John Mark had accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey, and Barnabas had been a part of the church since its earliest days in Jerusalem. Luke mentions his name in Acts 4.

Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. – Acts 4:36-37 ESV

Jesus Justus was one of several Jewish Christians (“men of the circumcision”) who made up Paul’s ethnically diverse ministerial team. Paul wanted the Colossians to know that when he wrote, “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free” (Colossians 3:11 NLT), he meant it. Paul practiced what he preached. He was a non-discriminatory evangelist who truly believed, “Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us” ( Colossians 3:11 NLT).

Epaphras, a citizen of Colossae, had played a major role in the founding of the church there (Colossians 1:7), but he had left his hometown in order to minister alongside Paul. It seems that Paul had a small contingent of co-workers who had accompanied him to Rome and remained by his side while he was under house arrest and awaiting trial. This included Luke, the author of the gospel that bears his name and the Book of Acts. Luke was Paul’s “beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14 ESV) and remained by the apostle’s side throughout his confinement in Rome. Demas was also at Paul’s side in Rome, but the day would come when he would allow his love for the world to replace his commitment to Paul and the gospel ministry.

Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. – 2 Timothy 4:10 ESV

Paul closes out his letter by asking that it be shared with the church in Laodicea. Evidently, there was a letter he had written to the Laodicean congregation that he wished to be read to the Colossians as well. All of these congregations were in close proximity to one another, and the letters Paul wrote to them were intended to be shared among them.

The messages they contained were universal in nature and applicable to each community where local congregations attempted to live out their faith in hostile surroundings.  Remaining faithful in the midst of a fallen and often antagonistic world was not easy, and nobody knew that better than Paul. That is why he closes out his letter by calling on his children in the faith to “Remember my chains” (Colossians 4:18 ESV). 

Paul wanted them to know that he had been imprisoned because of the gospel. He was not oblivious to their situation but was well acquainted with the suffering that accompanied the Christian life. He rejoiced that God had deemed him worthy of the privilege of suffering as Christ had suffered on behalf of His body, the church.

I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. – Colossians 1:24 NLT

His final words to Archippus were applicable to each member of the Colossians church.

“See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” – Colossians 4:17 ESV

For Paul, faithful service and obedience to God’s will were the high-water marks of saving faith. He desired that every believer run the race to win, to fight as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and to make every effort to present themselves “approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 BSB).

Father, thank You for choosing Paul and transforming his life. You always do the unexpected and use the unworthy and unlikely to accomplish Your will. The list is long and includes Moses the murderer and David the adulterer as well as Peter the loudmouthed fishermen who denied Christ and lived to tell about it. You are in the transforming business and all You have to work with is broken clay pots (2 Corinthians 4:7). While each of us is unworthy of Your love and undeserving of Your grace, You have chosen to offer us Your gift of salvation and the indwelling presence of Your Spirit. That is what every individual mentioned in these verses had in common, and it is true of me as well. Now, help me to fulfill the ministry You have given me. I want to run the race well, fight fearlessly, serve faithfully, and love selflessly until the day You call me home or Your Son returns. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Man On A Mission

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22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. – Romans 15:22-33 ESV

Paul had just said, “I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation” (Romans 15:20 ESV). Now he tells them that he hopes to see them, but only in passing as he makes his way to Spain.

Paul was a starter, not a builder. He saw himself as a planter, not a harvester. Yet his many letters, which comprise most of the New Testament canon, prove that he cared deeply about the ongoing maturity of the churches he helped to start. He longed to see believers grow but, more than anything else, he wanted to see the lost come to faith in Christ. So he was always looking for fertile fields in which to sow the seeds of the gospel.

Paul took the words of Jesus seriously.

“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” – Luke 10:2 NLT

Paul knew that there were those who would sow and those who would reap the harvest, and his job was to plant so that others might come along and water the new seeds of faith, allowing them to grow to full maturity. That is exactly what he told the Corinthian believers when he heard that they were dividing themselves between those who claimed to be his followers and those who claimed to follow Apollos.

After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. – 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 NLT

Paul wasn’t looking for glory or trying to establish a name for himself. He simply wanted to preach the good news of Jesus Christ to as many people in as many places as possible. But he also cared deeply about the discipleship of those who came to faith in Christ. He had a passion for the reputation of the body of Christ and the spiritual well-being of the congregations he helped to plant. He was concerned about the unity of the church and the acceptance of his Gentile brothers and sisters in Christ by the leadership in Jerusalem.

When he discovered the division taking place in Corinth, he wrote, “I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose” (1 Corinthians 1:10 NLT). Paul wanted to see the body of Christ prove its love by ministering to itself selflessly and lovingly, regardless of location.

Paul had been commissioned by his sending church in Antioch to take up a collection for the believers in Judea.

During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem. – Acts 11:27-30 NLT

The famine had severely impacted that region of the world and left the church in Jerusalem in dire straits. Not only were its members being persecuted for their faith in Christ, but they were struggling to feed themselves. So, on his missionary journeys, Paul collected offerings from the predominantly Gentile congregations to take to the believers in Judea. He told the believers in Rome that he would come to them as soon as he delivered the funds he had collected from all the churches to “the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” He reminded his Gentile readers that since they “have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings” (Romans 15:27 NLT). The Jewish believers in Jerusalem were suffering and Paul wanted to see the Gentile believers play a part in ministering to them. Paul’s goal was unity and impartiality.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” – 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 NLT

Paul’s mission was not just to make converts, but to establish a strong and vibrant church, made up of those who understood the grace of God and were willing to extend that grace to others. For Paul, salvation was not the end-all; he wanted those who claimed to have faith in Christ to demonstrate the life-changing nature of their salvation through their actions. They were to be new creations, exhibiting the characteristics of Christ, living in submission to the Spirit, and expressing the love of God to all those around them.

As verse 31 indicates, he was under constant attack for his unfailing commitment to the cause of Christ. His mission was not an easy one, and his ministry was far from trouble-free. He traveled far, suffered much, failed often, but never lost sight of his mission “to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard” (Romans 15:20 NLT). He even had his eyes set on Spain, which, in those days, was believed to be the literal end of the world. For Paul, Rome was an important destination, but it would not be his final stop along the way. He had ambitious goals to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, just as Jesus had said. And while there is no biblical evidence that Paul ever made it to Spain, the gospel did. Paul’s zeal and determination influenced others to take up the baton and finish the race on his behalf. 

Paul lived out the truth found in Isaiah 40:31.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.

Father, had Paul not taken his commission seriously, the gospel would never have made it beyond the walls of Jerusalem. He was the first to fulfill Jesus’ command to take the gospel “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NLT). When Jesus charged Paul “to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15 NLT), Paul took His words seriously. Paul obeyed and spent the rest of his life fulfilling his Christ-ordained call, and he let nothing stand in his way. Rejection, imprisonments, constant character assassination, beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, and physical ailments could not diminish his zeal or deter him from accomplishing his mission. His faithfulness produced untold fruitfulness, transforming the lives of countless Gentiles and Jews and helping to create a richly diversified family of Christ-followers whose mutual love and affection gave evidence of the gospel’s power to transform lives from the inside out. And the gospel is still making a difference in the world today as Your church continues to carry out the Great Commission. But may we have the same zeal and determination that motivated Paul, so that the gospel will spread and the church will expand until Your Son returans. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

Give Graciously and Love Well

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1 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, 2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. – 2 Corinthians 9:1-5 ESV

By now, it should be clear that the collection of funds for the saints in Judea was near and dear to Paul’s heart. It was a high priority for him, and not just because he was the one who came up with the idea. Paul truly believed in the reality of the body of Christ and the necessity of its corporate unity that extended beyond geographic and ethnic boundaries. Of all people, he had been privileged to experience the true nature of the family of God as he traveled around the world, witnessing the gospel transform the lives of people from every walk of life and every tribe, tongue, and nation. He saw the wealthy and the wise come to faith in Christ, as well as the impoverished and uneducated. He had witnessed born-again slaves attending worship with their saved masters. He had seen the love of God displayed among those who, at one time, would have never associated with one another.

The transformative power of the gospel was not speculative for Paul; he had seen it first-hand. And he longed to see every believer experience the full extent of its power by encouraging them to willingly submit to God’s will in every area of their lives. This included the area of giving.

So Paul continues to bring up the subject of the collection for the believers in Judea. Why? Was it so he could brag to Peter and the other apostles in Jerusalem about how much money he was able to raise? No, it was so he could watch the Corinthians discover the joy of giving and the thrill of God’s blessing that comes through a life of obedience.

Paul tells the Corinthians that he is sending Titus and his companions to ensure they follow through on their commitment to give. It is not that he doubts them; he has already been bragging about them to the Madedonians. It is just that he knew human nature and was well aware that the enemy would attack them from within and without, attempting to distract them from this God-given mission. It is one thing to say you will give. It is another thing to make it happen. They had made a commitment to give; now Paul wanted to make sure they didn’t renege. To do so would bring shame to them and do damage to the name of Christ.

For Paul, the motivation behind their giving was as important as the gift itself. He didn’t want them to give under compulsion or with any sense of regret. He also didn’t want them to expect something in return for their generosity. That is what he means by “not as an exaction.” The Greek word he uses is pleonexia, and it means “greedy to have more” (“G4124 – pleonexia – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 11 Oct, 2016).

Just a few verses later, Paul states, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV). The motivation for our giving should not be to get something back from God. We do not give to get; we give because God has so graciously given to us. Our motivation comes from our gratitude to God and shows up in our love for others. Giving, expecting gratitude and praise from the recipient, is an improper motivation.

Jesus warned about the danger of doing good to seek glory and recognition. 

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:1-4 ESV

Giving is a privilege, but it is also a responsibility. God could meet the needs of others in a variety of ways, but He has chosen to use us as the primary means of distributing His resources among His people. He blesses us so that we might be a blessing to one another. He provides one with abundance so that they might share with those in need. Paul refers to the collection of funds for the Judean Christians as “the ministry for the saints.” In his eyes, it was a ministry, a God-ordained mission to display His love in tangible, practical ways. It was His plan for the body of Christ to minister to itself through selfless acts of sacrificial giving and the use of their Spirit-empowered giftedness.

Father, You have called us to be a giving people who mirror Your grace, mercy, love, and generosity to all those around us, especially to those who share our faith in You. In a world married by the sin of selfishness and .self-centeredness, we are to be like a breath of fresh air, providing a refreshing and revitalizing glimpse of Your goodness. But the enemy wants us to reject Your call to gracious giving and focus all our attention on resources on ouselves. Jesus said that the world would know we were His disciples by the way we love one another, and giving is just another expression of our love. Hoarding isn”t loving. Refusing to share our time, talent, and resources is a not-so-subtle form of hate. James made that clear when he wrote, “Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?” (James 2:15-16 NLT). I don’t want to be that kind of person. So, would you use Your Holy Spirit to help me live out the truth of John’s admonition?

“If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.” (1 John 3:17-18 BSB). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Love On Display

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1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. – 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 ESV

Paul opens up this section of verses with the same words he has used throughout this section of the letter:

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote… – 1 Corinthians 7:1 ESV

Now concerning the betrothed… – 1 Corinthians 7:25 ESV

Now concerning food offered to idols… – 1 Corinthians 8:1 ESV

Now concerning spiritual gifts… – 1 Corinthians 12:1 ESV

Now concerning our brother Apollos… – 1 Corinthians 16:12 ESV

In each case, it seems he is either answering a question from the Corinthians or addressing a concern about the church’s affairs. In this case, he is dealing with their role in assisting the “saints.” This is most likely a reference to the saints in Jerusalem and Judea. Luke describes the situation in the Book of Acts.

Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. – Acts 11:27-30 ESV

The warning of a looming famine in Judea moved the believers in Antioch, Syria, to take action.  Primarily comprised of newly converted Gentiles, the church in Antioch decided to collect an offering to help the church in Jerusalem survive the pending famine, and they appointed Paul and Barnabas to deliver the gift. Under Paul’s leadership, this fundraising effort would expand to other congregations in regions such as Galatia, Asia, Macedonia, and Achaia. When the famine began, Paul was still traveling throughout these same regions, leading people to Christ and planting churches. His collection for the saints in Jerusalem was a long-term effort that encouraged Gentile congregations throughout the known world to participate, including the church in Corinth.

Paul had a strong desire to assist the believers in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas who were struggling during the time of famine. These believers, who were primarily Jews, were not only going without food but were also having to deal with persecution from their Jewish peers because of their conversion to Christianity. Paul had written to the believers in Rome, informing them about this international relief effort and his role in it.

At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. – Romans 15:25-26 ESV

He went on to say that the believers in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to do it and even saw it as a debt they owed.

For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. – Romans 15:27 ESV 

In the early days of the church, there was a need for community and mutual care throughout the body of Christ. The new, fledgling churches were commonly made up of individuals from the less affluent segments of society. Many who had come to faith in Christ had lost their jobs and been ostracized by their families. Some of the churches Paul helped found were better off than others, and he strongly encouraged them to use their resources to help those in need, both within their own local fellowships and in other cities. Paul would write a second letter to the Corinthians, encouraging them to support the needs of others, something they seemed to struggle with.

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. – 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 NLT

Paul was not above using shame as a motivator, comparing the Corinthians’ apparent stinginess with the generosity of the churches in Macedonia. These congregations, while enduring their own “deep poverty,” were joyfully and eagerly giving to meet the needs of the saints in Jerusalem, even begging for the opportunity to do so. Twice, Paul refers to this as a “gracious work” and tells the Corinthians that generous giving is to be pursued with the same intensity and high priority as faith, speech, knowledge, or even love. In fact, meeting the physical needs of others is one of the greatest expressions of our love for others.

So Paul tells the Corinthians, “On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once” (1 Corinthians 1:3 NLT). He provides them with instructions on how to take up their collection, fully expecting them to participate in supporting the needs of the believers in Judea. He is not commanding them to do so, but he is fully expecting their willing participation. Why? Because it is God’s will and their willful involvement will provide evidence of the Spirit’s working within them. God has a heart for the helpless, hopeless, needy, and destitute. In the book of Micah, the prophet records what God expects of His people:

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8 ESV

The greatest expression of generosity and sacrifice Paul could think of was that of Jesus Christ’s willing sacrifice of His life.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV

He gave His life so that we might live. He became poor, leaving the confines of heaven and taking on human flesh, so that we might become rich, enjoying our position as heir of God Himself. 

The body of Christ is meant to care for itself; there is no room for selfishness and self-centeredness. God blesses some so that they might be a blessing to others. But even those with little can assist those with even less. This is not just about redistributing wealth or creating a socialist society. It is about love, generosity, and a desire to express God’s love to those in need. In a second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul brought up their need to participate again.

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7-9 NLT

The goal for Paul was generosity, a genuine, heartfelt, Spirit-inspired, love-based generosity that expressed the unity and community for which Christ died. Paul longed to see the churches to which he ministered experience and display the kind of love that characterized the days immediately after the coming of the Spirit.

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had…There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. – Acts 4:32,34-35 NLT

Genuine generosity, Godly love, brotherly affection, selfless sacrifice, and compassionate care were to mark the body of Christ and give evidence of their relationship with Him. As Jesus told His disciples, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT).

Father, generosity and love are not optional for Your children. As Your sons and daughters, we are to reflect Your character and display Your heart to the world around us as we lovingly care for our own. But our acts of selfless sacrifice should not be restricted to those who believe as we do or who attend our local fellowship. Jesus died for all men. His did not limit His love by offering it only to His own people. His gift of salvation was for all those living in spiritual poverty, and we are the beneficiaries of that love. But if we can’t love and care for our own, our witness to the world will be ineffective. How will they know we are followers of Christ is we can’t manage to meet one another’s needs? We are a blessed people and most of us have more than we need or deserve. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, remove our tendency toward selfishness and replace it with selflessness. May we love others as You have loved us. May we display a level of mutual care and concern that demonstrates to the world that we are Your children by making Your selfless, sacrificial love tangible and visible. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Strong to the Finish

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7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. – Colossians 4:7-18 ESV

As Paul prepares to wrap up his letter to the Colossian church, he mentions the names of eight men: Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Jesus (Justus), Epaphras, Luke, Demas, and Archippus. Each had played a vital role in Paul’s life and ministry. Two of them, Tychicus and Onesimus, were chosen by Paul to deliver the letter once he had completed it. The first mention of Tychicus in the Scriptures is found in Acts 20, where Luke records his name, as well as that of Aristarchus, among those who accompanied Paul as he left Greece and made his way to Syria.

…he [Paul] decided to return through Macedonia. Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. – Acts 20:3-6 ESV

Tychicus, like the rest of these men, had become a disciple of Paul and had aided him in his ministry. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul refers to Tychicus as his “beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:21 ESV). Paul had instructed Tychicus to deliver his letter to the Ephesian believers and bring them up to speed on his current situation (Ephesians 6:22). Paul had entrusted Tychicus with the same responsibility regarding the congregation in Colossae.

Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. – Colossians 4:7-9 ESV

He was accompanied by Onesimus, another disciple of Paul who, at one time, had been a runaway slave. Paul had befriended Onesimus in Rome, where Paul was imprisoned. The young man was hiding from his former master, Philemon. While it is unclear how Paul and Onesimus met, we know that Paul had the privilege of leading Onesimus to Christ. After discipling his young friend for a period of time, he determined to send Onesimus back to his master. What makes this situation rather strange is that Paul knew Onesimus’ master well. The church in Colossae met in Philemon’s home. Paul wrote a letter to Philemon, asking him to receive Onesimus back, not as a runaway slave, but as a brother in Christ.

I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.

I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced. It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. – Philemon 1:10-16 NLT

According to Colossian 4:9, Onesimus accompanied Tychicus back to Colossae. Tychicus was to deliver Onesimus and the letter from Paul to Philemon. We are not told how this reunion turned out, but it seems likely that Philemon heeded Paul’s advice and treated Onesimus as a “beloved brother” (Philemon 1:16).

Paul also mentions Aristarchus, a Greek who hailed from Thessalonica (Acts 20:4). Paul refers to Aristarchus as his “fellow prisoner” (Colossians 4:10), but it seems unlikely that Paul was inferring that Aristarchus was also under house arrest in Rome. Paul used the term “fellow prisoner” when referring to several of his co-workers in the ministry.

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. – Romans 16:7 ESV

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. – Philemon 1:23-24 ESV

Paul likely used this term to refer to their shared captivity to the will of God and their constant presence with him during his house arrest. Paul opened up his letter to Philemon by describing himself as “a prisoner for Christ Jesus” (Philemon 1:1 ESV). He used the exact phrase when writing to the church in Ephesus, another Gentile community.

I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you… – Ephesians 3:1-2 ESV

Paul didn’t consider himself a prisoner of the Roman government but of Jesus Christ. He was where he was because he had faithfully fulfilled Christ’s will, and he viewed these other men as fellow captives who shared his commitment to carrying the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.

In a sense, Paul was name-dropping, providing his readers with a list of individuals they knew well and whose reputations would further enhance and support the content of his letter. The believers in Colossae had never met Paul face to face. They were familiar with his name and had likely heard about his miraculous salvation story and prolific ministry, but he was a stranger to them. Paul used the names of these men to assure the Colossians that his words could be trusted. Over time, the various churches heard about Paul’s travels and the assistance he received from various individuals, including John Mark and his cousin Barnabas. That is why Paul mentions their names. John Mark had accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey and Barnabas had been a part of the church since its earliest days in Jerusalem. Luke mentions his name in Acts 4.

Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. – Acts 4:36-37 ESV

Jesus Justus was one of several Jewish Christians (“men of the circumcision”) who made up Paul’s ethnically diverse ministerial team. When Paul wrote, “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free” (Colossians 3:11 NLT), he meant it. The apostle to the Gentiles practiced what he preached, surrounding himself with men and women from every walk of life and ethnic background. They all shared a common faith in Christ..

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. – Colossians 3:11 NLT

Epaphras, a citizen of Colossae, had played a significant role in the church’s founding (Colossians 1:7), but he had left his hometown to minister alongside Paul. It seems that Paul had a small contingent of co-workers who accompanied him to Rome and remained by his side while he was under house arrest and awaiting trial. This included Luke, the author of the gospel that bears his name. Luke also wrote the Book of Acts and served as Paul’s “beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14 ESV). This faithful friend remained by the apostle’s side throughout his confinement in Rome. Demas was also at Paul’s side in Rome, but as Paul records in his second letter to Timothy, Demas later allowed his love for the world to replace his commitment to Paul and the gospel ministry.

Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. – 2 Timothy 4:10 ESV

Paul closes out his letter by asking it be shared with the church in Laodicea. Evidently, there was a letter he wrote to the Laodicean congregation that he wished to be read by the Colossians as well. All of these congregations were near one another, and the letters Paul wrote to them were intended to be circulated among them. The messages they contained were universal and applicable in every one of the communities where local congregations were attempting to live out their faith in hostile surroundings.  Remaining faithful in a fallen and often antagonistic world was difficult, and nobody knew that better than Paul. That is why he closed out his letter by calling his children in the faith to “Remember my chains” (Colossians 4:18 ESV). He wanted them to know he had been imprisoned because of the gospel. His own experience with suffering gave him a unique capacity to understand what the Colossians were experiencing. He was not oblivious to their situation but was well acquainted with the trials often accompanying Christian life. He rejoiced that God had deemed him worthy of the privilege of suffering as Christ had suffered – on behalf of His body, the church.

I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. – Colossians 1:24 NLT

For Paul, the walk of faith was challenging but well worth the effort. He knew the Colossian believers were suffering persecution and wrestling with doubts because of the influence of false teachers. But he wanted them to remain firm in their faith and committed to the cause of Christ. Paul played the long game, concentrating on the promise of Christ’s return and the assurance of eternal life as the final reward.

I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – Philippians 3:12-14 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Make Disciples

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19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20 ESV

One of the last things Jesus said to His disciples was His command that they “make disciples.” Matthew closes out his gospel account with this powerful and non-negotiable directive given by the resurrected Jesus to His faithful yet fledgling band of followers. He was leaving and assigning them the task of growing their number in His absence. The Greek word translated as “make disciples” is mathēteuō, a verb that conveys action and expectation. The primary methodology they would use to make disciples was teaching, a concept built into the word mathēteuō.

Jesus’ followers had benefited from the three years of instruction they received from Him, and now He was expecting them to carry on His ministry of disciple-making by passing on all they had learned. This would require them to recall all the oral lessons He had taught them – no small task. But Jesus had told them that they would have help in the form of the Holy Spirit.

“…when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” – John 14:26 NLT

Jesus also told them that this Advocate would be “the Spirit of truth” who would “come to you from the Father and…testify all about me”  (John 15:26 NLT). Upon His departure, the disciples would receive a new instructor, the Spirit of God, who would continue to mathēteuō them, transforming them into ever more faithful followers of Christ. But their growth in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding was not intended for self-enlightenment and personal improvement alone; it was to be shared. Their ongoing instruction by the Holy Spirit was to be a master’s class in pedagogical training that produced more faithful followers of Jesus.

The apostle Paul understood the weight of Jesus’ command to make disciples, even though he had not been there when Jesus spoke the words. This former Pharisee and persecutor of Christians had a one-of-kind encounter with the resurrected Jesus that left him a changed man. His unexpected, life-changing meeting with the risen Messiah had a profound impact on him and was accompanied by further instruction directly from the lips of Jesus Himself.

Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. – Galatians 1:11-12 NLT

For nearly three years, the LORD personally discipled Paul through the presence and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This well-educated Hebrew received a PhD in personal evangelism that transformed him into a fervent disciple-maker. His passion for the gospel was unparalleled and highly infectious. He constantly shared his heart for the lost and his expectation that all believers embrace the commission Jesus had articulated. In his letter to the believers in Rome, Paul prompted them with a series of probing questions.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. – Romans 10:14-17 ESV  

Paul has just finished saying, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11 ESV), and “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13 ESV). Paul used the Old Testament Scriptures, quoting Isaiah 28:16 and Joel 2:32 to prove his point. Belief in God would lead one to call out to Him in times of need or trouble. While Paul’s audience in Rome consisted primarily of Gentile Christians, this section of his letter emphasized the Jewish people. He expressed his heart’s desire that they be saved, even suggesting that he would be willing to suffer eternal damnation if it meant that the Jews would come to faith. But Paul knew they would have to experience salvation just as the Gentiles had. They would have to call on the name of the Lord.

But at this point in his letter, Paul asks his Gentile readers, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? ” (Romans 10:15 NLT). Yes, the Jews had a responsibility to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, just like everyone else. But Paul was adamant that the believers in Rome had an even weightier responsibility to tell them about Christ.

After His death and resurrection, Jesus commanded His disciples to “go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19 NLT). He even described their geographical mission field as “Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NLT). But His commission and mission field directive didn’t just apply to the eleven men He left behind. They have been the marching orders for every disciple of Jesus Christ from that point until today.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul quotes from the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah.

How beautiful upon the mountains
    are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
    who publishes salvation,
    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” – Isaiah 52:7 ESV

The original words had been given to the people of Judah to announce that God would restore them from captivity in Babylon and return them to Jerusalem. Paul borrowed this message of comfort and joy to express what it was like when someone hears the good news of Jesus Christ for the first time. When an unbeliever learns that they can be restored to a right relationship with God, even though they are undeserving of His amazing grace, it is “good news.” When someone shares the gospel with an unbeliever, faithfully obeying Christ’s command to mathēteuō, they bring news of peace and salvation.

But Paul breaks the sad news that not everyone who hears will listen. Even when Isaiah told the people of Judah that God would set them free from captivity in the land of Babylon, not everyone received his message with open arms. Not everyone believed. God told them, “Get out! Get out and leave your captivity, where everything you touch is unclean. Get out of there and purify yourselves” (Isaiah 52:11 NLT). Yet the prophet would ask, “Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?” (Isaiah 53:1 NLT). Many of the Jews living in Babylon would refuse to return to the land of promise. Rather than believe God’s message of hope and make the long, arduous journey back to Judah, they would choose to remain in captivity.

Paul stated that, in his day, not everyone who heard the gospel received it. Both Jews and Gentiles rejected the good news regarding Jesus Christ, refusing to accept the message of salvation through faith in Christ alone. For Paul, it always came back to faith. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17 ESV). We have a responsibility to tell, but everyone who hears must express faith in what they have heard. We have a responsibility to communicate the gospel with unbelievers, but it is NOT our responsibility to convert them. They must confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). Then and only then will they experience salvation.

Ultimately, it is God who calls, justifies, and glorifies (Romans 8:30). Salvation does not depend on human will or effort but on the mercy of God (Romans 9:16). God said, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” (Romans 9:15 ESV). Conversion is never the result of coercion. We will never debate someone into a saving relationship with Christ. Our responsibility is to share and leave the results up to God. Paul provides an interesting and important analogy in his letter to the Corinthians believers.

After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. – 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 NLT

Jesus’ command to “make disciples” is not a directive to coerce conversion. All we can do is share what we know and give what we have received. Paul didn’t convert anyone, but he went out of his way to tell everyone what he knew. He faithfully conveyed the message of faith in Christ alone to all who would listen—Jews and Gentiles alike. Paul was a faithful disciple who was a fervent disciple-maker. He took Christ’s command seriously and shared it constantly, telling his young protege Timothy, “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV).

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.