MY TRUE SON IN THE FAITH

It is customary to refer to other Christians with familial terms. The marriage and family bond is one of the strongest bonds in the human experience. It is no surprise then that it is appropriated by New Testament writers to designate how strong our bond is with one another in Christ.



In Paul’s letter to Timothy he begins by identifying him as “my legitimate/true child in the faith”(1 Timothy 1:2). This is a fascinating reference because of two words Paul uses.


First, Timothy is true/legitimate (gnesios). This word carries with it the idea of the real, genuine thing. When I read Paul’s two letters to Timothy, I am immediately struck with the genuine friendship and relationship that existed between these two Christians. Paul knew Timothy’s family well, and entrusted the young man to some very responsible tasks connected with the apostolic ministry.


Second, the tender word for “child” (teknon) helps Paul express how dear, special and familial Paul feels toward this young man Timothy. Later on in this very letter, once again, Paul addresses him as “Timothy, my son…”(1 Timothy 1:18). He wants to get Timothy’s attention as he instructs him how to fight the good fight of faith in the face of opposition. As his father in the faith, he knows that this precious young man in the faith is about to face some pretty stiff opposition.


For each of us today, God has placed in our stewardship a spiritual “true son/daughter in the faith.” Who is that person? Do they know of your spiritual concerns for them? Do they hear affirmation from you regarding the bond of genuine friendship? Do you watch out for their spiritual welfare, and seek to instruct them?


“My true son in the faith”—what a beautiful expression!


In Christian love, Curtis

RE-DEFINING SUCCESS FOR THE CHURCH

The last big point that I want to reflect on made by Randy Harris at ElderLink is this: we must redefine success in order to reach our world with the good news of Jesus. The church has been enamored with business models of success and measuring that success. But it is strange that things we count as important rarely, if ever, surface in the New Testament with regards to the life and vitality of the church.

If a core value of the kingdom is (as Randy suggested) reconciliation, then perhaps we need to re-think the success and progress of the church. Let me be candid here and provide an example.

Every church I have worked with over the last 36 years of pastoral ministry usually gives a financial and success report in January that is based on yearly contribution, attendance figures, etc. What if we changed that and let “reconciliation” be what we reported on? Here is what the report for the year would be like…

This past year 25 people were reconciled to God, and put on their Lord Jesus in baptism.
This past year 8 couples were reconciled to each other.
This past year 4 individuals in the church who had issues with one another were reconciled with each other.
This past year 12 people came down front during the worship assembly and asked for forgiveness and to be reconciled to God.

What if this is how we viewed the church and her mission? What if reconciliation defined our mission, not dollars and attendance? What if relationships with one another, with outsiders, and with God were our main concern?

Not only do we need to re-define success, we need to remove the word “success” from our Christian vocabulary! It needs to be replaced with words such as “faithfulness,” “fruitfulness,” “reconciliation,” etc. Whether we like to admit it or not, our culture has defined church for us. We have allowed the marketplace to dictate to us how think Christian-ly.

Is the heart of the Christian experience about reconciliation? If it is, we need to clean up our vocabulary, our act, our pride and humble ourselves beneath the mighty hand of God. “Be reconciled to God…and to one another!”

In Christian love, Curtis

A STRANGE PHRASE FROM PAUL

We encounter almost daily strange phrases. “It will cost you an arm and a leg!” What does that mean, and where does it come from? “Don’t throw out the baby with the bath water!” What does that mean? “Shoot the breeze.” What does this mean? “Barking up the wrong tree.” So, what does this mean?

The Apostle Paul uses a strange phrase in his letter to the Christians at Rome. It is found twice: “for/unto the obedience of faith” (1:5 and 16:26). What does this strange phrase mean? It seems that there are basically two options: either Paul is talking about obedience that comes from faith, or essentially faith is obedience. Which one is it, and what is Paul trying to say?

Probably it is both. Paul cannot separate faith from obedience, and obedience springs from faith. This is the two sides of Paul’s missionary zeal. He wants and desires people to respond faithfully out of a heart of obedience. He wants this to happen among all the nations for the sake of Christ’s name. Paul also wants this to happen by being made known to all the nations, anticipating his future evangelistic endeavors and proclamation.

A strange phrase from Paul. Yet powerful. Here is what is translates for us today:

The gospel is for all who obey God out of faith.

The gospel is to be made known and proclaimed so all CAN faithfully respond to the good news.

Inclusiveness and powerful proclamation. The church must never tire of its gospel mandate with these two aspects. The gospel is for all. Young and old. Rich and poor. Male and Female. Slave and free. Black, Hispanic, Caucasian, etc. And it is the proclamation of the good news powerfully testifying to the risen Lord that makes it possible for all who have sinned to be forgiven!

Paul understood his calling as an apostle and he called upon others who were the “saints” at Rome to remember their calling. Conversion is a calling to claim our identity as “beloved” and “holy” and to share such good news with others. May we faithfully and obediently respond!

In Christian love, Curtis