“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Col. 1:24–29).

How can we become effective ministers of Christ? How can we become an effective church?

When I was in seminary taking a homiletics class, I was told to pick a pastor I would like to model in his preaching. This is not only good practice for those studying preaching, but for any type of job or ministry. We learn by modeling others and we teach by example.

As far as ministry, there may be no better model to emulate than Paul. In many ways, Paul became Christ’s greatest apostle as he reached not only Jews but also much of the Gentile world.

In fact, God was so pleased with Paul’s ministry that he chose to set him as an example in the Scriptures of somebody to imitate. First Corinthians 11:1 says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Philippians 3:17 says, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”

Paul is a model, and his ministry should be our constant study. In this lesson, we will learn characteristics of effective ministers by studying Paul’s ministry to the Colossian church.

Big Question: What are characteristics of effective ministers as seen through the model of Paul in Colossians 1:24–29?

Effective Ministers Are Willing To Suffer For The Church

“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church” (Col.1:24).

Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by “fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions”?

One of the things that must stand out is Paul’s willingness to suffer for Christ’s church. Now it should be noted, when Paul says he will fill up in his flesh “what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,” he is not talking about Christ’s atoning work on the cross. Christ’s work was perfect and complete. The writer of Hebrews said this:

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God (Heb. 10:11–12).

Christ offered one sacrifice for sins and then he sat down, showing his offering was sufficient, unlike the priests before him. However, one should be aware that some have used this passage to teach the need for us to work or make up for what was lacking in Christ’s death to earn salvation. Look at what John MacArthur said:

Roman Catholics have imagined here a reference to the suffering of Christians in purgatory. Christ’s suffering, they maintain, was not enough to purge us completely from our sins. Christians must make up what was lacking in Christ’s suffering on their behalf by their own suffering after death. That can hardly be Paul’s point, however. He has just finished demonstrating that Christ alone is sufficient to reconcile us to God (1:20–23).¹

What is Paul then referring to when he says filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions? There are two aspects to this.

(1) Paul is referring to suffering the afflictions Christ would suffer if he was still on the earth. Christ said this to his disciples in John 15:20: “‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”

Christians suffer the persecution that their master would if he was still on the earth. The more our life models his, the more we will receive the same animosity he did.

(2) Or, Paul is referring to how Christ suffers when any believer suffers. The body cannot feel pain that is not sensed by the head. Paul was very aware of this reality for he persecuted the church in his pre–conversion days. When Christ appeared to him, he said this in Acts 9:4–5: “‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’”

Though Paul was persecuting the church, Christ suffered when the church suffered since he is the head of the body. While the church awaits the coming of Christ and his kingdom, we will, by necessity, be filling up what is lacking in Christ’s sufferings.

Believers Are Called To Suffer

This should be the attitude of every minister. He knows he must drink a cup of suffering until the time of Christ’s return, and he drinks it willingly. He doesn’t desire it or ask for it, but he submits to the will of the Father. Remember Christ’s words before he went to the cross: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

In speaking about suffering, Paul said to Timothy, “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:3). Each Christian, like a good soldier, has been called to suffer for Christ. In fact, Christ did not hide this truth when he called us to follow him. He said,

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:26–27).

This is an attitude every Christian must foster as we each will suffer as disciples of Christ in some way or another. Colossians is a prison epistle; therefore, when Paul writes this letter he is under house arrest in Rome, chained next to a Roman guard twenty–four hours a day. He willingly suffered for Christ and his church as he sought to spread the gospel to every part of the ancient world. An effective minister of Christ is willing to suffer for Christ’s body. Suffering will always be present, and those who choose to avoid suffering will not be effective for Christ.

Jesus taught something similar about his death. He said: “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24).

If Christ had not died, he would have enjoyed the riches of heaven by himself. But through his death he brought many people to heaven. Certainly, this is true of us as well in some sense. Listen to this quote from The Believers Bible Commentary:

If we refuse to be corns of wheat—falling into the ground, and dying; if we will neither sacrifice prospects, nor risk character, and property, and health; nor, when we are called, relinquish home, and break family ties, for Christ’s sake; then we shall abide alone. But if we wish to be fruitful, we must follow our Blessed Lord Himself, by becoming a corn of wheat, and dying, then we shall bring forth much fruit. ²

A Christian can choose to live a life avoiding all sacrifice and suffering. They can choose to not get involved with others’ problems. They can choose to not bear the weight of serving or the scorn from being bold for Christ, and yes, they may go to heaven, but they will go to heaven alone without producing much fruit.

All effective ministers of Christ are willing to suffer for the body. Are you willing to suffer?

Application Questions: Why is suffering necessary to truly have a transformational ministry?

Effective Ministers Are Servants Of The Church

“I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness” (Col. 1:25).

Paul said he had become the church’s servant by the commission of God. This is true of all ministers who are effective. In fact, the word minister means servant. This is what Jesus said about himself: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Every effective minister must be a servant. This would seem to be fundamental to ministry; however, we should be aware that not all ministers are truly servants. It is very possible for ministers to seek to be served in the church instead of serving. In fact, we see this with most people who attend church. When a person starts going to a church, typically the first thing on their mind is, “How can this church serve me? How is the worship? How is the preaching? How is the youth ministry? What can I get out of this church?”

Most Christians are consumer-minded. They are thinking about what they can get and not what they can give. This can also happen with those who are serving in ministry in the church. It is very easy for ministry to become about us.

In Luke 22, the disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. This consumer mindset had started to creep into Christ’s apostles as well. They were starting to serve Christ primarily for what they could get. Look at how Christ rebuked his disciples. He said,

The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22:25–27).

Jesus said, even though the world’s model of leadership is about ruling and being served, it will not be that way with his disciples. The greatest among them should be like the youngest. In that culture, the older person was more exalted than the younger. The younger person would do all the dirty work and serve everybody in the house. Christ said that’s not how it would be with his disciples. They would be servants.

A fitting story about the American Revolution teaches this same principle.

During the American Revolution, a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier. Their leader was shouting instructions at them but making no other attempt to help them. Asked why by the rider, the leader said with great dignity, ‘Sir, I’m a corporal!’

The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers. The job done, he turned to the corporal and said, ‘If you need some more help, son, call me.’ With that, the Commander–In–Chief, George Washington, remounted his horse and rode on.³

In this scenario, the corporal used his rank to order people around without being willing to get dirty and do some work. However, George Washington, the President of the United States at that time, chose to use his leadership to set the example by serving others. This is what Christian ministers do. They set the example by serving.

Listen to what Peter said to the elders of the churches in his epistle:

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:2–3).

After learning this lesson from Christ, Peter told the elders to not lord over those God had given them. In this passage, Peter actually gives three vices common to leadership. Leadership can commonly fall into the vice of being lazy instead of willingly serving. They commonly fall into the vice of being greedy for money instead of eager to serve, and they commonly fall into the trap of lording over people instead of being examples to the flock. Peter had learned his lesson, and so must each of us as ministers of Christ, if we are going to be effective. We must be servants of the church instead of seeking for the church to serve us.

How are you serving the church? How has God called you to serve the church?

Application Question: What are characteristics of a good servant?

1. A Good Servant Is Always Seeking The Interests Of Others Before His Own.

Listen to what Paul said: “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4). Our questions should not be, “What do I want or need?” and “How can I fulfill my needs?” but “What does the church need?” and “How can I help fulfill those needs?”

2. A Good Servant Is Willing To Perform The Menial Or Despised Tasks.

Some people always seek to do great things but are never willing to do the little things. God finds the shepherd doing his best to honor God in the menial task of taking care of sheep, and he exalts him to do the great task of shepherding his kingdom as seen in the story of David. Look at what Christ will say to the servants who were faithful with their talents at his second coming: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness’” (Matt. 25:23).

Those who are faithful with a few things, even in what seem like very small tasks, God will put in charge of many things. Certainly, we have a great example of this in Christ. When there was no one to wash his disciples’ feet, he got down on his knees and did the chore of a slave as he washed the feet of his disciples (John 13). Good servants are willing to do the small tasks.

3. A Good Servant Is Willing To Serve In Secret Without Applause.

“Jesus said this: ‘But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you’” (Matt. 6:3–4).

Christ called for his disciples to practice serving in secret. They should only care about the applause of heaven and not of men. Are you commonly seeking the applause of others? Or, is the applause of God enough (cf. 1 Cor. 4:5)? This is a servant mentality—caring exclusively about the master. Listen again to Christ’s instructions to the disciples: “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:10).

4. A Good Servant Knows And Uses His Gifts.

Listen to Peter’s instructions:

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:10–11).

Each of us has at least one spiritual gift. We must know our gifts and employ them in service to Christ and his church. Certainly, at times God will call us to serve outside of our gifts, and when he does, he provides grace. But we must know our specific gifts so that we can faithfully use them as we see the need. In what ways is God calling you to be more of a servant?

Application Question: In what ways is God calling you to become more of a servant of Christ’s church?

Effective Ministers Are Faithful Stewards Of The Word Of God

“I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:25–27).

Paul declared in this text that he was a faithful steward of the Word of God. The word “commission” used in verse 25 can also be translated “stewardship” as in the English Standard Version. Listen to what it says: “Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known.”

Paul was a faithful steward of God’s Word. A steward was a servant placed over the house of a master. While the master was gone he would oversee everything in the house. Paul declares himself and the other apostles as stewards of the Word of God in 1 Corinthians 4. Listen to what it says: “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:1–2 KJV).

While Christ is away from the earth, he has called us, just as he did the apostles, to be stewards of his words and his mysteries. And one day when the master returns, we will give an account of our faithfulness in studying and teaching the mysteries of God. We learn about this in 2 Timothy 2:15. It says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Who will be the stewards who are approved? It is those who have done their best in studying and correctly handling the Word of God.

Are you being a faithful steward of God’s Word? This is a quality of effective ministers.

Observation Question: According to Colossians 1:25–27, what are characteristics of a faithful steward of the Word of God?

1. Faithful Stewards Of God’s Word Seek To Present Its Fullness.

“To present to you the word of God in its fullness” (Col. 1:25).

This was something Paul had previously mentioned. In speaking to the Ephesian elders in the book of Acts, he said, “Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:26–27).

When Paul said he was free of the blood of all men, he saw himself with the same responsibility of an Old Testament prophet. God once told Ezekiel that if he was called to speak to a man in error and Ezekiel refused, the blood of that man would go on Ezekiel’s head (Ezek. 33:1–11).

Paul realized the same was true for him. If he did not teach the whole counsel of God, or if he hid certain doctrines for fear of anger or being rejected by men, God would place their blood on his hands because he did not speak. It is the same for us. If we do not speak the whole counsel of God to those around us, their blood will be held against us.

Now some might say, “Certainly this responsibility to teach the whole counsel of God only applies to preachers and teachers, right?” Absolutely not. This is the responsibility of every Christian. Look at what Christ told his disciples, and by extension us, in the Great Commission:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matt. 28:19–20).

When Christ calls his disciples to “teach them to obey everything” he had commanded, it includes the revelation of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Christ was the fulfillment of the law and his apostles continued his teaching.

Know And Teach

• This puts a burden on every Christian to know the whole Word of God and not just the Psalms when they get depressed, and not just the gospel, but the entire revelation of the Word of God through in–depth study. This means we must all have continual training. This training may be informal through personal devotions, the church, and small groups, or formal training through Bible schools and seminaries. We must be trained to be prepared to teach.
• It also puts a burden on every Christian to teach the whole counsel as they make disciples for Christ. Each Christian must be a teacher, whether that be from the pulpit, in small groups, or in one–on–one situations.

Faithful stewards of God’s Word teach the Word in its fullness. Therefore, they must study to know its fullness, and they must seek opportunities to teach it.

What else does the faithful steward do?

2. Faithful Stewards Of God’s Word Share The Mystery With Everybody.

The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:26–27).

One of the responsibilities of faithful stewards of God’s Word is sharing the mystery with everybody. The word “mystery” used in the New Testament has the connotation of something previously unrevealed or not fully revealed in the Old Testament.

The mystery Paul was focusing on was the gospel coming to the Gentiles and Christ living in them. He said the riches of this mystery is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (v. 27).

In the Old Testament, nobody knew that the messiah would come and indwell people, and, even more so, they never thought this would happen to the Gentiles specifically. Paul talks about this in Ephesians 3:6. “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

The Gentiles could be saved in the Old Testament, but they never had the same privileges as the Jew. The Jews were called to be ministers who won Gentiles to God, but as God’s chosen people they had greater privileges. Only a Jewish priest specifically could enter the holy place, and only the Jewish high priest could enter the Holy of Holies where God dwelled.

These divisions made the Jews proud, and therefore created a great animosity between Jews and Gentiles. However, in the New Covenant these divisions have been removed. Jews and Gentiles are fellow heirs of the promise in Christ.

Now, this gives us the other aspect of being a faithful steward. For Paul, a Jew, to give his life reaching the Gentiles was phenomenal. They were separated by ethnicity, culture, and religion, and there was a heated racism that divided them. However, he was given a stewardship to reach not only Jews, but also those who were far away from God—the Gentiles.

It’s the same for us. Faithful stewards of the Word of God share it with everybody, no matter the race, culture, or socio–economic status. It was said of Christ that he was the friend of sinners (Matt. 16:19). He went to areas and to people who were not accepted. He was a faithful steward of the Word.

This seems to be a common pattern among Christians: after salvation, we are zealous and on fire to share the mystery of the gospel, but later, as time passes, we lose the desire to evangelize. Most don’t share the gospel at all, and those who do only do so with those they are comfortable with.

Unlike Paul, most are not willing to stretch themselves out of their comfort zone to reach even those who would seem unreachable. He reached out to people of a different culture than him and had antagonism towards him.

Who is God calling you to share the fullness of the Word of God with? Effective ministers are faithful stewards of the mysteries of God. If Christ came back now, would you have been a faithful steward of the mysteries of God?

Application Question: Who are your “Gentiles,” the people who you might not likely share the Word of God with? How can you be more effective at this?

Effective Ministers Have The Goal Of Presenting Everyone Mature In Christ

“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28).

We see here that Paul’s goal in ministering was to present everyone perfect in Christ. However, we must ask the question, “Can anyone be perfect?” Certainly, no one can ever get to the point where he never sins. When Paul uses this word he is talking about being mature in Christ. We see this as the very ministry God calls pastors and teachers to do in the church. Listen to what Ephesians 4 says:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming (Eph. 4:11–14).

Paul describes the church as infants tossed to and fro by every wind of teaching. Being an infant is not bad. Infants are beautiful and they are gifts to rejoice in. They symbolize life and the new birth.

However, in using the illustration of a natural infant, if a person continues to act like an infant even as an adult, something is wrong. They are still using the bathroom on themselves, still crying any time they don’t get their way, still fighting over every little thing, they have no self–discipline, and they won’t sleep at night. Something is wrong with that. If they need to be cared for and comforted every time they go through a difficulty or a trial, something is wrong.

My baby daughter, Saiyah, is beautiful, but we fully hope in a year or so that she will develop more self–control and start sleeping consistently at night. We expect one day she will be able to feed herself, start helping around the house, start serving the church, start making an income, and even have a family of her own.

See, most of the church never gets out of the infant stage. They do not grow into maturity. They are not disciplined with getting into the Word of God and prayer. They are up and down with every trial in their life—mad at God and mad at others when they don’t get their way. They don’t serve and are not consistently doing the things God has called them to do.

This is one of the jobs of a minister. The minister sees all the potential in a young Christian, no matter how long they have been saved. They see the calling that God has on their lives and the things God wants them to do through them. And, they begin to invest in them so that they start to mature in the Word of God; they start to do the works of service they were called to do. This is what every minister of God does: they help people mature.

Stages Of The Christian Life

Listen to the stages of the Christian life according to the apostle John. He says in 1 John 2:13–14:

I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

John describes the three stages as the following:

Children: They have known God. They have a young and vibrant relationship with God, but they lack much else.

Young Men: They are strong in the Word of God and are now conquering the devil because of it. They are breaking strongholds of lust, depression in their own lives, and are also starting to help others. They are the front line of the church. They are out of the pews and now helping people to walk as God has called them to.

Fathers: They have known God. Unlike the children, the father’s knowledge of God is vastly deeper. They have a history with God. God has carried them through trials, worked greatly in their lives, and like most good fathers they are always sharing their story with others. They help others through the testimony that God has developed in their lives. Another characteristic of the father is that they are giving birth. They have spiritual children in the Lord and they are given to mentorship.

This is the pathway that God has for every Christian. Sadly, we have infants who stay infants for twenty years. They are in the pew and not going anywhere. They are not helping anyone. They don’t have spiritual children, and they can’t even discipline their own spiritual lives. That is not God’s plan for the church.

In fact, if the leadership of the church does not labor in maturing these young Christians, the church will eventually have many problems. Listen to how Paul described the church of Corinth:

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? (1 Cor. 3:1–3).

In describing the Corinthian church as infants, he said they could not eat solid food yet. They were living on basic doctrines of Scripture. They were worldly, which means one couldn’t really tell the difference between them and the world. They were doing much of the same things as the world and probably at many of the same places. This immaturity led to jealousy and quarreling. Immaturity often leads to church division, church fights, and church splits. The members of God’s church must be developed into maturity or it will lead to the demise of the church.

Observation Question: In verse 28, what were Paul’s primary methods of developing the church to maturity?

1. The Church Is Matured By Ministers Preaching Christ.

“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28).

Paul said he proclaimed him, referring to Christ, in order to mature the congregation. He also said this to the Corinthians. “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).

This no doubt refers to preaching the gospel and leading people to Christ. But, it also refers to the continual proclaiming of Christ to believers as the model of our faith. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We must continually point people to Christ and his example. He is the example of how to handle persecutions. He is our example of how to pray. He is our example of how to live a life of faith and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. If we are to help people mature, we must continually point them to the example and teachings of Christ.

2. The Church Is Matured By Ministers Admonishing Others.

A crucial part of Paul’s ministry was warning the church about sin. This is often the very area at which ministers fail in seeking to develop mature saints. Admonishment and warnings are needed. Look at what God told Isaiah to do: “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins” (Isa. 58:1).

He called Isaiah to shout it aloud and to not hold back. He was supposed to declare to Israel their sins. This is difficult because confronting other believers about sin can mean making them angry, causing them to hate us, or even result in persecution. But this is necessary in order for all of us to grow.

It should be said that the manner in which we admonish and confront sin is very important. Paul said this in Ephesians 4:15: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

By speaking the truth in love, the church grows up and is made mature. We must tell our brothers in love:

• “It is not God’s will for you to be living with your girlfriend.”
• “Sister, it is not God’s will for you to use that type of language. You are the fragrance of God.”
• “Brother, God has called you to be the spiritual leader of your home. How are you developing your wife and children in the Word?”

These things must be said in order for the church to become mature. Solomon said this: “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (Prov. 27:6).

It can also be translated “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” If your friend never wounds you, never challenges you about reading your Bible, going to church, or living holy, then you need new friends. We must be friends who really care and not enemies who multiply kisses. True ministers practice admonishment.

3. The Church Is Matured By Ministers Teaching Practically.

“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28).

Paul said he taught everyone with all wisdom. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. Wisdom is the “So what?” to the Bible study or the sermon. It answers the question, “What should I do with what the Scripture says?”

Effective ministers must apply the Bible to depression, lust, decision–making, dating, marriage, etc. Listen to 2 Timothy 3:16–17: “All Scripture is God–breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The doctrines of Scripture are useful for “training in righteousness” and “for every good work.” The minister must use wisdom in applying the Word of God to every situation. By doing this, the minister helps the church become mature.

Application Question: Have you experienced churches, ministries, or ministers that neglect these disciplines in their teaching of the Word of God (preaching Christ, admonishment, and/or wisdom)? What are the consequences of this?

Effective Ministers Are Willing To Work Hard

“To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Col. 1:29).

The word “labor” means to “work to exhaustion.” There is a holy labor that every Christian must take part in. Paul pressed or labored “for others to reach perfection.” That was Christ’s call on his life. Listen to how Paul described his ministry: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).

Did he rely on grace? Certainly, it was this grace that enabled him to work hard. God has given everybody grace, but the question is, “Do we use it?” Paul worked hard using the grace that God had given him. Listen to Philippians 2:12–13: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and do of his good pleasure.”

The goal of “salvation” is not only being saved, it is the completion of it, looking more and more like Christ. Effective ministers work hard even as God works in them. Listen to this commentary about the work ethic of great saints from the past:

Martin Luther worked so hard that many days, according to his biographers, he fell into bed. Moody’s bedtime prayer on one occasion, as he rolled his bulk into bed, was, ‘Lord, I’m tired! Amen.’ John Wesley rode sixty to seventy miles many days of his life and preached an average of three sermons a day, whether he was riding or not.

Paul’s ministerial drive is a model for us all. We will never have an authentic, apostolic ministry unless we are willing to work to the point of exhaustion.

R. C. Sproul is right: the ministry of the gospel is a glorious thing. But we do not have to be an apostle or a reformer or a preacher to do it. Some years ago a woman in Africa became a Christian. Being filled with gratitude, she decided to do something for Christ. She was blind, uneducated, and seventy years of age. She came to her missionary with her French Bible and asked her to underline John 3:16 in red ink. Mystified, the missionary watched her as she took her Bible and sat in front of a boys’ school in the afternoon. When school dismissed, she would call a boy or two and ask them if they knew French. When they proudly responded that they did, she would say, ‘Please read the passage underlined in red.’ When they did, she would ask, ‘Do you know what this means?’ And she would tell them about Christ. The missionary says that over the years twenty–four young men became pastors due to her work.⁴

We must be challenged by Paul’s apostolic labor and the labor of other effective ministers. We must decide to work hard in serving God as well.

Application Question: What are some areas at which Christian ministers should work hard?

1. Ministers Should Work Hard In Studying And Teaching God’s Word.

Paul uses the same word for “labor to exhaustion” about the preaching of God’s Word in 1 Timothy 5:17. He says, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.”

The word “work” means to “labor to exhaustion.” In this text, Paul makes the argument that these elders should be paid because of their labor. However, we all should work hard in the study and teaching of God’s Word. Again, Scripture says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

2. Ministers Should Work Hard In Disciplining The Body.

“No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Cor. 9:27).

What does Paul mean when he says that he “beat” his body? What it means literally in Greek is “to hit under the eye.”⁵ Paul figuratively gave his body a black eye to control it. One of the things I was taught as an athlete was that we should control our body and make it do what we want it to do.

An athlete says, “Body, wake up in the morning and we will run,” even though the body says it wants to sleep. An athlete says, “Body, we are going to stop eating now because I need to stay in shape.” An athlete even learns how to control his mind to think positive thoughts in order to be successful. They are often trained to visualize being down or losing in a contest and to also visualize winning all for the purpose of not giving up. They visualize hitting the winning shot. They discipline their mind to be great.

Paul says that the rigors and disciplines of an athlete are needed to be a strong Christian. Listen, many Christians are ineffective in their spiritual life because they have never learned how to control their body and make it their slave. They don’t work hard at disciplining both their body and their mind to honor and serve God.

3. Ministers Must Work Hard In Prayer.

“I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally” (Col. 2:1).

When Paul said he struggled for the Colossians, he probably meant that he was struggling in prayer for them. He had never met them personally as he was in prison in Rome (Col. 2:1). In Colossians 1:9–14, he describes his prayers for this congregation whom he had never seen.

In the same way, we must struggle and labor in prayer for others to become mature in Christ. Most Christians never push their prayer life. But it needs to be pushed. Christ made the disciples pray for one hour, then another hour, then another hour (Matt. 26:38–45). He challenged them to work hard in prayer. We must do the same to be effective ministers.

4. Ministers Must Work Hard At Everything They Do.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Col. 3:23–24).

Too many Christians compartmentalize their faith. These are spiritual acts of worship: fasting, praying, and going to church. But work, family, eating, drinking, and hobbies are not spiritual. In reality, everything is spiritual and can bring honor to God. Paul said, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

Paul worked hard at all things in order to honor Christ. Does how you perform your regular, daily tasks bring glory to God? Even these things can bring glory to God and can be a testimony to those watching.

Application Question: In what way is God calling you to work hard to build yourself up and ultimately Christ’s body?

Effective Ministers Rely On God’s Power

“To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Col. 1:29).

One of the characteristics of effective ministers is that they rely on the power of God. This would seem to be something that doesn’t need to be said; however, many ministers fail in this area. It is very easy to be consumed with ministry and yet do it in our own power and many times for our own glory.

Interpretation Question: How can ministers labor in Christ’s power in ministry? Why do so many ministers lack power in their ministry?

1. Many Ministers Lack Power Because They Are No Longer Intimate With Christ.

Listen to what Christ said to the disciples in John 15:4–5:

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’

All true ministry and true power flows out of an intimate relationship with God. Like the story of Mary and Martha, it is very easy for the disciple to focus entirely on ministry and forget to stay at the Lord’s feet (Luke 10:38–42). Many Christians are like that: they are doing many good things, but their many good things are keeping them from the best thing—sitting at Jesus’ feet.

All power comes from an intimate relationship with God, abiding in his Word and prayer. In fact, one time the disciples tried to cast out a demon but could not, even though Christ had given them power (cf. Luke 9:1). They asked Christ why and he said, “This kind can come out only by prayer” (Mark 9:29b).

Had the disciples forgotten to pray in the midst of casting out this demon? Probably not. In fact, after seeking to cast him out and failing, I have no doubt that they started asking God for power and grace. It seems that they had lacked a living, abiding relationship with God through prayer.

Earlier in Chapter 9, Christ had taken three disciples up on the mountain where he was transfigured. Maybe, while Christ was on the mountain, the nine other disciples didn’t want to wake up in the morning to do their devotions. No one pushed them to pray and be disciplined, and therefore their lives lacked power. When it was time to conquer the devil, they could not. Why? It was because they had not been tapping into the power of God through prayer.

Many Christians are like that. They walk around every day in their own power, lacking the power and resources of God. This power comes through intimacy.

2. Many Ministers Lack Power Because They Have No Faith.

In the previous account of the disciples casting out the demon and failing, Christ said they could not cast out the demon because they had not been in prayer. It seems from parallel accounts there was more to their failure than this. Look at the reason Christ gave them in Matthew 17:20:

Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

He said they could not cast the demon out because they had so little faith in God. When they saw how badly demon-possessed the child was, they started to doubt God’s power to deliver the boy. They probably started shaking in their boots.

In fact, their lack of faith was so bad Christ gave them a very harsh rebuke. He said, “O unbelieving and perverse generation . . . how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me” (Matt. 17:17). He said they were an unbelieving and perverse generation. He seems to lump the disciples with all the unbelievers around them. Many Christians are like that. They believe God for their salvation, which is the greatest gift they could ever need, but they lack faith for their daily bread. They don’t trust God when tests and trials come their way. In the trials they doubt God.

It is for this very reason that many Christians lack power. Faith is a channel for seeing God’s grace work through us and in us. Consider what Scripture says about Christ’s hometown during his ministry: “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” (Matt. 13:58).

He didn’t do many miracles in his hometown because of their lack of faith. How many Christians don’t have God’s power working in them mightily simply because they don’t believe? They are not believing God for any great work. They read the Bible about a God who split the Red Sea, stopped the rain, multiplied bread, raised the dead, etc., and yet believe God for nothing—at least nothing that uses his mighty power.

Are we believing in God to use our church to reach many lost people? Are we believing in God to use us to stir a revival in our work place? What are we really believing God for?

With the church of Ephesus, it seems they were so powerless Paul had to pray for them to even know there was power available. Look at how Paul prays:

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength (Eph. 1:18–19).

I pray that your eyes may be enlightened to know the incomparable great power for us who believe. Some churches seem to have no power. Nobody is being changed, nobody is growing, and nobody is hungry for God. Paul says, “They need to see; they need to understand that there is power available.” In Chapter 3, he prays for the power to be turned on in Ephesus: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Eph. 3:16).

He prays for God to strengthen them with power through his Spirit. Too many Christians are walking around being defeated by lust, being defeated by anxieties, and the Scripture says power is already at work in them to conquer that situation. But, we need to appropriate this power working in us. God provides the power—we just have to act on it. The reason many Christians are not tapping into God’s power is lack of faith.

Application Question: How do we grow in our faith and appropriate God’s power?

• Faith comes through hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). A lack of time in the Word and believing what the Word of God says will severely limit your faith.
• Faith comes through prayer. After hearing they must forgive someone seven times seventy, the apostles prayed, “Lord increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). They knew they couldn’t forgive unless God helped them. If you struggle with believing God and trusting God, then a great prayer is to ask God to increase your faith.
• Faith comes by being in and around the faith community. Proverbs 13:20 says, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”

The wise trust God because that is the wisest thing a person can do (cf. Ps. 14:1). When you hang around wise, godly people, your faith will increase as well.

Application Question: Do you feel that you often lack God’s power in your life and ministry? How is God calling you to rely more on his power?

Conclusion

What are characteristics of effective ministers?

1. Effective ministers are willing to suffer for the church.
2. Effective ministers are servants of the church.
3. Effective ministers are faithful stewards of God’s Word.
4. Effective ministers have the goal of presenting everyone mature in Christ.
5. Effective ministers are willing to work hard.
6. Effective ministers rely on God’s power.

Application Question: Which characteristic is God challenging you to work on most in order to be a more effective minister?

Copyright © 2015 Gregory Brown

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¹ J. F. MacArthur Jr., MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Colossians. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), 74.

² W. MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. A. Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995).

³ Steve Brown, Jumping Hurdles, Hitting Glitches, Overcoming Setbacks. 164.

⁴ R. K. Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ. (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 49.

⁵ J. F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), 215.

This two-part expository study was preached at Flagstaff Christian Fellowship in 2017 around the time of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther publishing his 95 theses. Audio and manuscripts are available for each lesson.

For permission to reproduce/distribute these resources from Steve Cole (including the Word document and audio files found on the individual lesson pages below) please see Bible.org's ministry friendly copyright and permissions page. Likewise, to reproduce/distribute PDF/audio versions of his messages which may be found on Flagstaff Christian Fellowship's website see their permission statement.

Dear Mr Deffinbaugh,

I hope you are well.

Currently [in school] we are studying sacred texts of Christianity and are required to construct… a[n] essay on a chosen scripture, and I have chosen the infancy narratives (Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-20). The task requires me to create a hypothesis, use research to assist this hypothesis, as well as talking about the “worlds of the text”: world behind the text (what time was like in the story-basically what life was like when Jesus was born), world of the text (literary devices used in the text- i.e. metaphors, etc), and world in front of the text (how the text relates to Christians and in what ways do we receive the message today?).

When conducting research, I came across your article (https://bible.org/seriespage/4-birth-messiah-luke-21-20 ) and found it extremely useful, however I did not fully understand some parts of the story. I was wondering if you could please read through my hypothesis and give me a quick summary on what the world would have been like in Jesus’s time (as well as King Herod because I am sort of confused on his input), and the prophecy of the messiah, as well as your thoughts on the infancy narratives and the message and how it is “modernised” in todays society.

I was also wondering if there is any chapter in the bible the specifically states God’s prophecy about the messiah as I am having difficulty finding the actual prophecy.

This is my hypothesis:

The stories of Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-20 have had major significance for Christians as it set up the foundation for Christianity and fulfils God’s prophecy. However, despite having had major significance, overtime the stories of the birth of the Messiah have decreased in significance as they are romanticized and overshadowed by Christmas and the consumerism that comes with it.

Thank you for your time…

Kind Regards,

********

Answer

Dear ******,

Let me first talk about the matter of historical settings. I have a strong conviction that the Bible supplies all the historical setting that we need in order to understand its teaching. It is a sort of “stand alone” book, that can be read and understood on its own. In this way, people throughout all time, living in all times and places, can understand the Bible, based upon what it says, and the background it reveals. The alternative is that all those people with only their Bibles can never really understand what it teaches. I’ll attempt to show how this works with the birth of Jesus accounts in a moment.

External historical information can prove helpful, but this information will only illustrate what the Bible has already revealed, and this is all that we must know in order to understand it. The Bible is infallible and entirely reliable, and thus we can completely trust its account of historical background. Sadly, other external data may be flawed. Some authors, like Josephus fox example, have been accused of exaggeration. Other sources have also been used to dispute or distort what the Bible actually teaches. In a number of instances we are told something like this: “The commands or teaching of Scripture must be understood to be given to a certain people, at a certain time, and these have no relevance to our own times and culture.” Thus, we need to be somewhat cautious about our use of external sources.

Even when the teaching may not be directly applicable, it can be very applicable in principle. Let me give you an example from the writings of the apostle Paul. The Old Testament taught, “Don’t muzzle the ox when it treads the corn” (Deuteronomy 25:4). We don’t have oxen which tread corn (Most of us, that is. But there are some places where this may still take place.). But look at the way Paul applies this command to his readers, and to us:

3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we not have a right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? 7 Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? 8 I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? 10 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. 11 If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:3-12, NAU).

Jesus taught the same thing:

3 “Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 “Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. 5 “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6 “If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 “Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house” (Luke 10:3-7; see also Paul in 1 Timothy 5:18).

This use of the Old Testament Scriptures could be illustrated many times in the Bible. This is why Paul could write:

14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

Now, let’s go to the account of our Lord’s birth. First, let’s consider how the Old Testament set the scene by foretelling that a Savior would be born to a woman.

God said to Eve:

“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15).

And God made this promise to David, that his kingdom would be eternal, through his descendants:

12 “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men,1 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever”‘“ (2 Samuel 7:12-16).

Then, later, we find these prophecies in Isaiah and Micah:

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2).

Because the people of Israel refused to believe in God, and the coming of Messiah, God brought about a 400-year period of silence, which ended with the birth of Jesus:

1 Woe, O Ariel, Ariel the city where David once camped! Add year to year, observe your feasts on schedule. 2 I will bring distress to Ariel, And she will be a city of lamenting and mourning; And she will be like an Ariel to me. 3 I will camp against you encircling you, And I will set siegeworks against you, And I will raise up battle towers against you. 4 Then you will be brought low; From the earth you will speak, And from the dust where you are prostrate Your words will come. Your voice will also be like that of a spirit from the ground, And your speech will whisper from the dust. 5 But the multitude of your enemies will become like fine dust, And the multitude of the ruthless ones like the chaff which blows away; And it will happen instantly, suddenly. 6 From the LORD of hosts you will be punished with thunder and earthquake and loud noise, With whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire. 7 And the multitude of all the nations who wage war against Ariel, Even all who wage war against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, Will be like a dream, a vision of the night. 8 It will be as when a hungry man dreams-- And behold, he is eating; But when he awakens, his hunger is not satisfied, Or as when a thirsty man dreams-- And behold, he is drinking, But when he awakens, behold, he is faint And his thirst is not quenched. Thus the multitude of all the nations will be Who wage war against Mount Zion. 9 Be delayed and wait, Blind yourselves and be blind; They become drunk, but not with wine, They stagger, but not with strong drink. 10 For the LORD has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your eyes, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, the seers. 11 The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, “Please read this,” he will say, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” 12 Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, “Please read this.” And he will say, “I cannot read.” 13 Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, 14 Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed” (Isaiah 29:1-14).

Imagine that! The four-hundred years preceding the birth of Jesus were years when God, through His prophets, was silent.

That said, there were a few who did wait eagerly for the coming of Messiah. We are told that the magi from far away, the Jewish leaders, and faithful believers who awaited God’s salvation, understood that a Messiah would be born, and this would take place in Bethlehem:

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’” 7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him” (Matthew 2:1-8).

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:25-32).

And then, suddenly, our Lord’s coming is announced. John the Baptist appears on the scene, proclaiming that Israel’s promised Messiah was coming, and the people flock to hear what John had to say:

6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him (John 1:6-18).

7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! 9 “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10 “This is the one about whom it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’ 11 “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. 13 “For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 “And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. 15 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:7-15).

Now let’s turn back to the birth accounts of Jesus. We are told all that we need to know about Herod. From the Gospel accounts we know that he was extremely jealous, and fearful of losing his throne. (This, by the way, fits what secular historical sources tell us about him.) When the magi arrived in Jerusalem, he was deceitful, pretending to desire to worship Jesus. Shrewdly, he discerned how old Jesus was (from learning the time that the star first appeared to the magi), and he knew the town where the birth took place (learning this from the Jewish teachers of the law, who pointed to Micah 5:2). Thus, he asked the magi to come back and tell him where Jesus could be found, so that he would know exactly where he could find Him and kill Him. When this failed, he killed all the boy babies in the region around Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12).

The Gospel of Matthew also informs us how the people of Jerusalem felt about Jesus:

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him (Matthew 2:3).

The coming of Messiah was not only a threat to Herod, it was a threat to the Jewish religious establishment, who might very well lose their positions and power.

45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. 47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. 48 “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (John 11:45-48).

While the magi came from far away to worship Jesus (the “King of the Jews”), they learned that Jesus was to be found in nearby Bethlehem. And yet the people of Jerusalem could not trouble themselves to travel the very few miles (5-7) it would take to worship Him. It was only a handful of people who rejoiced at seeing Israel’s Messiah, including the wise men and the shepherds mentioned in Matthew and Luke.

It is important to notice the number of times in the birth accounts of Jesus that the events described are said to fulfill the Old Testament Scriptures:

Matthew 1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14

See also Luke 24:27 (which refers to all the Scripture prophecies that Jesus fulfilled in His life, death, and resurrection).

I find the account of Jesus in Jerusalem, at the age of 12, fascinating:

46 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48 When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” 49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them (Luke 2:46-50).

It is my opinion that one of the passages which Jesus was discussing with these Jewish teachers of the law was this text in Isaiah:

13 “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men. 15 Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand.

1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. 10 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors” (Isaiah 52:13--53:12).

How amazing it was to have it confirmed that He was the promised Messiah.

None of the events of our Lord’s birth, life, death, and resurrection were a coincidence. All of these events took place at exactly the right time, the time which God had long ago determined:

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4-5).

5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time (1 Timothy 2:5-6; see also Ephesians 1:3-14).

We dare not conclude without focusing on the nature and purpose of the incarnation. At the incarnation, perfect deity took on sinless humanity, so that Jesus could come to earth in human flesh, live a sinless life, and then take our punishment for sins upon Himself:

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36)

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:14-18).

22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls (1 Peter 2:22-25).

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).

Much more could be said about this (and is written in the New Testament), but perhaps this will demonstrate, to some degree, the way that the Bible has prepared us for the coming of Jesus Christ, and its meaning for us.

I hope this helps,

Bob Deffinbaugh

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A ministry of…

Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]

I. Consolidarea predicării expozitive: Predicarea din epistole, partea 1

A. Caracteristici literare ale epistolelor.

Epistolele au în general caracteristici destul de asemănătoare...

1. Structura epistolelor. Epistolele au formă și caracteristici standard, în general. Structura literară a epistolelor urmează structura unei scrisori, lucru obișnuit în lumea antică, astfel:

a) Introducerea (salutul, identificarea autorului și a destinatarilor, mulțumiri).

b) Cuprinsul (tratează anumite subiecte, îndemnuri, rugăminți, plângeri etc.).

c) Încheierea (salutări etc.).

2. Caracteristici generale ale epistolelor. Ca toate scrisorile, și epistolele Noului Testament au anumite caracteristici comune.

a) Sunt directe. Chiar dacă nu sunt la fel de directe ca și comunicarea orală, ele se situează imediat după aceasta.

b) Sunt personale. Se bazează pe o relație personală („eu / noi” și „tu”), dar o relație de la distanță, din cauza separării fizice dintre autor și destinatar. Cu toate acestea, epistolele evocă o cordialitate și o relație personală, spre deosebire de răceala și ariditatea unui document. Epistolele conțin emoții, stări, atitudini, perspective, opinii ale autorului, și arată personalitatea lui.

3. Rolul și forma epistolelor. Rolul scrisorilor din Noul Testament nu este doar acela de a transmite informații, ci, ca și predica, ele au scopul de a lega adevărul de viață. Și pentru că autorii abordează multe subiecte sensibile din viața reală, scrisoarea le oferă o cale de a comunica idei care uneori se transmit mai ușor în scris decât prin viu grai.

Datorită structurii lor, subiectelor abordate și argumentării logice, noi citim adesea epistolele ca pe o enciclopedie, atunci când vrem să aflăm ceva despre un anumit subiect („ce spune Pavel despre una sau alta?”). Însă Moises Silva spune că „ar trebui să citim epistolele din Noul Testament ca întreg” (An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics [Introducere în hermeneutica biblică], 120). Doar atunci vom putea înțelege corect motivul pentru care scrie autorul și răspunsul pe care îl dă la o anumită situație.

Scrisorile nou-testamentare au formă retorică (i.e. fac apel la emoțiile, logica și caracterul cititorilor), însă pot conține și alte forme literare în cuprinsul lor (cum ar fi dialog, poezie, și chiar text narativ [ex. Gal. 4]), fiecare dintre acestea având propriile reguli de interpretare.

4. Contextul istoric al epistolelor. Spre deosebire de alte forme literare biblice, epistolele au fost scrise pentru a răspunde anumitor nevoi, situații, probleme și întrebări ale anumitor biserici, localități (e.g. Romani, Corinteni, Galateni) sau persoane (ex. Tit, Timotei, Filimon). Cu toate acestea, epistolele nou-testamentare nu se limitează la istoria antică. Tom Long spune: „Scrisorile din Noul Testament sunt ca toate celelalte scrisori: au de-a face cu anumite împrejurări, dar au capacitatea inerentă de a vorbi dincolo de împrejurările imediate la care se referă” (Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible [Predicarea și formele literare ale Bibliei], 110.)

Contextul istoric al epistolelor este foarte important pentru o înțelegere corectă a semnificației și aplicației lor. Trebuie să încercăm să deducem subiectul despre care se vorbește sau întrebarea la care se răspunde pentru a putea explica și aplica epistola în mod corect la ascultătorii noștri. Și, când facem lucrul acesta, trebuie să fim atenți să facem corect trecerea de la „atunci” la „acum”, căutând să fim fideli textului în contextul său antic, precum și să îl aplicăm corect în contextul nostru contemporan. Tranziția aceasta poate fi complicată, pentru că epistolele vorbesc despre subiecte specifice din vremea aceea și uneori poate fi dificil să vedem cum se aplică astăzi la noi (ex. să mănânci carne jertfită idolilor). Totuși, cred că și acele subiecte sunt relevante pentru noi, cei de astăzi. Trebuie doar să avem grijă să nu facem trecerea directă de la „atunci” la „acum” și să nu facem presupuneri greșite despre modul în care se aplică astăzi.

În ciuda provocării de a face legătura între „atunci” și „acum”, marele beneficiu al predicării din epistole este faptul că în ele găsim învățătură practică pentru anumite situații, atât în ce privește rolul și responsabilitățile bisericii, cât și cu privire la viața personală. Sarcina noastră, ca teologi, exegeți și predicatori, este să stabilim ce înseamnă învățătura respectivă pentru noi astăzi.

Așadar, dacă acestea sunt principalele caracteristici literare ale epistolelor, cum le interpretăm și cum le predicăm? Ce proces ar trebui să urmăm?

B. Principii pentru interpretarea epistolelor și predicarea din epistole.

În continuare vei găsi câteva principii care să te ajute atunci când te pregătești să predici din epistole…

1. Analizează structura literară. Am tratat acest subiect în edițiile anterioare ale jurnalului (ex. edițiile 18-23), dar dați-mi voie să amintesc pe scurt câțiva pași din procesul de analizare a structurii literare a unui text biblic.

Dată fiind natura specifică a epistolelor (probleme, întrebări specifice etc.), am putea fi tentați să încercăm să înțelegem contextul lor istoric și cultural, înainte de a înțelege textul. Totuși, este important să nu aducem în text o idee preconcepută cu privire la semnificația lui, idee bazată pe propria reconstruire a contextului istoric și cultural care ar fi dus la scrierea textului. Așadar, înainte de a reconstrui contextul, începe cu analiza exegetică a textului în contextul său literar, pentru a găsi răspunsul la următoarele întrebări:

a) Ce spune autorul?

b) La ce se referă?

c) Care este argumentarea lui?

Apoi, stabilește structura textului și observă care sunt principalele afirmații. Epistolele sunt argumentări structurate în jurul unor afirmații. Așadar, trebuie să identifici structura și raționamentul textului, ceea ce va determina structura predicii tale. Aceasta înseamnă să fii atent la text așa cum a fost el scris și să ții seama de genul său literar.

Epistolele sunt scrise într-o ordine logică, pentru că autorul își construiește argumentarea folosind pași, puncte principale, subiecte și afirmații bine gândite. Cheia pentru înțelegerea epistolelor este să înțelegem argumentarea din fiecare secțiune și din epistolă ca întreg și să predicăm în consecință.

Așadar, pentru studierea structurii literare a unui text, sugerez următoarea metodologie:

a) Stabilește structura literară a întregii epistole – i.e. principalele secțiuni ale epistolei.

b) Identifică tema dominantă (subiectul) a secțiunii (a pasajului) pe care o studiezi (i.e. un paragraf sau o serie de paragrafe). Întreabă-te: Care este ideea principală a autorului din secțiunea aceasta?

c) Notează ideile principale (afirmații sau „puncte” principale) folosite de autor pentru a argumenta tema secțiunii.

d) Formulează principiul motivator al pasajului (i.e. care este scopul său?).

Așa se încheie analiza sintactică de bază. Urmând această metodologie, vei studia pasajul în contextul său din epistolă și vei vedea și modul în care se raportează la pasajul de dinainte și la cel de după el (i.e. cursul argumentării). Abia în acest punct ești gata să începi analiza gramaticală detaliată și studierea cuvintelor.

Asigură-te că poți formula tema principală a pasajului într-o singură frază! Astfel rămâi concentrat pe subiect și predica este unitară (adică nu divaghezi). De asemenea, făcând aceasta îți vei putea structura predica urmând argumentarea pasajului (i.e. afirmațiile secundare pe care le face autorul cu privire la tema principală).

Pentru mulți predicatori este greu să identifice tema principală a pasajului (subiectul) și ideile (afirmațiile) secundare. Poate de asta mulți predicatori spun generalități, însă trebuie să vorbești concret, ca și autorul. Dacă subiectul pasajului este „Dragostea lui Dumnezeu”, trebuie să vezi, în primul rând, despre ce aspect al dragostei lui Dumnezeu vorbește autorul. Fii specific – „dragostea” este un termen foarte general. Este vorba despre dragostea lui Dumnezeu pentru lume? Despre lărgimea dragostei Lui? Sau despre credincioșia dragostei lui Dumnezeu? Odată ce ai identificat subiectul specific al pasajului, apoi vei predica ceea ce spune autorul despre subiectul respectiv.

Ascultătorii tăi trebuie să poată pune degetul pe text și să vadă de unde îți iei ideile, principiile și aplicațiile. Structurându-ți predica în felul acesta, vei „predica Cuvântul” (2 Tim. 4:2), iar când predici Cuvântul, poți să fii sigur că Duhul Sfânt va folosi cu putere ceea ce spui în viața ascultătorilor tăi.

În general, vei predica dintr-o sigură secțiune din Scriptură (i.e. un pasaj care conține un singur subiect). Dacă un pasaj este prea lung pentru o singură predică (ex. Ef. 1:3-14), atunci împarte pasajul în segmente potrivite (i.e. anumite afirmații / idei secundare despre subiect), însă trebuie să te asiguri că fiecare predică vorbește despre tema generală a paragrafului (subiectul paragrafului).

Când studiezi epistolele, este de mare ajutor să cunoști greaca biblică, pentru că diagramarea textului grecesc este cel mai bun mod de a afla structura pasajului ca întreg, precum și afirmațiile pe care le face autorul despre tema principală a pasajului. Dacă nu poți lucra cu textul original, folosește o traducere care păstrează structura și sensul limbii originale cât mai mult posibil (astfel de traduceri în limba engleză sunt ESV, NASB, NKJV, CSB).

2. Studiază contextul istoric. După ce analizezi structura literară a pasajului din care urmează să predici, studiază contextul istoric și cultural pentru o mai profundă înțelegere a textului – cui i-a fost adresată epistola, de ce a fost scrisă, ce aspecte culturale sau tradiționale conține etc.

Contextul istoric este important atunci când interpretăm și aplicăm orice pasaj din Scriptură, și cu atât mai mult în cazul epistolelor. Când pregătim o predică dintr-un pasaj dintr-o epistolă, nu trebuie să pierdem din vedere subiectul despre care vorbește autorul și ce a dus la abordarea subiectului respectiv, pentru a putea răspunde la următoarele întrebări:

a) De ce a spus autorul lucrul acesta?

b) De ce a răspuns în felul acesta?

c) Autorul răspundea la o întrebare? Dacă da, care era întrebarea?

d) Care erau împrejurările culturale în care a luat naștere acest pasaj? Ce elemente ale pasajul sunt influențate cultural (ex. acoperirea capului, poate)?

e) Care au fost împrejurările istorice (problema, nevoia, situația) care au dus la apariția epistolei sau a pasajului în epistolă?

Nu vreau să spun că trebuie să predici toate informațiile pe care le descoperi în studiul tău. Trebuie să predici doar ceea ce este relevant pentru explicarea adevărurilor teologice, a implicațiilor și aplicațiilor din pasaj. Scott Hafemann afirmă: „Predicarea este proclamarea adevărului teologic din text și a implicațiilor sale, nu o lecție despre evenimentele și politica din perioada Noului Testament, despre limba, problemele sociale sau obiceiurile de atunci” (Preaching in the Epistles [Predicarea din epistole] în “Handbook of Contemporary Preaching [„Manual de predicare contemporană”],” 365).

Nu este întotdeauna ușor să descoperi ce a declanșat scrierea epistolei (și / sau întrebarea la care răspunde epistola), pentru că uneori nu poate fi aflată decât prin deducție. De exemplu, în 1 Corinteni, Pavel nu spune în mod explicit care au fost întrebările corintenilor la care el oferă răspuns. Prin urmare, uneori trebuie să citim printre rânduri pentru a reconstrui contextul istoric. Lucrul acesta poate fi subiectiv, fiind bazat pe deducție, de aceea Moises Silva sugerează să testăm orice teorie personală sau a altor teologi, asigurându-ne că textul are un rol hotărâtor, și nu propriile noastre deducții (An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics [Introducere în hermeneutica biblică], 126-128).

II. Consolidarea conducerii biblice
2 Corinteni: „Putere în slăbiciune”

În ediția anterioară, am încheiat studiul nostru pe textul din 2 Corinteni 2:14-7:16, minunata digresiune a lui Pavel despre conducerea pastorală. În acest studiu, am învățat multe despre următoarele lucruri legate de slujirea pastorală:

1. Încrederea în slujire (2 Cor. 2:14-3:6).

2. Natura unei slujiri autentice, Partea 1 și 2 (2 Cor. 4:1-16).

3. Motivația în slujire, Părțile 1, 2 și 3 (2 Cor. 4:16-5:17).

4. Slujba pastorală de împăcare, Părțile 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (2 Cor. 5:18-7:16).

Înainte de a încheia studiul din 2 Corinteni 2:14-7:16, m-am gândit că ar fi de ajutor să redau aici analiza mea literară și modul în care am făcut schița cărții 2 Corinteni, ca să puteți vedea cum fac eu cercetarea pentru acest tip de studiu exegetic atunci când mă pregătesc să predau. Sigur, nu veți avea timp să faceți o astfel de cercetare în fiecare săptămână atunci când pregătiți predica, însă comentariile biblice vă pot ajuta în sensul acesta.

A. Ocazia.

În 1 Corinteni, printre altele, Pavel tratează cazul unei persoane implicate în incest. Vestea că biserica din Corint luase măsuri disciplinare împotriva acestei persoane i-a produs lui Pavel bucuria și ușurarea exprimate în 2 Corinteni 1-7. În aceleași capitole, însă, avem senzația că în Corint a crescut opoziția față de Pavel. Acest al doilea val de împotrivire devine foarte evident în capitolele 10-13, unde Pavel răspunde cu fermitate atacurilor celor pe care îi numește „apostoli mincinoși”. Această împotrivire pare să fi devenit evidentă după ce Pavel a reușit să impună măsuri disciplinare împotriva celui care păcătuise în 1 Corinteni. Nu este clar, însă, dacă există o legătură între disciplinarea persoanei respective și înmulțirea grupului de persoane nesupuse, care îi stau împotrivă lui Pavel.

În orice caz, în biserica din Corint se infiltraseră câțiva învățători mincinoși, care pretindeau că sunt apostoli, încercând să-l discrediteze astfel pe Pavel, care la rândul lui a scris această scrisoare pentru a combate acuzațiile lor și pentru a dovedi că sunt impostori. Pavel își apără caracterul și apostolia, pentru a proteja biserica din Corint de înșelăciunea învățăturilor false și a învățătorilor mincinoși.

În același timp, Pavel a trebuit să le explice corintenilor motivul schimbării planurilor lui de călătorie (1:15 și urm.; cf. 1 Cor. 16:5 și urm.) și să îi îndemne să se pregătească pentru cea de-a treia vizită a sa (13:1 și urm.), încheind strângerea de ajutoare pentru creștinii săraci din Ierusalim, strângere pe care o începuseră, dar nu o terminaseră (vezi cap. 8 și 9).

Trimițându-l pe Tit din Efes la Corint cu scrisoarea anterioară (1 Corinteni), Pavel plănuise să se întâlnească cu Tit la Troa la întoarcerea sa. Însă, când a ajuns la Troa, Pavel nu l-a găsit acolo pe Tit și a hotărât să meargă mai departe în Macedonia, unde l-a întâlnit în cele din urmă, probabil în Filipi sau Neapole (2:12 și urm., 7:5 și urm.).

Tit i-a adus lui Pavel atât vești bune, cât și vești rele. Veștile bune erau că cei din Corint reacționaseră corect la scrisoarea lui Pavel și luaseră măsuri pentru corectarea problemei despre care vorbise Pavel. Asta îi adusese bucurie lui Pavel (7:5 și urm.). Vestea rea, însă, era că în biserica din Corint încă era un grup de oameni nesupuși, ațâțați, fără îndoială, de apostolii mincinoși. Iată câteva dintre acuzațiile lor împotriva lui Pavel:

a) Ei pretindeau că nu pot avea încredere în cuvântul lui Pavel (pentru că le-a scris ceva despre planurile lui călătorie, dar a făcut altceva). Pavel, însă, le răspunde că și-a schimbat planurile nu pentru că nu era statornic sau de încredere, ci pentru că nu a vrut să vină din nou la corinteni cu asprime (2:1).

b) Îl acuzau pe Pavel că este mândru, că nu impresionează prin înfățișare sau vorbire, că este necinstit și că nu se califică să fie apostol al lui Isus Hristos.

c) Au ridicat suspiciuni cu privire la autenticitatea apostoliei lui Pavel, pentru că venise la Corint fără scrisori de recomandare (3:1). Cu privire la aceste și alte acuzații aduse apostoliei lui, Pavel le-a amintit tot ce îndurase ca slujitor al evangheliei (cap. 4 și 6).

d) Au insinuat că poate chiar Pavel era de vină pentru încetinirea strângerii de ajutoare pentru săracii din Ierusalim (vezi cap. 8 și 9).

e) Au spus că Pavel era îndrăzneț de la distanță, trimițând scrisori impresionante, dar era slab când era de față (10:10; 11:6).

f) De asemenea, spuneau că din moment ce Pavel nu cerea bani pentru predicarea lui, nu merita să-l asculți (11:7 și urm.). Chiar insinuau că, din moment ce lua bani de la ei, probabil că nu îi iubea (11:11; 12:15).

Acești apostoli mincinoși, care produceau dezbinare, trebuiau să fie dovediți impostori, pentru că asta erau. Ei nu erau apostoli adevărați. Astfel, răspunsul lui Pavel la toate aceste acuzații s-a concentrat, în primul rând, pe contrastul dintre apostolia lui și a acestor prefăcuți, arătând că apostolia lui a fost una plină de suferință și abnegație. Propria lui slăbiciune nu lăsa loc pentru înălțare de sine, ci mai degrabă glorifica puterea și harul lui Dumnezeu (11:21-12:12). Sfătuindu-i cu privire la iminenta lui vizită, le spune că, dacă va fi nevoie, va veni și își va exercita autoritatea apostolică pe deplin (13:1 și urm.), dar speranța lui este că ei se vor întoarce la el.

B. Structura literară și unitatea.

Structura literară a epistolei 2 Corinteni pare să urmeze itinerariul lui Pavel. La început, intenția lui a fost ca, în timpul următoarei sale călătorii în Grecia, să le facă o vizită corintenilor, trecând marea din Efes, și să stea o vreme cu ei, înainte de a merge spre nord, în Macedonia, iar apoi, la întoarcerea din Macedonia, să mai stea o vreme la ei, înainte de a merge la Ierusalim cu ajutoarele pentru credincioșii săraci de acolo. Planurile lui, însă, s-au schimbat și acum intenționează ca din Efes să meargă în Macedonia și apoi la Corint (1 Cor. 16:5 și urm.; 2 Cor. 1:16), după care să se îndrepte spre Ierusalim. Astfel, va putea să le facă o vizită mai lungă, în loc de două mai scurte.

Această structură bazată pe itinerariu dă unitate epistolei și poate fi observată astfel:

1. În trecut: schimbarea de plan (capitolele 1-7). Pavel dă explicații cu privire la integritatea sa (1:12 și urm.) și explică de ce și-a schimbat itinerariul (1:15-2:4). Povestește cum a călătorit din Efes la Troa, așteptându-se să-l găsească acolo pe Tit și cum, atunci când nu l-a găsit acolo pe Tit, a mers mai departe spre Macedonia (2:12 și urm.). În acest punct apare o paranteză extinsă (2:14-7:4), o digresiune de la structura, dar nu de la scopul epistolei. Relatarea se reia în 7:5, unde Pavel povestește despre întâlnirea lui cu Tit în Macedonia și despre veștile bune pe care el i le-a adus despre răspunsul bun al corintenilor la scrisoarea lui (i.e. 1 Corinteni).

2. În prezent: îl trimite pe Tit să încheie strângerea de ajutoare (capitolele 8-9). Capitolele 8 și 9 vorbesc despre strângerea de ajutoare pentru Ierusalim. Aceasta nu este o digresiune, ci se potrivește în structura generală a epistolei – poate că itinerariul lui Pavel s-a schimbat, dar nu și scopul vizitei lui. Dorința lui Pavel este ca strângerea de ajutoare pentru credincioșii săraci din Ierusalim să se încheie înainte de sosirea lui. De aceea trimite înainte pe Tit, împreună cu alți doi frați (care aduc cu ei prezenta scrisoare, 2 Corinteni), ca să supravegheze această chestiune.

3. În viitor: Certitudinea și iminența celei de-a treia vizite a lui Pavel (capitolele 10-13). Capitolele 10 și 13 îi demască și repudiază pe „apostolii-impostori”, care se infiltraseră în biserica din Corint, încercând să submineze credibilitatea și autoritatea lui Pavel. El îi avertizează că, atunci când va veni la ei pentru a treia oară, se va ocupa de cei care vor continua să tulbure biserica.

Acest cadru asigură, așadar, structura literară și unitatea epistolei, ale cărei secțiuni conțin stări și subiecte diferite. Zahn afirmă: „Cititorul îl urmează pe Pavel cu duhul din Efes în Troa și Macedonia (cap. 1-7); apoi rămâne puțin cu el în bisericile din Macedonia (cap. 8-9); apoi, este dus să vadă condițiile din biserica din Corint din perspectiva iminentei vizite a lui Pavel acolo” (T. Zahn, Introduction to the New Testament [Introducere în Noul Testament], Vol. 1, 312, citat în Philip E. Hughes, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians [Cea de-a doua Epistolă către Corinteni], xxii).

4. Legătura cu 1 Corinteni („epistola dureroasă”). Nu este greu să ne dăm seama că Pavel se referă la 1 Corinteni atunci când spune că a scris „cu multă mâhnire şi strângere de inimă, cu ochii scăldaţi în lacrimi” (2 Cor. 2:4). Înțelegerea noastră, așadar, este că „epistola dureroasă” este 1 Corinteni și că 2 Corinteni ar trebui explicată pe baza epistolei 1 Corinteni pe cât posibil. Cei care susțin că 1 Corinteni nu este „epistola dureroasă” ignoră suferința și frământarea ce l-ar fi cuprins pe apostol la scrierea unei astfel de scrisori către biserica pe care el o înființase. Frământarea lui se vede mai ales în mustrarea aspră pe care le-o adresează pentru dezbinare și partidele din biserică, pentru trăirea firească și lipsită de spiritualitate; în sfatul de a judeca păcatul din mijlocul lor; în mustrarea pentru că s-au dat în judecată unii pe alții; în condamnarea pângăririi Cinei Domnului prin beție; în mustrarea pentru dezordinea din timpul închinării publice din cauza folosirii darurilor spirituale în mod nepotrivit; în corectarea erorii doctrinare cu privire la învierea morților.

Cum ar putea fi scrisă o astfel de scrisoare dacă nu cu multă mâhnire și strângere de inimă, cu ochii scăldați în lacrimi?

5. Aceeași temă: „Putere în slăbiciune.” Pe această temă își construiește apostolul argumentul cu care își susține autenticitatea autorității sale apostolice, care fusese vorbită de rău de adversarii săi din Corint. În slăbiciunea lui omenească, Dumnezeu îl folosește și îl împuternicește. Astfel, puterea lui pentru slujire vine, în mod clar, de la Dumnezeu. De aceea în epistolă se face adesea referire la suferințele lui Pavel, la pericolele la care a fost expus și la greutățile îndurate atunci când își îndeplinea slujba, în contrast cu puterea cea mare a lui Dumnezeu care, de asemenea, s-a manifestat în slujirea lui. În mod paradoxal, slăbiciunea umană și puterea divină merg mână-n mână. Atacul la autoritatea lui apostolică s-a concentrat pe slăbiciunea umană, fără să țină cont de puterea slujirii lui, așa cum fusese demonstrată în Corint.

Tema aceasta este întrețesută în textul întregii epistole (ex. 1:5 și urm., 1:8 și urm., 2:12 și urm., 3:5 și urm., 4:7 și urm., 4:16-18, 5:1 și urm., 6:4 și urm., 7:5 și urm., 11:23 și urm., 12:5-10, 13:4).

6. Integrarea ultimelor patru capitole. Schimbarea de ton din ultimele patru capitole a dus la multe dezbateri, întrebarea fiind dacă ele nu aparțin cumva unei alte epistole. Însă eu cred că lucrul acesta este mai mult imaginar decât realist, deoarece capitolele se potrivesc foarte bine în schița și unitatea epistolei. Ele se armonizează cu tema generală a epistolei, adică tema puterii în și prin slăbiciune.

În afară de integrarea ultimelor patru capitole prin unitatea temei, sunt evidente și alte puncte de legătură între prima parte a scrisorii și următoarele. Să comparăm, de exemplu, următoarele pasaje: 1:13 cf. 10:11; 1:17 cf. 10:2; 2:1 cf. 12:14, 21 și 13:1 și urm.; 2:17 cf. 12:19; 3:2 cf. 12:11; 6:13 cf. 11:2 și 12:14; 8:6, 18, și 22 cf. 12:17 și urm.).

C. Cuprinsul epistolei.

Secțiunea 1: Introducere (1:1-14). După salutări (1:1-2), Pavel începe o listă lungă de mulțumiri (1:3-11). Pentru Pavel, să îndure atâtea suferințe și greutăți însemna să ia parte la „suferinţele lui Hristos” (1:5), în mijlocul cărora a avut parte de „mângâiere” (1:5). Aceste experiențe, deși dureroase și nedorite, l-au învățat să se încreadă în „Părintele îndurărilor şi Dumnezeul oricărei mângâieri” (1:3). Și iată de ce sunt valoroase aceste experiențe: „… ne mângâie în toate necazurile noastre, pentru ca, prin mângâierea cu care noi înşine suntem mângâiaţi de Dumnezeu, să putem mângâia pe cei ce se află în vreun necaz” (1:4). Slujirea este înrădăcinată în suferință (adică suferințele lui Hristos și suferințele creștinilor) și continuată prin mângâierea lui Dumnezeu. A lua parte la suferință înseamnă a lua parte și la mângâiere.

Secțiunea aceasta de mulțumiri pare să pună temelia pe care își va construi apărarea, susținând că atât necazurile, cât și mângâierile sunt rezultatul lucrării sale de apostol pentru ei (1:6), ceea ce îi dă speranță pentru ei, știind că, „dacă aveţi parte de suferinţe, aveţi parte şi de mângâiere” (1:7). Chiar și gândul că va muri nu a făcut decât să-l învețe „să ne punem încrederea nu în noi înşine, ci în Dumnezeu care învie morţii” (1:8-10). Pavel recunoaște că a fost izbăvit de moarte de Dumnezeu, dar și datorită rugăciunilor corintenilor și, ca urmare, mulți Îi mulțumesc acum lui Dumnezeu pentru „binefacerea făcută nouă” (1:11).

Secțiunea 2: Apărarea lui Pavel (1:12-7:16). Pavel își explică apoi planurile de călătorie, respingând acuzația că ar fi acționat în mod firesc sau nestatornic (1:12-14). Pentru criticii lui Pavel, schimbarea planurilor de călătorie arăta că nu era demn de încredere. După ce arată ce s-a întâmplat (1:15-22), apostolul explică faptul că și-a schimbat planul tocmai pentru că îi iubea și nu voia să-i mâhnească, așa cum se întâmplase la vizita precedentă, când i-a mustrat cu asprime pentru acel om care comisese incest (1:23-2:4). Ajuns aici, Pavel îi îndeamnă să-l ierte pe cel care fusese disciplinat și să-i arate dragoste (2:5-11; cf. 1 Cor. 5) celui despre care le scrisese mai înainte „cu multă mâhnire şi strângere de inimă” (2:4).

Aceasta duce, apoi, la povestirea evenimentelor care au dus la scrierea actualei scrisori - i.e. întâlnirea cu Tit (2:12-13 și 7:5-16) - însă povestirea este întreruptă de un lung excursus despre natura și scopul slujirii sale (2:14-5:15), care conține și un îndemn la împăcare (5:16-7:4).

a) Natura și scopul slujirii (2:14-5:15). Aceasta este prima apărare a slujirii lui Pavel în fața criticilor săi, în care le explică ce îl recomandă pentru slujire și faptul că este potrivit pentru slujire.

În primul rând, succesul lui în slujire vine de la Dumnezeu (2:14-16a). Conducerea lui Dumnezeu în viața lui răspândește „o mireasmă” pentru toți cei cu care el intră în contact – pentru cei care pier, „o mireasmă de la moarte spre moarte”, iar pentru cei mântuiți, „o mireasmă de la viaţă spre viaţă” (2:16).

În al doilea rând, destoinicia lui pentru slujire vine tot de la Dumnezeu (2:16b-3:6). Competența pentru o astfel de sarcină nu vine de la el însuși, caz în care ar fi ca apostolii mincinoși, care „strică Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu” pentru propriul câștig; competența lui, însă, vine de la Dumnezeu, înaintea căruia vorbește (2:17). Astfel, el nu are nimic de demonstrat (3:1-3), pentru că încrederea lui nu este în el, ci în Dumnezeu, „care ne-a şi făcut în stare să fim slujitori ai unui legământ nou” (3:4-6).

Pavel face apoi o comparație între slujirea sub vechiul legământ și slujirea sub noul legământ (3:7-18). Slujirea noului legământ i-a dat curajul să nu accepte „meşteşugirile ruşinoase şi ascunse”, pentru că „nu umblăm cu vicleşug şi nu stricăm Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu”, ci să proclame deschis tuturor oamenilor „înaintea lui Dumnezeu” adevărul „Evangheliei slavei lui Hristos” (4:2, 4). El îl predică pe Hristos Isus, Domnul (4:5) prin puterea lui Dumnezeu, care a poruncit „să lumineze lumina din întuneric” și care acum, prin aceeași putere, „ne-a luminat inimile, pentru ca să facem să strălucească lumina cunoştinţei slavei lui Dumnezeu pe faţa lui Isus Hristos” (4:6). Deoarece comoara evangheliei (i.e. Hristos) este purtată într-un vas de lut (i.e. Pavel și slăbiciunea lui umană, 4:8-11), puterea nu vine de la el, ci de la Dumnezeu (4:7).

Acest vas slab de lut, însă, nu va fi întotdeauna supus putrezirii și morții (4:10-12). Slăbiciunea umană este asociată cu ceea ce este temporal și vizibil, însă într-o zi va veni ceea ce este etern și invizibil (4:16-18); aceasta se va întâmpla când „se desface casa pământească a cortului nostru trupesc”, fiind înlocuit de „o clădire în cer, de la Dumnezeu, o casă care nu este făcută de mână, ci este veşnică” (5:1-4).

Dumnezeu ne-a dat Duhul Său ca garant al acestei transformări (5:5) și, prin urmare, suntem plini de încredere, „pentru că umblăm prin credinţă, nu prin vedere” (5:6-8). Astfel, trăind în lumina veșniciei, scopul lui Pavel este să-I fie plăcut lui Dumnezeu (5:9), încredințându-i pe alții cu privire la „scaunul de judecată al lui Hristos” și la „frica de Domnul” (5:10-11). Deși motivația lui în slujire nu este să fie pe placul celor pe care îi slujește prin scrisori de recomandare și altele asemenea (5:12; cf. 3:1-3), totuși, nu este nici indiferent; într-adevăr, este constrâns de dragostea lui Hristos (5:14).

b) Îndemn la împăcare (5:16-7:4). Așadar, ca ambasador al lui Hristos, el predică un mesaj al împăcării pe baza jertfei lui Hristos pentru păcate (5:16-21). El îi sfătuiește să facă „aşa ca să nu fi primit în zadar harul lui Dumnezeu” (6:1) și să răspundă la slujirea lui jertfitoare (6:1-10). Pavel îi îndeamnă să aibă o inimă deschisă față de Dumnezeu și față de el, ca slujitor al lui Dumnezeu (6:11-13), recunoscând că relația corectă cu Dumnezeu are o natură exclusivă (6:14-7:1). În încheierea chemării sale, apostolul le amintește de încrederea pe care o are în ei (7:2-4).

Pavel reia acum de unde a rămas (de la 2:13) relatarea despre cum l-a întâlnit în cele din urmă pe Tit în Macedonia, despre mângâierea pe care a primit-o când l-a văzut din nou pe Tit și despre bucuria pe care a simțit-o când a auzit despre răspunsul pozitiv al bisericii din Corint la scrisoarea sa anterioară (7:5-16). Pavel se bucură și se simt ușurat auzind că cei din Corint răspunseseră la mustrările sale cu pocăință și cu întristare după voia lui Dumnezeu (7:10).

Secțiunea 3: Colecta pentru sfinții săraci din Ierusalim (8:1-9:15). După ce își exprimă ușurarea și bucuria pentru pocăința corintenilor și pentru „râvna voastră pentru mine” (7:7), Pavel deschide acum discuția despre o nouă chestiune importantă de care ei trebuie să se ocupe, și anume strângerea de ajutoare pentru creștinii săraci din Ierusalim. Bisericile din Macedonia, unde l-a întâlnit pe Tit, au dat un prim exemplu de dărnicie jertfitoare (8:1-6). Pavel îi îndeamnă pe corinteni să le urmeze exemplul, urmând astfel exemplul suprem al lui Hristos de dăruire jertfitoare (8:7-9). Într-adevăr, este în avantajul lor să încheie această strângere de ajutoare, pe care o începuseră cu un an înainte și să ducă la bun sfârșit acest proiect (8:10-11). Aceasta ar fi o ocazie bună pentru ei să ofere din „prisosul” lor ceea ce biserica din Ierusalim avea nevoie; poate va veni o vreme când situația se va întoarce (8:12-15). Pavel trimite pe Tit împreună cu alți doi frați din Corint (8:16-24) să organizeze această strângere de ajutoare înainte de sosirea de lui, îndemnându-i pe corinteni să coopereze cu ei (8:24) și să fie gata la sosirea lui, ca să nu fie dat de rușine (9:1-5). În cele din urmă, îi învață principiul dărniciei creștine (9:6-15), adică dăruirea cu generozitate și cu bucurie (9:6-7), pentru că „Dumnezeu poate să vă umple cu orice har” (9:8) și El „vă va înmulţi şi vouă sămânţa de semănat şi va face să crească roadele neprihănirii voastre” (9:10). În urma dărniciei lor, așadar, ei vor fi îmbogățiți, iar Dumnezeu va fi glorificat și va primi mulțumiri (9:11-15).

Secțiunea 4: Răspunsul lui Pavel la critici (10:1-13:4). Pavel vorbește acum deschis despre acuzațiile care i-au fost aduse (10:1-18), făcând probabil referire la cele menționate în 2:17 și 4:2. El nu neagă faptul că trăiește „în firea pământească”, dar respinge cu tărie acuzația că este „călăuzit de firea pământească” (10:2-3). Armele cu care ne luptăm noi „sunt puternice, întărite de Dumnezeu ca să surpe întăriturile” (10:4).

De asemenea, respinge acuzația că și-ar compensa lipsa de autoritate personală fiind îndrăzneț în scrisori. Nimeni nu avea autoritate mai mare decât a lui și va demonstra lucrul acesta la următoarea sa vizită (10:7-11). Spre deosebire de cei care se laudă cu autoritatea lor, el nu se laudă „dincolo de măsura noastră, ci în măsura marginilor pe care le-a însemnat Dumnezeu câmpului nostru”, câmp care includea și biserica din Corint (10:13-15). Baza argumentului cu privire la autoritate este aceasta: „«Oricine se laudă să se laude în Domnul.» Pentru că nu cine se laudă singur va fi primit, ci acela pe care Domnul îl laudă” (10:17-18).

Lansându-se acum într-un atac mai degrabă decât în apărare, Pavel îi demască pe apostolii mincinoși care au uzurpat autoritatea în biserică (11:1-15). El se teme că cei din Corint vor fi înșelați de cei care vin să predice „un alt Isus… un alt duh… o altă Evanghelie” (11:1-4). El nu este cu nimic mai prejos decât „apostolii aceştia «nespus de aleşi»” (11:5), și nici nu acționa independent doar pentru că nu accepta sprijin financiar din partea lor (11:7-9). Cea mai bună apărare a lui este atacul, în care se va angaja pentru a-i bloca pe acești apostoli mincinoși care i se împotriveau (11:12-15).

Apoi, răspunzând nebunilor după nebunia lor, Pavel se laudă puțin (11:16-21). Dacă alții au îndrăzneală, și el are (11:21). Apostolul se laudă cu descendența sa evreiască (11:22), cu încercările și suferințele sale ca slujitor al lui Hristos (11:23-28) și se laudă cu lucruri pe care alții le-ar considera slăbiciuni (11:29-12:10), cum ar fi fuga din cetatea Damasc (11:32-33) și țepușul din carne, care îl ține smerit (12:1-9a). Lauda lui Pavel se bazează pe paradoxul acesta al puterii în slăbiciune: „… pentru ca puterea lui Hristos să rămână în mine… căci când sunt slab, atunci sunt tare” (12:9b-10). Apoi se scuză că s-a lăudat și le spune că ei ar fi trebuit să-i fie alături, să nu-l facă să se laude (12:11), pentru că ei văzuseră semnele apostoliei pe care le făcuse printre ei (12:12). Dacă se considerau inferiori altor biserici, nu ar fi putut-o face decât dintr-un singur motiv, și anume faptul că el nu depindea de ei din punct de vedere financiar și le cere iertare pentru asta (12:13).

Secțiunea 5: Cea de-a treia sa vizită (12:14-13:6). Nici când va veni la ei pentru a treia oară nu va depinde de ajutorul lor și nici nu va profita de ei în vreun fel (12:14-18). El vrea ca ei să fie zidiți (12:19), dar se teme că nu-i va găsi așa cum își dorește, și nici ei nu-l vor găsi așa cum își doresc (12:20-21). Astfel, îi avertizează că de data aceasta va acționa cu putere, din moment ce își doresc să vadă dovezi că „Hristos vorbeşte în mine” (13:1-4).

Secțiunea 6: Câteva atenționări de final (13:5-14). Într-o ultimă încercare de a le deștepta conștiința spirituală, Pavel îi îndeamnă să se autoanalizeze, ca să vadă dacă sunt cu adevărat creștini (13:5-6). Sfatul lui este să nu facă nimic rău, pentru ca să se răzbune astfel (13:7), preferând ca ei să fie puternici, iar el slab (13:9). Scriind această scrisoare, el își dorește ca ei să răspundă pozitiv și să devină puternici, pentru ca atunci când va ajunge la ei, să nu fie nevoit să se poarte cu asprime (13:10).

E. Schița structurii cărții.

I. Introducere (1:1-14)

A. Salutări (1:1-2)

B. Mulțumiri (1:3-11)

II. Apărarea lui Pavel (1:12-7:16)

A. Schimbarea planurilor de călătorie (1:12-2:13)

B. Slujirea lui apostolică (2:14-5:15)

1. Destoinicia lui în slujire (2:14-3:6a)

2. Slujirea lui pentru evanghelie cf. slujirea lui Moise față de Lege (3:6b-18)

3. Mesajul lui cf. mesajul adversarilor lui (4:1-12)

4. Motivația lui (4:13-5:15)

C. Îndemn la împăcare (5:16-7:4)

D. Răspunsul mult așteptat la scrisoarea lui precedentă (7:5-16)

III. Colecta pentru sfinții săraci din Ierusalim (8:1-9:15)

IV. Controversa lui Pavel cu adversarii săi (10:1-13:14)

A. Răspunsul lui la criticile lor (10:1-11)

B. „Apostolii” mincinoși sunt dați pe față (11:1-15)

C. Discursul de „nebun” al lui Pavel (11:16-12:13)

V. Cea de-a treia vizită a lui Pavel (12:14-13:5)

VI. Câteva atenționări de final (13:5-14)

Aceasta este o scurtă schiță a structurii epistolei. Eu, personal, împart textul în mai multe subdiviziuni, dar atât e suficient pentru a arăta procesul de schițare.

III. Schițe de predici

Titlu: Să învățăm de la Isus – Mărturisind despre identitatea lui Isus (Mat. 16:13-23)

Subiect: Cine este Isus?

Tema: Dacă Îl cunoaștem pe Isus, trebuie să fim gata să mărturisim cine este El și ce a făcut El.

Punctul I. Isus pune o întrebare cu privire la identitatea Lui (16:13-20)

1. „Cine zic oamenii că sunt Eu?” (13-14)

2. „Dar voi… cine ziceți că sunt?” (15-20)

a) Marea mărturisire a lui Petru despre Hristos (16)

b) Marea revelație a lui Isus despre biserică (17-20)

Punctul II. Isus profețește cu privire la suferința Lui (16:21-23)

1. Petru Îl mustră pe Isus (22)

2. Isus îl mustră pe Petru (23)