Enjoying God
Women in Ministry in the Vineyard, U.S.A.
Feb 21, 2008[In the most recent issue of the Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (JBMW 12/2 [Fall 2007] 20-25) I wrote a brief article on the issue of women in ministry and leadership within the Vineyard, USA. Below is a slightly altered version of that article. I strongly encourage all to subscribe to this excellent periodical, published twice each year by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. You can do so by visiting their website at http://www.cbmw.org/.]
The Pentecostal and Charismatic movements have witnessed a progressive move during the course of the last century toward embracing and empowering women at all levels of spiritual authority and ministry (an insightful commentary on the history of this question is found in the article by R. M. Griffith and D. Roebuck, "Women, Role of" in The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, Stanley M. Burgess, Editor [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002], 1203-09). Today, Complementarianism is decidedly a minority view among those who believe in the continuation of all spiritual gifts in the life of the church.
Charisma magazine, the flagship publication of the Pentecostal-Charismatic world, has repeatedly defended Egalitarianism and actively promotes the ministries of several high profile women such as Joyce Meyer, Paula White, Marilyn Hickey, Gloria Copeland, Juanita Bynum, and Cindy Jacobs, just to mention a few. J. Lee Grady, Charisma's Editor, has himself written a defense of Egalitarianism in a book with the intentionally inflammatory title, Ten Lies the Church Tells Women: How the Bible has been misused to keep women in spiritual bondage (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma, 2000, 220 pp.).
Those within the mainstream Word of Faith movement, as well as most advocates of the so-called "health and wealth gospel," are typically vocal Egalitarians. It almost goes without saying that among the thousands of independent charismatic churches most would endorse the ordination of women to the role of senior pastor in the local church.
However, there are a few exceptions, the most notable of which would be Sovereign Grace Ministries, under the capable leadership of C. J. Mahaney (who serves on the Board of CBMW). I should also mention New Frontiers and its leader, Terry Virgo, who have now planted more than 500 churches, primarily in the U.K. together with an increasing number in the U.S. (their churches are now found on five continents).
Grace Churches International, based in North Carolina, embraces more than 300 churches globally and is generally Complementarian in its perspective on the role of women in ministry (see http://www.gracechurchesinternational.net/). The following statement is taken from their International Handbook:
"Grace Churches International recognizes that women may enjoy the privileges of ministry without the responsibilities of government. In light of this, Grace Churches International ordains men into local eldership and five-fold ministry offices listed in Ephesians 4:11."
Women in the Vineyard
One will search in vain among official Vineyard documents prior to September 2006 for a statement articulating their beliefs on the role-relationship of male and female (the definitive history of the Vineyard is found in Bill Jackson's book, The Quest for the Radical Middle: A History of the Vineyard [Cape Town, South Africa: Vineyard International Publishing, 1999], 419pp.).
However, in the March/April 1994 issue of Vineyard Reflections, John Wimber, who gave leadership to the Vineyard until his death in 1997, wrote an extensive article entitled, "Liberating Women for Ministry and Leadership" (I want to thank Vineyard pastor, Paul Bradford, for bringing this article to my attention and for providing me with a copy of it). Although that title might suggest that Wimber was an Egalitarian, the substance of the article points in another direction. "I believe God has established a gender-based eldership of the church," wrote Wimber. "I endorse the traditional (and what I consider the scriptural) view of a unique leadership role for men in marriage, family, and in the church." Wimber proceeds to cite Ephesians 3:14-15 in pointing out that "this [view] ultimately reflects the hierarchy of the Trinity."
His conclusion is clear and unequivocal: "Consequently, I personally do not favor ordaining women as elders in the local church," a statement in support of which he refers the reader to the relevant portions in Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem (Crossway). He argues that whereas both men and women can exercise most of the pastoral "functions" of an Elder, only men (and in Wimber's opinion, only "ordained men") can hold the office. Thus, says Wimber, "I encourage our women to participate in any ministry, except church governance."
Others would point out that in spite of his Complementarian convictions, Wimber permitted at least two notable exceptions: both Jackie Pullinger (Hong Kong) and Ann Watson (England) served as the senior leaders of their respective congregations (although I should mention that Watson viewed her role as exceptional, given the premature death of her husband, and not a position to which women in ordinary circumstances should aspire).
The Vineyard USA Board of Directors officially adopted a statement of faith in 1994 that lacks any reference to the Egalitarian / Complementarian debate. In their Theological and Philosophical Statements, under the heading of "Our Leadership Personnel Requirements," one finds an affirmation of "a strong, loving marriage in which both the husband and wife sense the call to minister" (the only Scriptural citation being Acts 18:26). Nothing more is said by way of explanation as to whether this "call to minister" might entail senior governmental or pastoral authority.
Under the leadership of Berten Waggoner, its National Director and President, The Vineyard, USA, thought it wise to clarify what until now had been a very nebulous position concerning the extent to which women might be empowered in all levels of spiritual authority. In personal e-mail correspondence with me, dated June 28, 2007, Waggoner stated that "due to the confusion among its churches concerning their position on women in leadership at a trans-local level, the leadership of the Vineyard found it necessary to make a much needed statement of clarification on this important issue."
Whereas some would consider this a dramatic turn of events for the Vineyard, especially in view of Wimber's personal stance on the subject, Waggoner and the Board disagree and regard it as simply the public acknowledgement of developments that have been gradually in the making for over a decade. In any case, September 21, 2006, will prove to be a historic moment in the history of this movement and ministry.
Although a number of Vineyard leaders had expressed their Egalitarian convictions (chief among whom was Princeton-educated theologian and pastor, Don Williams), the first indication to those outside the movement that change was on the horizon came in 2002 with the publication of Rich Nathan's book, Who Is My Enemy? (Zondervan, 2002; for a response to several of Nathan's arguments, see Wayne Grudem, Evangelical Feminism & Biblical Truth, Multnomah, 2004). Whereas Nathan did not claim to speak authoritatively on behalf of the Vineyard at large, it must be noted that he is a Board member of Vineyard USA and the Senior Pastor of one of the Vineyard's largest congregations, the 6,000 plus member Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Columbus, Ohio. More than a few were caught off-guard by his explicit endorsement and defense of Egalitarianism in this volume. Needless to say, it was a sign of things to come.
The Letter of September 21, 2006
Whatever uncertainty existed to this point in time, everything changed with a document issued on September 21, 2006 (the entire transcript can be found at http://www.vineyardusa.org/). The Vineyard USA Board of Directors sent a letter (by e-mail) to all pastors affirming what they call "the trans-local empowerment of women in leadership" (hereafter cited as Letter).The letter was authored by Bert Waggoner, but was sent with the unanimous approval of the national Board.
Waggoner notes that five years earlier (2001) a request had been made by a Vineyard church that they be allowed to appoint a woman as senior pastor. At that time the Vineyard already "had several ordained women senior pastors who were co-senior pastors with their husbands and one woman senior pastor" (Letter; I'm assuming the latter is a reference to Jackie Pullinger).
Waggoner and the Board determined that the opportunity for open dialogue was important before any decision was made. Some thirteen papers, representing both sides of the debate, were posted on the Vineyard USA website and extensive discussion was undertaken among Regional Overseers and local church pastors.
According to Waggoner's letter, "after the Regional Overseers discussed it at the Regional level and after considerable discussion at Board meetings, the Board decided to clarify what had been the de facto but unstated policy: the issue of senior pastor leadership would remain as a prerogative of the local church. Our position was that the local church was the instrument for ordination. Local churches had the freedom to decide who was to be ordained and the freedom to ordain them" (Letter).
This did not, however, address a number of unresolved issues, chief of which was what Waggoner refers to as "trans-local" leadership and relationships. For example, again citing Waggoner:
"Could women speak at our regional and national leadership conferences? Could we encourage conferences that empowered women at any level of ministry? Could we write articles . . . on successful women pastors and preachers in the movement? Could women become APCL's [Area Pastoral Care Leader] or lead Task Forces if we saw that they were gifted to do so? Could the national leadership speak positively concerning what women were doing in leadership? Were our educational systems free to train women to be pastors and national leaders? The bottom line question was, ‘Does the national leadership have the prerogative to empower women at all levels of ministry in the Vineyard?'" (Letter)
During the months of February through September of 2006, extensive discussion was engaged at all levels of leadership within the Vineyard, after which the Board "unanimously agreed" on the following position in regard to the trans-local ministry of women:
"In response to the message of the kingdom, the leadership of the Vineyard movement will encourage, train, and empower women at all levels of leadership both local and trans-local. The movement as a whole welcomes the participation of women in leadership in all areas of ministry" (Letter).
The Board also stated that "each local church retains the right to make its own decisions regarding ordination and appointment of senior pastors" (Letter). According to Waggoner, "this decision is not a dictate passed down from the national leadership. Pastors continue to be free to handle these issues according to their convictions within the context of their local churches. It is simply a description of how we will act toward women in leadership as we endeavor to lead the Vineyard movement in the U.S. at the national level" (Letter).
Waggoner is also careful to point out that the Board has "simply addressed the issue of whether to restrict someone from trans-local leadership positions in the Vineyard based on gender. We are not speaking to the questions of marital or family roles as this has never been a prominent concern in our movement. We welcome, respect, and value pastors in the Vineyard who have different positions on the issue of women's roles in the church than we have taken" (Letter)
Unresolved Issues
Decisions such as this rarely, if ever, occur in a theological vacuum, and the Vineyard is no exception. In the critically important paragraph cited above, the phrase, "in response to the message of the kingdom," is vitally important in understanding the conclusion to which Vineyard leadership ultimately came. On the one hand, the Vineyard is to be applauded for its emphasis on the Kingdom of God as the underlying theological principle that gives shape and focus to the movement. However, some in the movement are concerned that the Vineyard Board has embraced an over-realized eschatology that appeals to the consummation of the kingdom to justify what appears to be a disregard for the explicit biblical commands concerning the role of women in pastoral leadership. Whether or not this is an accurate assessment (and Waggoner insists it is not) remains to be seen.
If there is any one predominant influence within the Vineyard it may well be William Webb's book, Women, Slaves, and Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis (Downers Grove: IVP, 2001, 301 pp.), on the basis of which it is argued that the Scriptures put us on a theological trajectory that moves the church beyond the experience of the New Testament and its imperatives concerning the role relationship of men and women. Webb's book, together with others of the same theological orientation, such as John Stackhouse (Finally Feminist: A Pragmatic Christian Understanding of Gender [Baker Academic, 2005, 138 pp.]), indicate an increasing trend among Egalitarians in which the exegetical debate is conceded to Complementarians. They grant that the New Testament endorsed male headship but argue that it was an accommodation to the culture of the day to facilitate gospel ministry, not a timeless principle designed to govern relationships in the present.
I should also point out that it does seem strange that, notwithstanding the official statement released by Waggoner and the Board, they do not consider the Vineyard to be an Egalitarian movement. Evidently the Board believes that by allowing local churches to set their own policy concerning senior leadership they have stopped short of officially making the Vineyard Egalitarian. Yet, it remains to be seen to what extent Complementarian pastors will be appointed to positions of leadership at the national level and granted a voice in the shaping of the Vineyard's future.
There is also the very real problem of what Complementarian pastors should do if a woman is placed in authority over them as Regional Overseers or ACPL's by the national Board. Waggoner has made it clear that, whereas Complementarians are certainly welcome in the Vineyard, it will be difficult for pastors to remain who believe it is a violation of their conscience to serve under the leadership of women at the trans-local level. The question remains whether the letter of September 2006 will ultimately have the effect of not simply marginalizing Complementarian pastors but effectively forcing their withdrawal from membership in the Vineyard altogether.
As of June, 2007, Waggoner indicated, with regret, that six churches had withdrawn from the movement. "This loss," wrote Waggoner, "reflects that only a small minority take exception with our position to the extent of needing to dissociate from fellowship over the issue" (e-mail from Waggoner to Storms). Only time will tell of the long-term impact of this decision on the ministry and influence of the Vineyard, USA.
Sam
We are the Temple of the Living God!
Feb 20, 2008On the one hand, I don't want to be guilty of unwarranted exaggeration. On the other, I'm hard-pressed to think of a more theologically important, spiritually encouraging, and eschatologically controversial statement than that of Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:16b. "For we are the temple of the living God"!
The starting point for understanding this crucial concept is the Old Testament narrative in which we find the visible manifestation of the splendor of God among his people, the shekinah of God, his majestic and radiant glory without which the Israelites would have been left in the darkness that characterized the Gentile world.
Before Solomon's temple, God revealed his glory in the tent or tabernacle which Moses constructed. It was there that God would come, dwell, and meet with his people. "Let them make me a sanctuary," the Lord spoke to Moses, "that I may dwell in their midst" (Ex. 25:8). It was there that "the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and [there that] the Lord would speak with Moses" (Ex. 33:9). It was there that "the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Ex. 40:34). The tabernacle was where the people of Israel would draw near to hear from God, to worship God, and to stand in his presence (cf. Lev. 9:23; Num. 14:10).
What was true of the tabernacle during the days of Israel's sojourn was even more the case in the temple of Solomon. When the Ark of the Covenant was brought "to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim" (2 Chron. 5:7), "the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God" (2 Chron. 5:14).
It is against this preparatory backdrop that we read the stunning declaration of John that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). The word translated "dwelt" (skenoo) literally means "to pitch a tent" or "to live in a tabernacle" and unmistakably points back to the OT when God's glory took up residence in the tent of Moses, the portable tabernacle, and eventually in Solomon's temple.
John's point is that God has now chosen to dwell with his people in a yet more personal way, in the Word who became flesh: in Jesus! The Word, Jesus of Nazareth, is the true and ultimate shekinah glory of God, the complete and perfect manifestation of the presence of God among his people. The place of God's glorious dwelling is the flesh of his Son! The glory which once shined in the tent/tabernacle/temple of old, veiled in the mysterious cloud, was simply a foreglow, a mere anticipatory flicker, if you will, of that exceedingly excelling glory now embodied in the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ (cf. Col. 1:19).
God no longer lives in a tent or tabernacle built by human hands, nor will he ever. God's glorious manifest presence is not to be found in an ornate temple of marble, gold, and precious stones, but rather in Jesus. Jesus is the glory of God in human flesh, the one in whom God has finally and fully pitched his tent.
The point is that the temple of the Old Covenant was a type or foreshadowing of the glory of Christ. It was the place where the Law of Moses was preserved, of which Jesus is now the fulfillment. It was the place of revelation and relationship, where God met and spoke to his people. Now we hear God and see God and meet God in Jesus. It was the place of sacrifice, where forgiveness of sins was obtained. For that, we now go to Jesus. Israel worshipped and celebrated in the temple in Jerusalem. We now worship in spirit and truth, regardless of geographical locale (cf. John 4:20-26).
To meet God, to talk with God, to worship God, you no longer come to a building or a tent or a structure made with human hands. You come to Jesus! Jesus is the Temple of God!
But the story doesn't end there. We, the church, are the body of Christ and therefore constitute the temple in which God is pleased to dwell. The shekinah of Yahweh now abides permanently and powerfully in us through the Holy Spirit. When Paul describes this in his letter to the Ephesians, he refers to Jesus Christ as the cornerstone, "in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit" (Eph. 2:21-22). Simply put, God's residence is "neither a literal temple in Jerusalem nor simply heaven, but the Church, of which the Gentile Christian readers in Asia Minor were a part" (Lincoln, 158).
This formation of the temple is an on-going divine project, a continuous process (see also Eph. 4:15-16). Although it may seem strange to speak of a "building" experiencing continuous "growth", Paul surely wants us to conceive of the church as an organic entity. Recall that Peter also refers to believers somewhat paradoxically as "living stones" (1 Peter 2:5)!
Again, Paul grounds his appeal to the Corinthians in this truth: "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple" (1 Cor. 3:16-17). In his plea for sexual purity, he again asks: "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20; see also the graphic portrayal of this truth in 1 Peter 2:4-10).
All this bring us to Paul's consummate declaration in 2 Corinthians 6:16b: "For we are the temple of the living God"! To reinforce this point he conflates several OT texts (Lev. 26:11-12; Isa. 52:11; Ezek. 11:17; 20:34,41; 2 Sam. 7:14) which prophesied of a coming, end-times temple, one of which is Ezekiel 37:26-27 where God declares: "I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
Let me come straight to the point. Beginning with the incarnation and consummating in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, together with the progressive building of his spiritual body, the Church, God is fulfilling his promise of an eschatological temple in which he will forever dwell.
But what of the literal, physical temple in Jerusalem? Has it lost its spiritual significance in God's redemptive purposes? To answer this we must return to Jesus' words in Matthew 23-24.
In judgment against the Jewish people, the temple complex was abandoned by our Lord, both physically and spiritually, as he departed and made his way to the Mount of Olives. "Your house," said Jesus, "is left to you desolate" (Mt. 23:38). It has thus ceased to be "God's" house. When Jesus died and "the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom" (Mt. 27:51), God forever ceased to bless it with his presence or to acknowledge it as anything other than ichabod (the glory has departed).
Just as dramatically as Jesus had entered Jerusalem (Mt. 21:1-17, the so-called "Triumphal Entry") and its temple, he now departs. This once grand and glorious house of God is now consigned exclusively to them ("See, your house is left to you desolate," Mt. 23:38). The echoes of God's withdrawal from the temple in Ezekiel's vision reverberate in the words of our Lord (see Ezek. 10:18-19; 11:22-23). The ultimate physical destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 a.d. is but the outward consummation of God's spiritual repudiation of it. Jesus has now left, never to return. Indeed, the action of Jesus in departing the temple and taking his seat on the Mount of Olives (Mt. 24:3) recalls Ezekiel 11:23 where we read that "the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city."
This applies equally to any supposed future temple that many believe will be built in Jerusalem in the general vicinity where the Dome of the Rock now stands. It's entirely possible, of course, that people in Israel may one day build a temple structure and resume their religious activities within it. The political and military implications of such, not to mention the religious furor it would provoke, are obvious.
Whether or not this will ever occur is hard to say, but if it does it will have no eschatological or theological significance whatsoever, other than to rise up as a stench in the nostrils of God. The only temple in which God is now and forever will be pleased to dwell is Jesus Christ and the Church, his spiritual body.
It would be an egregious expression of the worst imaginable redemptive regression to suggest that God would ever sanction the rebuilding of the temple. It would be tantamount to a denial that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. It would constitute a repudiation of the Church as the temple of God and thus an affront to the explicit affirmation of Paul here in 2 Corinthians 6 and elsewhere.
Finally, let's not lose sight of the practical point Paul is making. It is because we as the church are the place of God's presence in the world today that we must guard ourselves against any and every expression of idolatry. We are not simply another cultural institution or "social service meeting the felt needs" of our neighbors. "Instead, as the new covenant people of God, the church is the ‘family of God' united by a common identity in Christ and gathered around her common worship and fear of ‘the Lord Almighty'" (Hafemann, 292). May our lives always reflect that glorious and gracious identity.
Sam
My new book, "The Hope of Glory", is now available!
Feb 08, 2008I'm happy to announce that my new book, The Hope of Glory: 100 Daily Meditations on Colossians (368 pages), is now available. Crossway Books has done a marvelous job in producing this volume and I hope you find it helpful. You can purchase a signed copy on my website (http://www.samstorms.com/) for $15 (it retails for $17.99). And don't forget, this includes free shipping and handling (on as many copies as you may order). It's also available at Amazon and on Crossway's website.
This book is the first in a series that Crossway will publish. In August of this year, To the One Who Conquers: 50 Daily Meditations on the Seven Letters of Revelation 2-3 will be released. Then, in January of 2009, More Precious than Gold: 50 Daily Meditations on the Psalms will come out. As you know, I'm currently working on 2 Corinthians and hope to have it finished sometime this summer.
The Crossway website contains the following brief description of the book.
"The truth we gain from the Scriptures is wide-ranging, the treasure is multi-faceted, and the reward is incalculable. But in the book of Colossians it can be reduced to one glorious reality: Jesus Christ. This is the Apostle Paul's point in Colossians 1:27, where he describes the greatness of the "riches" of the "glory" of the mystery that God has made known to us: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."
In his newest book, The Hope of Glory, Sam provides an aid to a careful reading of Colossians. Combining stylistic simplicity and theological substance, he writes for all Christians who are passionate to know Christ better. The 100 daily meditations can each be read in five to ten minutes so that even the busiest believer can take time to read and digest them. The result is a thorough analysis of the entire book of Colossians, broken down into manageable meditations that encourage, instruct, and uplift."
This book will prove especially useful in personal devotions, in small group settings, and in larger classes and Bible studies.
Here are a couple of endorsements:
"From years of friendship, conversation, shared burdens, mutual intercession, and the same vision of our great God, I trust Sam's biblical faithfulness. He brings a keen eye and a wakened soul to God's Word. The overflow for us is fresh insight and strong feeling. I thank God for Sam Storms. My life is sweeter because of the seasoning he brings."
John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota
"Many devotional books lack biblical and theological depth. Storms' work is a striking exception. His meditations on Colossians faithfully communicate the message of the letter so that readers are enriched both biblically and theologically. Moreover, the meaning of Colossians is applied with wisdom and power so that I found myself encouraged, convicted, and challenged. Here is evangelical theology at its best."
Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Sam
What's a Christian to do? (2 Cor. 6.6-7)
Feb 01, 2008What's a Christian to do? In a world of increasing contempt for the gospel and, more often than not, overt and unapologetic opposition, how is a follower of Jesus to respond? In the face of legislation that undermines our moral convictions, a secular atheism that marginalizes our presence, and a radical Islamic fundamentalism that seeks our utter eradication, is the Christian a helpless pawn in the chess game of global maneuvering? Do we fight back, and if so, how? With what weapons? With what expectations?
It would be easy for the Church to feel overwhelmed and undermanned. Abortion is law. Disdain for our cherished beliefs is commonplace. Moral decay is embraced as progress.
Just today I read of a para-church ministry that was banned from a university campus for its opposition to homosexuality, a professor who was denied tenure because of his research on Intelligent Design, and a group of Christians who were denied a zoning permit to plant a church in a residential neighborhood. And all the while Satan seems to be gaining ground. So, what's a Christian to do?
The opposition may have assumed a different form in the first century, when Paul was asking the same question, but the response of the Christian is the same in any and every age. When assaulted, afflicted, beaten or imprisoned, when pressured, persecuted, weakened or weary, here's how we fight:
"by purity, [by] knowledge, [by] patience, [by] kindness, [by] the Holy Spirit, [by] genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left" (2 Cor. 6:6-7).
"Oh, come on Sam. Get real. We're talking about a battle of monumental proportions. Our enemies are clever and well-equipped. They will stop at nothing to destroy the body of Christ. They are relentless and ruthless. They will use any tactic, legal or not, to win. They have unlimited financial resources, unchecked political power, and numbers that dwarf us. And here you are recommending that we fight back with pious, pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by spiritual platitudes! Give me a break! Do you really believe that the things Paul mentions here are of any value in a war that threatens to consume and destroy us?"
Well, yes.
I'm not suggesting that we withdraw from the political process or roll over and play dead. God has graciously given us laws and a variety of secular institutions and opportunities which enhance our lives and provide for the protection of the church. But our ultimate confidence and trust must be in something greater still.
In the list of nine, we begin with "purity" of motivation and behavior. Paul has already referred to his renunciation of dishonesty and his refusal to stoop to underhanded and crafty tactics (cf. 2 Cor. 4:2). Simple purity has a power to effect change and to commend the gospel far beyond any political shenanigans.
The "knowledge" or "understanding" in view probably refers not simply to theological insight but to the practical discernment in Paul as he dealt with his enemies in Corinth.
Instead of retaliation and revenge, "patience" is the order of the day when facing the indignities and insults of others. Whereas "endurance" (v. 4) is courage and perseverance while suffering unjustified adversity, "patience" or "longsuffering" is "the forbearance which endures injuries and evil deeds without being provoked to anger (Jas. 1:19) or vengeance (Rom. 12:19)" (Harris, 474).
Simple "kindness" accomplishes far more than we can imagine. Ann and I were recently in the town home of a dear friend whose new neighbor had embarked on a drunken, obscene, and violent tirade. Well past midnight, he banged on the walls and shouted vile threats. The next day, our friend took a plate of cookies next door, declaring her intentions to be a good neighbor and available to help if ever there were a need. The sinful rage of the night before has yet to reappear.
The reference to the "Holy Spirit" strikes some as odd, appearing as it does in the middle of a list of Christian virtues. Some say it is the human spirit in view, but every other time Paul uses the adjective "holy" with the noun "spirit" it refers to the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the difficulty is minimized if we understand Paul to be referring to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, his manifestation via charismata. Or perhaps he included this reference to the Spirit on realizing that the purity, understanding, patience and kindness he mentioned are themselves the fruit of the Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:22-23).
The phrase "in genuine love" calls for some explanation. The Greek term hupocrites, from which we derive our word "hypocrite", was used in reference to a person who played a part on the stage, an actor, someone who took on a role different from what they are in reality. Thus when this word is negated (anupokrito), as it is here in 2 Cor. 6:6, the word carried the force of "not good at acting on a stage" and thus "free from pretense" or "without hypocrisy" and thus sincere or genuine. Love that is feigned or that masks selfish desires only destroys. Love that is authentic commends the gospel and changes others.
In light of Paul's earlier reference to "the open statement of the truth" (2 Cor. 4:2) as something that characterizes his ministry, the phrase "by truthful speech" (lit., "by the word of truth") here in v. 6 most likely has in view his declaring of the truth of the gospel. Certainly his relationships with others were characterized by truthfulness and honesty, but his focus here is on the power of the preached and proclaimed truth of a dying and rising Savior.
Needless to say, "the power of God" alone explains how all of the preceding and following are even possible. Without the energizing presence of God, nothing we say or do will have effect.
Yes, we are in a battle. No, our weapons are not physical, mechanical, political, or computerized. Rather, we fight "with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left" (v. 7). A soldier in Paul's day would typically wield a sword in his right hand, designed for attack, and a shield in the left for defense. As such, he was fully prepared to rebuff an assault from any direction.
Life changing, world winning power is not ultimately found in the speed of a computer chip or the most sophisticated satellite technology, far less in the military strategies of global super-powers. True power, the power that brings life to dead souls and hope to despairing hearts, the sort of power that renews and uplifts and sustains, the power that commends and adorns the gospel, is found in the simple but supernatural weapons of a pure heart, a clear head, forbearance, kindness, the manifestation of the Spirit, a love untouched by hypocrisy, truthfulness in speech, and the power of God energizing the weapons of our warfare for the sake of his kingdom.
It may not be "cool" or "sexy" or the sort of life that captures the attention of the media or power-brokers in our world, but it's what God has given us. It worked for Paul, and I trust it will work for us.
Sam
Feasting on the Promise of a Future with Christ (2 Cor. 6.4-5)
Feb 01, 2008There is hardly a time when I'm more keenly aware of my sinful and selfish orientation than when my personal comfort and convenience are threatened or interrupted. When I miss a meal, I'm grumpy. When the air conditioner breaks, I'm irritable. When I'm in pain, I complain. It grieves me to see how often I act as if I deserved physical security and emotional peace and a full stomach. I'm stunned by how much time, energy, and money I devote to avoid what makes for turmoil and discomfort.
Now, I'm not at all suggesting that a person should actively seek those things that breed distress or anguish or deprivation. People who do are either masochistic or suffer from a perverted martyr complex. There's nothing inherently good in pain. In fact, it is part of our calling as Christians to help alleviate the suffering and hardship of others. But in doing so, it may well require that we ourselves willingly embrace danger, the loss of freedom and property, as well as the disruption of our cherished routines and schedules.
No one knew this better than Paul, a man who personally suffered almost indescribable agony for the sake of Christ and the welfare of his people. It's hard for me to read Paul's description of his life and not see in it a standing rebuke and counter-argument to the health and wealth "gospel" of the 21st century. Today, sadly, we are often told that if you are among God's "anointed" and "gifted" and "favored" servants you can expect (even claim) exemption from suffering, loss, and deprivation. You're a "child of the King" and thus deserve "first class" treatment! This was similar to the argument of Paul's opponents in Corinth, who insisted that a true "apostle" of Christ would never endure the things he did. It was precisely this alleged lack of so-called apostolic credentials that was used to undermine his authority and authenticity in that church.
Paul was evidently asked on numerous occasions to substantiate his claim to apostolic authority. Although he detested speaking of himself, the situation at Corinth required that he identify his qualifications. He does so on several occasions (see especially 11:16-33), one of the more explicit being here in 6:4-10. "Do you want me to commend myself for your approval," he asked? "So be it. I'm happy to present myself to you as a minister of God, and on the following grounds":
"by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything" (2 Cor. 6:4-10).
Our focus in this meditation is on vv. 4-5 in which we find three sets of three words that describe Paul's outward circumstances, all of which, it should be noted, are in the plural, indicating multiple instances or occasions on which he suffered.
In the first set of three he mentions "afflictions, hardships, calamities". "Afflictions" is a general and all-encompassing term appearing numerous times in 2 Corinthians, the most severe of which was the life-threatening experience described in 1:8-9. "Hardships" carries the thought of being under pressure, perhaps an allusion to the constant stress to which he was subjected. The word translated "calamities" literally means "in constraints" or in a confined and narrow place from which there can be no escape. It points to Paul's feeling of being trapped by circumstances seemingly beyond his control.
The second set of three points more to the direct and extremely physical persecution to which he was subjected. He often endured "beatings" (cf. 11:23-25), whether by rods, lashes, or fists. We know specifically of only one "imprisonment" (cf. 2 Cor. 11:23) before 2 Corinthians was written, which occurred in Philippi (Acts 16). This indicates that Luke's history in Acts is obviously selective and does not purport to give us an exhaustive record of Paul's missionary experiences.
The "riots" or uprisings against Paul in the cities where he preached are numerous: at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:50), Iconium (Acts 14:5), Lystra (Acts 14:19), Philippi (Acts 16:22), Thessalonica (Acts 17:5-7), Berea (Acts 17:13), Corinth (Acts 18:12-17), and Ephesus (Acts 19:23-20:1).
Finally, he endured "labors, sleepless nights, [and] hunger." Unlike the first six words that describe what was done to him by others, these all refer to self-imposed hardships Paul embraced in the fulfillment of his ministry.
The word "labors" is either a reference to his work as a tent-maker (Acts 18:3), or could also refer to his extended and demanding seasons of work as a missionary, pastor and evangelist.
By "sleeplessness" he doesn't mean that he suffered from insomnia, but that he voluntarily went without sleep to serve and minister to others (Paul often refers to working "night and day"; see 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8). Whether he lost sleep from working late hours to support himself, or because he was engaged in ministry late into the night, it was a choice he joyfully embraced.
Finally, he often suffered from "hunger". There's little agreement on any single cause for this. It certainly could be a reference to his frequent fasting. Others see a self-imposed asceticism designed to alleviate any burden from those to whom he ministered. Or it could simply be a reference to his lack of food due to the hardships of travel or even the lack of money.
As you know, I travel extensively throughout the U.S. and occasionally overseas, speaking at churches and conferences. Typically, either at some point while I'm away or immediately upon my return, my wife lovingly asks such questions as: "Did the ministry go well? Did they respond positively to what you had to say? Did you sleep well in the hotel? At what restaurants did you eat? Are you feeling o.k.?"
She's never yet heard me say in reply: "They threw stones at me during my first sermon. One caught me square in the forehead. I felt my life was in jeopardy on a few occasions and I honestly didn't know if I'd escape. Two leaders in the church beat me with rods and the local sheriff threw me in jail on the second night. I didn't sleep a wink in that stinking cell and the food was so repulsive I couldn't eat a thing. Other than that, the ministry was great!"
No one in the Christian west anticipates such treatment. If we ever encountered anything remotely similar to what Paul faced, we'd wipe the dust from our shoes and never return. Surely "ministers of God" (v. 4a) who are dedicated to the gospel ought to expect the best of everything. How dare anyone deprive us of our comforts!
So what would motivate a man to willingly pursue a life characterized by the sort of hardships Paul endured? What could possibly sustain a man through such sufferings?
One answer is found in Hebrews 10:32-34. There we read of Christians who "endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated" (vv. 32-33). Beyond this, they "joyfully accepted the plundering" of their "property" (v. 34)! Here's why. Here's how. They "knew" they "had a better possession and an abiding one" (v. 34).
The degree to which we find suffering intolerable is the degree to which we lack confidence in the glory of our inheritance in Christ. To the extent that we are embittered by oppression and persecution, we reveal our lack of satisfaction in him.
Paul was in the grip of the glory to come (cf. 2 Cor. 4:16-18), and found strength to endure. Like those believers in Hebrews 10, he feasted on the promise of a future with Christ and held fast.
Sam