Corinthians A.0

This is the beginning of a study of Paul's letters to the Corinthians. It grew out of a discussion about the application of specific passages in the letters to current experiences in church. So often, isolated verses are taken out of the context in which they are found and wielded like a club to impress a point. It's a direct result of the technique of prooftexting, the use of a specific verse or verses of scripture to back up a doctrine, dogma, or even just an opinion. I've done it myself a time or two (or three) (or four) (well...you get the idea), but I don't think scripture should be treated like a smorgasbord (buffet, for those of you who haven't been to Sweden) where you get to pick and choose from among the offerings whatever you want or think is tasty. Rather, it's more like a multi-course meal where you start with one level and then move on to the next, but you eat the whole thing!

So, first of all, a note about the title. I'm going to use the format found in some Greek manuscripts where the two letters we have from Paul to the church at Corinth (there was possibly a third that predated them) are designated by the letters "A" and "B" rather than the more contemporary Roman numerals I and II. The second character in my title designator will be the chapter number, all the while realizing that Paul didn't put chapters in. Editors did that several hundred years later. The third character will be the sequence of the post. So a title designator of A.3.2 would be the second post on chapter 3 in First Corinthians, and the designator for this post is chapter 0 of the same, for some background setup.

A short note about my biographical and doctrinal backgrounds: I am a born again believer in Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God. I believe he died in my place as the atonement God required for my sins and that he was raised to life again by the power of the Holy Spirit. I also believe he is alive now and living at the right hand of God the Father. As a result of my acceptance of this belief, I also believe that God's Holy Spirit has come to be with me. However, I have also accepted a second step through asking him (Holy Spirit) to be in me. Thus, I have been baptized both with water in obedience to God's word and with the Holy Spirit to receive the "power from on high" that Jesus promised to his disciples and was fulfilled first on the day of Pentecost following his resurrection and ascension. I have spoken and still speak in a language that I did not learn. I have also experienced other elements of what is commonly called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. If you must label me, I entered this sojourn in the early 1970's during the "Jesus People movement" and at one time was called a Charismatic. However, I have and frequently do fellowship with believers of many different kinds of labels, including Catholics, Protestants of many kinds, and Pentecostals. But enough about me, already; let's move on and talk about Paul and the church he started at Corinth.

Front Matter

Corinth was the most important city in Greece in Paul's day. It was also a bustling hub of world-wide commerce, degraded culture, and idolatrous religion. Its closest contemporary American counterpoint is perhaps Las Vegas, Nevada, their more modern attempts at becoming family friendly notwithstanding. The most prominent religious feature in Corinth was the temple of Aphrodite with its 1,000 temple prostitutes.

First Corinthians reveals the problems, pressures, and struggles of a church called out of a pagan society. Paul addresses a variety of problems in the lifestyle of the Corinthian church, including factions, lawsuits, immorality, questionable practices, abuse of the Lord's supper, and spiritual gifts. Note that while that last item probably receives the least attention in Paul's letter, it is often the focus of most modern attention. We assume that since most Americans today do not worship the ancient pagan deities, they do not experience or have to deal with things like factions or cliques in the church, lawsuits between Christians, immoral behavior (how many Pastors have I known personally who have left their wives and the pulpit for another woman in the church?! Or even just had an adulterous experience with one!), etc. We take pains to read Paul's admonitions when we take the Lord's supper, but how do we live in between Eucharists? Do we really apply the rest of the letter during the week?

Now, we may not have temples dedicated to the open worship of Aphrodite anymore, but there are still places in American culture - some physical, some virtual - where identical or similar practices are found, so we are not really that far, even in America, from the pagan culture found in Corinth. There is much that we will find applicable to our current events, culture, and society, even in what was designed to be a Christian nation! So let's learn a little more about ourselves by looking at the folks at Corinth.

Elements of Vision 3

Finish the Deed

The third element of vision for ministry relates to execution. Nothing is more devastating to people than the cessation of a ministry they have come to rely on for help. It speaks of the unreliability of the minister but inherently reflects upon God as well. "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he may have enough to finish it?" Luke 14:28. "Therefore, since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God." Hebrews 12: 1,2. "If a job has just begun, never leave it 'til it's done; be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all" - my Dad. Here's the thing: what if Jesus had given up before going to the cross? Now we know that never would have happened, but it "almost" did--in the Garden of Gethsemane. Many teachers once held (and some still do) that there was a moment of indecision on Jesus' part, which is why he prayed "Father, let this cup pass from me." (Matt 26: 39, Mark 14: 36, Luke 22: 42). I and many others, however, believe that He was under attack by Satan who was attempting to prevent Him from reaching the cross and that He was on the verge of death there in the Garden. He knew that in order for Him to be the perfect sacrifice, He must die on the cross, because the scripture says "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." Galatians 3:13. Satan knew that as well, and so came against Him there until His sweat was mixed with blood as it fell on the ground, a physiological sign of imminent death. Even with all the miracles He performed and all the truths He taught, Jesus' ministry was incomplete until he reached the cross. He had to finish the deed for our sakes. Thank God He did! We must follow His example and finish whatever task He calls us to in ministry through His vision in us.

Elements of Vision

As a means to both understand and remember the working elements of vision for ministry, I have used some past-learned concepts in a mnemonic form. The first element is to find a need followed by the second, plant the seed. The third and equally important element is to finish the deed. Full attention to each element is essential for a successful outcome to the ministry, which is the ultimate goal to which the vision is directed. Vision for vision's sake is no ministry. Ministry must result in changed lives, which is the fruit that is harvested from the activity. Otherwise, what you have is a program.

Find a Need

It might seem that finding a need would be a simple task. All one need do is to look around one's environment, and needs seem to present themselves. However, such is not the case. Much of our perspective is colored by our training and experience, which in turn are often colored by the world's point of view of what we see. The world often views life's inequities from the perspective of fairness, whereas God views them from the perspective of justice. One must look beyond the surface symptom to find the core underlying cause and, hence, the true need. Let me give an example: at the Dream Center in Los Angeles, we drove buses downtown to Skid Row for every service to pick up homeless people who were also often hungry. We promised them a meal, after the service. We also offered them the possibility to get off the street and live at the Dream Center. The catch: they had to join the Discipleship program, which was a three-year rehabilitation that frequently started with a 90-day detox stay at a facility in the desert outside Los Angeles. Now, most of them could stay at one of several Missions downtown, which would get them out of their cardboard boxes or tents and off the streets. However, many of them refused to do so because the Missions had rules they would have to follow. Those that were truly down on their luck usually would not have a problem with this. Those who were the victims of their own pride and rebellion, however, would balk at the idea of having to submit to someone else's authority. Thus, their homeless condition, in either case, was a symptom of a deeper need. If they were simply down on their luck and needed a fresh start, the transition was an easy one. However, if the latter condition were the case, then they would have to work past their pride, often a formidable obstacle, to obtain the humility necessary to make the choice. Thus, the free meal became a "hook" to get them to come to service and allow the Holy Spirit to work on their hearts, as well as their mind, will, and emotions. You must identify the deeper need and keep that as your focus, even as you meet the surface need.

Elements of Vision 2

Plant the Seed

There are several ways to plant the seed of your vision. The first is to communicate it to others and plant the seed of the idea in them. If you want others to be passionate about your idea, you must first be passionate about it yourself. If you just looked around you, saw several things that were missing and picked one like a lottery, chances are you won't be very passionate about it. It's just one need among many. But if it is something you yourself have experienced or something God has been preparing you for all your life, it will have more meaning for you personally and thus a more intense perspective. Nevertheless, do not trust hyperbole ("hype") born of passion to sway potential co-workers into joining you. God will speak to them just the same as He spoke to you. "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" Matt. 9:38.

Of course, the simplest commodity you possess that you can invest in your vision is time, and yet that is often one of the most difficult; there are many distractions in life that will steal your attention if you let them. You must continually seek God about your priorities versus His priorities; you will often find them contrary to each other, simply because we don't always see what He sees. Where we see the obvious symptom, He sees beneath the surface to the root cause. He does not lose focus on the task at hand like we do, sometimes chasing rabbits or being distracted with our own desires. His attention never wavers like ours, nor does he grow weary in well doing (Gal. 6:9). Perhaps the most effective deterrent to wavering attention is to live with your vision. When you don't have to get up and drive to the site or back home, it gives you the opportunity to live with your vision. At least, that was our experience at the Dream Center, where we lived and worked on property. It became our community, and we supported each other in our visions through moral assistance, verbal encouragement, and physical involvement. The use of koinonia can be very effective in executing a vision.

One of the more difficult areas of planting the seed is the financial area. How much of your own money do you invest in the vision? Most rationale Christians recognize that you normally don't "take the food out of your children's mouths" to support your ministry. You need to provide for your family as a matter of course. If that means holding down and part-time or even a fulltime job to support your family in addition to contributing to the ministry, that is a decision you, God, and your family must make together. It has been said that "Money follows ministry," meaning that when you are actually doing something beneficial, others will see it and begin to contribute to your efforts. Sometimes that means you must "prime the pump," so to speak, from your own resources. Sometimes the presence or lack of financial resources can be an indicator of God's leading; yet circumstances should never be our primary, let alone sole, indicator of God's will. It requires a delicate balance to determine when the financial conditions contribute to direction and when they merely hinder it. Occasionally, God will speak clearly and wait for you to put in your two cents (widow's mites), then he responds with an abundance. After all, the essence of faith is hearing God's voice and being obedient to what he tells you to do, and that's what vision is really all about.

Vision

A vision is a plan for ministry. Perhaps the most well known scripture related to vision is Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." We often quote the first half but not the second; yet, proverbs always come in two parts: the premise and the conclusion (my terms). The premise sets up a condition for comparison or contrast with the conclusion. The conclusion finishes the thought. In the Biblical proverb, the conclusion is usually spiritual in focus. Hence, in this proverb, keeping the law (the Torah) provides vision for life; without it, you are bound to perish, physically, morally, and spiritually. Of course, from our perspective after the cross, Jesus came and fulfilled the law for us completely; however, its applicability for our lives is not diminished, we simply are no longer saved through keeping of the law (not that the Jews were ever saved through keeping something that was impossible for humans anyway; they were saved in that through their observance of the law, they acknowledged God's righteousness compared to their sinfulness and looked forward to God's salvation through the promised Messiah).

Therefore, vision is a plan not just for ministry, but for life. We must distinguish between true vision and what many churches pass for vision that is in fact merely a program of one kind or another. Based on our definition above, ministry vision must lead to life physically, psychologically, and/or spiritually. Feeding the hungry begins a relationship that meets a physical need first; however, if that's all that happens, the activity becomes no more than the bread lines of the Great Depression. It has social implications only; certainly it sustains the individuals physically, but if it does not go on from there to meet the areas of need in the soul and spirit, its effect is transitory and lasts only until the person gets hungry again. Starting and operating a private school ministers at the psychological level, working on the mind, the will, and the emotions. Yet, again, although the effect may last as long as a lifetime, that is still transitory; it will come to an end someday. Only a ministry that ultimately reaches the spirit will have results that last for eternity. Pointing the way to salvation and discipling will have eternal impact, but many times it is more effective to begin with a physical or psychological need as a means to gain the individual's attention and then refocus their attention on their spiritual need. An effective frame of reference can be found in this statement: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Forward!

Here we are in the home stretch. We're going to wrap up the last two ministers today, the Pastor and the Teacher. Then we will finish up this series by looking closely at exactly what a vision is, how it works, and where it comes from. Don't go away! There's lots more to come!

The Pastor (Gr: poimen) is often viewed as the head of the local body. However, the NT does not appear to ascribe such a pivotal position to this Minister. The word "Pastor" is merely the Latin form of the Greek word, both of which mean "Shepherd." Vine's goes on to expound on the term, "one who tends herds or flocks (not merely one who feeds them)...Pastors guide as well as feed the flock; cp. Acts 20:28, which, with ver. 17, indicates that this was the service committed to elders (overseers or bishops)...this involves tender care and vigilant superintendence." So, according to this perspective, the service of shepherding was given to someone who was already recognized as a leader in the local body. In modern perspective, however, the position has become a vocation. Licensing and ordination are now the path to Shepherdship with a focus on the church as a business enterprise. We even know the break-even point at which the size of a congregation can generate sufficient revenues to adequately support a full-time Pastor and his family. I do not believe this was the case in Paul's mind when he described this element of the fifth level of involvement. Interestingly enough, I recall a source which indicated that "Goat herders drive their flocks, while sheep herders lead theirs." Believers in Christ are always related to sheep in the NT. Therefore, the vision of the Pastor is for believers who are well fed and well cared for, growing into maturity, bearing lambs and producing wool (a protection against predators as well as a commodity).

The Teacher (Gr: didaskalos), the last (and my favorite) of the fivefold ministry gifts, is what I've been doing in this series. Fortunately, I come to it with a natural gift for research. The NT further distinguishes two different types of teachers: kalodidaskalos, a teacher of what is good (Titus 2:3), and pseudodidaskalos, a false teacher (2 Peter 2:1). The function of a Teacher is to share the truth that they have gleaned from diligent study of God's Word. Unfortunately, it can, like any of the other ministry gifts, be perverted and become simply a source of income. I think Paul may have had this in mind when he warned Timothy about the kind of Teachers who have been wrongfully chosen by those who have "itching ears." (2 Tim. 4:3) Because of grammatical structure in the Greek and its English translation, some have combined the ministry gifts of Pastor and Teacher into one. I think it is commonly accepted that a Pastor should be able to teach, especially within the concept of preaching. However, preaching and teaching have some distinct differences, which we will not digress into here. Suffice it to say, not all Teachers are Shepherds. The Teacher's vision is for believers who are enlightened and well equipped for battle with the tools and weapons forged from the knowledge of the Truth in God's Word.

So this is the fifth level of involvement. We began our study with Spectator, Participator, Contributor, and Motivator, and now have culminated the levels of involvement with the level where vision resides, the Minister. We have also broken down this fifth level into the five-fold ministry of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. Next time, we'll look at vision itself. Y'all come back, now, y'hear?

Upward!

I'm going to try to advance the cause by combining the next two ministers. I'm also going to start posting more often than just once a week. I've been gathering some crops into the barn and I'm just about ready to load them up and take them to market. Maybe then those of you with attention spans just slightly longer than a goldfish will stay awake! Huh? Oh, squirrel!

The Prophet (Gr: prophetes) reeks of vision. The nouns prophet and prophecy, along with the verb prophesy, all have connotations in their original use of seeing circumstances from God's point of view and then speaking out of that divine perspective (pro, forth, phemi, to speak). The same Greek word is used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) for the Hebrew roeh, which is sometimes translated "Seer" in English, indicating that the prophet was one who had immediate communication with God. Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines prophet as "one who speaks forth or openly..., a proclaimer of a divine message, denoted among the Greeks an interpreter of the oracles of the gods." The function of the Prophet is to bring God's truth to the body as they see it. Their perspective includes the past, present, and future. They often see God's view of people's past actions and their present condition as well as what God intends to do in the future. The Prophet's function, then, is to go to local bodies and bring them God's truth. One caveat: "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets," 1 Cor. 14:32. What this means is that it is possible for the Prophet to imbue their own personal vision with God's vision and add that to the speaking. There are three tests to the veracity of prophecy: (1) it must conform to and not contradict God's written Word; (2) the hearer must have a witness in their spirit from the Holy Spirit; and (3) any circumstances attached to the prophecy, whether past, present, or future, must be 100% accurate. God does not lie; people can fudge, however. So the Prophet's vision is for a body of believers that is operating with all the "intel" necessary to wage a successful war against the forces of darkness.

The Evangelist (Gr: euaggelistes) has roots in his or her local body but spends most of the time going to places where the Gospel has never been preached, spreading the word and eliciting new converts. They bring the good news to those who become the body in that locality. Literally, the Greek word means "a messenger of good (eu, well, angelos, a messenger). The initial stages of missions work involves heavy doses of evangelism, followed by the apostle and the other ministry gifts. So, the evangelist is usually the vanguard of the Kingdom of God and the one who most populates the list of martyrs (Greek for "witnesses"). They spend considerable time in cross-cultural environments, but they tend not to stay in one place for long. Their vision is to see as many people as possible hear the Gospel and have an opportunity to respond by accepting Jesus as their Savior.

Next time, we'll finish up the fifth level of involvement with Pastor and Teacher so that we can forge ahead into the mechanics of vision for ministry. Until then...

Onward!

Whoa! This is cool! I've been building this post and several others in a Word 2007 document and just found the "Publish" link under the Office button that allowed me to publish to this blog site. I love it when technology comes together and actually works! Well, let's mush onward toward an understanding of how to have vision for ministry.

The fifth and final level of involvement is Minister. However, more than an arrival state, it is the key that unlocks the door to a whole new world of experience. The hallmark of the Ministerial level is the reception of a vision for ministry along with communication of that vision to others in order to enlist their help in fulfilling the vision. There are five types of ministers, based upon their activity and function, as listed in Ephesians 4:11: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. Each is unique, and yet each begins with a vision.

The Apostle (Gr: apostolos), in the NT, appears to have executive responsibility and authority. Extending from the original twelve, minus one who was replaced, Paul also claims this right of Apostleship through his personal calling from Christ on the road to Damascus. However, such an intimate, revelatory encounter with the living Christ does not appear to be a criterion for Apostleship, as Paul, in his letters to Timothy, instructs his young protégé in the discharge of the office. Apostles are primarily responsible for setting up and organizing local bodies of believers. The word apostolos literally means "he that is sent," or "one sent forth" (apo, from, stello, to send). The Apostle's function is to go to places where new converts have appeared and organize them into a body in that locale. Once the body has been established and set up, the Apostle moves on to the next place, allowing the body to grow and mature on its own. They do not usually exert remote authority unless a problem has arisen or a question has been posed. However, they do maintain a long-term relationship with the body, as evidenced by Paul's occasional return to and communications with bodies he established. The Apostle's vision is for an organized body of believers in which the members are functioning at all five levels of involvement and replicating themselves in the community around them as they exert a positive influence on that community through the reception and execution of a variety of visions.

Next time, we'll look at the Prophet and the Evangelist. Cheerio!

Rounding the far turn!

Yes, I think we've had enough preamble. Let's get down to brass tacks (anyone know where that phrase came from?) and talk about vision. We're finally to level five in the levels of involvement: Minister. It's an interesting term, one that has become laden with a considerable amount of baggage. Maybe we can use Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (1940) to ferret them out.

The first one listed is diakonos, "a servant, attendant, minister, deacon." Interesting, how we have come to attribute so much power and authority to such a humble word. Second is leitourgos, "denoted among the Greeks, firstly, one who discharged a public office at his own expense [what a concept!], then, in general, a public servant, minister." The last is huperetes, " properly an under rower (hupo, under, eretes, a rower) as distinguished from nautes, a seaman..., hence came to denote any subordinate acting under another's direction." It appears that where we commonly perceive honor and authority, the New Testament indicates humility and service.

For our purposes, in our hierarchical scheme of levels of involvement, this is the pinnacle level, the crowning achievement, the level to be most desired and sought after, and yet the one so seldom attained. Because of the responsibility and authority traditionally attached to this level, the common misconception is "There can be only one." Although that is true, in a sense, it applies only to the Son of God Himself, Jesus. He is the head; we are His body. It is as parts of His body that we minister.

However, more than an arrival state, it is the key that unlocks the door to a whole new world of experience. The hallmark of the Ministerial level is the reception of a vision for ministry along with the communication of that vision to others in order to enlist their help in fulfilling the vision. There are five types of Ministers, based upon their activity and function, as listed in Ephesians 4:11--Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. Each is unique, and yet each begins with a vision.

The Apostle (Gr: apostolos), in the NT, appears to have executive responsibility and authority. Extending from the original twelve, minus one who was replaced, Paul also claims this right of Apostleship through his personal calling from Christ on the road to Damascus. However, such an intimate, revelatory encounter with the living Christ does not appear to be a criterion for Apostleship, as Paul, in his letters to Timothy, instructs his young protégé in the discharge of the office.

Apostles are primarily responsible for setting up and organizing local bodies of believers. The word apostolos literally means "he that is sent," or "one sent forth" (apo, from, stello, to send). The Apostle's function is to go to places where new converts have appeared and organize them into a body in that locale. Once the body has been established and set up, the Apostle moves on to the next place, allowing the body to grow and mature on its own.

They do not usually exert remote authority unless a problem has arisen or a question has been posed. However, they do maintain a long-term relationship with the body, as evidenced by Paul's occasional return to an communications with bodies he established.

The Apostle's vision is for an organized body of believers in which the members are functioning at all five levels of involvement and replicating themselves in the community around them as they exert a positive influence on that community through the reception and execution of a variety of visions.

Next time, we'll continue with the Prophet. See ya!

Enough, already!

Enough time, that is, which has elapsed since my last post. I really do enjoy this; I just get distracted with so many other things. But I'm not going to cut bait, so it's time to fish. Focus! (Squirrel!)

We left off talking about the third level of involvement, Contributor, and going on to the fourth level, Motivator. Now, some people are naturally born as encouragers--it's the way God wired them from the get-go. But this is another viewpoint related to vision for ministry that everyone can fit into. While it centers around encouragement, it is an altruistic experience, one that is not based on encouraging others because of what they can do for you; it is not encouragement for personal gain. Let me explain: any ministry leader ought to be encouraging the people who labor with them. (Aside: I struggled with this statement because I didn't want to say "the people under them"--I believe strongly that the ground is level at the foot of the Cross--or "the people who work for them"--we don't work for each other; we work for the Kingdom and for Jesus. We are co-laborers.) Instead, this level is applied without any thought for personal gain or reward.

Take a look at the comments on my first post. You'll find one there by Aaron Jayne, my stepson. I won't go into the details of our history (we've both changed since then), but, suffice it to say, we weren't always on the same page. Yet he has encouraged me many times to explore my potential as a person, as a Christian, and as a minister to "stretch out the boundaries" of my experience in Christ. It was his encouraging invitation to us in 1996 to come visit him at the Dream Center on our planned trip to Los Angeles that launched us on one of the most exciting times of our lives. He is one of the most positive people I know; when life hands him lemons, he starts building lemonade stands! And yet, this is not his natural gift. It is something he has developed, a level of involvement to which he has risen. He does it in support of other people's visions.

This is the hallmark of the Motivator level. You can't do this and have a glass that's half-empty, or even half-full, for that matter--it has to be overflowing! Only then can you share with others out of your abundance and still have some left over for yourself. By encouraging others, you advance the cause of Christ, and through their successes, you receive encouragement for your own visions. By depositing in other people's accounts in the Kingdom Bank, you earn interest on your own account. And God's interest rate is certainly better than any human financial institution's!

Next time (soon!), we will start to wrap this up by forging on into the fifth and last level of involvement, one to which every Christian should strive to attain: Minister. Till then...squirrel!