·
Greed/covetousness,
v5. Paul was not focused on money;
he was not in ministry for the money!
Furthermore there was no “give money to me so you will get more money,”
a popular message of many preachers today.
The Pharisees were in it for the money (Mark 12:40), fulfilling
Ezekiel’s prophesy about the shepherds who get fat off the sheep (Ezek.
34:1-10). Again, from 2 Peter 2 where
Peter was dealing with this issue of false prophets and teachers, they are
those who exploit their hearers for the sake of covetousness (2:3). Paul did receive money from people (Phil. 4:10-20). But when he did he made it clear that he was
thankful for them and then sought to bless them instead. Paul’s attitude in Phil. 4:12, that money was
not a big issue and that he knew how to get along fine with a lot or a little,
that attitude seldom makes it into “missionary letters” or “fundraising appeals”
today.
Let
us now turn to the positive aspects of Paul’s evangelistic ministry. Ministry that has God’s approval is
characterized by the presence of:
·
Gentleness,
v7. One synonym for gentle is mild. Think about this in
terms of Jesus’ call to servanthood (Mk. 10:35-46). He told the disciples (and us) not to be like
worldly leaders who want to have the power and control: they lord it over
them! How different is Christian
ministry, being first gentle or mild. We
are called to this even when dealing with people who oppose us (2 Tim.
2:24). And it is the same attitude of
the Good Shepherd with His lambs (Isa. 40:11).
Jesus (and Paul) could be strongly emotional at the proper time (e.g.
Jn. 2:13-22, cleansing the temple). But
look at the gentle way Jesus dealt with the sin issue in the heart of the
Samaritan woman (Jn. 4:16-18). It is not
the preacher who is the hammer that breaks the heart of the sinner; it is the
word of God: Is not My word like a fire? Says
the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces (Jer. 23:29).
·
Cherishing,
v7. To cherish has the root idea of heating something up or softening the
heart. A husband is to cherish his wife (Eph. 5:29). God Himself cherished His people and showed it in the way He cared for them in
the wilderness (Dt. 1:31). What a great
illustration Paul uses: as a nursing
mother cherishes her own children. Until
Acts 28 Paul had never been to Rome or visited the Church at Rome. And yet we are told that the brethren of that
church met Paul at the Appii Forum, a marketplace some 43 miles from Rome. He may have known a few of these brethren,
and certainly they all knew about Paul.
But still we ask what would have given them such a heart for Paul as to
go 43 miles to welcome him to Rome?
Could it have been that he had already warmed them, cherished them,
through the magnificent letter he wrote that we simply call Romans?
That letter is considered a theological masterpiece. But when they read the introduction (1:8-15)
and the conclusion (15:14-16:27) they saw a man who cherished them. When they met him on the Appian Way they met
a man they knew to be a true servant of Christ.
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