THE MINISTRY OF THE APOSTLE JOHN IN HIS MATURITY

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1 THE MINISTRY OF THE APOSTLE JOHN IN HIS MATURITY Lessons Learned from the First Ministers of the Past Week 20 Paul s Epistolary Ministry (2) (Eph. 1:15-18) Daily Food 1

2 Monday Scripture Reading: Acts 21:31-33; 24:27; 25:11; 28:16-20 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) Paul s Epistolary Ministry We have spoken of the epistles Paul wrote before he went to Jerusalem at the end of his third journey. We have also covered his going to Jerusalem and his imprisonment (Acts 21:31-33). We could explain in many ways why the Lord rescued him from the tumult that arose in the temple in Jerusalem. In the past we said that it was because the Lord loved him. This is true, but according to the revelation we have received now, we see that the Lord did not let him die because his ministry had still not been thoroughly carried out. Up to that moment Paul had written little only an outline of the unspeakable words he had heard in Arabia. The most important revelations of God s New Testament economy had still not been written down. After he was imprisoned in Jerusalem, Paul was taken to Caesarea and kept a prisoner there for two years (24:27). We believe that during this period he was before the Lord and repented of many things he had done. After this he was sent to Rome because he had appealed to Caesar. But when he arrived at Rome he was not put in prison but under house arrest (25:11; 28:16). As a prisoner there, the Holy Spirit could use him to write his epistles and leave us the rich revelations he had received. 2

3 This week we will look at the eight epistles he wrote after his imprisonment in Rome, when he was able to develop his epistolary ministry. Paul was imprisoned in Rome two times. The first, around BC, was due to the accusation of the Jews (28:17-20). During this time Paul wrote the epistles to the Colossians, the Ephesians, the Philippians and Philemon. After he was released (the release that he hoped for - cf. Phil. 1:25; 2:24; Phm. 22), he must have visited Ephesus and Macedonia (1 Tim. 1:3), where he probably wrote the First Epistle to Timothy. After this he visited Crete (Tit. 1:5) and Nicapolis (3:12), where he wrote the letter to Titus, and Troas and Miletus (2 Tim. 4:13, 20), where he most likely wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews. Due to the sudden persecution of Caesar Nero, Paul was put in prison the second time around the year 67. During this time he wrote the Second Epistle to Timothy, while he was waiting to be martyred for his faith. Key Point: Completing the ministry we have received from the Lord Jesus. Your Key Point: Question: Why did the Lord not let Paul die in Jerusalem? 3

4 Tuesday Scripture Reading: Col. 1:15-18, 27; 2:2, 8; 3:11 That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ (Colossians 2:2) The Epistle to the Colossians: Christ is All and in All The vision Paul received was recorded in his epistles, which all together may be compared to an airplane. The book of Galatians, the first book Paul wrote before he was imprisoned, is the fuselage, the body of the plane, whose content brings a general vision of God s New Testament economy (Gal. 1:11-17). In the books of Colossians and Ephesians we have the two wings of the plane, which also present God s New Testament economy. Colossians speaks of the mystery of God, which is Christ (2:2), and the book of Ephesians deals with the mystery of Christ, which is the church (1:22-23; 3:4-6, 10). In the Epistle to the Colossians, Christ, the mystery of God, is presented in a wonderful way; thus He must have the preeminence, the first place, in all things (1:15-18). The church in Colossae, however, had lost the reality contained in these words, and had turned to the things that attract the soul, like philosophy, empty deceit, religious traditions and the rudiments of the world, which drew the believers away from Christ and replaced Him (2:8). These things in general are considered to be the best things in human culture, but they separate people from 4

5 Christ. For this reason Paul had the burden to write to the Colossians to remind them that the mystery that was hidden from the ages and from the generations had been manifested, which is Christ in us, the hope of glory (1:27). If we want to be free from all the things that replace the Lord, we need to be brought back to our spirit, where Christ dwells. The Christ presented by Paul in this epistle is no longer in the flesh but has become the Spirit of reality. He is in us and is the reality of everything that we need (3:11). If Christ had not become the Spirit but had remained in the flesh, He would not be able to be in us and we would have no way to enjoy all of His riches. Furthermore, after His death and resurrection, our Lord ascended to the heavens so that we could also have the experience of ascension and be with Him in heavenly places. Many times we have pressures from all sides until there is no way out. But we have Christ in His ascension, and in Him we are free from earthly oppressions. Key Point: Christ is everything we need. Your Key Point: Question: What can take us away from Christ according to the Epistle to the Colossians? What can bring us back to Him? 5

6 Wednesday Scripture Reading: Eph. 1:18-19, 22-23; 2:1-8; Eph. 3:4-6, 10; Eph. 5:15-18 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:22-23) The Epistle to the Ephesians: The Church, the Fullness of Christ The Epistle to the Ephesians is the most heavenly of all the epistles written by the apostle Paul. It presents the church as the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:4-6, 10). Paul begins by making reference to every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. The blessings in chapter one have three aspects: the blessings of the Father, those of the Son and those of the Holy Spirit, which are the operating of the very Triune God in His chosen ones. Right after this Paul prayed asking God to give to the Ephesian believers a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that the eyes of their heart would be enlightened that they might know three things: the hope of God s calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power (1:18-19). We need wisdom and revelation to see that God resurrected Christ, put all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, which is His Body. The church is the Body of Christ, His fullness (v. 23; Col. 1:19; 2:9-10). The Epistle to the Ephesians shows us also how the church is produced and what are the elements that constitute it. As fallen 6

7 sinners in Adam, we ought to die. We were material for the lake of fire. In God s eyes we were dead, and our walk was once according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. We walked according to the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desire of the flesh (Eph. 2:1-3); therefore our destiny was death. But we were specially reached by God s mercy! We were dead in our trespasses and sins, but God loved us; not with a small love but with a great love. Because of this great love, God, who is rich in mercy, gave us life and saved us (vv. 4-8). Formerly, we were material for the lake of fire. Now, by the riches of His mercy, God has rescued us. Because of His great love, He cleansed us, and with His life and grace is working in us to make us His masterpiece in reality. Praise the Lord! Now in Christ Jesus we have drawn near by His blood. Thus we are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. What a change in status! Coming to chapter 3, Paul shows that for God to dispense what He is and has, He needs stewards those who dispense, those who administrate His riches and dispense them to His children. The stewards help us to grow in life and to know the love of Christ. In chapters 4 to 6 we have the practice of chapters 1 to 3. To carry out the practice, Paul mentions the verb to walk five times (4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15). In 4:1 he speaks of walking worthily of God s calling. Here grace is implied. We must walk according to the calling of grace. The second mention of walk is in verse 17: That you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, 7

8 in the futility (vanity) of their mind. Vanity in verse 17 is in opposition to truth in verse 21. Therefore, the first kind of walk is to walk in grace, and the second is to walk in truth. In 5:2 Paul says, And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us. The third kind of walk, therefore, is to walk in love. In verse 8 he says, For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Walking as children of light is the fourth kind of walk. The fifth kind of walk is in verse 15: See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise. How can we walk wisely? The way is to be filled with the Spirit (v. 18). In other words, we must walk in the Spirit. Therefore, in order for the church to be real and practical, our walk must be in grace, in truth (or reality), in love, in light and in the Spirit. Praise the Lord! Key Point: No longer material for the lake of fire but members of the household of God and of the Body of Christ. Your Key Point: Question: What is the church to God? And to you? 8

9 Thursday Scripture Reading: Phil. 1:3-6; Phm. 5-16; 3 John 4 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14) The Epistle to the Philippians and Philemon: The Goal and the Foundation of the Christian Life The Epistle to the Philippians presents the goal of the vision the Lord gave to Paul. In comparing it to an airplane, Philippians shows what is the Lord s destiny and direction for our life. Paul says, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (3:14). We know that the prize is to enter into the millennial kingdom not only to enjoy the wedding with the Lamb but to reign with Him and rule over the nations for a thousand years (Rev. 20:6). This is the prize. At the beginning of this book, Paul says that he remembered them before God with thanksgiving, making request for them all with joy for their fellowship in the progress of the gospel from the first day until now. Fellowship in this verse means participation. The church in Philippi participated in everything Paul accomplished for the progress of the gospel. This fellowship also refers to the contributions to supply the financial need. They not only prayed together, not only preached together, but were also willing to offer for the sake of the gospel (Phil. 1:3-6). Therefore, Paul was happy because they practised his 9

10 teachings and cooperated with him in the progress of the gospel. Indeed, there is no greater joy than to see all the saints practising the truth (3 John 4). We know the Bible is filled with truths, but if we don t manage to practise them, they will become mere doctrines. We all need to enter into this joy, and for this we need to practise the word that is being announced to us. Philippians shows that we can experience Christ in the church, in our day to day life and participate in the practical burdens regarding the advance of the gospel. It also shows us that while we are practising the word of God, we sometimes become discouraged. Thus, in Philippians 3:13 Paul gave his testimony of how to press on. He said that he forgot the things which were behind and pressed on toward the things that were before him. We must also forget what is behind. Let us not always be thinking of our failures or the victorious experiences which are behind. Let us press on to those that are before us. Christ is ahead of us and is calling us. He is saying, Come, go on! If we keep looking behind or beside us, we will be distracted and maybe fall. Don t look at the past; just look at the Lord. He is calling us from on high because He wants to give us the prize. Paul also wrote to Philemon, a brother in the church in Colossae, to show that the basis, the foundation, for us to practise God s New Testament economy is love (Phm. vv. 5, 7, 9). The Epistle to Philemon leaves us a practical example of love, which is the foundation of our Christian life. In verses 8-11 Paul petitioned on behalf of Onesimus, who was a slave who came to him in prison. Onesimus was a slave who probably offended Philemon and caused him problems. But later he was saved, brought forth by Paul in prison. 10

11 Paul sent him back to Philemon, telling him that if Onesimus (whose name means useful) was useless to him before, now he would be useful, just as he was to Paul himself. We see love in the recommendation Paul gave concerning Onesimus: I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart (v. 12). He also said that in the flesh Onesimus was a slave, but in the Lord he was a very dear brother (v. 16). If we have love as our foundation, we will not look at others from the point of view of the flesh but will see the value each one has toward the Lord. If we are not on the foundation of love, we will only know how to condemn. With an attitude like this there is no way for the plane to take off, no way to go on in the Christian life. But if we practise love, as in the Epistle to Philemon, we will have the runway for taking off. Hallelujah! Key Point: Participating in the progress of the gospel. Your Key Point: Question: What did you learn today? 11

12 Friday Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 1:3; 3:15; 4:8; 6:12, 19; Tit. 1:2, 5; 2 Tim. 1:1, 7 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them (2 Timothy 3:14) 1 Timothy, Titus and 2 Timothy: Spirit and Life, the Remedy against Degradation When Paul went to Ephesus again after he was released from the Roman prison, he realized that the situation of the church had not improved. Paul had to continue the journey to visit other churches, but as he wanted to help the church in Ephesus, he chose Timothy, one of his co-workers, and asked him to remain there. This shows how much he loved the church there. In 1 Timothy 1:3 we read, As I urged you when I went into Macedonia remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Those who were speaking in the church in Ephesus were not teaching God s economy, which is the healthy teaching, but another doctrine which only produced disputes. The brothers who speak in a church may lead the others into a situation of life or into degradation. May the Lord deliver us from falling into a negative situation! When Paul wrote the First Epistle to Timothy, he spoke of how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God (3:15). In this epistle and in the one he wrote to Titus, he very much stressed eternal life. Ministering the divine life through the healthy teaching is the best remedy against degradation. 12

13 In First Timothy Paul tells us that the exercise of godliness has the promise of eternal life that now is and of that which is to come (4:8). He also encouraged Timothy to lay hold on eternal life (6:12) and asked him to exhort the rich to lay hold on eternal life (v. 19). Still on this journey, Paul wrote the Epistle to Titus, which speaks of keeping the order in the church (1:5). In this book he spoke of the hope of eternal life, which the God who cannot lie promised before time began (v. 2). He also showed that we can become heirs according to the hope of eternal life (3:7). Degradation came in because of not practising the teachings of the apostle presented in the epistles to Titus and Timothy. Just like a family that has many possessions but loses their riches because they don t know how to manage them, the church at that time became degraded. The brothers there did not listen to the healthy teachings but clung to teachers according to their own desires and, as having itching ears, they gave themselves to myths (2 Tim. 4:3-4). In order to bring them back, Paul wrote the Second Epistle to Timothy, also from the Roman prison. In it he speaks of how to rescue the church from degradation. The main reason for degradation is the lack of life and of the exercise of the spirit. Therefore, in order to recover the church to a normal condition, Paul reminded Timothy that he was an apostle according to the promise of life (1:1), which encourages us to grow in life. Moreover, in order to overcome the degradation, he warned Timothy to fan into flame the gift that was in him by exercising the spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind which he received from God when he believed (v. 7). 13

14 In chapter two Paul instructed Timothy about two things: transmitting the healthy teachings to faithful and suitable men and pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2:2, 22). The healthy word and calling on the name of the Lord are very important to maintain the church in a normal condition (Rev. 3:8). At the end of Paul s ministry, when he was already being offered as a drink offering, he encouraged Timothy to be sober, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill his ministry (4:5-6). He also testified, Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing (v. 8). There is a crown kept for those who love the Lord s appearing. If we want it, we must keep our spirit exercised, practise the word and pursue with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Thus we will be able to grow in life and finish our race. Amen! Key Point: Keeping the healthy word and calling on the name of the Lord. Your Key Point: Question: What is important to maintain the church in a normal condition? 14

15 Saturday Scripture Reading: Heb. 1:1-3; 2:1; 3:15; 4:1-2; 6:18-19; 10:19-20; 13:13 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12) Hebrews: Within the Veil and Outside the Camp Besides the epistles we have already spoken about, another very important epistle is that written to the Hebrews, of which Paul was probably the author. This epistle ties together all the items mentioned in the other letters. Christ is revealed and described in the book of Hebrews in a unique way as in no other book in the Bible: He is superior to everything and everyone. In it we clearly see His heavenly ministry and all that He has done and has attained for God s chosen people. According to Hebrews 6:18-19, we must all have a hope that is sure and steadfast and that enters within the veil. This veil refers to the Lord Jesus body, which was split for us. In His death and resurrection, the Lord opened a new and living way for us, so that today we may enter within the veil, that is, enter into the Holy of Holies (10:19-20). Today, in a practical way, we can experience the reality of what is within the veil by calling on the name of the Lord. Whenever we do this by faith, we are brought to the spirit, enter into God s presence and can 15

16 have fellowship with Him face to face. Thus, in the spirit we gain the growth in life, and our soul remains steadfast by the anchor in the Holy of Holies. In addition to showing the superiority of Christ, Hebrews values the importance of the word. The word is living and operative, like a two-edged sword that pierces us and does a separating work (4:12). The word of God is living because it is the very speaking of God. In time past He spoke many times and in many ways through the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us in the Son (1:1-2). If we want to enter into God s rest, that is, to reign with Christ in the coming age, we need to pay heed to God s speaking today and not harden our heart (3:15; 4:1-2). We must allow the word of God to dwell in us richly. Because we believed in the word, which is Christ, we received the life of God, were regenerated and became His children (John 1:1, 12-13). But this life needs to grow in us. Just as we received God s life through the word, it will grow in us in the same way. Contact with the word through faith fills us with the Spirit and life. We must not be content merely with hearing the word in a meeting or reading it carelessly. In Hebrews 2:1 we read that we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For this we need to hear the word with faith, ruminate it, consider it before God and mix it with prayer, that it might penetrate into us and operate what God desires. Finally, we need to speak it and practise it in our life. If we don t do this, we will easily be diverted from the truth and 16

17 led by the world. Paul had the deep burden that these Christians would see this. Like many today, in spite of knowing the word for so long, they were still not mature. They were like children only able to feed on spiritual milk and not the solid food of the word (Heb. 5:11-12). Moreover, we must not only enter within the veil but also have the experience of going outside the camp to preach the gospel (13:13). The Lord has already gone outside the camp, and we are going with Him. We need to preach the gospel of the kingdom and perfect more people in the ministries of the word, services and offerings. For this we have the GPP1. We must intensify our work and cooperate with God. Let us go outside the camp so that the church may be built in every city as soon as possible. Then the Lord will come back and we will receive the reward of reigning with Christ! Key Point: Hearing the word with faith, ruminating it and considering it before God. Your Key Point: Question: What do the expressions enter within the veil and go outside the camp mean? 17

18 Sunday Scripture Reading: Phil. 3:13-14; 2 Tim. 4:7-8 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 'For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry' (Hebrews 10:35-37) Concluding Summary This week we have seen how rich Paul s epistolary ministry was after his imprisonment. Even though he made mistakes, we must not focus on his failures. Let us hold fast to his words in the book to the Philippians: Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13-14). This was his secret. May the past stay in the past. Let s go on; let s look ahead! If you keep looking beside or behind you, you will get lost. We are going through a narrow way, and the Lord is encouraging us to go on by looking ahead. Hallelujah! Let us go on to the end, and the Lord will give us the reward! Despite having failures in his ministry of building the church, Paul was victorious in his epistolary 18

19 ministry. Thus he could say at the end of his life, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). That is, he kept God s New Testament economy, whose content is the faith. Paul was victorious, so he stated, Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing (v. 8). Paul finished his race. Let us finish ours by living in the spirit, denying ourselves, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, perfecting the saints and taking life to all, that we may hasten the Lord s coming! Hallelujah! Key Point: Let us look ahead! Your Key Point: Question: What was Paul s secret for finishing his race? 19

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