“Convinced of this, I know that I will
remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so
that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my
coming to you again.”[1]
After looking
at this verse in relation to how the church bands together to work these things
out with fear and trembling,[2]I
took another look at this from the viewpoint of pastors working out Paul’s
example with fear and trembling. Paul was not merely setting
an example of making progress in his faith, and feeling joy in his faith, and
glorying in Christ Jesus. His example included what he was doing as a leader so
that the churches could experience these things. In that sense he presents
three things for pastors/elders to add to the way they work out their salvation
with fear and trembling.
I
must clarify that, when I speak of elders in the church, I mean elders the way
Paul thought of them. Paul had no thought of autonomous, denominational local
churches that isolated themselves from the other believers in the community. He
was not writing to one group in the city of Philippi. He had no room in his
mind for churches using the society’s act to direct their affairs. He did not
speak to the idea of multiple “local churches” in a community, each one with
their own pastor/elder who was isolated to shepherd only those people.
Rather,
when we think of Paul’s example to the elders of a city, to the mature
believers who were seeking to live by Paul’s example, we must picture Paul
looking at every believer in Philippi as a member of the one body of Christ in
that city. He saw elders as a group of men who were shepherds of the flock
together. He saw distinctions in what each elder contributed, and expected the
whole church of the city to relate to all the elders as their leaders in
Christ.[3]
When
we think of following Paul’s example, we must first see this through Paul’s
eyes as one who was thinking of the whole church, and each community
identifying all the believers as one local church. When our minds are on how we
follow Paul’s example in caring for the whole church of our city or community,
and how our place as a pastor/elder is part of this brotherhood of elders God
has designed to lead his church, we can then consider the specific
characteristics of Paul’s example that we are to work out with fear and
trembling for the greatest good of the whole church around us.
The
first thing is that Paul saw his remaining and continuing with them as “for” their growth to maturity in Jesus
Christ. As he thought about whether he would survive this present imprisonment,
knowing that his “desire is to depart and
be with Christ, for that is far better,”[4] while appreciating that “to
remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account,”[5]he was convinced that he would “remain
and continue with you all,” but “for”
the benefit of the church.
This
means that pastors/elders must consider how God is working in us to will things
that are for the church, and to work things that are for the church. This is
not a mere consideration of what we can do for the church, but a consideration
of how God is working in us to both will and work the specific things he
desires us to do for the church.
When
we think of how to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that
God will be doing something in us that is for the good of the church, we will
watch for the ways that God puts certain people on our hearts, or prepares us
for certain gatherings of the church. Our aim is not to program our
interactions into set times and places, even if there are set times and places
in our schedules. Rather, our focus is on how to be sensitive to whatever God
is working into us to will and work for his good pleasure. We can be sure that
God has all the people in mind that we will encounter in a given day, along
with all the varied responsibilities we have towards certain gatherings of
believers, to our wives and children, and to others who are specifically under
our care. We can expect God to coordinate and orchestrate every relationship in
ways that are for his good pleasure, and that elders must set the example of
how to look out for the good of the church.
The
second expression that identifies Paul’s place in contributing to the good of
the church was, “that in me you may have
ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus.” Paul’s example was that he not only
wanted the churches to make progress in the faith, and experience joy in the
faith, and glory in Christ Jesus, but he wanted his life to give the churches “ample cause” for these things.
This
is an incredibly huge example, and it is no wonder that pastors/elders would
need to work this out with fear and trembling. Our sharing in the life of Jesus
Christ together ought to give the churches “ample
cause” to make progress, and feel joy, and glory in Christ Jesus. We cannot
feel content to be making progress ourselves, but must work this out with all
seriousness, that we could give our people ample cause to grow in all the
things God is doing for our joy.
As
pastors/elders look at what God is working into the churches, how he is giving
the church the will to desire certain things, and to work out God’s will in
specific ways, the men who lead must expect God to call them to set the pace.
While others in the churches may see only how desperately then need the rest of
the church to help them make progress, and to feel joy, and to learn to glory
in Christ Jesus, the pastors/elders must expect that God’s work in us will be
to increase our awareness of Christ’s interests in his whole church. We must
expect specific thoughts, and desires, and opportunities, that we must work out
with fear and trembling in our own lives, while joining the church in working
these things out together.
The
third aspect of Paul’s example is that his work for the church, and his aim of
giving the church ample cause to glory in our Savior, is associated with “my coming to you again.” In Paul’s
case, this meant that he hoped to encourage the Philippian Christians by not
only finding freedom from his present imprisonment, but being able to come to
Philippi for another season of fellowship with the church of that city.
Paul
is emphasizing the place of personal relationship in the church. Pastors/elders
do not primarily work in meetings, doing planning, getting together with other
pastors/elders to decide what to do in the church. There is an aspect of being
together as shepherds with the flock that gives the ample cause for growth in
joy and glorying that the churches need.
For
pastors/elders seeking to follow this example, we must look at ways that our
being with the church will give the people the ample cause they need to glory
in Christ Jesus. While I understand very well the kinds of troubles and
heartaches pastors and their families can experience in ministry, as long as we
are in a place of shepherding God’s people, we must expect to see God working
in us to will and work in ways that our being with the flock gives them ample
cause to grow up in Christ.
Whether
we are looking at this as pastors/elders or as members of a congregation, as
shepherds or as sheep, all of us should be able to see how God would be working
in us to will to make progress in the faith, to grow in our joy in the faith,
and to glory in Christ Jesus our Lord. Pastors/elders must consider how their
lives are “for” the “progress and joy” of the people who
form the church of our community. We must watch for ways God is giving us our
own growth in Christ so that we can contribute to the church’s “ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus.” We
must consider how the fellowship of the church brings people together where God
is working in everybody to will and to work for his good pleasure, and how we
are to band together to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
When
Paul wrote the Ephesian Christians he outlined the relationships between the
leaders and the flock of God that would equip the saints for ministry, build up
the body of Christ, mature and grow the church, so that, as “each part is working properly,” it “makes the body grow so that it builds
itself up in love.”[6] While hurts and disappointments can cloud our faith that such
things can really happen, the fact that God’s will is so clearly revealed means
that we can expect God to work on our wills, and to give us that kind of work
to do.
And
then, if we worked out our salvation with fear and trembling, we would at least
have one person who was making progress and joy in their faith, and having
ample reason to glory in Christ Jesus. Who knows what that might do for others
who have never had such an example to follow.
© 2015 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
[1]
Philippians 1:25-26
[2]
Philippians 2:12-13. See my post for that point of view: http://in2freedom.blogspot.ca/2015/01/pastoral-ponderings-progress-joy-and.html
[3]
I Corinthians 1:10-17 addresses that the church of Corinth was not to think of
the apostles/elders as though some were favorites. In I Corinthians 3:1-23,
Paul continues to clarify that the church does not look to individual
apostles/elders, so creating division, but sees itself as belong to Jesus
Christ, with all the leaders as their shepherds together.
[4]
Philippians 1:23
[5]
Philippians 1:24
[6]
Ephesians 4:11-16
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