You Were There: (08/10/22)
It seems quite likely there were those in receipt of this letter who
particularly needed to hear this brief admonishment. And I don’t think
it’s simply encouragement, in this instance, to keep on doing as they
had been. Had they been so doing, there would be no cause for the
request, would there? But like any other group of humanity, there would
be those who struggled to accept oversight. For some, it really
wouldn’t matter who had the task. For others, it may be that
personality conflict sort of business which seems to have my attention
today. For yet others, maybe there was too much recollection of former
days: We knew him when… It might fall into that aspect of the prophet
never being recognized in his hometown. It was too hard to accept the
change, even knowing the change that had transpired in our own
experience.
Then, too, maybe there was a bit of competitiveness involved, that
sense that I should be in that office, or at least have been considered
for it. I’ve seen that happen before, if by proxy. For something in us
recognizes that this is an unsuitable attitude to have on display for
one who would serve as overseer in God’s house. But still, there can
develop that sense that it’s my turn, I deserve this recognition. Maybe
yes, maybe no. But with that mindset, I should have to lean toward the
latter. It leads to trouble.
At any rate, trying to get some sense of what those sitting in
Thessalonica listening to this letter read out may have been thinking
and feeling, one expects it had mixed reception. Certainly, the
leadership would hear it with a degree of welcome affirmation. But
there’s still that haunting note at the end. “Because
of their work.” Well, we can do better. We can seek God’s
help to adjust our demeanor so as to be more winsome, more welcome in
our manner. Those who perhaps had their differences with leadership
would certainly have heard a note of correction here, might perhaps hear
that same haunting note telling them to look beyond such surface issues
as were giving them doubt, and see the deeper significance, the devoted
effort of those leaders and their faithfulness to pursue their office in
the wisdom of God.
There would be at least two other groups, I should think. There would
be those who already understood this and agreed with it, as concerned
their leadership. They had had, perhaps, first-hand experience of the
depth of diligence those leaders exercised toward them personally.
Recall that one-on-one aspect of building up from the previous verse: “Just as you also are doing.” Well, where there
was a doing, there was also an experiencing of the beneficial value of
that doing, certainly. Some had known such building up, and that most
effectively, one might suspect, at the hands of their elders and pastors
being personally involved in the effort.
But perhaps there is that last group, as well, who simply haven’t
really given this much thought one way or the other. They come. They
listen. They nod along to the sermon and sing the songs, and yes, they
appreciate that there is somebody there to provide such things for them,
but there really hasn’t been any thought given to what goes into that
provision, of what sort of constant, wearing labor it can be to so serve
in the house of God. Now, I know, we’re supposed to accept that where
we labor in the purposes of God, He supplies the strength, and
therefore, there ought be no weariness in His workers. That’s lovely.
It’s also quite false. Yes, we serve in His strength, using those gifts
which He has supplied for the task. But trust me, this loving labor
does indeed wear on one. There’s a reason we set limits on how long an
elder may serve without taking a break from that service, and it’s not
merely concerns about elders gaining too strong a hold on the church.
It’s more in keeping with, six days you shall labor, and on the seventh
you shall rest. There comes a point where the most faithful servant
needs time to recharge.
Pastors, sadly, are not given such respite, in most cases. And that
may very well explain why so many experience burn out and leave their
ministry. This is not as it ought to be. And it is only worsened where
the things Paul encourages here are not practiced. Again, that
admonition from Hebrews comes to my thinking. Don’t
be a cause for grief in them. Don’t make their labor harder, their
accounting more difficult. Love them. If you can’t bring yourself to
like them as boon companions, yet love them for the work they are doing,
and their willingness to do it.
New Thoughts: (08/11/22/08/12/22)
For such a brief passage – but a sentence, really – there is really a
good deal to consider here. That being said, it has been clear almost
from the outset of preparations that there is a central point demanding
attention. Before I get to that, though, there is the question of
scope. Paul does not specifically identify leaders immediately in this
exhortation. He begins by identifying merely ‘those who diligently
labor among you’. That is potentially a pretty large cast of
characters. We have, in most of our churches, those we would account
deacons, whether by title or simply by role. We have, also, an even
wider body of volunteers, serving in one capacity or another to see to
the needs and activities of the church.
But Paul fairly quickly narrows our focus on those who ‘have
charge over you,’ on those who ‘give you
instruction’. It seems, then, that he has in mind the pastors
and elders specifically, particularly if we are of a mindset that would
reserve the teaching role to those offices primarily. To be clear, we
are all intended to grow into such maturity as permits of teaching in
some capacity. But it does take a particular gifting, and a particular
dedication of time and effort, to fulfill the office of teacher. That’s
true enough in the secular world of education. It is doubly so, at
least, when that which is being taught is the truth of God. This is no
light undertaking, and certainly not one to be taken lightly.
So, let us accept that the scope is indeed narrow here, and focused on
those we might deem officers of the church, our pastors and elders.
This is certainly no stray admonition from Paul. We have plentiful
backup from other portions of his letters. Indeed, at the other end of
his brief career, we find him writing much the same thing to Timothy as
he writes to Thessalonica in this passage. “Let
elders who rule well be thought worthy of double honor, particularly
those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1Ti
5:17).
Now, here’s an interesting thing to note in regard to that verse.
Here, Paul is writing to the primary officer of the church, in
addressing himself to Timothy. This is not a congregational letter to
the church at large, but a personal letter to its chief pastor, whom
Paul has set as the appointed governor over that church. Of course, we
must recognize Christ as Head in all things, including Paul’s choice and
Timothy’s appointment. But my point here is that Timothy, as the
overseer of the overseers, if you will, is being given this same
instruction as regards those who serve alongside him. Those who do
well, particularly those who do well at preaching and teaching, are to
be honored – doubly honored. This, if we observe, has been Paul’s own
behavior in regards to those who ministered alongside him as part of his
team, including Timothy most assuredly.
Elsewhere, we have Paul addressing the congregation more generally.
And so, to Corinth, from whence he writes this letter, he later
instructs, “You also, be in subjection to such men,
and to all who help in the work and the labor” (1Co
16:16). Here, we see the scope widen. It’s not just
your pastors and elders, although it most certainly includes
them. It is all who help. It is, if you will, every true brother and
sister you may find in this family of Christ. It rather parallels what
we are taught about marriage, doesn’t it? Submit one to another.
Neither of you lords it over the other. None of you in this body of the
Church is to be thought so lowly as to be one’s subject only. I find it
hard to even put the thought into proper words. Each has a gift to
contribute. Each has insight by which you would do well to be edified.
That is so much the theme of that letter, this business of edification,
and caring more for your fellow believer than for your own comfort and
prestige.
Then, too, we have that verse from Hebrews which has
been much on my mind the last day or two. “Obey
your leaders. Submit to them. For they keep watch over your souls,
and know well that they will give account for their efforts. Let them
do so with joy, rather than grief, for their grief would be
unprofitable for you” (Heb 13:17).
This really supplies the central theme to my thoughts as I consider the
verses before us. They have charge over you in the Lord.
How we need to apprehend this simple point. This is no ego trip on
their part. This is no political maneuvering for power. If that is
where your elders and pastors are finding motivation well, they’re in
the wrong business, and you’re probably in the wrong church.
Now, being in a congregationally governed church, I should have to say
that if this is the case in our house, then we have nobody to blame but
ourselves, do we? We had the task of prayerfully considering who
exactly God would have in these offices. We came together and arrived
at our conclusions as to the suitability of these we account as elders.
The same holds for our pastor, at least for our head pastor. We had
duty to assess, as best we were able, the godliness of this man. We had
duty to prayerfully support those who served on the team which
recommended this man to us. And again, with said duties theoretically
performed, we came together and concurred that yes, this is a godly man,
and well-suited to shepherd this church in its next phase of development
and growth. If it be that we have somehow concluded that things have
gone astray, whom shall we assign with blame? Seems to me, no matter
how we seek to point the finger, it comes down to two things; our own
negligence, and ultimately, God’s poor provision, at least according to
our dim lights.
Far be it from us! If this is indeed God’s house, then He has
provided. And where He has provided, we can be assured He has provided
well. We may not be dealing with the change all that well, but that’s
our problem, not His. We may have been less than thorough in our
vetting and in our prayerfulness, but that is, honestly, no hindrance to
God achieving His good and perfect will. It is a shameful negligence on
our part, yes, but if God is sovereign – and I am quite certain He is –
then our failures do not necessitate His failure. Get over yourselves,
if you think yourself so critical to the whole work!
Perhaps we ought ask, as well, what it is we suppose qualifies one who
would lead in the house of God. Well, certainly we want this one to be
godly, to be one who knows God’s Word and applies it to his life. We
want one whose prayer life is in good health. Mind you, we have limited
basis for assessing these things apart from what we see of these
individuals in the brief times we are with them. We likely want
somebody of a generally caring demeanor. We might seek some people
skills, managerial skills. But look at what is chiefly in sight here,
and in these other passages. Yes, there is the aspect of teaching,
declaring to us the things God says in His word. There is the aspect of
preaching, making clear how these things fit together and how they apply
to our daily living in this time and place. But the primary quality
that appears to be in view here is that of admonishment and warning.
Isn’t that something? These overseers must be of such quality of
character as will not shrink back from giving needful correction, for
admonishment is not something needed by those who are progressing well.
They are served better by encouragement. Encourage that which you
approve, admonish that which you do not. Isn’t that pretty much the
role of any leader, whether parent or employer or teacher? For one, I
should think we need to adjust our sense of what a teacher is intended
to be. We have watered it down so. Oh, they impart information. They
train our children how to think things through. Well, in fairness,
that’s a pretty dubious premise any more. But there was a time,
certainly, where this held. We might admit that they are given a task
involved with the shaping of character. But it’s been rather a long
time since they had anything like the necessary grant of disciplinary
action to make that happen in any but the easiest cases. Does that come
across a bit too harsh? Perhaps so.
My point, though, is that the teacher, in this older setting, was fully
expected to be training to a lifestyle, imparting a worldview. We find
it surprising that those to whom we have entrusted the educating of our
children undertake exactly such an enterprise, and often to our dismay
when we discover what their worldview is. But the idea of imparting
worldview was really always there in the job description. It was there
when that job description was applied to us as parents. Solomon saw it
well enough. “Train up a child in the way he should
go. Even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Pr
22:6). Somewhere along the way, we sort of lost sight of
that. Or we handed the task off to others without giving thought to
whether those others actually trained our children up in the way they
should go, or in ways best rejected with utmost vehemence.
The thing is, adulthood doesn’t really bring an end to that process.
We are constantly in training. We just fail to recognize it. What is
the societal influence around us seeking to do, after all? What is
advertising seeking to do, or the average newscast, blog or whatever
other sources of information you may choose to consume? They seek to
shape perceptions, responses, worldview. And we are not immune. I have
to say, this is not a direction of thought I had expected to pursue
here, but as it’s in mind and applicable, well, there it is. So, we
come into the church in need of training. We abide in
the church in need of such training. And if we have anything of wisdom
in us (and if we don’t, then our first course of action must be to pray
God that He would supply it), we should be giving our attention to what
training it is we are receiving, and perhaps, whether that training is
in fact in keeping with God’s tenets. This is, again, what ought to
have our primary consideration as we contemplate those who will serve as
overseers and pastors over us. It is an awesome responsibility to serve
in that capacity, and not all are suited to do so, however fluent they
may be in word and doctrine. It is an equally awesome responsibility to
have this duty as a congregant to assess such as would seek to so serve.
But here’s the good news. God is sovereign. God finds
such men. God equips such men. He ensures that His
children have among them those who can and will indeed instruct them in
accordance with this need for both correction and encouragement by
turns. And He has such as will not pursue this duty as lording it over
their fellows, as if they were somehow superior beings, but with the
humility that comes of recognizing their own continued need for the same
sort of correction and encouragement in their own turn. However much we
may have advanced, it’s not as though we outgrow this need. There will
come a time when we have, but that time is in another place, another
realm. In the meantime, we have need to trust God, and we have cause to
trust God. It is His church, and we are His
sheep. It may be that He will allow a season of bad
shepherding for His own good reasons, but He will not suffer that bad
shepherding to do permanent harm to His sheep. He will see to it that
even this experience serves to the good of those who love Him. Even
this. But the much more defining nature of His ultimate oversight is
that He finds those of wise counsel and indwelling Spirit who can be set
in charge over us to advantage. Such men have both the wisdom given
them by God, and the humbleness of heart which will enable them to apply
their wisdom, and yes, their correction, with all gentleness. Like the
One they serve, they shall refrain from breaking a bruised reed, seeking
instead that said reed can be healed and restored to good strength.
But however our polity may go about the process, that key principle
holds: God finds such men, equips such men, and appoints such men. As
Paul says it here, they ‘have charge over you in the
Lord’. It is not ambition that sets them there. It’s not a
popularity contest. It’s fitness in God’s sight, and a tested
dependency on God’s leading in how they lead, how they oversee, how they
give this corrective instruction. I don’t think we’re talking newspaper
to the nose, bad dog, corrections here, although as a past pet owner, I
fully recognize that even that sort of correction comes of love for the
dog, not anger at his imperfections. We are talking caring, concerned
intervention, perhaps. We are talking a heart fully desirous of
restoration. It’s not proving a point. It’s not seeking to diminish.
“Now, look what you’ve done!” No! There’s
none of that to it at all. There is only, “Come up
higher.” I used to love that old Charlie Peacock song. “Aim a little higher, you’re shooting too low.”
You can do better. You’ve got it in you, for you’ve got the Spirit of
the Living God in you. Aim higher. Set your goals higher. Stop
settling. No, this is not covetousness. This is recognition. I am not
who I was, but neither am I yet who I shall be.
So, we have our command here: The NASB gives it as ‘appreciate
them’. They labor so diligently among you, work so hard to see
you not only equipped for growth, but truly growing and growing truly.
Appreciate them. They don’t leave you to wander off. They bring
correction as needed, but look at the means: They ‘put
into the mind’. They gently reprove. This has that sense of
being by way of reminder. It’s not fresh revelation that’s needed here,
certainly, but a reminding of what you already know. It’s coming
alongside the Paraklete if you will, giving
confirming witness to His voice in our conscience. Yes, there is the
idea that instruction puts this information in our mind, but here, I
think it is far more the recalling to mind that which was already put
in. Appreciate this. Appreciate them!
What’s interesting to me is that this appreciation comes as translation
of eidenai, an infinitive form of eido,
an old favorite of mine, although more often considered in its oidate
form. This is a perfect form in the infinitive as well. So,
we are considering what shall be the present result of past action.
Appreciate them because you know what they have been
doing, or have done. Perceive and understand what it is that this duty
of oversight entails. Regard and acknowledge their efforts in serving
as guardians over the flock, and caring for the needs and hurts that
inevitably arise. Pay attention to how they serve. Here’s an idea:
Visit them. Get to know them. There’s a reason the
elder is called to be hospitable, and it’s not just that they should get
to know you. You should get to know them.
You should know who they are, what they are really like, just how fully
this weight of oversight sets on their shoulders, and just how fully
they realize their utter dependency on God for strength and wisdom to
serve well. Notice them. Pay attention!
This eido/oida term
has that dual aspect of seeing and knowing. It is the knowledge gained
by perception, not necessarily that experiential knowledge we consider
with gnosis, but not baseless opinion and
supposition, either. It is knowledge that comes of the data received by
the senses. You have experience of these leaders, and if you don’t,
perhaps you should seek to do so. Get to know them, that you may the
better trust their leadership and the better receive their encouragement
and correction. Indeed, Paul says, esteem them very highly. More than
superabundantly. At least, that’s what seems to be suggested here.
He’s moved beyond the usual word for superabundance. One gets the idea
he’s trying hard to find a word suited to the level of overflowing
esteem he has in view, and so coming up with a new word on the spot.
And then we have this clause, ‘in love’, en agape. We are, of course, looking at that
uniquely God-centered and God-sourced love that, rather like that
overabundance Paul speaks of, required a new term because none of the
standard terms for love suited the situation. This is love with a sense
of benevolence to it. In some cases, at least, there is that idea of
benevolence of a particularly self-sacrificial sort. Zhodiates puts
forward the example of Christ Himself, who loved us while we were yet
enemies, who saved us while we were not seeking salvation. He did what
was most needful for us, even though we had no interest in seeing it
done, and may have even been vehemently opposed to the idea. Why?
Because Love knew we needed it. This is not love acting in hope of
reciprocal affection. This is not love acting solely from duty. This
is love willing to do whatever it takes to see the loved one well and
secure.
Here, the clause comes in the Dative case, which has so wide a range of
possibility as to its meaning. I could see it here in a couple of
possible intentions. It could be a causal sort of meaning, giving
reason for us to so esteem them. You know, word order in Greek is
always a bit loose, serving not so much to express what connects to what
as to emphasize what the key point in the sentence is. So, it’s
possible, I think, that ‘in love’ connects
more to the nature of their admonishment and oversight. It certainly
should apply there, whether Paul has that in mind or not. The overseer
oversees in love. If he must bring correction, he does so in love. And
there, we certainly see room for that particularly selfless love that agape represents.
But it is also possible that what we have in view is more of a
circumstantial application, indicating the means by which we are to
esteem them. This love we have from the Father, this love we express
towards the Father, is also fittingly shown towards our brothers. If it
ought to be their motivation and nature in overseeing, it ought also to
be ours in turn. Love them. Truly love them. That gets us right back
to the need to truly know them, doesn’t it? Can you truly love whom you
don’t truly know? At some surface level of meaning, perhaps, but that,
I think comes nearer mere affection. And yes, this term has to it ideas
of affectionate appreciation, but it’s more an undertone, to my
thinking. That sort of affectionate comradery has more to do with philadelphia than with agape.
This is deeper, wider. It builds on that appreciative knowledge of our
brothers who have undertaken to serve by leading, recognizing the effort
and the toll it takes on them. It sees, understands, and appreciates
the work they do. And in that light, as I finally work my way round to
what I expected to be the fundamental theme here, it supplies such a
loving, appreciative estimation of that servant leader as supersedes
whatever personality issues might pertain.
These elders, these pastors, are ‘guiding you in the
Lord’, as I see it in the CJB. Both parts of that clause are
critical to understand. They are guiding you, not forcing you. They
are pointing out the way. If I revert to the ideas of edification, and
building the house, they are turning your attention to the blueprints so
that you can build true and proper. But they are also, returning to the
CJB, ‘confronting you in order to help you change’.
Yes, those blueprints. You see now what they show, and you see that
what you are building is at odds with what they show. This needs to
change, brother. This part is not plumb. Perhaps you missed a support
over there.
That sort of correction is rarely welcome, especially when the building
project is personal. We don’t much like being wrong, and we like even
less being told we are. But we must needs recognize the love from which
correction comes. It may be that personality conflicts make it more
difficult to receive. We have, after all, our own unique dispositions
and mannerisms, and sometimes those don’t mesh so terribly well, do
they? If I’m honest, there are certain brothers with whom I am highly
unlikely to ever become boon companions. They may be elders. They may
just be fellow congregants. The position doesn’t particularly matter.
But while I may seek to love them as God desires I should, liking them
is perhaps more difficult. Some folks just rub you the wrong way. And
no doubt, we rub others the wrong way as well. Indeed, it might be well
to stop and consider, perhaps it’s me.
But this getting to know, to really know and become acquainted with one
another seems a potential antidote. Perhaps we shall discover that
we’ve been so focused on one particular, and to us, annoying trait that
we’ve never really seen the man. Perhaps we need to labor a bit harder
ourselves to see the man God sees, to get to know the deeper currents of
that one’s thoughts and considerations. Perhaps, rather than pick away
at them, we ought instead to pray for them, particularly those who have
undertaken the task of leadership. It’s hard. Been there, done that.
It’s hard. It weighs, and it weighs heavily, even when it’s joyful.
Responsibility, however joyful it may be, is always a weight. And we
ought to be praying that as they seek to faithfully pursue their office,
God indeed supplies them with the wisdom, the strength, and the love
that are so needful to seeing it done well. That’s a start.
But I keep coming back to that verse from Hebrews,
even if it is this letter I am studying. Don’t make their job harder.
Don’t be a cause for grief to those who have been set – by the Lord – as
overseers and guides for your good. Recognize that they will give an
accounting. Recognize that they are most assuredly not your enemies,
not put in place to frustrate and annoy you. They’re not in a contest
and seeking to show their superiority to you. Far from it! Likely,
they’d be more than happy to have you come alongside as fellow servant
leader, if indeed you have the requisite qualities of character and
mind. But love them. Love them because of their work. Honor them
because of their work. Whatever their foibles, honor the office.
It’s an old bit of advice I recall from a CEO of old, as he addressed
us. We were to have a visit from some representative or other, and of
course, there would be some who saw this representative as aligning with
their views and others who did not. There would be some who thought
this servant served well, and others who thought him useless, inept, or
worse. The boss’s admonishment was to the point. I don’t care what you
think of the man. Honor the office. Show respect for the office.
In matters of politics, that becomes harder, I think. We have become
divisive and divided as a people, and have lost the civic underpinning
that understood this mindset. It is not serving us well that this is
so. Mind you, the sort of leadership we have had of late isn’t helping
matters, as the rot is a bit beyond the stage where it can be concealed
anymore. But for some, the underpinnings are still there. Honor the
office, and as opportunity permits, seek that those befitting such
office may once more serve in them, and do so without being corrupted by
the rot around them.
How much more, when we are contemplating the governance of God’s own
house? Here in these outposts of the heavenly kingdom, deep within
enemy territory, if you can accept the image, we have greater need than
ever to know and trust our leadership, and to honor them, prayerfully
support them, and undertake as best we may to alleviate the burdens
office. How do we do so? Love them. Pray for them. Truly appreciate
them. Don’t be so ready to receive the negative report. There are
foxes in the fields, but don’t join them. They are destructive. It may
be they are acting unwittingly, but that doesn’t lessen the destructive
impact. And check yourself! If you have been such a fox, repent! It’s
all well and good to assess and measure, but the cynical mindset,
emphasizing differences of perspective and seeking in them sufficient
cause to reject the man and the message? No. Don’t be a fool.
Even if you can’t bring yourself to account these leaders as dear
friends and boon companions, yet love them for the work they do, and
their willingness to do it. If you find them frustrating, pray. Pray
first for your frustration, which is already an issue. Then pray that
God may indeed inform and empower these leaders, and also that He might
in fact bring you to the place of true friendship, as well as
God-honoring love for them. They work hard, and they will give an
accounting for their efforts. Don’t make that a cause for grief for
them. How would you do that, after all, except it be by your own
failure? As that Hebrews passage says, “their
grief would be unprofitable for you.” Wise words. Let us heed
them.
