Paul's Thorn In the Flesh
There has been a lot of debate through the centuries regarding the Apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” He refers to it in 2 Corinthians 12:7: “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!”Many believe Paul’s thorn in the flesh was a physical ailment that caused physical suffering and hindered his work as an apostle. Some try and connect Galatians 6:11, in which Paul indicates he is writing large letters with his own hand to point to a potential eye problem or near blindness.I’ve always argued that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was not a physical ailment, it was a person, someone who caused great stress and contention in Paul’s life. John MacArthur argues that Paul’s thorn was in fact a demonic messenger of Satan who used the deceivers within the church at Corinth to cause a rebellion against Paul’s authority. This makes a lot of sense to me.This year I celebrated 25 years in full-time ministry. Over those many years, I can tell you without exception that the times that brought the most personal stress and strife were rooted in interpersonal conflict. During these times the voice of discouragement rings strong within my ears. I often tease my co-workers that I’m tempted to respond to the “Open Interview” sign on the door at the Kum & Go down the street. Nothing sounds better at that moment than to stand at a cash register and ask two simple questions: “cash back?” and “receipt?”In this week’s one-chapter epistle, 3 John, we meet first hand one of these “demons of discouragement,” a man by the name of Diotrephes. We all know him. He’s the man (or woman) in the church who loves the spotlight, hates accountability, speaks unkindly of others, gossips, criticizes others trying to serve, isolates and tries to run off those who resist his or her “leadership.” Yes, the “spirit of Diotrephes” is alive and well in churches all across the world today.As if recognizing that we needed a good example to follow rather than the evil example of Diotrephes, John gives us Gaius. Fortunately, churches see many more living examples of Gaius than of Diotrephes. Gaius focused on a godly spiritual life, was well regarded by other believers because of his life example, spoke truth, showed hospitality to both believers and outsiders, was generous and giving, cared greatly for the missionaries, did not aspire fame or the spotlight.Gaius stands as a shining example of Christian leadership and maturity within the body of Christ. It is my prayer this week that each of us seek to exhibit the qualities John highlights about Gaius as we live and serve together in this great mission endeavor we call First Family.–Chris EllerThis week’s R2R distinctive Faithfulness (Proverbs 3:3-4): I have established a good name with God and with others based on my long-term loyalty to those relationships.
For this week’s devotional study, download this week’s issue of The Compass.
Truth Walkers: Warning #1
We live in an amazing age of advancement. When I was growing up in the 1970s, we essentially had two versions of the Bible, the King James Version and the New International Version. There were other more obscure translations, but these were the two primary translations of the Bible.Today, we have dozens of Bible translations and paraphrases. One I have found particularly interesting is The Cotton Patch Gospel by Clarence Jordan. He has creatively retells the New Testament by resetting it in the mid-20th century American South. Here’s a sample from Acts 1:6-12: 6. So those about him began asking, “Will that be the occasion on which you will take over the government?” He said to them, “You are not to get all worked up about timetables and events which the Father has under his own control. But as the Holy Spirit comes over you, you will get power and will be my agents in Atlanta and said this, and while they were watching, he was carried away and a cloud kept them from seeing him. 10. As he went away, and while they were still staring into the sky, two men in blue jeans joined them and asked, “Citizens of America, why stand there looking at the sky? This Jesus who was carried away from you into the sky will come just as you saw him going into the sky.” 12. Then they returned to Atlanta from “Peach Hill Orchard,” which is in the suburbs of Atlanta. When they got back, they went upstairs where they were living. This included Rock and Jack and Jim and Andy, Phil and Tom, Bart and Matt, Jim Alston and Simon the Rebel, and Joe Jameson. All of them, including the women and Mary, Jesus’ mother, and his brothers, were continually praying together.As you can see, Jerusalem is now Atlanta; Peter, James, and John are not Rock, Jack, and Jim. It provides a humorous, creative retelling of familiar events from the New Testament.With the advent of things like The Cotton Patch Gospel and a multibillion dollar Christian media/publishing industry, Christians today have more opportunity than ever to learn from different voices within the church. On your smart phone you can listen to the podcast of almost any pastor in America, regardless of the size or location of the church. You can download apps that have complete Bible libraries only a couple of touches away from your smart phone home screen. It really is amazing.Yet, with all of this information, the need for discernment has never been greater. False Teachers have greater access to the church today than at any time in history. A key factor in maintaining purity and unity within a church is the need for fellow church members to hold one another accountable. This is the thrust of 2 John. He is encouraging his readers in this short letter to “walk in the truth” and to “love one another.”At First Family, this kind of personal accountability and love for one another is found within our Lighthouses. None of us is infallible, and we must keep watch over one another to ensure that we don’t inadvertently fall victim to a false teacher. As you study and read the lesson this week from 2 John, prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to protect you and your family from the false teachers of our day, while at the same time to give you courage and boldness to lovingly caution a fellow believer if you sense he or she may be wandering into doctrinal error.–Chris EllerThis Week's R2R DistinctiveThe Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:15-16): We believe in the church as the body of Christ, which is composed of all believers who have accepted Christ as Savior. We believe the church is God’s primary way to accomplish His purposes on earth today.For this week's devotional study, download this week's issue of The Compass.
Paul's Postcard to Philemon
No one likes conflict. When we are at odds with those we love, it can create a lot of stress. Sometimes, we’re not the one at odds, but we are stuck in the middle between two friends or family members who are at odds with each other. Negotiating that kind of relationship can often feel like a high wire act—one wrong step and you’ll go crashing down.This is the context of Paul’s letter to Philemon. This epistle is unique within the New Testament for several reason. First, it is the shortest of Paul’s epistles. Second, it is not directed specifically to a group or church, but to one person—Philemon.In this letter we get to see the true heart of the great Apostle. He is writing to his friend and disciple Philemon on behalf of Onesimus, Philemon’s slave. Onesimus ran away from his owner and stole from him in the process of doing so. Originally from Colossae, Onesimus likely made his way to Ephesus and traveled the well-known route to Rome. Within Rome, it would be easy for a slave to disappear into the population.After arriving in Rome, Onesimus met Paul, heard the gospel, and was saved. Some would call this a chance encounter, but Paul is clear in his letter to Philemon that perhaps this was God’s plan for Onesimus to escape only to find true freedom through the gospel (Philemon 15-17).As a Christian, Onesimus wants to make right the mistake he made in running away. With this desire to return to his master to make amends, Paul intercedes on his behalf, appealing to Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother, and not as a criminal. This may sound like an easy request, but it placed Philemon in a difficult spot. As a slave owner, he had to maintain order and authority over his slaves, or one runaway becomes many runaways. The Romans were harsh with runaway slaves, and it was within Philemon’s legal right to have Onesimus put to death for his crime. Yet, with this knowledge underlying his appeal, Paul graciously and humbly asks Philemon to accept Onesimus back into his household and to make use of him as a fellow Christian servant, not a slave. That’s a big request.How do you feel you would respond to a request like this? Not only may it grind against your own personal values, but it creates a leadership vulnerability that could impact your business and management practices. What if all of Philemon’s slaves suddenly heard the gospel and became Christians? Should he treat them all as brothers and fellow servants? If so, how would his household function? Keep in mind, the question is not whether slavery was right or wrong. Paul makes no appeal to Philemon arguing that slavery as an institution was wrong. This was an accepted part of Roman culture, and the New Testament takes a careful approach to how it addresses the issue of slavery. The decision is a personal one for Philemon. Have Onesimus executed or receive him as a brother? What would you do?For the rest of the story, be sure to attend your Lighthouse this week and find out what happened to Philemon and Onesimus.This Week's R2R DistinctiveHumanity (John 3:16) We believe all people are born separated from God by sin, but God in his love sent his Son Jesus Christ as their savior.For this week's devotional study, download this week's issue of The Compass.
To Our Neighbors and the Nations
Modern Christians, particularly of the Western world, seem to trend toward one of two paths when they talk about God’s mission. Either they will set off down a “sent-ness” path by emphasizing the church as being sent and what it means to be missional, or they will go down a “nations” path by emphasizing the church as the one sending around the world. While these two paths are not incompatible, they seem too often to be followed in divergent directions. The reason for this is that they often focus on different parts of the missio Dei (mission of God). Yet, I think by exploring the commissions of Jesus, we get a better picture of God’s mission—we understand more clearly our missiology.In the past century, there has been a tremendous amount written on missiology. But as I write on missiology in this chapter, I do so because I believe there is still more that needs to be said, and this conversation is necessary for the health and growth of the church. I would take another step and suggest that the church today desperately needs to remain engaged in this conversation. A proper theological diet needs a healthy portion of missiology, and perhaps the best way to do so is by examining the commissions of Jesus.In this chapter, I will focus on all four of the commissions of Jesus. We will examine what it means to be a missional, missions-minded, gospel-centered, Spirit-empowered church from the four commissions of Jesus, so that his name and his fame would be more widely known.This week's R2R distinctiveWitness (Matthew 28:18-20): I live to tell the story of Jesus and to make disciples of Him even to the ends of the earth, knowing he is with me always.For this week's devotional study, download this week's issue of The Compass.
From Every Land to Every Land
<a href="http://thecompass.life/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/secret-place_wide_t.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-340" src="http://thecompass.life/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/secret-place_wide_t-300x169.jpg" alt="secret place_wide_t" width="300" height="169" /></a>The first part of this month, it was a privilege to be with a team of folks from First Family on a mission trip to Europe. Our team consisted of Dale Sikes, Tanner Battles, Kelly Bergquist, Steve Noble, Terry Johnson, and me. The purpose for our trip was to visit our partners in France and Sweden for both encouragement and accountability.One thing is clear when you visit partners on the field—it is a lonely, often unappreciated life. I don’t think we realize how much our prayers and notes of encouragement mean to families who live overseas for the sake of the gospel. Our role as senders and supporters is critical to the life of our partners overseas. They are on the front line of the spiritual battlefront, and we cannot underestimate the importance of both our prayer support and notes of encouragement.One missionary family shared with us how much they appreciated receiving Christmas gifts from First Family last year. Of their multiple supporting churches, FFC was one of a very few that actually remembered them during the Christmas season and made the effort to include them in our gift-giving tradition. Little things mean so much—a quick note of encouragement or appreciation, a small gift or some extra money to purchase something fun and personal, a Skype conversation. While these things may seem inconsequential to us, they can often mean the difference for a family that is living in a foreign culture.What challenges do our partner families face? It’s different for each family. One missionary shared how difficult it is when your children begin to grow up and return to the US for college, eventually get married, and start having a family. As a foreign missionary, you may get to see your children and grandchildren once ever 2-4 years. Conversely, for families with small children, the cost to fly home to see family and participate in some family events like a wedding can cost upwards of $10,000. Obviously, not something that can happen more than once every few years.Spiritually, the climate in Europe is dark. While we often view Europe as the cradle of Western Civilization and the impetus for the great missionary outreaches of the last two hundred years, today, Evangelical Christianity in most of Europe is less than 2 percent. In many countries, there is no longer a Christian foundation. Words like “sin,” “God,” “repentance,” and “salvation” are void of meaning. Most historic church buildings are either museums to the past or converted into some kind of government building or retail space. While there is not open opposition to Christianity in most European countries, there is ambivalence. For the most part, the church is marginalized.Why is this important to us? Two reasons. First, we cannot underestimate the importance of supporting and praying for our global partners. Whether they live in North Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, or Australia, one thing is clear—they are serving out of obedience to the Lord’s command to go into all the world, and they take their calling seriously. While it is true that most of us will never move our families to a foreign field for the sake of the gospel, it is also equally true that we play a crucial role in reaching the nations for Christ.Secondly, Europe specifically has importance to us as Americans. Of all the mission fields in the world, Europe is likely the only field that directly influences culture in America. It is clear that the political trend in America is to model ourselves after European socialism. What happens in Europe does impact America, and that makes Europe unique among the continents of the world. It is worth our investment in Europe to hopefully keep burning a very small gospel light.Missions is more than simply sending money or families overseas. It is a worldwide movement by God to bring the gospel from every land and to every land. We all play a role. Let’s be sure that each of us take our role as seriously as the families who live and serve overseas.This week's R2R distinctivePrayer (Psalm 66:16-20): I pray to God to know Him, to lay my request before Him and to find direction in my daily life.For this week's devotional study, download this issue of The Compass.