Christian Missionary Paul - Assignment Example

1 Timothy 6: 10 Grasp the text in their town. Timothy was one of Paul’s most trusted disciples, having been left in Ephesus as his special representative there when Paul traveled on. The entire book of 1 Timothy involves Paul’s response to Timothy when the disciple wrote him a letter asking to rejoin Paul in his travels. The apostle refused, instructing Timothy to remain in Ephesus and gave him various instructions on how to conduct himself and his ministry. This is especially true in Chapter 6, where Paul instructs Timothy on the members’ various duties as Christians (Constable). 2. Measure the width of the river. Thus 1 Timothy 6:10 gives one of the most famous (although often misquoted) verses in the entire Bible, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (Bible). It is misquoted in that For the love of is often left off. When one puts that into context, one could probably step across that river. Becoming consumed with greed is just as a big issue in the twenty-first century as it was in Timothy’s time, if not more so. One can get so caught up in the trappings of society he can be consumed. 3. Cross the principlizing bridge But like Doctor Constable points out, “it is possible to have very little money and yet to love it” (Ibid). In Acts 20:33 Paul had already said “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing” and used the passage to Timothy to illustrate the similarity of being caught up in thorns in comparison to allowing money to let one stray from the straight and narrow path of Christianity. Thus the person is caused great pain and what he thought was going to be joyful actually turned out to be one of misery. 4. Consult the biblical map The Bible is full of passages warning being caught up in the pitfalls of money. For instance, Matthew 6:24 says “You cannot serve both God and money”. In Luke 18, when the rich young ruler was asking Jesus how to get to heaven. The Savior told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor. When he became sad, Jesus told him “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God”. Even in the Old Testament, when Abram spoke to the king of Sodom in Genesis 14:23 he said “that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich’”. 5. Grasp the text in our town Again quoting Doctor Constable, (the whole concept of the verse) “is an especially difficult task in a society like the one in which we live in North America. We are constantly hearing through advertising and the media that we "need" all kinds of luxuries” (Ibid). The textbook’s Example 2 about the Christian student trying to prepare for the ministry and the financial stresses involved is a very good scenario as to how the young student might be tempted to stray. A very real world example is the Bernard Madoff financial scheme. The man was making hundreds of thousands of dollars as a legitimate Wall Street trader. Yet that wasn’t enough and he chose to chase after billions more in a Ponzi scheme. Now, instead of spending his twilight years in comfort, they will be spent in a Federal prison. Paul in Ephesus Paul was without question the most important Christian missionary of all time. From his conversion as Saul the Roman tax collector he traveled the far reaches of the Roman Empire before his eventual imprisonment and martyrdom circa 57 AD. It was in between this, around 52 that he reached the city of Ephesus, a missionary trip he had been begging of God for three years. At the time of Paul’s arrival Ephesus was a bustling seaport on the Aegean Sea, near the mouth of the Cayster River. Three major trade routes also crisscrossed at the city. The chief Roman city of Asia Minor, an area that encompasses most of modern day Turkey, the part that lies on the Asian continent. It was so important to the Romans that Augustus named it one of Asia Minor’s capitals in 27 and by the time of Paul’s stay the city had a population of over three hundred thousand people. In keeping with Roman architecture, several buildings figured prominently in the town, including the ornate Terrace Houses, the Library of Celsus and the Square Agora. All of these were grand but even they paled in comparison to the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Yet for all of its splendor and glory, Paul found Ephesus in a state of array, as far as his Christian ministry went. As with all nonbelievers Ephesus was a pagan city with the associated pagan gods of the Roman Empire. When he arrived Acts 19 tells us he met some disciples (approximately twelve) who told him “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit”. So it was his first act was to baptize these men in the name of Jesus, who then received the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy in his name After this he entered the Jewish synagogue and began to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Reverend PG Matthews points out the gospel is important because “the Gospel is the very word of God to us, and it alone offers us true hope, peace, and life”. He stayed there for three months, trying desperately to show the Jews that Jesus was the true messiah, the promised one they had been seeking. Paul also attempted to tell them during his stay in the temple that Jesus was crucified, buried in the tomb, and was Resurrected on the third day (Matthews). Yet as it is with all hardhearted and non-believing people, even to this day, most of the Jews there refused to hear Paul’s preaching of the Gospel. So after his three months in the synagogue Paul moved his ministry to the Tyrannus Lecture Hall, where he remained for the next two years. So great was the power of the Holy Spirit that Acts 19:11, and 12 tells us “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,  so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them”. What power they had in Ephesus was eroding rapidly and the Jews who had not converted to Christianity were extremely jealous of Paul’s miracles and the salvation of the multitudes. So it was that some of the Jews attempted to recreate those miracles and the Acts mentions the seven sons of Sceva, who was a Jewish high priest, in particular. In their feeble attempt to ridicule Paul’s teachings, the sons came across a particular foul-mouthed evil spirit who rebuked, who bluntly told them “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Incensed, the spirit infected man beat all seven men so severely they were naked and bleeding. This one event transformed the souls of many Ephesians (Jews and Greeks alike) and sorcery scrolls with a value of 50,000 Drachma ($1,250,000!) were burnt. Paul then made plans to return to Jerusalem. But the Temple of Artemis was built to honor the goddess of the hunt of the same name. So it was that a silversmith named Demetrius made a quite good trade of manufacturing images of this goddess, presumably for the tourists and merchants who visited Ephesus. Realizing Paul’s preaching, especially concerning graven images, was dangerous to his business, the craftsman gathered his friends and business associates to rebel against Paul and his followers. Attempting to garner Roman support, Demetrius even pointed out the goddess “will be robbed of her divine majesty”. There ensued such a fervor that a riot took place and Paul and his companions were almost killed. Yet the city clerk managed to restore order. Afterwards Paul eventually traveled to Miletus where Acts 20 tells us he summoned the elders of the church he had started in Ephesus. He then informed the sorrowful elders he would never see them again in his lifetime. Paul then charged them to “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God”, also foreseeing that the church of Ephesus would eventually be ravaged. Indeed the entire city was destroyed by Goth invaders in 235 AD. Bibliography Bible Gateway.com, “Acts 19 and 20 (New International Version)” http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2019&version=NIV (accessed October 11, 2012). Constable, Dr. Thomas, “Notes on 1 Timothy” http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/1timothy.pdf. (accessed October 11, 2012). Duvall, J Scott et al, Grasping Gods Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012. Matthews, PG, Grace Valley Christian Center, “Paul’s Miraculous Ministry in Ephesus”, http://www.gracevalley.org/sermon_trans/1999/Pauls_Miraculous_Ministry_in_Ephesus.html#.UHeG9lHAHU (accessed October 11, 2012). Read More