Jesus and Paul on ministry and discipleship
During his address to the New Wine Leaders Conference in Harrogate this week, Justin Welby focussed on Paul's defence force of his ministry in 1 Cor four.1–nine equally part of his challenge to encompass the cost of ministry: we should be willing to suffer as Paul did. This was given particular poignancy by reference to the example of Thomas à Becket, whose death is remembered each year in an act where the current Archbishop stands on the spot in Canterbury Cathedral where Thomas was assassinated.
The passage comes at an interesting point in Paul'southward rhetorical duel with the Corinthian Christians. In chapter 1, Paul has tackled head on the event of party factions in the church, and located this in the radical bifurcation betwixt the means of the earth and the ways of God as shown by the divergent approaches to the question of wisdom. This moves into a more theological reflection on the inter-relation between the work of the Spirit and the gift of wisdom in chapter 2, which provides resources for Paul's later exploration of what it means to be spiritual and the work of the Spirit amid the members of the church in chapter 12. Chapter 3 then includes a reflective sketch of the work of Paul and Apollos in establishing the church in Corinth, connecting this with theological linguistic communication of the people equally the new temple of God.
Chapter 4 and then forms something of a rhetorical flourish, prior to the directly challenges of capacity 5 and 6, and the motility into contend and discussion 'concerning the things about which you wrote' from chapter 7 onwards. In this section, Paul reaches his showtime peak of irony, equally he rather sarcastically contrasts the great heights attained past the Corinthian Christians and the poverty and weakness of Paul and the other apostles, an ironic contrast Paul will deploy over again in 2 Corinthians in his contrast with the 'so-chosen super apostles.' Some commentators meet this kind of language as a rather manipulative power play by Paul, but locating it within first-century rhetoric, and noticing Paul's insistence on continued pastoral human relationship with those he is writing to (e.g. in 1 Cor 4.xiv 'I am not writing these things to shame you, but to correct you lot…') make this less suspect and encourage united states of america to read information technology less sceptically.
But every bit I read through Paul's argument, I was struck by the things he uses equally points of reference when characterising his ministry, and the connections with Jesus' teaching in Matthew's gospel. Beginning, consider Paul's listing of hardships in ane Cor 4.11 compared with Jesus' didactics about 'the least of these brothers of mine' in Matt 25.35–40.
| Paul's hardship | Suffering in Matt 25.35–36 |
| Hungry | Hungry |
| Thirsty | Thirsty |
| Poorly clothed | Stranger |
| Brutally treated | Naked |
| Homeless | Sick |
| Imprisoned |
It's worth reflecting on the correlation here. The start ii terms clearly match; Paul'southward third term, despite modern translations ('dressed in rags' TNIV), is actually the verb 'to exist naked' which is obscured by almost modern translations though fearlessly expressed past the AV, and then matches the quaternary in Jesus' list. Paul's fifth termastateo corresponds quite closely to the idea of existence a 'stranger'xenos, though there is no exact link, and being 'brutally treated' is perhaps simply loosely connected to the idea of being imprisoned.
Paul's list lacks the poetic construction of Jesus', the latter beingness in iii pairs of related terms (hungry/thirsty, stranger/naked, sick/imprisoned). Paul has in fact been imprisoned (in Acts sixteen) and so it is interesting that he does non use this term. This rules out the possibility of any literary dependence between the lists, and of course Paul's letter is earlier than the earliest plausible engagement for the writing of Matthew's gospel. Simply at that place is a striking correspondence between the terms, and information technology suggests Paul'due south familiarity with Jesus' teaching in some form or other.
(You will, of course, dear reader, know very well that in the parable of the sheep and the goats, the 'least of these my brothers' are Jesus' disciples, not the poor in general.)
Second, Paul's clarification of his responses to others in the follow verse matches Jesus' instructions in the Sermon on the Mount following the beatitudes:
When we are cursed, nosotros bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, nosotros answer kindly. (1 Cor 4.12–13)
Y'all take heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' Merely I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, plow to them the other cheek also…You accept heard that it was said, 'Love your neighborg and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, dear your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… (Matt 5.38–44)
It's worth comparison this with Paul's instructions in Romans 12.14 f:
Anoint those who persecute you; bless and exercise not expletive…Do not repay anyone evil for evil…Practise not accept revenge, my dearest friends, simply leave room for God's wrath…
Out of all this, there are two important things to note. Showtime, Jesus and Paul are much closer than is often claimed. At it's extreme, the differences between them are described every bit Jesus offering uncomplicated teaching for life, and Paul creating a new faith which Jesus never intended. Only here is withal more prove that, whether through direct citation of Jesus' educational activity or not, Paul'southward understanding of ministry and discipleship is very close to Jesus at some of import points. This includes his attitude to the poor.
Secondly, information technology is striking that, in his defence force of his ministry building, Paul reaches for things that should characterise all Christians in their discipleship and following of Jesus. In other words, at that place aren't special criteria to be met past those in ministry; authentic ministry just looks like authentic discipleship writ large, and the standard for those who are in leadership is not some dissever list as if leaders are set autonomously from 'ordinary' Christians. This is entirely consistent with Paul's clarification elsewhere of the church building as the trunk of Christ, a differentiate unity where each has a distinct function and contribution just all are ane.
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