{"id":77464,"date":"2023-04-11T13:36:29","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T19:36:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/?p=77464"},"modified":"2023-04-11T13:36:29","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T19:36:29","slug":"paul-and-timothy-a-better-way-to-disciple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/paul-and-timothy-a-better-way-to-disciple\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul and Timothy: A Better Way to Disciple"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paul and Timothy: A Better Way to Disciple<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Could you disciple someone? Are you qualified? What would it look like? You might be surprised.<\/p>\n

By Brett Clemmer<\/strong><\/h4>\n

By looking at Paul\u2019s second letter to Timothy (and last letter ever), we\u2019re seeing what Paul thought most important for Timothy to remember.<\/p>\n

When I was in college, I was a big brother. Not the charitable kind that worked with underprivileged kids, but in my fraternity. As a big brother, I took a guy under my wing to show him the ropes. We spent a lot of time together studying, eating meals, attending meetings and activities, and just hanging out. My job was to help him become a productive brother in our house, and his job was to learn how. The ultimate measure of success for the fraternity was not just moving him from being a pledge to a brother, but to eventually see\u00a0him<\/em>\u00a0become the big brother to a pledge. It was about mission and multiplication.<\/p>\n

Take out the fraternity and insert the church, and that\u2019s called discipleship. In the relationship between Paul and Timothy, we see some similarities, all leading us to a better way to disciple men.<\/p>\n

Models for Discipleship That Don\u2019t\u00a0<\/strong>Quite<\/em>\u00a0Work<\/strong>
\nSome of the models we have relied on for discipleship are just a\u00a0part\u00a0<\/em>of discipleship. Without other components, these models don\u2019t work:<\/p>\n

The Teacher<\/strong>
\nPerhaps the most prevalent discipleship model in the church is that of teacher-student. We rely heavily on this model in churches. Certainly, teaching and acquiring knowledge is an important\u00a0part<\/em>\u00a0of discipleship, but it\u2019s limited.<\/p>\n

Why? A teacher meets students in a classroom or some other learning environment, gives them information that they need\u2014and then sends them off<\/em>. Or we adopt an even less hands-on version where we give someone a Christian book, printed handout, or suggested website and\u00a0then<\/em>\u00a0send them off.<\/p>\n

The Mentor<\/strong>
\nI realize the word \u201cmentoring\u201d gets used in various ways, and sometimes it\u2019s more comprehensive than others. But when I talk to guys about mentoring\u2014especially younger guys\u2014they tend to think of a mentor as an expert in some key area.<\/p>\n

The communication and sharing goes almost exclusively in one direction, as the mentor gives advice and imparts the lessons that helped him find success. But just like with the teacher model, they aren\u2019t going through anything together; the mentor is just providing wisdom.<\/p>\n

The Coach<\/strong>
\nThis one sounds good to us. We like coaching, right? There\u2019s just one problem: Where is a coach during the game? On the sidelines.<\/p>\n

In all of these situations, the teacher, mentor, or coach is primarily engaged in imparting knowledge, wisdom, and skills\u2014all necessary components of discipleship\u2014but as real life happens, they are not\u00a0present<\/em>\u00a0in the midst of everyday frustrations or major difficulties.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I think the best model for discipleship isn\u2019t a teacher, mentor, or coach, but rather a\u00a0guide<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Paul as Timothy\u2019s Guide<\/strong>
\nLike a teacher, a guide is prepared; like a mentor, he\u2019s experienced; and like a coach, he prepares\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0for the journey, too. But what\u2019s unique about a guide is that he then goes\u00a0with<\/em>\u00a0you.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not saying, \u201cWell, here\u2019s the best path. Hope you make it!\u201d Instead, along the path, when you have questions, he\u2019s there to answer them. When you face challenges, risks, victories, or unexpected obstacles, he\u2019s at your side, experiencing them with you.<\/p>\n

This is what the relationship between Paul and Timothy is all about\u2014going on a long journey together, with Paul as the guide.<\/p>\n

Near the end of this journey, Paul writes his last letter to Timothy from prison. He\u2019s hopeful that he\u2019ll get out but also realizes it\u2019s probably unlikely\u2014after all, the emperor is a guy named Nero. So his letter is what they call a \u201cfarewell discourse\u201d in the Bible. (For other farewell discourses, read Deuteronomy 33, Joshua 23-24, and John 14-16.) It\u2019s the stuff you want those whom you know best to remember most.<\/p>\n

As Christians who want to grow in our faith and help others grow, the farewell discourse (2 Timothy) from Paul to Timothy shows us a lot about this more complete model of discipleship.<\/p>\n

What Does Discipleship Look Like?<\/strong>
\nThe guide model of discipleship requires: 1) presence over time, 2) shared experiences, and 3) Christian affection.<\/p>\n

1) Presence Over Time<\/strong>
\nPaul wrote 13 epistles. Timothy is mentioned by name in 11 of them. He\u2019s listed as a co-author on six.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear that Paul spent a lot of time with Timothy, often embarking on long journeys together. Think of the hundreds of conversations they must have had sitting around a fire at night or maybe as guests in the upper room of somebody\u2019s home. Or over meals and as they walked along the road. Along the way, Paul discipled him.<\/p>\n

Discipleship doesn\u2019t just happen in a classroom, or in a business office, or on a playing field. That can be part of it. But if you\u2019re relying on episodic, dive-bomb discipleship through a weekly one-hour meeting, it\u2019s unlikely to create lasting change.<\/p>\n

I was talking with Michael Aitcheson, a pastor who occasionally guest speaks at the Bible study, about what it takes for someone to make a real impact on another\u2019s life. He said, \u201cIt starts with proximity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proximity. Physical presence. A guide goes with you on the journey, and discipleship happens along the way.<\/p>\n

THE BIG IDEA:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0Discipleship happens along the way.<\/em><\/p>\n

2) Shared Experiences<\/strong>
\nAs Paul and Timothy spent time together, they accumulated shared experiences\u2014literally over years. The result was they built\u00a0mutual<\/em>\u00a0trust.<\/p>\n

In 1 Corinthians, we get a picture of the state of the church there. Background? The rough cliffs-notes version is Paul planted a church in Corinth, and they are screwing it up. The Corinthians are doing all kinds of crazy\u2014incest, political strife, socioeconomic division, and on and on.<\/p>\n

Who does Paul send to help? Timothy.<\/p>\n

In\u00a01 Corinthians 4:17<\/a>, Paul writes to the church in Corinth, \u201cFor this reason I have sent to you\u00a0Timothy,\u00a0my son\u00a0whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through shared experiences, they built so much trust that Paul sends Timothy, a young man he\u2019s guided along the way, to this church that he loves but that urgently needs a troubleshooter. In effect, he passes the torch.<\/p>\n

3) Christian Affection<\/strong>
\nDo you sense the deep affection in Paul\u2019s description of Timothy in his letter to the Corinthians?<\/p>\n

You see it all throughout 2 Timothy as well. Paul opens that letter with this greeting: \u00a0To Timothy,\u00a0my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord (2 Timothy 1:2<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Look at this phrase\u2014my\u00a0beloved child<\/em>.\u00a0The Greek phrase is\u00a0agapetos teknon<\/em>. You may recognize the word\u00a0agape<\/em>.\u00a0Agape<\/em>\u00a0love is the deep, moral kind of love that you choose to have and show. It\u2019s not merely brotherly affection like\u00a0phileo<\/em>; it\u2019s not erotic affection like\u00a0eros<\/em>; but it\u2019s an intentional, moral, deep love for someone.<\/p>\n

Teknon<\/em>\u00a0means son or child. But when you put the two together,\u00a0agapetos teknon<\/em>\u00a0takes on a bigger meaning. One reference source defined it this way: \u201cthe intimate and reciprocal relationship formed between people by the bonds of love, friendship, and trust, just as between parents and children.\u201d An intimate and reciprocal relationship goes both ways, bonded by love, friendship, and trust.<\/p>\n

This kind of Christian affection isn\u2019t something we talk about openly much, and it can be difficult to grasp if you\u2019ve never experienced it. But this idea of\u00a0agapetos teknon<\/em>\u00a0was evident in the next verses of Paul\u2019s letter:
\nI thank God\u00a0whom I serve, as did my ancestors,\u00a0with a clear conscience, as I\u00a0remember<\/em>\u00a0you\u00a0constantly in my prayers night and day. As I\u00a0remember<\/em>\u00a0your tears,\u00a0I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.\u00a0I am\u00a0reminded<\/em>\u00a0of\u00a0your sincere faith\u2026 (verses 3-5a, emphasis added)<\/p>\n

Notice how many times Paul uses \u201cremember\u201d or \u201creminded.\u201d He is at the end of his life\u2014of this long journey that he\u2019s been on with Timothy\u2014and he\u2019s telling him, \u201cHey, I remember you all the time. I pray for you all the time. I remember the tears you shed when we said goodbye. Our affection for each other is so deep that we cried when we left each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t weakness. This kind of Christian affection is a sign of strength! It\u2019s built with bonds of love and friendship and trust. If you\u2019ve experienced it, you know how wonderful it is to have a close brother who knows you, loves you, and can be relied on in difficult times.<\/p>\n

Paul says, \u201cI remember, I remember, I am reminded\u201d because he has invested his presence over time in Timothy\u2019s life and they have years of shared experiences to recall. It\u2019s discipleship along the way.<\/p>\n

Are you qualified to disciple someone else?<\/strong>
\nMany times, people feel inadequate to disciple others. No one knows our weaknesses better than us, right?<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s consider Paul. I mentioned Paul wrote 13 of the epistles. He was a consummate church planter and central figure of the early church. He fostered leaders and built up the body of Christ.<\/p>\n

But what else was he? Paul was a murderer. Paul was a persecutor of the church. Until one day, on the road to Damascus, he had an experience where God spoke to him, and it led to his radical conversion.<\/p>\n

2 Timothy begins with, \u201cPaul, an apostle of Christ Jesus.\u201d An apostle in the Bible is somebody who has met and been sent by Jesus. Paul had that face-to-face experience with Jesus in Damascus, and it changed everything about him. A murderer, a persecutor, and now an apostle.<\/p>\n

You may think,\u00a0I\u2019ve screwed up in my life. I\u2019ve messed up a marriage. I have failed businesses. I\u2019ve hurt people.\u00a0<\/em>I promise you are not worse than Paul was. He held people\u2019s coats while they stoned Stephen to death. But God got a hold of his heart and transformed it.<\/p>\n

Has God gotten a hold of your heart and transformed it? Have you had an experience with Jesus? Do you understand the promise of life that is in Christ?<\/p>\n

Then you are qualified to disciple someone else.<\/p>\n

Teacher, Mentor, Coach, Guide<\/strong>
\nA final note: If you are a gifted teacher, you should teach! If you have a lot of wisdom in a certain area and someone would benefit from your expertise, by all means, mentor them. If you are a great skill builder and encourager, coach away! You can have a broad impact on many people as a teacher, mentor, or coach. It takes all of these gifts and callings to build up the church.<\/p>\n

But I challenge you to find that one person who needs someone to live life with them\u2014who needs a spiritual parent\u2014to become your\u00a0agapetos teknon<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Then your impact will be deep, and you will delight someday not only in having a spiritual child, but a spiritual grandchild and maybe even great grandchild as well.<\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 1986-2020\u00a0Man in the Mirror<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paul and Timothy: A Better Way to Disciple Could you disciple someone? Are you qualified? What would it look like? You might be surprised. By Brett Clemmer By looking at Paul\u2019s second letter to Timothy (and last letter ever), we\u2019re seeing what Paul thought most important for Timothy to remember. When I was in college, <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":77465,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3380,4661,276,266],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-leadership-articles","category-resources-ndi","category-sunday-school-and-discipleship"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77464\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}