Paul wanted church leaders, including the episkopoi, to be people of honour and dignity. In the first-century Mediterranean world, the honour-shame dynamic was a powerful force in society, and the conduct of individual members of a household directly affected the level of honour of the entire household.
Full Answer
· 1. Describe Paul's background history, origins, and upbringing. The apostle Paul grew up as a Saul of Tarsus in Cilicia. Paul was apprenticed as a tentmaker but also studied the scriptures as a Pharisee at Jerusalem under Rabbi Gamaliel the Elder. Paul defended his Jewish faith by arresting Christians and supporting their execution. In AD 36 Jesus confronted Paul …
· All of the qualities listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9, including the ability to lead one's household, are in fact equally applicable to both genders. According to Paul, it is not only men who can lead their households. Paul advised the younger widows in the Ephesian church to remarry, have children and "keep house" (1 Tim. 5:14).
It appears that Paul was one of the men leading the charge against the Christians ( Acts 9:1-2 ). This demonstrates that he was willing to take initiative and lead. Paul’s commitment to what he believed should not be questioned. He sought out the authority he needed to bring about an end to the early Christian faith.
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Paul wanted church leaders, including the episkopoi, to be people of honour and dignity. In the first-century Mediterranean world, the honour-shame dynamic was a powerful force in society, and the conduct of individual members of a household directly affected the level of honour of the entire household. Therefore, an episkoposneeded to have an honourable household with well-behaved children, particularly adult children. Paul wanted episkopoiwith a level of moral integrity that was above reproach. He did not want church leaders who might bring dishonour, disrepute, and shame on the church.[10]
Paul wanted church leaders , including the episkopoi, to be people of honour and dignity. In the first-century Mediterranean world, the honour-shame dynamic was a powerful force in society, and the conduct of individual members of a household directly affected the level of honour of the entire household.
Episkopos is translated as “bishop” in some Bible versions, but most scholars acknowledge that “bishop” does not convey a first-century or New Testament use of the word. Malherbe writes that the role of episkopos in the Pastoral Epistles, including 1 Timothy, is to do with function rather than office, “and it is best to avoid the translation of episkopos as ‘bishop’ in favor of ‘overseer’ or ‘supervisor’ as commentators increasingly do.”#N#Abraham Malherbe, “Overseers as Household Managers in the Pastoral Epistles, ” Text, Image, and Christians in the Graeco-Roman World, Aliou Cisse Nianh and Carolyn Osiek (eds) (Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2012), 72-88, 74.
The law of the Church and the precept of the Apostle [Paul] show clearly how prejudicial second marriages are to the faith and how great an obstacle to holiness. For men who have been married twice are not allowed to preside in the Church nor is it permissible that a widow be chosen unless she was the wife of but one man. Tertullian, Ad Uxorem(“To his Wife”) 1.7
Paul wanted church leaders, including the episkopoi, to be people of honour and dignity.
The qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 are those of a respectable householder. (Many first-century churches met in homes and were hosted and cared for by the householder.) And while the qualifications were written with men in mind—it was usually, but not always, a man who was in charge of the household—all of the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy ...
In fact, episkopoi in the early years of the church (circa 40-80) were probably relatively wealthy householders who hosted, managed, and cared for congregations (Christian communities) that met in their own homes for all kinds of meetings and activities. Most householders in the Greco-Roman world were male.
Paul had a different perspective because he, “insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work” ( Acts 15:38 ). This event references what had taken place in Acts 13:13. At that time, “John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.”.
In his position as a Pharisee Paul persecuted the Church ( Phil. 3:5 ). Undoubtedly, he did so because he saw the Christian faith as opposed to his Jewish beliefs. As a leader, Paul would have sought to bring an end to this new movement, to keep it from influencing others. Again, Paul affirmed:
The life and ministry of the Apostle Paul provides many important leadership lessons for Christians. By examining key events in the biblical record, these principles can be set forth and used in Christian ministry today.
Paul avoided a stop in Ephesus because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. He knew it would take far too long to say good-bye to his many friends in Ephesus. Miletus was some 30 miles by land south of Ephesus, so he sent for the Ephesian church’s elders to come there. Evidently his ship had a layover of several days in the port of Miletus. [11]
Nevertheless, his earlier departure had left a rift between these two early leaders in the Church. Luke teaches, “The contention became so sharp that they parted from one another” ( Acts15:39 ). This disagreement was something that both Paul and Barnabas were passionate about. The word for contention means a, “sharp disagreement.” [8] Here it is learned that even faithful servants of the Lord can have considerable disagreement over matters in the ministry. Perhaps Barnabas had loyalty to John Mark because he was his cousin ( Col. 4:10 ).
His life stood as a testament to the first century Christians of what it meant to walk by faith. The world knows of the Apostle Paul. Students of the Word of God also know that such a profound impact came about by great personal sacrifice.
It was probably at this age or shortly thereafter that Paul came to Jerusalem to further his training, perhaps living with the married sister spoken of in Acts 23:16. [4]
Chosen by God to be a vessel to the Gentiles, Paul’s writing and preaching encouraged the early church and taught them how to live a God-centered life in a pagan-centered world . Paul went on three missionary journeys that carried and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ across the ancient world.
One of Paul’s major contributions to Christianity is “justification by faith” also described as “faith alone.” Faith rather than good works became a prominent theme during the time of Martin Luther. So much so that it eventually led to what we know as the formation of the protestant reformation and the break with the Roman Catholic Church. It was Paul’s writings in the book of Romans that fueled and influenced Martin Luther’s thinking, which changed the course of mankind’s spiritual history.
He called himself a “Hebrew of Hebrews.”. He was a prideful self-righteous member of the Pharisees who obeyed the Law without fault in the strictest way possible. Saul grew up in Tarsus of Cilicia where he lived with his Jewish parents. His family had dual citizenship.
Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, He is indeed the Son of God! ( Acts 9:19) Then [Ananias] told me, The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak.
His Roman citizenship gave him a position of privilege and would be advantageous for him later. Saul was highly educated. His early education occurred while living in Tarsus. His formal education took place under the tutelage of Gamaliel while he was living in Jerusalem.
For all that he caused others to endure he eventually endured himself. Paul became a true apostle because he experienced and encountered the risen Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus.
Jesus had said, ”If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.”.
Paul had courage in the face of opposition because he had limitless horizons in his mission. He believed in himself, but he believed in something bigger than himself, namely, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified," (1 Cor. 2:2). 2. Nehemiah: "Build on what God has given you.".
"I have appointed you as a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth " (Acts 13:47). Paul thought of himself as nothing in the total scheme of things. He was thoroughly subservient to the will of God, and he was committed to a specific, meaningful mission. Paul had courage in the face of opposition because he had limitless horizons in his mission. He believed in himself, but he believed in something bigger than himself, namely, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified," (1 Cor. 2:2).
Moses was seen as the patient leader of a people with little faith (Ex. 16:8, 16-20). His church was a murmuring people. They complained and whined at every inconvenience (Ex. 15:24; 16: 2-3). He did get disgusted. Remember, he struck the rock and disobeyed God, but his patience had worn thin. He had had enough.
Because of his special blessing, he was appointed as one with judicial powers and responsibilities in Joshua 14:6-15. He had a special place. He was courageous as indicated by the spy scenario in Numbers 13:31. He was most likely the envy of other young leaders.
He was most likely the envy of other young leaders. But Moses brought him to the table of leadership because he was the best person for the job. My guess is that he had skills the like of which Moses himself admired, perhaps even envied. 4. Barnabas: "Bridge the gaps of differing opinions.".
In Matthew 16, Peter was both a "rock" and a "stumbling block." He was both blessed and disgraced almost in the same breath. It is enough to discourage any pastor. You are the foundation. You are the devil's advocate. Discouraged by the disapproval of Jesus, yet blessed by the warmth and affection of Jesus. Resilience may be the cornerstone of effective leadership. One church member compliments your Sunday morning message, the next complains about your quoting Carl Jung because he is not a Christian.
It may not come quickly. It will, however, come eventually. If the leader becomes a wimp, he will lose his leadership role.
He probably started close to 20 churches himself, with many more born out of those by his apprentice leaders. In Asia alone, the NT mentions Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Colossae, and Hieropolis.
Some say that there is just one church in Philippi because Paul wrote a letter to them, but it is actually to the saints in Christ who are in Philippi. He wrote a letter to the churches of Galatia, with many of them are not mentioned. So numbering the churches Paul started is a challenge.
When Paul left earth in the end of his life he not only left some church plants, he left the DNA of a movement that would eventually spread to the extent that even the Roman Empire itself would surrender to Christianity (for better or worse). History was changed in dramatic fashion through this one man’s obedience.
Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”
There are places we have no mention of a church but we know he was there preaching such as Illyricum (Rom. 15:9). Did Paul start churches while in Damascus? Well someone already did because he was on his way there to arrest them, so probably not. But when he went to Arabia he may have started churches. Some assume he was just on retreat listening to the Lord, but he was chased out by the officials, so we can assume he did some preaching (meditating on a rock is not usually that threatening to people).