Preacher's Study Notes 1993
Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles. In Isaiah 62:2, it says, "The Gentiles shall see your righteousness. And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name. Which the mouth of the Lord will name." I believe that "mouth" (or “mouth-piece") of the Lord refers to the Apostle Paul. In Acts 9:15, in His instructions to Ananias in reference to Saul, Jesus told him, "... he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the childern of Israel." In Galatians 2:7, when Paul was recounting the gathering in Jerusalem in Acts 15, Paul wrote, "... they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed unto me." In Acts 28:28, Paul was in his own hired house, and he had been speaking to some important Jews at that time, but he told them, "Therefore let it be known to you, that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!" As a result of these prophetic verses and observations, Paul made at least three evangelistic journeys to Gentile nations, and wrote thirteen of his fourteen epistles to the same. From these epistles I am expected to glean information that will assist and encourage evangelism today among other cultures.
Culture --- that is a part of my talk tonight also. I was especially interested in one of the assignments: What principles can be drawn about evangelizing other cultures? The first time I went overseas, as a part of the work program there, my eyes were shining with delight so far as the prospects were concerned. "Other cultures" meant that Benny was going to have to eat their food, and live as they lived. So the first Sunday that I went out into the bush, I was determined to eat with them and eat their food, because I believed that is what going to other cultures involved. Joanne had packed me some sandwiches just in case. I was glad that she did. When I requested them to bring me some food — they asked me if I wanted some and I said "Yes"—and they uncovered that food, there was a catfish about fifteen inches long. Now you know, I am a fisheater. I especially like catfish. There was a catfish about fifteen inches long. The problem was, it looked like it was still staring up at me. It had not been skinned or fileted, like I was used to, and I turned it over and it had not even been cleaned! I asked the people to take it back and let someone have it that needed it more than I did. That was when I learned what that verse meant where it says "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but love, joy and peace." So that was my first experience, and I carefully avoided food like that after that.
I have seen Don King over in the Philippines laying prostrate for hours, afraid to move, knowing what would happen if he did, because he had simply taken a bite of food or drank some of the water that was there. In one place where we were working, another evangelist had preceded me, and in this house where we were, the brother there brought out one of the biggest Pepto-Bismol bottles that I have ever seen. I did not even know they made one that big. And he says, "Brother, do you want this?" And I said, "No, where did you get that?" I knew that preacher and knew that he delighted in eating food from other cultures, but he did not realize that eating their food and getting sick was an insult to them as well.
Now, we are going to study about some things like that, but I want to notice some things we can learn from the epistles about Paul's working among the Gentile people.
First of all, and this is not something that is startling, and I was so happy to see a number of brethren bring this us up today — we learn that the participants in such endeavors depended upon God through prayer. I know that is not an exciting statement, but brothers and sisters, it's one that is filled with meaning. It meant something to the Apostle Paul. I do not know how many of you have been overseas, where hardly anyone knew where you were, and maybe you did not speak their language, difficult things would come up, and you understand what prayer is all about then. In Romans 1:8-10, Paul recorded his prayer and thanksgiving for those in Rome and his journey to them. First he said:
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.”
Now you note here his thankfulness for their faith — the faith of those among whom he desired to work. He was not suspicious of them. He did not question them. He prayed for them and thanked God for them. He said he mentioned them in his prayers without ceasing. He prayed for a prosperous journey to them. All of this was to be by "the will of God." These are things, when we are contemplating a work, which we need to have in our prayer life. God still hears and answers prayers. But Paul did not stop with just his prayers. In Romans 15:30-33, you notice his request for their prayers:
“Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ's, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me; that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints; that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.”
Notice, he asked for their prayers. Tile said, "I want you to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me." That word "strive" meant "to wrestle earnestly" Paul wanted a striving prayer. He wanted a wrestling prayer. That indicates that there was a struggle or conflict going on. The prefix in the original word indicates that this striving in prayer would join them together with him in this conflict So I would suggest that when we are contemplating a work, we not only pray for that work ourselves, but we enlist the prayers of those in the area where we are going.
I think I would be remiss if I did not show how those prayers were answered. In Acts 21, Paul began his journey to Rome in a strange way not at all in a way he has contemplated; not at all in a way he had planned. Acts 21:27 says, " . . . the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him." They tried to kill him. All of this was heard by the captain of the guards there. He brought some soldiers and rescued Paul from this mob of people. Perhaps their prayers brought those soldiers; I do not know, but Paul was delivered from the Jews at that time. He then went to Rome, not on a luxury liner, not on a Boeing 747, but he went as a prisoner.
A lot of you young men who have begun preaching the gospel in recent years, and some of these older preachers also, you want to go to foreign work, and live there, and perform to the best of your ability Well, you want to begin praying for that, but you want to watch out because sometimes your prayers are answered. Brother Edwin Morris was telling me today about some eight or ten that had told him that they wanted to go, but when it came down to it, they did not want to. Now brethren, this is something that is serious, it is something we have to pray for, it is something that we have to request prayers for, it is something that we have to live for.
Paul's prayers were answered, but not in the way that he expected them to be. He got to go to Rome, but not with freedom, not able to go about from place to place as he loved to do, but as a prisoner. In 2 Corinthians 1:11, their prayers had helped in his deliverance while preaching in Asia: "You also helping together by prayer for us, that thanks may be given by us by many persons on our behalf..." So prayers were answered about his work. He desired " . . . that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel" (Ephesians 6:19). Let us not forget this important aspect of prayer. It solves problems and God answers those prayers, maybe in different ways than we expect, but He hears us and we need His aid in these things.
Second, we learn that adjustments must be made for each culture.
“For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
What does all this mean? What does this passage teach us today? There are three things I want to notice about this passage.
Notice in verse 19 — "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more." Now fellow preachers, who are you working for when you go out into the field? That question has been brought up today a number of times. I want to address it at this time. Are you working for the Lord? Absolutely! Are you working for a congregation? Absolutely! And if you are not, you better start it right away. I want to tell you something. The Lord has chosen the congregations to be His body. Jesus took a fleshly body so He could travel about from place to place and do His work. Then He chose His church and called it His body so that the same thing could be done. You understand very well that the Lord has chosen to support you through the congregation, don't you? When you want help, when you want money, you don't write the Lord, you write the congregation which is His body. It is the same way when doing evangelistic work! The church is still the pillar and ground of the truth; the evangelist is not. We have to have the proper and correct relationship with the evangelist in this.
Are you working for the people in the area where you are? Absolutely! We go to foreign fields, and it was mentioned that we do not receive money from those folks over there, and that is right, but we are still working for them. That is what Paul meant here in verse 19. 1 want to tell you something as a fellow gospel preacher — you are not working for yourself. You are working for the Lord, you are working for a congregation, and you are working for those people among whom you labor, and all three have to be together in this.
So, this adjustment to each culture for the gospel's sake is a hard and difficult task. How many of you have used 1 Corinthians 9:27 and have applied it to our keeping control of our — morals, of our fleshly lusts, and things of that nature? Do you realize that it is in the context of adjusting to other cultures, and shows the difficulty of adjusting to those needs of others? "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1 Corinthians 9:27). In other words, if he did not adjust himself in a proper way, then he would be a castaway as far as the faith was concerned. That makes it important for everyone going to another culture to make that adjustment.
Further, in adjusting to other cultures, the servant must always consider himself as being "not without law to God, but under the law to Christ" (1 Corinthians 9:21). What that means is, that to the Jew Paul would become a Jew, but he would not violate the law of Jesus Christ. To those that were without law, the Gentiles, he could become that, but not to the point where he would violate a law of Christ. He just would not do that. In Galatians 2:14, Peter and others had violated this principle: "But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" Peter had been to the homes of Gentiles and had eaten with them, but then when the circumstances warranted it, he would not do it. Yet, he would compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews lived. Now, I have seen this principle violated, not by our brethren especially, but by people we call "digressive brethren."
For example, in Zambia, some of the digressive brethren allowed the men to have more than one wife. In fact, one of these was a leader among those who tried to get my wife and I expelled from Zambia when we first arrived over there. That church that he worked for had appointed him as an elder, yet he had two wives that he was living with at the same time. I might say that in 1989 when I went back, Brother Greg DeGough told me that we were going to a study, and he named the brother that I have just mentioned. I said, "Wait a minute! That man tried to run me out of Zambia. He went to the government and tried to get me expelled!" "Well he's changed now." When we went over to the man's house, I talked to him about it. I said, "Listen, you tried to get me expelled from this country. What's this all about?" He said, "That's before I knew better." He had disposed of one wife, now he only had one wife, he had come into our work program, and had actually started a number of congregations. So, although we have to adjust ourselves to cultures, we cannot violate the law of Jesus Christ in this area or in any other area as well.
Paul said in verse 20: “And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law." In Acts 16:3, Paul had Timothy circumcised because Timothy's father was a Greek, and Timothy was going to be laboring among Jewish people. In Acts 21:20-30, we have Paul assisting others in a vow that was taken there in the temple, and going along with them and actually providing materially for those vows to be completed. Some say that Paul sinned when he did that. I don't think he sinned. I think he was fulfilling just exactly what was stated here in verse 20. Paul was a Jew, nationally speaking, and could properly and scripturally participate in their customs.
Let me explain this just a little bit. The Old Testament contained shadows for the law. Hebrews 10:1 — "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." This passage is speaking about those shadows back there. Paul knew, and we know today, that we have the substance. There was a time there when the shadow and the substance. Back yonder, seven hundred years before Christ, the shadow was a long way off from the substance. As time went by, the shadow got closer to the real thing. So there for a while they were there together. Those Jewish people could have the shadow and the substance there together. They could have those sacrifices — the temple services and things of that nature—and they might explain to their children: "This has been a shadow all along, but now we do this because we are Jews. Jesus Christ and His cause, they are the substances, and we have them today—the real thing." So they could have the shadow and substance together in that particular fashion.
This principle cannot be applied to any other religion or to Jews other than those who were practicing at that time. In Hebrews 9:9, the word figure is used—this is where we get lessons about types and anti-types, and things like that. So there had to be proper understanding of the type and of the shadow, after the substances appeared. Now if the proper understanding was not there, according to Romans 14:1, those folks were considered weak. However, Paul did not prohibit them from participating in those days of things of that nature. They were Jews, and they lived as the Jews—they did not understand it correctly, they were considered weak. Romans 14:14 reveals the knowledge that Paul had obtained in order to be considered strong: "I know, and am convinced by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that considers any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean." Paul got his knowledge about these things from the Lord. Romans 14:5-6 indicates that so long as they observed these things unto the Lord, and as individuals, they were to be accepted. Now Paul did this in reference to the vows that he shared in, therefore, I do not believe that he sinned in doing that. It was a matter of his being a Jew, with the type and anti-type, the shadow and substance together.
In verse 21: "To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law" (1 Corinthians 9:21). In Acts 17:23, 28, Paul used "the unknown God" and one of their own, poets to teach a lesson. He was familiar with their culture. I think that is one of the things that we need to do. I know personally that I have violated customs that people had in the countries where I was working. I would be reminded of that, and they would forgive my ignorance, but they did not expect me to do that the next time.
One of the things we have learned in doing overseas work is the proper use of indigenous preachers. This goes along with this particular part of that context. Our work has been so successful in Malawi and other places simply because of our willingness to do that. Our digressive brethren would learn the language—and that's fine. (I agree with what was said about that today, about learning the language and converse with them and teach in that. It is not altogether necessary because the Bible gives us interpreters and the rules to govern and regulate them.) Our digressive brethren have gone in there and tried to start churches themselves—they have gone into villages and preached themselves. They have failed. Especially a certain group of them there in Malawi. In the New Testament, in Acts 6:1-2, where the Grecian widows were being neglected, they felt bad about this and the problem was solved. Did you ever notice the names of those who were to minister to the Grecian widows? They had Grecian names. I do not know if they were all Greeks, but they had that kind of name. In Acts 16:1-2, Timothy was especially valuable because his father was a Greek and his mother was a Jew. He had the best of both worlds. Paul typically used Gentile helpers to work among the Gentiles.
Brother Bayani in the state of Hawaii told me in Hawaii not too many weeks ago, "In order for this work to be successful over here, we are going to have to use Filipino preachers." He understood the necessity of using preachers of that particular race in order to accomplish the work. This is a principle that we need understand wherever we go. Use the preachers that are there if you possibly can. Now I want to tell you, sometimes they are pretty weak, and sometimes they do not have much training because of the time element that is involved, but you would be surprised at what the Lord can accomplish through such vessels as that. When I went to Zambia, the church at Edmond, Oklahoma sent me over there, and the brethren chose men to be preachers. I let them do that. I could not believe some of the choices they made, but, Oh!, what work the Lord did through those preachers. as weak as they were.
Thirdly, we learn that the places we may choose to go and the preachers chosen to do the work, may be chosen in conjunction with a congregations a preacher or a call from a locality. A congregation has a right to chose a work. They are the pillar and ground of the truth! In Acts 11:22, the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch on the basis of hearing about the work there. In Acts 16:9-10, you have a call from a foreign locality The vision of the Macedonian man appeared and asked them to come over. Let me tell you how the work began in Malawi. It is very interesting. Two of the largest groups of churches over there, among the churches of Christ, have to do with Our work program
and the work program of the churches of Christ that use individual cups/no Sunday school. Brother E. C. Severe and a Brother Lamani got hold— I believe it was Brother Severe got hold of the Old Paths Advocate and the paper that church publishes (I do not remember the name of that paper that the Shelburn group publishes). Brother Severe went to Brother Lamapi and held out those two papers and he said, "You take one and I'll take the other." And that's how we got in contact with Brother E. C. Severe. He chose the Old Paths Advocate He wrote over here and got in contact with the brethren and that work began in that particular manner. Not the best of situations, but it opened a door for us that you brethren you congregations and you preachers have been so faithful to walk through and support.
Now, a preacher also can choose to do a particular work.
In Acts l5:36 “And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, ‘Let us go again and visit Our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.’ " Let me tell you about we preachers choosing to do a certain work. Every once in a while the brethren get a letter from a preacher who has gotten the idea that he wants to do a work in a certain locality He might write letters to raise money for that. Well, so long as that preacher is working in relationship with a congregation, I think that is fine. The evangelist is the arm of a congregation. A congregation might find out about a work without that evangelist, but more than likely it is through an evangelist that they are going to find out about a particular work. But this (an evangelist planning his own work independently) does not always work at all times. The congregations have to be careful along this line and preachers have to be careful along that line as well.
I would like to say something about all of these trips being taken overseas. I think they are fine. I resent any brother or any other preacher saying that they are going over there just for a vacation. I want to tell you preachers something if you have been guilty of that. You are a detriment to missionary work when you make such statements as that in front of congregations. Let me add this, the Mediterranean area is still a great vacation spot, and that is where Paul did most of his work, isn't it? Let's not make slurry statements like that! That is what Jesus meant when he said, "Judge not that ye be not judged." He was talking about things of that particular nature. (I just got back from Hawaii not too long ago, but brother it wasn't a vacation. I don't like to sit out in the sun, I don't like to swim, there is not much that I even like over there in that place.) I just do not think that we are looking at things right when we make statements of that nature.
Sometimes, I think, preachers themselves do not act right toward work like that, in that they resent congregations that choose not to support a work. It was brought up today about Paul wanting to go to certain places and the Holy Spirit would not let him (Acts 16:7) —”After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not." "Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles" (Romans 1:13). Notice, he said "oftentimes I purposed to come unto you." That word "oftentimes" means "many" or "much." "Purpose" means "to set before, or to set forth." He wanted to go to Spain and he wanted to visit Rome on the way. He went to God in prayer about it. He must have talked to brethren about it. He wrote to the Romans about it all, and he was ready and willing and eager to go. He was a debtor. A debtor is one who owes anything to another. Listen, Paul was the debtor, not the congregation. It is the evangelist that is the debtor.
In Romans 15:22, Paul says, "For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you." Notice, "For which cause." He always remembered to put the cause first. He kept working until the hindrances were removed. He did not get what he wanted—he did not get to go to Rome in the way that he wanted to go. But he remembered the cause and he put it first. So fellow preachers, congregations; whatever work we plan, whatever we want to participate in, let us always remember “the cause.” Let us always remember to put it first.
In 1 Corinthians 9:18, Paul says, "What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel." What is he saying here? He is saying that as an apostle, as an evangelist, he had a lot of rights. That word "abuse" meant that he did not make full use of his rights, because he remembered the cause, and he wanted to put the cause first. In other words, a preacher today might say, "I've got a right to have this! I've got a right to go there! I've got a right to do that particular work!" What you must ask is, "What is my responsibility? What is going to be the best for the cause?" If we keep that in mind we will always be all right.
Fourthly, we learned how Paul expected his support to be taken care of. We have covered that very much today. We learned that we have the responsibility of supporting the work.
Now, we also learn that we must conduct ourselves in such fashion, so as to never make people feel inferior to us. The Jews were good at this. They would snipe at the Gentiles, and I imagine that there were some Gentiles that would snipe right back at the Jews. In Ephesians 2:14, "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." Galatians 3:28 - "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Prejudice was a special problem and it remains so today. I am anxiously looking forward to talks by our gospel preachers along that particular line.
We must make adjustments for each culture and not exploit them or make them feel inferior in any way. Incidentally, this is one of the reasons Paul would not take money from the church at Corinth and other places where he went.
The places to go, and the preachers to do the work, may be chosen by a congregation, a preacher, or a call from a locality, all working together. The congregation however, must always remain the foundation of all such work.
The support of such preachers must be taken care of. Sometimes Paul "robbed" other churches, showing that there was a cooperative effort of the churches in supporting such work.
Prejudice must never be manifested by the supporting congregation(s) or the preacher in the field. Brethren, that is in America and in foreign fields as well.
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