One evening after training, a brother-in-Christ asked me my vocation.
Upon hearing my testimony, he frowned and asked how my family and I
got by without an economically-providing job. His email later that day
offered to help out financially but he asked for my justification in
choosing this path in light of the model Jesus and Paul both gave as
each were once economically-employed.
This was my reply:
"Thanks for your prayers... we believe this is more needed from the
saints than financial & material support.
It is true you've only got to know me & just heard of my family,
current ministry work & circumstances. We've grown inwardly to realise
& accept monetary problems not as distractions from ministry, but are
fundamental to training for missions.
To briefly explain, we are called to the mission field, being
convicted that the people we will serve is in the --------t. Our past
exposures by the Lord, eg. a taste of serving out of ------e 3 years
ago, taught us it took more than good intentions, secular credentials
& a ------ean passport to survive... we needed spiritual demolition &
rebuilding by God individually & as a family, losing our ------ean
mentality & gaining a Kingdom mind & heart.
It is in this light that my family is in current circumstances
learning how to cope with such pressures which strengthen & build
great flexibility in our souls, the real "can do" spirit which is the
Holy Spirit of God Himself. It is also why I find myself in prison &
ex-offender ministry: the ministry methods & challenges here are very
similar to the mission frontline.
Please see with us these monetary issues as a course in our missions
curriculum. To me, the most important lesson is God's provision is not
denominated in cash... and it is disastrous to His mission if His
mission agents & directors if they do not stop clinging to the dollar.
If we cannot survive under such extreme duress in ----e, how much more
will we fail when we reach the place of our mission?
Regarding Jesus' vocation, it is clear in scripture He worked as a
carpenter till His baptism & start of ministry at 30 (years-old,
after) which (God) Himself then laid down His secular vocation to be a
full-time itinerant preacher & teacher up till His cross at 33 (years
old). No mention was made of Him doing secular work during His
ministry.
As for Paul, I've heard the popular quotes of his tent-making
bi-vocational approach which also very much sparked off the Workplace
Ministry movement 5 years ago. This viewpoint appears to be supported
by Acts 18:3 & 2Thess 3:8. But I've also received quotes especially
from para-church organisations soliciting for financial support(,)
making claims that Paul, too, received personal support from the first
churches he planted as he ministered to latter ones as described in
2Cor 11:9 & Phi 4:15.
Which then is correct? As Dr. L----- our trainer reminded us on
Tuesday, the induction method of settling on self-desired points and
seeking scripture to support our agenda can allow us to prove anything
right "biblically". Isn't that why Christendom is so divided because
each denomination insist their scriptural interpretation is more true
than the others? But if we can 'reconcile' these seemingly conflicting
verses, wouldn't we then arrive at the complete truth? Here is where
I'm reminded of Jesus frequent rebuke of the scribes of erring for
they do not understand the Scriptures they studied so hard for.
Taking a complete and united look at scriptures, we've to keep in mind
there's a clock ticking behind Paul's ministry, i.e. Paul himself
didn't instantly transform into Super-Christian after the road to
Damascus, but he grew in his faith and spirit from baby-to-adult
maturity just like us. If (some) scholars are right, Phil 4:15 was
(describing events that happened) before 2Thess (3:8) was written and
Paul had already a relationship with the Philippian congregation in
Macedonia before he planted the Corinth church (described) in Acts 18.
This means he got his first start in ministry not as a bi-vocational
tent-maker but already as itinerant preacher. In fact, his sharing of
experiencing both abundance and great deprivation in Phil 4:10-14
reflect the high volatility and total lack of stability in his
livelihood even as he commended the Philippian congregation. for
providing to him. These summed up Paul's provision and livelihood
experiences during the bulk of his 1st and 2nd missionary circuits
(Acts 13-17).
It was during the tail end of Paul's 2nd circuit which brought him to
first encounter Priscilla & Aquila, the first Corinth converts and the
first scriptural mention of his tent-making (Acts 18:1-4). Funny thing
is advocates of tent-making actually miss out (purposedly or
otherwise) the very next verse where Paul immediately stopped secular
work to preach full time at the appearance of Timothy and Silas! (Acts
18:5).
During Paul's speech claiming to have relied on the providence of his
own work in Acts 20:35, it must be remembered he was speaking to the
Ephesian congregation which was at the tail end of his last mission
journey before his final arrest leading to imprisonment; by that time
Paul had gone through providence by both congregational support (Phil
4:15 & 2Cor 11:9) as much as by his own hands! So the self-providence
claims in 2Thess is very much an object lesson to the Thessalonian
congregation about work as a general Christian than a statement of his
bi-vocation.
Thank you for offering to take up our burden: I'm sorry I've to
decline gratefully. Please continue to pray for us."
T.
