An Essay on the Character of the Apostle Paul, Considered as an Example and Pattern of a Minister of Jesus Christ # 8

An Essay on the Character of the Apostle Paul, Considered as an Example and Pattern of a Minister of Jesus Christ # 8

If any man had ground to set a value upon his knowledge, gifts, and services - Paul might justly claim the preeminence. But though he was an apostle, and an inspired writer, though he had planted churches through a considerable part of the known world, though he was received as an angel by many to whom he preached; and, by a special blessing, had been caught up into the third heaven; yet he was, by grace, preserved from being exalted above measure - or from assuming an undue superiority over his brethren. The authority with which he was entrusted, he employed solely to their advantage, and accounted himself the least of all, and the servant of all. How very opposite has been the conduct of many since his time - who have aimed to appropriate the glory exclusively to themselves!

Such was our apostle, and the same spirit (though in an inferior degree) will be found in all the faithful ministers of the Lord Jesus! They love His name; it is the pleasing theme of their ministry, and to render it glorious in the eyes of sinners is the great study of their lives. For His sake they love all who love Him, and are their willing servants to promote the comfort and edification of their souls. They love His gospel, faithfully proclaim it, without disguise or alteration, so far as they are themselves acquainted with it. They contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints; and are desirous to preserve and maintain the truth, in its power and purity. The knowledge of their own weakness and fallibility makes them tender to the weaknesses of others. And though they dare not lay, or allow, any other foundation than that which God has laid in Zion - yet, knowing that the kingdom of God does not consist in foods and drinks - but in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit - they guard against the influence of a party spirit.

They have entered upon the ministry, not for selfish and sordid ends - for popular applause, or filthy lucre - but from a constraining sense of the love of Jesus, and a just regard to the worth and danger of immortal souls!

It might be expected that a spirit and conduct thus uniformly benevolent and unselfish would secure them the good will of mankind, and entitle them to peace, if not to respect. But, on the contrary, these are the very people who are represented as deceivers of souls, and disturbers of society. The eyes of many are upon them, watching for their halting; their infirmities are aggravated, their words twisted, their endeavors counteracted, and their persons despised.

The design of our history is to show, in the course of every period of the church, that those who have approached nearest to the character I have attempted to delineate from Paul, have always met with such treatment. From his declaration, that "all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution," we may expect it shall always be so - while human nature and the state of the world remain as they are. However, it may be a consolation to those who suffer for righteousness sake, to reflect, that the apostles were thus treated before them; particularly Paul who, as he labored more abundantly than the rest - so he suffered more abundantly than the rest. His person was treated with contempt and despite, his character traduced, his doctrine misrepresented. And though his natural and acquired abilities were great, and he spoke with power and the demonstration of the Spirit - yet he was reckoned as "a babbler," and "a madman," and "the scum of the earth, and the refuse of the world!"

"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:9).

~John Newton~

(The End)