The epistles of Paul often refer to the ministry of Timothy. In the book of Philippians, Paul commended Timothy and some of the other ministries, including himself. Now we see the Lord bringing forth many ministries like Timothy. As we break through to a new level of dedication of oneness with the Lord and with the Body, there is a new emphasis on the Timothy ministry.
In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he presented a perfect picture of the ministry and humility of Christ. He told them: Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him… Philippians 2:5–9.
That same humility which was in Christ is to be in us. In theory this sounds fine, but when we apply it to ourselves as ministers of the Lord, we see how totally Christ was a bond servant. He humbled Himself, even unto death. This describes exactly the minister of the Kingdom of God. The ministry in the Kingdom must also be humble even unto death. No goal to be attained is for your own self. Your ministry is definitely curtailed as long as it is your ministry; but when you become a ministry to the Body, in the same sacrificial way that Christ gave Himself, then you are a ministry of the Kingdom whom God can use.
In Philippians 2:17, Paul spoke of himself in relationship to the ministry. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. Is it not easy to complain of the demands of the ministry? As long as we feel that the ministry makes demands of us, we groan under the load. But when we reach a dedication like Paul’s, we too can say, “I rejoice and share my joy with you all.” He was actually being poured out “upon the sacrifice and service” of their faith. Paul described the true dedication and love that ministers have for the people whom they serve.
Paul also said, And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. Verse 18. What joy did they share? In verse 16 Paul spoke of rejoicing over them in the day of the Lord; and in Philippians 4:1 he called them “my joy and my crown.” He was always emphasizing the truth that giving yourself as a living sacrifice for the Body of Christ brings great joy. Although this is easy to speak about, it is not always so easy to attain. However, there is a spiritual level where we can attain this.
In verses 19–24 Paul spoke about Timothy’s spirit. Note the importance of this. But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:19–21. Of all the ministries who were amenable to Paul at that time, no one except Timothy had the same beautiful kindred spirit. Paul’s joy and rejoicing was the sacrifice of his life for the Body, and because Timothy had so served with Paul, he had the same spirit that Paul had. Therefore Paul said, I have no one else of kindred spirit…
In the Body of Christ, there cannot be a Timothy-company until there is a dedicated Paul-company. Unless a leader has that same willingness to give himself in the service of the Lord, as Paul did, a Timothy is ineffective. How effective can someone be who is sent into a situation, if the one who has sent him does not have the burden for it himself? He must be burdened to see the need met.
Certain ministries, such as Timothy and Epaphroditus, felt the same travail and concern for the churches as Paul did. One of the greatest needs today is to have this same burden for the churches. Rather than judging situations when a church is going through problems, let us be on our faces day and night, praying and believing for God to bring that church up to the level He wants. Instead of critically evaluating a problem situation, we should believe that God can turn it around for good, and that the church can rise up to a higher level than ever before.
Timothy had a kindred spirit with Paul. He was dedicated, without any motivation to look after his own interests, to seek his own place or his own ministry. Through the years I have noticed that the one thing which limits the ministry is the ambition to attain it. Even when it is called “sanctified ambition,” it is more likely to be a drive for a special place.
Paul spoke of those who proclaimed Christ according to fleshly ambitions, but he did not condemn them. He even rejoiced in the fact that while he was in prison, some took occasion to make his bonds worse by the way they preached. Regardless of their motivation, he rejoiced that Christ was being preached. Even though persecution was being heaped upon him by some who were not in prison and who thought to add to his bonds, he had an attitude which precluded criticism. To whatever extent Christ was being proclaimed, he rejoiced (Philippians 1:15–18). It takes a generous spirit to rejoice, rather than complain, in a situation like that. It is difficult to reach that high level of dedication where you want to see the Lord prevail and be glorified in a situation even if you are maligned and not vindicated.
When Paul said that none with him were like Timothy, we assume that he was speaking of those under his authority; none of them had that kindred spirit to give and to be willing even to die: “For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.” Paul spoke further of Timothy: But you know of his proven worth that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall be coming shortly. Philippians 2:22–24. Paul knew that he should send Timothy, even though Timothy was meeting a deep need in his own imprisonment and sufferings.
Actually, was not Paul anticipating death? He did not know whether he would depart “to be with Christ, which is far better,” or whether he would stay and serve them. He wanted to stay and serve them, though he knew he would be far better off if the Lord took him home to his reward (Philippians 1:23–24). He realized that he had been as faithful as he had known how to be, for at the end of his life he said, “I fought a good fight, I finished the course, I kept the faith” (II Timothy 4:7).
Paul said, From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Galatians 6:17. He was scarred from beatings with the lash, the evidence of his sufferings. We read of some of his hardships in II Corinthians 11:23–27. He spent five years in prison, part of the time in chains. Regardless of all that he had suffered in the way of hunger, thirst, exposure, painful beatings, and other privations, he was willing to stay with his flocks and serve them.
How are we to evaluate a man going through all of that? He would have been better off to die and be with the Lord, as he said. Yet he was willing to give everything in the service of the Lord. He had no financial advantage to gain, no motivation other than that of serving. As he said, “It is better for you that I stay around a while.” We must realize that such dedication is not attained overnight by anyone. Years can be spent struggling with the subtle, ambitious deceit that rises up within the heart, wanting a place, seeking to do something noteworthy besides serving.
In the following Scripture, notice how Paul referred to Epaphroditus. Philippians 2:25: “I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, who is also your messenger” (literally, “apostle”) “and minister to my need.” The rest of the passage shows us that Epaphroditus was deeply concerned for the Philippians. He was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. (Deep distress was upon Epaphroditus because his people were worrying about his illness.) For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly… Verses 26–28.
Epaphroditus, like Timothy, ministered to Paul. This was his calling. He was the Philippians’ apostle, but he was also a minister to the need of Paul. From this, we realize that we never reach a state where we are not in need of ministry from one another. Never! There is to be no such thing in God’s Kingdom as a “big shot” with the little peons ministering to him. That is not to be. The Lord has a way of leveling, so that whoever would be the greatest must become the servant of all (Mark 10:44). This Scripture is literal truth. We are to serve. Our whole life is to be given to service. We see that this reversal in our thinking of greatness is commanded, and yet we still revert back to human standards of who is important and who is not.
As their Lord and Master, Jesus served His disciples by washing their feet (John 13:13–14). People usually think that to be “lord and master” is to make everyone serve their wishes and their every whim. They expect their word to be law. This attitude was an issue in the New Testament. Those who would not bow down and worship Caesar and proclaim him to be a god could be killed.
We refuse the arrogance in human nature! It is difficult for us to live in this world—with its false standard of greatness and basis of judging a person. Let us reject that human standard until we become Pauls and Timothys and Epaphroditus-ministries who can humbly and faithfully serve—really serve!
Be not selfish; rather, be dedicated to serve one another! If we have this attitude, we need not beg for volunteers to keep the church clean. There will be deep concern and a constant carefulness in everyone to not leave litter lying around. Our care of the house of God is one of the ways we serve the whole Body and the way we serve Christ. In Matthew 25:40b Jesus said, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. If we are concerned for Him, we will sense our stewardship over the house of God. Let us please Him in every way that we serve.
Concerning Epaphroditus, Paul said, Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly in order that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. Therefore receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me. Philippians 2:28–30.
This does not mean that the Philippians had failed Paul, but that they did not have the opportunity to serve him because they were distant from him. Epaphroditus came to serve Paul on behalf of the Philippian church. He actually was not serving in his own name. He had the burden to complete what the Philippians wanted to do for Paul. This is to be our way of thinking. This is to be our way of serving. The Lord can teach us what we lack, so that we can see the true Timothy-vision.
A Timothy-vision for us today is no different than the Paul-vision, no different than the Christ-vision, no different than the Epaphroditus-vision. We want to be Timothys and have that kindred spirit which Paul saw in Timothy. I question whether the Timothys can have a perfect spirit until the apostles over them have a perfect spirit. Is it not true that this same kindred spirit must exist throughout the whole apostolic company that God is bringing forth today?
Timothy came into full apostleship, and he was one of the greatest of the apostles. Still, we do not read much about him. After the day of Pentecost, it was not the ambition of the apostles to be regarded as the greatest. Jesus was without ambition. He said, “He who would be first shall be the servant of all” (Mark 9:35). “I did not come to be ministered to, but to minister and to give My life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Do we sometimes forget that He is the One who leads us? It is Christ’s dedication that must be in us. To whatever degree we lack this, may He work it in us, so that we can serve and please Him.
It is easy to be a phony; yet we yearn to be the real, living ministry of Christ coming forth. Our reaction of criticism to those who are hypocrites may be an indication of how much is false within ourselves, for we tend to project our faults to others and view them in the light of our own failings. The brothers that Paul here commends to the Philippians would not have been critical toward the insincere. They would have fallen on their faces in prayer. They ministered with a graciousness, prayed for one another, were concerned for one another! They had an unfeigned love for the brethren. Whenever we find ourselves evaluating and judging any without the compassion of Christ for them, to that extent we are hypocrites. Deep in our beings is a deadly tendency to be critical, to evaluate harshly, to put down instead of lift up. The Lord must loose us from this!
When the Word lets us see what manner of people we ought to be before the Lord Jesus Christ, it is often a devastating experience. Now when we hear about the Timothy ministry, we will probably cringe a little, until we somehow “let the same mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus.” This is the key, the release, and the answer to everything. There will not be problems between the leaders when God works this kindred spirit in His ministers. In the New Testament, problems were not settled by negotiation. In Acts 15 we read that the apostles met together so that the Holy Spirit would define the way to settle a dispute concerning the Gentile converts. They did not attempt to solve problems by negotiation or by conferences, but by flowing together in Christ.
Let us pray for this oneness which will solve any problems in the Body of Christ. God will meet us when we determine to walk in this same kindred spirit. Let us not become discouraged in the long process this may require; but let us also not be passive in the pursuit of this essential goal. When we see this attained, God will use us effectively!