Not many fathers

We now know the problems of this Church. They were quarrelling over immorality, marriage, idolatry, worship, finance and theological issues like eternity. Above all they were dissatisfied with Paul’s authority as an apostle. Some were following him, others Apollos and others Peter. The Church was political and full of jealousy. Their need as Paul saw it was a lack of father’s. It still is the lack. The attack on the family is the attack on the father and similarly in the Church.

“I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. ¹⁵ Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. ¹⁶ Therefore I urge you to imitate me. ¹⁷ For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.” (1 Corinthians 4 v 14-17)

When people see you, do they see Jesus? What kind of Messiah do you have?

The Jewish Messiah is a political leader descended from King David. A professional of the Jewish law and the commandments within it. A charismatic leader. A military leader. A great judge. The most important thing is this: the Jewish Messiah is a human being, not a god or a demi-god. He has certainly not come from heaven and once he is dead he doesn’t rise again. Political, professional, charismatic, a fighter, a judge, human, not divine. Some of those Messiah type figures can be found in churches today.

It would not have been strange if Paul had supplied a list of behavioural functions in order to help us to imitate him. He did have such lists and uses them elsewhere and it was not unusual in that culture for disciples to want to copy their rabbi.

So what does Paul say?

There are many instructors, guardians or guides. These guardians were the ones who tutored people and kept supervision on their conduct and there are many of these in the Church But not many Fathers.

“I have become a father and I have a son (Timothy). Now imitate me as I imitate Christ.”

His use of language in these verses are clearly revealing God the Father and God the Son.

• The Church needs more Fathers who send and more sons who go. John20:21 “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” There are trapped sons today. The fathers will not send, they keep to themselves, they want to build empires, to preserve their name. Sons want to honour but they want to go.
• The Church needs more Fathers who love and more sons who know they are loved: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” Luke 3:22. This is sacrificial love. The sacrifice of the father to send the one he loves to people who are on the verge of rejecting Him.  The sacrifice of the son to be sent. The Father sends and the son dies. The church wants to live, God wants the church to die.

The ministry of Jesus was to reveal the Father. As people looked at the lifestyle of Jesus, saw his personality and character, they saw the beauty of the Father. Do people see the Father in us? Christ’s passion hasn’t changed now that he is in heaven. It is still his desire for our lives that we know the Father. What kind of Father do people experience from the Church? From you and me?