40 Rules for Christian Ministry (Part 2)

The Apostle Paul wrote many letters to churches and individuals during his earthly ministry. Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was a fierce enemy of Jesus Christ and His followers, but the resurrected and ascended Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus and called him to become a powerful preacher of the Gospel to Gentiles, kings, and Jews – but especially Gentiles (Acts 9).

Paul wrote almost half of the New Testament. A man who ministered closely with Paul for many years, Luke, wrote two of the longest Books in the New Testament – the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. The tremendous influence that Paul had on Christianity was not a mistake or a fluke. It was by design – God’s design.

When Paul knew that his days on earth were numbered and he would not get out of prison to start any more churches, he wrote one final letter. We know it as 2 Timothy. When a man knows his life is coming to an end and he has important things to share, we often find those things in his final words. That’s why I chose 2 Timothy for this series.

You can find the first five ‘rules’ for Christian ministry here. Let’s move now to the second ‘five rules.’ They begin in 2 Timothy chapter two.

Rule #6

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus

Paul told Timothy to ‘be strong’ (endunamoó) in the ‘grace’ (charis) that is in Christ Jesus. Paul was about to leave the earth for Heaven. He had spent decades preaching the Gospel, seeing people reconciled to God, starting churches, selecting elders, and training them for ministry. Here in his final letter Paul told one of the men who had ministered with him longest (Acts 16) the ‘rules for ministry.’ Timothy had traveled to many cities with Paul and seen how he had faced opposition and persecution. Paul addressed that a little later in this same letter:

“But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:10-12

Paul knew Timothy would suffer greatly when he and others (e.g. Titus) took on Paul’s mantle to continue taking the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. Paul knew it would take to keep going and not giving up. Timothy would have to ‘be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.’ Trying to do something as difficult as ministering to a world filled with people who hate you would take far more than your natural courage. It would take a ‘supernatural’ ability that would come directly from the grace of Christ. That’s true for all of us.

Rule #7

Commit Paul’s words to faithful men who will be able to teach others also

Paul told Timothy to ‘commit’ (paratithémi – entrust, commend, place alongside) Paul’s words (which the Holy Spirit inspired) to ‘faithful men’ (pistos anthrópos – faithful, trustworthy, loyal to faith, people, humans) who will be able to ‘teach others also’ (kai heteros didaskó – cause to learn, instruct, impart knowledge). This is important to God’s plan for how His Word would continue to be heard and understand after the death of the apostles. Many people call this the ‘Timothy Principle.’

We know very little about Timothy’s ministry after Paul’s death (no known letters have been attributed to Timothy). Various church traditions have Timothy continuing to serving as an apostolic representative to the early Church even as he had done for years with the Apostle Paul. Other tradition has him serving as the bishop the church in Ephesus until he was murdered for his stand for Christ and against paganism. Whichever is true, I believe we can be assured that Timothy did what Paul told him to do. Timothy would have committed Paul’s word to faithful men who would be able to teach others also. That chain of people ‘committing Paul’s words to faithful men’ continues to this day. It is one of God’s ‘rules for ministry.’

Rule #8

Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ

The Greek words Paul used at the beginning of 2 Timothy 2:3 were sugkakopatheó hós kalos stratiótés. The idea of what Paul was telling Timothy is that he should ‘suffer in hardship with’ others who were also suffering. sugkakopatheó can also be translated as ‘partaking in affliction with others.’ Paul used the example of that ‘shared suffering’ ‘as a good soldier’ of Jesus Christ. Soldiers are often wounded or even killed in wars. That’s one of the ‘shared sufferings’ of being a soldier. Even if you are not the one who is wounded or killed, you share in the sufferings and pains that go with being a soldier. Soldiers often march for days with limited amounts of food and drink, only to arrive at their destination to spend hours in fighting against an enemy. Timothy had traveled with Paul for years in ministering and knew the many types of suffering involved in ‘fighting’ battles for the Gospel of Christ. Paul knew that would not change after his death and wanted to remind Timothy of that fact.

Notice also that Paul used the words ‘good soldier’ (kalos stratiótés – good warrior) of Jesus Christ. The Greek word for ‘good’ that Paul used means ‘good that inspires (motivates) others to embrace what is lovely (beautiful, praiseworthy)’ (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). Ancient as well as modern armies were and are divided into small groups led by lower ranking officers. Those officers are responsible to higher ranking officers who are responsible to even higher ranking officers. Each officer at every level of a military unit has the opportunity to ‘inspire’ their soldiers to do their jobs well and be the best they can be. The same is true as a Christian who understands what Paul was telling Timothy. Paul believed that a big part of his ministry was to inspire and motivate other Christian leaders to embrace what was beautiful and praiseworthy about the positions God had given them. Whether you are a foot soldier or an officer in the Army of the Lord, remember Paul’s words to Timothy – ‘endure hardship as a good solider of Jesus Christ.’

Rule #9

Do not entangle yourself with the affairs of this life

Paul continued with the ‘soldier’ example by writing – “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” The idea of being ‘engaged in warfare’ comes from the Greek word ‘strateuó.‘ It means ‘contending as a soldier, fighting like a soldier, serving in a military campaign.’ No one involved as an active duty member of the military who is involved in fighting in a war should ‘entangle’ themselves with the affairs of this life. What does that mean? The word ‘entangle’ (emplekó) means being ‘entwined’ or ‘involved’ with something in a way that would keep them from performing their work. What was it that Paul didn’t want Timothy or other Christians to entangle themselves? The ‘affairs of this life.’ The Greek word for ‘affairs’ (pragmateia) means ‘transactions, negotiations.’ The word for ‘life’ (bios) simply means ‘everyday life.’ Why would Paul write that a soldier of Jesus Christ should not become entangled in transactions of everyday life? Because doing that takes a soldier’s eyes, ears, and thinking off fighting and on to the transactions of everyday living. That’s not what God called His people to do. Read the verse again: “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” Who enlisted Paul as a soldier of Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ! Who enlisted Timothy as a soldier of Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ! Who enlisted you as a soldier of Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ! We cannot serve two masters. We must focus on what God has called us to do as ‘good soldiers of Jesus Christ.’

Rule #10

Compete according to the rules

Paul moved from ‘soldiering’ to ‘competing’ in his ministry examples for Timothy:

“And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:5

The Greek word for ‘competes’ is athleó. It means to ‘compete as an athlete, to contend or strive in competitive games.’ Some translators chose the word ‘wrestle’ because wrestling was a major part of Greek and Roman ‘games’ in the 1st century AD. It’s interesting that Paul chose the word palé in Ephesians 6:12 when he wrote: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Though the words are different (athleó and palé), they carry a similar idea of struggle against an opponent.

Even as Christian Ministry is similar to the conflict that soldiers endure in battle, so the competitive athlete endures conflict in competition. Paul’s point with the athlete is that ”he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. Let’s focus on three ideas:

crowned (stephanoó)
competes (athleó)
according to the rules (ean mé nomimós)

Winning a crown in Ancient Greek athletic competitions brought the winner special status in religious, economic, and political arenas. Only one person was crowned in ancient games, unlike the Olympic Games of today (e.g. gold, silver, bronze). The winner was believed to have won because of the decision of the god Zeus. Many people viewed the winner becoming a demigod and standing above the ‘ordinary’ people in social status. Winners would wear an honorary wreath, receive free meals for life, have statutes built to memorialize their victory, and possibly receive special political positions.

However, athletes had to compete ‘lawfully’ (nomimós) which meant competing according to the ‘rules’ of the games. Cheating meant severe financial penalties and personal beatings as well as public humiliation. That humiliation could impact the cheaters’ family and even his entire town. They were often banned from competing in future athletic competitions.

Timothy would have immediately understood what Paul was saying about the importance of a Christian ministering according to the ‘rules’ that God had established for His children. No cheating allowed. No self-glory allowed.

This particular verse is what started the idea for this series. We Christians must compete ‘according to the rules.’

I’ll share five more rules for Christian ministry in the next podcast.

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In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

GraceLife / Faith and Self Defense / Grace Martial Arts / Substack