“Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 NLT
Pray for us! The Apostle Paul starts out strong and confident in his calling and writings to churches he started. For those who questioned his authority, he boldly told the story of how Jesus revealed Himself and called him to be the lead apostle to the gentiles. Paul is a major force in the New Testament! Paul is the author of 13 epistles. Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. (almost 50% of the New Testament, and 62% of the letters written!). He’s assertive about his apostleship. He received direct revelation from Jesus. And, after receiving this calling, he didn’t rush out to consult anyone about it. His authority was independent from Jerusalem’s approval, and that was recognized by Peter, James, and John. He went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter and later wrote about confronting Peter about his hypocrisy (Peter was sneaking around eating with gentiles, but later pretended that it was wrong to do so when the Jewish brothers showed up). Yet after many beatings, jail time, church launches and multiple confrontations with fake teachers, I believe it took a toll on Paul’s fiery core. Look at the difference at how Paul refers to himself over thirty years.
● Bold Authority (AD 48-49) – AD 49, Galatians 1:1 — “an apostle, not from men, nor through man.” Fierce independence.
● Pray for us (AD 50-51) – 2 Thessalonians 3:1 Relational dependency
● Least of the Apostles (AD 55-56) – 1 Corinthians 15:9
● Least of All God’s people (AD 60-61) – Ephesians 3:8
● Chief of Sinners (AD 62-64) – 1 Timothy 1:15
● Martyrdom (AD 64-68)
We get a chance to see this amazing diminishment, this arc from hubris to humility. Not just tracking what Paul said, but where he was in life when and where he said it. The contrast with his earliest letters to his latter ones is striking. It can be noted that this request for prayer may have been the beginning of Paul’s realization that he needs others (which Paul always led thanking those around him). He goes from fierce independence, which caused some real heartache with young John Mark. Luke said there was a sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas. Enough for him and Barnabas (the peacekeeper) to part ways for a while. As Paul reached the end of his life and ministry, his tones and behaviors were far from hubris. Instead a beautiful humility emerged because of life, ministry, suffering and Christ’s mature agape love became the explanation point of his writings. Just read the boldness at the start in his thirties to the tenderness in his final letter to Timothy when he was sixty. Near the end of his life from a Roman prison, he tells Timothy: “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” Tender reconciliation from the now Chief of Sinners.
Prayer
Dad,
I was never super bold or brash as a young man, even though after surrendering my life to you in my teens I was not afraid to ask hard questions. But after almost fifty years of being a pastor in ministry, I just generally feel less smart, less wise and not so dogmatic about several things. I’m no Paul, but life, church-folk and church-systems, along with many, many emotionally hard deaths of friends and in families, I absolutely feel like the least of these. I am daily humbled by your amazing grace and mercy, where pure gratitude fills my mind as I sleep each night. I feel far more soft and squishy and far less judgmental about how people have lived, loved and suffered over the years. As I write, I could honestly and eagerly ask people to pray for me as well,