Parakaleo to today’s church leaders
Apostle Paul. In fact, since when he became an apostle? Well, we all know: since meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus. That’s when Jesus called him apostle of the nations. But ...
After his conversion, baptism in the Spirit and in water, the first preaching among the Jews in Damascus, escape to Arabia, attempts to establish contacts with leaders in Jerusalem, clashes with the Hellenists ... he disappeared for several years in his hometown Tarsus.
We learn that after Paul was sent to Tarsus, Ecclesia enjoyed peace throughout all of Judea, Gamalia and Samaria. Was he problems-makers? Oh yes! In the circles of leaders and not only: people didn’t trust him, everyone was afraid of him, he had a bad past, he spoke openly what he thought; yes, Paul was just uncomfortable and not matching too well in theirs schemes. When Paul left, there was peace and more and more Jews were converted to Jesus. Could Paul, through his presence in Jerusalem and his speeches, disturb the peace? Loosing peace by speaking truth?
Paul disappeared from the arena of central events. Meanwhile, persecution arose in Jerusalem and Israel – to such point that believers had to flee and scatter around the world. It is assumed that God himself allowed this because the current development of Ecclesia did not go too far in the direction indicated by Jesus. Of course, dispersed Jewish believers found themselves in various places and created local ecclesiae. One such ecclesia, however, was unique, this in Antioch. There, Jewish believers converted also pagans, and in this way a cultural and religious mixture was created. It was a good and healthy mix. It was a way out of traditional or nationalistic circles and open to new and different. The revival in Antioch became known in the Jerusalem ecclesia. They wanted to know what was going on and decided to send the most appropriate man there, Barnabas.
It soon turned out that Antioch needs even more support. It’s as if there were "vacancies" there. Barnabas thought about Paul in this context and personally went to him for a long way to Tarsus.
Barnabas was characterized by two attributes that we need so much today: goodness and fulfilment with the Holy Spirit. Today there are a lot of leaders, presidents, bishops, etc. – that is good, but it is not enough. In this way, offices can be maintained correctly – this too is important and good, but in the Kingdom of God there is something more! What about "Barnabases”? We have today "Pauls”, “Peters”, even … “Judases”, but where are the “Barnabases” today? Where are the leaders filled with goodness and the Holy Spirit? Those who are not guided by public opinion (we would say: gossip), those who are not interested in someone’s (bad) past, who are not afraid of someone’s otherness and even (especially!) mismatching to rigid schemes? The paradox of today is the need for workers in churches (vacancies) with the simultaneous presence of those willing to do such work, “Pauls when in Tarsus”. It seems that one must stop praying for “workers in God’s field”, but rather for a personal transformation into the goodness and fullness of the Spirit of many church leaders and denominations! Or maybe for an official appointment of the “Barnabas” office (yes, offices!)? Someone or an independent arbitrary group in the matters that are swept “under the carpets”?
Returning to the beginning. Yes, Paul was called by Jesus to the Apostle at his conversion under Damascus, but he was released to this ministry thanks the apostle Barnabas and the ecclesiae of Antioch. Then, for the first time, they officially moved with the Gospel into the world, sent by the Holy Spirit and the Antioch’ elders (prophets and teachers). |