Today and Tomorrow

 There are many examples in the Gospels of how Jesus led his disciples. There are also some clear instructions.  You will remember one, I am sure: Do not lord it over others but serve them (Matt. 20:24-26). We cannot go wrong with that, but those directions were given before the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost and became the power and direction in our leading and serving. For Spirit empowered leadership we might look to Paul’s admonitions to Timothy.

With that in mind I turn to 2nd Timothy.  

Timothy was a convert through Paul’s preaching of Jesus Christ. He was Jewish, at least from his mother’s side, and from the region of Asia Minor. Timothy became a disciple and fellow-worker with Paul while Paul was in Asia Minor on his second missionary journey in the mid-50s. Timothy learned “servant leadership” in the real experience of ministry with Paul.

[I use “servant leadership” because that is how Jesus defined leadership. We are not to lead as the leaders in the world lead. We are to lead as servants -- servants both of the Lord and the people the Lord has given us to serve.]

Timothy was a young man then, perhaps in his early 20s. He was embraced by Paul as a son and began his schooling in leadership. Now, in 2nd Timothy in the mid-60s he had grown both in age and spiritual maturity. And he had been given the responsibility of leading the church at Ephesus.

In years, Timothy was probably in his 30s or early 40s. That is young in a culture that held age in high esteem and considered age necessary for the wisdom that a leader was expected to have.

The church in Ephesus considered Timothy young, and they were having difficulty accepting his leadership. But leadership and especially SPIRITUAL leadership was crucial for the church. Faulty doctrines were being taught and those teachers needed firm correction. And that was not as easily accepted from young Timothy as it had been from Paul.

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