The Apostle Paul Wasn't Qualified

[Soldier4Christ]

The Apostle Paul Wasn't Qualified 

One of the toughest tasks a church faces is choosing a good minister. A member of an offical board undergoing this painful process finally lost patience. He'd watched the Pastoral Relations Committee reject applicant after applicant for some fault, alleged or otherwise. It was time for a bit of soul-searching on the part of the committee. So he stood up and read a letter purporting to be from another applicant.

"Gentlemen: Understanding your pulpit is vacant, I should like to apply for the position. I have many qualifications .... I've been a preacher with much success and also had some success as a writer. Some say I'm a good organizer. I've been a leader most places I've been.

"I'm over fifty years of age. I have never preached in one place for more than three years. In some places I have left town after my work has caused riots and disturbances. I must admit I have been in jail three or four times, but not because of any real wrongdoing. My health is not good, though I still get a great deal done. The churches I have preached in have been small, though located in several large cities. I've not got along well with religious leaders in towns where I have preached. In fact, some have threatened me and even attacked me physically. I am not too good at keeping records. I have been known to forget whom I have baptized.

"However, if you can use me, I shall do my best for you."

The board member looked over the committee. "Well, what do you think? Shall we call him?"

The good church folks were aghast. Call an unhealthy, trouble-making, absent-minded ex-jailbird? Was the board member crazy? Who signed the application? Who had such colossal nerve?

The board member eyed them all keenly before he answered. "It's signed, The Apostle Paul."

Submitted by the Rev. C. W. Kirkpatrick, Ludlow, Mass.

[nChrist]

Pastor Roger,

Brother, I read this earlier today in the new posts area, and it struck me how GREAT the Power of GOD can be in our lives. The life history of the Apostle Paul is fascinating and one of great contrasts.

Paul had been a highly educated Bible scholar, but he was best known for hunting, persecuting, and killing Christians. This is obviously BEFORE Paul came to know and accept JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Saviour over his life. The Paul with JESUS was definitely a different and new man, one who devoted the rest of his life to JESUS CHRIST and the Gospel of God's Grace. Paul then became the type of person that he used to hunt, persecute, and kill - a Christian. It's not ironic that Paul then became hunted, persecuted, and eventually killed because of his faith and ministry.

The Apostle Paul can stand as a great example of a person's life before and after accepting JESUS CHRIST as LORD. It's a beautiful thing to see what JESUS CHRIST does in the lives of those who are lost and in the misery of their sins. To be Born Again as a Child of GOD in JESUS is literally turning darkness into LIGHT, the LIGHT of JESUS CHRIST.

I love to read about and think about the determination of the Apostle Paul in preaching JESUS CHRIST and the Cross, regardless of the consequences. Paul was not physically strong and healthy. We know that Paul had a thorn in the flesh and had prayed for GOD to relieve or remove it. We also know that it wasn't GOD'S Will to relieve or remove Paul's thorn in the flesh, so Paul had to continue with it. Now we have the beautiful words and example of Paul in fighting a good fight, running a good race, and finishing his course. These are the words and the example that Christians of today need to TAKE TO HEART. The Apostle Paul was talking about doing the Will of God and finishing the course GOD sets out for each of us. Paul didn't add any "if's", "and's", or "but's". Paul was talking about a FAITH IN GOD that results in determination to do GOD'S Will - regardless of health, regardless of adversaries, regardless of persecution, regardless of being beaten, regardless of being put in prison, regardless of what other men and the world think, and regardless of facing sure physical death.

Paul had two driving forces in his life:  1) to serve GOD; 2) to go home to be with the LORD. Paul knew that physical death for him simply meant "absent from the body, present with the LORD." Paul longed to be home with the LORD, but he wanted to finish the fight and the race that GOD had set out for him first. Paul wanted GOD to get all the GLORY in all things, and Paul wanted to one day hear, "Well done good and faithful servant." In my heart and mind, I know that Paul has heard, "Well done good and faithful servant", and Paul is HOME WITH THE LORD FOREVER.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Revelation 1:7-8 NASB  BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen Brother. Sometimes the Lord allows such things as that thorn to come into our lives as He did with Paul in order to keep us humble and to show us as well as others that we need Him. Paul was an excellent example for us to follow. No matter how hard it may seem to us we have it easy compared to the Apostles and we should not waiver in our work for Jesus.

[Brother Jerry]

Amen. 

[ibTina]

[Len]

Who IS qualified?

"For there is not one righteous, no, not one." "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Apparently, no one is qualified. Fact is, we are not worthy to even whisper His precious name. Yet He calls us to shout His story from the roof tops.

Who is qualified?

Only the Holy Spirit is.

[nChrist]

AMEN LEN!

It is an honor and a joy just to be a servant of the MASTER!

For Christians to know that ALMIGHTY GOD, THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, has adopted us as HIS children and given us an eternal inheritance is almost impossible for human beings to imagine. BUT, this is GOD'S Promise to us, and it will be fulfilled perfectly. What else can we do but kneel, worship HIM, praise HIM, and give heart-felt thanks from the depths of our hearts. And our biggest THANKS:

Thanks be unto GOD for HIS unspeakable GIFT!, JESUS CHRIST, our Lord and Saviour forever!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 8:37-39 NASB  But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[john909]

Qualified is a double-edged sword. All fall short of the glory of the Lord, but what is being offered up here to me is qualities to be a pastor or elder. These are mentioned in 1 Timothy and in Titus, where Saint Paul details these qualities.

A man, not a new Christian, not addicted to wine, husband of one wife, etc.

Some of you may disagree with these qualities, but as XXXXXX said, Chrisitians live their lives as both saint and sinner. We are all sinful in nature, but strive to walk circumspectly and do God's will.

The Holy Scriptures cannot be interpreted to include women as pastors, for example. XXXXXX and XXXXXXX hate this, but it is God's will. Please don't throw all those OT laws/arguments about wearing mixed garments, etc. Saint Paul wrote quite a bit of the NT, and with the Gospels, is the blueprint for Christian living.

The OT detailed the law, but since we cannot keep the law, we needed Christ. The law is a mirror to show us how we need God. In Saint Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus makes an astounding claim. He did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them. In brief, Jesus is saying that the Law and the Prophets were preliminary sketches of God’s will and he will now be and teach its fullness.

[nChrist]

john909 Said:

The Holy Scriptures cannot be interpreted to include women as pastors, for example. Women and evangelicals hate this, but it is God's will. Please don't throw all those OT laws/arguments about wearing mixed garments, etc. Saint Paul wrote quite a bit of the NT, and with the Gospels, is the blueprint for Christian living.

Hello john909,

Curiosity has gotten the best of me, and I have two questions:

1 - Are you operating from some sort of stereotype that you have for women, or are all women alike?

2 - Are you operating from some sort of stereotype for Evangelicals, or are all Evangelicals alike?

I think that I already know the answer, but I wanted to check.

[john909]

Blackeyedpeas,

Not at all. I respect XXXXXX, but they are not called to be pastors or elders according to the Holy Scriptures.

Go and read this about the subject... it qoutes the holy Scriptures, which we cannot and should not question. After all, the Bible has no expiration date.

http://www.carm.org/questions/womenpastors.htm

[nChrist]

Blackeyedpeas,

Not at all. I respect women, but they are not called to be pastors or elders according to the Holy Scriptures.

Go and read this about the subject... it qoutes the holy Scriptures, which we cannot and should not question. After all, the Bible has no expiration date.

http://www.carm.org/questions/womenpastors.htm

Hello john909,

I didn't mention anything about doctrine at all. What I asked is if you think all women are the same and all Evangelicals are the same. If not, your post makes it appear to be so.

By the way, you might want to read some about the Apostle Paul and women he had in leadership positions. I really don't need to go anywhere to read anything, as I can read about it right in front of me. Further, I'm not trying to argue this doctrine, simply making a statement that painting with brushes 5 feet wide usually results in considerable errors.

Obviously, all women don't believe the same thing, and the same is obviously true for Evangelicals. Are either your enemy and worthy of stereotyping?

[john909]

Blackeyedpeas,

Neither... I'm very XXXXXXX is all. I think we have both misunderstood one another. I invite you to read the link... better yet, let me just post the relevent points...

There is no doubt that women supported Paul in many areas and were great helpers in the church (Act 2:17; 18:24; 21:. But what Paul is speaking of in 1 Tim. 2 is the relationship between men and women in the church structure, not in a social or political context.
     When we look further at Paul's teachings we see that the bishop/overseer is to be the husband of one wife (1 Tim. 3:2) who manages his household well and has a good reputation (1 Tim. 3:4-5, 7). Deacons must be "men of dignity"(1 Tim. 3:. Paul then speaks of women in verse 11 and their obligation to receive instruction. Then in verse 12, Paul says "Let deacons be husbands of one wife..." Again, in Titus 1:5-7, Paul says, "For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward..." Notice that Paul interchanges the word 'elder' and 'overseer'.
     In each case, the one who is an elder, deacon, bishop, or overseer is instructed to be male. He is the husband of one wife, responsible, able to "exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict" (Titus 1:9). We see no command for the overseers to be women. On the contrary, women are told to be "dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things" (1 Tim. 3:11). Why is it that it is the men who are singled out as the overseers? It is because of the created order of God that Paul references (Gen. 1-2; 1 Tim. 2:12-14). This is not merely a social custom that fell away with ancient Israel.
     Additionally, in the Old Testament in over 700 mentions of priests, every single one was a male. There is not one instance of a female priest. This is significant because priests were ordained by God to hold a very important office of ministering the sacrifices. This was not the job of women.
     Therefore, from what I see in Genesis 1-2, 1 Timothy 2, and Titus 1, the normal and proper person to hold the office of elder/pastor is to be a man.

[nChrist]

Hello john909,

You still don't get it. I'm not arguing doctrine.

Read your original post and tell me if you think that all women think alike and all Evangelicals think alike.

[john909]

Hello,

Sorry for any mixup. Not all XXXXX think alike, nor do XXXXX. However, in my experience, XXXXXXXX XXXXX are somewhat taken aback by the requirements of pastors and elders. This is what I was saying. The reason I attend an XXXXX church is because I firmly believe in keeping with the 1st century traditions in terms of religious office.

I'm not knocking XXXXXXX nor XXXXX, and I apologize if you took my post in the wrong light. What bothers me is when theology is not in keeping with what the Bible clearly teaches. That is all.

[nChrist]

Hello,

Sorry for any mixup. Not all women think alike, nor do evangelicals. However, in my experience, evangelical women are somewhat taken aback by the requirements of pastors and elders. This is what I was saying. The reason I attend an orthodox church is because I firmly believe in keeping with the 1st century traditions in terms of religious office.

I'm not knocking evangelicals nor women, and I apologize if you took my post in the wrong light. What bothers me is when theology is not in keeping with what the Bible clearly teaches. That is all.

Thanks john909,

You finally answered my question, and I didn't misunderstand at all. You are stereotyping all women and all Evangelicals. That's really all I wanted to know.