“For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ,
yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through
the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 4:15
This
scripture speaks to every pastor, minister, clergy member, layman and church
goer. Anyone and everyone within the
body of Christ that has a heart to evangelize and disciple. The true gravity of what Paul is saying here
is accentuated, by the example of leadership and commitment that he left. The
apostle Paul put a fundamental difference between being an instructor in
Christ, and a father in Christ.
Some
time ago I was in Dakar, Senegal and my travels took me through a little village. The village was destitute and made up of
little one bedroom huts. In the center was a giant Mosque. Gaudy and grand, it was by far the nicest
thing in the village. “How inverse”, I
thought, but then again, they are not Christian’s right? Then back home, I attended a church service
where the pastor/preacher had a preferred parking spot. In that spot, sat a brand new Mercedes Benz.
Not wanting to wear the robe of a judge, I dismissed it, only to find later
that the same man’s annual salary was a hundred thousand dollars a year. A hundred thousand! In a community where the average income is
barely thirty six thousand per year! In
the early Jewish culture, there was not a distinction between fathers and
instructors. The book of Deuteronomy
bears that out. The fathers were tasked with leading the house, upholding the
law, writing it in/on the house, and teaching it to their kids. Abraham was called of God and God confessed
that he would command his house to keep the way of the Lord. Joshua said as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Fast-forward, Paul writing to the Corinthians,
and he is telling them that you have ten thousand
instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. The distinction is highlighted
between the two because a distinction has been made throughout the line of
time. Consider, if you will, the role of
a true father. He is one who will
provide for his kids. He will nurture, and correct. He will sacrifice for them,
care for them, and love them. A father will suffer poverty before he allows his
children too. A father will endure loss
if he can spare his children from it. A father will gladly spend and be spent so that his children can gain. This is what good
Dad’s do. What they should do. This is
not an act of heroism, but rather the minimum requirement. They are teachers, mentors, and leaders; but
within all that, we are constantly called to be the embodiment and example of
our Heavenly Father and His Christ (this can only be accomplished through the
power of Christ). The instructors of
that time were willing to teach, mentor, and lead. Furthermore, they seem content to be well
compensated for it. However, when it
came time to be a father, clearly, they remained absent. The majority was
content to only instruct. I believe the reason for this, and I believe the
scriptures bears this out; is simply because fathers must sacrifice.
There are thousands upon thousands that will gladly tell you what you need to
do, but how many that will climb in the trenches with you? How many that will commit their time, money,
and energy? How many that will weep with you, work with you, and tell you the
truth of the gospel? How many that will step into the role of a father; seeking
not yours, but you?
The children ought not to lay up for the parents but the
parents for the children. Of course we need
ministers, pastors, church leaders. Yes,
we ought not to muzzle the ox and the
labor is worthy of his hire. However, in the end. If we want to begat
children in the gospel. If we want to be
a church of Christ and for Christ. We
must be willing to assume the role of a father.
A father that will instructor, mentor, and exhort; with love, meekness,
and sacrifice. We must assume the role
of a father and not fall into the temptation of simply being an instructor.
