The Everlasting Father
Today’s Focus: The Concept and Principal of Spiritual Fatherhood: Paul
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
Now Jesus gave us the template, now let’s see how the early church modeled spiritual fatherhood. Paul is a great example and we will use 1 Corinthians 4 to frame this discussion.
1 Corinthians 4:14-21: I write not these things to shame you, but AS MY BELOVED SONS I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors (teachers) in Christ, YET HAVE YE NOT MANY FATHERS: FOR IN CHRIST JESUS I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU THROUGH THE GOSPEL. Wherefore I beseech you, BE YE FOLLOWERS OF ME. For this cause have I sent MY SON TIMOTHEUS, WHO IS MY BELOVED SON, and faithful in the Lord, WHO SHALL BRING YOU INTO REMEMBERANCE OF MY WAYS WHICH BE IN CHRIST, as I teach every where in every church. Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come unto you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What will ye? Shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
Now this is a large set of scripture but I want to focus on the capitalized parts as our point of focus. First we must know that Paul was never married and did not have any biological children. Paul is writing to the church at Corinth and tells them that he is writing to warn them as his beloved sons. How could Paul call the church at Corinth his beloved sons if he had no biological children? Paul tells them that their issue is that they have a lot of teachers in Christ but not many fathers. Can we say there is a need for fathers in the Body of Christ? Paul is clear about the issues at Corinth and He tells them that they do not have many fathers, for IN CHRIST JESUS PAUL HAS BEGOTTEN THEM THROUGH THE GOSPEL. So Paul tells them that they were given to Him by the Lord in Christ Jesus. Paul was given the grace by the Lord Jesus Christ to be the spiritual father to the various churches of the Gentiles.
Remember the mandate of the spiritual father is to put on display the ways and nature of the Father to teach and bring the sons to maturity. This is why Paul tells the church to be followers of Him. It is obvious to Paul that they were being taught about Christ but the ways and nature of the Father was where they needed maturity. Now Paul is not obviously there with them because He is writing to them but He tells the church that He is sending his beloved son, Timothy who shall bring them to remembrance of the ways of Paul, which were the ways of Christ. Now Paul discipled Timothy and we know that Paul was the spiritual father of Timothy and it was evident to the Lord and made known to Paul by the Lord that Timothy was mature enough to go to the church at Corinth and help them.
Now we know that some people have an issue with calling one your spiritual father and they use the scripture where Jesus says call no man father as the scripture to base this argument. Now we know the Word of God does not contradict itself. So was Paul wrong for what He said? Was Jesus wrong in what He said (God forbid)?
In the next message we will examine this and bring clarity to what Jesus said and what Paul said because the same Spirit gave the words.
Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
