Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. (1 Timothy 1:1-2)
As he wrote to Timothy, a relatively young, fearful, and inexperienced minister, Paul began by recalling the divine origin of his own calling. Paul was made a messenger of Christ Jesus “by command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope.” God had not only saved sinners from the past and present consequences of their sin; He had also given them hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Paul never got over these realities. His life and ministry were shaped by the fact that the Father and the Son had commissioned him and filled him with the Holy Spirit in order to be a messenger of the salvation and hope of Jesus, and it was from this humbling perspective that Paul writes to Timothy.
Paul called Timothy a “true son in faith.” This title of “true son” conveyed both the comfort and perspective of a father-son relationship. Timothy knew that he was reading a letter from someone that loved and cared for him. Furthermore, Timothy also knew that he was reading a letter from someone to whom he owed so much. Paul discipled Timothy. He spent time with him. He modeled faithfulness to Christ for him. And even though Timothy was “on his own,” in many ways, he was not alone at all. He still possessed a spiritual father, who was willing to teach him and care for him as necessary.
To be sure, there are marked differences between Paul’s calling and Timothy’s calling. It is important to note that although Paul did not consider Timothy to be an apostle, this did not diminish the significance of Timothy’s ministry. If most pastors were honest, they would admit that as much as they would like to see themselves as a towering figure of significance like Paul, the vast majority are simple Timothys who need frequent encouragement to stay the course and fulfill our ministry.
Pastor, you must remember that the value of your ministry is not tied to how you perform or how you are perceived in a particular setting. Instead, your ministry is valuable because its origin is in God. If you are faithfully ministering God’s Word to God’s people as God’s servant, then you are exhibiting the characteristics of a ministry that has its origin in God. You do not need a Damascus road experience for an effective and fruitful ministry as long as the Christ of that road abides with you. Pastor, remember who has called you into the ministry! It is the One who has not only saved you from the commendation that your sins deserve but also given you hope in the midst of your fear-filled sense of inadequacy.
CBH
