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The Minister of The Mystery

Eph. 3:1b, 7, 8a

 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints . . .

 

The second thrust of Paul’s “Explanation of the Mystery” (verses 1‑12) is the minister of the mystery. The minister, of course, was the Apostle Paul. Studying the many characters in Scripture is a fascinating and worthwhile inquiry, and perhaps none is more enlightening than Paul. We should never hurry in our study of him, because he teaches us much. The greatest lessons from him, in fact, come from studying what he considered himself to be before God. Now, while we might tend to think of him as “bigger than life,” this is not how he viewed himself. In this chap­ter, we need to examine three truths about the greatest of the Apostles: he considered himself a prisoner, a minister, and a saint.

 

I. A Prisoner Of Jesus Christ (v. 1)

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

 

We should briefly note again the opening words in verse 1, For this cause, that is, “In light of all I have said thus far.” As we said in our last chapter, Paul inter­rupts himself at this point to write more on the mystery. He comes back to this thought way down in verse 14, and so shall we. Our main emphasis here is that Paul considered himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

 

We should interject, as mentioned in the “Introduction,” that there are some interpreters who deny Paul as the author of this letter, preferring to believe that some unknown imitator wrote it. But this verse clearly declares that Paul was the author. If he was not, are we to believe that such a lie was sold to the Early Church and even the Holy Spirit and that it now appears in our Bibles? Such a view cannot be tolerated.

 

With that in mind, let us again consider three principles.

 

Paul Did NOT Consider Himself A Prisoner Of Men

 

Now, clearly, Paul was a prisoner of Nero in the physical sense; this we cannot ignore. The Greek is desmios, which is from the verb deō, “to bind,” and therefore, means “one who is bound.” The tragedies of ancient Greek literature used this word to refer to one who was in chains or prison. Acts 16:25-26 tell us that as Paul and Silas prayed and sang in the dungeon in Philippi, there was suddenly an earthquake that caused their shackles (desmos) to fall off and the doors to open.

 

Perhaps Paul had that incident in mind as he wrote to the Ephesians as a prisoner once more. But his point here is that such physical imprisonment meant nothing in the spiritual sense. His attitude was: “I’m not a prisoner of Nero; I’m not a prisoner of the Roman Empire; I’m not a prisoner of any earthly authority or because I have violated Roman law.” Why was this Paul’s attitude? Because he did not consider man to have the final authority over the Christian’s life.  Yes, man can do many things physically, but he is not the final authority, he does not have the final say. Who, then, does have final authority? This leads us to our second point.

 

Paul Considered Himself The Prisoner Of Jesus Christ

 

The Greek makes Paul’s attitude very clear. The construction of Paul’s statement is in the Genitive Case, which shows originating cause. So the meaning here is not just “a prisoner belonging to Christ” but rather “a prisoner caused by Christ;” that is, neither Rome nor Nero imprisoned Paul, but rather Christ imprisoned him. Other illustrations of this appear in the book of Acts. Peter, Paul, and other of God’s servants were imprisoned, but God delivered them (e.g. Acts 5:17‑20; 12:1‑19; etc.). Likewise, Paul knew that if God wanted him out of prison, He would deliver him.

 

This is further underscored by the presence of the definite article, the prisoner of Jesus Christ. This obviously does not mean that Paul was “the one and only prisoner,” or “the most important prisoner.” Rather it shows the character of his imprisonment, that is, the distinctiveness and uniqueness of being a prisoner of Christ. It’s not the hopeless and terrifying imprisonment of Rome, but the assurance and peace of being in God’s presence and will.

 

Paul also adds that he was the prisoner of Christ for the Gentiles, that is, on their behalf, for their advantage. Why was this for their advantage? As we recall, Paul has been talking much about the unity of Jew and Gentile, but this fact infuriated the Jews, who thought they alone to be God’s chosen people. His imprisonment was a direct result of such preaching (Acts 21-22), but it was still a joy to Paul because his Gentile readers can enjoy the knowledge of what they have in Christ.

 

Here is another dramatic picture of how Christ‑centered Paul’s life was. He considered himself:

 

·        An “apostle” of Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:l)

·        A “minister” of Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:7)

·        A “servant” of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:l)

·        A “prisoner” of Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:1)

How this shows a life permeated by thoughts of Christ! How this shows that Christ is our life (Col. 3:4; Gal. 2:20)! If we do not have the same mind as Paul, we are in a sad spiritual condition.

 

The biggest lesson in this verse, however, is that Paul’s attitude and perspective was all‑important. How did Paul look at this imprisonment? What was his attitude and perspective? Likewise, how we view and react to circumstances is infinitely more important than the circumstances themselves. If we consider only our circumstances, we will then be controlled by our circumstances. Paul’s situation proves this: If he had viewed his persecutors as being in control, and had viewed himself as a victim, then he would have just sat down and had his own personal “pity‑party.” Countless people today appear on talk shows and cry about being victims, blame someone else for their problems, and then excuse their own actions accordingly. But Paul didn’t view himself as a victim of man but rather a victor in Christ. Instead of saying, “Poor me” or, “All my problems are someone else’s fault,” or “My circumstances make life miserable,” he said, in essence, “I belong to Christ; I am his prisoner, and He can do as He wills.” Christ never meant for us to be victims; His death and resurrection have made us victors.

 

With this in mind, may we now consider the Theological doctrine that is in view here, namely, THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. I leave an in‑depth study of this to another book,[1] but let us briefly consider this marvelous doctrine. Here is one of the grandest themes of Scripture, but one that is seldom mentioned in the atmosphere of “openness” that permeates our day.

 

The tragic fact is that we hear almost nothing today about the sovereignty of God. Oh yes, we want to talk of God’s love, mercy, grace, and other such wonderful subjects, but God’s sovereignty is a subject that most avoid as if it were a plague. Back in 1918, Arthur W. Pink wrote:

. . . Today to make mention of God’s sovereignty is, in many quarters, to speak in an unknown tongue. Were we to announce from the average pulpit that the subject of our discourse would be the sovereignty of God, it would sound very much as though we had borrowed a phrase from one of the dead languages. Alas! That it should be so. Alas! That the doctrine which is the key to history, the interpreter of Providence, the warp and woof of Scripture, and the foundation of Christian theology, should be so sadly neglected and so little understood.[2]

 

 

Dr. Pink was absolutely correct in 1918 and even more so today. What was once a grand theme is now considered “old fashioned, out of date Theology.” We hear such words as, “Oh, we should talk about something practical, something relevant, something that is alive and exciting, not about something cold and impersonal like the sovereignty of God.”

 

But may I submit that I am convinced more every day (as I’m sure are others) that the sovereignty of God is the cardinal doctrine of the Word of God. As we will see, everything flows from God’s sovereign rule: His creation of the universe, His upholding of that universe, His rule in the history of man, His saving of the elect, His provision for His own, His rule through the Scriptures, and all else.

 

But this attitude is all but dead today. For example, one cannot read the Puritans without seeing this doctrine jump off the page, but we are hard-pressed to find a handful of authors today who boldly speak of it or pastors who would dare preach it. They would rather speak of something more “relevant,” something that can “really identify with people’s felt needs.” But may we ask, what could possibly be more “relevant,” what can apply more to people’s “needs” than a God who is sovereign over their lives?

 

If we may put the matter another way, God doesn’t seem to be as “big” as He used to be in the minds of many Christians. God doesn’t seem to be in control as much as He used to be. Listening to the average sermon today on God, one gets the impression that since Christians have “matured” so far and have such a good “self-esteem,” that God can safely give them more control over their lives and step into the background. But this is not what the Biblical doctrine of God’s sovereignty teaches.

 

Basically, sovereignty means that since God is the Creator of all things, He then owns all things, and therefore rules all things. To say that God is sovereign is to say that He is supreme. To say that God is sovereign is to say that He is the Most High. To say that God is sovereign is to say that He does everything according to His will. To say that God is sovereign is to say that He is the Ruler over all things. To say that God is sovereign is to say that no one can defeat His plan, thwart His purpose, or resist His power. In short, to say that God is sovereign is to say that God IS God! The fundamental, foundational truth concerning God is that He is, first and foremost, sovereign. If he does not know all things (which is the view of “Open Theism”), if He does not control all things, if He does not rule all things, if He is not at the center of all things, He is not God.

 

A key text on this subject is I Chronicles 29:11-12, which defines this sovereignty:

Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. (emphasis added)

 

 Notice that these verses are actually part of David’s prayer of thanksgiving. May we examine our hearts and ask, “When was the last time I prayed like this? Then again, have I ever prayed like this?” Our prayer life is often wholly self-centered, based solely in what we need and want. But David was concerned about Who God is and what He wants. True prayer praises God and manifests total submission to His sovereign will.

 

So central is sovereignty to an understanding of God, that it is more than just an “attribute” of God. While the attributes of God can be defined as the traits, qualities, and powers that describe God’s being, character, and work, God’s sovereignty, as one dispensational theologian puts it, “is not an attribute, but a prerogative of God arising out of the perfections of His nature.”[3] Another theologian, this time a covenant theologian, puts it virtually the same: “Sovereignty is not a property of the divine nature, but a prerogative arising out of the perfections of the Supreme Being.”[4]

 

In other words, sovereignty is more than just a single trait of God, rather it’s more of an all-encompassing motive and activity. In a sense, when we say that God is sovereign, we’ve said it all. How could a God Who is not sovereign be holy, loving, gracious, just, or posses any other attribute of God? Understanding this basic principle of sovereignty, which transcends “theological systems,” clears up a lot of controversy. Does not an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and immutable God have His own prerogatives? Does He not have His own absolute will? Can He not do what He wishes to do?

 

Briefly, there are three aspects of the Sovereignty of God. The first has to do with His Decrees. The Westminster Confession of Faith of 1643 has stood for centuries as the greatest statement of Evangelical Christianity. In it we find this statement:

God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass (Eph. 1:11, Rom. 11:33, Heb. 6:17, Rom. 9:15,18); yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, (James 1:13,17, 1 John 1:5) nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. (Acts 2:23, Matt. 17:12, Acts 4:27-28, John 19:11, Prov. 16:33)[5]

 

Likewise, The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, which except for a few points is virtually identical, contains the same statement in only slight variation of wording. But preceding both of those was the London Confession of 1646, which stated in Article V:

God in His infinite power and wisdom, doth dispose all things to the end for which they were created; that neither good nor evil befalls any by chance, or without His providence; and that whatsoever befalls the elect, is by His appointment, for His glory, and their good. (Job 38:11; Isa. 46:10,11, Eccles. 3:14, Mark 10:29,30; Exod. 21:13; Prov. 16:33, Rom. 8:28.)

 

How many of churches today have that statement in them? Yes, we put in statements that mention the Trinity and mention a few of His attributes, but how many include a clear statement of His sovereignty?

 

Ephesians 1:11 could not be plainer: “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” Mark it down, whatever happens in the world, no matter how insignificant it appears to be, happens for a reason and happens at God’s decree. Even more significant, this verse speaks of the salvation of God’s people, that it too was decreed of God, for in verse 4 Paul says that God has “chosen us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world.” Even Christ as the sacrifice for our sin was “foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God” (I Pet. 1:20-21).

 

The second aspect of the Sovereignty of God is Preservation. This means, “God con­tinuously maintains in existence all the things He has made and maintains their original forms and functions” (Ps. 36:6; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). Even though God has established natural forces in nature and man, He still exercises a special and continuous upholding of these forces. Think of the many physical realities God created. Think of the atom and all its sub-atomic particles. What holds it all together? Physicists don’t have a clue, but we do. No, we have no scientific explanation; rather we just know that God does it. What would happen if God stopped thinking of His creation for even a nanosecond? Everything would cease to exist!

 

The third aspect of the Sovereignty of God is Providence. This means, “God continuously fulfills His original plan and design through the events which occur in the universe.” What a staggering thought this is! Through all the tens of millions of events that occur in the universe, God us bringing to pass His plans and designs. Again, I Chronicles 29:11‑12 declares that God reigns “over all.” Think of it! God Controls the physical universe (Job 9:5-7)[6], the animal creation (Ps. 147:9),[7] and even the nations of the world (Ps. 22:28)[8]. I love the way Shakespeare put it through his tragic character Hamlet: “There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ‘tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all.”[9]

 

So, putting all this together, we see three things in God’s sovereignty: God created all things; God continues all things; God controls all things. That is why Paul writes, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles.  There surely can be no doubt that he was thinking of and acknowledging God’s sovereign rule. He realized that he was be­ing used to bring about God’s plan and purpose for His people.

 

Perhaps we are tempted at this point to say, “Well, all this is just theory. All this is just doctrine. So what? It was interested, but how is it practical?” The practical application is this: Do we live as did Paul, ever conscious of the fact that we the prisoner of Jesus Christ by His cause? He created me, He sustains me, and He controls me. This practical thought leads us to one other consideration.

 

Why Does God Allow His People To Suffer?

 

Here is a question that has plagued people for centuries. Some have asked, “Since God is all powerful, why doesn’t He spare His children from suffering? If God is love, why do we suffer?” Others ask, “Why does God allow in­jury, illness, personal loss, tragedy, and the like to enter the believer’s life?” In confusion, many of us have asked, “Is God punishing me for something? What is God trying to tell me? Why is God doing this?” Many people go so far in their feeling of being a victim that they blame God for their problems. The answer to all this, however, is not as complex as many have viewed it to be. It is answered by careful consideration of two passages of Scripture.

 

1. Consider II Corinthians 12:7‑10:

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

 

Here Paul was reflecting on his “thorn in the flesh.” First, we should consider what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. Those in today’s “healing movement” spiritualize this passage by saying it was a demon, but the plain, normal language that Paul uses, as well as the surrounding context, clearly show this to be a physical infirmity. Others say that Paul’s ailment was failing eyesight brought on by his being temporarily blinded at his conversion (Acts 9:1‑18). Still others say Paul’s problem was recurring malaria, which was common in the region in which Paul ministered. But may we submit that God doesn’t tell us the ailment for a reason! Why do men always have to theorize and foolishly speculate when the Scripture is silent? Think a moment: with man’s tendency to self‑righteousness, if God told us that Paul’s problem was poor eyesight, many Christians would probably think they were more spiritual if they wore glasses. Or, if Paul’s problem had been malaria, today’s mystical crowd would thank being sick makes us closer God. The same would be true of other opinions of Paul’s thorn, such as epilepsy and migraine headaches.

 

We need to see that in all our theorizing we have missed the point! The point is that it doesn’t matter what Paul’s physical affliction was. Why? Because ALL physical infirmity is included in this one illustration. This passage reveals three reasons for physical infirmity (excluding chastening).

 

First, physical infirmity keeps us humble (verse 7). Man is, by his very nature, a self‑glorifying creature, and we live in probably the most self‑glorifying age of all time. But physical infirmity keeps us in our proper place; it constantly reminds us that we are finite men, limited in power and ability. We need to be reminded of just how frail and pitiful we are. This certainly isn’t a popular thought in today’s “self‑image” craze, but it’s still the Truth. While we certainly are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14), illness can strike us down at any moment.

 

Second, physical infirmity makes us submit to God’s will. Verse 8 speaks of prayer, of how Paul asked God three times to take away his ailment, but three times God an­swered, “N0.” Oh, how tragic is the view of prayer that says that God will always give us what we want. If we just “pray through” or “claim the blessing,” He’ll give us what we ask. But here is a very clear statement that God will not always give us what we ask, and to say that He does is the highest form of presumptuousness and arrogance. One reason for physical infirmity, trials, tribulations, heartache, tragedy, and the like is to keep us from being presumptuous in prayer. We don’t go to God and demand anything. All prayer is to be made in accordance with the His will (Matt. 6:10; 26: 39; I Jn. 5:14). How dare we think that we know more than God! God has His plans and purpose, and He knows what is best for us and His purpose.

 

That statement is easily proven. Romans 8:28 is perhaps the key verse for victorious living: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” It matters not what comes our way, ultimately it is for our good, even though we can’t possibly see it at the time. How many times have asked in the midst of trouble, “What possible good can come out of this? I’m trying, but I just don’t see it.” That is because we are not God. In one way or another, all things work together for our good. As we have also seen in Ephesians, God’s ultimate purpose is His glory. Therefore, everything, whether good or bad, works for our utmost good and God’s ultimate glory. Have you got it? To get that principle, is to know real peace. Consider also one more reason.

 

Third, physical infirmity makes us dependent upon God (verses 9‑10). Does Paul write, “My understanding is sufficient?” Indeed not. Rather he wrote, “God’s grace is sufficient.” Not only are we submitted to God’s will, but moment by moment we are dependent on Him and Him alone. Isn’t our reaction to trying circumstances usually, “Why, why, why?” Like the five-year-old child who asks why to everything the parent says, we ask a sovereign God why “something bad” is happening. Oh, may we be challenged not to ask why! Why shouldn’t we ask why? Because God’s grace is sufficient, that’s why! God is in control and will take us through whatever may befall. James tells us that trials and tribulations come to teach us patience, that is, waiting on God (Jas. 1:2‑4). When we ask “Why?” we are no longer depending on God, but rather we are depending upon our own understanding, our viewpoint, our understanding. We learn little when all goes well; it is during the difficult times that we grow the most.

 

May we summarize thusly: JUST DEPEND ON THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. If, however, we just can’t help ourselves and are forced to ask a question, instead of asking “Why,” may we ask, “How?” How is God going to be glorified in this? How am I going to grow in this? How will the Body of Christ be edified in this?

 

2. Consider also a man named Job. A second passage of Scripture illustrates the first. The three reasons for physical infirmity and personal hardship are clearly evident in the trials of Job. It’s interesting that while the book of Job was the first book of the Bible to be penned, we find Job illustrating what Paul would outline almost 2,000 years later.

 

First, his trials kept him humble. Job 1 describes Satan’s first assault. All Job’s oxen and donkeys were stolen and many of his servants killed by a nomadic people called the Sabeans. His sheep and other servants were killed by “fire from God” (possibly lightening). His camels were then stolen and more servants killed by the Chaldeans. And, if all that were not enough, his house was destroyed and his sons and daughters killed by a violent windstorm.

 

Recall a moment the observation of Job’s so‑called “friends.” The main emphasis of all three was that Job’s suffering was because of his sin. As one reads those “explanations,” he can­not keep from seeing today’s attitudes. Today’s “prosperity teachers” tell us that if we give to God, He’ll return our “in­vestment” and make us rich. As the common teaching goes today, I’m sure that if it had been written yet, one of Job’s friends would have said, “Job, you just need to pray the Jabez prayer!” Likewise, today’s “self‑image” teachers would have told Job that his whole problem was that he had “low self­-esteem.” Their explanation would have been, “Job, if you just improve your self‑image, your problems will be over” (we will look at this subject in greater detail in our study of verse 8).

 

But how blessed we are be by Job’s humble response to his suffering: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return” (1:21a). These trials, and later physical and bodily suffering, kept Job humble.

 

Second, Job’s trials made him submit to God’s will. The rest of Job 1:21 declares: “The Lord gave, and the Lord bath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Then, after Job’s wife suggests he just curse God and die, he replied: “Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil [i.e., adversity]?” (2:10). What an attitude! Job was ready to accept anything God gave even though he didn’t understand why. The ultimate submission is recorded in 13:15, one of my favorite verses of Scripture: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Matthew Henry writes this wonderful exposition of this verse, in which he challenges us in a series of six “musts:”

This is a high expression of faith, and what we should all labour to come up to—to trust in God, though he slay us, that is, [1] we must be well pleased with God as a friend even when he seems to come forth against us as an enemy, Job 23:8-10. [2] We must believe that all shall work for good to us even when all seems to make against us, Jer 24:5. [3] We must proceed and persevere in the way of our duty, though it cost us all that is dear to us in this world, even life itself, Heb 11:35. [4] We must depend upon the performance of the promise when all the ways leading to it are shut up, Ro 4:18. [5] We must rejoice in God when we have nothing else to rejoice in, and cleave to him, yea, though we cannot for the present find comfort in him. [6] In a dying hour we must derive from him living comforts; and this is to trust in him though he slay us.

 

May we each ask ourselves, “Am I that trusting of God’s will?”

 

Third, Job’s trials made him dependent on God. May we point out here that Job was not perfect throughout his suffer­ings; he had a few self‑righteous and prideful attitudes. In 42:1‑6, we see Job repent of those and show his complete giving over to God and dependence on His sovereignty.

Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

 

“I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes?” That’s certainly not the common teaching today? No, the teaching today is to glorify self, to “pray the prayer of blessing.” Charles Ryrie comments on this passage and summarizes the entire book:

This is the great lesson of the book: If we know God, we do not need to know why He allows us to experience what we do. He is not only in control of the universe and all its facets but also of our lives, and He loves us. Though His ways are sometimes beyond our comprehension, we should not criticize Him for His dealings with us or with others. God is always in control of all things, even when He appears not to be.[10]

 

Oh, how wonderful it is to know that God is sovereign! Paul knew this glorious fact. Like Paul, may we rejoice in the trials that come our way.

 

Warren Wiersbe recounts the day that a distraught man said to him during a counseling session, “I’ve found the Bible verse that describes my life perfectly.” Turning to Job 5:7, he handed the Bible to Wiersbe and said “Here—read this!” Wiersbe read the verse out loud: “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.” The man lamented, “I was born in trouble, I live in trouble, and I’ll probably die in trouble. There’s always a new bunch of sparks, and they’re burning me something awful.” In what Wiersbe considered a flash of Divine guidance, he handed the Bible back to the man and said, “There another verse that goes along with Job 5:7. It’s I Peter 5:7—read it!” The man did: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” He was silent for a moment, but then said without even looking up, “Yea, but how do I know that God really cares for me.”[11]

 

What’s the answer to that man’s question? How do we know God really cares? Because He says so. Paul was not lamenting or feeling sorry for himself when he wrote, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ. He’d already learned the lesson that God loved him and cared enough for him to use Him for great things.

 

The story is told of a very busy and widely traveled Christian worker who suddenly found himself flat on his back in bed. Frustrated by his forced idleness and tempted to self-pity, he opened his Bible and found himself reading a familiar passage, Psalm 23. As he read the well-known words, “He maketh me to lie down,” it seemed that the Holy Spirit put a period right there. The man didn’t have to go any further, for that was truth he needed. Ultimately, it was not illness that laid him down, rather it was God. God wanted to speak to his servant in such a way that he was too busy to hear in any other way.[12]

 

Likewise, Paul was certainly a busy man: traveling, preaching, founding churches, and writing letters. We must wonder if this letter to the Ephesians, as well as the other Prison Epistles, would have ever been written if God hadn’t made the time for Paul to do so. As mentioned earlier, he was the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles, that is, on their behalf, for their advantage, and what an advantage his Prison Epistles are!

 

May we ever trust in the sovereignty of God. Why? Because it is for our utmost good and His ultimate glory.

 

 

II. A Minister Of Jesus Christ (v. 7)

Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

 

Ponder a moment: What is a minister? This word has been violently abused and thrown around for years. It has, in fact, for the most part, lost its Biblical meaning. That’s a strong statement, but it’s true; when we compare how most people use the word today and how God uses it in Scripture, we find a great difference. We need to take the time to study this word and examine some principles that apply to its use. We’ll break our study down into two emphases: what a minister is and how one becomes a minister.

 

What A Minister IS

 

The Greek for minister is diakonos. The basic meaning of this word in secular usage was “a server of tables, a waiter.” While this meaning is found in the New Testament, the majority of the 29 occurrences of it go much deeper in meaning. Paul especially used this word in deeper ways:

 

·        A “servant” of the new covenant (II Cor. 3:6)

·        A “servant” of righteousness (II Cor. 11:15)

·        A “servant” of Christ (II Cor. 11:23; Col. 1:7; I Tim. 4:6);

·        A “servant” of God (II Cor. 6:4)

·        A “servant of the Gospel” (Eph. 3:7; Col. 1:23);

·        A “servant” of the Church (Col. 1:25).

In each of these usages, therefore, we see something far more than just “a server of tables.” As he often did, Paul transforms the word to give a deeper, spiritual meaning.

 

We should also observe that diakonos is used to describe a church office called “deacon” (Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 3:8‑13). A “deacon” is one who takes care of the temporal matters in the church, thereby freeing the pastor so he can be devoted to the ministry of the Word. In spite of what seems to be an obvious reference to deacons in Acts 6:1-6, there are some who for some odd reason make it an issue and deny it, but this is clearly the first instance of “deacons.” In fact, the basic meaning of “serving tables” is right in the passage. This sets the perfect precedent of what the deacon does—he takes care of temporal matters. [13]

 

The word minister, however, has been sorely abused and made into something God never intended it to be. It is normally used today exclusively of the pastor or other Church leader. We hear such phrases as, “He’s my minister” or “He’s on of the ministers in town.” In other words, no one else can “minister” except the “minister.” But that is not what this word primarily means. Yes, the word is used of men who were full‑time preachers, but in its primary meaning, it refers to ALL believers being ministers (i.e. being a servant) to the needs of other believers. For example, writing to a group of believers, Paul declared: “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Heb. 6:10). Even more pointed is I Peter 4:10‑11, where he, too, writes to believers as a whole:

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

 

So, we repeat, ALL believers are to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of other believers.

 

I never think of the word minister that I don’t think of another Greek word that is translated as such. It is hupēretēs, a fascinating word that means “under rower,” originally indicating the lowest galley slaves, the ones rowing on the bottom tier of a ship, often chained to his oar. They were the most menial, unenvied, and despised of slaves. Paul uses this term of himself in I Corinthians 4:1: “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” This certainly doesn’t paint the ministry as something desirable or glamorous, as many view it today. The galley slave was not above anyone; he had the hardest labor, the cruelest punishment, the least appreciation, and in general the most hopeless existence of all slaves. What a picture this paints of the Biblical pastor today who is “chained to his desk,” where he spend the majority of his time in the Word of God so he can feed his people.

 

Briefly, God’s Word gives us no less than eleven ways in which God’s people minis­ter to (serve) one another. First, we are to edify (build up) one another (Rom. 14:19). We never say something that tears someone down, rather all that we say and do builds others up in Christ. Second, we are to admonish (warn) one another (Rom. 15:14). “Rebuking” is done only by the pastor (I Tim. 5:20; II Tim. 4:2; Tit. 1:13), but all of us should lovingly and humbly warn others of the consequences of wrong behavior. Third, we are to bear each other’s burdens (Gal. 6:2, 5). If we can’t empathize with another believer, at least we can sympathize and try to ease the burden. Fourth, we are to forgive one another (Eph. 4:32). Yes, there will be times when a Christian brother or sister says or does something that upsets us, but we forgive them and go on. Fifth, we are to comfort one another (I Thes. 4:18); we should all console and encourage other believers. This is not just a pastor’s duty. Sixth, we are to exhort (challenge) one another (Heb. 10:24‑25). We should stir up each other’s spiri­tual affections and challenge one another to be what God wants all of us to be. Seventh, we are to meet each other’s physical needs (Jas. 2:15‑16). Instead of living by today’s philosophies (“Let the government take care of it” or “Let the insurance company cover it”), we should rather take care of physical needs as they arise. The rule is: If you see a need, meet it. Eighth, we are to confess our sins to one another (Jas. 5:16). If we wrong someone, hurt them, or offend them, we must go to them and get it straightened out. Ninth, we are to pray for one another (Jas. 5:16). How important this is! Tenth, we are to promote unity within the body (Eph. 4:1‑3). We are to strive to keep Christ’s Body unified through an emphasis on spiritual things. While we must not unify at the price of doctrine, we must strive to keep the true body unified. Eleventh, we are to love one another (I Jn. 3:11). This encompasses all the others. If we have a “self‑emptying self‑sacrifice” (agapē) for our fellow believers, it is going to show brilliantly.

 

All of that is true service, true ministry. Many today who “do something for God” want fanfare, they want bells and whistles to go off, they want a trophy, they want some kind of reward for their efforts. But that is not service; it’s remuneration. True service is doing things without thought of compensation or even recognition. May we repeat, the rule is: If you see a need, meet it. The second most important area of local church ministry is the body minis­tering to itself, that is, believers serving believers. In fact, as we’ll see in Ephesians 3: 8b‑9, preaching is the pri­mary ministry in this age. Therefore, the two major areas of Christian ministry are preaching and the body ministering to itself.

 

How One BECOMES A Minister

 

Again, the opinion today is that after one goes to college and seminary, he is ordained and becomes a minister. Wrong! Our text tells us how we become a minister: made . . . according to the gift of the grace of God. Whether a preacher or laymen, whether in a pulpit or in a pew, we all are ministers by God’s grace. How marvelous! Once again this glorious theme is in view. Not only does grace save us, but it also makes us servants. As we have seen, we certain­ly do not deserve salvation. But now we discover that neither do we deserve to serve God. It is His grace, His unmerited favor that enables us to serve Him, that makes us “able ministers” (II Cor. 3:6). Service is a gift, a privilege we do not deserve. To serve the Lord brings a joy we could never know otherwise. While we might enjoy our job and get a certain satisfaction from our accomplishments, we wouldn’t enjoy it nearly as much if we didn’t get a paycheck, right? But not so with service to God. Just the privilege of serving a holy God is “payment” enough.

 

There is a mistaken idea today that it is our talents and abilities that qualify us to minister. Many think that just because they can speak well, teach, or sing, then that is what qualifies them to serve the Lord. But that is a humanistic attitude based in self. On the contrary, people who possess no “visible talents” are just as valuable to God as anyone else. Why? Because it’s God’s grace that makes us ministers, not natural abilities. If someone wants to serve God, God will give them the way to do so. It is the gift of His grace.

 

May we say again, it is a privilege to serve the Lord. Many Christians treat service as a chore, as a burden to be borne. Oh, but how marvelous it is to know that God allows us to serve, to serve the living and true God of the universe!

 

As I wrote in the “Introduction” to this book, these expositions are based on my preaching through Ephesians on consecutive Sun­day mornings. After preaching the present message, I received a note from a dear lady in our church who does many small office tasks for me in her home that are a tremendous help to my minis­try. Referring to those tasks the note read:

I trust you know it truly is a labor of love for my precious Lord and my dear pastor. As you mentioned this morning, it is a privilege to be a servant. It is a real blessing to me to know He is using me to help further your ministry for Him, even though it seems to me my help is small and insignificant. Of course, I realize it is by God’s grace that I have the desire and that He has made me able. I praise Him for that.

 

What pastor wouldn’t appreciate a note like that? Yes, many things we do might seem insignificant. In the grand scheme of the universe, what possible significance can cutting the church lawn be? The significance is that it is service to God. As Paul wrote the Corinthians, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31). Why? Because when you do something only for God’s glory, that is service, that is true ministry.

 

To emphasize true ministry, we have “sign up sheets” at our church for certain jobs that need to be done, such as lawn work, cleaning the building, and so forth. Instead of lines for signing names, however, the sheet has little tabs on the bottom that can be torn off and used as a reminder. This helps to keep the whole thing anonymous.

 

After preaching this message, another of the ladies in our church came up to me and said, “You know, Pastor, it really is a joy to serve the Lord. As I was dusting the window sills the other day and just puttering around, I found myself smiling as I realized that even this little thing was service.”

 

Having said all that, while every Christian is in this sense a minister, there is another use of this term in Scripture, namely, those who God calls to “the ministry” as their vocation, that is, men He calls, trains, qualifies, and ordains who then preach and teach Scripture and lead God’s people as their sole activity. Now, while the Oxford English Dictionary points out that the English term minister in this strict sense of the full-time “minister” came into use in Protestantism in the 16th Century—partly as protest to the term “priest”—other terms, such as “bishop,” “elder,” and “pastor-teacher” reflect this unique leadership office.

 

We are going to leave a more detailed look at this subject for our study of 4:11, but may we briefly consider this statement made by Martyn-Lloyd Jones several decades ago as he preached on the present text:

That the Church counts for so little in the modern world is largely the result of her failure to realize the origin and character of the ministerial calling. The whole idea of the ministry has become debased. It has often been regard as a profession. The eldest son in a family goes perhaps into the Navy, another son into the Army, another into Parliament; and then the remain son “goes into” the Christian ministry. Others think of a minister as a man who organizes games and pleasant entertainments for young people; one who visits and has a pleasant cup of tea with older people. Such conceptions of the Christian ministry have become far too current. But they are a travesty. The minister is a herald of the glad tidings, he is a preacher of the gospel. It is largely because the true conception of the work of a minister has become debased that the ministry has lost its authority and counts so little at the present time.[14]

 

Decades later the situation is far worse. The minister, or whatever you prefer to call him, today is viewed as part administrator, part manager, part philanthropist, and even part entertainer. He is expected to be, and even desires to be, “well-rounded,” that is, someone who can wear many hats, including: businessman, media figure, psychologist, and philosopher. But there is not one shred of Biblical revelation that even implies any of those so-called “qualities.”

 

As we’ll study in 4:11, God has called, specially gifted, and then given certain men to the Church as leaders. To adequately study this, we’ll also tie it in with a few specifics from the third chapter of Paul’s first letter to Timothy. Why do this in an exposition of Ephesians? Because at the time Paul wrote his letters to Timothy, Timothy was the pastor of the Church at Ephesus. What fascinates me here is that the key to understanding I Timothy 3:1-7 is that that the qualifications Paul lists are set against the backdrop of the unqualified leaders in Ephesus. He places God’s standards against what the Ephesians had allowed the leadership to degenerate into in the approximately six years since he had written the Ephesian letter to them. Some of the leaders were teaching false doctrine (I Tim. 1:3; 4:1–3, 7; 6:3–5), turning aside to “fruitless discussion” (1:6), misusing the law, and misunderstanding the gospel (1:7–11). Some leaders were even women (2:12), which Paul had already shown to be forbidden (1:15-19). Others were guilty of sin and needed public rebuke (5:20).

 

After years of studying the issues, the evidence is absolutely overwhelming that the problems we see in Christianity today—the redefining of the Gospel, the “seeker-sensitive” movement, the entertainment-orientation of ministry, the Relativism and Pragmatism that rule all aspects of Church life, and so on—all come from the breakdown of leadership, which in-turn, may I add, comes partly from putting people in leadership who Biblically should not be there. To repeat Lloyd-Jones’ words, “It is largely because the true conception of the work of a minister has become debased that the ministry has lost its authority and counts so little at the present time.”

 

This leads us directly to the third thing Paul said about himself.

 

 

III. A Saint Of Jesus Christ (v.8a)

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints,

 

We studied the word saints back in our study of 1:1 (Chapter 2), so we shall not deal with it again here. May we mention, however, that Paul considered himself—along with all believers—a saint, one who is “set apart.” We should get away from the practice of saying “Saint Paul,” “Saint Peter,” “Saint John,” Saint Augustine” or any other saint somebody, as if these men were more “saintly” than any other believer. All believers are saints and no such distinction should be made.

 

But what we need to look at here is the vitally impor­tant attitude that Paul had of himself, which is the most dramatic of the three views we’ve looked at; he considered himself less than the least of all saints. Here is a man of unequalled humility, the very opposite or the “selfism” of our day. Paul’s view of “self” was the very opposite of the world’s view, and until Christians realize that and reject the nonsense of today’s “selfism,” we will never have a pure Church that is committed to service and true ministry. How can any of us ever be servants when we hold to a high “self-worth,” which is one of the catchwords of our day?

 

That is why Paul says I am less than the least of all [the] saints put together. Before we examine this amazing statement, we should first consider the attitude of our day; only then can we understand and apply what Paul said of himself.

 

Man’s View Of Himself

 

What we are about to deal with needs to be preached today with boldness. There is within Christianity a philosophy that is working like a cancer. This philosophy is known by many titles and descriptions: self‑esteem, self‑image, self‑worth, self‑acceptance, self‑awareness, self-improvement, self‑help, and, to cut to the heart of the matter, “secular psychology.” We need to take a few moments to show that the basic underlying philosophy of this is, without question, diametrically opposed to Scripture.

 

Christianity today has become utterly fascinated, captivated, and motivated by the term “self‑esteem.” This term has become a by‑word in Christian circles. Sermons and whole seminars are devoted to it and its application; Christian leaders are teaching it as though it were Biblical doctrine. As we’ll see, the terms “self” and “pride” are NEVER, not one single time, used in Scripture in a positive way. Never, not in a single instance, are we encouraged to glorify self, to elevate self. May I say it one more time, not even one Scripture warrants this popular teaching.

 

In spite of that Biblical reality, one of the foremost Christian leaders of our day, who majors on the family, abandons that truth by writing:

In a real sense, the health of an entire society depends on the ease with which the individual members gain personal acceptance. Thus, whenever the keys to self‑esteem are seemingly out of reach for a large percentage of the people, as in twentieth century America, then wide‑spread “mental‑illness,” neuroticism, hatred, alcoholism, drug abuse, violence, and social disorder will certainly occur. . .[15]

 

In other words, low self‑esteem (i.e. thinking lowly of one’s self) is at the root of all the problems of society. But one flaw in this theory is that other psychologists say that the problems in society are caused by other factors. So, this just leaves this man’s statement as one of the many psychologi­cal theories of the day.

 

Even more basic and serious is another flaw, namely, that it’s blatantly contrary to Scripture. All the problems he lists come not as a result of low self-esteem, but because of man’s rebellion against God. The “catalog of sin” in Romans 1:20-32 could not be clearer. As verse 21 declares, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Paul later lists sin after sin that results from man’s rebellion.

 

Even more serious, however, is the following statement by one of the leading Christian success‑motivation teachers of today:

As you accept yourself, you will see yourself as deserves ‘the good things in life’ . . . Shakespeare said it, ‘This above all, to thine own self be true’ [Hamlet, I. 3.82] . . . Once you accept yourself for your true worth, then the symptoms of vulgarity, profanity, sloppiness, promiscuity, etc. disappear. There, my friend, goes your problem.[16]

 

What makes that thought so shocking is that righteous conduct and success come subjectively from “self” instead objectively by obedience to the Truth of the Word of God! This is a subtle lie. But this same teacher goes even further by explaining how we each build our view of ourselves:

To build your self‑image, make a list of your posi­tive qualities on a card and keep it for handy refer­ence . . . Brag on yourself from time to time. . .Get in your own corner . . . You should also set aside a few minutes each day for the sole purpose of deliberately looking yourself in the eye [i.e. in a mirror]. As you do this, re­peat some positive affirmations of things you have done (use your victory list [mentioned above]). Then repeat many of the things other people have said to you or about you that were positive . . . Listen to the speakers, teachers and preachers who build mankind. When you hear people like Norman Vin­cent Peale . . . and Robert Schuller, you will get a lift in many ways . . . As a rule of thumb, you are safe to assume that any book, speaker, movie, T.V. program, individual or recording that builds mankind will build you and your self‑image. There are also cases where plastic surgery can be quite helpful in building a self‑image. This is espe­cially true in cases of an unusually large or long nose, protruding ears. . .grossly oversized or under­sized breasts, etc.[17]

 

As I read that, I thought how in the world can a Christian say such a thing, much less write it down so no one can forget it! Every bit of this is Humanistic psychology and is the exact opposite of the Biblical truth concerning “self” and pride.

 

The ultimate apostasy, however, comes from the pen of Robert Schuller, as we mentioned back in Chapter 9. He tells us that “the core of sin is a lack of self‑esteem” and that salvation “means to be lifted from sin (psychological self‑abuse . . . ) and shame to self‑esteem.” While evangelicals have not gone down this apostate road (yet), we still see that it is the final step and ultimate outcome of the self‑image philosophy.

 

What then do the Scriptures say about “self?” In II Timothy 3:1‑5 we find Paul’s vivid description of the apostate days prior to Jesus’ return. The very first thing that Paul says of apostate mankind is that man will be “LOVERS OF THEIR OWN SELVES.” Man’s natural incli­nation is to love himself, but the attitude that the Word of God says to have for self is to deny it, as does Mark 8:34: “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” God doesn’t tell us to revel in it or build it up; rather He says to deny it. “Self” is our greatest problem.

 

Moreover, the only men God ever used were humble servants. He didn’t use a “self‑assertive” Moses, but a humble Moses. Uniquely, while God called a self‑assertive Peter, He didn’t use Peter until the Lord Jesus humbled him in John 21.

 

The most dramatic illustration of all, however, was the Apostle Paul. He not only decreased himself, as we’ve noticed, but he also tells all believers to do the same. As he wrote the Philippians, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others bet­ter than themselves” (Phil. 2:3). That sure doesn’t sound like we should stand in front of the mirror and “re­peat some positive affirmations of things [we] have done.” Likewise, Paul wrote to the Romans, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly” (Rom. 12:3). Indeed, it isn’t sober thinking to glorify “self” because again, “self” has always been man’s problem. But everyone today is striving to make “self” stronger instead of bringing it more under Spirit control. In fact, whenever the Word of God does mention “self,” It makes it clear that it is something to be denied, not reaffirmed (Mk. 8:34). Our desire must be humility (Prov. 11:2; 15:33; Mk. 8:34; Eph. 3:8; 4:2; Phil 2:5-8; Jas. 4:6; etc.), and the philosophy of “self” that is rampant today is the very opposite of humility. It is pride and is no less than the glorification, even deification, of man, as Romans1:25 declares: “[Man] changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.”

 

Instead of embracing the “selfism” of our day, may we embrace the truth of these words spoken by 17th Century Scottish preacher Samuel Rutherford:

But alas! that Idol, that whorish creature myself is the master idol we all bow to. What hurried Eve headlong upon the forbidden fruit, by that wretched thing herself? What drew that brother-murderer to kill Abel? That untamed himself . . . Every man blames the devil for his sins; but the great devil . . . that eateth and lieth in every man’s bosom, is that idol that killeth all, himself. Oh! blessed are they who can deny themselves, and put Christ in the room of themselves! Oh sweet word. I live no more, but Christ liveth in me.[18]

 

Ponder an illustration. Paul declares in Romans 8:29 that God “did predestinate [the believer] to be conformed to the image of his Son.” To be the “image” of something means that we are to “reflect” something. This again brings to mind a mir­ror, a device designed to show us our image, but this use is quite different from the one mentioned earlier. Would it not be ridiculous for the mirror to try to develop it’s own self‑image? Of course it would; its function is to reflect. Likewise, how ridiculous for a Christian to strive for his a self image, because our function is not to have an image of self but an image of Christ. Countless Christians are concerned with their self-­image when their sole concern should be with their CHRIST‑IMAGE. We will emphasize this again later.

 

We should all be reminded of that Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, who boasted, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” (Dan. 4:30, emphasis added). While the words were still in his mouth, God responded:

O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will (vs. 31-32).

 

People today need to be taught the evils of self not how to feed self.

 

Let’s go on to consider for moment the area of secular psychology in general. Christianity has really been seduced and duped into believ­ing in the validity and value of modern psychology. I don’t say this lightly. I have a college background in psychology and at one time even did some motivational speaking. I also discussed what follows with a secularly trained psychologist in our church and got some insights from him. Tragically, pastors today are being pressured into going  back to school to get advanced degrees in psy­chology. Many pastors who are not “properly trained” are often bullied into believing they are not qualified to counsel people. But there are two basic problems with modern psychology.

 

First, it claims to be a science when it is, in fact, no such thing. True sciences, such as chemistry, physics, biology, astronomy, and others deal with objective reality to one extent or another, but psychology is totally subjective in its approach. Yes, it observes and draws conclusions, but ultimately it is subjective because it is based on the perspective of the observer. While it tries desperately to be scientific, it is impossible for it to be so. As Jay Adams puts it, “In the area of psychiatry, science largely has given way to humanistic philosophy and gross speculation.”[19] In fact, as one secular psychologist, Roger Mills, admitted in 1980:

The field of psychology today is literally a mess. There are as many techniques, methods and theories around as there are researchers and therapists. I have personally seen therapists convince their clients that all their problems come from their mothers, the stars, their bio‑chemical make‑up, their diet, their life‑style and even the “kharma” from their past lives.[20]

 

Another psychologist, this time a Christian, William Kirk Kilpatrick, realizing how far psychology was leading him away from Biblical Christianity, wrote in 1983:

Despite the creation of a virtual army of psychia­trists, psychologists, psychometrists, counselors and social workers, there has been no let up in the rate of mental illness, suicide, alcoholism, drug addiction, child abuse, divorce, murder and general mayhem. Con­trary to what one might expect in a society so care­fully analyzed and attended to by mental health ex­perts, there has been an increase in all of these categories.[21]

 

Second, secular psychology claims to have answers that the Word of God says It alone can give. No matter how hard man tries he will never find the answers to his problems in himself. The reason for this is that only God’s Word has the answers. But, of course, man goes to any lengths to get around the Di­vine utterances in the Scriptures. A foundational tenet of most schools of psychology and psychiatry is that a person is not responsible for the way he is or what he does. Freud, in fact, built his entire system on that foundation. We could give many techni­cal quotes to show this, but perhaps this theory is best sum­marized in a folk song from the 1960’s by Anna Russell:

I went to my psychiatrist to be psychoanalyzed

To find out why I killed the cat and blacked my husband’s eyes.

He laid me on a downy couch to see what he could find,

And here is what he dredged up from my subconscious mind:

When I was one, my mommy hid my dolly in a trunk,

So it follows naturally that I am always drunk.

When I was two, I saw my father kiss the maid one day,

And that is why I suffer from kleptomania.

At three, I had the felling of ambivalence toward my brothers,

And so it follows naturally I poison all my lovers.

But I am happy; now I’ve learned the lesson this has taught;

That everything I do that’s wrong is someone else’s fault.[22]

 

 “Christian psychology,” of course, has tried to get away from this “behaviorist” approach of Freud, Skinner, Rogers, and others, but it still uses the same terms and often the same tech­niques         to solve human problems when only the Word of God can do that. Secular psychology gives conflicting answers to the same question depending upon the ideas, opinions, background, and even philosophy of each therapist. It’s not objective because it has no authoritative standard. There simply is no “definitive school” of psychology and therefore no definitive answers to any of life’s questions.

 

But the Word of God has the objective, authoritative answers from the Creator Himself. God created us, so only He knows how to deal with the problems we face. The answers are there; it is up to us to obey, and, as Romans 14:12 declares, “Everyone of us shall give account of himself to God.”

 

This leads directly to one objection many have with what we have here presented: “Who then deals with people’s problems, and how do they deal with them?” Now, may we consider a moment the fact that a Christian would even ask this question reveals how far the Church has drifted from the Truth. The answer is plain and Biblical: Pastors deal with people’s problems from the Word of God. “Oh, but that is simplistic and naive,” some object. In response, we would say, “Really? Then give me something else that is definitive, something else that will always work in any circumstance or situation.” But they cannot. Pastors, therefore, deal with problems in two ways.

 

First, we deal with problems through expository preaching. An historical fact is that when preaching went down in Church history, personal counseling went up rapidly. We are today in a “counseling craze,” but the most neglected area of ministry today (hands down!) is systematic, in‑depth, expository preaching and teach­ing from the pulpit. Countless books are written on how to deal with problems when right in front of us is the only Book that has the answers. Correct preaching deals with problems directly. Few Sundays go by that one of my congregations does not come to me after the message and say, “You dealt with something that I’ve been struggling with this week.” If we will just exposit the Scriptures, we will address problems directly and answer questions.

 

Second, we deal with problems through personal counseling when necessary. This need will greatly diminish when the first principle is done, but there will always be the need for per­sonal counsel from time to time. However, when this need arises, we should give people one thing only—the Word of God, which lovingly confronts sin and calls for repentance and obedience. This is, in fact, the idea of what Jay Adams has dubbed “nouthetic counseling,” which we’ll mention later. May we not give our people a discussion of this “complex,” or that “anxiety,” or this other “defense mechanism. ” Neither should we give them—God forbid!—our opinions. Our counsel should be, “Here is what God says in His Word; it is now up to you to obey it.” And may we add, every pastor is qualified to counsel if, but only if, he does that.

 

Before going on, may we point out just how subtle all this psy­chological thought really is. We are inundated by it. In fact, it is so permeating that one can hardly turn on Christian radio without hearing someone talking about self‑image and other psy­chological jargon. Very seldom will one hear a sound expository preacher over the airwaves.

 

To illustrate what I’ve been sharing here, I would like to encapsulate an amazing book titled, PsychoBabble: The Failure of Modern Pshychology—and the Biblical Alternative.[23] The author, Dr. Richard Ganz, had worked many years to become a clinical psychologist, and having a achieved that goal was employed as such in a state mental hospital. He had also become a Christian just a few months before taking that position but had not made that generally known. One day a patient named Immanuel had fallen to the floor, writhing in violent spasms and hyperventilation. Uncharacteristically, Ganz whipped out a small New Testament and just read Matthew 24:23, 24, and 27. Abruptly, Immanuel’s violent behavior stopped and he calmly asked, “Where did you read that from.” Ganz told him, tossing the Bible to him and telling him to check it out for himself. Immanuel didn’t speak another word for four weeks; in fact, he’d spoken only a few words in the past several years; Ganz’s goal in therapy had actually been to help Immanuel speak more coherently. At the end of that month, he knocked on Ganz’s office door, and upon being admitted said, “I want to become a Christian.” Ganz had been praying since his conversion eight months earlier that God would use him to lead others to Christ, but he never dreamed it would be in this type of setting. He also had no idea how dramatically his life was about to be changed forever as he led Immanuel to Christ.

 

The next morning the hospital director called Ganz to his office, and in a friendly tone said, “Rich, I’ve just heard the craziest story in the thirty-one years I’ve been here. Immanuel’s ‘saved,’ and he’s telling everyone on the ward about it. He wants to get everyone, patients and staff, to become Christians? What do you say, Rich. Is it true you are speaking these things on the ward?” As Ganz confessed that it was true, the director explained that he selected Ganz from several applicants and didn’t want to get rid of him, but that he would have to give up this “nonsense.” As for Immanuel, he would be transferred to a “chronic” hospital, where he would forget all about this after a few shock treatments. After a night of prayer, Ganz told the director that he must speak of Christ, for if there were anywhere that needed that message, it was there. Of course, the Director gave him thirty days’ notice.

 

In Ganz’s words, his “remaining weeks at the hospital more closely resembled revival services than psychotherapy.” A middle aged Jewish man, who spent most of his time in a fetal position, came to Christ, while many others began asking questions. While the hospital staff was glad when his month was up, Ganz realized that he was saying goodbye to a whole way of life. Not knowing where he was going, the trauma set it, and even after being offered a position in a Christian psychiatric practice, as well as a teaching position in a graduate school of psychology, he had no peace in any of it. As he put it, “I knew that my psychoanalytic psychology had no Christian foundation. I wondered how I could teach at a Christian school under those circumstances. Strangely, no one seemed concerned about this conflict except me.”

 

It was during that time of turmoil that Ganz meant Dr. Ed Robson, a pastor in a Reformed Presbyterian Church who had a deep knowledge and love for God’s Word. After months of teaching and fellowship, the pastor made the suggestion that Ganz visit Westminster Seminary, where Dr. Jay Adams taught. It was actually Adam’s classic book on “Nouthetic Counseling,” Competent to Counsel, that had made a deep impression on Ganz when he had read it some nine months earlier just before his conversion. Upon meeting Adams and asking about the possibility of counseling at the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation there, Adams responded to a man who had been trained for years in the most advanced psychological techniques with these words, “I don’t care how many degrees you have; no one counsels here unless they know the Word of God.”

 

So instead of coming to a lucrative job, Ganz found himself starting all over as a first year seminary student. He is now a pastor and Biblical counselor in Ontario, Canada. The rest of his book offers a solid Biblical approach to counseling. It not only exposes the contradictions between secular and Biblical counseling, but shows the danger of mixing the two, which is precisely what most so-called “Christian counseling” today has done.

 

 What, then, is the answer to man’s problems and needs? J. J. Eysneck, Director of the University of London’s Department of Psychology, wrote in about 1960, “The success of the Freudian revolution seemed complete. Only one thing went wrong. The patients did not get any better.”[24]

 

Writer/comedian/actor/director Woody Allen, who has spent most of his adult life in psychoanalysis, in a sense hit the nail on the head in a line from his 1972 movie Sleeper. The story in the film is of a man who has his body frozen for 200 years until a cure can be found for the disease he has. After being awakened and told he’s been asleep for 200 years, he reflects on those centuries for a moment and then says, “I was in psychoanalysis. If only I had been going all this time, I’d almost be cured by now.”[25]

 

Why such failure? Because Freud, and most of the psychiatric community, rejected the whole idea of personal responsibility. So-called “therapy,” then, consisted of looking at the past to find someone to blame for one’s behavior. While some therapists, such as O. Hobart Mowrer and William Glaser (the latter of which I studied in detail), have thrown off behaviorism and view people’s problems as moral instead of medical, and even call for them to become responsible for their behavior, their systems still begin and end with man; they disregard God and man’s fundamental responsibility to Him, and they reject God’s law. No, the answer, the only answer, is the absolute Truth of God’s Word.

 

This leads us to the dramatic contrast.

 

Paul’s View Of Himself

 

In one of the most dramatic contrasts in all of Scripture, we see that Paul’s attitude of “self” was the polar opposite of man’s view. There are actually several instances in Scripture where Paul views himself. In I Corinthians 15:9 he declares himself to be “the least of the Apostles.” Now, we know, of course, that the very opposite was true; Paul was the greatest of the Apostles; he took the Gospel to virtually all the ancient world, founded numerous churches, taught doctrine to ground those believers in the Truth, and wrote letters to confirm them in that Truth, encourage them, and deal with error that arose. But while Paul accomplished more than all the other Apostles put together, he didn’t act it. He considered himself  “the least of the Apostles.” Likewise, in I Timothy 1:15 he considers himself to be, of all the sinners that ever were,  “the chief of sinners.” What humility! What a contrast to man’s elevation of himself!

 

Our present text, however, provides us with the most vivid description of all. What an odd statement Paul makes here: less than the least of all saints. As one commentator writes: “If words mean anything, it is impossible for anyone or anything to be less than the least. This is like saying you are higher than the highest.”[26] Or to put it another way, how can one be less than zero?  Is it possible to be a negative number? But that is exactly Paul’s point. While in his depravity, man thinks he is higher than the highest, better than the best, greater than the greatest, and so on, Paul’s self-evaluation is the exact opposite: lower than the lowest, worse than the worst, less than the least.

 

This truly flies in the face of the “cult of selfism” that we outlined earlier, into which countless Christians have fallen. May we submit that any such attitude is not only the opposite of the man who is consider the greatest of the Apostles, but also of our Lord Jesus Himself, as He “humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). Think of it! Our Lord is God, the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14), but He humbled Himself and died crucifixion, the most agonizing and humiliating death, reserved for criminals and slaves, the dregs of society. It so needs to be made clear that the “selfism” of our day could not be further from the New Testament standard of spirituality and holiness.

 

To create the image he wanted to convey, Paul forms what we would call “a comparative formed on a superlative.” For example, to make a comparative out of the word “small,” we add “‑er,” making “smaller.” If we wanted to make a superlative, we just add “‑est,” making “smallest.” So, in our text, for the sake of good English grammar, two words are used: “less” (the comparative) and “least” (the superlative). But in the Greek there is only one word, which we could literally translate “lower than the lowest,”[27] or “more least,” but still we have multiple words. The most literal idea, then, is “leaster.” The form of the Greek here is “designed to express the deepest abasement.”[28] This was Paul’s view of himself; he saw himse