"The" Brother

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.”

                                                                                    Colossians 1:1

“But I want to be a brother!”

That was my younger son’s indignant response when he was about five years old and learned that his older sibling and mutual friend were brothers in the Lord.  There we all were, having a pancake breakfast at a place that is widely known for their pancake breakfasts, when the mutual friend made the announcement.  Not one to let an opportunity slip by, I explained what it meant to be a brother and asked the question.  “Do you want to be a one too?” 

With an aggressive nod of the head we bowed and prayed the sinners prayer right there in the midst of pancakes, orange juice, coffee and a crowd.  No sense in getting into too great a theological discussion after all he was, you know, five.  All he knew was that his friend and his brother had something that he didn’t and he wanted it.  Thank goodness we are all grown up and don’t respond to that kind of peer pressure.

Ok. Perhaps sometimes we still do.  I have to confess the identical thing happened to me as I started memorizing verse one of Colossians. On first meditation, I surely felt the apostleship of Paul would be what would stir me as I read and reflected on my resource material.  Nope.  It was Timothy, dear Timothy.  But not just “Timothy our brother” but “Timothy the brother”.  According to the Expositors Bible Commentary, the article in the Greek is actually “the” and not “our”.  That changes things for me. Remember this memorization project is all about change.  The scriptures are meant to bring change.  That is what I am after.  Bring it!

Timothy “the brother”.  That sets me to thinking…a lot.  You see “I want to be ‘the’ brother! (ahem…sister)”  What made him so special that Paul referred to him in that way?  I mean is there something I could learn?  Is there something I should know?

These questions demanded answers and this called for some good old fashion Biblical investigation about “the” brother.  For me, that means allowing the scriptures to teach me everything there is to know regarding the character of Timothy.

I came up with some insights as I studied and I will share one passage about Timothy, which best consolidates my conclusions and then I will frame those conclusions back to you as questions.  I have already asked them of myself.  Here we go!

        

“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.  I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare.  For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.  But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.”

                                                               

                                                                      Phil 2:19-22

1) Am I really serving Jesus?

         Timothy’s primary service was to the Lord in ministering the Gospel.  “For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” - He was concerned about what Jesus was concerned about.  Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  That was what drove Timothy.

Am I serving Jesus?  What drives me?  I am clearly looking out for the interests of Jesus Christ or am I looking after my own?  Am I serving a man’s agenda or Christ’s? Am I seeking to save the lost or am I seeking after something or anything else?  Am I really just serving my idols of self?

        

2) Am I serving with other likeminded people?

Timothy was a co-laborer in sharing the Gospel.  “He has served with me” More than once in my research, Timothy was described as a co-laborer in the gospel.  While Paul often referred to Timothy as his son, he clearly saw him as a likeminded co-worker.

Am I serving with others whose goal is sharing the gospel to the lost?  Are my personal relationships a reflection of that goal?  Am I hanging out with likeminded people whose number one priority is spreading the gospel message to others?  Are my relationships, small groups, church gospel driven and gospel centered?  Do I hang out with people who encourage me in the great commission?   

        

3) Am I doing the work of the gospel?

Timothy was a minister of the Gospel. “In the work of the gospel”.  Plain and simple it was what drove him and was his purpose.

Am I truly doing the work of the gospel?  Have I shared the good news with anyone in the last week, month or year?  Do I pray that God would bring people prepared to hear in my life and then tell them?  Do I pray that God would equip me to fill my words with grace and season them with salt so that I might know how to answer every man?  Do I preserve in prayer for the lost? 

I am convicted.  My gospel life pales compared with Timothy.  He was all about the great commission.  Like Paul said “there is no one like him”.  I would like to be more like Timothy.  I confess I am not. 

In prayer, I wondered to God about Timothy’s radicalness and I asked what compelled him.  Immediately the answer came and all the self–recriminations fled.  It was the love of Christ that compelled him. (2 Cor 5:14)

Nothing other than the love of Christ could ever compel us to live this way.  It is clearly impossible to generate this kind of life apart from union with the love and saving care of the one we acknowledge and follow. 

Jesus.  Just Jesus.  It is only through Him that we will be this radical.  May we learn to preach the gospel everyday but let it be to our own souls first.  That is what will change us and then perhaps we will be more like Timothy “the “ brother.  Jesus.  Just Jesus.  Amen?

Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires: but upon what did we rest the creations of our genius?  Upon force.  Jesus Christ alone founded his empire upon love, and at this hour millions of men would die for him.”

                                                      

                                                               Napoleon Bonaparte