A Word from Bob: Thanks for joining me for Part 3 of our series on Gospel Conversations: The Gospel for Everyday Life. I’m developing these posts from my 
latest book, Gospel-Conversations: How to Care Like Christ. You can read:
- Part 1 here: Where Do You Fit into God’s Mission?
- Part 2 here: What to Do After the Hug
- Part 3 here: How Does God Use His Word in Our Lives?
Portrait # 1: The Love of a Defending Brother
In How Does God Use His Word in Our Lives?, we saw that God calls us to give both Scripture and soul, truth and love. We also noticed that 1 Thessalonians 2, provides 5 portraits of a loving biblical counselor. Portrait 1 paints the picture of the love of a defending brother.
Paul uses the Greek word for “brother” twenty-one times in 1 and 2 Thessalonians. He starts his first letter to the believers in Thessalonica by letting them know that he always thanks God for them “for we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you” (1 Thessalonians 1:4). Paul is saying they are siblings in God’s family by grace. Imagine hearing from the great apostle Paul that you are family; you are equals—equally loved by God by grace.
Paul’s use of the word “brothers” is not limited to a family context, but also extends to an army/military context in the sense of a band of brothers who have one another’s backs. Paul says it like this in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2. “You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.” The word “opposition” means agonizing and struggling together. It was used of teammates training together and of soldiers fighting together in warfare.
Though persecuted, Paul courageously shares because he cares. Paul describes his counseling ministry in similar language in Colossians.
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy which so powerfully works in me. I want you to know how much I am struggling for you (Colossians 1:28-2:1a).
Because I sell a lot of books out of my home, I know my UPS delivery guy quite well. While he sometimes struggles to lift those boxes up my stairs, it is not because he sees me as a brother or a teammate.
Notice that in 1 Thessalonians Paul dares to share the gospel with his Christian brothers and sisters, and that in Colossians Paul labors out of love to proclaim Christ to his believing brothers and sisters. Paul’s brotherly relationship is not devoid of truth content; it is richly focused on Christ’s gospel of grace.
Portrait # 2: The Love of a Cherishing Mother
In the first portrait, Paul says to his counselee, “I’ve got your back bro!” In this second portrait, Paul speaks as a mother who says, “I long for you with a nourishing and cherishing affection.” We read of Paul’s motherly love in 1 Thessalonians 2:7. “But we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.”
Paul’s describes his gentle relational ministry as like a nursing mother, literally picturing the tender nourishing of a breast-feeding mother. The word “caring” highlights cherishing, keeping warm, tenderly comforting.
The Reformer, John Calvin, portrays the scene beautifully. “A mother nursing her children manifests a certain rare and wonderful affection, inasmuch as she spares no labor and trouble, shuns no anxiety, is worn out by no labor, and even with cheerfulness of spirit gives herself to her child.”
In 1 Thessalonians 2:9 we learn the nature of the nourishment Paul shares. “…while we preached the gospel of God to you.” Paul’s motherly love is not simply touchy-feely love devoid of content. It is passionate love filled with the meat of God’s Word applied to people’s lives.
Paul speaks in similar motherly language in Galatians 4:9. “My dear children, for who I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” And he shares similar affectionate language in 2 Corinthians 6:11-13. “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.”
Paul continues his theme of motherly affection in 1 Thessalonians 2:8. “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” I call this a “ministry sandwich” because Paul sandwiches loving them so much and being dear to us around sharing Scripture and soul. The phrase “we loved you so much” means to long for, to affectionately desire, to yearn after tenderly. “Delighted” means to joyfully serve out of pleasure and not out of a sense of duty or obligation. “Impart” emphasizes sharing generously and personally.
Morris summarizes Paul’s words well. “But the real sharing of the gospel implies the total committal of the preacher [I would add “counselor”] to the task. If they give a message, they also give themselves.”
Speaking about 1 Thessalonians 2:8, Milton Vincent, author of A Gospel Primer for Christians, describes well who we are, how we relate, and what we share. “We are significant players in each other’s gospel narrative, and it is in relationship with one another that we experience the fullness of God in Christ…. The greatest gift I can give to my fellow-Christian is the gospel itself.”
The Rest of the Story
Stop by for the next post in our series as we’ll view 3 more portraits of the loving biblical counselor.
Join the Conversation
- Could people say this of us? “I experience you as a beloved brother embracing me as a fellow, equal member of God’s forever family by grace.”
- Could people say this of us? “I experience our relationship as a band of brothers, and I experience you as a teammate who fights for me and agonizes on my behalf as you relate Christ’s grace to my life.”
- Could people say this of us? “I experience you as a mother nourishing me with gospel truth through tender, cherishing love.”
- Could people say this of us? “I experience you as an affectionate, generous mother giving me Scripture and your very own soul because I am dearly loved by you.”
