A Patient Man- Tuesdays with Timothy #28

1 Timothy 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous

The pastor has to be a patient man, a long-suffering, forbearing, gentle soul. Robertson says the word means "sweet reasonableness" (Matthew Arnold), moderation.". So rather than being a striker or a brawler, a man that likes to fight, he should be a man that wants peace.

This does give an interesting paradox. The man of God has to be a man who fights the good fight of faith and earnestly contends for the faith because much of the nature of the work of the pastor is that of spiritual war, a battle against sin and a battle against the false ideologies of Satan and the world system. But he has to be a man of patience, reasonableness, and peace. If we were to look at it from the flesh, it would seem you would want a fighter to fight. God wants a gentle, reasonable, peaceful man to fight. The pastoral life is a life of paradox. He can well identify with Psalm 107:6-7 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.

The fights that Christians engage in should be fights for the honor and glory of Christ. A pastor must love the Lord Jesus Christ with such fervency, that he is willing to fight and stand, even unto death for the truth entrusted to his care. The man, who desires to see soul's saved, sinners converted, saints strengthened must so love the Word of the Lord and the Lord of the Word, that he will be dogmatic to the point of making enemies and watching friends leave him to stand for the truth rather than compromise. The patient man has to have a long fuse. Consider Moses as an example of a man who was both a fighter and a gentle man of peace.


(And yes, I realize I posted this on Wednesday. If this has caused a problem, let me know and I will give you a 100% refund and send you the next one for free)


DPN