Written by Michelle J. Goff, founder and director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries
Experience is the best teacher. Some things cannot be taught in a classroom, but rather must be learned in a real-life context. I can tell you how to do several things, but until I show you, until we share an experience through which we can learn together and strengthen our Christian bond, mere teaching will always fall short.
Jesus lived day in and day out for three years with the 12 apostles. We see Him teaching the crowds, but He spent even more concentrated time with His closest disciples (men and women). He revealed more to them than He did to the public. He explained the meaning behind the parables. He gave them a vision for what they would be called to do in the future.
Paul followed a similar pattern with those he mentored. Check out the summary of shared experiences with Timothy, whom he considered his “true son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2).
10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.(2 Tim. 3:10-14)
It is believed that this was the last letter that Paul penned, likely from a Roman prison. His final words were an encouragement to continue to remain true to Christ’s teaching and to the Word. It was a passing of the baton (2 Tim. 2:2) to his son and close friend. Paul even asked him to bring a cloak he left along the way and his scrolls, especially the parchments (2 Tim. 4:13). This was much more than a casual friendship.
A few verses later, in 2 Timothy 4:19, Paul sent greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, among others. In Acts 18, we learn that Priscilla and Aquila were Jews who had been living in Rome, but after getting kicked out by Claudius, ended up in Corinth. Since they were tentmakers, like Paul, he stayed and worked with them. They became his “home base” while in Corinth, which was “for some time” (Acts 18:18). Later, they join Paul in Ephesus, where they instructed Apollos about “the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26).
Priscilla and Aquila were like family. They had worked together in secular and Kingdom work in the port city of Corinth. We know from Paul’s two lengthiest letters that the church in Corinth struggled extensively. And based on a reference in 1 Corinthians 7, there were likely more than just two letters written to that church.
These three tentmakers had the blessing of never walking alone through a time of spiritual struggle in a church. They had a kindred spirit as family and support. It is no wonder Paul sent greetings to them by name in more than one letter.
Another disciple of Christ that Paul considered family, even a son, was Titus.
4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. 5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. (Titus 1:4-5)
Paul trusted Titus to finish the good work they had started together. If we go back to the time when Paul and Barnabas parted company, we recognize that Paul was picky about who he mentored and who he trusted (Acts 15:36-41). Barnabas mentored John Mark and Paul chose Silas with whom to take his second missionary journey. Later, Paul forgave Mark and even asked for him to visit (2 Tim. 4:11).
The greetings in Romans 16 are evidence of the time Paul spent with each of those people: the shared experiences, being in each other’s homes, the friends and a few relatives, the coworkers, including, of course Priscilla and Aquila. The letter to the Romans was penned by Tertius, who sent along his own greetings (Rom. 16:22). I suspect Tertius got to hear more stories than just what he scribed in the letter to the Christians in Rome.
Which leads me to one final way I will mention that Paul taught: by writing letters together. First Corinthians was written by Paul, along with Sosthenes. Second Corinthians and Philippians were written by Paul and Timothy. First and Second Thessalonians were written by Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
I can’t wait to get to heaven and listen to all the stories shared by the reunion of these old friends and coworkers in the Kingdom. What stories and experiences have you learned through?
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