Cultivating Gentleness
The apostle Paul, seeking to help his son in the faith, wrote to Timothy, “The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves…” (2 Tim. 2:24-25, KJV). In his encouragement and instruction, Paul was certainly not afraid to stand boldly for the truth. After all, he withstood Peter to the face (Gal. 2:11). He endured stoning (Acts 14:19-20). He even went so far as to say, “I would that they were even cut off which trouble you” (Gal. 5:12, KJV).
But Paul was also a gentle man. Humility, patience, kindness, grace, all of these find themselves frequently in Paul’s manner of life and in Paul’s written instructions (both to churches and to individuals). So, how does one reconcile Paul the humble with Paul the bold? He was a servant of Jesus, a man “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, KJV). Though not perfect like his Lord, Paul sought to be like Jesus in every way (just look at Phil. 3:7-12). In his pastoral advice, Paul yearned to teach young Timothy how to balance grace and truth. I pray that we see this balance in our pastors and theologians today.
Sadly, this is not how some pastors and theologians conduct themselves. With the advent of the internet and social media, we connect in new and unique ways. While this has been wonderful in most cases, it has also provided a unique window into the depraved, human heart. One evidence of that depravity is our harshness with one another, particularly as it relates to our views of theology and practice.
We have, sinfully I might add, neglected Paul’s instructions to Timothy. Rather than gentleness, patience, and meekness, we see harshness, rudeness, and prideful arrogance. As I have pondered this instruction, the Lord has revealed my own nasty attitude toward others. I have been guilty of searching for that “mic drop moment.” I am gracious for the Lord’s working in my own heart, for His patience toward me in instructing me when I opposed myself.
All of this is to say I want to pass on what the Lord has written in His Word to help my brother pastors and fellow theologians. Because, as we grow deeper in our understanding of God’s Word and theology, it should result in more humility, more patience, and more charity with other believers. I say should because, along with the additional knowledge accrued through long and instance study comes the dangerous dragon of pride. That is why, as our Savior did, we must balance grace and truth. We grow in our patience, love, and kindness as we grow in our knowledge of theology. Here are three suggestions that should help us from the text.
REMEMBER THAT WE ARE THE LORD’S SERVANT
Paul plainly states, “the servant of the Lord,” a reminder of who we are (2 Tim. 2:24, KJV). We are, by our natures, slaves to God. We were dead in sins (Eph. 2:1-2) and God has made us alive (Eph. 2:5). We were once without hope (Eph. 2:12) but now we have the God of hope (Eph. 2:18, cf. Rom. 15:13). In other words, we were in a terrible plight, more than any human being can imagine, when God saved us and changed us. We are His, and as such we remember our terrible estates prior to salvation. This alone should lead us to humility, knowing how blind and foolish we were without Christ. Remember also that we are the Lord’s slaves. We do His bidding, in His way, for His glory. We should never seek to “own” our opponents, we should see to instruct those who oppose God.
ACTIVELY AVOID FIGHTING
The servant of the Lord “must not strive,” Paul writes to young Timothy. In other words, he should not be a fighter. There are those who walk around with the proverbial “chips on their shoulders,” waiting for someone to miss quote a passage of Scripture or to unknowingly miss a fine theological point. Once this happens, they, like the Thing, yell “It’s clobbering time!” and take the individual to task. The servant of the Lord must not be this way. Paul offers a counter to this mindset in the following phrase.
BE SPIRIT-FILLED
The counter to a fighting spirit is filling by the Spirit, that is, under the Spirit’s direction and control. To be so in tune with God’s Word and Spirit that His fruit is evident in your interactions. Be gentle, Paul says. Be patient. Meekly work to help those who are not in tune with God’s Word. These are the antidotes to ugly divisiveness.
While this is not exhaustive, it does provide us with some helps. Let us be gentle with our interactions with those who oppose us. Let us meekly teach them, when God provides opportunities, the gloriously good news. Let them see “Christ in you” (Col. 1:27, KJV).
Bobby Howell is the pastor of Warrior Creek Baptist Church in Gray Court, SC. We republish his articles by permission.
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