If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the Word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily (KwabaseKolose 1:23-29)
Paul was a minister of Jesus Christ and the church and didn’t mind going through all the sufferings for Christ’s sake and for His body’s sake.
Paul knew the importance of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the world and calling sinners to repentance and by faith and regeneration in Christ (the death of the indoda endala (inyama) in Christ and the resurrection from the dead of the new man (umoya) kuKristu) reconcile man to God. Because without the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ many people would be lost, which is not according to the will of God.
And so Paul preached the gospel among the Jews and the Gentiles, to whom he was called. Paul warned the people, visited the local churches and edified the saints in the wisdom of God, so that they would get to know the will of God and grow up into the image of Christ.
The price to fulfill the Word of God
Paul knew about the strive and hardships and was aware of the price to fulfill the Word of God among the saints. And so Paul experienced resistance, strive, and persecution while fulfilling his task as a minister of Jesus Christ and the church.
Because to fulfill the Word of God among the saints, meant to fully preach the truth of God, which was not always appreciated by everyone.
Paul not only spoke encouraging words, but also spoke hard words, which called the saints to live holy lives, the removal of sin and loyalty to God, and corrected and warned the saints.
Because without correction and warnings a person can’t grow or may grow in the wrong direction.
Paul instructed the saints in all wisdom and corrected and warned the saints in love, because Paul didn’t want anyone of them to be lost, but that all would be and remain saved (Funda kwakhona: ‘Once saved, always saved?’).
Many times hard words are necessary to awaken people spiritually and cause a change in the church, in the lives of the saints.
The preaching of the gospel
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee (uTito 2:11-15)
Although the words and approach of Paul were according to the will of God, in our days, many believers consider Paul’s words and approach harsh, unloving, and inhuman.
This is mainly because many are not uzelwe ngokutsha, but the flesh reigns and therefore people can’t bear the words and truth of God anymore, and receive correction and warnings.
Abantu abaninzi, who are warned and corrected often feel offended, indignant, hurt, and treated unfairly, and many times they walk away from the person or church, who corrected them. This only proves that the flesh of the person has not died in Christ, but is still alive.
In order to prevent, that their words cause unpleasant feelings and/or emotions in people, and people feel offended and leave the church, many preachers and elders of the church stay silent and don’t warn and correct the people, but leave them alone and have their way, under the cloak of love, respect, and forgiveness.
They not only leave them alone and allow them to stay the way they are, but they call the members of the church to do the same thing and follow their example. And so many things, which are not according to the will of God, are tolerated in the church.
Fear for the world
If you were of the world, ihlabathi beliya kubathanda abakhe: but because you are not of the world, mna ndaninyula mna kulo ihlabathi, ngenxa yoko linithiyile ihlabathi. Likhumbuleni ilizwi endalithethayo kuni, Akukho mkhonzi umkhulu kunenkosi yakhe. Ukuba banditshutshisile Mna, baya kunitshutshisa nani; ukuba baligcinile ilizwi lam, nezakho ziya kukugcina. Kodwa zonke ezi zinto baya kuzenza kuni ngenxa yegama lam, ngokuba bengamazi owandithumayo (UYohane 15:19-21)
Out of fear for the world, opinions of people, ukwaliwa, and losing people, they adjust the words of the Bible and water the gospel down, and take into account the feelings, iimvakalelo, and opinions of people.
And so they prove, by their actions, that their fear (awe) of people is greater than their fear of God and that they walk in imithetho yobuxoki and have become promoters of sin instead of promoters of righteousness. Because the love of God doesn’t compromise with the world and sin (Funda kwakhona: ‘The love and grace of God doesn’t compromise with...’ kwaye ‘Is Jesus a Promoter of sin?‘)
Perfect love cast out fear
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day (2 uTimoti 1:7-12)
God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son Jesus Christ, Jesus gave His life out of love, and if you love God above all, you will give your life to Him. Just like Paul, who loved God above all and had given his whole life to -and for Him and didn’t rely on himself, but relied wholeheartedly on Him.
Unlike many leaders today, who walk in fear for people and sympathize and compromise with the wickedness of the world and adjust and/or reject the words of God, Paul walked in the love for God, which cast out all fear; fear for the world, fear for people, fear for the devil and demons, fear to preach the gospel, fear to speak the truth of God, fear for rejection, fear for resistance, fear for persecution, fear for strive, fear for sufferings, njl.
Despite all the resistance, persecutions, imprisonments for the sake of the Name of Jesus Christ, Paul continued and endured all things, to complete his task and fulfill the Word of God, even the mystery which had been hidden from ages and from generations, but was revealed to His saints, and to warn and teach every man in all the wisdom of God to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
‘Yibani yityuwa yehlabathi’
