Looking for Paul
I’m still working on a book about Acts and the Movement of God. It’s got me thinking about why we see so few movement in the West and a related question—where are our Pauls?
Where are the Pauls today? Who proclaim the gospel where it has never been heard? Who make disciples of people who are far from God? Who plant churches where there were none. Who raise up local leaders and head missionary teams of dedicated workers? Who refuse to settle down, but continue to move on to unreached fields, strengthening the churches they leave behind?
If we want to know why there are so few disciple making movements in the Western world, we need look no further than our patterns of church leadership. They are far from the example Jesus set and inspired in the book of Acts. We don’t lack money and education, we live in relative peace and security, but where are our Paul’s?
Our mission is the spread of the Word in the power of the Spirit bearing the fruit of the disciples and churches from where you are to the ends of the earth. Such a mission requires leaders like Paul, but also Priscilla and Aquila, Timothy, Silas and Titus, Junia and Andronicus, Apollos, Luke and Epaphras plus a host of ordinary disciples whose names are unknown.
Perhaps if we returned to the mission we’d find our Pauls and Priscillas and Aquilas, and Timothys …. and a host of ordinary disciples whose names are unknown.
