PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION - #1
A RELATIONAL STUDY OF THE TRINITY AND
THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS
Enoch Wan & Johnny Yee-chong Wan
Published in www.GlobalMissiology.org ÒFeatured ArticleÓ April 1, 2010.
FORWARD TO THE 3-PART SERIES
This is the first of a 3-part series on the topic ÒPartnerships in ActionÓ and the titles are as follows:
1. ÓPartnershipÓ - A Relational Study of the Trinity and the Epistle to Philippians
2. Foresights of the Founder of C&MA – Albert B. Simpson
3. Historical Narrative of Partnership in Action and Diaspora Chinese – A Case
Study of C&MA Ministering to and through the Chinese
These three articles are condensed from Johnny Yee-chong WanÕs unpublished D.Miss. dissertation entitled ÒPartnerships in Action: A Relational, Historical and Diasporic Study of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) in China and Hong Kong,Ó Western Seminary, Portland, Oregon, 2010.
For further study on the
ÒTrinitarian paradigm,Ó see the earlier work:
ÒUnderstanding
ÔRelationalityÕ From A Trinitarian Perspective,Ó by Enoch Wan and Mark
Hedinger, published
in Global Missiology, Trinitarian Studies, January 2006, www.globalmissiology.org.
For
further study on Òrelational paradigm,Ó see the following articles:
¯ Enoch Wan, ÒRelational Theology and Relational
Missiology,Ó Occasional Bulletin, Wheaton:
Evangelical
Missiological Society, Winter 2007, Vo. 21, no. 1, p.1-7.
¯ Enoch
Wan, ÒThe Paradigm of Ôrelational
realismÕ,Ó Occasional Bulletin, Vol.
19, No. 2, p.1-4. Spring 2006b.
¯ Published in www.GlobalMissiology.org ÒRelational StudyÓ April 1, 2010. Originally published as ÒA Missio-Relational Reading of RomansÓ in Occasional Bulletin, EMS, Vol. 23 No. 1, Winter 2010:1-8
A RELATIONAL STUDY OF THE TRINITY AND
THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this study is to present a relational
study on partnership based on the doctrine of the Trinity and PaulÕs Epistle to
the Philippians. Interdev[1]
founder, Phill Butler, pointed out that partnership, a recent trend in the modern
context of competitive and market economies, has long been operative in
Christian missionary work and has its origin in the Bible.[2]
In ÒThe Power of Partnership-Working Together to Reach the Unreached,Ó Butler wrote, ÒThe Scripture, international
business experience, a growing trend worldwide toward collaboration, and
ordinary common sense all point in the same direction: PartnershipÓ[3]
adding, ÒPartnership is an idea whose time has come in the world of missions.Ó In the preface to ButlerÕs book,
McKaughan made the following observation, ÒPartnership seems to me to be one É
light-catching facet of GodÕs singular jewel of revelation. Partnership is
biblical, current and compelling.Ó[4]
A Trinitarian Study of Partnership
The Triune God illustrates a supreme model of
partnership in His works of creation and of salvation. God acted by becoming a
human, the Messiah. Before His disciples,
Messiah Jesus has put into practice a divine-human partnership as an example
for Christians of all generations to imitate in fulfilling His Great
Commission. Thus, the Apostle Paul and the Philippians, amongst whom he
ministered, followed a most excellent model of human-human partnership in
mission.[5]
The Trinitarian Model[6] of Partnership
Although little is said in the Bible regarding the
intra-Triune relationships before the Creation, the pre-fall world[7]
reflected the work of the Trinitarian partnership. Before Adam was created, the
Triune Persons communicated with each other, saying, ÒLet us make[8]
man in our image, in our likenessÓ (Gen. 1:26). After the world became corrupt,
the divine partnership provided for human salvation through its redemptive
plan. The Father sent the Son by incarnation into the world to make atonement
for the world. After the SonÕs resurrection, the Father and the Son sent their
Holy Spirit to the world to continue that redemptive work by through the
Church, the people of God during the New Testament era. Donald A. Carson
commented:
The Son enjoyed equality with God before the
incarnation, but, far from wishing to exploit his status, in obedience to his
FatherÕs commission emptied himself, became a servant, and died the odious
death of the cross (Phil. 2:6-11). In JohnÕs Gospel, the SonÕs love for the
Father is expressed in unqualified obedience (e.g., John 8:29; 14:31). The
FatherÕs love for the Son is displayed both in withholding nothing from him and
in ÒshowingÓ him all that he does, including commissioning him with a mission
that ensures all will honor the Father (John 3:35; 5:16-30).
The Father sends the Son, the Son goes.É After his
death and exaltation, the Son bequeaths the SpiritÉ.[9]
Figures
1 and 2 below are the diagrammatical explanation of partnership and the
Trinity.
Figure 1 — Partnership within the Triune God
Figure 2 — Partnership of the Trinity in Mission
The Divine-Human Model of Partnership – A Vertical Dimension
The Òcultural mandateÓ and the Great Commission
comprise a two-fold mission since both creation and salvation are provided by
the Triune God. After the creation, God commanded and blessed man to accomplish
His will and plan in the world as an agent of God. The great heroes of faith
described in Hebrew chapter eleven were agents of God. In his Great Commission
Christ told His disciples, ÒI am with youÓ — God-human partnership in
mission, and ÒMake disciplesÓ — human-human partnership in mission. In
the sending of the first evangelistic band, Barnabas and Saul (later the
Apostle Paul)[10],
demonstrated how God involved the Church (Christians of all generations) to
partner with Him in the mission of the Salvation.
A Human-Human Model of Partnership – A Horizontal Dimension
Paul and the believers in Philippi demonstrated a model
for partnership in mission,[11]
that between missionary and church. In an article titled ÒIn Pursuit of True
Christian Partnership: A Biblical Basis from Philippians,Ó Luis Bush pointed
out that the theme of the Epistle to the Philippians is the joy in a
partnership between the missionary, Paul, and the church in Philippi, he wrote:
The biblical basis of true
Christian partnership is contained in the Apostle PaulÕs letter to the church
in Philippi. The Paul-Philippians partnership reveals the ingredients of
successful partnerships for the twenty-first century. These are qualities that
should be part of our partnerships, whether they be between individuals,
churches, or missions.
The
content of the letter uncovers the essential ingredients of the partnership
that made Paul rejoice again and again and will make those involved in similar
partnerships rejoice greatly. In fact Philippians could be called Òa manual on
genuine Christian partnership.Ó[12]
Bush presented some essential ingredients of a genuine
Christian partnership in a progression of thought patterned on the book of
Philippians:
á
The
Meaning: association of two or more autonomous bodies (1:1-11)
á
The Goal:
advancement of the Gospel (1:12, 1:5)
á
The
Foundation: the Triune God Himself (1:12-24, 3:21)
á
The
Philosophy: sharing complementary strengths (1:2-1:11)
á
The
Tangibles in developing Christian partnerships: sharing information and money
(2:12-19,
1:9-10, 4:10-17)
á
Gifted
personnel (2:25)
The intangibles in developing Christian partnerships:
bonded suffering, encouragement and prayer in love (2:19-4:7).[13]
These points are further
elaborated below.
Partnership in the Epistle to the Philippians
Paul described his relationship
between the recipients of the Letter and himself as a Òpartnership in the
GospelÓ[14]
(1:5). That theme can be developed as follows.
The Meaning of Partnership
Paul and the Philippians are
partners, first, because both are saints, a people consecrated to God, his
covenant people (1:1-2). Secondly, they are partners because both have been
called to serve the living God (1:1). And, thirdly, they are partners because
they have a common heritage in Christ. The root meaning of partnership is a
Òsacred fellowshipÓ[15] in love for
Christ and in an urgency to make Him known. Bush advances a definition of
Christian partnership as Òan association of two or more Christian autonomous
bodies who have formed a trusting relationship and fulfill agreed-upon
expectations by sharing complementary strengths and resources to reach their
mutual goal.Ó[16]
The Goal of Partnership
One of the strongest bonds in
Christian partnership is the sharing of a common goal. Paul expressed his joy
that the Philippians were partnering together with him in the Gospel. The
advance of the Gospel was the common goal of their partnership which bound them
together and kept their partnership working. This Bush calls a Òfocused visionÓ[17]
(3:1-16).
The Foundation of Partnership
To both Paul and the Philippians
Christians the foundation of their partnership was none other than Christ
himself (1:19-26). To Paul, life meant Christ; he could not think of life
except in terms of Christ. The second chapter presents an inspired glimpse into
the very nature of Jesus Christ. Four great acts of God are captured as simple
facts: ÒHe made Himself nothing,Ó
(2:7); ÒHe humbled Himself,Ó (2:8);
ÒGod exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the name that is above
every nameÓ (2:9). These realities were foundational to every aspect of PaulÕs
life and ministry and thus were the common denominator in his partnerships.
This passage directly relates to Christian partnership: Òto consider others as
more important than yourselvesÓ[18]
(2:3).
A Philosophy of Partnership
Through the sharing of
complementary gifts, each partner enables the other to grow. Each member in the
Paul-Philippians partnership wanted the other to grow, so gave the other
opportunity, capacity, or means to fulfill their mission. Above all, Paul
pointed to the supreme example of Christ who gave Himself completely to enable
believers to become more like Him (3:21). Paul describes Jesus, the model
servant, as the enabler par excellence.
From this model Bush applied several principles of
enablement to healthy Christian partnerships.[19]
From Philippians chapter two he underscores PaulÕs application of the
believersÕ Òhigh callingÓ to:
Look out
for the interests of your partner (2:4).
Develop
a servant attitude, with Jesus is the supreme example (2:5-9).
Continually
seek to meet your partnerÕs legitimate needs (2:8).
Identify
with your partner (2:7).
Recognize
that enablement is costly. You may have to renounce some of your own rights
(2:8).[20]
Tangibles of Christian Partnership
A trust relationship grows out of a properly-formed
partnership and leads to a sharing of resource for ministry which included
information and money (2:19, 1:9-10). Epaphroditus brought information from the
church to Paul, and Timothy took information from Paul to their partner in
Philippi. Pertinent information is a precious resource. Every partnership calls
for a transparent sharing of information about success and failure in the
overall task of advancing the gospel. PaulÕs honesty in sharing information
about his own ministry is evident throughout his letter. Accountability, the
flip side of trust, is built upon an open sharing of information, for it is
difficult to trust someone who is unwilling to be accountable, just as it is
humiliating to be accountable to someone who does not trust you. Accountability
is scriptural, and Paul made proof of his honesty and integrity.
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote about
money, recognizing what every Christian partner must, that the ultimate source
of all supply is God Himself. God is a giver, having His own purposes and
wisdom, and has chosen to bless individuals, organizations, and societies with
an abundance of funds, holding them responsible as stewards in charge of His
property. Ownership does not belong to a steward. As funds are released for
GodÕs work, they return to His control. A stewardÕs accountability to his
master does not imply mistrust. Rather accountability of time and money not
only helps partners maintain trust but gives opportunity for rejoicing in GodÕs
work and provision.[21]
Intangibles of Christian Partnership
Three intangibles of a
partnership bonded in love include suffering, encouragement, and prayer.
Firstly, regarding his Òpartnership in sufferingÓ (3:10), Paul was willing to
pay whatever any price to know and serve Christ fully, knowing that as he
suffered, Christ would not forsake him. Every pain would help him better to
know and identify with the suffering that Christ had endured for him.[22]
Secondly, there was a Òpartnership of encouragementÓ
(2:19-30, 1:14). The church had heard about PaulÕs arrest in Jerusalem and
wanted to encourage him. So they sent Epaphroditus to assist Paul with his
needs (2:25). Apart from bringing
an offering, Epaphroditus stayed with Paul and ministered to him, so much so
that he himself became ill (2:25-30).
Thirdly, Paul and the
Philippians partnered in prayer (4:5-7, 1:3-11, 1:19). This passage teaches
that intimate human relationships and the motivation to pray are intricately
interwoven. PaulÕs warmth of love and emotion pours itself out in fervent, frequent
prayers of praise for what this partnership meant to him. He prayed that they
would love more, learn more about spiritual truth, and gain discernment to make
the right choices in their upward walk.[23]
Paul may have met the
Philippians face to face only two or three times, yet they had been working
together in partnership for some ten to twelve years.[24]
Although their communications were probably through letters and by a few
travelers, they maintained a genuine and effective partnership in Gospel, for
they were bonded by love in Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The
Triune God is Himself the source and foundation of Christian partnerships. By
their love for Christ, The Holy Spirit initiates and empowers believers,
members of the Body of Christ, the Church. They are a living and working
community witnessing to the world for the advancement of the Gospel through
partnerships, sharing complementary strengths, both informational and
financial.
CONCLUSION
In this study, a relational framework has been employed to discuss the theme of ÒpartnershipÓ which began with the doctrine of the Trinity and ended with PaulÕs Epistle to the Philippians.
As a sequel to this 1st piece, the next two articles of the 3-art series will be entitled as follows:
¯ Foresights of the Founder of C&MA – Albert B. Simpson
¯ Historical Narrative of Partnership in Action and Diaspora Chinese – A Case
Study
of C&MA Ministering to and through the Chinese