Lesson 3

The Pattern of a Shepherd

Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 1:16; 1 Thes. 2:7-8, 11-12; Acts 20:19-20, 27, 31; 2 Cor. 6:11, 13; 7:2-3; 11:28-29; 12:15

I. Paul said that he was shown mercy that in him, the foremost sinner, Jesus Christ might display all His long-suffering for a pattern to those who believe on Him unto eternal life—1 Tim. 1:16; cf. Phil. 3:17; 2 Thes. 3:9.

II. The apostle Paul is a pattern of shepherding the saints in cooperation with Christ’s shepherding in His heavenly ministry—Heb. 13:20-21; 7:25-26; 1 Tim. 1:16; 2 Cor. 1:3-4; Acts 20:20:

A. Paul shepherded the saints as a nursing mother and an exhorting father—1 Thes. 2:7-8, 11-12:

1. Paul and his co-workers regarded the believers as children under their fostering care; just as parents care for their children, fostering their growth, so the apostles cared for the new believers—vv. 7-8.

2. Paul considered himself as a nursing mother, nourishing and cherishing her children, taking care of them in a tender way; Paul’s care for the new believers was full of tenderness—vv. 7-8.

3. Paul also likened himself to a father exhorting his children; in cherishing the believers as their own children, the apostles considered themselves as nourishing mothers; in exhorting them, they considered themselves fathers—vv. 11-12.

B. Paul shepherded the saints in Ephesus by teaching them “publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20) and by admonishing each one of the saints with tears even for as long as three years (vv. 31, 19), declaring to them all the counsel of God (v. 27):

1. Paul taught the believers publicly in the meetings and privately from house to house—v. 20:

a. Teaching in Acts 20:20 really means shepherding; in the New Testament, teaching goes along with the matter of shepherding; shepherding needs the proper teaching—Eph. 4:11 and footnote 2.

b. The elders must read to the saints some profitable verses, give them some definitions, and teach them with the holy Word; then the saints will be edified, established, strengthened, and built up—Acts 20:20; Eph. 4:11.

2. Paul not only went to each saint’s house, but he also admonished each one of them with tears day and night—v. 31:

a. At first the saints may not listen to you; some may listen, yet they would not take your word; then your word would not be very effective.

b. Quite often one drop of tears may work much better than a thousand words; at times rebuking and advising may not do as much good as dropping your tears.

3. Paul was a pattern in declaring God’s eternal economy—v. 27:

a. Paul declared God’s counsel, God’s plan, and God’s economy.

b. What is needed among the saints is the proper biblical, divine revelation concerning God’s eternal economy; by knowing God’s eternal economy most of the saints will then be solidly grounded and deeply rooted.

C. Paul had been enlarged in his heart to have the intimate concern of the ministering life—2 Cor. 7:2-3; 1 Thes. 2:8; Phil. 2:19-20:

1. We all need to be enlarged in our hearts, reconciled fully to God; then we shall have a life that is a ministering life, a life that can bear much fruit—2 Cor. 6:11, 13 and footnotes 111 and 133:

a. The apostles, who were matured and all-fitting, were opened in their mouth and enlarged in their heart to the believers; with an enlarged heart they were able to embrace all believers regardless of their condition, and with an opened mouth they were free to speak to the believers frankly concerning the real situation into which they had been misled—vv. 11, 13.

b. If we would have an all-fitting life, we need an enlarged heart, a heart to embrace all of God’s people—cf. 1 Kings 4:29.

c. Our goal should not become great persons; there have been some who were considered great men, but their hearts were small; we should prefer to be a small person with a big heart, an enlarged heart to embrace every believer in Christ—Judg. 5:15-16.

2. In 2 Corinthians as a whole, and especially in chapter seven, we see Paul’s intimate concern for the believers—vv. 3-16:

a. It is possible to become knowledgeable in spiritual matters and powerful in preaching and yet still be unfruitful; furthermore, in the shepherding of the saints, it is also possible that we may kill others; the reason for this killing, this fruitlessness, is the lack of intimate concern; in shepherding the saints what is needed is the intimate concern of the ministering life—vv. 3-16.

b. In 2 Corinthians 7 Paul was very emotional; the reason Paul was so emotional was that his concern was so deep and intimate—vv. 3-4:

1) We may be as cold as a freezer, altogether lacking in concern for the saints; instead of warming up others, we make them colder—cf. 3:6.

2) Nothing can grow in such a frozen condition; the saints need the weather of spring to come to thaw them out and warm up their life; once again there is a need for a ministering life, which is a life that warms up others—7:3-16.

D. Paul came down to the weak ones’ level so that he could gain them—2 Cor. 11:28-29; 1 Cor. 9:22; cf. Matt. 12:20:

1. In 1 Corinthians 9:22 Paul says, “To the weak I became weak that I might gain the weak”; this means that we should come down to the weak one’s level; this is the way to shepherd people by visiting them.

2. Paul also says, “Who is stumbled, and I myself do not burn?” (2 Cor. 11:29); this is to burn in sorrow and indignation over the cause of the stumbling of all the fallen ones; this shows the pattern of Paul as a good shepherd, taking care of God’s flock.

E. As a lover of the church in oneness with the church-loving Christ, Paul was willing to spend what he had, referring to his possessions, and to spend what he was, referring to his being, for the sake of the saints in order to build up the Body of Christ—Eph. 5:25; 2 Cor. 12:15; 11:28-29.

Excerpts from the Ministry:

THE FOSTERING OF A HOLY LIFE FOR THE CHURCH LIFE

The first chapter of 1 Thessalonians covers two main points: the structure of a holy life for the church life and the origin of a holy life for the church life. The structure is composed of the work of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of hope. The origin of such a life is the preaching of the gospel and the acceptance of the word preached, an acceptance resulting in turning to God from idols, serving a living and true God, and waiting for the Son. Now in chapter two we come to the third aspect of a holy life for the church life, the aspect of fostering.

Although the word fostering cannot be found in 1 Thessalonians 2, the fact of fostering can be seen in this chapter. Here Paul likens the apostles both to a nursing mother and to an exhorting father. This means that the apostles were mothers and fathers to the new believers. They regarded the believers as children under their fostering care. Just as parents care for their children, fostering their growth, so the apostles cared for the new believers. Thus, in 1 Thessalonians 2 we see the fostering of a holy life for the church life. In verses 1 through 12 we have the care of a nursing mother and an exhorting father, and in verses 13 through 20 we see the reward given to those who foster believers in this way. Because the apostles rendered such a care to the new believers, the apostles will eventually receive a reward from the Lord…

CHERISHING THE BELIEVERS

In verse 7 Paul says, “But we were gentle in your midst, as a nurse would cherish her own children.” The Greek word rendered nurse, trophos, sometimes means a mother; hence, it may denote a nursing mother (see Gal. 4:19). Cherishing includes nourishing. Therefore, this word not only includes nourishing but also includes tender care.

Even though Paul was a brother, he considered himself a nursing mother. Surely, he had no thought of position, dignity, or authority. The thought of being a nursing mother is very different from the thought of dignity or position. What position does a nursing mother have? What rank, dignity, or authority belongs to her? Her dignity consists in nourishing and cherishing her children, in taking care of them in a tender way.

The word cherish is lovely, a word of utmost tenderness. Paul regarded himself as a cherishing one, not merely as one who serves. He certainly did not control the believers. Neither did he merely serve them. Rather, he cherished them. His care for them was full of tenderness.

Imparting Their Own Souls

In verse 8 Paul continues, “Thus, yearning over you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own souls, because you became beloved to us.” The word yearning indicates being affectionately fond of, affectionately desirous of, like a nursing mother affectionately interested in her child whom she nourishes and cherishes. This was what the apostles did with the new believers.

The apostles not only imparted the gospel of God to the Thessalonians; they also imparted their own souls. To live a clean and upright life as portrayed in verses 3 through 6 and 10, and to love the new converts, even by giving our own souls to them, as described in verses 7 through 9 and 11, are the prerequisites for infusing others with the salvation conveyed in the gospel we preach.

Paul’s word in verse 8 about imparting their own souls to the Thessalonians can be compared to his word in 2 Corinthians 12 about being spent for the sake of the believers. Paul was willing to spend not only what he had, but was willing to spend himself, his very being. The apostles were willing to impart what they were into the believers. This can be compared to a nursing mother giving herself to her child…

A Father Exhorting His Children

Verse 11 says, “Even as you know how we were to each one of you, as a father his own children, entreating you and consoling and testifying.” The apostle was strong in stressing what or how they were (1:5), for what they were opened the way to bring the new converts into God’s full salvation.

In verse 11 Paul likens himself to a father exhorting his children. In cherishing the believers as their own children, the apostles considered themselves as nourishing mothers. In exhorting them, they considered themselves fathers…

A GOOD PATTERN

First Thessalonians 2:1-12 shows us how we should conduct ourselves as a pattern for new believers. In order to be a proper pattern, we need to be pure in our motives, especially concerning money. Much of what is written in these verses is related to money, greed, and covetousness. If we are not pure concerning money, if we are not sincere, honest, and faithful regarding it, we may be among those who adulterate the word of God and peddle it. Furthermore, this motive may cause us to use flattery and to have a pretext for covetousness. All these are serious matters. Therefore, if we would be a proper pattern for young saints, our greed must be dealt with, and money matters must be under our feet. We should never speak words of flattery, we should never have any pretext, and we should never seek glory for ourselves. Moreover, instead of trying to please man, we should do our best to please God. Then other believers will have a good pattern to follow. (Life-Study of 1 Thessalonians, msg. 12, pp. 96-105)

The Intimate Concern of the Ministering Life

What we have in [2 Corinthians] 7:2-16 is the intimate concern of the ministering life. Every believer who loves the Lord and who wants to come up to God’s standard should become a minister of the new covenant. As long as we are believers in Christ, we should be New Testament ministers, no matter whether we happen to be apostles, evangelists, elders, or deacons. Such a minister is a person who supplies Christ to others for the building up of the church, His Body. When I was young I heard that every believer should be a preacher of the gospel. Now we see that we should be not merely gospel preachers, but ministers of the new covenant, those who minister Christ as life so that the church may be built up as the Body of Christ. This ministry should be carried out not only by apostles and elders; it should be carried out by everyone in the church.

The goal of the Lord’s recovery today is to recover this ministering of Christ by all the believers so that the church may be built up. This understanding is based on Paul’s word in Ephesians 4, where he says that the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers perfect the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ. For us all to be church builders, to minister Christ for the building up of the church, we need a ministering life. In order to be new covenant ministers we need such a ministering life. We need to live a life of ministering Christ to others for the church.

Many years ago I read various books that encouraged believers to be spiritual, holy, and victorious. But I never read one book charging us to live a ministering life. Many of us have read books on how to be spiritual, how to live a holy life, or how to be victorious. But have you ever read a book telling you how to live a ministering life? I do not believe any of us has read such a book.

In my travels over a period of about fifty years, I have met many different kinds of Christians. In particular I have met some who had a reputation for being spiritual. But to my registration even these so-called spiritual ones did not have a proper ministering life. They lived in a very careful manner in order to be “spiritual,” “holy,” and “victorious.” But they did not live in such a way as to be ministering ones. By the Lord’s grace, not by our own efforts, we all should endeavor to live a ministering life…

The Need for Genuine Concern

It is possible to become knowledgeable in spiritual matters and powerful in preaching and yet still be unfruitful. In fact, instead of being fruitful and ministering life, such a person may cause others to suffer death. A brother may even visit another locality and hold a conference, but the results of that conference may be that many are killed. They are killed not by wrong words, but by right words. Furthermore, in the shepherding of the saints, it is also possible that we may kill others. The reason for this killing, this fruitlessness, is the lack of intimate concern. A brother who has a conference with a particular church may be concerned only for the giving of messages; he may not have any genuine concern for the church in that locality. Likewise, we may visit a family to shepherd them, but we may not have any loving concern. Rather, our motive may be to display our knowledge, spirituality, gift, or capability. The result is a killing.

Some mothers seem to be short of wisdom. Yet even though they are not clever, they raise their children in a very good way because they have a loving concern for them. Such mothers have a tender, intimate concern for their children. On the contrary, some step-mothers may be knowledgeable, gifted, and clever; however, they lack the necessary concern for the children. In taking care of children, what is most important is not knowledge or ability—it is an intimate concern. The same is true in taking care of churches or in shepherding the saints. What is needed is the intimate concern of a ministering life. The brothers who hold conferences with churches must have a genuine concern for the churches. They should not merely be interested in giving excellent messages as a display of their knowledge, talent, or capability.

When I was young, I was somewhat troubled by chapter seven of 2 Corinthians. I regarded the Bible as a sacred, classical book, and it seemed to me that 2 Corinthians 7 was not a classical writing. I could understand why chapters like Romans 5 and Romans 8 were in the Bible, but I did not know why a chapter like 2 Corinthians 7 was included. In verse 6 Paul says that he was encouraged by the coming of Titus, and in verse 7 he goes on to say, “And not only by his coming, but also by the encouragement with which he was encouraged over you, informing us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal on my behalf, so that I rejoiced the more.” It seemed to me that such a verse should not be in the Bible. Have you ever checked why 2 Corinthians 7 is in the New Testament? If you have never thought about it, this may indicate that you are somewhat careless in reading the Word. I can testify that the more attention I pay to this chapter, the more I love it, and the more I learn from it and am affected by it.

This chapter reveals that we need an intimate concern. If we have ability to carry on a work but lack an intimate concern, our work will be fruitless. What is needed to establish a good family life and church life is intimate concern. How fruitful we are, how much fruit we bear, does not depend on what we are able to do. It depends on whether or not we have an intimate concern.

Brother Nee told us that in preaching the gospel we need to have a genuine concern for others. As long as we have the proper concern for people, we are well on our way to be qualified to be used of God for their salvation. A very good testimony of this is in the book Seen and Heard. In that book, the writer, James M’Kendrick, tells us of standing in front of a group of unbelievers and weeping, without saying a word. Nevertheless, a number were saved, for he had a deep concern. Eloquence, gift, and power can never touch people as deeply as your concern for them.

A Loving, Concerned Spirit

In 1 Corinthians Paul was like a father disciplining his children. But even this discipline came out of a deep, intimate concern. For example, a mother may spank one of her children. But while he is receiving that spanking, the child realizes that the mother is disciplining him with a loving spirit and attitude. Thus, even when she is spanking her child, she can love him. Children can tell whether or not their parents discipline them out of a spirit of love. It was with a loving, concerned spirit that Paul wrote the book of 1 Corinthians. To be sure, in 2 Corinthians as a whole, and especially in chapter seven, we see Paul’s intimate concern for the believers.

WARMING OTHERS

In 2 Corinthians 7 Paul was very emotional. In verse 13 he says that he “rejoiced more abundantly over the joy of Titus.” J. N. Darby points out that it is not possible to render exactly in English the Greek idiom for “more abundantly.” Paul was very human and emotional in his ministering of life. Paul was so emotional because his concern was so deep and intimate. Without this kind of concern, we could never be abundantly rejoicing in the way Paul was. Instead, we may be as cold as a freezer, altogether lacking in concern for the saints. Instead of warming up others, we make them even colder. Nothing can grow when it is in such a frozen condition. We need the weather of spring to come to thaw us out and warm up our life. Once again there is a need for a ministering life. Do you know what a ministering life is? It is a life that warms up others. Learn to warm others. This is to have an intimate concern for them.

Many have read 2 Corinthians 7 without touching the matter of Paul’s intimate concern. If we do not have this kind of concern for others, we shall not be fruitful. If I would minister life to the saints, I must have a genuine concern for them, a concern that is emotional, deep, and intimate. I must be so concerned that, at times, I may appear to others to be foolish or beside myself…

We all need to be enlarged in our hearts, reconciled fully to God. Then we shall have a life that is a ministering life, a life that can bear much fruit. Only the ministering life enables us to bear fruit. Fruit-bearing is the issue of a ministering life. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 44, pp. 379-386)

References and Further Reading:

1. Life-Study of 1 Thessalonians, msg. 12.

2. The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1989, vol. 4, “Talks Concerning the Church Services,” ch. 2.

3. Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msgs. 41, 44.

4. The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” ch. 7.