by Rody C. Gumpad
Synopsis: Since faithful disciples are described as fellow workers, fellow soldiers, and fellow partakers in the promises, brother Gumpad stresses the need to strengthen the ties that bind us together.
Giving the Great Commission, Jesus said; "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19–20, NASB). Evangelism is not a stay-at-home project. We must go down to the water to catch fish; also, it is nonsense if we just throw them back in the water after catching them. The point is we need to go, and we need to make disciples. To accomplish this, let us recognize the necessity of effectively working together. The ability of working together with our colleagues in effective teamwork is a key to growth and success.
In writing to the Philippians, Paul exhorted the church to solve their internal problems so that they could bond as one man for the cause of the gospel. In like manner, believers today should work together to advance the gospel, even amid suffering and hardships.
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Phil. 2:1–4, NKJV).
In Philippians chapter 1, Paul exhorts saints to live worthy of the gospel. Emphasizing the importance of unity, Paul urges them to work together for Christ. Citizens of the kingdom of heaven should stand side-by-side as one man, striving to advance the gospel and not being intimidated by their opponents.
One of Paul's favorite expressions, "in Christ," is the believer's position. First, we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's beloved Son (Col. 1:13). We are no longer "in Adam," stained with sin, condemned and guilty; rather, we are "in Christ," enjoying all the blessings He has to offer (Rom. 5:1-2; 8:1).
Second, believers experience comfort from God's love. In the OT, God's covenant love was expressed toward Israel—even during their rebellion. In like manner, God demonstrates His love towards us while we were yet sinners (Rom. 5:8).
Third, we experience the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Blessed with the indwelling of the Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19), empowered for service (1 Cor. 12), we are obligated to faithfully proclaim the gospel (2 Tim. 2:2). Thus, God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit work in our lives in common and powerful ways. Because of this shared experience, believers should sacrifice their interests and desires for the sake of unity. As fellow laborers, we work together to advance the gospel.
In the same passage of Philippians 2:2-4, Paul shares three ingredients for unity. First, unity is a choice (v. 2). The Philippian church must choose to have the same mind, to embrace the same thinking. While unity starts in the mind, it also involves having the same heart. A church is transformed when believers' minds reflect the mind of Christ.
Second, unity comes through humility (2:3). When workers of Christ focus purely on selfish ambition out of pride or conceit, it results in conflict. We see this in Mark 9:33-37, when Christ's disciples were arguing about who is the greatest in the kingdom. Those who want to be first must be last and those who want to be the greatest must become the servant of all (Mark 10:35-45). Laying aside our agenda, our pride, and our selfish desires, let us be clothed with humility, considering others better than ourselves.
Third, unity focuses on the needs of others. We are born self-centered. Some at Philippi were looking to their own interests with selfish desires and vain aspirations. There was an unhealthy competition in the church that resulted in conflict. By inspiration, Paul exhorts them to lay aside personal desires, and look to the interests of others.
These directives would remedy the problems of the church in Philippi. These principles are still true today. By choosing unity, demonstrating humility, and focusing on the needs of others, we can work together to accomplish God's purposes.
There are many things we can discuss and disagree on, but by focusing on Christ's example and His command to make disciples of all nations, we can have unity in working together for the advance of the gospel for the glory of God.
In 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, Paul emphasizes that we are God's fellow workers. He says:
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building (1 Cor. 3:5–9, NASB).
Paul does a curious thing in this passage. In a straight question, he asks "What then is Apollos? What is Paul?" Instead of asking who, he said what then is Apollos? What is Paul? He wanted the Corinthians to understand that God's servants are not dignitaries but functionaries. How does Paul describe himself and Apollos? The simple answer is that they are servants. This shifts the emphasis away from personality to functionality.
God's servants should not be regarded as independent but as those who are dependent and interdependent. "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth." Our ministry is a coordinated effort involving different persons and different abilities in a common field and toward a common goal. Paul saw himself and Apollos, with their differing ministries, not as rivals or competitors, but as "God's fellow workers." He saw the Corinthians as "God's field, God's building." In other words, they were not his field, nor Apollos' field, but God's. This applies to working together, both within a congregation, and outside a congregation.
One problem today for gospel preachers here in the Philippines, and perhaps also in other countries, is a failure to function as "fellow workers." Some labor in isolation, viewing other brethren as rivals rather than fellow workers. This is contrary to Scripture and leads, eventually, to inefficiency and failure, even when there is apparent success.
No matter how gifted or capable an individual may be, those who think they need no one else or that they are fundamentally indispensable, are immature. "No person is an island!" In other words, showing a spirit of "working together" is a litmus test of maturity.
Christ, our Lord, serves as our perfect example. That is no less true regarding the issue of working together. I say this because of who He is: The God-man Savior. One might think that Christ, of all people, would not have enlisted the help of others to accomplish the things the Father had sent Him to do. This One could still the storms, raise the dead, heal the sick, make the blind see and the lame walk, bind demoniacs, forgive sins, and even possessed power to calling ten thousand angels to his aid… Yet, Jesus enlisted a team of men, a small band of disciples as fellow workers.
Moreover, Christ selected common men to work with Him. By the standards of sophisticated culture (both then and now), the apostles would surely be considered as a rather ragged aggregation of souls. One might wonder how Jesus could ever use them—being impulsive, temperamental, easily offended, holding all the prejudices of their environment. In short, these men represented an average cross section of the society in their day. This is not the kind of group that one would expect to win the world for Christ. Yet, except for Judas, the Lord saw in these men the potential for turning the world upside down (and right side up) as they grew in their relationship with Him and as they would learn to work together for the kingdom of God.
Thus, at the very outset of His ministry, Jesus called this small team of twelve men to be with Him for training. Over time, He delegated to them responsibility, eventually entrusting His ministry into their care. Because of some doubts and shortcomings, these disciples were hardly the epitome or paragon of success, at least during the early part of their ministry. However, after the Lord's ascension and the outpouring of the Spirit of God in Acts 2, this first-century team of men became tremendously successful as they went forth spreading the gospel. They not only led people to Christ, but by bringing others into the work, invested and multiplied themselves in a great team effort. By His very methods, the Lord Jesus illustrates the indispensable principle of teamwork and being a team player. If we are to grow, become mature, and follow in His footsteps, we must learn to become team players, whether as leaders or followers.
Like fellow gospel workers in other regions of our country, since 2003, I and my sons (Jerome, Jay Jay, Junior, and Mark), assisted by other faithful Filipino preachers and loving American brethren, have been holding preacher training programs here in the Cagayan Valley Region, as well as in Pasay, Manila. Sometimes these will last a week, a couple of weeks, or an entire month, depending on the budget and our resources.
We have no other purpose or personal interest in doing this than to strengthen the ties that already exist among the brethren and to help and encourage one another to work for the Lord. It is always very good to see young men (and older men) attend these training sessions. Besides the doctrinal topics that we are teaching and discussing, we emphasize the importance of working together in unity, and the importance of prayer in a preacher's life.
Finally, may the Lord help us all work together with other faithful fellow gospel workers, as opportunities arise, so that we can win more lost souls and bring them to Christ (Gal. 3:27). May God also help all evangelists (especially those who may be working in isolation and viewing one another as rivals or competitors rather than fellow workers) to pay attention to what the inspired apostle said to the Corinthians and the Philippians (1 Cor. 3:59; Phil. 2:1-4). Likewise, may God help us all to hold more preacher training programs when we have the opportunity because "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few" (Matt. 9:37) and Judgment is coming (Acts 17:31). In conclusion, may the good Lord help us all to see the importance of viewing fellow workers, not as rivals or competitors, but as "fellow laborers" in Christ because we are not dignitaries but functionaries. Let's work together in preaching the Word (2 Tim. 4:2).
Author Bio: Rody C. Gumpad preaches the gospel in Tuguegarao City which is located in the Cagayan province of the Philippines. He can be reached at rodycg1958@gmail.com.
