Teamwork in ministry: Paul’s sense of partnership in the gospel

In pursuit of his Christian ministry, the Apostle Paul had a keen sense of teamwork, teamwork with God and with his brothers and sisters. Express this awareness by using compound Greek words beginning with the prepositional prefix sun-. With an object in the dative case, sol means “together” or “with”. This same prepositional prefix has been translated into English, appearing in words like “symbiotic”, “symphony”, “synergy” (the Greek sol-, represented by sym- or syn-). What follows is a brief overview of the words Paul used to express this sharing of the ministry. You will discover that this sharing continues among Christians in the 21st century.

Paul calls us “fellow citizens” and “joint heirs” and says “we will co-reign.” Because we are linked to Christ, we share His city, His inheritance, and His government. But we also share the expectation of these future blessings with each other. Because of this, we “co-rejoice.”

Meanwhile, the fight continues and “we suffer together.” To endure such suffering, we “comfort” each other, and we live and die together.

But despite everything, we are “co-workers”. Paul says that he and his associates are “co-workers with God,” an astonishing testimony both to God’s condescension – willing to lower himself both to work with people like us – and to the corresponding elevation of Christians.

Paul’s letters give us a staggering number of men and women Paul calls his “collaborators”: Timothy, “all,” the Corinthian Christians, Titus, Priscilla and Aquila, Urban, Epaphroditus, Clement and others, Mark and Aristarchus, Jesus Justo, Philemon, Demas and Lucas. A brother Paul calls “my yoke buddy,” a term synonymous with coworker (though it could be the man’s name).

Others are described by Paul as if they were members of his team in an athletic competition: competing, wrestling, or wrestling together. Paul calls two brothers his “co-slaves.” Two that he names as his “co-soldiers”. Because Paul considers himself a worker, a slave, a soldier, and an athlete for Christ, those who share the burden with him also share these descriptions. This includes those of us who are working in the kingdom in modern times.

As a frequent prisoner for Christ, Paul appreciated those who served him in prison, even if they themselves were free to come and go. Four describes them as “co-prisoners”. It could be that at least some of these voluntarily served Paul so constantly that their imprisonment was self-imposed.

All of these first century Christians, as well as Christians living today, are “participants” or “partners” in kingdom work. We share, we fellowship, we participate, and we keep company with other believers. Paul uses several compound terms to describe Christian unity. It says that we must be united, hand in hand, literally “co-souls.” We are “conformed together” and “wedged together”. We cooperate and help each other. We are “built together” and become “co-members of the same body”.

All this union, we must remember, is not a natural state, far from it! If we leave ourselves to ourselves, we human beings divide ourselves on all points, be it by race, ethnicity, gender or class. It is only Christ who unites us. Only in Him can it be said that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, neither barbarian nor Scythian, male or female; all are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28; 1 ​​Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 3:11).

Paul expresses the Christian’s union with Christ using the prepositional phrase, along with Christ. Reinforce this by using compound verbs in which Sun- is added to the beginning of the verb. This occurs in several of the key passages in Paul’s writings.

In Gal. 2:20, Paul uses “co-crucified” to describe how joining with Christ’s death changes the believer. Compare Matt. 27:44, Mark 15:32 and John 19:32, where the same verb describes the literal crucifixion of the thieves who died with Jesus. Paul says that as a result of his union with the death of Christ, he died to the law, in order to live for God (v. 19). In the next verse he adds that he is no longer the one who lives, but that Christ lives in him. It is true that he still lives “in the flesh,” but it is a life of trust in the Son of God, who loved him and gave himself for him. Keep in mind that this happens for the individual, not just believers as a group. Christ died, not for humanity, but for you and for me and for everyone else as individuals, and only as individuals can we respond to Him.

This concept of “co-crucified” is repeated in Rom. 6: 6. Paul says, “Knowing this, the old man was co-crucified.” Although Christ is not mentioned, the connection is definitely between the believer and Christ: He was the crucified one.

The consequence of this death of the old man is a burial, as Paul said earlier, we were buried together with Him “through baptism into death (v. 4). As a result of this union with the crucifixion of Christ and his burial, also us share in the new life of his resurrection: “we believe that we will also live with him” (suzēsomen, v. 8) Paul uses these same verbs in the parallel passage of Colossians (co-buried and co-resurrected, 2: 12; co – vivified, 2:13; see also 3: 1).

Because we belong to Christ, we belong to each other. Our union with Him unites us to all other people who are also united to Him in a great and eternal communion.