The scriptures often use the military as a metaphor for the Christian life. Therefore, if you understand the military, you will better understand the principle being taught about the Christian life. That is the whole purpose of this blog: to help integrate faith and military life. In 2 Timothy 2:3-4, Paul tells Timothy to behave just as a soldier, “as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Paul gives the command to Timothy, then explains the metaphor of a soldier’ life.
Command:
Suffer hardship with me,
Metaphor:
as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life,
so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
A soldier knows hardship. Yet this hardship is not without companions. Paul calls Timothy to join him in the common sufferings that go with being a Christian of that day. If you think of Paul’s life (see 2 Cor. 11:23-28), you would hesitate to join him in his sufferings. Yet the cause by which he lived drew many to join him. A soldier joins others in the common sufferings of military life because of the cause. A soldier knows what Paul is talking about here. They do not take lightly the call to join in the everyday life of suffering as a soldier because they know what that means. Many people make commitments without fully understanding the implications. When they are in the middle of the suffering, they quit. A good soldier commits without the option of quitting.
Cadets, midshipmen, and military men and women know that they live a lifestyle that is different than the worlds. They are often misunderstood or avoided because civilians realize they live by a different system. A good soldier does not get entangled in the affairs of civilian life. The life of a disciple of Christ is also different than the life of the world. The purpose and goals are different; therefore the system of life in which they live is different. If a disciples’ purpose is to advance the kingdom of God, then they cannot live a life focused on advancing their own kingdom.
What motivates soldiers to suffer hardship and avoid things that will distract them from being good soldiers? They desire to please the one that enlisted them as a soldier. I still remember times when I was a cadet I would hear phrases like, “great job freshmen”, “you motivate me fish” (name from freshmen), and other phrases of motivation I cannot repeat here. I remember the day we got our “fish brass.” This was the day we were recognized as being pleasing in the sight of the upperclassmen for finally doing all things well as a cadet. That was the best day of my entire four years as a cadet. My eleven “fish buddies” and I suffered many hardships together to get to this point. We did not live the life of civilian students. We suffered together in order to please the upperclassmen and take care of each other.
When a cadet, midshipman, or soldier reads this passage, they not only have a mental understanding of what it means to suffer with others and avoiding the distractions of the world in order to please their commanders, but they have an experiential understanding that includes both their hearts and their hands.
How will you respond to this invitation from your heavenly commander who is enlisting you into His army? I imagine that if you know the love and power of the commander Jesus Christ, you will enlist and ask…
Father in heaven, “What is my mission?” and “Who are my fellow soldiers?”
September 6, 2008 at 9:56 pm |
As a constructive suggestion, may I urge “Commissioned” to reconsider the indifferent references at this web site to women, as in “…military men and women know … A good soldier does not get entangled …purpose and goals are different; …a disciples’ purpose is to advance the kingdom of God, …”
Several respectable denominations have concluded, on Biblical reflection, that the vocation of arms, – of military combatant, – is uniquely to be man’s calling. Man’s use of woman as HIS warrior guardian, protector and defender is condemnable, arguably even abominable, per careful attention to Deut. 22:5. We trust that others may in due time be added in agreement with this faithful number.
The kingdom of God as revealed through Scripture never, by precept, principle, precedent, or proposition, contemplates man’s proper use of woman as soldier. The “woman warrior” is a feature of contemporary atheistic ideology that is grievously confused about the created identity of Man, as male and female. Sadly, the western Church has been largely insensitive and indifferently complicit by participating uncritically and thereby authorizing man’s abuse of womanhood in this way.
The parachurch is understandably hard pressed to develop or deal with doctrinal matters that evangelical, Catholic and Orthodox entities have mysteriously neglected. But such neglect is real, — a sign of our times perhaps?