This insight, I believe, has great practical import for all fields of life. When there is an effective network, you just get more accomplished. This might appear to be a novel way of looking at things, but from one perspective, this is exactly what Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 12 in his illustration of the body.

The point simply put is that we all need each other. I am not just speaking of individual members of a church and how they should love each other. That, of course, is necessary, but we need something on a larger scale. We need churches from different continents, across denominations to work together, share with one another, and strategize of how to do “good” (1 Titus 3:8, 14). Much of the New Testament is a lesson in this. Just look at how many of Paul’s letters close – greetings galore from all these different churches.

There are many obstacles, such as territorialism, pride, issues of distance, language, cultural blind spots, and perhaps most of all, the uncanny propensity for people to never give up power. But when we rediscover the beauty of grace and the mission that God has called his church, we can accomplish much together. I hope that this takes shape with this new generation of young men and women who appear to be more globally minded and less provincial than generations past.

By God’s grace, may we consider how to create this network.

Peter writes that he will always remind his people of the person and work of Christ, even if his people already know these things (1:12). He even offers a defense: “I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of his body” (1:13). He does not stop there. In these short verses, he also gives a reason for his approach – so that his people always remember (1:14). In essence, he is saying, “I am writing these things to you, so that you will remember; I know you know these things, but I really don’t want you to forget. And I need to remind you of these things while I am alive, because one day I won’t be here. At that point who will remind you?” Peter sounds like an old man who is wont to repeat himself over and over again. For this reason, we may feel the temptation to listen politely, but half-heartedly, and seek more novel things; this would be a grave mistake.

Peter knows a thing or two about human nature. He knows that people are fickle and that there is a strong tendency to forget about the most important things in life, perhaps even from moment to moment. Perhaps he knows this firsthand as he recalls his past interaction with Jesus. In one sentence, he has a pellucid insight into the identity of Christ, and then immediately revolts at the idea of the cross of his master. Jesus even says, “Get behind me Satan” (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33). Or perhaps he recalls his bold assertion that he would never betray Jesus, only to betray him three times shortly thereafter (Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, John 18).

Christians forget. Christian need to be reminded on a daily basis of who Jesus is, what he has done, and what these things mean for the people of God. Without this constant reminder, we will forget. I am reminded of this everyday not only in the life of my congregation, but also in my own life. We forget about the costliness of his grace, the beauty of his love, and profundity of his forgiveness. We forget that there is nothing better than knowing him and that we are rich beyond our wildest dreams in view of who we are in him (2 Peter 1:3). We forget his precious promises (2 Peter 1:4). We forget to rejoice in suffering and depend on his grace. We forget to give thanks. We forget that he has called us to be in missions, and the list goes on.

What does the church need? Nothing new. No change for the sake of change. No new programs. No new initiative. Not the newest thing or fad. It is well to remember that he who marries the spirit of the age will find himself an inevitable widower.

I suspect what the church needs is to be reminded by an old saint that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, that what we really need is what we already have in Christ, that the best thing we can do for ourselves and others is to remember the good old truths of the gospel and how these things apply to our lives.

It is no wonder that Peter’s mission is a mission of remembering: “I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.” (2 Peter 1:15)

Let us remember together.

He cuts short their rejoicing and tells them to rejoice in the fact that their names are written in heaven. Jesus’ response may not seem charitable on the surface and even down right insensitive. However, there is an important lesson to be learned, especially living in the modern west.

In my opinion, we live in a culture, which prizes success. For this reason our joy is usually tethered to it. When there is success, we rejoice; when there seems anything like failure, we do not. The Christian joy should be vastly different. We rejoice, because we are in Christ. This is such an important lesson to learn, because the Christian life is often lived in the wilderness, through hardships and patience. But the beauty of the Christian life is that we can still rejoice, because of Christ. May we learn this lesson, and learn to fix our eyes on our joy.

To ask this question is not to suggest that the Chinese church is a perfect one. Far from it. No church is perfect, but this does not mean we cannot learn from them. In fact, I would go one step further and say that we must learn from them, because their way of looking at the world and the Bible is different than ours. All cultures have blind spots and one of the ways we expose our blind spots is by learning from people from other cultures and traditions. This, of course, will require longsuffering, years of friendships, and most of all humility, especially on our part, since we have lived, for the most part, in the midst of the rise of the West. However, if we have ears to hear, then we may learn a few precious truths of God’s grace.

II. What We Can Learn

1. The Bible is Important

Of course most Christians in America would say that the Bible is important, but when push comes to shove I have to admit that I have not met too many Christians who have read the Bible once straight through. Moreover, I am not talking about the nominal church members, but ones that have grown up in the church and even those who seek to be leaders. The many Christians that I have met in China had a different flavor. They actually knew the details of the Bible and these mattered to them. For example, while I was teaching I stated that Paul was in Ephesus for three years. One brother asked, “Does not the book of Acts that Paul stayed for two years?” He was referring to Acts 19:10. I replied something to the effect, “I think Acts 20 states that he was there for a total of three years.” Thankfully, I was right. Acts 20:31 states that Paul labored for three years in Ephesus.

Such detailed questions about the Bible were the norm. This made me much more precise in my interactions, something that I rarely have to do in America. A mention of a book or an author is enough for most Americans. The Chinese want to know the chapter and verse. There is something very noble about this characteristic, and it shows their devotion to learning. To be sure the Chinese are not as sophisticated when in comes to topics such as hermeneutics and theory. They have not heard of biblical scholars such as Greg Beale, Anthony Thiselton, or Dale Martin. Nor have they heard of theorists like Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, or Mary Douglas. To be fair, most Americans have not heard of these people as well! With that said, I am able to say that the Chinese know something more important, like the book of Isaiah, the gospel of Matthew, and the letters of Paul. In a word, they love God’s Word. I believe it is only a matter of time before they become the next great interpreters of the Bible. Hunger is God’s gift, and it produces plenty in time.

2. The Lack of Popular Psychology

One of the most refreshing things about the Chinese that I have learned to appreciate is the lack of emphasis on the self. I do not think Americans know this, but we are more influenced by popular psychology than we are aware. Most pastoral counseling sessions are about how people feel. There is good historical reason for this. In the West the only bastion of authority that remains is emotions. Our emotions are the final arbiter and therefore sacrosanct. Reason and technology have failed the West and we no longer believe in the revelation of God. Therefore, Americans incessantly talk about their feelings. This is our main discourse. And since the church is part of this world, the church is also guilty of an undue emphasis on the self and feelings.

What should I do with my life? Will I truly be happy? What decision should I make to maximize joy? Where should I move? How does the weather make me feel? How do I feel about an apartment, a job, and potential spouse? It is all about us and out emotions. In my six years of relationships with the Chinese, I do not think that I have more than a few conversations about these topics. Almost every conversation was about what God’s Word says and how these things apply to life. In the Chinese church the self or feelings are not enthroned; the revelation of God is.

This is an important point to make, because I believe that many western Christians have their faith pegged to their emotions. When we are feeling great, worship, fellowship, and outreach is great. When we are not feeling great, nothing is. I am not saying that emotions are unimportant, but that an overemphasis on emotions is dangerous and inimical to faith, because many times the walk of faith will elicit a visceral reaction (oftentimes negative). The theology of the cross does that. For example, who likes suffering and persevering? But these are the way to maturity.

3. Felt and Perceived Needs

One of the most beautiful aspects of the Chinese is their simplicity. They have much less than us, even the middle class in large cities, and they are happier. Of course, I cannot measure happiness, but my impression is that they laugh more, sleep better, and experience greater contentment. I suspect that this is so, because most of them grew up with little and therefore they do not have a list of felt and perceived needs, like us. What they really need, they have in Christ. That is enough, more than enough.

We in the West know that we have Christ, but we are not satisfied for the most part. We want more, even if they are little things. Moreover, because the social matrix that we are in advertises so well, we believe that our happiness and eternal significance is tied to our felt and perceived needs. Of course, we would not say this. We don’t have to – our lives speak it. One more point. In the West, especially places like NYC, there is an unhealthy addiction to novelty. We want the newest things and then the next and the next. I was reminded of this when I rode a bicycle that must have been 80 years old, which broke on the way home, which went right away to be repaired.

We need to learn that God is in the process of destroying our perceived and felt needs precisely because he loves us. How else will we prize our greatest need and God’s solution? God crushes our idols, so that we can see the beauty of the cross.

4. Suffering Well

It should go without saying that the Chinese church has taught us to suffer well. But I think there is another insight to be gained. Part of the reason for the amazing growth of the church in maturity was due to suffering. The pattern of growth in the Bible is clear. Suffering produces perseverance, character, and a heart that hopes in glory. Therefore, there is only one way of growth. If people stand firm and suffer well, they can expect to grow. The alternative is perpetual spiritual adolescence.

I wonder if people really know what they are saying when they pray for maturity. Do they know that they are asking a loving God to bring hardships in their lives to build character? In this process felt and perceived needs will be crushed. Their love will be tested, their understanding of forgiveness stretched, and their faithfulness called into question. The good news is that God’s grace is sufficient.

5. Money

The West has had a good run of wealth. It shows in almost everything that we do from church buildings to mission strategies. Throw money to solve problems. For instance, many church planters in the US raise over 100,000 to start a church. This number is almost unfathomable to the Chinese. As a side note, a person who can raise that much money is probably a good fundraiser, but that does not make him a good pastor. I think we can learn to trim the fat from our church budgets. Again it is a readjusting of our felt and perceived needs.

I am not suggesting that we all tighten our financial belts for the sake of doing so, but we can be better stewards of God’s finances. Moreover, I cannot help but think that we need much more faith in this area. Also if the economy sours even more, then we will really need the help of the Chinese. They will teach us, I suspect, that we don’t need much at all to start and sustain healthy churches or even to be in missions. What we need most is the very thing we have in Christ. He has given himself, the power of his Spirit, his Word, his mission, and his promises. What more can we need? Why do we feel so poor? Why do we need so many safety nets? Where is the boldness and almost brazenness that God’s grace is wont to accomplish? Perhaps we feel poor, because we have placed our faith in the things of the world, which are fading, and have forgotten God.

6. Missions

I’ve rarely seen a passion for mission brewing as in China. Many Christians know what they want and I believe that they are going to do it. They want to spread the message of Christ in all that they do. They meet in bookshops, cafes, McDonalds and everywhere in between to share the message of Jesus. They are also preparing for a greater task – unreached peoples. I believe that God will use them in this area.

The above point leads us to a firm conviction. We in the West need to help them accomplish this goal. We need to learn to step out of the limelight and humbly wash people’s feet. We need to play the supporting role. We need to encourage actively, and be thankful to God for calling so many able and passionate brothers and sisters to the harvest. We need to pray for them more, support them with our finances, and share all of our resources with them. In this way, we will be a team and a functional body of Christ. We will even be instrumental to God’s work!

I also believe that window of serving in this way is coming to a close. If we miss the boat, then we will be the ones who miss out. We may very well be seeing one of the greatest movements of God in history. To support the East for world missions will be the way we participate. To think of only domestic concerns (which are important) will make us provincial at best and irrelevant at worst.

III. Conclusion

The picture that I have painted may seem too rosy with respect to the Chinese, and it may seem very one-sided. I have used some strong language to make my points, but I stand behind my observations. Also when God gives me the opportunity I hope to write a piece on what the Chinese can learn from New York.  For now, my prayer is that GNC be a church that prizes Christ more than self, more than personal dreams, more than life itself. Let us be in mission in the wilderness and occasionally sip the cool waters of the oasis, giving thanks to God for his many blessings, and most of all for the sending of his Son.

Reading the Bible in another language usually forces a person to read slowly and therefore carefully. This fact alone is probably the single most important advice a person can follow. What struck me was that Titus 1:6 and 1:7 use the same adjective twice, anegkletos, which can be translated as blameless. It is used five times in the New Testament with the same general shade of meaning (1 Cor. 1:8, 1:22, 1 Tim. 3:10, Titus 1:6, 1:7).

The very fact that this word is found twice in Titus made me realize how important this quality really is for leaders. However, how do you measure this quality? It is rather general, that is, there is nothing too specific. For this reason, perhaps a good measure of blamelessness is a person’s reputation, something that 1 Timothy 3:7 espouses. To be sure, it is more than this, since the blamelessness has to be real and not just in reputation. However, it is probably not less than this.

If the above reasoning has some merit, reputation matters in the selection of leaders, especially from the witness of mature men and women. To put things within the context of Titus, does a potential leader have the reputation of being kind, a lover of good, hospitable, self-controlled, and the like? If so, then his person may have an important qualification of being a leader.

In our generally anti-institution ethos, most do not want to talk about structure and organization. It all smells of corruption and the misuse of power. However, the purpose of the book of Titus is about structuring the church. This is an important point to make, because even when there is little talk of organization or the downright resistance to it, in the end there will be some sort of structure. Therefore, it behooves us to see what Titus teaches concerning the importance of church organization in general and elders in particular.

From a literary point of view, Titus 1:5-16 seems to break down into three parts. The first section (1:6-7) speaks generally in the negative. An elder must not be blameworthy, the husband of one wife, have faithful children who are not accused of riotous and unruly behavior, not self-willed, not quick to anger, not addicted to wine, not violent, and not greedy. The second section speaks in the positive (1:8-9). An elder must be hospitable, lover of good, just, holy, self-controlled, and able to teach.

The above juxtaposition is theologically significant, because Christianity not only advocates the absence of sin, but also the presence of godly fruits. In other words, Christianity deals with heart issues. When a heart is transformed, there is fruitfulness. In light of this, we have good grounds to say that an elder must be a person with a good and godly heart, and the evidence is in the quality of life.

If the book of Titus emphasizes the heart, it also emphasizes the gift of teaching. Part of the reason for this is because there is so much false teaching and this false teaching has the potential to destroy lives (1:11). Therefore, what an elder must do is lovingly discern error and teach the truth.

In conclusion, an elder is a person with a good heart and mind.

Paul thanks God for the Colossians, because he has heard of their faith in Christ and their love for all the saints (1 Col. 3, 4). This point is worth pondering, because it shows that faith and love are gifts of God’s grace. To prove this point, you only need to consider a faithless and loveless person and his or her transformation. Only God can do this! Hence, the proper response for growth in faith and love is to offer thanks to God for creating or increasing these qualities in people.

This section also offers one of the means God uses to bring about faith and love, namely, the hope that is laid up in heaven, which Epaphras has been faithful to preach among the Colossians (1:7).

If Paul’s words are correct, then perhaps our contemporary focus on the “immediate” is a big hindrance to growing in faith and love. I suspect this is so, because robust love and faith have to be longsuffering, which can only take place when there is an unshakable hope reserved in heaven.

Do we ponder eternity and heaven with unshakable hope? If not, how can we live a life of faith and love? May God open our eyes to grow in wisdom and knowledge more and more (Col. 1:9).

No matter how intelligent and freethinking a person thinks he or she is, no one is autonomous. There are so many influences that shape a person’s life and worldview – family life, education, friendships, the media, and the list goes on. There is simply no way around it. Even if a person resists these influences, the very exertion will mold a person. All this is to say that we are built for counsel and this counsel will shape us.

To put it another way, people change. It is like going away to summer camp and returning home to find out that everything seems different, when in fact the only difference is that you have changed. Or it is akin to a young person going off to college and coming home to find out that he or she is no longer the same person.

The psalmist asks a question in 119:9 – How can a young man keep his way pure? His answer is by living according to God’s word. Then he goes on to say that he has sought God with his whole heart (119:10), treasured the word of God in his heart (119:11), spoken of God’s word (119:13), rejoiced in it (119:14), meditated on it (119:115), and delighted in it, lest he forget (119:16).

A pastor once said the Word of God will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from God’s word. There is wisdom in this statement, because we are created for counsel, to be more specific, God’s counsel. If anything should shape us, it should be God’s word. If this does not take place, we will become more like the world around us. However, if we are like the psalmist and delight in God, we will become the very people God created us to be; we will bear the resemblance of Christ increasingly, the perfect word of God.

To say that the world is unpredictable is a woeful understatement. There are so many variables.  Or to put it another way, there are so many things that could go wrong. In the last few years, we have lived through some of these events: natural disasters, financial markets crashing, wars, oil spills, and so much more. In light of these things it is easy to make future decisions based on fear. Or if you prefer to be more euphemistic about terms, you can say it is easier to make responsible decisions.

The Christian must be better. In the final analysis, he or she should not be motivated by fear, or even a sense of being responsible; no, the love of God in Christ must be the prime motivation. In fact, John 4:18 says that perfect love casts our fear and that God has demonstrated his love for us in the sending of Christ (1 John 4:9). Therefore, when we experience God’s amazing love and grace in Christ, our decisions (and the church’s decisions) will be made in view of love.

This point is essential, because the perspective of God’s love will give clarity to what is really important from a divine standpoint, namely, to love others (1 John 4:7, 4:20, 4:21). Apart from God’s love, there is only darkness or dimness at best (1 John 2:9, 10). My prayer is that as we face greater challenges in our lifetime, no matter what they be, that we would be fully persuaded of the love of God and make strong decisions of love, not just responsible ones. May the vision of the reckless love of God, which sent Christ to the cross, cause us to love in like manner. May God give us all his grace.

I. Two Types of Wisdom

1. Paul’s strong repudiation of the wisdom of the world may give the impression that he is opposed to any kind of wisdom. To draw this conclusion would be to misread Paul.

2.  In 1 Corinthians 2:6, he points out that his message is one of wisdom. In 2:7, he even goes further and states that he speaks of the hidden and secret wisdom of God.

3. However, Paul makes it clear that the wisdom about which he writes is markedly different than the wisdom the Corinthians seek.

II. Corinthian Wisdom

1. The Corinthians prided themselves on not only being wise (sophoi), but also mature (teleioi).

2. As Richard B. Hays writes, “We have already seen that sophia is one of the slogan-words of the Corinthians, and in 2:6 we encounter another one: ‘the mature’ (teleioi).”

3. Paul’s words, from this point of view, are not only incisive, but also drip with ironic sarcasm.

a. In essence, he states that if the Corinthians were truly mature, they would understand the wisdom of God, since he is writing to the mature (2:6).

b. The very fact that they do not comprehend the wisdom of the cross as evidenced in their actions suggests that they are actually immature, the very opposite of what they think they are! In 1 Corinthians 3:1.

4. There is one caveat at this juncture. Paul is not teaching some sort of spiritual elitism, where some have special wisdom and others lack it. Quite the contrary, Paul argues that this type of spiritual elitism is the problem among the Corinthians.

a. There is one caveat at this juncture.[6] Paul is not teaching some sort of spiritual elitism, where some have special wisdom and others lack it. Quite the contrary, Paul argues that this type of spiritual elitism is the problem among the Corinthians.

III. Wisdom of God
1. Part of the reason for the difficulty of understanding the wisdom of God is because God’s wisdom is eschatological in nature, that is, his wisdom is not based on this world, but the world that Christ has ushered in through his death and resurrection.

a. In 2:6 and 2:8 Paul speaks of the wisdom and rulers of “this age.” It is important to bear in mind that “this age” presupposes “that age,” especially within a Jewish apocalyptic framework.

b. Paul states that rulers of this world are coming to nothing (katargeo). Paul uses this verb in eight other places in 1 Corinthians: 1:28, 2:6, 6:13, 13:8, 13:10, 13:11, 15:24, 15:26. Of these verses, only one verse does not fit into an eschatological framework (6:13). Paul’s point, then, is that the old age will come to an end and give way to a new age.

c. 2 Corinthians 5:17 is a good example of this type of theological reasoning: “If anyone is in Christ – new creation; the old things pass away, and behold new things emerge.”

d. Finally, he speaks of glory as the final lot believers. Admittedly, Paul does not give a full teaching on how glory is connected to his eschatological framework in this context, but he does so in other letters. For Paul the new age is consummated in glory (Romans 8:17, 8:30; Corinthians 3:18).

2. The wisdom of God is also paradoxical. If the wisdom of God is seen in the cross of Christ, then there is a great inversion. Death is life; rejection is acceptance, and the end is the beginning.

a. A person has to become a “fool” to be wise.

IV. Path of Wisdom

1. At this point, Paul address how we come to know the wisdom of God. He gives two answers; one is negative and the other positive.

a. His first point is that it is humanly impossible to come to the wisdom of God.  He quotes a passage of scripture, as he is wont to do with Greek verb grapho, “it is written” (gegraptai): no eye, no ear, or heart has conceived of what God would do. Paul’s theological thrust is clear; however, there are questions concerning whence Paul has taken this quote.

b. A conflation of Isaiah 64:3 and 65:17 is a good guess and Clement, an early church father, seems to suggest this in 1 Clement 34:8.

c. Richard B. Hays, however, offers an alternate source as he points out that the Gospel of Thomas 17 has similar wording: “Jesus said: I shall give you what no eye has seen and no ear has heard and no hand has touched and (what) has not entered into the heart of man.”

d. His point is that the text of Thomas may bear witness to an independent tradition. In the end, it is best to admit ignorance.

2. Now that Paul has established that man cannot come to know God unaided, starting in 2:11 he offers an analogy of the process of understanding the wisdom of God. His argument is that like knows like. Just as only an individual knows his or her own thoughts, so only God alone knows his thoughts.  For this reason, only God can disclose himself to us.

a. Paul states since we have received the spirit of God we are able to know the wisdom of God. The implication of this is that if a person does not understand the wisdom of God, namely, the message of the cross, then that person does not have the spirit of God.

b. True knowledge of the cross does not come through clever arguments or rhetorical eloquence, but through God’s self-revelation through his spirit.

3. 1 Corinthians 1:15 may pose some difficulties of interpretation, because on the surface it seems as if Paul is saying that the Christian is not subject to anyone.

a. We need to read this verse within context.

b. If we do this, Paul is saying that because the Christian has the spirit of God, he is able to see the world through the vantage point of the cross of Christ, but the world cannot judge or even understand the Christian correctly, because the message of the cross is utter foolishness to the world.

V. Implications

1. The implications of this passage are broad. First of all, it shows us what Christian maturity is and is not. It is not esoteric knowledge, worldly wisdom or standing, but the understanding and application of the cross of the Christ, as Paul will show throughout the letter.

2. Second, Paul reminds us how a person can grow in the wisdom of God – reliance on the Spirit of God. We would do well to remember this point in conducting any ministry. The message of Christ is so paradoxical and the cross as a way of life so counter-intuitive that only God can persuade us of its wisdom.

3. This perspective also gives us insight into why many people do not believe. The message of the cross seems absurd. We must be compassionate.