Paul: A Real MVPSample

Teamwork

After spending three years in Damascus, Paul went to Jerusalem to visit Peter, who was, for all practical purposes, acting as head apostle at that point. Paul did not really go to learn from Peter, but to get to know him and establish a working relationship based on common faith in the Truth of the Gospel. This working relationship would later develop into a friendship as the two men carried out their individual assignments under the greater umbrella of the Great Commission, first as individuals with Paul focusing on the Gentiles and Peter focusing on the Jews and later as a team. 

We do not know what the two men discussed during their two weeks together, but we can assume they covered a lot of territory in that amount of time. No doubt, the two men shared what they’d learned from Jesus with each other and benefitted from the telling of each other’s struggles. Whatever they discussed, Paul felt it was significant enough to mention in the first letter he wrote as an established apostle of Jesus Christ. 

Later, Paul would go back to Jerusalem and spend time with all the disciples, not expecting to be trusted on his own merit, but to be accepted on evidence of the Holy Spirit’s activity in his life. Over time, Paul earned the apostles’ trust. They proved themselves committed to Paul as a brother when they risked their own safety to protect him. 

Paul understood the importance of identifying himself among and cooperating with other members of the Body of Christ even after he would prove himself capable, by human standards, of operating mostly on his own. Throughout his ministry, Paul encouraged Christians to establish relationships with and serve one another for their mutual benefit and to cooperate with one another for the benefit of their shared mission. 

How about you? Do you make a point of spending time with other believers for your mutual benefit, or do you hinder the work of the Church through your absence and apathy? 

Do you adopt the struggles of your brothers and sisters as your own, or do you leave them to fend for themselves? 

Do you share your burden with others, or do you isolate yourself and so cripple your own spiritual potential? 

What, if anything, needs to change? What would that look like?