…my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier

“Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need;”  Philippians 2:25 (NKJV)

“Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:”  Philemon 1:1-2

Roman military soldiers, especially front-line infantry, closely identified with their units; many were “branded” with their legion number or name. Veterans could immediately identify another veteran after they left service by the legion number or name branded on their arm. The historian Stephen Ambrose coined a term for soldiers—“band of brothers.” Today’s military describes unit cohesion as “…the bonding together of soldiers in such a way as to sustain their will and commitment to each other, the unit, and mission accomplishment, despite combat or mission stress.”

As Christian soldiers we are spiritually united to other believers through an unbreakable bond—we are all one in Christ! “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) Members of a local assembly call one another “brethren” because of our unbreakable bond – not just as family, but as an indivisible, organic unit who work together as a spiritual body. “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Romans 12:4-5)

This was the bond that the Apostle Paul had forged with many men and women who helped him in his ministry. He named many of them in his epistles as an indication that the bond between them mirrored that of soldiers who fight side-by-side, share a foxhole, march in the rain, and sleep in dark forests. People like Epaphroditus and Archippus were called fellow soldiers; Titus, Timothy, Clement, Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, and Lucas were fellow workers; Epaphras and Tychicus were fellow servants; Aristarcus a fellow prisoner. The Apostle Paul was close to these believers with whom he shared special bonds of friendship and suffering.

Today, the bond among believers is stronger and deeper than those formed by soldiers or people who work together. Our bond is secured by the Holy Spirit and cannot be broken. (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30; II Corinthians 1:22) Our common, binding tie with other believers is the fellowship that we have with the Lord Jesus Christ. “…that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (I John 1:3)

Stay alert! Stay together! March on!

Sound the trumpet – prepare for battle!

“But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.”

I Corinthians 14:6-9 (NKJV)

Both the Old and New Testaments contain a total of sixty references to a “trumpet.” In the Hebrew Bible the context makes it clear that the trumpet is either a ram’s horn (shofar) blown for holy days and feast days; a coronet for special events like royal coronations; or a musical instrument to accompany a choir in Solomon’s Temple. The fall of Jericho recorded in the Book of Joshua mentions the ram’s horn trumpet being blown as the ark and the army circled the city before the walls fell. (Joshua 6:3ff)

A trumpet in the New Testament has a mostly prophetic significance as either a ram’s horn or some other type of loud instrument. It is used to announce key future events such as the Rapture of believers (I Thessalonians 4:16); the gathering of the elect at Jesus’ Second Coming (Matthew 24:31); the last trumpet at the resurrection of the saints (I Corinthians 15:52); revelations in Heaven to the Apostle John (Revelation 1:10; 4:1); announcement of the last three trumpet judgments (8:13) and specifically the sixth trumpet judgment. (9:14)

All of this is by way of prologue to say that in I Corinthians 14:8 the distinct sound of a “trumpet” (or “bugle” in some translations) is not like the blast of a ram’s horn that marks the beginning of an important event like a festival, feast, coronation, or judgment. The trumpet here is a military signaling device [see illustration at top] that a field commander would use to send instructions to his distant troops during a battle. It was loud and the dozen or so different sounds were distinct enough to be understood amid the chaos and tumult of the fighting.

Two bugle signals that many of us might recognize are “Reveille” and “Taps.” Reveille is a loud, energetic tune sounded in quick time to wake sleeping soldiers. The sound says, “Wake up! Get moving!” Taps is a slow, melancholy tune to honor the death of a soldier and ends in a sorrowful note of tears for the fallen soldier. Each trumpet sound marks a completely different mood or tone that is easily identifiable.

The metaphor of a Roman military trumpet makes the Apostle Paul’s point in I Corinthians 14:8 that speaking in tongues is not some gibberish or monotonous sound that conveys no real information. Biblical “tongues” to which Paul refers here and Luke mentions in the Book of Acts, were distinct languages that people understood clearly.

“And when this sound [speaking in tongues] occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.’ So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘Whatever could this mean?’” Acts 2:6-12 (NKJV)

Any so-called “tongues” which impart no information or which nobody can understand are not Biblical and not to be allowed. Paul (by inspiration of the Holy Spirit) used a military trumpet to illustrate something about Biblical tongues that can be understood and applied today.

Sound the trumpet! Grab your weapons! March on!

Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” II Timothy 2:3-4 (NKJV)

As the United States honors its military veterans on November 11^th, two words stand out as characteristic of all soldiers: service and sacrifice. We salute these men and women for their service to our country and for their sacrifice. We enjoy freedom in the United States because of them. May God bless our troops!

The Greek word for “soldier” (strateuomai) used metaphorically in II Timothy 2:3 is mentioned in a literal sense twenty-five times in the Gospels and the Book of Acts where it refers to a Roman infantry-soldier. Since the exact word is only used once here in a figurative sense, we must grasp its meaning from the context.

Paul’s second epistle to Timothy exhorts him to hold fast to what he has been taught, to teach others, to be strong in the faith and in God’s grace, and to endure hardship because he will face difficulties and trials as a pastor. Paul’s military metaphor in vv. 2-3, likens Timothy’s pastoral service to that of a soldier in the army of Jesus Christ.

The first similarity to a literal soldier is enduring hardship. Paul mentions his own hardships in 2:9-10 as a prisoner chained in jail for the cause of Christ. Like a soldier marching in the cold rain or a warrior struggling for hours against an enemy in the heat of a battle, Timothy may have to endure physical deprivation and spiritual heartache in service to his Lord.

The second similarity is the personal sacrifice a soldier must make by setting aside a home, a family, leisure time, and normal day-to-day pursuits. A soldier turns away from things we take for granted as part of an ordinary life and commits himself to focusing on one mission: carrying out the instructions of his commander. Timothy “enlisted” in the Lord’s army when he was born again. At that moment, he became a soldier of the Lord whose only goal was to please his “Commander.” Paul’s desire was for his spiritual son to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Every believer is a soldier in God’s Army. Let’s purpose in our hearts to be good soldiers who serve and sacrifice for Him!

Stay alert!  Grab your weapon! March on!

“Submitting to one another in the fear of God” Ephesians 5:19-21

“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” (I Peter 2:13-15)

Strong’s Concordance says that the Greek word for submission is hupotasso. It is a military term meaning “to arrange [troop divisions or ranks] in a military fashion under the command of a leader.” In non-military use, it was, “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden.” A commentator said that the word hupotasso translated submission: “… is actually a military term, and in the military there is a strong sense of submitting to someone of higher rank. A soldier must arrange himself in order under his sergeant…Everything is ‘arranged in order under.’”

When I was a new lieutenant in the military, I had a commander who made some poor decisions and I was critical of him for doing so. A master sergeant old enough to be my father gave me two pieces of advice that have stuck with me through the years. “Don’t forget that he puts his pants on in the morning just like you do.” Our commander was human, just like me, and could make mistakes, just like me. His other observation was, “We salute the uniform (position), not the man.” Those who wear the uniform (or work in a shop, drive a bus, teach children, or wash dishes) have to follow some orderly structure or rank. We salute (submit) to authority even if the person is not of sterling character or ability. No matter who we are, we’re all human beings who have to rank ourselves under and/or over someone else. Nobody in that line of order is any “better” or “worse” than the other—we each have different ranks and with that rank (position) comes certain obligations and duties.

Sometimes it’s difficult to perceive the difference between submission and obedience. There is a difference, and it lies in subtleties that are apparent to the one who is either obeying or submitting.

• To obey simply means “to follow a command”; “to conform”; or “to comply with an order.”

• To submit, though, means “to yield, or defer out of respect, superior authority, affection, persuasion, or even compulsion.”

God has a plan for order in the world today:

Submission to God

There can be no question about God’s “rank” over all of His creation. God is Supreme, King of kings and Lord of lords, the Alpha and Omega. We submit to God because He is God! “Therefore submit to God.” (James 4:7-10, NKJV) The best example of submission to God was when Jesus cried these words before He went to the cross, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39b)

Submission to God’s Word

Submission to God and to His Word are indistinguishable. If we submit to Him then we submit to what He says. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) Knowing God’s Word and submitting to it will put our lives in the order He intends, “…as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him…” (II Peter 1:3)

Submission to Authorities

Jesus submitted to His earthly mother and father when He was young. “Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them…” (Luke 2:51) Romans 13:1-7 is a call for us to submit to human government:” “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” (v.1) The passage tells us why God calls for submission and not mere obedience—God’s authority (see above) is behind governmental authority. Resisting authorities means resisting God! (v.2) In addition to civil government, God’s order extends to church leadership: “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account.” (Hebrews 13:17a)

Submission of Wives to Husbands

God’s plan for order in the home is a clear line of authority from Jesus Christ “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” (Ephesians 5:22-23) This is not popular today, but a Biblical order of submission in the home is the key to spiritual growth for the whole family. This is God’s plan for a husband and wife in the home. Note: It is NOT Biblical to say that women must submit to (or obey) men in everything. We are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:38)

Submission to One Another

Submission in the local church extends to each member of the body. As explained in Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12, each member of the Body of Christ needs the others and has a role in God’s program for the church. Ephesians 5:19-21 is a beautiful picture of harmony in the church when everyone submits to one another: “…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.”

The difference between submission and obedience is is a matter of our will. We submit to government, to one another, and wives submit to their husbands because that is God’s plan for orderly living which we choose to follow. The military term for submission to rank can teach us a lot about how we interact with God and with one another. God’s divine order for family, church, and community is not difficult to understand when we know what submission means.

Stay Alert! Fall into your ranks! March on!