Introduction to Partnering with Jesus and Others in the Gospel

David W Palmer

(Philippians 1:5 NLT) “For you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.”

Gospel partnership is an often-misunderstood topic. While some see it as a way to get money out of people, others see it as a way to access the amazing grace that is evident on prominent ministers. Meanwhile, some see partnering with church, evangelists, and missionaries as a sacrifice for the cause of Christ; while still others see it as expressing love and devotion to Jesus—the one who sacrificed so much to bring God’s love and freedom to them:

(Philippians 1:29–30 NLT) “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. (30) We are in this struggle together. …”

Perhaps we would be wise to take our minds off the controversy and differing views of gospel partnership, and take a fresh look at Scripture to see how God views it. When we do, we begin by realizing that our fundamental partnership is with Jesus Christ himself:

(Hebrews 3:14 GWT) “After all, we will remain Christ’s partners only if we continue to hold on to our original confidence until the end.”

Whenever we study God’s word on any topic, wisdom says that we should begin with Jesus: he is God’s son and representative on earth; he is heaven’s apostle sent to nearly convey God’s word, he is our Savior, the only one who died and rose for us; he is our life and he is the pre-eminent one, the central figure of all human history, the focal point of God’s plan for humankind. (When we read this, we must keep in mind that Jesus is the Living Word of God (See: John 1:1–3,14; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 19:11–16)):

(Colossians 1:18 MKJV) And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that He may be pre-eminent in all things.

When we look at Jesus in the scriptures, we quickly discover that he had partners—people who loved him, supported him, prayed for him, led worship in his meetings, catered, offered hospitality, followed him, and attended his meetings. We can discover a great deal about God’s plan for gospel partnership by looking at these faithful people and Jesus’s interactions with them.

Interestingly, from among his followers, Jesus chose twelve to be his apprentice apostles (See: Luke 6:13). At the conclusion of their training season, Jesus called them his friends. He not only imparted his vision to them and delegated his authority to them (in Christ), but he also allowed his grace for ministry to transfer to them. This transaction culminated in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, when his “mantle” for ministry fell to them—like Elijah’s mantle fell to Elisha when he too ascended to heaven.

We will also see that Jesus’s disciples had partners—both in their businesses and in their ministries. For example, when Jesus sent them out in their preaching ministry, he sent them in pairs (See: Mark 6:7, Luke 10:1). In other words, Jesus gave each of his delegated ministers a partner for their ministry assignment. (We note here, that Jesus chose the partners for each of them. This reveals his way of operating; he chooses partners for us in each ministry assignment.) Then, throughout the book of Acts, we see some very prominent ministry partnerships: Peter and John, Barnabas and Saul, Paul and Silas, etc.

As we read on into the epistles, we see that the apostle Paul had a particularly close bond with his gospel partners in Philippi. Scripture records Paul’s partner letter to them; it documents and clarifies their association, and it becomes the role model for the covenant of partnership between an itinerant minister and his loyal participants. In it we discover: mutual love and respect, Paul’s apostolic covering, their prayerful encouragement and financial support, and shared suffering for the gospel. What’s even more exciting is that Jesus called Paul and the Philippians into this ministry together—all as His (Jesus’s) partners in the gospel. Consequently, we see that Paul’s partners shared in the grace apportioned to this ministry; and they had “his” God meeting their needs.

Today, I encourage you to open your heart to God on this very scriptural topic. I encourage you also to forgive those who have used this principle to exploit you, or used you for their own selfish purposes. Instead, follow the scriptures highlighted in this series of studies, to ensure you know what God’s word says on this vital topic. I believe you will see not only the mechanical side of gospel partnership, but you will also come to understand God’s heart in the matter and how he wants it to work. None of us have everything in our gifting and grace; we all need each other. God made us this way, so let’s ensure we understand his plan and heart for how we are to work together as partners with him and each other in the gospel.

Once the principle of gospel partnership is firmly established in our thinking—as a prime New Testament value and practice—we can then look in detail at its associated and mutual achievements, sufferings, rewards, benefits, and privileges. This will bring us back to Jesus and his teaching; he explained his appreciation and rewards for those who have followed in his footsteps—by foregoing their privileges so they could spread the gospel:

(Philippians 2:5–8 MSG) Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

(Mark 10:29–30 NKJV) So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, (30) who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.”

The positive outcomes of joining in covenant partnership with Jesus could be summarized as blessings, rewards, and an inheritance package. The Holy Spirit explains that these are ours in Christ, but that they are held exclusively for us in heaven’s secure vault.

Introduction to Partnering with Jesus and Others in the Gospel …continued tomorrow …