Missionary Service in the Life of Paul, Part 3

By Kenneth C. Fleming [1]

Part 3: Paul The Church Planter

Paul’s skill as a missionary is nowhere more marked than in his success as a church planter. As an effective evangelist hundreds came to know Christ through his preaching. He also excelled as a teacher and trainer of people. As a faithful parent trains his children so Paul brought to maturity his spiritual children. His crowning activity, however, was that he formed churches from the believers who had been evangelized and taught. The planting of churches was the third and final step in the strategy of Pauline mission (Acts 14:21–23).

The remarkable thing is that he did it. As we examine the accomplishments of Paul and the principles underlying them, we will discover that we too can succeed. It is neither complicated nor confusing. Paul showed us how to do it. We can, under God, plant churches as he did. Neither the power nor the principles have changed.

In our study of Paul as a missionary church planter we will look first at his concept of the church and how he gained his understanding of it. Then we will note the priority of church planting in his ministry. We will look at the local church which became the model for those he established. Finally, we will examine the principles which made his church planting so successful.

Paul’s Concept Of The Church As God’s Institution

Before Paul was converted his concept of the church was that it was a sect of misguided Jews who had been brainwashed into thinking that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah and that he had been raised from the dead. The sight of crowds of His followers in the temple area singing His praise filled Saul with rage because he saw them as enemies of the truth and as a threat to orthodox Jewry. As a leader of the Pharisees he organized an opposition movement to eradicate those who called themselves the church. After the martyrdom of Stephen, “Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison” (Acts 8:3).

After his conversion his concept of the church changed. He realized that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and that the proof of it was that He had risen from the dead. Instead of persecuting the church he now sought to help its cause. He aligned himself with the disciples who were in the church. He acknowledged that Jesus was the Lord and Builder of His church, just as He had said to the twelve when he stated, “I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18). Saul immediately became a bold witness for Christ in Damascus until a plot against his life was discovered (Acts 9:30). He escaped with the help of other disciples and went into seclusion in Arabia (Gal. 1:7–17).

There, in Arabia, it would seem that Paul’s concept of the church broadened. God made known to him by revelation those transcendent truths about the church of which he later wrote in his inspired letters. Paul became the exponent of the New Testament Church as God designed it. His concept of the church includes all that God has been pleased to reveal about it. When he was a Pharisee he had thought of the church as a cancer to be removed. As a disciple he looked on the church as a brotherhood of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally as an apostle Paul saw the church as a Divine organism at the center of God’s plan for this age.

The Church as a Living Organism

A majority of people in our day look on the church as an institution. Paul’s concept of the church is that it is an organism. Christianity in our day has largely obscured this truth with its emphasis on buildings, programs and agencies. Christians speak of attending church rather than of being the church. Paul would have been horrified by this idea. He saw the church as a living community of believers bound together in a shared life. The word he used to describe this community means simply a gathering of people, as an assembly or congregation. It never refers to a building, a place or an organization. To Paul the church is people.

Paul used the word church (ekklēsia) to describe a spiritual organism at two different levels. At one level the church describes the totality of all believers in every place, a universal community. When Paul tells us that “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,” he speaks of this universal church (Eph. 5:25). He calls it the “body” of Christ formed by the special action of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13). The head of the body is the Lord Jesus (Col. 1:28). The true church of God is universal and spiritual. It transcends any earthly institution or organization. It is what the Lord Himself referred to when He said, “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). The universal church is growing and being built up as believers all over the world come to Christ (Eph. 4:12–16). The church was designed to grow.

At another level Paul described the church as a local community of believers who meet together in the name of the Lord Jesus. These local congregations of believers meet in one place and are often referred to by Paul (e.g. the church in Corinth, or Thessalonica, or Antioch, Acts 13:1: 1 Cor. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1). Provincial areas such as Galatia, Asia, and Macedonia were referred to as having a number of assemblies (churches) within them (1 Cor. 16:1, 9; 2 Cor. 8:1). The many local churches were linked to the one universal church in that they were of the same spiritual essence. Especially in relation to Christ the local churches were like miniatures of the universal church. Paul used the same metaphors to describe both of them. When the church is described as a body, Christ is the all-wise head of the body. When described as a flock, Christ is the shepherd. When described as a temple, Christ is the object of worship. Local churches were to acknowledge and to demonstrate the supremacy of Christ in their assemblies as the head of the body, the loving bridegroom, the feeding and leading shepherd, and the object of worship.

Paul looked at the local church as a dynamic organism. Its life was that of Christ Himself. Its unity was maintained through His presence. Its direction and purpose were from Him. Paul expected to plant these organisms wherever he went with the gospel. He nurtured them with a view to growth both qualitatively and quantitatively. He established them so that they could thrive and grow in the cultural setting of the community. He encouraged them to reproduce themselves in the surrounding communities and, by extension, in distant places. Living organisms grow and reproduce if they are healthy. Paul viewed the churches in this way.

The Church as a Structured Community

Paul’s concept of the church as a living organism must not be construed to mean that it was formless, a mere blob of living cells. He saw the church as having form and structure. In creation biological organisms all have highly complex structures. One of the wonders of the life sciences is this very complexity. The deeper scientific investigation is able to penetrate, the more the awesome wonder of God’s design is revealed. Just as every living thing in creation has order and form, so the church, which is a spiritual organism, has order and form. For a church planter like Paul it was important to have the form clearly in mind, because it was his responsibility to set the pattern in the beginning.

Paul looked at the local church in Corinth as God’s building. It had design, order, and structure (1 Cor. 3:9, 10). He looked at himself as the master builder of that local church structure and others were to be involved with him in the building process. There was the warning that each builder of the local church must be careful as to how he builds. That structure was important and every church planter should strive to follow the pattern.

Of what did the New Testament local church structure consist? How do we justify the bewildering array of complicated structures in the church today? Most of them emerge from history and culture more than they do from the Scripture. Our interest here has only to do with Paul’s understanding of church order as revealed in the New Testament. The fact that he says little about it is taken by some to indicate that it is relatively unimportant or that it was so natural that he did not need to give much instruction about it. In my view, the reason for relatively little Pauline teaching on church organization is that God intended it to be simple and basic. The organization was to go no further than the autonomous local church.

The symbols used indicate structure. We have already mentioned the building with its plan and builder. The symbol of the body indicated order from the head and cooperation and control of all the members. The church as a household indicated headship and order. The church as a priesthood presumes ordered activity and a high priest. The truth is that there is no organism which is not organized. Order and structure are New Testament principles; there is no room in the writings of Paul for an unorganized church that exists strictly as an unstructured fellowship of believers doing their thing.

The churches Paul had a part in planting all share a common structure, albeit a simple one. It was no accident that those in Lystra, Philippi, Corinth, and Ephesus share a similar pattern of organization, even though widely scattered geographically. Nor is it accident that the structures in the planted churches were similar to the church in Antioch from which Paul and Barnabas were commended to the grace of God for the work.

Let us consider some of those features of structure which are clear. First there was a statutory authority. This came from the apostles and prophets of the New Testament church to whom God revealed his truth about the church and through whom the first churches were planted. Their understanding of church principles was later embodied in the New Testament which we now have as our authority.

Then there was government. Paul established elders in every church (Acts 14:23). He instructed Timothy clearly on the qualifications and functions of leaders in Ephesus where Timothy was at the time (1 Tim. 3). He also instructed Titus about them for the churches on Cyprus. They were to be appointed in every city on the island (Tit. 1:4–10). He wrote to the Philippian believers and included the overseers in the salutation (Phil. 1:1). Paul called the Ephesian elders to give them some final words of instruction (Acts 20:17). Besides the elders there were deacons (servants) who served the churches in different and subordinate areas of leadership. Qualifications were given for these as well(1 Tim. 3, Tit. 1).

A third feature of Pauline church structure was that there was to be purpose and order in the meetings. The Corinthian believers met together as a local church (1 Cor. 11:18) to celebrate the Lord’s supper in worship (1 Cor. 11:23) and to benefit from the spiritual gifts of the people in the church (1 Cor. 12:4). The importance of order is shown by Paul’s strong language in correcting the disorders (11:27–34, 14:1–40). They met together for prayer and teaching (Acts 20:7, 20). Men and women had differing roles and there was order for these. They appear to have met on the first day of the week with ordered regularity (1 Cor. 16:2).

There was order to their giving and use of money. It was to be put aside according to the prosperity of each and then given through the local church for specified purposes (1 Cor. 16:2). Moneys were handled by a plurality of treasurers. There was also order in the discipline of a sinning person in the fellowship (1 Cor. 5:1–13).

The Church as a Functioning Community

In Paul’s mind the church was more than life and form. The local church was also to be focused on function. He saw the church as an organism designed by God to function in accomplishing God’s purposes. That function was in general to glorify God. Paul states, “To Him be the glory in the church” (Eph. 3:21). In glorifying God the church, as Paul saw it, was to function in three directions.

The first function was in relation to God, upward. The churches were gatherings of believers for worship. They were to express to God their praise, adoration, and thanksgiving. They were to acknowledge the greatness and holiness of God. They were to celebrate the Lord’s supper as a vehicle for worship and remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The second great function of the church as Paul viewed it was inward, toward its own members. They were to be built up in the faith, brought to maturity. They were to grow up. The risen Lord gave spiritual gifts such as teaching to people in the church to provide for its growth (Eph. 4:8–13). Paul in his letters gave examples of teaching truth to churches. To the church in Rome he gave a masterful survey of the truths of salvation. To the Ephesians he explained the doctrine of the church. To the Thessalonians it was the truth of coming things.

Within this inward function there was room for admonition and discipline. The people of God need constant exhortation in terms of their walk with God and their relationship with each other. The local church provides for this. It also functions to care for the needs of its members. Some need restoration; others are weak and need strengthening.

Another side of the inner functioning of the church is that of fellowship or “koinonia.” The local church functions so that its members share a common life. This is true in the spiritual life as well as in the social life. It even includes financial sharing. Fellowship is that which binds the Christians together.

The third great function of the church was outward toward the unbelieving world around them. Christ is building His church (Matt. 16:18). At the heart of what God is doing in this age is the fact that “He is taking out from among the Gentiles a people for His name” (Acts 15:14). Paul taught that evangelism must be central in the function of the church. The church was not only the goal of evangelistic activity, it was the base for evangelism in the New Testament. To the Thessalonian church Paul said, “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place” (1 Thess. 1:8). The Roman church had great evangelistic zeal. Their faith was “being proclaimed throughout the whole world” (Rom. 1:8). That was the first thing for which Paul gave thanks. It is interesting that a by-product of Paul’s two-year teaching in Ephesus was that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks (Acts 19:10).

The Priority Of Church Planting In Paul’s Ministry

Having looked at the life, form, and function of the church as Paul understood it, we need to look at the relative importance of the church as an institution in his missionary strategy. What place does church planting have as compared with leading souls to Christ or teaching the Word of God? How does Paul compare it to meeting the social needs of people who may be oppressed or poor?

The record in the book of Acts from chapter nine to twenty-eight is basically the narrative of a man called Paul who was sent forth from a local church in Syrian Antioch and spent the rest of his life planting and nurturing other local churches in four Roman provinces (Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia). We have the record of the establishment of about ten churches and mention of about ten more which seemed to have directly resulted from the first ten, e.g. Colossae and Laodicea seem to have been offshoots from the Ephesus campaign. The next thirteen books in our New Testament are letters of Paul written to these same churches or to people within them. The emphasis of the New Testament record about the ministry of Paul is overwhelmingly on his activities as a church planter and leader. In this section I would like us to explore why this is. If the life and growth of the local churches were so important to Paul, then we who follow him are wise to consider the reasons. I would like to suggest four reasons why church planting was important in Paul’s missionary strategy.

The church is central to God’s plan for this age

The first reason for Paul’s high priority on church planting was that the church was central to God’s plan for this age. The church began when the risen Lord poured out His Spirit on the day of Pentecost. During the course of the age He is “taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name” (Acts 15:14). He has become the head of the church “which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:23). He distributed gifts for the building up of the church (Eph. 4:8–16). When the church is complete the Lord Himself will come and take her to be with Him forever (1 Thess. 4:16, 17).

The church is important for the spiritual health of God’s people

The second reason for the priority of church planting was that it is necessary for the welfare of God’s people in an alien world. In the wisdom of God He provided for their spiritual and social needs. The church was a place for fellowship and a sense of belonging for Christians in a hostile world. It was a place for corporate worship and prayer as believer/priests brought their sacrifices of praise to God. It was a place for growth in grace and character. It was a place for the correction and discipline of God’s children when they disobeyed Him. It was a place to serve one another.

The church is efficient for worldwide evangelism

A third reason for Paul’s church planting priority is its efficiency in terms of world evangelism. God designed it so that believers would be saved, then taught to grow to maturity, and finally gathered into a local church. From the strength of the local church fellowship they were to reach out, to evangelize, teach, and plant other local churches which would then repeat the process. In society healthy babies are born, brought up to maturity, and then married. The result is that from the institution of marriage there will be more babies, who will be brought up and marry to repeat the process. When healthy churches function in this way, the result is the most efficient and satisfactory means of world evangelism. It is the key to world evangelism. It will happen both within the culture of the parent church and also cross-culturally with those who deliberately cross cultural boundaries for the sake of the gospel.

The church is ideal for developing maturity and leadership

A fourth reason for Paul’s church planting priority is that it provides the best possible growth environment for maturity and leadership. A healthy local church gives the new convert a balanced diet of spiritual food, a place for worship and prayers, direction for Christian service, and guidance when mistakes are made. There is a spectrum of age groups and people with whom he can interact and grow. Wise leaders will give him opportunity to develop his gifts and to reach his potential. It is an excellent training ground. Even in our day of specialization the church remains the basic element in God’s provision for Christian maturity.

The priority of church planting has important implications for today

The high priority for church planting has some important implications for missionaries today. They should not allow themselves to think that in our modern world church planting has been superseded by some other forms of Christian activity. There are strong pressures to put emphasis on the social needs in the world. But clearly the biblical emphasis of missions is on making disciples and forming them into churches. Others are so taken up with the technical advances of our day and the methodology of using them, that they become an end in themselves rather than tools for use in planting healthy churches. We must never lose sight of the importance of church planting.

Paul’s Model For The Local Church—Antioch

Christianity was born in Jerusalem. It was there that Jesus was crucified and resurrected. It was there on the day of Pentecost that the church was founded. Jerusalem was the focal point of the movement of God. It seemed to be destined for a central place as the church grew and developed. Yet this was not to be.

In the plan of God it was not Jerusalem but Antioch which became the epicenter of the evangelism explosion in the first century!

Antioch was a commercial center on the coast of Syria. It was the third largest city in the Roman empire. Following the martyrdom of Stephen and the subsequent persecution, thousands of Christians fled from Jerusalem. A substantial group of these Jewish Christians spoke Greek, and some settled in Antioch. They began witnessing to the Gentile people around them.

Then a surprising thing happened. Greek-speaking Gentiles responded to the gospel in significant numbers. Soon, for the first time in history, a church was established that was made up largely of non-Jewish believers.

The Antioch assembly grew rapidly and its influence spread with increasing effectiveness. In fact, for the next century Antioch was Christianity’s most important center. It was the springboard of the missionary travels of Paul and his team of church-planting evangelists. It can truly be said that the “Antioch model’” set the standard for the missionary thrust of early Christianity.

The centrality of Christ

The churches Paul had established in the cities of Galatia were modeled after the church in Antioch; that is, the operating principles which formed the basis of the local church were the same. These principles did not necessarily have to do with form and method. One of these was the centrality of Christ. He was the focus of their gathering. In Antioch they became known as Christians (Christ ones) because Christ was central (Acts 11:20, 26). Another principle was the unified fellowship where their former religion, race, or status was ignored in the function of the church. The names of the leaders in Antioch indicate wide diversity in background which was no longer a dividing factor to them in the fellowship of believers (Acts 13:1).

In Antioch there was diversity of spiritual gift and freedom for its use. Prophets and teachers were using their gifts (Acts 13:1). There was spiritual vitality indicated by people praying and fasting (Acts 13:2). Plurality of leadership was another principle. Five men are seen in that position (Acts 13:1). Then there was sound teaching. Right from the beginning Barnabas was so concerned about it that he went all the way to Tarsus to bring Paul to teach them (Acts 11:25, 26).

Energetic evangelism was another principle of the assembly in Antioch. They were “preaching the Lord Jesus” with vigor and with results (Acts 11:20, 21). They were also marked by what may be called responsible autonomy. Antioch was autonomous as an independent local church under Christ, but it was responsible in that it showed concern for the hurting believers in Judea. They sent money to them in a time of famine (Acts 11:29, 30). A final principle was that of missionary vision. In waiting upon God they were responsive to the Spirit of God as He indicated that two of their number were to leave Antioch for missionary work in other parts (Acts 13:1–3).

In tracing the record of Paul’s subsequent ministry it is instructive to observe that these very principles were taught and practiced in the churches he established in the cities around the Aegean Sea such as Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth. In accomplishing his missionary goals Paul had a model to follow in every important aspect of missions, especially in his church-planting ministry. Antioch was the proper model because it was the first of the New Testament churches to be composed of both Jew and Gentile. It was the first church to be unconnected with the ritual of Judaism. It was geographically at the hub of world trade and commerce. Disciples were first called Christians there. The example of the New Testament church was first displayed there. Paul had the personal experience of being there, but we have the biblical record as a guide.

Other things which may seem important to us are not even mentioned in the Scripture. They are obviously not part of the biblical pattern. Whether we practice them or not will have to be decided on grounds other than biblical reference. No reference is made to the property and buildings a church may or may not have. Creeds and constitutions have no New Testament precedent. Nor has formal ritual. There is no mention of central organization or headquarters. Most certainly Jerusalem was not that. The use of Sunday Schools or seminaries is not proved from the New Testament any more than are para-church organizations or mission agencies. These may or may not be useful to us, but the principles as seen in the model New Testament church are fundamental and basic.

Paul’s Principles Of Church Planting In Ephesus

In Paul’s application of the principles of church planting it will be helpful to notice his involvement in the emerging church at Ephesus. This church provides us with the most detail over the longest period of any example in the New Testament. It also provides us with a fairly clear outline of Pauline mission strategy. We will note the different stages in the development of the Ephesian church and the activities of Paul and his helpers at each stage.

The evangelistic stage

The first stage we shall call the evangelistic stage. It really began in the mind of Paul on his second missionary journey. After strengthening the churches in the Galatian region he was burdened for the people of Asia of which Ephesus was the chief city (Acts 16:6). The year was about A.D. 50. Ephesus was a target area in Paul’s thinking. At that time the Spirit of God did not allow them to go there. However, two years later at the very end of the second missionary journey, Paul in the company of Priscilla and Aquila arrived in Ephesus (Acts 18:19). He began to reason with the Jews in the Synagogue as usual, but soon left for his home town of Antioch leaving Priscilla and Aquila to work in Ephesus. Evangelism evidently continued, particularly after Apollos arrived. Priscilla and Aquila detected that he had a deficiency in his knowledge so they explained the way of God more accurately to him. Apollos continued proving to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 16:24–28).

Another year passed and Paul again arrived in Ephesus about A.D. 53. He found twelve men who had been prepared by God for salvation. These believed and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. The church was born in Ephesus. Evangelism had marked the first stage. Priscilla, Aquila, Apollos, and Paul had all been a part of the evangelistic thrust (Acts 18:18–19:8). Once there was a small group of believers meeting in the name of the Lord Jesus they formed an infant church.

The teaching stage

The new work in Ephesus now entered the next stage. The teaching stage. The evangelism of the first stage would not stop, but now teaching would mark the qualitative growth of the new assembly. Teaching was the basis of their understanding and practice of Scripture. Teaching was necessary for the vitality of their worship and the development of their Christian character. As in every young church, Paul and his co-workers laid heavy emphasis on the nurturing of the young believers. Its whole future in Ephesus was at stake, so this stage was vitally important. It will help us to notice the biblical record of this growth.

The teaching stage began with Paul’s renting the use of a school building for his teaching in the afternoons (Acts 19:9). He taught both formally in the lecture style of the classroom and informally from house to house as the needs arose (Acts 20:20). His adaptability is most instructive for those who insist on limiting their ministry to a specialty which they enjoy. Notice that Paul’s attitude in teaching was “with humility serving the Lord with tears and with trials” (Acts 20:19). His courage too is outstanding as he continued in spite of opposition from the Jews and the civic unrest which followed (Acts 19:23–41). The personal cost to Paul was high. He relates that he had fought with wild beasts at Ephesus (1 Cor. 15:32). His helpers, Priscilla and Aquila, had risked their necks to save Paul’s life there. Andronicus and Junias had also suffered imprisonment with him (Rom. 16:7). One further comment on Paul as the teaching church planter was that he was willing to work at tent making to pay the bills while ministering to the believers in Ephesus (Acts 20:33–34).

As he nurtured this young church, Paul taught a wide spectrum of subject matter. Doctrinally he taught the whole purpose of God (Acts 20:27). In terms of Christian conduct he says to them that, “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable” (Acts 20:20). This included exhortation (Acts 20:1) and personal admonition (Acts 20:31). It included teaching on holiness so that idols were burned (Acts 19:18, 19). Baptism also was considered important (Acts 19:5).

Elders were appointed and took their position as the shepherds of the church which was purchased with the blood of Christ. They had been made overseers by the operation of the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28). These elders were warned of the danger of false teachers who would invade the fellowship (Acts 20:29–31). They were taught to help the weak and to give to the poor (Acts 20:35). With such a well-rounded program for growth it is no wonder that the Word of the Lord grew mightily (Acts 19:20).

The Indigenous Growth Stage

The evangelistic and teaching stages were followed by the indigenous growth stage. This stage in the life of the growing church may be described as the point at which the church planter is no longer needed on a continuing basis and the church can continue to grow and reproduce as a result of the resources placed there by God. It has become an indigenous local church; self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating. The parental care of Paul and his co-workers resulted in a viable church in Ephesus. Paul had made it a consistent policy to establish churches and then to wean them away from his own control and direction. He did this by physically leaving them so that the local leadership could effectively take control (e.g. Acts 14:21–24).

The farewell address to the elders of the Ephesian church is an excellent example of this principle. This was at the end of his third missionary journey. All Paul’s subsequent contact with the church there was either by letter or by messenger. Many believe, however, from a reference in his first letter to Timothy that Paul did visit Ephesus between his two Roman imprisonments (1 Tim. 1:3). This information about the continuance of the assembly in Ephesus comes from the letter Paul wrote to them during his first imprisonment in Rome and from the two letters to Timothy who was living in Ephesus when Paul wrote them. Much later the Apostle John gives a final glimpse in Revelation, chapter three.

During the teaching stage Paul had deliberately taught them to grow by evangelism. He trained his disciples “so that” (indicating purpose) “all who lived in Asia heard the Word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). When he left they were able to continue growing without his personal direction. Before Paul left there was a functioning body of elders which gave direction to the assembly. There was to be a continuing supply of gifts which were described as coming from the risen Lord and given for the purpose of the building up of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:10–12). The whole church was to grow up “in all aspects into Him Who is the Head, even Christ” (Eph. 4:15).

Each member of the local body was to provide his/her share toward the body’s growth, “according to the proper working of each individual part” resulting in “the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (Eph. 4:16). From his prison cell Paul wrote to these Ephesians explaining the great mystery of the church in the purposes of God. He emphasized the unity of the body of Christ and the love that should mark the bride of Christ. He urged them to walk in love and to be imitators of God. He warned them of the subtlety and power of Satan and counseled them to take the whole armor of God.

Later when writing to Timothy who was in Ephesus, he reminded him of the place of prayer and the role of women in the church in Ephesus (1 Tim. 2). He re-emphasized the work and qualifications of elders and deacons in the church there (1 Tim. 3). He warned of the problems of the last days (1 Tim. 4).

The second letter to Timothy, who was still in Ephesus, was written during Paul’s second imprisonment and shortly before his death. He urged the younger man to guard the deposit of the truth and to commit it carefully to faithful men who would be able to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2). In this last contact with the Ephesian church Paul sent greetings to Priscilla and Aquila who had been faithful from the very beginning.

Much later, by probably thirty years, the Apostle John wrote them from the prison Island of Patmos reminding them that they had left their first love. He called on them to repent or else they were in danger of having the lampstand of their testimony removed (Rev. 2:1–7).

At that point the church at Ephesus passes from the biblical record. It had become one of the strongest and best of those described in the New Testament. The principles of church growth had been practiced there in each of three stages. In the evangelistic stage Ephesians had come to Christ in large numbers. The instruction stage saw a healthy growing church come to maturity. Finally they entered the indigenous growth stage to become a center for outreach to other cities in the province of Asia. In all probability, the famed “seven churches of Asia” were an outgrowth of the church in Ephesus. When we plant healthy local churches which give birth to other churches we are accomplishing the pattern for church growth laid down in God’s Word.

Notes

1. Ken Fleming has taught missions at Emmaus Bible College for the last fifteen years after serving as a missionary among the Zulu people in South Africa for twenty-five years. This concluding article on the biblical principles of missions which are seen in the life of the apostle Paul was originally given as a lecture at Westminster Chapel, London, during Echoes Day for Echoes of Service and was published in England.