Pastoring Is a Manly Business

The last words of a dying man carry unmatched gravity, especially when they’re spoken from the confines of a prison cell. When Paul wrote his final letter to Timothy, it wasn’t from a place of comfort but from a sentence of execution. “The time of my departure has come,” he wrote (2 Timothy 4:6). His hands bore shackles, his fate was sealed, and yet his voice still called his spiritual son not to shrink back, but to press forward in the face of suffering. The lion was going down, and his roar was a charge to all future shepherds: pastoring is not a soft calling it is the high and holy labor of men empowered by the Spirit of God.

Paul, who had been stoned, shipwrecked, beaten, and imprisoned for the name of Christ, held nothing back. His words to Timothy rang with fire: “Do not be ashamed… but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8). This is the pastoral call. It is not padded by applause or popularity. It is forged in trials, in tears, and often in blood.

The Crucified Context

Jesus never misled His disciples. He told them plainly, “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). The pastor’s pulpit is set before a crucified Messiah. His calling is not merely to preach but to suffer for preaching. The early church knew this intimately. By 313 A.D., an estimated two million Christians had been killed under Roman persecution. To pastor in that era was to step into the line of fire and it still is in many corners of the world today.

What about today’s pastors? Do we consider the physical and spiritual risks that accompany this office? Many don’t. But ministry, at its core, includes the willingness to defend the flock, even at great personal cost. “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3) this isn’t metaphor, it’s marching orders.

Spirit Empowered for the Task

When Paul reminded Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God,” he also anchored him in the Spirit who gives that gift. This Spirit is not one of fear but of power, love, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7). This is the Spirit who transforms fearful men into courageous shepherds. It is the Spirit who fell on David and turned a shepherd boy into a giant-slayer. It is the same Spirit who came upon the apostles and made lions out of lambs.

Power to Stand, Courage to Endure

In ancient texts, the Greek word translated as “fear” (deilia) implies cowardice the kind that flees from battle. But God’s Spirit turns cowards into conquerors. Remember Samson? “The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him,” and he tore a lion apart with his bare hands (Judges 14:6). David, too, was empowered by this Spirit, and Saul, while he had it, was unrecognizable in his boldness. Yet when Saul abandoned God’s word, that Spirit departed, and so did his courage.

The apostles were no different. Before Pentecost, they hid. But after the Holy Spirit came, Peter stood and preached with such power that three thousand were saved in a single day (Acts 2:41). That is what the Spirit does He emboldens us not only to speak but to stand.

The Love That Bleeds

Paul writes that the Spirit also brings love not a sentimental softness, but the sacrificial kind that leads a man to lay down his life for his sheep. Consider Stephen, the church’s first martyr. As stones rained down, he cried, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). That is not natural love. That is Spirit-born compassion that seeks the salvation of enemies even in the hour of death.

Modern statistics tell us that over 360 million Christians face high levels of persecution today. Pastors in many of these areas don’t preach to applause they preach under surveillance, threat, and the looming possibility of martyrdom. Still, they continue out of love: love for Christ, and love for His bride.

Self-Control in the Fire

God’s Spirit also grants self-control. Not all attacks come from without; some rise from within. Saul, once Spirit-filled, became a madman when the Spirit left him. He hurled spears at David, even at his own son. By contrast, a Spirit-led man governs his impulses and guards his doctrine. Paul exhorted Timothy: “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching… for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16).

This self-mastery is vital. David and Samson mighty in battle fell at home. The pastor cannot only conquer from the pulpit; he must also triumph in the private battles of the flesh. Only then can he lead others with integrity and power.

No Room for Soft Shepherds

The modern West has known comfort for too long, and with it has come a softening of the pastoral role. But as culture grows hostile to biblical truth, the luxury of soft shepherds is rapidly vanishing. We need men faithful, Spirit-empowered men who are willing to bear the weight of this calling even when it means bearing scars.

Egalitarian illusions and cultural trends do not prepare one for persecution. If lashes returned to the pulpit, if prisons awaited those who preach Christ boldly, the illusion of a neutral gospel would shatter. Paul bore “the marks of Jesus” on his body (Galatians 6:17), and rejoiced that he was counted “worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Acts 5:41). Can we say the same?

The Spirit Is Our Strength

Brothers, consider your Spirit. The Spirit who gave David courage, the apostles power, Stephen love, and Paul endurance now dwells in us. This Spirit is not of fear. He is the Spirit of Jesus, the Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. He makes men brave, tender, steadfast, and self-controlled. He makes pastors.

When suffering comes not if, but when may we stand our ground, empowered by the Spirit of God, anchored in the gospel, and willing to suffer for the sake of Christ’s name. And may we, like Paul, finish our race with the words: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

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