God’s Gentleman Series

History is the record of the battle of competing ideas and

philosophies that clash with one another in their effort to gain the

allegiance of men. The whole world is under the pressure of such

competing ideologies. Is theism or atheism the truth? Is liberalism

or conservatism the way to go in politics and theology? The whole

question of force or freedom is ever with us all the way from

international relations to our own family relations. The question is,

which is best, which is right, which is most effective in a given

situation? Is it ruthless self-assertion or gentle self-sacrifice? Which

is most effective in dealing with a nation you have defeated, or in

dealing with a criminal or a person with anti-social behavior?

The natural tendency of man is to choose force, for any thing

else is a sign of weakness. Peter was a good man, but he was

persuaded that the sword was the best way to handle things in the

Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus rebuked him and told him that those

who lived by the sword will perish by the sword. Paul was a

Pharisee of the Pharisees, and he was zealous for God. He was

throughly convinced that force was the best policy. He persecuted

and arrested Christians. He was involved in the stoning of Stephen.

Paul received authority to do this, and he asserted that authority.

Might is right was the philosophy controlling him, but he met a

greater master on that road to Damascus, and he received a new

heart and new instructions. He was now given the authority to go to

the Gentiles with the good news that Jesus Christ died for them, and

if they would believe they could be released from the chains of sin

and darkness. We want to look at the way in which Paul carried out

these new orders for his life. In contrast to his old ways, we see him

being God’s gentleman for the Gentiles.

The first thing we notice in this statement is the contrast from

what he was as a faithful Jew. Paul did not come to the

Thessalonians with an army, and with a sword in hand. What has

happened? Is Paul less zealous for Christ than he was when he was

against Christ? Has he lost his zeal? No! He has gained a new and

greater zeal and power, and it is the power of gentleness. He has

discovered that you only win a person when you convince them, and

not when you coerce them. Many have tried to force people into the

kingdom of God, but it is folly, for it does not work. People only

really become a part of the family of God by choosing to receive

God’s gift in Christ. You cannot force people to love Jesus.

Jesus had all power, and He sent disciples into all the world to

teach and preach. Paul was under that same commission, but he

was no longer to go with a sword of steel, but with the sword of

speech. He was not to go with weapons to cut and blast, but with

words to convince and bless. He was to go, not with soldiers to

compel, but with the Spirit to convince. Paul was to enter the

Gentile kingdom of darkness with the gentle weapon of light. Jesus,

the captain of our salvation, holds us each responsible for the use of

this weapon. He said, “Let your light so shine before men that they

may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in

heaven.” The Gospel is to spread by the power of gentleness and not

force.

When the church has forgotten this, and began to use physical

force to compel people to believe, it became corrupted by paganism.

Force has always failed to advance the faith, but love has never

failed. This is a principle in history that the philosopher Locke

observed as applying to all of men’s efforts. He wrote, “Gentleness

is far more successful in all its enterprises than violence; indeed,

violence generally frustrates its own purpose, while gentleness

scarcely ever fails.” We see this principle illustrated in so many

ways Western and gangster films. The bad guys are often defeated

by their own greed for power and possessions. They double cross

and betray one another. Little do the producers of these films

realize that they are promoting the principles of God.

Paul and many others since have proven the same true:

“Gentleness wins more hearts than sternness.” George H. Colvert

said, “The gentleman is a Christian product.” The whole idea of

persuading men and winning men by the gentle process of

enlightenment and friendship is foreign to men outside of Christ.

Force was everything in the ancient world, and still is in much of the