What's The Value? Series

things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

PARTNERSHIP

On your outlines, I have this one marked as “Practicality” but after I did the original outline, I thought “partnership” was a better word to describe this section. Please change it on your outlines..

Eccl. 4:9-12 – Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Think about it. A rooster minus a hen equals no baby chicks. Kellogs minus a farmer equals no Corn Flakes. If the nail factory closes, what good is the hammer factory? Paderewski’s genius wouldn’t have mattered as much if the piano tuner hadn’t shown up. A cracker maker will do better if there is a cheese maker. The most skillful surgeon needs the ambulance driver who delivers the patient to be operated on. And just as Rodgers needed Hammerstein, you need someone and someone needs you.

Solomon is describing what is termed nowadays as “synergy”. What is synergy? Synergy or synergism means two or more things working together creating a greater impact than the sum of their individual parts.

Our word synergy comes from the New Testament Greek word sunergos. Paul used the word sunergos several times in his writings to refer to his fellow workers. There were people like Pricilla and Aquilla, Timothy, Titus, Epaphroditus, Philemon, Mark, and Luke, who Paul viewed as his sunergos in ministry. Paul knew that by cooperating with other servants of Jesus Christ he could accomplish more for the kingdom of God than he could on his own. So he called them “my sunergos” or my synergizing-partners.

Solomon says that partnership is important. Why? Because we can do more together than we can apart. Gen. 2:18 – The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Jesus sent his followers out “two by two”.

Solomon points out the practicalities of partnering with someone else. The first practicality is that partnership makes for more efficient labor. Two can do more than one. Two can produce more than one.

It’s easier to do difficult jobs when you’re partnered with someone. Not only does it lighten the load but partners can encourage one another.

Three things we all need that we can’t provide for ourselves: 1. Companionship – you can’t be a companion to yourself 2. Comfort – you can’t be a comfort to yourself 3. Counsel – you can’t counsel yourself.

The second practical thing about partnership is that it provides help. The roads and paths in Solomon’s day were mostly unpaved and many roads were unlevel. Rocks were abundant. Sometimes you just had to walk through an open field where hidden rocks were a danger. It wasn’t uncommon for even the most experienced traveler to fall and break a bone or fall into a pit. It was common to travel with others for this reason.