The Catered Message

Should a leader be consistent or flexible?

Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.- Acts 16:3

If Paul were alive today, practicing his ministry throughout the world, I wonder how he would be treated on social media.

He fought the leaders of the church to allow him to bring the Gentiles to Christ without requiring them to be circumcised and then when he encounters pressure in a Jewish region, he bends and makes the new followers get circumcised.

Critics would be all over him for that, calling him a hypocrite.

Having a variety of strategies for success is not always seen as a good thing, especially among one's enemies.

Paul admitted in his letters that he tailored his approach to each church based on their beliefs and customs, seeking to find the most palatable way to get his message across.

Back then, there was no way to compare notes.  The people of the church in Rome probably never spoke with the Corinthians.

I guess if you are a supporter of Paul and believe in his ministry, you would see his approach as something positive.  He caters the message to the audience to gain greater traction and acceptance.

But if you are opposed to Paul, you would see him in another light.

Paul would argue for the deeper message, the spreading of God's Word, and so he would justify his actions accordingly.

So, perhaps the lesson for us is to try to understand the deeper meaning.  Is there something more important that makes the inconsistency in the delivery of the message irrelevant or at least less important?

In other words, what do we have in common that we can all agree on?

Maybe we would all be better off if Paul could talk with our representatives in Congress and with our World Leaders.  Maybe then we would find flexibility is not always a bad thing.

More to come...