“As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker in your service; and as for our brethren, they are messengers of churches, the glory of Christ.” [2 Cor 8:23]

In 8:16-24 Titus and two others are commended for the mission. Accompanying him are two men whose names Paul does not provide and whose identities are probably beyond recovery. The mission specifically referred to is the collection for the Judaean saints. One of them is referred to as ‘our brother’ and is described in a way which suggests that he must be a regular and devoted member of Paul’s apostolic entourage. Titus, as Paul’s intimate colleague, was already well known at Corinth. He needed no pressing to go on this mission, but had volunteered. He is clearly regarded as filling a more important role in this particular mission. One of the two companions of Titus was appointed by the Macedonian churches to share Paul’s responsibility in collecting and conveying this benevolence to Jerusalem. His seal in spreading the gospel has already won him wide renown. The appointment of such co-treasurers is part of Paul’s deliberate policy to prevent suspicion and scandal where detractors are busy (v.21) This may be the rationale in our church’s constitution for electing two trustees. It was more than probable that Luke was the delegate. We know that he accompanied Paul to Palestine, and we read (Acts 20:4) of two Thessalonians and one Beroean among the delegates but no Philippians. Even though the companions of Titus are not named their lives are a mirror in which Christ is reflected. Nothing greater can be said of any man; no one should be able to say less of any Christian. Was the glory of Christ so evident to Paul’s mind when he thought of them that their names were irrelevant? (Interpreter’s Bible) It is not significant that the roles of the two brothers are no longer distinguished in verse 23, because the one concern in verses 23 and 24 is to urge that all the three men be warmly received in Corinth and that the congregation be responsive to their appeal for money.

Paul now summarily characterizes and recommends the three. Titus, he says, is my partner and, by reason of two or more previous visits to Corinth my fellow worker in your service. The two unnamed brethren are the messengers of the churches, to be respected and trusted because they have thus been recognized as competent leaders; they are also the glory of Christ, i.e. by reason of their character and work they bring praise to their Lord. Messengers is literally apostles in the broad sense of officially delegated and responsible emissaries. “If any one inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow-worker concerning you. Or if our brothers are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.: (v.23) A further certificate is given to Titus in verses 13-16.

Remember the Pentecost. “They were all with one accord in one place.” (Acts 2:1) Peter and John in Acts 3 &4. In unity is strength. When believers are in one accord and are praying, wonderful things happen. Pentecost experience is the outcome. It was a never-to-be-forgotten experience for the early disciples. It was a marvelous experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. They needed this gift of extraordinary strength to perform the extraordinary task that had been assigned to them.

The qualities we must develop if we would grow like the church in Jerusalem grew? Add to or subtract from this list: unity, bold witnessing, constancy, prompt dealing with problems and dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit. And praying together. The early church was an expectant fellowship, empowered fellowship and the result was an expanding fellowship. All that believed were together, and had all things in common. Just as Naomi and Ruth, they shared loyalty. They were committed to the partnership in the mission. In one of the most poignant statements in all literature, Ruth expressed her commitment to Naomi. “Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God; where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried.” (Ruth 1:16) Loyalty was expressed by Ruth’s willingness to place her trust and confidence in another person. Ruth’s commitment to Naomi showed her willingness to share common goals, experience common sufferings, and make common sacrifices. There is always risk involved. To be loyal could involve taking risks and being misunderstood.

Another pair would be Jonathan and David. The love that developed between them was reciprocal. Each loved, adored and respected the other. The two had much in common. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, and that is to our Lord. We will be loyal to work, to service, to anything, but do not ask us to be loyal to Jesus Christ. Our Lord is dethroned more emphatically by Christian workers than by the world.

First, the apostles were “of one heart”, which is a description in the original Greek I am told, meaning ‘in tune’ or ‘in sync’ with one another. To put it another way, they were all going the same way, spiritually together. Second they were of ‘one soul’ (some times translated as ‘one mind’). It literally means ‘to breathe’ or ‘to breathe spiritually together’. The results of this quality of spiritual unity were both powerful and practical.

We often pride ourselves on self-sufficiency. But having partnership with someone and that again the mutual engagement through both depending on the Lord, the true vine, the greater the likelihood of our being fruit-bearing Christians. Independence says, I can do it myself. Interdependence says, I cannot do it alone, we need each other. Of course interdependence is difficult to develop in a culture that insists on its own way and rights but to muster reconciliation we must learn it. In interdependent living we learn to appreciate the uniqueness of the other and to need what the other is bringing to the relationships. This reciprocal equality is described in 2 Cor 8:12-14 where one’s abundance supplies what the other lacks, leading to a mutual benefiting of each other.as interdependence supplies different needs, balancing the whole.

‘Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another’. (Prov 27:17) The power of unity is emphasized in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. “Jesus called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.” (Mk 6:7) Jesus was indeed a master psychologist. Paul was thankful to Christians in various communities for their ‘partnership in the gospel’ (Phil 1:5) The apostles were considered co-workers together. As Paul says: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the strength.” (1 Cor 3:6)

Paul speaks of unity in diversity to Corinthians (1 Cor 12:12-30) Paul writing to Romans says “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” (Rom 1:11-12) Paul was appreciative of the help of others. “…When they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship…” (Gal 2:9-10) In a powerful verse in Philippians he writes “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (2:1-2) and continues the challenge to have the same mind and spirit of Jesus. Paul challenges Thessalonians “to encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thess 5:11) The writer of the letter to Hebrews speaks of “stirring up one another to love and good works, encouraging one another.” (10:24) Colossians 4 lists a number of people for whom Paul is grateful. The apostle appealed to the Philippians (2:2) to strive for unity in four ways: to have the same attitude, to express the same love, to unite in one spirit and to possess the same purpose. In Colossians 4:11 he writes “These only are my fellow workers into the Kingdom of God, which have been a comfort to me.” The best way I know to describe my fellow worker in mission is to say with Paul, they “have been a comfort to me.”

Paul speaks of Epaphroditis ‘my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier’ (Phil 2:25) When Paul calls him ‘my brother’ he means that the two of them were brothers in Christ. They had both been ‘born again’ of the Holy Spirit; both possessed the same new spiritual life and nature; both were members in the family of the redeemed; both were children of God in Christ; and both had the same indwelling Savior. He describes Epaphroditis as a ‘fellow-soldier’ First, the ‘messenger’ like a dispatch rider not ‘regarding his life’. Second, refers to the willingness to be an ordinary ‘private’ in the army, a ‘minister’ to others. Third, his love for his comrades. Fourth, his concealment of his own suffering. Fifth, the willingness to ‘hazard’ his life in service.

Christian fellowship outlives personal differences because of the ultimate loyalty to one Master. Without workers the cause of Christ would drag to a full stop. Lazy visionaries are simply pious make-believers. Here was a man filled with the Holy Spirit. He was a fellow-worker. He could work well with others and others with him- a most commendable quality. Have we not heard it said, “He is a fine Christian; but nobody can work with him”? Such porcupine individuality can be real hindrance. We should avoid domineering self-opinionatedness, and develop instead comradeship. In my college days when communist party became active in Kerala, India, to hear workers in the party as ‘comrade’ implied many qualities expected of the party activists. Winston Churchill once twitted a political opponent: “He has a genius for compressing a minimum of thought into a maximum of words.” In contrast word-artist Paul had a genius for concentrating the most telling pen-portraits of personalities in a few immortal lines.

Sometimes we Christians tend to dwell on our differences – the diverse ways we celebrate holy days or observe sacraments or interpret the Scripture. We stumble over theology, stub our toes on denominational labels. It’s easy to lose sight of our common goals in Christ and to forget that we are all just neighbors – neighbors in need of help. When we cooperate, when we share our part of the track with another, we travel swifter, higher and faster. What’s more, the trip becomes a pleasure. Let us pray, Father, help me to turn my drive to compete into a golden opportunity to share. “Try with God’s help to perceive the connection which binds your labor with the building of the Kingdom of Heaven.” Every Labor Day I recall a cartoon that I saw many years ago. An appliance salesman says to a potential customer, ‘One of these devices will do half your work for you.” The woman replies, ‘Good! I will buy two.’

After Christ’s departure his disciples would especially need to be supportive of one another. They would face doubts, fears, persecutions, and even martyrdom. A spirit of unity and mutual love could become a source of strength for them. In addition to holding them together, love would hold them together with Christ. To enjoy His presence and companionship in our work and play and all other activities gives unspeakable joy. We are God’s partners. He never sends one alone. He has been everywhere that we are called to go. The only safe way to travel is with Him alongside and in control. Take His hand and walk with him. “Dear fellow-traveler, take courage! Christ has consecrated the road.” (Charles Spurgeon)

For partnership to mature there are certain conditions to be met. I can think of no better postulation than that of Carl Rogers when he spoke of the three necessary and sufficient conditions for psychological growth namely congruence, unconditional positive regard and empathic listening.

1. Congruence: - an ability and willingness to openly express one’s feeling– i.e. to be real and genuine, to be whole or integrated, to be what one truly is. He spoke of congruence in these words: “In my relationships with persons I have found that it does not help, in the long run, to act as though, I were something that I am not…It does not help to act calm and pleasant when actually I am angry and critical. It does not help to act as though I were permissive when I am really feeling that I would like to set limits…It does not help to act as though I were acceptant of another person when underneath that exterior I feel rejection.” (What understanding and acceptance mean to me. Journal of Himanistic Psychology 1995, 35, 7-22)

2. Unconditional positive regard – Positive regard is the need to be liked, prized, or accepted by another person. When this need exists without any conditions or qualifications, unconditional positive regard occurs.

3. Empathic listening – To Rogers empathy “means temporarily living in the other’s life, moving about in it delicately without making judgment.” One sees things from the latter’s point of view and the other feels safe and unthreatened.

Paul writing to Ephesians (5:11) speaks about unfruitful works of darkness. These dark works are personified as companions when a good man ought to avoid. Have nothing to do, in your own individual lives with evil things that one can commit. But the word here is ‘have no fellowship with’ – ‘Do not be partners with’. The devil has no more cunning way of securing a long lease of life for any evil than getting Christian people and Christian churches to give it their sanction. What was it that kept slavery alive for centuries. Largely this, that professing Christians were mixed up with those who perpetrated it.

A dumb church is a dying church, and it ought to be; for Christ has sent us here in order, amongst other things, that we may bring Christian principles to bear upon the action of the community, and not be afraid to speak when we are called upon by conscience to do so. We are challenged to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. We find three truths here: evil works are sterile; they are works of darkness; they deserve reproof. Fellowship with works of darkness is forbidden.

This fellowship may be produced in several ways. Spurgeon for example suggests the following: Partners

1. By personally committing the sins or by joining with another in bringing them about;

2. By teaching wrong doing, either by plain word or by just inference;

3. By constraining, commanding, or tempting: by threat, request, persuasion, inducement, compulsion, bribery or influence;

4. By provoking, through exciting anger, emulation or discouragement;

5. By neglecting to rebuke, especially by parents and masters misusing their office and allowing known evils in the family;

6. By counseling and advising, or by guiding by example;

7. By consenting, agreeing and cooperating. By smiling at an evil attempt, and in the end, partaking in the spoil;

8. By conniving at sin- tolerating, concealing, and making light of it;

9. By commending, countenancing, defending and excusing the wrong already done and contending against those who would expose, denounce and punish it. It is especially my duty to be clear of other men’s sin as one who would not be associated with that which is either shameful or foolish.

The metaphor of ‘friendship’ is the one that comes to mind as I write of partnership. The celebrated passage in Gospel according to St. John chapter 15 is relevant in this context. The passage is taken from several chapters which are commonly known as the ‘Farewell discourse’ of Jesus. There is mutuality in the relationship between the believers and Jesus as they carry out the work of God’s reign. The disciples are now asked to be partners in the enterprise rather than being primarily followers. They are asked to make a choice, and they are asked to back up that choice with their lives. Friendship as Jesus portrays here is a willingness to stand with another, to commit oneself to advocacy, loyalty, and to a shared purpose. It is a willingness to use oneself on behalf of the friend. In a context of mutuality, it means accepting the validity of another’s voice and adding one’s own voice to the others in support. It means empowering another to speak and to be heard. And it means to do all these things within a commitment to mutual accountability. Friends hold one another accountable – accountable to each other and accountable to the spirit of truth given to the community

In order to be advocates of one another, we must be able to speak one another’s stories. We must be able to stand for one another with honesty and integrity.- and in order to do that we need to be willing to lay down our lives and all that we hold precious in them, so that we might take up the life of another who may have no voice and no power without our advocacy. It means joining one’s life to the lives of others in a community of support – lives laid down in common for the sake of God’s reign

What makes my friendship valuable is that I willingly lay down my life story, not denying it or devaluing it in the process, so that I can truly hear and support the life story of this other. It is only in this act of solidarity that I can stand with this person as friend – a person with whom we must join in solidarity in order to respond to our call of friendship with Christ.

For me, it’s pretty awesome to think of friendship with God as my calling. ‘God spoke to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend’. Friendship is a mutual undertaking requiring mutual effort. They must have made a covenant together. The word ‘covenant’ means to cut or to bind. It is another word of agreement. Friendship begins when each person makes a strong commitment to the other person. The deepest friendships have god a a part of them. Basic to friendship is one’s acceptance of a need for others. Friendships have the most potential to blossom when lives are in the center of God’s will.

Friendships play that sustaining role in the churches. The church should be a center of friends. It should provide coherence rather than polarization. Alan Bloom in his Love and Friendship contends that there is in fact “a passionate exclusive attachment that stems entirely from a supra physical involvement of two consciousnesses.” Friendship is the opening of one human need to the need of another. Of such friendship he writes: “Philosophy is what this friendship is about. The two help each other along on the path to truth. Friendship requires two souls and a reality to the understanding of which these souls are dedicated. They are solicited by the attempt to transform opinion into knowledge. It is nature, or being, or reality, prior to the souls, that provides the stuff that cements them together. That there is some kind of truth, about which they reason and about which they can agree or disagree, concerning which they can refute each other, is essential to the possibility of sharing.”

We may refer them as theological friendships , where agreement and disagreement are essential elements. Without some mutual affirmation, there would be no friendship. Without refutation, there would no profitable friendship in the quest for truth. God’s grace makes it possible for their relationships to include both. Theological friendships, therefore, are the fruit of a common interest which begins with the discovery of convictions shared. The importance of the discovery of mutuality is not to be ignored. For it is of the essence of friendship. He is my alter ego in a sense, but not a clone. Difference is also of the essence of friendship, and in that difference there is a gift of disagreement. I call it a gift because in disagreement there is enrichment and growth.

Jesus offers four tests of friendship. (i) We know Christ’s friendship for us because of what He has done for us. (ii) ‘I have told you everything’. (iii) He tells us that we are his friends when we ‘do what he commands us’. (iv) The final test of friendship is as simple as it is direct. ‘Ask of me what you will’. Jesus now invites his disciples to pray to the Father in his name without embarrassment or hesitation. Prayer is the miraculously free and privileged language between friends. The friendship of the one who was not only willing to give a map for the way but who decided to come along with us on the journey.

As stated earlier, what is friendship – a relationship in which there is the joy of agreement and the freedom to disagree. In friendship, people can even be opponents on various issues without becoming enemies. And that is a wonderful gift, indeed. We are friends because of our deep interest in and commitment to the truth of God in Jesus Christ. Because it is a theological love, it is a sacrificial and redemptive love. Theological friends do care about each other’s lives.

Caroline J. Simon in a stimulating discussion in ‘The Disciplined Heart’ suggests a thesis that friendship entails discerning, endorsing, and encouraging the destiny of a friend. ‘A person’s true story is that person’s destiny’, she claims. A friend is someone, therefore, who intuits my sense of self, who endorses my true story. A Christian friend is one who perceives my destiny in relation to the God we both serve and encourages me to become the person in Christ that God has made possible for me by creation and redemption. Friends are for one another. Friends understand one another to the extent each wishes to be understood. Friends believe in each other, not because of their respective achievements but out of respect for their individual destinies before God. Friends support each other in the pursuit of their ‘true stories’.

Friendship understands limitations. We do not expect to be friends with everyone, nor do we expect everyone to be friends with us. Yet we know that our circle of friends overlaps with the friendship circles of each of our individual friends, and those circles continue to extend outward literally around the globe.

We need friends of all kinds. In fact, I will be so bold to suggest that we need at least two such friends, one who is very much like ourselves and another who is anything but like us. There is nothing like a needed act of friendship, even when it is done, no, make that especially when it is done for us by the friend who is least like ourselves. We all need these friends, who, like our Lord Jesus Christ, will never let us down, never let us off, and never let us go. His is the way of simply acting out the truth that we too are just human beings like they are. Isn’t this what the church is? – a fellowship of persons who look to God together – who search for Him, and attempt to answer His beckoning call. We are fellow travelers on the desert high ways of life. God’s relationship with Israel is analogue to the bridal relationship, but also different because of the radical inequality of the partners. We are partners in the great business of bringing the Kingdom of God on earth. A passing thought. “A guide alongside you is better than a map in your hand.”