Leaders Are Lifetime Learners (Paul)

Each year, my wife receives a variety of gifts from family, friends, and her loving spouse ☺. These include gifts for birthdays, Valentine's Day, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, and Christmas. They are all wrapped, bagged, or boxed in decorative fashion.

For my part, the focal point is the gift, but not for my wife. I would throw out the packaging, bags, boxes, paper, ribbons, and bows. But not my wife.

She loves all that stuff and, not surprisingly, has collected an extensive supply of bags, boxes, ribbons, and bows. For her, the presentation is as important as the present.

Paul’s Example of Leadership

When reading Paul’s letters, we see a similar phenomenon. At the beginning of each letter, we find the traditional greeting and identification of the author(s).

At the conclusion, there is a collection of personal greetings and a leave-taking from the author and scribe. These appear to be merely packaging around the actual meat of the letters.

This is particularly true of the leave takings and personal greetings. Reading the list of names can be a daunting task, leaving them in the exegetical trash can.

This is especially true for the modern reader. The end of Paul’s epistles can seem remote and irrelevant to our world today. In addition to the list of names, we find administrative matters and what might be considered spiritual “housekeeping.”

We do not know the people mentioned and are often unaware of the specific issues referred to in the closing of the letters. They seem like an aside.

However, at the end of 2 Timothy, we find a real gem that provides us with a glimpse into Paul’s leadership and His lifetime learning posture.

Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.”(2 Timothy 4:9-13)

At the time of this writing, Paul is coming to the end of his ministry life. And what a ministry life that was. Many would agree that Paul was the greatest theologian who has ever lived. He was the greatest missionary in the history of Christianity and has never been eclipsed as a church planter.

Next to Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christian movement, Paul stands as the most significant leader in Christian history. At that time of this writing, Paul had already likely written 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans, Galatians, Colossians, Philippians, Ephesians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Philemon, Titus, I Timothy, and possibly Hebrews.

This comprises the majority of the New Testament canon. His letter to the Roman Christians has been one of the most significant, if not the most significant, pieces of literature in the history of humanity. To say that Paul could have rested on his laurels, stopped to smell the roses, and finished well as a leader is an enormous understatement.

However, what we find in a simple phrase is a desire to continue to learn.

When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.” (2 Timothy 4:13)

Paul asks Timothy to remember his cloak, and one can imagine an elderly man who is often chilled to the bone and then remembers fondly a warm piece of clothing. Then he asks him to bring his scrolls and parchments.

The Greek word (τὰ βιβλία) is translated as “scrolls” but could be understood as “books.” Naturally, there was no printing on that day, and writing was done on papyrus or leather and then rolled up. The term “parchment” is a specific reference to writing done on leather (μεμβράνας), usually goat or sheep.

This was more expensive than papyrus and was usually reserved for more important writing. What was written on the scrolls and parchments remains elusive. However, we can say with some confidence that these were the typical materials used for studying.

Paul as a Model of Lifetime Learning

At the end of a magnificent life of Christian leadership, Paul was still reading, writing, and studying.

He was a lifetime learner. This learning posture allowed Paul to develop a new understanding that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the promises made to Abraham.

Jesus was the Israel of God, and the Kingdom of God had been ushered in through the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. Learning was a characteristic feature of Paul’s leadership throughout his lifetime.

Nothing has made lifetime learning more of an issue than technology. I first stepped into ministry leadership over 40 years ago, and during that time have faced numerous learning experiences related to technology.

During my undergraduate education in physics, there was little or no need to type lengthy papers. However, as a young seminary student, I faced a significant challenge as I had never learned to type properly. To meet the demands of my seminary classes. I had to pay a typist, which became expensive.

It became apparent that I might be able to finish seminary, but when I did, I would be financially broke. During my first year, the desktop computer was introduced on a widespread basis, and for financial survival, I had to learn how to type and use new computer technology.

Shortly thereafter, we moved to Poland, and communication with our ministry headquarters and financial supporters took place using the fax machine. I remember receiving faxes on roller paper that were 6 to 8 feet long, including the financial statements.

Several years into our tenure in Poland, email and the Internet were introduced around the world. Although I would like to say I was a learner, I was actually forced to incorporate email technology and Internet communication into our ministry work. To my surprise, this included the use of the Internet for financial transactions, including donations to our ministry work.

The rapid expansion of the Internet led to the use of video technology, making it possible to communicate around the world, first through Skype, and then through Zoom.

I quickly realized that, although there was no replacing face-to-face ministry, the use of video technology and conference calls could save thousands of dollars in travel costs and add a crucial element to leadership development in our ministry. That was fortuitous when the COVID-19 pandemic made face-to-face ministry very difficult.

Like many Christian leaders, I found myself teaching and speaking to a camera and not real people. Most recently, the expansion of digital communication and printing has dramatically affected the previous tradition of writing, including books and other written resources.

Podcasts, blogs, and digital publishing an entirely new means of teaching, preaching, and communicating God’s Word. I am not alone in adapting to the ever-changing world of technology, making it more important than ever that effective leaders maintain a posture as lifetime learners.