Gospel Patrons

This past trimester of the school year I  taught on the book of Acts and the missionary journeys of Paul for my 8th and 9th grade classes. As I combed through the passages with the help of my Bob Jones study guide, I discovered some new kinds of missionaries that I had not seen in scripture before. An obscure passage in II Timothy peaked my interest. The passage is II Timothy 4:12: "Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.”

Paul wrote about Tychicus in the context of his own persecution by Alexander the Coppersmith. It seems that Tychicus was from Ephesus. Ephesus was arguably Paul’s most difficult church plant. The city was filled with people engaging in occult practices, and many people were being manipulated by the Devil. Paul placed Timothy, his most trusted disciple, who was like a son to him, over Ephesus. There is much more to say about the city of Ephesus, so I think in the future I will write an entire post on it. 

Doing some research, some have guessed that Tychicus was a wealthy merchant from Ephesus. I would agree with this, and here is why. He did not abandon Paul in Rome in his darkest hour as Demas had done. Instead Paul chose to send him back to Ephesus, perhaps to release Timothy to visit him. Tychicus, being a merchant, would be highly valued by the Roman Empire. As such, he would be able to arrange for Timothy’s safe passage to visit Paul. Tychius also arranged the visit to Philemon to take the letter to plead for Epaphras' freedom. These mail delivery tasks require mobility, resources, and integrity. 

Why would a merchant like Tychicus be so valuable? Money was in short supply in the Roman Empire. Due to the shortage, land grants were given to legionnaires (especially officers) in place of pay. Someone with money could easily influence and protect people in the ancient Mediterranean world. No wonder the Roman Empire grew so large! Perhaps one might call disciples like Tychicus a gospel patron. Gospel patrons serve behind the scenes in ways that would not be obvious. They provide support, resources, and companionship for ministers heralding the gospel. They serve in a support role that reaches beyond the ministry of the local church, but are intricately involved in the development of new churches. 

Perhaps you have a skill like teaching, nursing, or engineering. God could be calling you to support the work of church planters and a gospel patron. I do not see myself as a gospel patron. I’m a retired school teacher, using my gifts to teach within a Christian school in San Jose while I am involved with a local church in the area. But, I am here because of the direction of a gospel patron, who pointed out that God was powerfully at work in Costa Rica and that he felt we could be used in the developing churches there.  I have been in Costa Rica for five months, and we are part of the local church where we can plug in and serve just like we did back at home. Although Lynn and I are busy struggling to learn the Spanish language and to teach new courses, we still see the Lord working through us daily in small ways to preach the gospel and make disciples.

I have seen gospel patronage have an impact on one Sovereign Grace church in Costa Rica. Lynn and I are attending, Gracia Soberana Church in Cartago. The church was recently able to move from a store front to a new building. I asked Pastor Allan if there were any unexpected expenses with the move. I found out that they had to purchase new chairs, and was able to collaborate with a gospel patron to meet that need. These types of needs happen unexpectedly, and it helps when someone is on the ground to notice. It also helps when someone has an understanding of the language and culture. We all have blind spots, and another set of eyes and ears can bring valuable resources to bear. This past week I noticed that Allan was installing viewing screens on either side of the stage area. Lynn had noticed this need when we were seated on the far side of the auditorium. She could not read the lyrics for the songs to worship. As a foreigner, this deficit was glaring because of our language barrier. Many in the congregation probably thought that with so much change already we should not bother God with such a trivial detail. Someone with connections to bring resources to this need can make the worship experience better. 

Has God prospered your finances or work endeavors? You may be called to be a gospel patron, helping to directly support local churches. Please consider reading this book about the subject. But, we’re all called to be a part of the Great Commission. What other ways could you be involved in international missions?  God may be calling you to be a tentmaker or to support international missions from home by praying and supporting those who are sent out. Tent makers are Christians who have skills that open the door to visit foreign countries. Skills like teaching, nursing and engineering are common tent making skills. We all have a part to play to preach the gospel to all nations and make disciples. We just need to enter into local church life to find it.