One of the reason lies in the Jewish tradition of “two witnesses” (Deut 19:15). The Old Testament law stipulated that at least two witnesses were needed in order to convict someone of a crime. In the culture of Jesus, this legal requirement also underscored the commonsense idea that two witnesses are more reliable than one. So, when two of Jesus’ disciples proclaimed the presence of the Kingdom, they would be more likely to be listened to.
Last month, I planned to go to the North of Vietnam by myself, but I decided to bring along our Hmong Coordinator. This town is a mountainous town, residing at 1,650 meters above sea level and cool with temperatures of around 10-15 °C. The change in weather made me almost catch a cold and sore throat. The Bible said “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Our Hmong Coordinator helped me teach the class and interpreted as I was preaching.
It is the power of a shared ministry with mutual benefit when the two work together. We spent time together as we visited churches and talked to church leaders. The Hmong Coordinator is my student; as he is pursuing Master of Divinity in a Bible School and my co-worker with CCI. Jesus sent two because the other could be strong when one was weak. The Lord designed humankind to be interdependent. We need each other, and that is good. The body of Christ is to build up one another in love and unity. As we were together “two by two” is also the way of mentoring. We just want to make sure that Nu is not alone, our team is always standing by him, not only prayer but also with instruction to help him do ministry work better.
I recognize my need for support in my Christian life. I rely on the people of God who He has put into my life for that support. The Lord provides these people and will continue to provide people to help me along the way, support me, and lift my hands of faith when I tire. I also want to do the same thing to my team.
|