Five Stages of Discipleship - “Stage 4 - Young Adult”

  At the end of the summer, 2002, I drove my loaded down car the three and a half hours to Redding, California, to start my college years. Heading up to college on my own was a strange sensation. I was used to driving all over northern Californian by myself, but this time it was different, I wasn’t just going to a job, or handing out with friends, or even going home fro the night, I was going to be living on my own. So this time I wasn’t going to be making a return trip for a few months. 

On my way up there I had a lot of time to think. I had never met anyone from the college except for a few upperclassmen on the baseball team, a few secretaries, and one college guide. When I finally arrived, I found my dorm room and unpacked. Eventually I was told to go to orientation and get my picture taken. By then I had met two of my roommates, and started to explore the campus by myself. 

All that time, I had this freeing sensation. I was on my own. Eventually we had this thing called a connection group where we would meet other new students in our class.  Little did I know, but that connection group would be the end of my freedom. There I met Marika, and two less than years later, we were married. I remember talking about it with my parents, and their reaction was, “That’s fine, but if you decide to get married in college, we won’t be helping pay for it anymore.” Love struck, I was fine with that. But the taste of college freedom I had, gave way to the reality of adulthood. 

Twenty years later, it’s still the best decision I ever made, but, as many of you know, becoming an adult is hard but it’s that maturing from a child to an adult, that brings us back into our series where we’ll be looking at Paul’s second letter to Timothy, chapter 2, starting in verse 1. And as we open to 2nd Timothy 2:1, let’s look briefly at the last three stages that we’ve talked about in this series.

In our first week, we talked about how you can’t be a disciple without first accepting the Master’s call. Jesus calls us to repent of sin, and accept his work on our behalf for the forgiveness of that sin. When we accept his work, we move from death to life, and become his disciple.

Following that, we enter into the infant stage. In this stage we feed or consume a lot. Everything is new to us and it can feel like a flood of experience. In this stage, we see God’s rejoicing that we are his, because we are new in him. 

This then leads to the childhood stage. Where Tony talked about the good parts of being in the childhood stage of our faith, but how the vast majority of Christians stay in it. It is the first sign of real growth in our faith, but it’s also the stage that comes with the most pitfalls, because we can easily fall into the trap of knowing too much for our own good. This stage is like the teenager who says I know it all, when they have only experienced fifteen years of life. And I would say that within the child stage there are two parts: The child who is growing into maturity and the adolescent who is stuck in the growth and doesn’t move on. Now there is a difference between child-like faith where we trust the Lord as a child trusts their parent, and childish faith where we continue to have self-focus. Child-like faith continues through all stages and actually grows as we mature, where as Childish faith is what keeps us from growth and leads into disappointment in the faith.

This week we are looking to move on to maturity, to move beyond the child stage. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” So let’s move from childish ways to more maturity, as we read together 2nd Timothy 2:1-26.

1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.

14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

When I was young in the faith, this was one of my go to passages. I wanted to be a solider for Christ. I wanted to share my faith and see people receive what I had received. But as I read this passage again and again, I saw that in order to be that solider, there were things that Christ was calling me to. 

This fourth stage of discipleship is called Young Adult. Let me give you two characteristics that a young adult has. First, a young adult is someone who is supposed to be out there really living life; they’re getting their first taste of freedom. At home they did chores as they helped out the family, but now they’re doing all the dishes, all the laundry. They’re fixing their own meals, paying for their own groceries, rent, and gas. The young adult is putting all that their parents taught them into practice as they live in a new stage. There’s a recent saying, “Adulting is hard,” and young adults learn that lesson quickly. 

But just because they’re living on their own, they can still call home to get advice about how to do this or that. They can still come home for a meal anytime they want. Though they’re on their own, they still are connected to their parents for help. Young adults are seeing, for the first time the hardships of what it means to be an adult. 

When we’re in this stage, we might say things like, “I know God has a calling on my life, what does that look like?” Or, “Can I serve here, I think that’s my gifting.” Young adults in the faith are excited about what they learn in the Scriptures and want to share it with the people around them. And they start to see themselves as blessed to serve God, rather than seeing themselves as simply someone who is blessed. 

Let’s walk through Paul’s writing to Timothy to see some new skills the Young Adult in Christ needs to develop as they are walking more assuredly in their faith. 

Paul starts out with telling Timothy to find other people to teach. One of the marks of a young adult in the faith is that they are stepping into positions of ministry. Not simply volunteering, but leading things like small groups and developing skills in themselves. They are not just being poured into, but they are beginning to pour into other people. They are no longer a consumer, but one who shares what they have with others. 

Then in verses 3-7, Paul talks about the struggle and strife. With more ministry work, there will be harder experiences. In young adulthood, our faith with be exponentially tested. We’re no longer simply consuming like in the infant and child stages, we’re in the thick of the spiritual battle. We’re not on the sidelines, we’re in the race. We're not eating the fruits of another’s work, we’re toiling in soil ourselves. Because of that, there is going to be push back. We’re going to start being attacked by friends, colleagues, family members, and other Christians. The enemy, the world, and the flesh are going to ramp up the temptations and attacks to challenge us in the faith. 

This is where counting the cost becomes real. Did I count the cost of Jesus’ calling? When we start into the maturing phase, we come face-to-face with that cost. And what does Paul point Timothy to? Verses 8-13, points us back to Christ. A Young Adult in the faith is learning to take everything to Jesus.

“Jesus my friends are turning on me. Jesus my co-workers or boss is berating me. Jesus my family is turning their back on me. Jesus your people are biting me.” Learning to turn things over to Jesus, to have him as the end-all of our faith, is the mark of a person growing. It’s the realness of faith walked out. Faith isn’t a belief one has, it’s a trust one acts upon. The maturing of the believer is the active trust in Jesus by turning to him.

It’s this vary thing that is make it or break it for a lot of people. Do you know why most people stay in the child phase? Most have volunteered, led a Bible study or Sunday School. They have served meals, or done things for the pastor. Most started to move into the Young Adult phase, but because it got hard, they either shrunk back to childhood, because it’s easier to consume, than it is to endure. Those stuck in the child phase are stuck there because they want an easy faith. But Jesus never promised easy faith, but rather calls us to an enduring one. And the pivot point is, do I turn everything over to Jesus and move forward, even in the strife, or do I shrink back, focus on the hurt and return to consuming. Jesus wants us to endure.

Returning to verse 14, Paul continues describing the things the Young Adult should be moving away from. Stop quarreling over words. In the Greek, that phrase, “not to quarrel about words” is one word, (lo-go-ma-KHEH-o) and it means pointless arguments. How many arguments do we have as Christians that have nothing to do with salvation? They don’t encourage, or lift up the Church, but instead divide us deeper and deeper? The answer is, too many. And Paul states that it ruins, or subverts a person’s faith. The Greek word is katastrophé (kah-tas-trof-AY). Literally these types of disputes is catastrophic to the faith. 

Instead we are to present ourselves to God by handling God’s word correctly, that means we’re learning what’s called correct hermeneutics, and in doing so, we’re avoiding pointless arguments. 

It’s here that Paul gives an example. There are two guys who are going around saying that the resurrection already occurred. Obvious that isn’t true, so why engage with someone who is off their rocker? It’s pointless, because they’re talking non-sense and you’ll never change their minds. So as a Young Adult in the faith, you have to learn when to engage and disengage in disputes. If you don’t, you’ll get bodged down in what doesn’t matter, and then you’ll end up frustrated and burnt out.

Finally this chapter ends on knowing what God is calling you to. It’s really easy to think that God is calling us to a ministry of some kind. To lead music as a worship minster, to become a pastor, or a missionary, and the list could go on. But our first calling, and the one that has to be at the center of ministry, is a calling to be a vessel of honorable use. Are greatest calling after salvation to be holy as the Lord is holy. By seeking God’s holiness to be in us ever greater everyday, we become useful to the Master of the house. It is in that calling that we are ready for every good work. Because the work changes. We might lead kids’ Sunday School in this season of our life, only to become a prayer warrior later. We might teach hundreds of people from a platform one day, or a small group another. The calling of vocation, needs to be secondary to the calling of holiness. 

It is in the Young Adult phase that that maturing reality needs to set in. If it doesn’t, we’ll either walk away from the faith like so many who deconstruct their faith today have done, or we’ll revert to the child stage.

So what does that pursuit of holiness look like? Paul says it’s, “… flee youthful passions …” you know those things of lust, of self-satisfaction. It’s those things that we think we’ll improve our lives, but end in heartache.

Instead we’re to “… pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” It’s taking the Bible and applying alongside our brothers and sisters in the Lord. This is the key in what makes the difference between a child and young adult in the faith. The child hears the word and might try out things, but reverts to their own way of handling situations. However the young adult takes what the Bible says and then does it. They take the advice of God’s word and follow it instead of relying on their own experience or wisdom.

And because they do that, they “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies …” They disengage the things that don’t matter and engage the things of God that do. The Young Adult is learning the difference between quarreling with someone who just wants to fight, and teaching to correct in gentleness. It’s a hard thing to learn and there are times when I don’t mind letting myself go into an argument, but in the last several years I have become adept at disengaging in pointless quarrels. I have no use for them anymore, because they detract from the greater work of God, and I want to be useful to him, not a sparring partner for someone else. 

Finally, a young adult endures evil. They trust in the Lord to work things out, they purse his holiness, and they build a thick skin against the evil that is done to them. There’s an old saying, “Sheep bite,” and God’s flock is full of sheep that will bite. If you allow the biting to get to you, you’ll revert to a child, or abandon the faith because of those hypocrites in the Church. But those who are maturing learn to love the sheep as the shepherd does, bites and all. And though they made need a break for healing, they return to the fold, because that’s where God wants them.

By seeking God’s holiness so that we may be useful for him, learning when to engage to teach with gentleness and avoiding none helpful disputes, and enduring the evil that is done to us by focusing on Jesus and relying on the Holy Spirit for strength, we will mature as Young Adults in the faith moving ever closer to the full maturity God has saved us to. This is where most people falter in their faith, where they revert back to childhood because it’s easier. Some even abandon the walk altogether, because they are seeing others who are staying childish, and they think that’s how its supposed to be. Neither has learned God’s heart for people, and the pain that comes from growing. Though parents joke about getting rid of their kids, when the kid is bad, they endure, because they know the kid will grow out of it.

So God endures with us, and we should endure with others. Because God is calling us to the other side of the journey to full maturity in the final stage, which we’ll talk about next week.

For now, my challenge for you is this: be honest, are you in the young adult stage? Have you experienced it and fell back to the child phase? If you have tasted the young adult stage and yet now see yourself as a child, pick one of the areas mentioned early, holy pursuit, available to be useful, not engaging in useless arguments, or enduring the evil done to you, and seek God in which one you need to practice. If you’ve been hurt, that needs healing. If you quarrel that needs to stop. If you are in a cycle of sin, that needs to be broken, if you are not being used by God in his work, you need to take that step and volunteer in his ministry.

Let’s not fall backwards in our walk with Christ, he’ll work with us no matter what, but we’ll never see that full abundant life, if we do not purse the growth that he has for us. Instead let us be a person who seeks to set aside the childish things and become fully mature in Christ. Amen.

The Life of Ambrose of Milan by Jeremiah Holcombe

                                                                         Introduction

Roughly two thousand years of church history have produced some of the greatest intellects of humanity. Of the thousands of people who influenced the course of the Church, many names, such as Peter and Paul, who led the early Church and from whose ministry flowed the New Testament, stand out. Athanasius, Jerome, and Augustine helped shape theological language as the Church became acceptable to the Roman world. Anselm and Aquinas shaped the medieval Church as it wrestled with Islam and philosophy. Then to Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin, who brought reformation to the Church and a new tradition of the Protestants. To the and through the evangelists of the Great Awaking eras, to more modern names of Lewis and Graham. Such names would not even scratch the surface of the saints God used to shape and build his Church. Yet one name that perhaps is mentioned in passing is that of Ambrose.

Like Wilbur Chapman or Billy Sunday, who in their own right impacted the world for Christ yet are too often regulated to a footnote in the life of Billy Graham, Ambrose of Milan too frequently receives only brief mentions on the history student’s travel to Augustine of Hippo. In his own right, Ambrose may not have Augustine’s presence in the sheer number of volumes dedicated to him, yet this bishop from Milan fulfilled the call of Christ upon his life. The life of the reluctant bishop challenged the society of his day for the cause of Christ, and by doing so, he became an influential force in the shaping of the Church.

Life Before the Bishopric 

Ambrose’s life is most notably recorded by one of his disciples, Paulinus, at Augustine of Hippo’s request after their mutual mentor’s death. Paulinus writes from his first-hand knowledge gleaned over his many years as Ambrose’s secretary and brings insight into the bishop’s life from a personal point of view. In writing the memoirs of Ambrose’s life, Paulinus communicates his mentor’s profound impact on him, which can be felt through his text. Though Ambrose’s biographer spends much of his writing on the years he knew him as bishop, Paulinus does give us a small amount of insight into his tutor’s life before his bishopric. 

The future bishop of Milan was born into a governing Roman home in the city of Trier in the year 339 A.D. The father, Ambrose, was the prefect of the empire’s Gallic provinces. Along with his father, Ambrose, the younger’s family included a strong-willed older sister, Marcelina, who would become a consecrated virgin living with their mother and a brother, Satyrus. Satyrus, like his brother, sought Christian ideals and took up a career in the service of the empire. However, when Ambrose was eventually made bishop, Satyrus returned to administer the family estate until his death. Satyrus’ death significantly affected his siblings, so Ambrose wrote two funeral orations to honor his brother. 

Returning to Ambrose, Paulinus recounts two stories from his youth before serving in the prefect’s praetorian court. The first of these stories occurs when Ambrose is still in the cradle. As Ambrose slept, a swarm of bees began landing on the infant’s face. His father restrained the nursemaid, who was attending to the baby, from intervening. Once the bees had left, the father said, “If the child lives, he will be something great.” Paulinus would comment, “Well-ordered words are as a honeycomb,” associating this story with Ambrose’s reputation as a great orator. The second story gives insight into Ambrose’s witty charm even as a young man. While establishing himself in Rome, Ambrose watched as people would kiss the hand of the bishop. Ambrose would jokingly extend his hand to his mother and sister, requesting that his hand be kissed because he would most likely be a bishop someday. Paulinus takes this moment to comment that this was the Holy Spirit speaking through Ambrose. From here, Paulinus quickly brushes over Ambrose’s rise to governor of the province of Liguria and Aemilia to get to the point of Ambrose’s appointment to the bishopric of Milan. 

The Bishopric

Most scholars begin their treatment of Ambrose at his rise to become the bishop of Milan. Alton Gansky notices that Ambrose did not set his sights on becoming a bishop; instead, the bishopric was thrust upon him. Later in his life, Ambrose would not readily speak of the events surrounding his advancement to the position but would use them sparingly to encourage others as they entered the office.

Paulinus describes the tumultuous events surrounding Ambrose's forced election to the bishopric. Amid the continued Arian heresy, the bishop of Milan, Auxentius, who was an Arian himself, died. This death left a power vacuum that both the Catholics and Arians sought to fill. A revolt ensued, and Ambrose, the governor, was tasked to deal with the situation. Here, Paulinus sees the call of Ambrose as a miraculous event. As the crowd shouted, a child's voice rang out with "Ambrose bishop." Being a just governor known for his mild temperament and possibly equal treatment of both sides of the issue, the crowd called Ambrose to be installed as bishop. However, Paulinus gives us insight into Ambrose's opposition to this election. Paulinus writes, "… contrary to his usual behavior, he ordered tortures to be inflicted on people." The crowd received the punishment yet refused to back down from their position, noting that because Ambrose was a catechumen, a not yet baptized Christian, any sins he imposed on them would be removed at his baptism. This would not be the last time Ambrose would fight against his installation as the new bishop. 

To flee from the call of the people, Ambrose first fled to his family's estate and then sought passage to the city of Ticinum. However, this did not work out, and Ambrose was taken into custody by the people who reported the matter to Emperor Valentinian. The emperor responded, "Go, act not as a judge, but as a bishop." With this final nail in the coffin, Ambrose relented his opposition, demanded that he be baptized as a Catholic, and within a week, was ordained as the Bishop of Milan. The young man who once joked that his family should kiss his hand was ironically, reluctant now in that honored position.

From here, scholars tend to view Ambrose’s life through four significant conflicts he had with the government of Rome: the restoration of the goddess Victory's alter, the Catholics' retention of a basilica against Justina and the Arians, Theodosius' demand that Christians rebuild a synagogue that a Christian riot destroyed, and the massacre of several thousand citizens by Theodosius. However, instead of viewing Ambrose's life through these four events, a more rounded view would be to look at how Paulinus records these, and dozens of other events, in his mentor's life. As one reads through Paulinus' biography of Ambrose's life, four distinct aspects of who Ambrose was stand out: his spiritual prowess, his steadfastness, his renown, and his intellect. If one were only to see Ambrose as the most scholarly person present to him, only one aspect of the man would be focused on, yet by looking through the eyes of Paulinus, the student of history would see a more well-rounded man of God.

Throughout Paulinus' biography of Ambrose, the spiritual prowess of the bishop stands out among all other characteristics of the man. The first act that Paulinus describes in Ambrose's life, after his installation as bishop, is an interaction with a paralytic noblewoman who lived across the Tiber River. Upon hearing of Ambrose's visit, she had her servants carry her to the home where he was staying. After she met the bishop, she kissed his feet and was miraculously healed. Paulinus comments on this event with the words from the Gospel of John 14:12. The greater works that Jesus mentions in John's Gospel are the foundation on which Paulinus relates Ambrose's spiritual work. In total, Ambrose's biographer relays sixteen instances of the bishop's spiritual prowess being experienced. From healings like the paralytic noble women to angels seen standing by his side as he preached, to demons fleeing from Ambrose as in the case of a young secretary of Probus inflicted with an unclean spirit every time he would leave the city of Milan. These spiritual reports of Paulinus show the overwhelming work of God through Ambrose in a passive way. In relaying these stories, Paulinus connects Ambrose as being too filled with the Holy Spirit that he parallels the likes of the apostle Peter in Acts 5:15.

Following the focus on Ambrose's spiritual prowess, Paulinus writes about his mentor's steadfastness in the face of opposition. As stated, this is where most scholars focus on handling Ambrose's life. This is possible because stories of spiritual encounters are more ambiguous. In contrast, the stories of Ambrose standing against the Roman government are more rooted in historical events that can be correlated with other historical documents. In addition to the four events that scholars tend to focus on, Paulinus records an additional eleven events from Ambrose's life. In addressing the four major events, the first and the last seem to encapsulate the other two. First, in one of Ambrose's first actions as Bishop of Milan, he had to deal with a situation over the ownership of the Portian Basilica. This situation arose over the Arian controversy and the emperor's call, at his mother's request, that the basilica be turned over to the Arians. Ambrose opposed this, and for his trouble, he lost favor in the royal court, acquiring accusations of being in league with Satan. Ultimately, Ambrose's steadfastness to orthodox teaching and spiritual prowess prevailed.

The last major historical challenge came from a significant proponent of Ambrose, Emperor Theodosius. Though Theodosius was an ally of Ambrose, the bishop believed that the emperor was not above the church but within it and thereby under the church's authority. Due to this, when the news that Theodosius took vengeance upon the people at Thessalonica so that roughly six to seven thousand people were killed in retaliation for the death of a governor, Ambrose denied the emperor entrance into the church and all benefits therein. In response, the emperor is said to have challenged Ambrose with the story of David committing adultery, to which the bishop replied, "Since you have followed him in sinning, follow him in making the correction." This was such a powerful response that Paulinus records that Theodosius "shuddered" at it and submitted himself to public penance.

These, and the other more prominent examples of Ambrose's steadfastness, show a deep conviction on the part of the bishop to stand for biblical principles. Yet, though not on the scale of fighting against emperors, the other examples Paulinus gives show that Ambrose stood for biblical ethics no matter the situation. One final example of Ambrose's steadfastness, even on the most minor scale, was his stance against avarice. Ambrose saw the greed of his day in both the world around him and the church he served. Against this, Paulinus wrote, "And to such an extent was this true that for him the task of putting a stop to it was most trying, for all things were being upset for gain." In showing that Ambrose stood steadfast against both the giants of his day and in the minutia of everyday life, the student of history can see that the bishop of Milan did not move from the precepts of the Christian faith.

The third section in which Paulinus' biography of Ambrose can be categorized is his reputation. Five of Paulinus' sections on the life of Ambrose speak to how people recognized the love and equality in which he dealt with people. As stated above, one of the reasons why Ambrose was called on to be bishop was due to his fairness indexing with Catholics and Arians alike. Much has been written on Augustine's words of affection towards Ambrose. Though scholar McLynn takes a somewhat cynical view of Augustine's feelings towards Ambrose, calling Ambrose's demeanor towards the young man "routine politeness," to Augustine, it was not routine nor simple politeness. Still, instead, it was a demeanor that made Augustine instantly love his new mentor. This characterization of the love of Ambrose is seen in his bitter tears when he hears of the death of a fellow bishop. Ambrose wept not for the man but for the congregation who lost a holy man and needed another. In another instance, after Ambrose died, a Donatus presbyter disparaged the memory of the bishop, to which some military men struck the disparager down. In these cases, one can see that Ambrose's character and reputation were ones many people loved, for he loved them back in his words and actions.

Finally, Paulinus briefly brings to life a fourth aspect of Ambrose, the bishop's intellect. Though a more thorough look at Ambrose's writings will be dealt with below, Paulinus' approach to Ambrose's intellect focuses' on his abilities through three instances. In the first instance, Paulinus relays that two wise men from Persia came to speak with the famous bishop of Milan. From six a.m. to approximately eleven p.m. the same day, the wise men sought Ambrose's thoughts on a myriad of subjects. Paulinus makes it a point to note that they departed amazed at Ambrose, only to go on to Rome to speak with another intellect, Probus. The next display of Ambrose's intellect comes through the situation with the altar to Victory being re-established. In response to this, Ambrose requested all the reports made and then proceeded to give refutations to Symmachus on the subject. Paulinus notes that Symmachus never replied, though he was an ardent supporter of the restoration, which did not occur until after Emperor Valentinian had died. The final display of Ambrose's intellect that Paulinus puts forth is in the case of Frigitil, a Marcomanni queen. She sought out writings from Ambrose, to which the bishop wrote a catechism for her. This spurred the Queen to persuade her husband to keep the peace with the Roman Empire. Eventually, Frigitil arrived in Milan, only to arrive after Ambrose's death. In giving these examples of Ambrose's intellect, Paulinus shows how his mentor was spiritually and mentally strong. 

Paulinus writes much more about Ambrose's life, relaying several random stories of his mentor's life and one vision he had of the bishop before his death. However, these other stories would distract from the purpose of this paper, so history students must now turn their focus to the death of Ambrose. After a long, storied life, Ambrose of Milan died on Easter of 397. In Ambrose's last days, Paulinus records that Count Stilicho believed that if the bishop were to die, Italy would be treated with ruin. Stilicho called the city's nobles to plead for Ambrose's longer life to curb this. However, Ambrose is recorded saying, "I have not so lived among you that I am ashamed to live, nor do I fear to die, because we have a good Lord." For Ambrose, like Paul, "… to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21 [KJV])" In the bishop's final hours, a report from Bassianus, bishop of Lodi, told of Ambrose's vision. In the vision, Jesus approached the elderly Ambrose and smiled upon him. Not long after, Ambrose died. Paulinus records that at the processional of Ambrose's funeral, "men, women, and children of every rank and all ages, not only Christians but also Jews and pagans …" made up the crowd in the obsequies. The love and equality that Ambrose possessed in life were also seen at his death in the crowds that gathered to mourn his passing. Ambrose followed his Lord, unwilling at first but faithfully to his dying day.

Ambrose the Writer:

Carmen Angela Cvetković recognizes that Ambrose was a teacher first and foremost. Though Ambrose did not write as robustly as his greatest mentee, Augustine, the fourth-century bishop, made his mark on the church through several of his written works. However, unlike Augustine, Ambrose did not set out to write tomes on particular subjects but instead used previous sermons as a basis on which to expand. Four of these works stand out for consideration: On Virgins, On the Mysteries, hymns, and the letters pertaining to the altar of Victory. These four works give insight into Ambrose’s theology, ecclesiastical work, and his approach to arguing against those he disagreed with.

On Virgins is Ambrose’s most extensive work. Like most of his published writings, On Virgins is taken from a sermon he delivered. In addition, Ambrose uses a sermon by Pope Liberius to bring forth a comprehensive treaty on the subject of virginity. The treaties are broken down into three books. In the first book’s opening, Ambrose points to  Agnes of Rome, a virgin martyr of the early fourth century. Agnes was said to be a beautiful young girl who, at the advances of young men, would point to Christ as her spouse. When the governor sought her hand, she rejected him. This eventually led to her death at the age of thirteen. Ambrose points to Agnes as an example when he writes, “… let men marvel, let children not despair, let the married be amazed, let the unmarried imitate.” In the latter half of the first book, Ambrose turns his attention to Christ and finds within Song of Solomon an allegory of a passionate and chaste relationship between Christ and the church.

In book two of On the Virgins, Ambrose gives three examples of virgins, beginning with Mary, the mother of Jesus, then moving to Thecla, a relatively unknown woman to the modern world but of immense importance to the church of Ambrose’s day. It is said that Thecla received the Gospel from Paul and embraced virtue, and for it, two attempts on her life were made. Finally, Ambrose speaks of an unnamed virgin from Antioch. In closing this book, the bishop adds the Greek story of Damon and Pythias to connect the virgin of Antioch with the self-sacrifice within the Greek tale.

Finally, in book three, Ambrose seeks to give application to virginity. The call to stay away from wine, as not to impassion youthful desires, and to keep fasting to be untamed by youthful desires are just some of the applicable steps Ambrose suggests for those seeking to stay chaste. Others include wearing modest clothing and making visits with other youths of the opposite sex infrequent. In this way, Ambrose gave theological reasons for chastity as a virtue and real-world application for those who sought this spiritual discipline. 

The second writing, On the Mysteries, is a brief treatise of Ambrose. This short writing comes from a series of sermons Ambrose gave those recently baptized at Easter. The mysteries referred to the structure of the sacraments. Three events represented these mysteries. First, Ambrose speaks of baptism; writing, “Water is where the flesh is dipped so that every fleshly sin may be washed away; there every misdeed is buried.” Next, Ambrose writes of the sealing of the believer to Christ through anointing but does not linger on the point, moving on to the third event. The final event is the eucharist, where Ambrose distinguishes the ancient manna that the Jews partook of, which left them wanting more and the bread of heaven in Jesus as satisfying. Through Ambrose’s On the Mysteries, one can see the care that Ambrose took in guiding new believers into a better understanding of the church’s sacraments so that they find the rich work of Christ within them. 

From the writings based on the sermons of Ambrose, whose attention is theological, attention must be given to the hymns he produced. One cannot downplay the importance of Ambrose’s desire for the voices of creation to sing back to their maker. The church is indebted to Ambrose as Gansky writes, “It was Ambrose, a lover of music, who brought singing to the churches.” In total, eighteen hymns are said to have been written by Ambrose. The four that Augustine attests to will receive a cursory mention here.

“Aeterne Rerum Conditor” focuses on the Lord’s ability to save and keep those who call upon him from harmful paths. “Deus Creator Omnium” follows in this same vein of seeking the Lord to overcome the believer’s tendency to sway away from God. In these two hymns, Ambrose seeks to voice Jesus’ desire to overcome the ease with which his people can falter into sin. “I Am Surgit Hora Tertia” is a contemplation on the crucifixion of Christ. Whereas it is easy to see the cross as a horrid moment, Ambrose looks to it as a victory. The fourth stanza reads, “Henceforth, now, by the grace of Christ, days of blessedness have begun.” It is said that Ambrose would sing this hymn in the morning when the Gospels recorded Jesus’ crucifixion to have begun. The final hymn is that of “Intende Qui Regis Israel.” This hymn is a call for Jews to respond to the God incarnate. Of the three previous hymns mentioned above, “Intende Qui Regis Israel” is steeped in Nicene theology, of which Ambrose was a staunch supporter. 

At this point, a note must be mentioned of the Ambrosian Chant attributed to Ambrose of Milan. The antiphonal chant associated with Ambrose, a cousin to the Gregorian chant, is most likely not directly created by the bishop, nor was he instrumental in making it a part of the liturgy. However, due to Ambrose’s love of music and his flexibility in conducting the liturgy, he might have given room for the antiphonal chant to be utilized within his sphere of influence.

Conclusion

The name Ambrose of Milan tends to be a footnote in the more extraordinary story of the church, especially when speaking about the great bulwark of the faith, Augustine. Yet without an Ambrose, people like Augustine might be missed as well. Instead, Ambrose stands not as a footnote but as a champion of the faith whose life impacts the world around him and the generations that followed. Gansky writes, “Ambrose never set out to be a church leader. His was the world of politics and public service. In the end, however, he became a church shaper through his courageous stand for doctrinal purity, obedience of state to the church, the introduction of music in worship, and in the mentoring of one of the greatest church shapers and theologians of all: Augustine of Hippo.” Ambrose of Milan is a life genuinely dedicated to the cause of Christ, which should be honored by all who learn his name.

Bibliography

Cvetković, Carmen Angela, “Ambrose of Milan and the Episcopal Duty of Teaching,” Teachers in Late Antique Christianity, edited by             Peter Gemeinhardt, et al., Mohr Siebeck, Götingen, Germany: Hubert & Co., 2018.

Ferguson, Everett, Church History, Volume One: From Christ to the Pre-Reformation: The Rise and Growth of the Church in Its Cultural,      Intellectual, and Political Context, ed. 2, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013.

Gansky, Alton, 60 People Who Shaped the Church: Learning from Sinners, Saints, Rogues, and Heroes, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books,      2014.

McLynn, Neil B., Ambrose of Milan: Church and Court in a Christian Capital, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1994.

“Paulinus,” Early Christian Biographies, translated by John A. Lacy, Washington, D. C.: Catholic University of America Press, 1952.

Ramsey, Boniface, Ambrose, New York, NY: Routledge, 1997.

“Saint Ambrose,” Funeral Orations, translated by John J. Sullivan and Martin R. P. McGuire, Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of         America Press, 1953.

Walker, Williston, A History of the Christian Church, ed. 4, edited by Richard A. Norris, David W. Lotz, and Robert T. Handy, New York,     NY: Scribner, 1985.

Five Stages of Discipleship - “Stage 2 - Infancy”

 My wife and I were foster parents for several years. After adopting our two oldest, we continued to foster babies until we adopted our third child. One of the kids we fostered in between those years, holds a special place in our hearts, even though she was the hardest of any of them. The little girl came to us from a drug and neglected family, as most, but not all, did. We only had her for six months, because her mom and grandma worked hard to come out of their situation. During the time we had her, there were a lot of sleepless nights. The baby would cry for hours on end without any way to soothe her. The doctor thought it might be a reaction to the formula we were using, so we tried speciality formula, but it didn’t help. The only thing that would calm her, was constant movement. So we would take long late night drives, because if it was too short she’d wake up and we’d start at square one. When that became too taxing on us, we pushed her stroller through our yard in the middle of winter at 2 am. By the time she went home, she was able to sleep through the night without screaming. One of my favorite pictures is when our older two were in trouble and the baby, stood up to stand with them. 

Out of all the stages of childhood, I love the infant stage, because kids just go with the flow, everything’s a new discovery, and they don’t talk back. 

Well, this brings us to our second stage in the development of a disciple, which is the infancy stage. So if you have your Bibles, open up with me to the letter of 1st Peter 2:1. And as we open up to 1st Peter 2:1, let’s talk about stage one from last week really quick.

Last week we talked about how stage one in the discipleship making process is death or non-discipleship. Before we are a disciple, we weren’t. That stage from God’s perspective is being dead. We’re considered dead in our sin, because our sin, or those things we do in rebellion against God, lead to not only a physical death, but an eternal one. In order to get out of stage one death, we need to be re-born. We need a resurrection from the dead. This is done through a recognition that we are a sinner, and an acceptance of what Jesus has done to pay for that sin through his actions on the cross, which are accepted by the Father through the display of Jesus’ resurrection. When we have done this, the Holy Spirit indwells us, we move from death to life, and we enter into our discipleship by Jesus.

With stage one now back in our minds, we can move onto stage two, infancy. Let’s read 1 Peter 2:1-12 together. 

“1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

“4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ 8 and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

"9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

“11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

Peter talks about newborns and longing for spiritual milk in order to grow. Before we unpack the passage, let’s quickly talk about what are some characteristics of infants and how those translate to an infant disciple. 

The first characteristic of an infant are that they lack knowledge. To an infant, everything is new. Every sound, every sight, every touch, every smell is something new to experience. It’s the same with new believers. The experiences of the world, and especially within the Church become anew to the infant in Christ. Because of this, the infant is receptive to new information. They receive things quickly and take them as is, without much questioning. However, this leads into a mixing of worldly ideas with biblical teaching. If an infant disciple isn’t discipled well, or they do not take their instruction receptively, all sorts of weird teachings can occur.

The second characteristic is a focus on personal need. Infants need constant attention. They need time and affirmation. They need questions answered. Usually they are excited about the new things they are discovering, as if no one has ever learned what they are learning. Because they are so new to everything, they tend to be less graceful in dealing with people, they might just blurt out things without thinking of the consequences. Thinking that everyone who claims to be a Christian is fully mature, they might misinterpret another Christian’s actions as correct, though that other person might themselves still be in one of the first three stages. In the infant stage there is almost zero ability to discern what is godly and what is not.

A believer who is stuck in the infant stage has some characteristics of their own. They’ll say things like, “I don’t need to go to church regularly, I can connect with God anywhere.” Or “I don’t need to pray and read the Bible regularly.” Doctrines such as the Trinity are still very confusing to them. And they’ll say things like, “why isn’t it getting better?” The reason why a believer can get stuck in the infancy stage, is because they never get past the me first idea. They still need the affirmation that comes from people babying them. I think we all have seen or know that kid who’s eight or nine, and their parents are still treating them like their in diapers. And because of that, the kid acts like it.

Like I said last week, infancy isn’t bad, but staying an infant is.

So, how do we grow out of the infancy stage? This is where we can look back at our passage. One of the first things Peter says is, “… if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (v.3)” This is a reference to moving from stage one to stage two. Understanding that God is good and is working for the good of this people is key to moving out of infancy. It helps us see that God will take care of us and we don’t have to worry. 

From verses 4-8, Peter gets our focus on to Jesus. Everything is done on the foundation of what Jesus has done for us. We never earned salvation and we never will. Hebrews 12:2 states, “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus is both the founder of our faith and the one who will perfect it. We need to hold onto this, because the more we integrate this one idea, the quicker through the stages we’ll grow.

Starting in verse 9, Peter wants us to know our identity in Christ. We’re told that we “…are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him …” We are recipients of God’s mercy. Knowing who we are in Jesus will help us grow, because we need to hold to what God says and not what anyone else says. I believe that when we fully embrace this idea, we have transitioned from an immature believer to a mature one; which will talk about later in the series.

Finally, Peter wants us to recognize that we’re sojourners in this world. It’s not our home. Paul would say this in Philippians 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ …” And because we are sojourners in this world, we must recognize what kind of world it is, it’s a world at war. There is a spiritual battle that’s occurring, and we’re in the middle of it. If you have ever seen a movie where someone wakes up to the reality of what’s really going on, this is what Peter’s talking about. Think “Planet of the Apes,” “Soylent Green,” or “The Matrix.” When we realize there is a spiritual war all around us, we begin to see that growth is not just something that is an option, but rather a need that if we don’t grow we might become a causality of war.

Taking this all in, what then do we need to do. I’m going to give you three building blocks to start out with in the infancy stage that will eventually lead to stage three. 

First, get your own Bible. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it does’t need your name. But it does need to be a physical copy because you need to mark it up. Also, it should be accessible to you as a reader. God has blessed us with a lot of very good translations in the modern world. A good starting point is either a New International Version, or a New Living Bible. I myself started with a New American Standard and never read it because it was so hard to understand. Later I got a New Living and was able to work through the whole of Scripture. Now I use a English Standard, which I preach out of. But get your own physical copy. Start reading it and marking it up with questions and comments.

Next, you have to be connected to a local body of believers. You need a physical place to go. Infants cannot be left unattended, they need nurturing. When someone tells me they don’t need to be with a congregation at all, I can already see there’s a problem in their spiritual walk. We might get hurt by congregations and other Christians, and we might need time for healing, but we always need to return at some point. Growth happens with others, and if Jesus loves his Church, we need to learn to love it too, even with all its bumps and bruises.

Finally, the first obedient act that an infant believer needs to do, is get baptized. After Philip explained Jesus to the Ethiopian, they saw some water, and the Ethiopian asked to be baptized. Baptism is linked to infancy in the faith, if you haven’t been baptized, there is a deficiency there that is easily fixed. And if you need to be baptized, I’m willing to take you down to the river today to get that done. But if you can wait for a little warmer weather, we’re going to be baptizing on the 16th of February a lady who has been itching to get it done as soon as the weather warmed up.

Being an infant in the faith is nothing to be ashamed of. I remember when I was an infant and the newness of Christ’s life was overwhelming in such a fantastic way. So if you’re in that stage, be glad and enjoy learning new things about who God is and what he has done for you. But don’t stay in it. It’s a milestone in your spiritual journey, not the destination. There are greater things ahead as you grow into the person Christ saved you to be. 

My challenge for you this week is, if you sat here and said, “that’s me, I’m an infant in my faith,” then praise God you see it. Of the four things from the passage and the three things we need as an infant, pick one to focus on this week. Maybe you need to get your own physical Bible or get baptized. Maybe you need to rest more assuredly on the goodness of God or you need to awaken to the spiritual war that surrounds you. Whatever that is, seek the Holy Spirit this week to accomplish that work in your life. 

If you see that you’re past this stage in your relationship with God, then praise God. Take what you heard today and ask God to give you an opportunity to help an infant believer in one of the areas we discussed. Helping our fellow Christians is a way in which growth occurs and we show that we have moved beyond the infant stage.

Let us join ever greater together as Christ’s Church, that he would be glorified in his people. Amen.