“No reputation”
The King James Version translation of Philippians 2:5ff, translated by the NIV as “emptied himself” is: “made himself of no reputation”. Whereas “emptied himself” is possibly the more literal translation of the Greek, there is something about Jesus making himself of “no reputation” that is gripping and challenging. At any rate, it has had a vast and profound influence on me for over fifty-seven years.
When one considers that a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and to be esteemed as better than silver and gold (Prov.22:1), we are led to conclude that God wants us to have a good name – a good reputation. Indeed, we are not to lay hands (i.e., ordain or approve) on a person who is without a good reputation (1 Tim.5:22), Paul shows how important a good name is. And yet the irony is that Paul himself did not have a good reputation in many places. The Judaizers (Jews who professed faith in Christ but wanted to retain the Law to the hilt, including circumcision) made Paul’s life miserable. They followed him everywhere he went, even destroying his reputation with his own converts! How would you like to have to endure seeing your own converts – when they are still babes in Christ – influenced by vicious lies about your theology? We don’t know what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was. In my book Thorn in the Flesh I make no attempt to determine what Paul’s thorn was. But if you ask me to say what I think it was I will tell you now: I believe it was those Judaizers. Paul would so loved to have had them out of his life.
Paul never showed concern for his reputation. But he came close when it came to young Timothy. He perhaps feared that Timothy would somehow cave in – and distance himself from Paul. Keep in mind that Paul was virtually a “nobody” in those days. He was seen by many – especially Jews – as a “Johnny-come-lately”. The big names were James and Peter – those who were close to Jesus of Nazareth before his death on the cross. Paul later urged Timothy – referring to his reputation with the Roman authorities – not to be “ashamed of me his prisoner” (2 Tim.1:8). Paul knew full well that his own reputation in those days wasn’t going to give Timothy a lot of credibility.
In previous blogs I told of my own questionable prayer: “Lord make me the lowest possible shame for your glory” – and how that prayer was answered within a few weeks. I had never experienced the loss of reputation before – whether among friends or relatives. But the experience of being “under a cloud” in the eyes of those important to me prepared me for more to come! I could not have known that down the road I would have to experience this uncomfortable feeling again and again.
Why am I gripped by this? I answer: it has done more to increase my anointing than any other thing I can think of. To remind those who may not know my definition of anointing – it is the power of the Spirit that makes one’s gift function “easily”. I have personally wanted a greater anointing of the Holy Spirit than anything in the world. I used to say I would push a peanut with my nose across London if it would increase my anointing. I would do anything – fasting, praying every day at 4.00 AM, getting people to lay hands on me. I have had the most famous preachers in the world to pray for me – to lay hands on me. I am sure this has done me no harm – none of these things. But if I were to be totally and transparently honest, I would have to say that what has given me the greatest anointing on my gift (insight into the Word of God) is that my reputation – with some – has been under a cloud for a long time. Some good people have had doubts about my integrity and theological position. I had one friend however who said he would write certain people because it was not right that this or that be said about me. I stopped him, pleaded with him: “Please do not say a word to anybody”.
Why? I fear the lifting of the anointing from me if I raised a little finger to clear things up that would put me in good light with certain people. Billy Graham once said that he feared the possibility that God would lift His hand from him more than anything; I fear the same thing. And I know in my heart that if I “put the record straight” with regard to my reputation that I would be finished in God’s sight. In one stroke I could clear my name but lose my anointing. The fact that certain things are said about me that cast a doubt over me is (in my opinion) a major key to my anointing. I am content to wait until the Judgment Seat of Chrit for God to clear my name (1 Cor.4:5). In other words, I would rather wait until then than lose a measure of my anointing now.
I think this is what Paul was after – at least in part – in Philippians 2:5ff. It is why I prefer the King James translation of that passage. It has shaped my whole ministry.
RT
You can read much more about this in my book: Imitating Christ available at a discount for this month.
