"Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by God's Will," poetry

Revised Edition: LukivPress (Victoria, BC), 2022.

Introduction

Paul prepares Timothy for challenges (that will include dealing with apostates). He writes in his second letter to Timothy, "God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but one of power and of love and of soundness of mind." (Second Timothy 1:7). As a compassionate teacher, Paul adds, "For a slave of the Lord does not need to fight, but needs to be gentle toward all, qualified to teach, showing restraint when wronged, instructing with mildness those not favorably disposed." (Second Timothy 2:24, 25) What a privilege Timothy enjoys, instructed by such a man, who reflects many Christ-like qualities, such as fellow feeling, and who emboldens others, as Christ did, with joyful endurance and courage. Exhorting Timothy, Paul says, "Continue in the things that you learned and were persuaded to believe." (Second Timothy 3:14) Apostate teachings were proliferating, and so protective Paul urges Timothy, "Preach the word; be at it urgently in favorable times and difficult times; reprove, reprimand, exhort, with all patience and art of teaching." (Second Timothy 4:2)

An excerpt, chapter one

Gibeonites, like men with ears pierced

By the awl, suing for peace;

Like men before the king's son,

Bowed in obedience and humility,

Full of the yielding spirit that does

Not bite or trip or smash;

Gibeonites, who did not know the chill

Of Pharaoh's heart;

These Canaanite sons, like perfect

Adam naming animals, caring for Eden;

Like Rahab, looking after spies;

Like wise men with their ears to the

Door or doorpost, understanding

Themselves, with these words in

Their mouths, "Yes, master. Let me

Serve you forever."

The author

Dan Lukiv, published in 19 countries, is a poet, novelist, columnist, short story and article writer, and independent education researcher (hermeneutic phenomenology). As a creative writer, he apprenticed with Canada's Professor Robert Harlow (recipient of the George Woodcock Achievement award for an outstanding literary career), the USA's Paul Bagdon (Spur Award finalist for Best Original Paperback), and England's D. M. Thomas (recipient of the Cheltenham Prize for Literature, Orwell Prize [biography], Los Angeles Fiction Prize, and Cholmondeley award for poetry). He attended The University of British Columbia (creative writing department), the acclaimed Humber School for Writers (poetry writing program), and Writer's Digest University (novel writing program).