By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS: I reflect on the dignity and necessity of support roles, comparing them to biblical examples like Baruch, Jonathan, Ruth, Barnabas, and Timothy. I emphasize faithful service, humility, loyalty, and contentment, arguing that ALL roles, whether front line or background support – ultimately glorify God and strengthen His people.
I’m a para-professional educator. Parapro for short. You might have heard of paralegal or paramedic. Para jobs are support jobs.
A paramedic is a highly trained, specialized healthcare professional who provides advanced emergency care but does not possess a medical degree (MD). Same with paralegals, they support the lawyers who have been to law school and are credentialed in that field (JD).
Paraprofessional educators are the same. We support teachers and students in classrooms by providing specialized instruction, offering behavior management, giving one-on-one help to students, or leading small groups in or out of the classroom.
I used to be a certified teacher but after leaving then years later returning to education, I found that I enjoyed the support role or parapro more than the front line job of teacher.
Support roles are critical for success in many areas, and always have been. No one on the front line of any profession, or even in the military, can be successful alone.
My father served served aboard the USS Estes out of San Diego as a supply corps officer in the Navy. A Navy Supply Corps Officer acts as the business manager for the Navy aboard ships or submarines or onshore. They handle logistics, supply chain management, financial operations, and services to ensure ships and units are “Ready for Sea”. How can an Army or Navy win without supplies? They can’t.
Background supports are critical for success. To that end, we see a number of Bible people who excelled at support rather than being the ‘hero’ on the front line as missionary, teacher, evangelist, or pastor. Content to perform their duties on behalf of a person or ministry, we see many of these support folks in the Bible narratives.
Baruch was scribe to Jeremiah. He wrote down Jeremiah’s prophecies, managed the scrolls, and oversaw the storage of Jeremiah’s deeds. He was a practical and an emotional support to Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 36:1-8). Sometimes hitching one’s self to a front-line figure meant that the para-support person ascended the same heights but also fell to the same depths. We read in Jeremiah 43:2-3 that along with Jeremiah, Baruch was kidnapped to Egypt in 587/6 BC during the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 43:2–3).
Jonathan is famed for his steadfast support of David, even against Jonathan’s own father, King Saul. Jonathan and the term loyalty can almost be synonymous here. He both protected and supported David with emotional and practical support (giving David his own armor!). King Saul’s love for David failed. Wife Michal’s love for David failed. The People’s love for David failed thanks to his son Absalom. But Jonathan’s love and steadfast support never wavered. What a blessed support to David that must have been!
Ruth was also an Old Testament support to widow Naomi. Ruth chose to forego returning to her own people and instead stuck with Naomi into an uncertain future when Naomi departed from her adopted homeland of Moab and returned to Bethlehem. Ruth gleaned for her mother-in-law, working the fields to ensure they had food. She supported Naomi spiritually by vowing to follow Naomi’s God. She was steady and loyal and eventually the Lord blessed her with a kinsman redeemer.
In the New Testament, Timothy was a close assistant to Paul. He was being discipled when Paul came on the scene to Derbe & Lystra, “and a disciple was there, named Timothy” (Acts 16:1). Paul selected young Timothy to be his companion and support. Paul taught him. Over time Timothy grew in his sanctification and maturity and performed a number of tasks in support of Paul.
Loyal Timothy traveled with Paul in his journey through Phrygia, Galatia, and Mysia; also to Troas and Philippi and Berea (Acts 17:14). He followed Paul to Athens, too. Timothy was so trusted by that point that Paul sent him as his representative with Silas on a mission to Thessalonica (17:15; 1 Thessalonians 3:2). Timothy also traveled to Corinth (1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1) to reunite with Paul and continue assisting Paul in ministry there.
Paul found Timothy at an early period in Paul’s missionary career, and it is good to see that to the end of the apostle’s life, Timothy remained faithful to him (unlike Demas). Timothy was an honorable helper and support.
Some supporters in the Bible enter their role knowing ahead of time they will eventually step into the front-line role. Elisha knew he would eventually be Prophet in Elijah’s role, but was a submissive helper for the time he was in the support role, doing all things diligently.
It was the same with Timothy. As Timothy grew, he was given increasingly responsible tasks, even apart from Paul’s direct oversight. Soon, Timothy was ordained and evangelized and pastored on his own. Paul’s tutelage had bought Timothy into a front-line role.
Others remain support staff for their entire career and love it. Jonathan threw himself into that role for David, even as the King’s son! So did Barnabas. He was a significant support to Paul and others. Barnabas is considered a “maker of leaders.” He was solely focused on building up others rather than seeking or accepting personal advance for his own ministry.
Though some supporters are content to grow and eventually step into a prominent role, and others are content to remain background support, one must be careful of erring on both sides. Those in front line roles should not become conceited. Paul advised Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:6 not to install a young convert into the role of overseer or they might become conceited with self-importance.
Alternately, those who operate in a support role may become discontent with not receiving recognition they feel is due, which is what happened with Moses’ sister Miriam. She began rebelling against Moses and was puffed up with self importance. She wanted equal recognition, but instead was cursed with leprosy for her discontent.
The prophet Jeremiah counseled Baruch to place his confidence wholly in the Lord and not to seek great things for himself (Jeremiah 45:1-5).
Some women are discontent with helper role as wife and/or mother. But Eve was created to BE helper. She was the First helper. Most women are destined for that role in church. Some may teach other women in church, or lead devotions or a Bible study according to Titus 2:3-5 commands. But some women usurp in church and want a front-line role or office for which we are not designed. This is sin.
Some women in the Bible helped/supported in other ways besides personal presence by offering funds for the ministry, as Susanna did in Luke 8. Joanna was the wife of Chuza who was Herod’s household manager. Lockyer says “She is here seen as one of the traveling company who went before Christ and the Twelve to arrange for their hospitable reception.”
Others helped by offering their home, as did Mary/Martha/Lazarus, and Lydia. Helping and supporting a ministry comes in many forms.
Deacons support the pastor by taking onto themselves some of the more menial or mundane tasks, freeing up the pastor to study, write sermons, and shepherd. (1 Timothy 3:8–12).
If you have found your niche, as I have with a secular career as support person and also a ministry, then you are blessed.
Why? Whatever role you are in and operate for the glory of the Lord, because we are all one body. We all have the same Spirit. We all have one Lord to whom we give fealty and love.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).
The common good is our edification but ultimately it is for the glory of the Lord, and there is no higher good.
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