Power in Weakness

Envisioning cruciform community built on resurrection hope

After Paul’s encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he turned from coercion and violence to a ministry centered on the hope of Christ’s resurrection. In earthly terms, Paul had traded power for weakness. But—as he explained in his subsequent letters—this “weakness” was actually the key to flourishing community that is able to experience God’s transformation, restoration, and healing. What would it mean for pastors today to take seriously Paul’s exhortation in 1 Corinthians 11:1 to “imitate me as I imitate Christ” and lead their congregations in this way?

Instead of drawing leadership principles and practices from the worlds of business, education, and politics—which tend to orient churches around institutional power and image maintenance—Timothy Gombis follows Paul in resisting the influence of the “present evil age” by making cruciformity the operating principle of the church. Gombis guides the reader through practices and patterns that can lead a congregation past a focus on individual salvation, toward becoming instead a site of resurrection power on earth.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Paul’s Unconverted Ministry

2. Conversion of Paul’s Resurrection Imagination

3. Conversion of Paul’s Ministry Imagination

4. Pastoral Ministry in Cosmic Perspective

5. Cruciform Ministry and Image Maintenance

6. Cruciformity and Credential Accumulation

7. Cruciformity, Passivity, and Taking the Initiative

8. Cruciform Ministry Postures

Epilogue

Bibliographic Essay