Power in Weakness: Power, Prestige, and the Path of Cruciform Ministry - w/ Dr. Timothy Gombis
Voxology
Voxology
4.8 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 15 March 2021
⏱️ 77 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
How Paul's transformational journey from religious dominance to cruciform humility offers a radical blueprint for reimagining ministry leadership in today's churches. This episode dives deep into the themes of power and weakness, drawing from Dr. Tim Gombis's book, Power in Weakness: Paul's Transformed Vision for Ministry. Join Mike Erre, Tim Stafford, and Dr. Gombis for a wide-ranging and raw conversation about toxic leadership, authentic community, and how the New Testament calls us to something far more disruptive—and liberating—than a leadership pipeline or performance metrics could offer.
Key Takeaways: • Paul's Transformation of Leadership – How Paul reoriented his entire vision of ministry from coercive power and prestige to self-giving service shaped by the cross. • Cruciform Ministry in Today's Church – A practical vision for church structures and leadership that resist American cultural idols of success and image maintenance. • Confronting Pastoral Ego and Cynicism – Honest reflection on the temptations of cynicism, anger, and self-justification in response to abusive church systems. • Ministry as Cosmic Resistance – How Paul's theology of the powers and principalities challenges leaders to embody a cross-shaped stance in spiritual and social conflict. • Redefining Authority and Success – Why mutuality, bi-vocational models, and practicing weakness can unleash the Spirit's resurrection power in the church.
Guest Highlights: Dr. Tim Gombis – New Testament scholar, podcaster (Faith Improvised), and author of Power in Weakness: Paul's Transformed Vision for Ministry. Dr. Gombis shares his journey into rethinking authority, his cosmic understanding of Paul's theology, and practical ways to resist performance-driven models of church by aligning with Jesus's cruciform example.
Resources Mentioned: • Power in Weakness by Tim Gombis – [Link] • Faith Improvised Podcast – [Link] • Philippians 2:6-11 – The Christ hymn that inspired the cruciform model • Michael Gorman's writings on cruciformity – [Link] • "This Present Darkness" (cultural reference) + critique of modern spiritual warfare models
We're giving away 7 FREE copies of Dr. Gombis's Power in Weakness to folks in vocational ministry! Head to our Instagram or Facebook to enter.
Join us as we collectively reimagine what it means to lead like Jesus—not from platforms of dominance, but from postures of solidarity, humility, and Spirit-empowered love. Subscribe, leave a review, and follow us on social media to stay engaged with ongoing conversations about embodying the church Jesus envisioned.
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Music by Timothy John Stafford – https://www.timothyjohnstafford.com/ Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy
As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.
We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.
Our Merch Store! ETSY
Learn more about the Voxology Podcast
Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify
Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon
The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio
Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook
Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre
Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford
Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey everybody, welcome to the Vox podcast with Michael Leary and Timothy John Stafford. |
| 0:10.2 | Soon to be renamed, but none of you believe us, so it will happen someday. |
| 0:12.9 | When you least expect it, it will come like a thief in the night. |
| 0:16.4 | Wow, there you go. |
| 0:17.6 | Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank a couple of people who have joined the support wagon. |
| 0:25.7 | I want to thank Karen and Lori and Stewart. |
| 0:28.5 | I think Stewart is an old friend of mine from Mariner's Church. |
| 0:33.4 | And maybe these, the Karen and Lori are too. |
| 0:37.3 | I don't know. |
| 0:38.0 | But anyway, it is such, it is such kindness that you do this and are willing to support us. |
| 0:45.3 | It really is helpful and rewarding and allows us to do a whole heck of a lot. |
| 0:51.5 | So thank you for that. |
| 0:53.1 | Today, we're going to get gombiced. |
| 0:56.7 | Now, some say there is such a thing as too much gombes. |
| 1:01.9 | We're not there yet. |
| 1:03.5 | Who says that? |
| 1:04.3 | I don't know, but I'm sure somebody somewhere is saying that. |
| 1:07.2 | His wife. |
| 1:10.6 | He does talk about going on a little mini vacation while we're talking, |
| 1:14.1 | and he said it's a gift to her that she gets a break from him. |
| 1:18.1 | Yes. |
| 1:20.0 | But we're talking about, he wrote a book called Power and Weakness, |
... |
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