02.01.2010    Michael Fox CPCC, founder of m�agine!, is a professional coach and trainer, author and creative artist, whose work has been featured throughout the world. Michael is a Certified Practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.� Do you know someone who might benefit from our weekly email?   Paul and John... It was the summer of 1968. The Beatles, by day, were recording their historic White Album; by night, they were loaning their studio to a budding artist--the first signed to their Apple label--a young man from the states named James Taylor. Tensions were high among the four legendary musicians. At one point, for a time, Ringo Starr actually quit the band. (Yes, they noticed.) Mr. Starr recalls: "[I] felt that the other three were really happy and I was an outsider. I went to see John...I said, 'I'm leaving the group because I'm not playing well and I feel unloved and out of it, and you three are really close.' And John said, 'I thought it was you three!' So then I went over to Paul's and knocked on his door. I said the same thing: 'I'm leaving the band. I feel you three guys are really close and I'm out of it.' And Paul said, 'I thought it was you three!'" But, I digress. I didn't intend to write of composers Paul McCartney and John Lennon. I'm thinking of those other two wordsmiths, the apostles Paul and John. By the time Paul came to Christ, John was largely removed from the fray and was privately caring for Jesus' mother, Mary. Later--perhaps after Mary's passing--John served as Elder of the church in the Asian capitol of Ephesus. By contrast, save for an early three-year retreat to the wilderness, Paul's shallow footprints crisscrossed Asia and Europe as he frenetically extended the kingdom of God to the Gentile nations. Two men. Two missions. Two styles. People familiar with their work can likely identify--between two random passages--the distinctive styles of Paul and John--the apostles, not the musicians. Well, the musicians too, for that matter. But, again, I digress. Paul " painted" with a thin brush, using quick strokes, often laboring over details as if in anticipation of his critics. John, on the other hand--or, maybe he was right-handed, too--"painted" with a broad brush, using slow strokes, carefully contemplating the "big picture." Paul's writing is dense; John's writing is deep. Paul's words are practical and filled with gratitude; John's words are mystical and filled with wonder. Paul's writings are filled with compelling, often ambiguous, contrasts: Jew and Gentile, spirit and flesh; faith and law; grace and works; heavenly things and earthly things; obedience and sin; life and death. John, while himself employing large, elemental contrasts, wrote of life, light, and love. Thus, while Paul struggled to define the identity of believers, John endeavored to explain the incarnation of Jesus. Two men. Two missions. Two styles. Paul wrote his letters mid-first century; John wrote his canon near century's close, thirty or more years later. By the time John took up his pen, Jesus' followers--thanks in large part to the former work of Paul--had an identity of their own, distinct from their Jewish forebearers. This distinction is evident, for example, in John's gospel when the apostle made an emotionally detached reference to the Passover, calling it simply, generically, "a feast of the Jews." Two men. Two missions. Two styles. Did the two men of God ever come face to face? From what we can gather, at least once (Acts 15:1-35; Galatians 2:9), maybe twice (Acts 20:17-38). That would have been interesting. What's the point, then? Well, if you insist that I have one, whether we're listening to the work of RIngo or George, or of Paul or John, one is of no greater value than the other: roles do not determine worth either in the Beatles or in the kingdom of God. And then there are these thought-provoking inquiries... What factors, from nature or nurture, might account for Paul and John's distinctive styles? There's no certain answer; use your imagination. If you're naturally drawn to Paul, pick up John, perhaps beginning with his gospel; if you're naturally drawn to John, give Paul a try, maybe starting with Ephesians. If you're not drawn to any spiritual writing, you might want to drop me a note. How might understanding and naming the primary themes of Paul (to define the identity of believers) and of John (to explain the incarnation of Jesus) help us understand the intricacies of their writings? Okay, here's an opportunity to go "deep see fishing." Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist observed that a healthy individual has "two halves of life." She must first define her identity; as she matures, confident of her own identity, she may explore deeper truth, for example the integration of spirit and flesh--or incarnation. How did Paul and John's writing ministries contribute to the healthy development of the church, the body of Christ, in the first century? What's the learning? Michael Fox m�agine! 530/613.2774 407 Myrtle Drive Farmerville, LA, USA 71241   In addition to personal and professional coaching, m�agine! specializes in spiritual transformation coaching, employing its proprietary models --Values, Vision, Voice and Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength-- as well as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator� curriculum published by CPP, the People Development People. Michael's books include  Complete in Christ, Complete in Christ Spiritual Transformation Workbook, and Biblio�files. Coaching fees are based upon a sliding scale. Contact us for details. For additional information, visit our website at maginethepossibilities.net. Limited scholarships are available for spiritual transformation coaching. 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