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Transformational
Pastoral Leadership

Ushering in Lasting Growth


and Maturity
Tim Gregory
Transformational Pastoral Leadership
Tim Gregory

Transformational
Pastoral Leadership
Ushering in Lasting Growth and Maturity
Tim Gregory
Santa Fe, TX, USA

ISBN 978-3-031-27487-9    ISBN 978-3-031-27488-6 (eBook)


https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27488-6

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer
Nature Switzerland AG 2023
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the
Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of
translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on
microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval,
electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now
known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are
exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information
in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the
­publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to
the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The
publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and
­institutional affiliations.

This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature
Switzerland AG.
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Contents

1 A
 Case for Transformational Leadership: Leading to
Bring Change  1
Leading Toward Transformation   2
The Problem   3
Leadership   5
Discipleship   6
Influence   7
Transformational Leadership   8
The Purpose of This Book  12
The Significance of This Book  14
Bibliography  15

2 L
 etter to the Philippians: Paul’s Blueprint 23
Paul’s Authority to Speak on Pastoral Leadership  24
Setting the Scene: Leaders and Laity  25
Expected Spiritual Growth: A Life of Transformation  25
Living Sacrificially: Transformed by a Relationship with Christ  28
Shining Like Stars: Continued Transformation  29
Comparison of Christ-Hymn and Isaiah’s Servant Song  30
Moving Forward: Reaching for New Heights  36
Renewed Thinking: The Doorway to Transformation  40
Virtues Described  41
Transformed Living: Touches the Pocketbook  43

v
vi Contents

Transformed Expectations: The Unstoppable Gospel  45


Conclusion  47
Bibliography  49

3 G
 odly Examples: Shining a Light for Others to See 51
Paulinian Examples  52
The Effects of Modeled Behavior  54
The Call to Local Pastoral Leaders  56
Bibliography  59

4 P
 ersonal Attention: Attending to the Needs of the
Individual 61
Paulinian Examples  62
The Effects of Personal Attention  64
Call to Local Pastors  66
Bibliography  68

5 A
 uthentic Behavior: Saying What You Mean and Meaning
What You Say 71
Paulinian Examples  72
The Effects of Authentic Behavior  73
The Call to Local Pastoral Leaders  75
Bibliography  78

6 G
 ospel Infusion: Making the Main Thing the Main Thing 79
Paulinian Examples  80
The Effects of Gospel Infusion  82
The Call to Local Pastoral Leaders  84
Bibliography  86

7 C
 orrective Teaching: Approaching the Scriptures
Responsibly and Ethically 87
Paulinian Examples  88
The Effects of Corrective Teaching  90
The Call to Local Pastoral Leaders  91
Bibliography  94
Contents  vii

8 C
 larity of Vision: Creating an Image for Members to
Embrace 95
Paulinian Example  96
The Effects of Clarity of Vision  98
The Call to Local Pastoral Leaders 100
Bibliography 102

9 H
 umility: An Attitude for Success103
Paulinian Example 104
The Effects of Humility 105
The Call to Local Pastors 107
Bibliography 110

10 S
 acrifice: Living Selflessly113
Paulinian Example 114
The Effects of Sacrifice 116
The Call to Local Pastors 118
Bibliography 120

11 L
 ooking to Christ: The Pastor’s Strong Tower123
Paulinian Examples 124
The Effects of Looking to Christ 126
The Call to Local Pastors 128
Bibliography 130

12 A
 Model for Transformational Pastoral Leadership:
Bringing It All Together133
Transformation Requires a New Mindset 133
Transformation Never Ends 135
Transformation Has a Purpose 136
Transformation Requires Inspiration 136
Transformation Does Not Fear Evaluation 137
Transformation for the Mission of Christ 138
A New Model 140
Bibliography 141
viii Contents

13 E
 ternal Perspective: Keeping Your Eyes on the Prize143
Bibliography 149

14 G
 reat Commission Driven: Keeping the Mission at the
Forefront151
Bibliography 157

15 H
 umbly Sacrificial: Surrendering to the Will of God159
Bibliography 165

16 P
 ersonal Involvement: Developing and Maintaining
Relationships167
Bibliography 172

17 S
 criptural Evaluation: Systematic Examination of God’s
Word173
Bibliography 179

18 C
 hrist Dependency: Leaning on the Lord181
Bibliography 187

19 C
 ontinuum of Transformation: An Ongoing Process189
Continuum of Transformation 190
Transformational Pastoral Leadership Behaviors as a Moderator 191
Emerging Transformational Follower Behavior 193

Bibliography195

Index209
CHAPTER 1

A Case for Transformational Leadership:


Leading to Bring Change

Pastoral leadership should be approached in a manner that seeks to bring


transformation to the body of Christ (Carpenter, 2006; Rumley, 2011;
McCall, 2019). If the Church is going to fulfill its biblical mandate to
reach the world with the gospel and make disciples of all people groups,
then pastoral leadership must be transformational in nature (Asumang,
2017). Often pastoral leadership looks to meet the needs and expectations
of congregational members, discarding the Scripture’s prompting for all
believers to live new lives—lives that have experienced transformation, so
that they may live in a sacrificial manner that is pleasing to God (Willimon,
2016; Rom. 12: 1–2). There should be no doubt that pastors are called to
care for the needs of the individuals they shepherd, to love them and help
them through the struggles and challenges that life can bring (Laniak,
2006). Still, the local pastor cannot stop there; they should endeavor to
bring about transformation in the lives of those they lead so that their
congregational members will be able to experience the fullness of all God
has planned for them to accomplish in this life (Geiger & Peck, 2016).
Highly effective pastors, who are able to lead their congregations in the
mission that Jesus entrusted to His Church, will need to be transforma-
tional in the way they approach their leadership responsibilities
(Carter, 2009).
Paul wrote to the church in Rome saying, “Do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds” (Rom. 12:
2, NRSV). The word used for transformed is metamorphoō, which carries

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature 1


Switzerland AG 2023
T. Gregory, Transformational Pastoral Leadership,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27488-6_1
2 T. GREGORY

the meaning of being transfigured or changed into another form. It is the


same word used by Mark to describe the transfiguration of Jesus (Mark
9:3). This demonstrates the radical transformation that God expects in the
lives of those who have embraced the gospel message. There is an expecta-
tion of a total surrender, where the believer lives as a sacrificial offering to
the will of their Lord. This radical transformation is accomplished through
living a life that refuses to be conformed to worldly standards and has been
completely transformed into a new creation (Osborne, 2004). Pastoral
leadership has the ability to encourage, restore, bring healing, and equip
the followers of Christ to live godly lives, but it must also lead them into
the transformed life God desires for them to have; it must usher them into
a new way of living (Jinkins, 2002).

Leading Toward Transformation


At the heart of transformational leadership theory is the idea of a leader
who is able to usher in transformational change for both individuals and
organizations as a whole (Bass, 1985). Transformational leaders are able
to help followers to step into a new way of perceiving themselves and their
role in an organization, to inspire them to reach higher than they ever
thought possible (Avolio et al., 1999). Many of the characteristics of
transformational leadership have practical implications for pastors and
could be integrated into pastoral leadership to help them bring transfor-
mation to their congregations (Rowold, 2008). While transformational
leadership, as a secular leadership theory, is not comprehensive enough to
encompass the entire role of pastoral leadership, it lends itself to that role
and could help pastors to better facilitate their leadership position (Choi,
2006). This book does not seek only to apply contemporary transforma-
tional leadership principles to pastoral leadership, but to go beyond those
principles, using Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi as a roadmap to
present a model for transformational pastoral leadership.
In the Book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul promotes the idea of trans-
formation by saying, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a
good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus
Christ” (Phil. 1:6). Paul continued this train of thought saying, “And this
is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge
and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of
Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of
righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of
1 A CASE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: LEADING TO BRING… 3

God” (Phil. 1:9–10). Comfort (2017) points out that the completion of
the good work of which Paul wrote highlights the will of God to see all
believers transformed into the image of His Son, so that they may com-
plete the works He has prepared for them to do. Melick (1991) sees Paul’s
prayer as indicating his desire for the saints in Philippi to grow, continuing
to develop in their Christian character, living transformed lives that would
allow them to live to the fullest of God’s redemptive purpose for them.
Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi highlights several reasons for the
believer to experience ongoing transformation and how that transforma-
tion should look in order for them to fulfill the mission Christ gave to His
Church to share the gospel and make disciples of all people groups
(Ware, 2011).
The followers of Christ must experience a transformation that brings
them to a new way of living and perceiving the world they are a part of, if
they are going to be successful in completing the mission Jesus entrusted
to His Church (Engen, 1991). This transformation will require pastoral
leadership that transcends a mere transactional relationship between pas-
tors and congregants; it will require leadership that is able to deliberately,
and even systematically, usher in transformation under the power of the
Holy Spirit (Metcalf, 2015). Therefore, a model of transformational pas-
toral leadership is needed and can provide a guide to help local pastors to
lead their churches in a manner that brings about lasting change within
the hearts of their congregational members, so that in turn they may also
efficiently and confidently lead those congregational members in the work
of the Great Commission.

The Problem
The Barna Group (2017a) published a study in which they examined the
phenomenon of individuals who claimed to have Christian values and self-­
identified as a Christian, but no longer attended church. For many of these
individuals the church was seen as outdated and out of touch with the
world. These people who had left their local church, but claimed to still
love Jesus, felt there was no reason for them to attend a church service.
Olson (2008) notes the fluctuation in weekly church attendance and
believes local churches have the ability to create an atmosphere in their
services that promotes the value of being there, which can create a desire
within congregants to attend Sunday morning service on a regular basis.
Hirschle (2010) examined the relationship between economic success and
4 T. GREGORY

church attendance; he found there was a correlation between the financial


advancement of individuals who claimed to be Christian and to hold
Christian values and their church attendance patterns. Hirschle (2010)
found as the financial status of an individual increased, their regular atten-
dance at a local church service decreased. Financial advancement and the
engagement of consumption behavior were found to have a significant
negative effect on the attendance practices of regular churchgoers.
Packard and Hope (2015) report on the steady decline in regular
church attendance that mainline churches are facing in their attendance
rates. Many people are leaving the church feeling that their voice has gone
unheard, and was even unwanted—they are not angry with God but just
disappointed with the local church—and as such have decided to leave
(Packard & Hope, 2015). Barna (2022b) reports that 68% of all Americans
self-identify as Christians, but the rate can clearly be seen to decline when
it comes to younger individuals, with 72% of elders self-identifying as
Christians on the high end and only 60% of Generation Z self-identifying
as Christians on the low end. These numbers become disturbing when
considering only 7% of all self-identifying Christians believe that being a
Christian means that Jesus is to be your Lord, that the Bible is a reliable
source of truth, that salvation is received by faith, and that they are called
to share their faith with others (Barna, 2022b). Marler and Hadaway
(1999) in a study on church attendance of large evangelical churches
found that church attendance was overreported. There was a gap in the
reported attendance by parishioners and the actual number of individuals
who came to a service. Schultz and Schultz (2013) report on the shrinking
number of Americans who actually attend a church service on Sunday
morning, finding that 40% of Americans say they attend a church service
every week, but in reality, the number is closer to 20%. The decline in
church attendance in America, as well as many European nations, is noth-
ing new, Alston (1975) reported in his study that only 38% of Americans
attended a weekly church service on a regular basis. The steady decline in
church attendance is a sounding alarm that pastors cannot ignore; some-
thing in the church is broken and the decline in local church attendance is
a clear symptom of the problem, which can be further examined by look-
ing at church leadership, discipleship, and influence.
1 A CASE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: LEADING TO BRING… 5

Leadership
Drane (2000) points out that many pastors are competing with one
another over numbers, judging their own success, and being judged by
others, on the number of attendees they are able to gather in a service,
causing many pastors to lead their churches in a manner aimed at simply
attracting new people rather than making disciples. Clarke (2008) notes
that throughout Paul’s letters to the churches, the concept of leadership is
always connected to the mission of the church as Paul understood it: to
reach the world with the gospel message and then to make disciples of
those who had embraced the message. Local pastors must understand the
mission of the church and how to draw the congregations they pastor into
a profound engagement with the world for the sake of their Lord and the
advancement of the gospel message (Britton, 2009). The authority Paul
possessed as a leader of the church was wielded in a manner that looked to
advance the mission of Christ, as he established new churches and helped
converts to set off in a new way of living; Paul understood the pastoral role
as one of helping the church to advance the gospel (Carson, 2005). Paul,
as a leader, set the example of how his followers should live their lives for
the furtherance of the Gospel and gave them a pattern to imitate to ensure
they were able to fulfill the mission of Christ (Johnson, 2004).
Pastoral leaders need to understand their biblical role in mobilizing and
equipping their congregations to advance the gospel message (Witmer &
Ferguson 2010). When local pastors lose sight of the mission to reach the
world, they become absorbed with only growing and changing the church
they pastor, failing to lead their members on a transformational journey
that enables and releases them to bring the gospel message to those
trapped in darkness (Cole, 2010). Pastors need to understand their respon-
sibility to create a missionary culture within the churches they lead that
empowers members to go out and reach their communities with the gos-
pel of Christ (Elkington, 2013). When pastors fail to understand the task
they have been called to, depression and anxiety can set in, causing them
to leave the ministry and seek employment in some secular industry
(Elkington, 2013). Local pastoral leaders, who understand their role as a
leader of God’s people and the purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ
upon this earth, will be diligent to equip the saints of God to fulfill their
6 T. GREGORY

purpose in the Great Commission (Nichols, 2007; Cole, 2010). They will
set the course of the church they pastor to be a missional force in their
local community and throughout the earth, crafting a shared vision that
helps to bring transformation to their congregational members
(Nichols, 2007).

Discipleship
Research has shown that pastors overwhelmingly understand the Great
Commission to involve the total transformation of individuals who choose
to follow Christ, that it goes beyond the sharing of the gospel to making
disciples of those who embrace the message of Christ (Stone & Mettes,
2018). Unfortunately, research also shows that over half of all pastors view
themselves as having little influence, living in a state of depression where
they are unable to help the followers of Christ to transform into the new
creation they are called to live as (Barna, 2017b). The work of the Great
Commission goes beyond the preaching of the gospel for the making of
saved individuals, to the making of disciples who have received the gospel
message and are trained in the teachings of Christ in a manner that helps
to produce transformation in their lives (Hertig, 2001). Reken (1997)
notes the local church should not write down just any mission statement
that it feels comfortable with, and the pastor of the local church should be
cautious of the vision they are casting; both pastors and other leaders in
the church should take steps to ensure the mission and vision of the local
church fall in line with the Great Commission assigned by Christ to His
followers. When local churches fail to heed the Great Commission, mak-
ing disciples of fresh converts, these individuals fail to experience the true
transformation God intended for them to have in the new life He created
for them, which causes them to continue to live according to the standards
of the world they have just come out of (Beard, 2015).
The spiritual development of new believers may often go neglected by
the leadership of the local church, causing these converts to continue in
their old way of life, failing to experience the new life God desires for them
to live (Kreminski, 2015). Pastors and leaders of the local church must
purposely address the spiritual growth of new believers to help them in the
transformational process that needs to take place in order for these Christ
followers to live lives that are reflective of their Savior upon the world
(Ortberg, 2014). The spiritual formation, or lack thereof, aimed at the
Christ follower speaks directly to the transformation that will take place in
1 A CASE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: LEADING TO BRING… 7

their lives or the spiritual infancy they will find themselves stuck in
(Åkerlund, 2016). The purposeful spiritual development of new believers
will help to equip them to fulfill their God-given role in the Great
Commission and to ensure they are able to become a productive part of
the local church (Issler, 2010). The Apostle Paul exhorted the believers in
Philippi to live lives worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that they may be
able to strive together as one for the advancement of that gospel (Phil.
1:27). Paul expected the believers in Philippi to be prepared to move for-
ward with the work of the gospel, which required that they continue to
grow in their faith, developing spiritually (Witherington, 2011). The spiri-
tual development of new believers cannot be overlooked or discarded if
they are going to become productive parts of the local faith community.

Influence
The local church, as a part of the global Church stretched throughout
time, serves as a representation of God to the world and as such is to influ-
ence the world in a manner that is reflective of the values and beliefs that
are recorded in the Scriptures (Hanson, 1985). Although the local church
should be making an impact on the cultural values of the community it
exists within, research has shown a steady increase in the number of
American cities that can be identified as post-Christian—having once dis-
played certain Christian values, but now having discarded those values
(Barna, 2019). In the increasing number of cities that are becoming post-­
Christian, the lack of influence asserted by local church bodies can be testi-
fied to. Boehme (2013) reports on the growing number of millennials
who profess to be Christians and practice daily prayer but have departed
from many of the traditional and foundational Christian values held by
previous generations. Recent research shows that only 11% of teenagers
around the world believe the Bible is the inspired word of God without
errors (Barna, 2022a). Homan et al. (2017) report on the increasing
problem of poverty in America and how despite being one of the wealthi-
est nations in the world still host one of the highest rates of poverty among
Western nations. The church in America doesn’t seem to be bringing relief
or deliverance to the poor of this nation; the influence of the local church
is not being felt on poverty as it should.
The world is filled with poverty, disease, and those who go to bed each
night with no hope; the local church has the answer to their problems and
should be diligent to exert its influence in a manner that helps their
8 T. GREGORY

communities experience the hope of the gospel, which it seems to have


failed to do with any consistency (Bergquist & Karr, 2010). The local
church is in need of leaders who are transformative in nature, able to build
up and equip the followers of Christ to live in a manner that brings the
light of Jesus to the hurting of their community (Keener, 1997). Geiger
and Peck (2016) point out the local church is to be a locus of leadership
for its community, producing disciples who are leaders in the community,
who bring the values and teachings of Jesus into all they do, influencing
the community from a biblical standpoint, rather than being influenced by
the secular world they are stepping into. Pastors and the local churches
they lead should impact their communities in a way that makes their influ-
ence felt and understood, so much so that if they and their church were
suddenly removed the community would feel their absence (Callam, 2001).
Sunday mornings in America look distinctively different than they did
fifty, forty, or even thirty years ago, as regular church attendance continues
to decline, especially among mainline denominations (Packard & Hope,
2015). When the followers of Christ fail to experience the transformation
the Scripture declares they should, their behavior goes unchanged and
they fail to participate in the Great Commission (Åkerlund, 2016). These
Christians become consumers and members who look to only receive ben-
efits from the local church instead of participating as transformed follow-
ers of Christ in its mission to reach its community and the world with the
gospel of Jesus Christ (Drane, 2000). When the followers of Christ are not
led into a journey of transformation, the local church becomes no differ-
ent than any other organization in town.

Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is an effective vehicle for leaders to use in
bringing change and restructuring to the organizations they lead, even
aiding them in prompting and inspiring cultural change (Abbasi &
Zamani, 2013). Organizational leaders who practice transformational
leadership have the ability to influence those they lead by the powerful and
emotional language they employ, which motivates others to respond to
such leaders in ways that help to accomplish the goals and mission of the
organization (Amernic et al., 2007). Andersen et al. (2018) performed a
qualitative multilevel study of transformational leadership and perceived
professional quality; they found that transformational leadership creates an
atmosphere of shared understanding of professional quality, which was
1 A CASE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: LEADING TO BRING… 9

related to the quality of work produced by organizational members.


Boehm et al. (2015) found that the charisma of transformational leaders
positively influenced the organizational identity that followers felt, creat-
ing a desire in them to perform at a higher level to match their perceived
understanding of their leader’s productivity. Transformational leaders are
able to promote positive citizenship behavior that falls in line with the
values of their organization (Menges et al., 2011). They are able to bring
a sense of enrichment to the work their followers engage in, helping their
followers to see their work from a fresh perspective that motivates them to
put forth extra effort (Whittington et al., 2004). Organizational leaders
who practice transformational leadership have been shown to create an
atmosphere of innovation, where followers dare to attempt things that
have not been tried before (Jung et al., 2008).
Transformational leadership is made up of four distinct constructs
which help leaders to positively affect organizational members, those con-
structs are idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimu-
lation, and individualized consideration (Avolio et al., 1999). Bommer
et al. (2004) in a study aimed at examining antecedents to transforma-
tional leadership behavior, found that cynicism about organizational
change hindered and negatively influenced transformational leadership
behavior while peer leadership behavior had a positive influence on it. Hu
et al. (2012) found that followers perceived their leaders as transforma-
tional in a direct relationship to how leaders perceived themselves, which
leads to the possible conclusion that leaders’ perception of their own lead-
ership style impacts the way they actually behave. Transformational leader-
ship has been shown to be effective across cultural boundaries, making it
a productive leadership practice in organizations that employ a community
of varying cultures or have global facilities (Jung et al., 2009).
Transformational leaders are able to wield the respect and admiration their
followers have for them, inspiring them first on an individual level and
then on a group level to reach beyond their own self-interest for the good
of the group and the organization, making it a powerful tool for leaders
who are looking to move their organizations forward or in a new direction
(Wang & Howell, 2012).
Goodrich (2013) understands the local pastor to be the overseer of the
church to which they have been called to steward the affairs of God and to
take care of the needs and development of the congregational members. A
major part of the leadership role of local pastoral leaders is to care for the
welfare of their parishioners, and that care could even extend into their
10 T. GREGORY

extended family and the community (LaMothe, 2012). Barentsen (2011)


points out that pastoral leadership should also include setting an example
for others to follow; the pastor of the local church is to display the biblical
character that they expect their congregational members to embrace. Puls
et al. (2014) while conducting a study on pastoral effectiveness found that
pastors who are seen as authentic in their behavior, practicing what they
preach, were more effective in their leadership and capable of winning the
trust and respect of their congregational members.
Nichols (2007) believes pastoral leadership includes the ability of local
pastoral leaders to create a vision which gives the congregation a purpose-
ful heading, a heading that guides them in the effort they put forth and
how they allocate their resources. Tilstra (2010) understands the vision
that a pastor imparts to their congregation to be a powerful motivating
force and therefore should be carefully considered and not designed to
serve the personal interest of the pastor, but rather to expand the kingdom
of God. Manala (2010) sees the local pastor as more than a visionary, but
also serving as a leader, manager, and servant in an effort to equip the local
congregation for the work of the ministry and helping them to embrace
their responsibility to take an active role in the work of Christ. Colarelli
(2007) points out that pastoral leadership includes the responsibility to
ensure the members of the local church grow and that this endeavor
should be done with intentionality. Beeley (2009) notes the ministry of
God’s word to the people of God as being the main responsibility involved
with pastoral leadership and has historically been needed since the incep-
tion of the Church. The pastor of the local church is not to be concerned
with only part of the church’s operation, but to look at its total operation
as it is connected to the fulfillment of the church’s mission (Smith, 1998).
Rowold (2008) found that pastors who practice transformational lead-
ership have congregants who are willing to serve and make sacrifices for
the good of the church and are overall more satisfied with their perfor-
mance than pastors who are seen as transactional in their leadership prac-
tices. Freeman (2008) conducted a study in African American churches on
the correlation between congregational commitment as it related to their
perspective of their pastor’s leadership style using MLQ 5x and found
there indeed was a correlation between the commitment level of congre-
gational members who viewed their pastor as transformational over trans-
actional. Lee (2004) conducted a study on Korean senior pastors who
were identified as transformational in their leadership behavior and found
that these pastors exerted influence from legitimate authority that was
1 A CASE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: LEADING TO BRING… 11

founded upon their character and not positional power. Satyaputra (2017)
in a study of Indonesian evangelical pastors who were known to practice
transformational leadership found that they had only a small effect on the
willingness of congregational members to embrace the idea of change and
actively participate in it, with the pastor’s ability to impart a shared vision
unto congregational members being the most influential factor in their
willingness to commit to change in the church.
Transformational leadership practices can play a significant role in the
success of a senior pastor and have a direct effect on the willingness of
subordinates who are in leadership positions in the church to remain with
the church and under the guidance of the senior pastor (Smith, 2013).
Vardaman (2013) looked at the effect of Protestant pastors’ ability to lead
change within their churches and found that the pastors who practiced
transformational leadership were better suited and more effective at lead-
ing change than pastors who practiced transactional leadership. Varnado
(2018) conducted a study on pastors who practiced transformational lead-
ership, examining the effectiveness of those who had planted a church
versus those who had been called to a church that had previously been
established. He found there was no significant difference between the two
in their ability to lead spiritual development; he also found indicators that
inspirational motivation, idealized influence, and intellectual stimulation
had some effect on the pastor’s ability to help their congregational mem-
bers to grow and mature spiritually. Pastors who are not transformative in
their leadership practices will have a difficult time helping their congrega-
tional members to experience the transformation the Scriptures call for,
and their parishioners will fail to live out their new life in Christ Jesus as a
productive part of a faith family helping to advance the kingdom of their
God as they are called to do (Bray, 1991).
The local pastor is to play the role of leader, teacher, counselor, and
even manager to a degree, so that the church and its members may grow
and become productive members in the spread of the gospel and the
advancement of God’s kingdom. The pastor of the local church has both
a great and difficult responsibility in leading the members of the congrega-
tion in experiencing the life-changing transformation that God has called
them to. Transformational leadership theory provides a basis for initiating
change on an organizational level, and the local church is certainly an
organization. Pastors who are transformational in their leadership prac-
tices will find themselves more effective and proficient at leading their
congregational members in experiencing the new life Christ has prepared
12 T. GREGORY

for them, so that they may become a productive part of the local church’s
efforts to advance the gospel and make disciples of all people groups, than
those who are merely transactional in their leadership practices.

The Purpose of This Book


The purpose of this book is to present a model for transformational pasto-
ral leadership that local pastoral leaders can employ to guide them in their
efforts to usher in the transformation their congregational members need
to experience, so that they may live to the fullness of that which God has
called them to. Within the leadership practices of the Apostle Paul, an
image of leadership and lifestyle practices can be found that he expected
the churches he wrote to imitate, such as sacrifice, service, and love
(Ascough, 2002). Barentsen (2018) points out that Paul’s apostolic lead-
ership leaned on referent power to influence the churches he led to follow
his examples and instructions, and how for the most part he stayed away
from depending on the legitimate power that some of his Jewish oppo-
nents attempted to exercise over the churches he had established. As an
apostolic leader Paul addressed the churches he wrote to in a manner
which attempted to produce a certain behavioral pattern, looking to
directly influence the moral attitude the believers assumed in their com-
munities (Berry, 2010). Joubert (2002) sees Paul’s leadership style as
pragmatic, adapting to different situations to help the church move for-
ward, doing the things they were called to do and the things they had
committed to do. Nauta (1998) notes Paul’s leadership was vision based
and focused on bringing about change in the members of the church,
helping them to see the need for a renewal of their inner life, which would
bring about a different pattern of behavior in their daily living.
Asumang (2017) points out that Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi
has significant pastoral implications, for it highlights the ongoing inner
transformational work that is to continually be taking place within the
believer. Carson (2005) believes that Paul was a benevolent leader who led
by gaining the consent of those under his influence and remains a good
example for pastors to model their leadership after today. Paul saw himself
as a leader who imitated the behavior and practices of Christ and as such
believed himself to be a model for other leaders in the church to imitate;
in doing this, they would become a model of approved leadership
1 A CASE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: LEADING TO BRING… 13

themselves, continually being transformed into the image of Christ


(Clarke, 1998). Cooper (2005) understands Paul’s leadership style to
resemble transformational leadership theory, in that it demonstrated a
knowledge of where God wanted His church, why it was important for the
church to exist and operate in that manner, and how to motivate the
church to move according to it. Paul approached leadership as a position
that was dependent upon the crucifixion of Christ and sharing in that
death, so that he and those like him could serve the needs of the local
church over their own needs and not waste time competing for positions
of power (Grieb, 2005). Muthiah (2010) sees Paul as possessing a cha-
risma that enabled him to successfully lead the church in a manner that
was pleasing to God, for his leadership ability came from God and was not
a gift that was to be used for his own personal gain.
Silva (2005) understands the church in Philippi to have faced serious
challenges to its future state, with threats to its financial well-being and
from Judaizing factions, the leadership of the church had fallen into dis-
sension, distrust, and a poisonous self-seeking attitude that needed Paul’s
attention and guidance. Paul presents an image of an ongoing spiritual
transformation to the church in Philippi that he himself was experiencing;
it was a picture of the transformation he hoped to ignite in the church
where they would take on the mind of Christ (Justnes, 2012). The apostle
seeks to unify the church and its struggling leadership for the purpose of
advancing the gospel, so that they may strive as one, undivided by petty
earthly differences (Hansen, 2009). Paul looks to not only send a letter of
instruction and encouragement to Philippi, but also two established lead-
ers in Timothy and Epaphroditus, who had proven their character through
serving beside Paul and imitating his Christ-like behavior, to help the
church overcome its current leadership obstacles (Hicks, 2016). Harmon
(2015) points to the chiastic structure of the Book of Philippians, noting
that the Christ-hymn is at the center and encourages the believers to
embrace a new mindset, which will bring a transformation to their per-
spective on life and their behavior patterns so that they may live out their
lives as citizens of heaven. The Book of Philippians provides a road map of
how the church could successfully engage the world around it as trans-
formed members of the body of Christ with a renewed mindset for the
sake of the gospel’s advancement (Thielman, 2009).
14 T. GREGORY

The Significance of This Book


When considering many of the challenges the local church currently faces
with the steady decline in attendance and lack of influence on the world it
lives in, a conclusion can be drawn that something needs to change.
Although a need for change seems to clearly be in order, that change
should not be undertaken blindly. The Apostle Paul wrote more about the
need for transformation and growth than any of the other New Testament
authors. Examining how he approached leadership can greatly benefit the
local church, helping its leaders and pastors to become more proficient at
the task they have been called to. An examination of Paul’s letter to the
church in Philippi, with whom he seemingly had a close and personal rela-
tionship with, provides valuable insight not only for local churches in the
United States but also for those spread throughout the world. The signifi-
cance of this book can be found in at least four factors. First, this book
provides a direction and answer for how local pastors and church leaders
could approach the problem of the steady decline in church attendance
through a transformational leadership style. Second, this book provides a
means for pastors to lead their churches in successfully confronting the
growing post-Christian problem occurring in cities throughout America.
Third, this book on transformational pastoral leadership benefits both aca-
demia and the church by identifying nine leadership themes through an
examination of the Book of Philippians, and from those nine themes pre-
senting six constructs that can be applied to a model for pastoral leader-
ship that ushers in lasting transformation within congregational members
and communities. Fourth, this book provides a means to help equip local
pastors to lead their congregations in a manner that both positively and
profoundly effects their communities as they successfully advance the gos-
pel message.
Strong pastoral leadership has always been needed since the inception
of the Church and will continue to be needed to effectively and biblically
lead local church congregations. Pastors have been called to a great chal-
lenge and have been given a great privilege in leading the people of God.
They face stress and disappointment and can often feel unappreciated and
unequipped to successfully meet the challenge of pastoring. The fact that
over half of all pastors have dealt with depression is a cause for alarm
(Barna, 2017b). Research has identified the problem, but not a clear solu-
tion that could help pastors in the role they have been called to. Throughout
Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, the idea of transformation is brought
1 A CASE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: LEADING TO BRING… 15

to the spotlight. Paul highlights how the Philippians had been engaged in
a life that helped to advance the gospel and how their transformational
experience was to continue to evolve, creating an image for the local
church to strive for today. The local pastor is not simply called to meet the
personal needs and demands of their congregation and be content with
keeping the status quo. Pastoral leadership should be transformational in
nature, helping congregational members to step into the new life God has
prepared for them—a life they could easily be unaware of. Academic
research has the potential to help local pastors lead in a transformational
manner. A model supported by scientific analysis and research can serve as
a valuable tool to equip and prepare local church pastors to fulfill their
calling in a productive way that brings transformation to their congrega-
tions. Through Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi a model for transfor-
mational pastoral leadership can be identified, a model that will help
pastoral leaders of the local church to usher in lasting biblical transforma-
tion that will cause their congregational members to be a force in their
communities and throughout the world for the advancement of the gospel
message and the making of disciples from all people groups around
the world.

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Witmer, T. Z., & Ferguson, S. (2010). The Shepherd Leader: Achieving effective
shepherding in Your Church: P & R Publishing.
CHAPTER 2

Letter to the Philippians: Paul’s Blueprint

Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi serves as a source for some of the most
beloved quotes in the Bible, yet not only does it serve as a source for beloved
quotes but also as a blueprint for pastoral leadership, a blueprint that pres-
ent-day pastors can follow to help usher in transformation for the members
of their congregations. In the Book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul can
clearly be seen encouraging the Philippian believers toward the idea of trans-
formed living, engaging in a lifestyle that was distinctly different from the
lives they had once believed to be acceptable, a lifestyle that would lead
them in successfully accomplishing the work Christ had called them to (Phil.
1:6, 27; 2:5, 13; 3:17, 19). Paul believed that God had begun a good work
in the lives of the believers in Philippi, a work that was bringing transforma-
tion to them, and the apostle felt confident that God would continue that
transformational process (Phil. 1:9–10). The completion of the good work
of which Paul writes, highlights the will of God to see all believers trans-
formed into the image of His Son, so that they may complete the works He
has prepared for them to do (Comfort, 2008). Melick (1991) sees Paul’s
prayer as indicating his desire for the saints in Philippi to grow and continue
to develop in their Christian character, living transformed lives that would
allow them to live to the fullest of God’s redemptive purpose for them.
Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi highlights several reasons for the
believer to experience ongoing transformation and how that transformation
should look, so that they may fulfill the work of sharing the gospel and mak-
ing disciples of all people groups (Ware, 2011).

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature 23


Switzerland AG 2023
T. Gregory, Transformational Pastoral Leadership,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27488-6_2
24 T. GREGORY

Paul’s Authority to Speak on Pastoral Leadership


Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi offered great advice for those pastor-
ing the church in Philippi at that time, as well as for those called by God
to pastor a local church today. Still, leaders should give attention to why
Paul has both the ability and authority to speak into the lives of pastors of
any time period, seeing that although he was a pastoral leader he did not
serve as a fixed full-time pastor of a local church himself. Should local pas-
tors today, throughout the world and from varying denominational tradi-
tions, look to the Apostle Paul for advice on how they should lead their
congregations? The answer to this question is in Paul’s salutation to the
Galatians when he says, “Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commis-
sion nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the
Father, who raised him from the dead” (Galatians 1:1, NRSV). Paul was
an apostle in the narrow sense of the word, in that he was one of the few
men given special authority by Christ to represent Him as they went about
establishing His Church (Hansen, 1994). In speaking of Paul’s authority
and ability to direct the church and its leaders in the way Christ would
have them behave, Hansen (1994) says:

In Galatians 1 Paul claims the title for himself in the narrow sense. He rec-
ognizes that there were those who were apostles before him (1:17), but he
does not see himself as subordinate to the original apostles. If the original
apostles had been the source of his commission or the agents of his commis-
sion (as the false teachers in the Galatian church were probably suggesting),
then he would have been subordinate to them. But his authority was not
derived from a human source or even through a human agency; his author-
ity was directly given to him by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised
him from the dead. (p. 32)

Likewise, when commenting on Paul’s letter to the Romans, a church


that the apostle neither founded nor had any personal relationship with,
Osborne (2004) sees Paul as holding a special office that God had chosen
him for that gave him authority as an agent of God, and therefore, the
instructions included in the letter carry an official communication from
God and the local church should receive it as such. Paul, as a representa-
tive of Christ, who had received his calling and instructions directly from
Christ, has both the ability and authority to speak to pastors throughout
history on how they should lead the local church.
2 LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS: PAUL’S BLUEPRINT 25

Setting the Scene: Leaders and Laity


Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi is addressed to the leadership and
laity alike, but for our discussion let us take into consideration the leader-
ship specifically. Paul’s use of the words bishop episkopos (bishop) and dea-
con diakonos (deacon) in his letter to the church in Philippi is particularly
interesting, for it is the only letter in which he uses these terms together
outside the pastoral epistles to refer to positions of leadership (Hansen,
2009). Paul’s use of these terms seems to suggest that Philippi had an
official leadership structure (Fee, 1999). Harmon (2015) understands the
mentioning of both episkopos and diakonos to signify a mature and well-­
developed church that had an organized leadership structure.
Paul’s use of the term episkopos, translated as bishop, expresses a desig-
nated leadership position of the church (probably what modern readers
would understand as a pastor), but Reumann (2008) points out the term
is loaded with historical baggage in the way it has been used throughout
church history. This historical baggage that comes with the term bishop
could cause many modern readers of the text to misinterpret Paul’s origi-
nal intent. When Paul’s first-century audience heard the term episkopos,
they would have understood it in a much different light than today’s read-
ers who often attach it solely to religious and denominational terminology
(Fee, 1999). An individual could use the term “overseer” to preserve the
original meaning of episkopos, bringing a clearer understanding of Paul’s
terminology (Fee, 1999). Paul’s first-century Greco-Roman audience
would have understood the term from a political viewpoint rather than a
religious one. Reumann (2008) offers this description of the Greek term,
in order to express how Paul’s first-century audience would have under-
stood it: “a function or fixed office of guardianship within a group”
(p. 62). Episkopos would appropriately describe a variety of governing offi-
cials, whose office required them to take a supervising role as the one who
represented the affairs of a higher office, which had sent and commis-
sioned them, much the way a pastor would be today (Reumann, 2008).

Expected Spiritual Growth: A Life


of Transformation

Paul turns the Philippians’ attention to the work of God in their lives
when he says, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good
work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ”
26 T. GREGORY

(Phil. 1:6). God is the one who had begun the good work of salvation in
their lives, He had set them in partnership with Paul to advance the gospel
so other may partake of the same salvation, and God would be the one
continuing to work in the Philippians to strengthen and equip them to
carry out the mission of the Church at large to advance the gospel (Hansen,
2009). The work of salvation is truly a work of God from beginning to
end, even as that work continues through His followers it is still depen-
dent on His power, and this truth was one Paul was attempting to com-
municate to the church in Philippi (Silva, 2005). Paul’s statement about
God continuing the good work and bringing it to completion is directly
linked to his comments on koinōnia (sharing) in verse 5, to try and sepa-
rate the two verses would cause an error in interpreting their meaning
(Hansen, 2009; Silva, 2005). In speaking of the good work that God had
begun in the Philippians, Fee (1999) points out that Paul’s statement
speaks of God creating a people to represent Him in Philippi and acts as a
precursor to set the scene for Paul’s words in Philippians 2:12–13 where
the apostle urges the believers to continue to work out their common
salvation in the way they live and work together as God’s people in Philippi,
for God was working in them to accomplish His will in a way that was
pleasing to Him. Paul’s concern is with the church’s willingness and ability
to live out the gospel in the face of persecution and opposition in a manner
that served to advance the gospel message (Fee, 1999; Hansen, 2009;
Silva, 2005).
Paul’s statement in verse 6 also speaks to the continued process of
transformation that the Lord would be working in them, which was an
ongoing transformation that was necessary for the Philippian believers to
live as people who were a reflective image of God’s saving grace (Comfort,
2008). The sanctification process, by which God continues to work in
each believer today, is an ongoing process, one the Apostle Paul points out
will continue until the Day of Christ; the Philippians’ journey of transfor-
mation and spiritual maturity would be an ongoing one (Melick, 1991). It
was God’s responsibility to transform each believer in Philippi (and
throughout time) into the image of His Son (as Paul declared in Romans
8:28–30), but it was the responsibility of the believers in Philippi (as it is
for believers today) to cooperate with the efforts of God to bring this
transformation into their lives (Comfort, 2008). Spiritual transformation
is a lifelong process that begins at the moment of salvation and continues
in the life of each believer as God transforms them into the image of Jesus
Christ, where they share in His suffering and resurrection, as they live
2 LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS: PAUL’S BLUEPRINT 27

their lives out in a manner that serves to advance the gospel message
(Comfort, 2008; Hansen, 2009; Melick, 1991; Fee, 1999).
In verses 7–8 of the first chapter, the Apostle Paul uses language that
serves to create a special group and identity, to which the Philippians and
himself both belong, a group that shares in the grace of God (Witherington,
2011). Fee (1999) makes an important observation concerning the phrase
all of you share in God’s grace with me, pointing out that the question must
be answered to which grace is Paul referring. Some scholars see this phrase
as speaking of the saving grace of God that Paul and the Philippians shared
(Fee, 1999; Silva, 2005). Silva (2005) understands Paul to use the word
charis (grace) to speak of something beyond the saving grace of God, saying:

This interpretation has the advantage of taking the construction in a natural


way and may therefore be correct, but I do not find it fully convincing. In
the first place, Paul characteristically uses charis in reference to his apostolic
ministry (Rom. 1:5; cf. also 12:3; 15:15; 1 Cor. 3:10; Gal. 2:9), and it is that
ministry that the present verse has in view: “the defense and confirmation of
the gospel.” Second, a general reference (“sharers in divine grace”) does not
do justice to the parallel expression in verse 5, which also has in view Paul’s
gospel ministry. Third, commentators have strangely ignored the clear paral-
lel in 1 Cor. 9:23, “And I do all things on account of the gospel [euange-
lion], that I may become a partaker [synkoinōnos] of it.” (p. 47)

Fee (1999) and Silva (2005) both believe that charis as Paul uses it
refers to the Philippians and Paul being partnered together in grace that
defends and promotes the gospel in the face of persecution. Thielman
(2009) also sees Paul’s use of the word charis to go beyond simply sharing
in the saving grace of God to actual participation in the spread of the gos-
pel with the apostle. Because charis follows Paul’s use of koinōnia,
Thielman (2009) understands grace to be directly linked with the concept
of partnership, which binds the believers in Philippi to the Apostle Paul in
his efforts to advance the gospel. Reumann (2008) points out that Paul’s
use of the phrase sygkoinōnos (sharing) points to the co-responsibility the
Philippians shared with Paul in the spread of the gospel. This unique rela-
tionship served to create a special bond between the church in Philippi
and the Apostle Paul, making them part of a unique people group that
shared a similar mission (Fee, 1999; Silva, 2005; Reumann, 2008).
Paul declares the affection he has for the church in Philippi, which
seems inspired by the affection they hold for him, which the apostle finds
28 T. GREGORY

demonstrated in the way they have stood with him in his efforts to spread
the gospel (Hansen, 2009). The Philippian believers had faced persecu-
tion of their own but had not fallen back from their defense of the gospel,
and like their mentor Paul who first brought the gospel to them, they
continue to hold firm to its truths (Silva, 2005). God’s grace had brought
the Philippians and Paul together and continued to support their relation-
ship in the work of advancing the gospel (Hansen, 2009). The Philippians
did not allow their support for Paul and his mission to waver in the face of
his imprisonment, but continued to stand with the apostle, taking his
imprisonment as theirs also (Melick, 1991).

Living Sacrificially: Transformed by a Relationship


with Christ

In verses 27–30 of chapter 1, Paul draws the Philippians’ attention to the


truth of their identity and purpose in Christ. In these verses Paul exhorts
the Philippians to a behavior pattern that will serve to advance the gospel
message while embracing the privilege of suffering with Christ for the
advancement of the mission Christ left for His Church (Ware, 2011). Paul
uses imagery that the believers in Philippi would have been able to easily
relate to when he brings into sight their heavenly citizenship (Silva, 2005).
Fee says:

The people of Philippi took due pride in their having been made a Roman
colony by Caesar Augustus, which brought the privileges and prestige of
Roman citizenship. Paul now urges them to live out their citizenship (con-
duct yourselves) in a manner—and the sentence begins with these emphatic
words—worthy of the gospel of Christ. (p. 77)

Paul holds the belief that the heavenly Christ and His message have
already invaded the earth he now lives on and has made it possible for
himself and the Philippians to embrace a new form of citizenship that has
been given by God (Witherington, 2011). This citizenship has not elimi-
nated our earthly citizenship, but it has overshadowed it by bringing the
followers of Christ to a point where they must reevaluate their under-
standing of reality and the things they hold most dear (Ware, 2011;
Witherington, 2011).
To live worthy lives Paul tells the church in Philippi they will need to
“be united in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of
2 LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS: PAUL’S BLUEPRINT 29

the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). Paul creates an image of an athletic event when
he tells the Philippians to strive side by side, which metaphorically could
point to spiritual warfare fare and the need for the believers to work in
unity under the power of the Holy Spirit in their efforts to advance the
gospel (Kurek-Chomycz, 2017; Fee, 1999). Fee (1999) says:

They are urged thus to stand firm in/by the one Spirit so as to contend
together as one person for the faith of the gospel. Here we are at the heart
of things: their need to have harmony within the Christian community as
they live out the gospel in Philippi. The gospel is the beginning and end of
everything for Paul. Thus, for them to live out their (heavenly) citizenship
in a manner worthy of the gospel means for them to contend for the faith of
the gospel, and to do so in the unity that only the Spirit brings. All the more
so now because they are facing some kind of opposition that is resulting in
suffering. (p. 78)

The Philippian believers were to carry out their duty under the power
of the Holy Spirit that had united them in purpose and identity
(Witherington, 2011).
Paul’s exhortation for the believer in Philippi to suffer for Christ was to
be seen as a privilege and was to be expected as part of their new identity,
pointing out to them how this was a truth in his own life; Paul’s suffering
was also part of the example he gave them to follow (Ware, 2011).
Suffering for Christ does not mean headaches and heartaches that all of
humanity must endure, but rather identifying with Christ and His mis-
sion, striving to see that mission completed in a world that is hostile
toward Christ (Hansen, 2009). Harmon (2015) points out that the
believer establishes their identity in Christ through faith, but demonstrates
it through their behavior, both in actions and in words. The Philippians
were to have a clear understanding of their connection with Christ and the
responsibility and privilege that came with their new identity (Ware, 2011;
Hansen, 2009).

Shining Like Stars: Continued Transformation


The Apostle Paul continues with his appeal for unity attempting to draw
the Philippians into a distinctive perspective of their existence as a group
united in purpose and in spirit, so that they might prepare to face the
opposition they were certain to encounter, living sacrificial lives as their
30 T. GREGORY

Lord had done (Phil. 2:1–11; Comfort, 2008). As citizens of heaven, the
Philippian believers were part of a special group whose leader had set a
pattern of life to guide them, a pattern the Apostle Paul presented to the
church in Philippi by way of the Christ-hymn (Snyman, 2005; Ware,
2011). The Christ-hymn has produced no small number of contrasting
opinions on its origin, purpose, and authorship (Collins, 2003; Reumann,
2008; Silva, 2005). Scholars have noted that the hymn is composed of
language and grammar that appears to be unlike any of the other Pauline
writings, which has led many of them to conclude that Paul perhaps bor-
rowed it from existing literature or perhaps it was even added at another
date (Justnes, 2012; Reumann, 2008; Martin & Nash, 2015). Ware
(2011) and Witherington (2011) present what seems to be the most plau-
sible explanation for the hymn when they assert the idea that the hymn
was based on the fourth Servant Song found in Isaiah 52:13–53:12. A
comparison of the servant in Isaiah and Christ in Philippians produces a
staggering number of similarities (McKenzie, 1968; Witherington, 2011;
Ware, 2011). In the Christ-hymn Paul gives a conscious interpretation of
the fourth Servant Song in Isaiah to the Philippian church (Ware, 2011).
The following table compares the Servant in Isaiah to the Servant Christ
in the hymn.

Comparison of Christ-Hymn and Isaiah’s Servant Song

Philippian’s Christ-Hymn Isaiah’s Servant Song

2:6 form of God; 2:7 form of a servant 52:14 his form beyond that of mortals;
53:2 no form
2:7 born in human likeness & being found 52:14 beyond human semblance & beyond
in human form that of mortals
2:7 form of a servant 52:13 my servant
2:7 he emptied himself 53:12 he emptied out his soul unto death
2:8 he humbled himself 53:7 he was brought low
2:8 unto death 53:12 unto death
2:9 he highly exalted him 52:13 he shall be exalted and lifted up,
and shall be very high

(Ware, 2011, pp. 225–226; Witherington, 2011, p. 146)

It can clearly be seen there are significant parallels between the Christ-­
hymn in Philippians and the Servant Song in Isaiah, but it is also clear that
the two are not identical. The differences could be explained as a
2 LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS: PAUL’S BLUEPRINT 31

reinterpretation on Paul’s part, for he uses the hymn to promote a specific


lifestyle in the eyes of the Philippians (Witherington, 2011). Ware (2011)
believes that Paul interprets the Servant Song from a Second Temple
Jewish perspective, with the recognition that Jesus is the promised Messiah,
and says:

The number of striking correspondences to the fourth Servant Song within


the short space of Philippians 2:6–9 is too great to be accidental, and makes
it impossible to resist the conclusion that Isaiah 52:13–53:12 is a focus of
sustained exegetical reflection in the Christ hymn. (p. 226)

In commenting on the Servant Songs in Isaiah, McKenzie (1968)


expresses his belief that even if the Servant in Isaiah was not a prophecy
that spoke of Jesus, the early church identified it with Him and saw Christ
as the promised Servant Isaiah spoke of. Ware (2011) points out that as a
Second Temple Jew, Paul would have understood the “eschatological
exaltation of the Servant already to have taken place in the resurrection
and glorification of Jesus of Nazareth” (p. 227). Paul’s belief that the
eschatological reign of Christ had begun drove his sense of mission, to see
the Gentiles come to Christ (Riesner, 1998; Ware, 2011). Riesner (1998)
believes that Paul understood the reign of Christ as being carried out in his
activity to spread the gospel, as Gentiles from multiple nationalities became
followers of the exalted Christ. Bowers (1980) said, “Given the way Paul
both proceeded in his missionary effort and reflected on it, it appears for
him mission had a distinctly spatial dimension, that it implied a sense of
vocation deliberately to extend the gospel land by land” (p. 317). Paul’s
understanding of Isaiah’s Servant as being the risen and exalted Christ
strengthened his conviction to press forward with the spread of the gospel
and gave rise to his desire to both equip the churches he had established
to fulfill the mission and motivate them to remain steadfast in their con-
tinued efforts to advance the gospel (Riesner, 1998; Ware, 2011).
In verses 14–15 of chapter 2 Paul appears to use several allusions and
references to Old Testament Scriptures. Both Fee (1999) and Silva (2005)
agree that Paul’s use of the term goggysmos was a reference to the behavior
of the Israelites in their wilderness travels. “And the people complained
against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’” (Exodus 15:24). “The
whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron
in the wilderness” (Exodus 16:2). Several other examples can be given of
the Israelites murmuring in the wilderness and the consequences they
32 T. GREGORY

faced for their chosen attitude. Silva (2005) points out that the noun gog-
gysmos corresponds to the Hebrew noun telnāh, ̌ which brings the associa-
tion of Philippians 2:14 together with verses such as Exodus 15:24 and
Exodus 16:2. Paul makes a direct reference to the murmuring of the
Israelites in his writings to the church in Corinth, saying, “And do not
complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These
things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written
down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come” (1
Corinthians 10:10–11). Hansen (2009) notes that like the Israelites when
traveling through the wilderness, the Philippian believers were suffering—
a privilege granted to them by God. Paul views the goggysmos as a serious
problem that could hinder the Philippians as it did the Israelites and looks
to put an end to it so that they may work in unity toward the mission of
advancing the gospel (Hansen, 2009).
Paul is concerned with the behavior of the Philippians and how those
outside the church may view them, realizing that any goggysmos would
keep them from appearing blameless to others (Fee, 1999; Silva, 2005).
Both Fee (1999) and Silva (2005) agree again that Paul is making a refer-
ence to Deuteronomy 32:5 when describing the pagan culture of Philippi,
calling it a crooked and perverse generation, in which the believers must live
and operate in. Silva (2005) notes that the complaining the children of
Israel did in the wilderness was against God, but it was also directed
toward God’s chosen leader Moses; likewise, it is probable that whatever
complaining may have been going on in Philippi was directed at the lead-
ership and therefore Paul uses the reference to Deuteronomy 32:5 to
point out to the Philippian believers that they are really complaining
against God when they murmur against the leadership of His Church.
Murmuring and arguing would serve only to cause division between the
leadership of the church and the believer therein, as well as driving a wedge
between individual believers, keeping them from their mission to advance
the gospel, so Paul sees the need to put an end to it as quickly as possible
(Hansen, 2009).
In verse 15 of chapter 2, when Paul tells the believers in Philippi to
shine like stars in the world, he appears to be making a direct reference to
the final apocalyptic vision of Daniel (Fee, 1999; Hansen, 2009; Ware,
2011; Harmon, 2015). “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness
of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever
and ever” (Daniel 12:3). Harmon (2015) says:
2 LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS: PAUL’S BLUEPRINT 33

Paul borrows the phrase ‘shine as stars’ to make a stunning theological


point – because believers are in Christ, they are already experiencing in the
present what Daniel 12:3 promised. The death and resurrection of Jesus
have inaugurated the ‘later days’; as a result, believers (Jews and Gentiles
alike) have experienced spiritual resurrection in being brought from spiritual
death to spiritual life. (pp. 258–259)

Ware (2011) believes that Paul’s reference to Daniel 12:3 is a reflection


of the apostle’s conviction that the eschatological time of renewal had
already begun in Christ Jesus, which involved the conversion of the nations
to follow the God of Israel, whom had been revealed in the exalted Jesus
Christ. Ware (2011) goes on to say, “Paul thus skillfully chooses and
adapts the imagery of Daniel 12:3 to express the missionary identity of the
Philippians as the eschatological diaspora of God, set in the midst of both
Jews and Gentiles and radiating to them God’s salvation” (p. 256). The
Apostle Paul presents to the believers in Philippi his understanding of the
church as being God’s fulfillment of Daniel’s eschatological vision in its
mission to reach the world with the redeeming message of the gospel
(Hansen, 2009; Harmon, 2015; Ware, 2011).
The apostle’s call for the church to continue in partnership with him,
advancing the gospel and accepting the suffering they were enduring and
would continue to endure for the sake of Christ, is found anchored by
Paul in the example of Christ Himself (Ware, 2011; Snyman, 2005). This
pattern of living would involve the Philippian believers intentionally emp-
tying themselves so that they could accomplish the will of God as they
continued in their mission to advance the gospel (Comfort, 2008). When
reflecting on the incarnation of Christ and how He lived his life out as a
humble part of humanity, Witherington (2011) says, “The two clauses
about His humanity do not stress some action the Son deliberately took:
birth happened to Him, and other saw that He was a human being. The
choice came when He emptied himself and deliberately took the ‘form’ of
a slave or servant” (p. 148). Christ is the main exemplar that Paul chose to
use to preset a pattern of life to the believers in Philippi; it was a pattern
which would require that they empty themselves of selfish ambitions and
desires (Harmon, 2015; Thielman, 2009). As the Philippian believers
embraced the will of their God for their lives as a unified body of believers,
relying on His power to bring transformation to their submitted lives, they
would be able to endure suffering for the sake of the gospel and live in a
34 T. GREGORY

manner that promoted its advancement (Harmon, 2015; Thielman, 2009;


Ware, 2011).
Paul addresses the relationship the Philippians had with him and God
and their dependency on the power of God in the advancement of the
gospel message (Phil. 2:12–13). After presenting the Christ-hymn, which
held Christ up as their example for living, Paul now turns his attention to
the Philippians, calling them to an expression of obedience that comes
through a common mindset for the sake of Christ and His redeeming
message of grace (Fee, 1999). Paul makes it clear to the church in Philippi
that it is God’s power that is behind any success they have in their efforts
to live out and spread the gospel message; the Philippians, as with all
believers, were not self-sufficient (DeSilva, 2004). When the apostle
instructs the Philippians to work out their own salvation in verse 12, he is
not suggesting that they must somehow earn their salvation, for he has
made it clear throughout his writing that salvation is a gift from God
(Ephesians 2:8–9; Fee, 1999; Silva, 2005). Ware (2011) notes that Paul’s
concerns are not with the salvation of the Philippians but rather with their
continued efforts to advance the gospel throughout Philippi in the face of
persecution and opposition. The salvation the Philippians had experienced
was a gift from God, but they were to use that gift in a manner that served
to advance the kingdom of their God and not for their own selfish motives
or gains (Ware, 2011; Fee, 1999).
The believers in Philippi were to continue their work to advance the
gospel but they needed to be sure and trust in God’s power that was work-
ing in them for God’s purpose. All the power of God was at work in the
believers at Philippi, as they are with all believers today, to enable them to
be effective in their continued work to advance the message of salvation,
especially when confronted with opposition (Hansen, 2009). The more
active the followers of Christ are, the more active the power of God will be
in their lives—a truth Paul wanted the believers in Philippi to understand
so they didn’t shrink back from their efforts to advance the kingdom of
their God (Silva, 2005). Hansen (2009) says, “Paul gives the builders of
the Christian community in Philippi a very good reason to have supreme
confidence that their work is not in vain: for God originally intended, pres-
ently sustains, and ultimately will complete all their work by His indwell-
ing power” (p. 177). The church in Philippi was to continue the mission
of Christ by depending on the power of Christ that was at work in them;
the power of Christ was to be their life source (Ware, 2011; Hansen, 2009).
Godly Examples: Demonstrating a Transformed Life
2 LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS: PAUL’S BLUEPRINT 35

When Paul spotlights the lives of Timothy and Epaphroditus to the


Philippians, he is attempting to present a new way of living for the church
to both embrace and emulate by using individuals they would have been
well acquainted with as examples (Phil. 2:19–30; Comfort, 2008).
Witherington (2011) says, “If the Philippians accept the lives of
Epaphroditus and Timothy as noble and honorable and worthy of emulat-
ing, then the proposition about living lives worthy of the gospel receives a
living proof” (p. 170). This belief system that Paul hopes to establish in
the church at Philippi places the work of advancing the gospel as a top
priority for the Christ follower. This philosophy would surely separate the
believers in Philippi from the rest of the population, for it would distinctly
grant honor because of Christian service and commitment (Silva, 2005).
Chrysostom (1979), in commenting on Paul’s admonishment to honor
those who have lived sacrificial lives for the sake of Christ and the gospel,
asserts the concept of Christians being involved in a spiritual war where
sacrifices will need to be made, which go unnoticed by a large portion of
the Church who keep their focus on worldly things and not the things of
God. Chrysostom (1979) says:

The fear on man has greater force with us then hell, and the future torments.
For this case, in truth, all things are turned upside down; for political affairs
are daily accomplished with much earnestness, and one must not be left
behind, whilst of spiritual things there is no account taken at all; but the
things which are demanded of us of necessity, and with compulsion, as
though we were slaves, and against our will, are laid down by us with much
readiness, while such as are asked from willing minds, and as if from free
men, are again deficient. (p. 226)

This new philosophical belief about how to subscribe honor, which


Paul is attempting to present to the Philippians, would set the church
apart from the rest of the Philippian society, as it created a completely dif-
ferent value system than the one that was currently in place (Hellerman,
2009; Chrysostom, 1979; Hicks, 2016).
In verse 25 of chapter 2, Paul uses the term systratiōte ̄s (soldier) to
describe the way Epaphroditus has engaged in the work of advancing the
gospel with him. This uncommon metaphor would have certainly gener-
ated a unique image and understanding of Epaphroditus to the believers
at Philippi who lived in a Roman colony filled with retired soldiers (DeSilva,
2004; Melick, 1991). In speaking of the terminology used by Paul to
describe Epaphroditus, Fee (1999) says:
36 T. GREGORY

It images Epaphroditus as a wounded comrade-in-arms who is being sent


home for rest. Since Epaphroditus was almost certainly present at the dicta-
tion of the letter, these words are probably in part for his sake; but they are
surely for the community’s sake as well, to emphasize the role their messen-
ger has played on Paul’s behalf. (p. 122)

Paul used a metaphor in comparing Epaphroditus to a Roman soldier


that would have inspired a unique cultural understanding for the believers
in Philippi of the hardships involved in the spread of the gospel and the
willingness needed by believers to suffer for the sake of Christ, serving in
the army of the Lord (Witherington, 2011; Melick, 1991). The metaphor
used by Paul here echoes the same sentiment he expressed to Timothy,
when he wrote, “Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2
Tim 2:3).
Thielman (2009) notes that Paul presents the behavior of himself,
Epaphroditus, and Timothy to illustrate the way a Christian should behave
and live out their lives to the Philippian church that seemed to possess a
“psychological and spiritually unhealthy separation of belief from behav-
ior” (p. 161). The new value system that Paul hopes the church in Philippi
will embrace is one that calls for the followers of Christ to live a sacrificial
life, which freely surrenders its own desires for the sake of Christ and the
gospel (Thielman, 2009; Chrysostom, 1979). It is a belief system that
called the individuals of the Philippian church to lose their lives in order to
find it; it was a value system that would not allow for a divided commit-
ment between Christ and the advancement of His redeeming message and
a love and desire for the things of their Roman world (Thielman, 2009;
Chrysostom, 1979). This value system that Paul is trying to promote,
though standing in opposition to the Roman world the Philippian believ-
ers lived in, would serve to create a new perspective for the church in
Philippi, where they would begin to view the world the same way the
Apostle Paul did (Hicks, 2016; Silva, 2005; Thielman, 2009;
Chrysostom, 1979).

Moving Forward: Reaching for New Heights


The Apostle Paul is noticeably concerned with the thinking patterns of the
Philippian believers, for throughout his letter to them he attempts to lead
the church into a new way of thinking. This can be witnessed in chapter 3
of his letter, when he tells the Philippians to think like him about Christ
2 LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS: PAUL’S BLUEPRINT 37

and the world they live in, for the right way of thinking will lead to the
right way of behaving (Comfort, 2008). Paul strongly promotes the idea
of unity to the church in Philippi, as he calls the believers there to join in
imitating him, appealing to them to stay united with him in his relentless
pursuit of Christ (Hansen, 2009). Harmon (2015) says:

Imitation of Paul’s life as a model of the mindset of Christ Jesus is not


merely an individual pursuit. It requires joint action within the body of
Christ to ensure that not only individual lives bear the marks of Christ’s
mindset, but the corporate life of the church as well. (p. 370)

Paul desired the church to use his life as a pattern to model their own
after, which is not a statement of arrogance by the apostle but rather a lov-
ing gesture offered by a father to his children or even as a coach to his
players or team captain to his fellow athletes (Comfort, 2008). Paul
wanted to ensure that those he loved, led, and labored with would con-
tinue on the right path toward Christ and the fulfillment of the mission to
advance the gospel (Harmon, 2015; Hansen, 2009). Chrysostom (1979)
points out that Paul and the rest of the apostle served as an archetype and
example, for what they wrote down in their letters they lived out in their
action, making for the best manner of teaching and raising up disciples to
carry on the mission of Christ.
The fact that they are not merely Roman citizens but citizens of heaven
predicates Paul’s argument that the Philippians should imitate him in his
thinking and behavior (Hansen, 2009; Fee, 1999; Harmon, 2015). Paul
seeks to motivate the Philippians to imitate him by making a comparison
of those who are earthly minded and headed for destruction and the
Philippians who are citizens of heaven, who look for the triumphant return
of their Lord Jesus Christ and the day when He will transform their bodies
by His mighty power (Hansen, 2009). Chrysostom (1979) says, “For we
are citizens of heaven, where there is no turning. Prizes which change not
are held out to us. Let us make manifest this our citizenship, let us thence
already receive our good things” (p. 242). Paul was calling the Philippians
to live out their lives as citizens of God’s kingdom, in the Roman world
they currently lived in, in a manner that was worthy of the gospel; thus,
Paul’s call for the church to join in imitating him (Harmon, 2015).
In chapter 3, Paul uses the metaphor of competing in a race to illustrate
his attitude toward Christ and the mission bestowed upon him. Paul says:
38 T. GREGORY

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I
press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I
do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I
press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ
Jesus. (Phil. 3:12–14)

Paul’s use of a runner competing in an athletic event expresses the


effort the apostle had put into the work and life Christ had called him to
engage in, as it was one of Paul’s favorite metaphors (Witherington,
2011). Paul uses similar language to express his commitment to Christ
and the mission Christ had given him when he writes to the church in
Corinth saying, “Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete,
but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.
Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable
wreath, but we an imperishable one” (1 Cor. 9:24–25). Paul uses the
metaphor of an athlete to create an image of the Christian life as he
attempts to point out the discipline needed to live a purposeful life that is
willing to sacrifice earthly pleasures and treasure to gain a heavenly price
(Johnson, 2004). Harmon (2015) understands the use of the phrase kle ̄sis
(call) by Paul to express an invitation given by God to partake in a special
divine experience, which is both a privilege and a responsibility for himself
and the Philippians. Harmon (2015) goes on to say, “This call is no mere
invitation that can be disregarded; it is instead a divine summons that can-
not be revoked” (p. 359). Even though many Jews detested the Greco-­
Roman games, for they usually paid gratitude to some pagan deity, Paul
does not hesitate to use the metaphor of an athlete on his mostly Gentile
audience, knowing it would inspire the image of the effort and commit-
ment required to successfully live the life Christ had called them to
(Witherington, 2011; Johnson, 2004).
Greek athletic games captured the imaginations of all the people
throughout the area, including Macedonia; using such vivid and familiar
imagery would have served the apostle well in creating an understanding
of the spiritual realities he and the Philippians were involved in (Melick,
1991; Fee, 1999; Witherington, 2011). The metaphor would have cre-
ated an image of a runner whose eyes were set forward on the goal they
sought to attain: aware of what was behind them but staying focused on
the finished line and never looking behind them (Fee, 1999). The image
of an athlete straining toward what is ahead would have created an image
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amolar, or grindstone, potters’ earth, rubies, diamonds, and a
diversity of other precious stones.
Rivers and Ports.—None of the maritime provinces, with the
exception of that of Para, present so many navigable rivers,
notwithstanding the most important are incapable of conducting the
productions of the central districts of the country to the ports of the
sea, the whole flowing in a contrary direction to the westward, and
are swallowed up by the Paranna; but even the produce of the
western districts, if agriculture should at any future epoch flourish
there, cannot descend by the Paranna, in consequence of the Seven
Falls, (Setequedas). It might, however, be conveyed over land to the
point where the river becomes navigable, and from thence to the
ports, by overcoming other obstacles in the imperfect mode already
practised in these parts.
The principal rivers of this province are the Paranna, the Iguassu,
the Parannapanema, and the Tiete.
The Paranna takes this name at the confluence of the
Paranahyba, which comes from the centre of Goyaz, and the Rio
Grande, which issues from the interior of Minas Geraes, both
considerable. After a course of many leagues, and having gathered
various streams by both margins, it forms a large and interesting fall
denominated Urubu Punga, which is an insurmountable barrier to all
sorts of fish; and, consequently, there are in its vicinity immense
shoals of divers kinds, which may become a lucrative branch of
commerce to the future dwellers near this magnificent cascade,
which produces a loud murmur that is heard at the distance of many
leagues.
A little below it, the river Cururuhy discharges itself, flows from
the interior of Goyaz, and traverses the territory of the Cayapos.
About ten miles lower, it receives the waters of the important river
Tiete, in front of which embouchure there are two islands, each
about ten miles long.
Seven miles further, the river Sucurihu enters it by the western
bank, below the mouth of which there is a dangerous current, called
Jupia.
Five miles lower, the island of Comprida (Long Island)
commences, which is upwards of twenty miles in extent; and eight
miles below its southern extremity, the river Aguapehi flows into the
Paranna, on the left margin; and fifteen miles further, the Verde, on
the western side, in front of its mouth, there are two parallel islands,
neither exceeding a league in length.
Thirty-five miles below the preceding tributary, the small river
Onca enters it by the same margin; and about fifty miles further, it is
increased by the Pardo, which also enters on the right, and affords a
communication to Camapuan.
Five miles below this confluence is that of the inconsiderable river
St. Anastaçio, which flows from the east. Eighty miles further, the
Parannapanema enters, opposite the mouth of which there is an
island about seven miles in extent: four miles beyond its southern
point, another commences, of ten miles in length; and a little below
the latter, a third, which is nearly thirty miles long. Three miles further
than the southern extremity of this island, the central mouth of the
river Ivinheyma is discovered, which flows from the west.
The Paranna is here little less than seven miles in width, and
contains a number of large islands. Near thirty miles below the
Ivinheyma, the Ivahi discharges, flowing hither in a westerly
direction, and six miles beyond its mouth, is an island near fifteen
miles long; in front of its centre, the Amambahy contributes its
volume to the Paranna, after a course from the westward.
In the vicinity of the last isle, is the island of Grande, or Large
Island, not being much less in extent than seventy miles, and of
considerable width; it terminates four miles above the Seven Falls. A
little more than seven miles above the southern point of this island,
the river Iguatimy enters the Paranna on the western margin, in
latitude 24° 40′; and in a little higher latitude the Piquiry. Ten miles to
the south of the first, it receives, by the right bank, the small river
Iguarei, nearest to the Seven Falls.
At the extremity of the Great Island, the current of the Paranna is
much accelerated, and augments proportionably as its margins
approximate; and from near four miles of width, which it retains in
front of the Iguarei, it diminishes to fifty fathoms, its immense volume
of waters being then divided into seven channels, formed by six
small islands of rock, traversing the serra of Maracaju, with a current
of indescribable fury and awful noise.
Besides the islands already mentioned in this river, there are a
vast number of others, of a smaller size, in the great space that
intervenes between the Setequedas and the fall of Urubu Punga. Its
waters are turbulent, and ill adapted for drinking. The western margin
is flat, in part consisting of a large white sand, with a variety of
precious stones, for the space of many leagues without interruption.
The eastern bank is generally a little elevated; and both exhibit
continued and extensive woods. Without any considerable windings,
it runs between the south and south-west, with a current generally
slow and majestic; but, when strong winds prevail, the waves are as
tumultuous as those of the ocean. It abounds with various kinds of
fish, some of which are excellent.
Forty miles below the Seven Falls, the river Jaguare enters the
Paranna by the left margin; and sixty miles further the considerable
Iguassu. At a considerable distance further, its direction is changed
towards the west, and enters the Paraguay in the latitude of 27° 20′.
From the mission of Corpus upwards, aboriginal nations alone
possess the vast territory watered by this majestic river and its
confluents.
The river Iguassu, which in the Brazilian language signifies “great
water,” has its principal source in the small river St. Joze, and when
it traverses the royal road of Lages to Sorocaba, is already
considerable, and runs under the name of Curytiba. Its course is
always towards the west, having few windings, forming many falls,
which interrupt navigation; sensibly enlarging by those streams
which unite themselves with it on one or the other margin, principally
the southern, and limiting on the south the vast plains of
Guarapuaba, inhabited by Indians. The borders are extensively
wooded. The first large fall, denominated Cayacanga, is about fifteen
miles below the above-mentioned road, and the largest ten miles
above its embouchure, where it is one hundred and thirteen fathoms
in width. This latter cataract is two hundred feet in perpendicular
height; the margins of the river at this place are rocky, and the
current furious. A certanista, (a commandant of a troop proceeding
into the certam or interior,) who descended by this river, says, that it
is navigable, without embarrassment, from Cayacanga to the fall of
Victoria; but he does not declare the extent of this interval, nor the
names and situations of seven large falls, which he encountered to
the confluence of this river with the Paranna. At the angle of its
confluence, for some years existed the aldeia of St. Maria de
lguassu, which disappeared in consequence of a famine.
What may be deemed the most remarkable object in this river,
besides the large fall alluded to, is that part of its course known by
the appellation of the Funil, in the centre of the country, where it runs
rapidly, contracted between high and pointed rocks, in the form of a
street of medium width. In its vicinity dwell a horde of Puri and of
Guayanha Indians. The principal confluents of the lguassu, which
unite themselves with it on the left, are the Negro, Varge, Bannanal,
and St. Antonio, which joins it seventy miles above the last fall. Fifty
miles above the river St. Antonio, the Jordao discharges itself, and
about the same distance above the latter, the St. Joao, both by the
right margin.
The river Parannapanema has its origin in the cordillera of the
sea, to the west of the river Itanhaen. Its first considerable tributaries
are the Itapitininga, which joins it on the right, and the Apiahy on the
left, with the waters of which it becomes considerable and wide. Its
margins are generally flat, and covered with large trees; in some
parts plains or campinhas are seen, where are encountered,
amongst other wild creatures, the emu ostrich and deer. The current
is principally quick, in consequence of numerous falls. Malevolent
Indians occupy the adjacent lands. Near the southern margin, in the
vicinity of the mouth of the Tibagy, some years ago was found the
remains of a dwelling, which renders it probable that the ancient
Spaniards of the province of Guayra extended their establishments
to this river.
Thirty miles above the embouchure of the Parannapanema, it is
joined on the southern bank by the small river Pirapo, near the
mouth of which, for many years, existed the redução or mission of
the Lady of Loreto, one of thirteen which formed the reputed
provinces of Taiaoba and Taiaty, so inaptly described by the Jesuit
Montoya, one of their founders, and which affords room to suspect
that they existed in the vast territory which extends itself from the
said Parannapanema northwards.
The river Tiete, formerly Anhemby, a name given to it by an
Indian tribe, has its source seventy miles to the east of the city of St.
Paulo, not far from which it passes; about four miles below it
receives, on the left margin, the Pinheiros, which flows from the
south-east with twenty miles of course. After forty-five miles more it
receives, on the right, the Jundiahy, which flows by the town of its
name. Near this confluence, the Tiete forms a large cataract, which
impedes the further advance of fish; and fifty miles further the
Capibary joins it, after having traversed an extensive wood of
majestic trees.
Eight miles lower the Sorocaba discharges on the left margin.
Originating in the serra of Cubatam, to the west of St. Vincente, it
runs by the town of the same name.
Fifty miles beyond the preceding river, the Pirassicaba, which is
considerable, enters it on the right, and is formed by the Tybaia and
Jaguary, the heads of which are situated to the north-east of St.
Paulo, and traverse a vast wood of immense trees, from the trunks
of which, as well as those that grow upon the borders of the
aforesaid Capibary, are constructed canoes of eighty palms in
length, nearly eight in width, and five in height, which serve to
navigate to Cuiaba, and carry four hundred arrobas of cargo,
besides the necessary maintenance for eight men, and occasionally
passengers.
A little below this confluence, where the volume of water is
almost doubled, the Lancoes joins it on the left; and, after four or five
days of voyage, the embouchure of the Jacare-Papira is met with on
the right; and, somewhat lower, that of the Pipira, on the same side,
almost as voluminous as the one which receives it. This river is
formed by the waters of the Mugy, which originates in the skirt of the
Mantiqueira and of the Jaguary-Mirim, which issues from Minas
Geraes, both crossing the road from St. Paulo to Goyaz, thirty miles
distant one from the other. They flow westward for a considerable
space, uniting in the centre of a large wood, through which they
continue in one important current, gathering various streams, that
render it so considerable at the confluence mentioned.
A few leagues below the passage to Goyaz there is a fall in the
Mugy, which arrests the further progress of fish, and, in
consequence, at a certain period annually a numerous band of
fishermen assemble here, with cargas (horse loads) of salt, which
enables them to furnish the more distant places, from the abundant
draughts with which they are here supplied.
Navigators compute two hundred and fifty miles from Port Feliz to
the mouth of the Pipira, and as many more from this point to the
confluence of the Tiete with the Paranna.
The imperfect methods of overcoming the natural difficulties
which are presented, require twenty-six days to accomplish this
voyage of five hundred miles. Its course is very winding; twenty-five
miles are reckoned in a direct line from Port Feliz to the mouth of the
Capibary, and nearly sixty by the river.
It is fifty miles from the mouth of the Jocoaquatu to that of the
Pirassicaba, and only twenty in a straight line. The bed is principally
stony, with a great number of islands and falls, the most important of
those precipitations are denominated Avare-Manduava, Itaguassava,
Pirapora, Bauru, Barery-Mirim, Barery-Guassu, Escaramuca,
Utupanema, Funil-Grande, (the Large Funnel,) Guacurytuvussu,
Aracanga-Mirim, Aracangavussu, Utupeva, and Utupiru. The labour
requisite to pass these falls with canoes is very great. There are
above sixty other places attended with difficulty, and half that number
with considerable danger, but which, notwithstanding, are passed
without unloading the canoes. The banks of this river are almost
universally covered with superb timber. Amongst other fruit trees are
the jabuticaba, quince, cipota, jatahi, nhandipapo, and uvacupari.
From the bark of some trees the aborigines and the certanistas
construct canoes for the purposes of navigation; and the resin
extracted from them the Indians use for lights, and for ornaments for
their ears and lips. Among other species of fish it affords the
doirados, saupes, pacus, piracanjuvas, surubins, piracambucus,
jahus, and piraquaxiaras, some of which weigh two arrobas, or sixty-
four pounds.
It would be of incalculable advantage to the internal provinces of
Brazil if the government would adopt some effectual mode of
diminishing the numerous natural difficulties the Tiete presents to
navigation. The voyage is also prolonged in consequence of the
fogs, which almost every morning deter the canoes from departure
till eight o’clock, when these mists usually disappear.
The river Tibagy, which originates to the west of Cannanea, runs
to the north-west, traversing the campos of Guarapuaba, where it
becomes considerable from many other streams which join it,
principally on the right margin; among them are the Pitanguy, Yapo,
Jaguaryhiba or Jocuriahy, and the Jaguaryquatu. The Cairussu is the
largest among the few which it receives on the left, and passes near
the serra Doirada. It is navigable near to its heads, and enters the
Parannapanema about the middle of its course.
Between the Jaguariquatu and the aforesaid Apiahy travellers
from Villa do Principe to Sorocaba pass, among other smaller
streams, the Terere, Verde, and Taquary, which run universally
towards the west, and increase the Tibagy, or the Parannapanema.
The first and southern, when it crosses the road, is hidden by a high
point of rock, formed by nature, and deemed one of the wonders of
the province.
The Piquiry, having its heads in the centre of the campos of
Guarapuaba, towards which it affords navigation for a very
considerable space, runs westward into the Paranna ten miles above
the Seven Falls. In the northern angle of its mouth, in an agreeable
site, was situated Ciudad Real, otherwise Guayra, demolished by the
Paulistas in 1631. The detachment of Fort Iguatimim attempted to
rebuild it in 1773; but the undertaking was abandoned, in
consequence of every individual employed having perished in a few
days by a pestilential fever, which prevails here in January, February,
and March.
The Ivahy, originally Ubahy, which rises also in the campos of
Guarapuaba and near to the Tibagy, from whence some certanistas
transport their canoes to it, is considerable, navigable nearly to its
origin, and so well stored with fish, that it has also acquired the name
of Rio do Peixe, (the River of Fish.) It runs between the west and
north-west, traversing an extensive territory, peopled with savage
Indians, and enters the Paranna.
The river Tinto, Bom, Soberbo, Capibary, and Thua are its
principal branches. The first is the northern and the last is the
southern. The ruins of Villa Rica, denominated Bannanal, are
situated eight days’ voyage above its mouth, and was dismantled by
the Paulistas upon the same occasion on which they demolished
Ciudad Real. A road connected these two places, of which at the
present day there is scarcely any trace.
The Pardo issues from the comarca of St. Joao d’El Rey, where it
washes the arraial of its name; and after flowing through an
extensive tract westward, and collecting, amongst others, the river
Araquara, falls into the Rio Grande, much below the confluence of
the Sapucahy, a considerable river, which travellers to Goyaz fall in
with after they enter that province from St. Paulo.
The river Parahiba, after describing a vast winding, and irrigating
many povoacaos of this province, returns towards that of Rio de
Janeiro, where it has its origin and termination.
We will now describe the rivers which flow towards the ocean,
and the principal ports. These are Santos, Cannanea, and
Paranagua.
Eighteen miles to the north of the river Sahy Grande, a limit of the
province, is the mouth of the considerable and rapid Guaratuba,
formed by others that descend from the General Cordillera. This
name is derived from the beautiful guara bird, which abounds upon
its margins, and breeds upon a flat island, covered with mangroves,
situated about seven miles from the sea, where, by a decree, no one
has been allowed to kill them, otherwise these handsome birds
would have long since been extirpated. Launches proceed up to the
town of the same name. Its largest tributary is the river St. Joao,
which, flowing a considerable distance through the pine woods,
unites itself with the Guaratuba on the southern margin.
Twenty miles to the northward are the three entrances to the bay
of Paranagua, formed by two islands. Ibupetuba, (or False Bar,) is
the name of the southern, and Superagui that of the northern. The
central and largest is five hundred fathoms in width. Mel is the name
of the southern island, and Pecas the northern. This bay is twenty
miles in length from east to west, more than ten at its greatest width,
and of very irregular form. The most northern portion is called the
bay of Pine-trees, to which the island of Pecas opens two entrances.
The island of Cotinga, six miles long from east to west, and of small
width, is the largest within this bay, where sumacas alone enter, and
where a great number of rivulets and rivers are discharged. The
most considerable is the Cubatam, which flows into it at the western
extremity. The Guaraquissava is the largest that enters it on the
northern side, where it also receives the Serra Negra, the Cachoeira,
and the Nhundyaquara. The Gurgussu and the Almeydas are the
largest which run into this receptacle on its southern side.
Twenty-five miles further, the river Ararapira disembogues,
scarcely supplying depth for canoes.
Twelve miles to the north-east, which is the direction of the coast,
is the bar of Cannanea. Near its northern point there is a small
elevated island of the same name. In front of it, on the southern side,
there is another island called Figueira, which is round; and further
outward is that of Castilhos, small and of moderate elevation.
Forty miles in the same direction of north-east, is the bar of
Icapara, the northern mouth of an inlet of the sea, forming an island
of the intervening land. Its southern mouth is the before-mentioned
bar of Cannanea. This island, hitherto unnamed, is flat, and of
inconsiderable width, compared with its great length. It has some
inhabitants, and the channel which separates it from the continent is
narrow and deep, and is sometimes called a bay, at others a lake.
Smacks enter by the bar of Cannanea; that of Icapara, having the
same depth, is not navigated, in consequence of its dangerous
windings.
Fifteen miles further along the coast is the large outlet of the
considerable river Iguape, formed by a great number of large
streams, generally serpentine, and watering a vast and mountainous
country, having gold. This river is navigable for many leagues; and in
the vicinity of the sea, describing large windings, forms many
peninsulas, some of the isthmuses of which have been cut in order
to shorten the navigation. It passes about two miles from the town of
Iguape.
Thirty-five miles further are the two mouths of the river Una, up
which canoes proceed more than fifty miles, to a place called
Prelado.
Forty miles to the north-east is the entrance of the bay of
Itanhaen, which is handsome, and takes the name of a small river
discharged at its extremity.
The bay of Santos follows at a distance of thirty-five miles, to
which the island of St. Vincente, and that of St. Amaro, originally
Guahibe, each being fifteen or eighteen miles long, open three
entrances. The southern is denominated the bar of St. Vincente, the
central Barra Larga, (Wide Bar,) or the bar of Santos, and the
northern, Bertioga, by corruption Buriquioca, which signifies a house
or cavern of buriquis, a species of monkey. It is the only port of the
province capable of receiving armadas. Various small rivers, alone
navigable with the tide, flow hither, and are discharged amidst
mangroves.
Islands.—The two last islands are the principal; are elevated,
and abound with water, timber, and good stone.
The island of St. Amaro has scarcely any inhabitants, and is
almost entirely uncultivated, which, perhaps, is owing to its not
having been granted at first in small portions to agriculturists capable
of cultivating it.
About thirty miles to the east-north-east of St. Amaro, is the
island of St. Sebastian, fifteen miles long, and proportionably wide,
also high, with some inhabitants and roadsteads, being separated
from the continent by the profound channel of Toque-Toque, a
league in width.
Fifteen miles to the north-east from hence is the small island of
Porcos, which is of a triangular form, with good anchorage in its
vicinity, and inhabited.
In the same direction, and at an equal distance, the island of
Couves is situated, possessing good water, and commodious
anchorage on the side next the continent, from which it is distant
three miles.
The Queimadas, consisting of three small islands, are situated
twelve miles east of the entrance to the bay of Itanhaen.
Phytology.—This province possesses extensive woods, with a
variety of trees well adapted for building and other purposes. The
cedar is common in many parts, and the Brazilian pine abounds
more than any other tree in many districts. It is of two sorts, the
green, high and straight, and the white, which is not so compact as
the first. Amongst other medicinal plants is the jarrinha, which is
regarded as an efficacious antidote, applied externally, to the bite of
a snake. The flowers of Europe do not degenerate much here; and
fruit trees, transplanted from the same quarter, prosper equally with
a great portion of those peculiar to the central provinces. The
produce of the cotton tree is neither abundant nor of the best quality;
common cottons, which are manufactured with it, constitute a branch
of commerce. The agricultural productions are wheat, rye, Indian
corn, rice, mandioca, legumes, coffee, potatoes, sugar, rum, and
tobacco; these, with a large quantity of hides and pork, cattle,
horses, mules, poultry, wax, precious stones, and drugs, are
exported.
Zoology.—Amongst other species of wild quadrupeds, the
capibara, ounce, anta, tamandua, guara, preguica, boar, deer, paca,
monkey, rabbit, wild dog, and ariranha, are common. European
animals are sufficiently numerous, with the exception of the goat. A
portion of salt is generally given to every species of cattle as aliment;
and probably no other province produces such a prodigious quantity
of hogs.
The eastern part of this province was possessed by two nations,
denominated Carijos and Guayanas; the latter dwelt northward of the
first. The western districts are yet in the power of the native
barbarians. The Paulistas give the appellation of Bugres to those
which inhabit the territory that extends from the river Tiete to the
Uruguay. The northern part is at this day occasionally visited by the
Cayapo tribes, whose dwelling places are on the other side of the
Paranna. The Bugres, amongst which there are some whites, with
beards, are divided into four nations; one of these hordes perforate
the under lip, some shave the head in the form of a crown, and
others ornament their faces with dyes. The men go entirely naked,
and use no other arms but the bow and arrow. The women wear a
girdle reaching nearly to the knees.
Although they have fixed residences, and cultivate some
vegetables, with feijao, and three sorts of Indian corn, white, violet,
and another, which the Paulistas denominate peruruca, they wander
about a part of the year in pursuit of game and wild fruits.
Their houses are of considerable length, and are formed by two
ranges of an equal number of poles, the flexibility of which admits of
their junction at the centre, and being intertwined with twigs,
constitute a simple structure, which is finished by the guaricanga (a
species of palm tree) as its ultimate covering, with a narrow entrance
at one extremity. Fires are made in file along the middle of the
building, the inhabitants sleeping upon the ground with their feet
extended towards them, and many families constituting the inmates
of one dwelling.
Their instruments of agriculture are rudely constructed of wood,
with tools of stones; and they make certain vessels for the
fermentation of inebriating beverages, which they frequently partake
of to excess.
They domesticate some indigenous animals, such as the quaty
and cotia; and of European quadrupeds only the dog for hunting.
They prefer the flesh of the horse and mule to that of the ox. On all
occasions where any friendly intercourse obtains between them and
the Paulistas, they appear to regard iron alone as an article of any
value. Their natural ferocity has prevented the Portuguese from
extending themselves or cultivation to the westward.
Amongst other numerous species of birds, remarkable for their
size, plumage, and rarity, are the emu ostrich, colhereira, caroe,
tabuyaya, tayuyu, jacu, mutun, macuco partridge, tucano, parrot,
araponga, guraputepoca, the troquaze dove, rola, heron, inhuma,
white urubu, soco, wild goose, &c.
The Paulistas (inhabitants of St. Paulo) are at present esteemed
the best people of the state, although various accounts would
warrant the belief of their being formerly of a very different character;
but these representations must be received with caution. It is evident
that their valour and enterprise have, on many occasions, been very
conspicuous. Vosgien, the most moderate of all the writers against
them, says, that the city of St. Paulo was a species of republic,
independent of the Portuguese, and formed of bands from different
nations, the whole ill regulated, and consisting of freebooters and
thieves, who paid a tribute of gold to the King of Portugal, till they
were subjugated by that crown. This is in opposition to the
Portuguese authorities, who affirm that they were always faithful
subjects of Portugal, from the foundation of the capitania.
From the period of Philip II. becoming possessed of Portugal, and
having, in consequence, some controul over its colonies, till the day
of acclamation, which restored the crown to John IV. the Paulistas
did not deem themselves under the jurisdiction of the Castilian court,
but opposed the Spaniards who were in possession of the rich lands
to the south and west of the Paraguay; and had begun to
approximate to the centre of the continent with their establishments.
This induced the Paulistas to enter upon a secret expedition in 1631,
in order to interrupt their progress. Having traversed, with eight
hundred men, the certâms, or interior, the rivers Parannapanema
and Tibagy, they fell upon Villa Rica, and Ciudad Real. The town of
Xerez, situated near the heads of the river Mondego, experienced
the same misfortune; also thirty-two aldeias that constituted three
small provinces.
The Paulistas, although they did not designate the domestic
Indians by the appellation of captives, or slaves, but by that of
administrados, disposed of them as such, giving them to their
creditors in payment of debts, and by way of dowry on occasions of
marriage.
The Jesuits, who possessed or had the controul over a great
number of Indians, and under whose power they received the
denomination of administrados, without any consequences of slavery
being attached to the term, declaimed against the abuses practised
by the Paulistas, and demonstrated to them the impropriety of
usurping a right to dispose of the liberty of the Indian.
The Paulistas, who were opulent, and owed all their wealth to the
arms of their numerous administrados, determined to expel the
Jesuits, in order that the truths which they promulgated should not
militate against their interest.
The reciprocal opposition of two families, each wishing to have
the entire administration of the government, led them, with their
respective partizans, to open warfare, which would have conducted
to the most disastrous results, if the prudence of some ecclesiastics
had not disarmed them on the field of battle, by persuading the
chiefs to a compromise, by which an equal number of the contending
families, from thence forward, were to enter upon the functions of the
government.
This compact, accomplished in the year 1654, continued until the
middle of the following century, when a cavalheiro, not related to the
privileged families, was elected for a judge, which appointment was
protested against by them, and finally settled in their favour at Rio de
Janeiro, about the time when this individual had completed the term
of his jurisdiction. The ability with which he had discharged the duties
of the office, convinced the Paulistas that personal merit ought, in
conducting the government, to be preferred to the old system.
The antipathy that existed for a long period between the
Thaubatenos and Piratininganos, and produced so many duels and
disasters; the fatal campaign of 1631; the revolutions caused by the
mutual enmity of the two families alluded to; the civil war between
the said Paulistas and the European Portuguese, at the
commencement of the mining adventures in Minas Geraes; with
other animosities, may be regarded as the foundation of the
exaggerated charges of want of loyalty, with which many writers
have charged this people.
They have a provincial trait which characterises them on their
visits to other places. They always wear a sort of capote, or cloak,
called a ponche, with an aperture in the centre, through which they
introduce the head and neck.
The serra of Jaguary, on the Beira-Mar, or sea-coast, and the
river Terere, from the serra above, divide this province into northern
and southern, each constituting a comarca, or ouvidoria, designated
by the head town, which, till recently, were Paranagua in the south,
and St. Paulo in the north.
By a law of February, 1812, the former was changed for the town
of Curytiba, where the ouvidor has since resided; and it is the head
of this division, denominated the comarca of Paranagua and
Curytiba. The other was divided into two comarcas, and the new one
was denominated Hitu.
The longest day of the year, which is in December, comprises
nearly fourteen hours in the southern part of the province, at which
period the inhabitants of the margins of the river Grande, the
northern boundary, have not thirteen hours and a half of day.
The comarca of Paranagua and Curytiba, comprises the following
towns:—
Curytiba
Paranagua
Guaratuba
Antonia
Cannanea
Iguape
Castro
St. Joze
Lages
Villa do Principe.
Curytiba, a considerable and famous town, now the head of the
comarca, and ordinary residence of the ouvidor, (head magistrate,) is
well situated upon the left margin of a small river, which has a bridge
for the accommodation of its inhabitants. It has a magnificent church,
called Our Lady da Luz, the hermitages of the Lady of Terco,
Rosario, and St. Francisco de Paula, and a Terceira order of St.
Francisco de Assis. All its structures are of stone or brick, and the
streets are paved.

On Stone by C. Shoosmith from a Sketch by Jas. Henderson.


Printed by C. Hullmandel.
A PAULISTA AND A BRAZILIAN MENDICANT.
Paranagua is a town of some note, built of stone, and previously
to the year 1812 was the head of the comarca. It has three
hermitages, and a church of the Lady of Rosario. Its situation,
unhealthy, and presenting nothing agreeable to the view, is ten miles
distant from the sea, upon the southern bank of the bay from which it
borrows the name, and in front of the western point of the island of
Cotinga. It has a permutation or smelting house, a Juiz de Fora, and
a professor of Latin. The Jesuits had a college here, which has,
since their expulsion, been repaired at the cost of the treasury.
Farinha, rice, coffee, and other articles, with wheat, which is brought
from Curytiba, are its exports.
Guaratuba, (the real name of which is Villa Nova de St. Luiz,)
situated near a morro, upon the right margin of the southern arm of
the river Guaratuba, in front of the island of Guarazes, and seven
miles from the sea, is yet small, but stands advantageously for
becoming more considerable. It exports various necessaries of life.
Antonio enjoys an agreeable, and healthy situation, ten miles
west of the town of Paranagua, at the extremity of a bay, on a
peninsula, and in front of the embouchures of the Cachoeira and
Nhundiaquara. It was created a town in 1800. The mother church,
deemed an embellishment, is denominated Our Lady of Pilar. Its
vicinity can boast of considerable plantations of mandioca, the
farinha of which root is exported, as well as timber and cords of
imbe. In its district is the aldeia of Morrete, near a river, up which
canoes advance to take in the productions cultivated within its
boundaries, and those conveyed hither from Curytiba upon the
backs of mules.
Cannanea, an inconsiderable town, and pleasantly situated upon
a small island, about ten miles within the bar of its name, and only
separated from the continent by a narrow strait, has a church
dedicated to St. Joao Baptista. Its inhabitants are agriculturists and
fishermen; rice is the principal article exported. At the entrance of the
bar of Cannanea, on the side of the continent, there is a stone of
European marble, with the royal arms of Portugal; and, although
much defaced, is ascertained to have been erected there in the year
1503.
Twenty miles south-west of Cannanea, is the aldeia of Ararapira,
in former times a villota of Christianized Indians, with its church
dedicated to St. Joze da Marinha, situated upon an arm of the lake
or bay of Cannanea, which prolongs itself between the General
Cordillera and another contiguous to the ocean.
Twenty-eight miles (or forty, following the winding of the lake) to
the north-east of the town of Cannanea, is the considerable town of
Iguape, situated pleasantly at the extremity of the lake, and a little
removed from the right margin of the river Assunguy, which is
generally designated by the name of the town. It formerly had a
house of permutation, and has a celebrated church dedicated to the
Lady of Neves. The exportation of rice from hence is considerable.
Castro, with a church dedicated to St. Amaro, is yet a small town,
but well situated at the point where the river Hyapo (of which it
originally took the name) traverses the royal road. In its vicinity are
found the most precious stones. After the subjugation of the savages
of Guarapuava, great expectations are entertained of its increase, as
well as of the cultivation of its extensive contours.
St. Joze, ten miles to the south-east of Curytiba, is agreeably
elevated above the surrounding campinha, and is one mile from the
left margin of the small river of its name, which, after a course of
seven miles further, incorporates itself with the Curytiba.
Forty miles to the west of the two last-named towns, there is a
register upon the margin of the Curytiba, where, in some years, thirty
thousand mules pass to Sorocaba.
Lages, otherwise Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres, is the most
southern town of the province, and was never considerable, in
consequence of its proximity to the savages, but is at present much
reduced by their invasions. It is situated upon what is denominated
the royal road, two miles north of the river Caveiras, and about one
from the small Caraha, which takes the name of a species of cane or
bamboo that grows in abundance upon its margins, and are the best
of the province; some have so peculiar a varnish upon them, that
they appear like the work of an able hand. There are excellent
amolar, or grindstones, in the same stream. The country surrounding
this town is of great fertility, is irrigated by many rivers, and has a
temperate and salubrious climate. Legumes, wheat, Indian corn, &c.
with cattle, are raised, and almost every species of fruit tree
prospers; but the people, besides diminishing in number, are poor for
want of an outlet for their productions. The opening of a good road,
by which the farmers might with facility transmit their surplus produce
to the port of St. Catharina; or perhaps better through the medium of
the town of Laguna, (the road terminating in that case at the port of
Guarda, from whence the Tuburao affords navigation to the said
town,) would induce numerous colonies to establish themselves in
this fertile territory, rendered more desirable by the fine temperature
of the climate, when the aborigines would be either compelled to
retire, or to submit to some mode of subjection. The many aldeias,
which would necessarily be spread over this fine district, affording
plains for the extensive breeding of cattle, could not fail to produce a
rapid increase of the town of Lages. In such a state of things it would
become the head of a populous and rich comarca.
Villa do Principe, originally St. Antonio da Lapa, is ten miles
southward from the before-mentioned register of Curytiba, near the
royal road. Its people are breeders of cattle, and cultivate wheat, rye,
Indian corn, and divers fruits.
Five miles north of the same register, and also upon the border of
the road, near a small river which contributes its water to the
Iguassu, is the arraial of Thauha, possessing a hermitage of the
Lady of Conceiçao.
Curytiba, the name by which this district has been recently
designated, in the Brazilian language signifies curu, “pine,” and tiba,
“many.” It comprises almost all the comarca, or southern part of the
province, from the General Serra to the westward. The winter
commences in this part about May, and lasts till September, with a
south, and occasionally a south-west wind, which is colder than the
first. The most common trees are the Brazilian pine. These majestic
trees form extensive woods, abounding with the mountain hog,
which go in herds, at times, of one hundred and more.
The fruit trees of Europe prosper here better than the indigenous
ones of this continent, and amongst the former may be enumerated
the fig, pear, apple, plum, peach, quince, cherry, walnut, and
chestnut. The olive-trees are laden with flowers, but rarely fructify.
Mandioca, the banana, coffee, and cotton trees, as well as the sugar
cane, only prosper in some situations. The matte grows
spontaneously, and is very common. The great consumption of a
beverage made from this tree in the province, and in those of St.
Catharina and Rio Grande do Sul, and also by many people in the
metropolis, augurs favourably for the addition of another branch of
commerce to this comarca. Bunches of grapes are frequently met
with of upwards of five pounds weight; but hitherto no good wine has
been manufactured.
In the year 1812 a large quantity of divers plants of the vine were
sent here from Europe; and it is confidently expected that many will
succeed as well if not better than in their native soil; so that with
proper attention good wine may in time be produced.
The Curytibanos pass for the most powerful and robust people
amongst the Paulistas. They cultivate abundance of wheat and
Indian corn, with some rice; they breed cattle, horses, and mules,
possess a great number of cows, and make some butter and
cheese. The cows are of a large size, and afford the greatest
quantity of milk in summer; that, however, which they supply in the
winter is the best; the portion which in the first season yields four
cheeses, in the winter produces eight. The major part of the
breeders of cattle give them salt; an animal which is lean receives a
greater ration, in order that it may fatten more expeditiously. It is
observed, that sheep begin to die after they have pastured ten years,
in whatever situation they may be. Immediately on the first symptom
of the disease, which is known by the retiring of the animals towards
the door of their dono, as if praying for a remedy, it is requisite to
remove them to another part, and when not more than a league
distant from their former pasture, the contagion will cease.
The northern division of this province comprehends the following
towns, viz.:— In the comarca of St. Paulo:

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