The Necessity of Pastor/Teachers

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God gave the church pastor/teachers for a reason. His reasons are obviously the soundest reasons that we can consider for the necessity of pastor/teachers. Read how Paul the apostle puts it to the Church of Ephesus:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

The Context

Now understand what is happening in the context of this passage. Paul has just finished speaking to the church about the mystery of how the Jews and the Gentiles become one through Jesus Christ (cf. Ephesians 3). He encourages the Ephesians by letting them know that he is praying for them to have the realization of the truth of this mystery. Moreover, it is a mystery! For what reason would God choose Israel as His people and then invite others to share in Him what it is that His people have? The central reason is ultimately to bring glory to Himself (cf. Romans 9:23-24).

Then Paul turns his attention to the unity of the body. This body consisting of both Jews and Gentiles was a concern of his. When you get different ethnicities together there tends to be some tensions at times due to differing cultural differences. The Jews were not like the Gentiles in the sense that the Jews had one God while many Gentiles had either no god or many gods. When the Jews and the Gentiles came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, they both now had one Messiah that they believed. Nevertheless, they were coming to Him from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. There were bound to be some problems in the church if this was the case.

An Excursus

So let me take a quick excursion at this point. It is important for us to understand that the make-up of the church is just that: it includes people from every tribe, nation and tongue. As one friend put it, “It is ethnocentric.” In other words, Christians in all denominations everywhere need to realize that heaven is going to look very diverse in color and people from differing cultures are going to be with us. As the old children’s song goes, “Jesus loves the little children / All the children of the world / Red and yellow, black and white / they are precious in His sight / Jesus loves the little children of the world!” The point is that we need to see the church universal as a whole and not just our individual churches as the whole. We need to realize that there are different Christians—of varying colors and cultures—that have trusted the same Messiah as us. They are no different from us. They are lost sinners who need the Savior just like us. They too are saved just as much as we are saved.

The Unity of the Body

Paul is pointing out that unity is necessary. As he puts it:

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Did you read how many times he speaks of this “oneness”? Seven times he uses the word “one.” This means that in contrast to many, there is only one. It is not pluralistic it is singular. We have only one body of believers—both Jews and Gentiles. We have only one Spirit—the Holy Spirit. We have only one hope of our calling—the call to be saved by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have only one Lord—there is no need for any other when you have the One true and living God. We have only on faith—the faith granted to us as a gift of God. We have only one baptism—the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We have only one God and Father of all—the one true and living God who is above all, and through all, and in those of us who believe.

Unity among the body of believers is of utmost importance. Paul now turns his attention to the gifts that God has given to the church. He says, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Ephesians 4:7-10). What was Christ’s gift? The gift that He gave was Himself: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The gift of Himself is the most important of all, but He also gave the church some other gifts—necessary gifts—apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor/teachers.

The Gifts to the Body

The first gift mentioned by Paul is the gift of the apostle. An apostle was one who fulfills the role of being a special messenger. This gift to the church is generally restricted to the immediate followers of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, it also extended to other early Christians active in proclaiming the message of the Gospel, as is the case with the Apostle Paul. Yet there does not seem to be any Scriptural evidence that this particular gift is still in existence. Yes, there are those who say that this gift has not ceased but the reality is that we do not see any other apostles mentioned in the Scriptures after Paul. It is a hard case to make for this gift still being in existence in the church today. However, one can make the case that this role still exists insofar as a person who is a special messenger of God presenting a special message from God, namely the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Additionally, some may argue that this role still exists because of the church planting movement that seems to be growing—at least here in America. A man may plant one church and from that church plant other churches that are considered part of his church planting organization.

The second gift given is the gift of the prophet. This one proclaims inspired utterances on behalf of God. There is a tendency in numerous languages to translate and define this word for prophet only in the sense of one who foretells the future. The foretelling of the future was only a relatively minor aspect of the prophet’s ministry even though at times it became a more important aspect of the ministry. The focus of the ministry of the prophet in the New Testament was upon the inspired utterance proclaimed on behalf of and on the authority of God. In other words, the prophet is merely one who speaks for God. In today’s church this office still is in existence as far as proclamation of the Gospel is concerned. In other words, based upon the authority of God Himself, there are those who proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ boldly and courageously.

The next gift is the gift of the evangelist. The evangelist is one who announces the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even though the term used for evangelist indicates only an individual who announces the Gospel, early usage of the word suggests this person traveled from place to place announcing the good news of Jesus Christ. In today’s body of believers, there are evangelists. These gifts travel from place to place announcing that men, women, boys and girls can be saved by believing Jesus Christ unto salvation. They are the stentors—heralds—who proclaim from place to place that Jesus Christ died according to the Scriptures, was buried and was raised again according to the Scriptures.

Now comes the final gift listed and it is the gift of the pastor and teacher. Throughout this article, it has been evident that these two terms are kept together. There is a reason for this but before the reason is given, definitions of these terms are going to be stated.

The pastor is one who is responsible for the care and guidance of a Christian congregation. The teacher is one who provides instruction. Some scholars will define both of these terms as being separate classes of people that are given as gifts to the church. However, these are two complementary roles, that of pastor and teacher. In other words, the pastor is one who guides and helps a congregation by the teaching that he does. In today’s church, the office of the pastor/teacher is certainly still in effect. The question is, “Is it necessary for individuals to have a pastor/teacher, one who guides and helps a congregation through his teaching?”

The Necessity of the Pastor/Teachers

Now the title of this article is “The Necessity of Pastor/Teachers.” There is a reason for this discussion. A particular mindset has come into the church that is detrimental to it. It is a mindset that the pastor/teacher is not necessary except to validate what it is that we as individuals believe. They are not there for any particular reason except this idea. It is not that the pastor/teacher guides or teaches us anything; some believe that the Holy Spirit and the Bible are enough. Nevertheless, Paul (I believe) has in mind here the necessity of telling the Church of Ephesus that these gifts of the apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor/teachers is of utmost importance. He even explains what they are to do for and in the church. Here is the rundown as he says in Ephesians 4:12-16:

  1. They are to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.
  2. They are to build up the body of Christ, the church.
  3. They are to continue doing these things until the church comes to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, and until there is maturity among the body of believers.

Furthermore, he explains these gifts to the church so that those who are part of the body will no longer be children that are tossed around by every wind of doctrine and the trickery of men who deceitfully scheme against them. Pastor/teachers are not given to the church to validate their opinions, thoughts or their feelings about a given subject or about what they think about God, Jesus, salvation, the Law, the Bible or anything else. Rather, the pastor/teacher is given for what is mentioned above. It is necessary to have the pastor/teacher because without a shepherd the sheep wander to and fro, back and forth, as to be carried about by every wind of doctrine that comes along. The necessity of the pastor/teacher is to speak the truth in love until the body of believers come to a unity with Jesus Christ in such a way that the “working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16). In essence, the pastor/teacher is to guide and instruct a congregation in love of God and of others.

Now notice something that Paul is not mentioning. It is not the duty of the pastor/teacher to take care of the business of the church. He is not a treasurer. He is not the one who is to solve every issue that arises. He is not the one who has to be in charge of the building program, the fundraising, the caretaking of the church van or even the one who locks and unlocks the doors to the meeting place. His purpose is to guide the congregation through the teaching ministry that has been entrusted to him by God (1 Thessalonians 2:4; Titus 1:1-4).

Conclusion

The pastor/teacher is necessary for several reasons. First, the pastor/teacher is a gift of God to the church. Do not take this as an arrogant statement. The Scripture is clear that this gift is from God for and with a purpose. The main purpose of the pastor/teacher is for guiding a church through teaching and instruction in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible. This does not mean that the pastor/teacher has the corner market on the Word; it simply means that God has called him to this position for these specific reasons. Second, the pastor/teacher is given specifically for equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry, to build up the church and to lead her to the unity and maturity of the faith. When a body of believers understands the necessity of the pastor/teacher, then they will be a fulfilled congregation enjoying the gifting that God has given as long as the pastor/teacher is fulfilling his calling.

Awkward Situations

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I was out this evening with some friends of mine. I told their six-year-old about an awkward situation in which I found myself one evening. It was several years ago, but I thought it would be a good story to tell. This is what I told him:

“My wife and I went to a Wal-Mart and I decided that I just wanted to sit on the bench next to the front door and watch people as they came in and out of the store. After I sat down, there was a lady who asked if she could sit next to me and I obliged. When I turned to look at her, I came to realize that she had a better goatee than I.”

Now that’s an awkward situation.

What Not To Say to Parishioners

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My last post consisted of a few things not to say to your pastor. This article is going to deal with what pastors shouldn’t say to their congregations. Now, for those of you who are part of a church, understand that when your pastor says some of the following that he’s not perfect–but neither are you. Lest you forget, you and your pastor are all part of the Body, the Church. There is only One Head of the Church and His name is Jesus Christ.

So what should a pastor not say to his parishioners?

  1. You don’t know what you’re talking about. This sort of statement is usually made when a pastor thinks that the parishioner is being disagreeable with him about his preaching, pastoring or any other thing that might be going on in the life of the church. The problem with being so brash is that we as pastors may not know what we’re talking about! However, understand that as a parishioner you’re not always right either. Nonetheless, on the one hand, the pastor needs to show as much grace to his people as possible while on the other hand, the congregation needs to show as much grace to their pastor as possible. We need to show love one toward another. Showing grace one toward another is simply the culmination of the entire Law. Paul the apostle put it this way: For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14).
  2. There’s plenty of other churches you can go to. This is one of those final last-ditch statements that a pastor will say whenever someone is coming against him rather strongly. The parishioner may be coming across strongly because the pastor is trying to run everything the way he desires as opposed to the way that God desires. On the other hand, the pastor may very well be doing exactly what it is that God desires for the church. Whenever a parishioner is wanting to leave because of not agreeing with his pastor, the best thing for that person to do is to pray for his attitude toward his pastor and then pray for his pastor to be blessed. Paul the apostle put it this way: With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak (Ephesians 6:18-20). Paul being a minister, was seeking the prayer support of his people. It is the responsibility of the parishioner to keep their pastor in front of the throne of Christ consistently, that he may speak boldly the gospel of Christ.
  3. I’m in charge here, not you. Most pastors believe that they are in charge of everything in the church. This really is not the case–although we pastors like to be in charge! Moreover, it is also true that the parishioners are not in charge–although some of them think they are! What we as pastors are responsible for is equipping the parishioners for the work of service. What the parishioners are responsible for is to follow the leading of their pastor when he is led by the Holy Spirit and to do the work of the ministry as trained. Peter the apostle put it this way: Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according tot he will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples tot he flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed tot he proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:1-5). Pastors, we are undershepherds; Jesus Christ is our Chief Shepherd. He’s the One who is in charge, not us. Church members do well when we recognize this and we lead them to the Chief Shepherd not lording our calling over them.
  4. I’m the qualified one here. Really? My thoughts have always been that if you have to tell someone your credentials, then you probably don’t really have them. Now I know that if you as a pastor have received your undergraduate and graduate degrees, and even your doctorate, you think that you’re fully qualified to be pastors. The reality is that the degrees are great to have, the education is great to have, but that is not what qualifies you as a pastor. What qualifies you as a pastor is 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Paul the apostle said: For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict (Titus 1:5-9). These are the qualifications. The education is great to have; it helps you to know of what you speak. The qualifications are essential as they are directed by God Himself.
  5. Yes, I’ll pray for you. Some of you may be thinking that this is ridiculous, but it really isn’t. Too often, with our busy schedules, we as pastors will say that we will be in prayer for those with whom we come into contact and we don’t keep our word. We forget to pray for whatever reason (and there are plenty of reasons depending on how many people are in your congregation). If I can make a suggestion, I began to put prayer requests in my telephone with alerts to remind me to pray for different people. When someone comes to me with a personal prayer request, this is what I do so I will keep my word. Only say that you will pray if you really are going to pray–and I encourage you to pray for your parishioners. Paul the apostle said it like this: First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth (1 Timothy 2:1-7). The purpose of our praying for our parishioners is so that we may bring them to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who not only brings us faith and truth, but is our Faith and Truth.

I’m sure there are so many other things that I have said as a pastor that I shouldn’t have said. You may be thinking of some other things that you ought not say to parishioners. Let me know what your thoughts are whether you’re a pastor or a parishioner.