There are lots of
things that ministers must be able to do, and one of the most important is that
he be able to teach. In our society, pastors have become CEOs and public
relations experts. But if we truly model ministry from the Great Minister and
the Apostles, we know that our primary responsibility is to teach the Word.
Yes, Jesus and the disciples did miracles and ministry, but the majority of
their time was taken up by teaching.
The interesting thing
is that the word Paul used for this qualification occurs only here and in 2
Timothy 2:2. It is the one qualification that deals with the pastor's area of
spiritual giftedness and ability. Having said that, Paul used other words to
describe this responsibility 8 times in the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy,
Titus). Do you know what he said in these verses? That the pastor must give attention
to doctrine, labor in the Word, and rightly divide the Word. That takes time
and effort, so the pastor must be able to teach.
Two things must be said
about this qualification. Paul spoke of the gift of "pastor/teacher"
in several places. It is a gift given by God to empower the pastor to do this
primary work of the ministry. God truly does this and it makes the work of
teaching a great joy. However, the pastor/teacher must also do his part to hone
that gift to razor sharpness. Too many times, we use the concept of gifts as an
excuse for laziness. It's like the story of the young minister who bragged to
his congregation that the only time he spent in preparation for his sermons was
the time it took him to walk from the pastorium next door to the church on
Sunday morning. That week, the church bought a new pastorium on the far side of
town. Yes, it's a joke, but it illustrates my point. The church is hungry for
the truth of God's Word, and pastors must do their best when it comes to
teaching and preaching. Every good educator knows that preparation is the key.
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