For Pastors Only
The word is all you are called to Study and teach.
The Lord Jesus Christ just before His Ascension gave to His Apostles the responsibility of taking the Gospel of God’s Grace to mankind to the whole world (Mathew 28:18-20). Crucial to the fulfilment of this divine mandate is teaching. As far as the Lord is concerned, teaching is to form an integral part of His Church.
It should be stated that the master who gave the mandate also gave the content orientation of what He expected them to teach to those who were to believe in Him for eternal salvation. We will recall that towards the end of His earthy ministry, shortly before He was arrested, the master said to His disciples that “… I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; …” (John 16:12-15). It was after His betrayal, death and resurrection that He them the Mandate which includes teaching “them to observe all things that I have commanded you; …”
No doubt, the call of these Apostles who initially doubled as Apostles and Pastors to the early churches was for them to teach a special brand of truth concerning what the Master had taught them and what the Holy Spirit was to reveal to them. This special brand of instruction has everything to do with the Christian way of life; otherwise the mandate would be unnecessary since they had both the laws and the prophets with them.
Apostle Paul, that great minister of Grace, writing to Timothy, a young Pastor in Ephesus challenged and admonished him to “Be diligent (in study) to present yourself approved to God, a worker who dose not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”, (2 Timothy 2:15).
What is the primary job of a Pastor/teacher? You who is a Pastor, what is the job description given to you by the owner of the Church? Is it to motivate people to be wealthy and prosperous? Is it to share success principles? Is it counselling and preoccupation with church administration? Is it to organize one programme after the other and be involved denominational politics?
Any Pastor who studies the biblical perspective of the pastoral enterprise with any attention will not fail to see clearly what the ministry of the Pastor/teacher entails. Make no mistake about it, the role of the pastor/teacher is crucial for the overall fulfilment of the Master’s mandate. What are the responsibilities of the Pastor?
1. 1. The Pastor/Teacher is to be primarily involved in studying and teaching the Word of God so that believers within their congregation can properly execute the Christian Way of Life.
2. In doing the above, the Pastor/Teacher should always rightly divide the Word of Truth. He is to clearly inform and explicitly teach the believers about their roles and conduct in this dispensation of grace. His teachings should be based on doctrines based on systematic theology. The random choosing of topics and the hit and run approach to preaching won’t do us any good. While not employing methods that manipulate people, his job is simply to teach the Word of God and allow believers the freedom to apply what he has taught them.
If any Pastor makes these the pillar of his ministry and calling, he will in no small measure be contributing to the advancement of the kingdom.
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