PASTOR TEACHER

Brian GC Huggett

In Ephesians 4:8 & 11 & 12 we read..."Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"

There are only twelve apostles in church history and only those who had witnessed the resurrected Christ were qualified.  Paul, "...as one born out of due time", was the last when he was blinded by the glory of Christ on the road to Damascus and he recognized in Christ, the Lord of glory. 

The gift of prophecy was for the forth telling of scripture prior to its being committed to writing, and the inspired Scriptures now supersede that gift.  Any accurate forth telling of scripture today is preaching or teaching.  Any extra biblical forth telling today is blasphemy - is adding and consequently taking away from the Word of God. 

The gift of evangelism, has to some extent been given to us all, for we are all commanded to be the bearers of good news, to take the message of reconciliation to the world.  The true missionary is an evangelist and whether you are called to be a missionary in other lands or in your own, taking the Gospel to the heathen, in the bush or in the concrete jungles, must be the primary purpose of us all, missionaries, laymen, evangelists.

The gift of Pastor Teacher remains to this day, as the Church still needs to be edified and no scriptural teaching does away with the principles of this gift, as in the case with Apostles and Prophecy.  If you notice the simple reading of Ephesians 4:11, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers"

You will see that it does not read and some pastors and some teachers, but "and some pastors and teachers”. This is a combined gift, a gift whereby a pastor is also a teacher. 

‘Pastor’ is from the Hebrew ‘raw-aw’ and the Greek ‘poy-mane’ which are translated by the words feed, shepherd, pastor, herdsmen, and mean to pasture, to tend, to graze, to feed.

In Jeremiah there is a beautiful and descriptive passage of this idea... "And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding".

So we can see the Pastor leading his congregation into the green pastures of that spiritual nourishment, the knowledge and understanding of the words of God.  'Teacher` is from the Hebrew 'law-mad` and the Greek 'didaskalos` translated as teach, learn, instruct and means simply teacher - one who instructs

By the very authority he has in the role, the pastor-teacher is a bishop or elder of his congregation.  If we look at the office of bishop in 1Timothy 3:2, we see teaching is to be one of his attributes and we also see from a study of Titus 1:4-9 that a bishop and an elder are one and the same office.

“To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.  For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. (For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God); not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”                                                                                                                                     (Titus 1:4-9)

Titus was to ordain elders in every city and these bishops must be above reproach.

In these passages we see the requirements of a pastor-teacher.  What sort of man must he be?   First and foremost, he must not be a novice. A novice is unskilled in the word, and all the attributes of an elder/pastor-teacher are built over time with the sound doctrines of scripture as the motivation and power for Godly living.  Someone has well said, "You have to know to grow".

A man, born of the Spirit and given the gift of teaching, is not immediately equipped to take on that role; and this for two reasons: his knowledge of the whole realm of doctrine is insufficient to exhort or to convince the gainsayers, those who deny or speak against or contradict the scriptures. 

And secondly, it takes time for any man to be conformed sufficiently to the character of Christ to fulfil all those spiritual and moral requirements of an elder.

This is not to say that a young man can't attain such a character, or that he can't take on the role for which he has been gifted, but we are speaking of novices, not young men.  John Calvin was twenty-seven when he wrote his ‘Institutes’ and the systematic theology of the reformation has run parallel with his work ever since.

A pastor must of necessity be a student:  Of theology, of history, of anthropology, but mostly a student of the Bible. If he does not have the discipline necessary for hours of diligent study, what will he learn from the scriptures to give his flock; milk or meat?

Timothy was a young man with the gift of Pastor Teacher and in the second letter to Timothy, Paul in chapter two, after speaking of the spiritual battle of the Christian, went on to say in verse 14...

"Of these things put them (Timothy’s congregation) in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit..."

and then Paul charges Timothy himself to...

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

We can all take Paul’s words as a direct command to us personally, but in the context of the scriptures this is primarily directed to Timothy and consequently to all ‘would be’ Pastors.

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

In this verse lies the fulfilment of the ministry of the Pastor-Teacher, "...a workman that needeth not to be ashamed" - a workman who will not be ashamed at the judgement seat of Christ.   Such a ministry depends entirely on his capacity to study, for it is from his own personal study that he learns the secrets of Christian maturity and is able both in teaching and example to lead his flock into the deep things of God.

The English word ‘study’ is from the Greek: Spoo dad zo and is translated throughout the N.T. (depending upon the context), as endeavour - diligence - be forward - labour - study.  Its meaning is ‘to exert oneself’; therefore the pastor is to exert himself in his efforts to be approved of God in rightly interpreting the word of truth. 

As we read further into this letter, Timothy is to be wise in avoiding the foolish controversies of men yet he must be patient and gentle to all.

"... But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves..."  (2Timothy 2:23-25)

Another reason this letter is primarily written to a pastor is that phrase ‘apt to teach’, it is not directed to all Christians, for many of any congregation are women and women are not to teach a congregation.

"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."

                                                                                                            (1Timothy 2:12-14)

The reasons

"For Adam was first formed, then Eve." And "Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

 Also in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 we read,

"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law."

However, nowhere in scripture does it speak of superiority or inferiority between the sexes, but it does say a great deal regarding the chain of authority in the spiritual realm.  It is in this spiritual realm that the authority of Pastor Teacher resides. 

Why did Christ give such gifts to His Church and how long are these gifts to remain?

Verses 12 & 13 of Ephesians 4 give us the answer.

Why?  “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”:

And for how long? “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”

This means that so long as the Church remains, and so long as there are souls being added to the Church, so long will this gift exist.

And how are we perfected?  “By being brought into the unity of the faith, and into a unity of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, which is the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"

To the end "...That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine; by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ"

For believers to be brought into a unity of the faith and a unity of the knowledge of the Son of God, they must be taught the unity, the oneness of God's Word.  This requires a systematic continuity of teaching that fulfils the scriptural method...

"Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?  Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little".                                  Isaiah 28 

And this teaching is to be taught with intense concentration on the correctness of interpretation.  Scripture must be the interpreter of scripture

2Peter 1: "Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."    

Such application takes hours of diligent study. 

A correct knowledge of the word of God is vital to the growth of individuals and subsequently to the growth of the Church and you and me as members of the Church depend on such a ministry to fulfil Gods command to “...grow in the knowledge and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...”

(The pastor has in his care the eternal well being of his congregation and this, in the sight of God, is an awesome responsibility.) 

Scripture as well as common sense dictate the necessity of a full time ministry.  There are those who deny this, yet it can only be said of them: They know not the scriptures.

Galatians 6:6

"Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things."

       

This word communicate is the Greek: Koi non eo and means to fellowship, to share, to be a partner with, to contribute, and it is in the imperative mood.  It is a command.

"Let him that is taught in the word (you and me) communicate (or share) unto him that teaches, in all (our) good things."

And in 1 Timothy 5:17-18

"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward."

It can be seen from the scriptures, how much responsibility God places upon the one who is called to be a ‘Pastor Teacher’, it can be seen in the condemnation that is heaped upon those who abuse this office. 

 "Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.          Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord."                                                                                                     (Jeremiah 23:1-2)

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction".                                                                                     (2 Peter 2:1)

So much responsibility does a man take to himself when he undertakes to lead and guide his congregation into a deeper and more personal knowledge of their God.  So much dedication to truth, so much discipline to learn and apply that truth to his life, so much fear and trembling is there in such a responsibility.

If we understand the destruction that error brings to the lives of God’s people; if we see the lack of glory to God contained in a lukewarm understanding of Him, we will begin to understand such a responsibility and to give honour and respect to the one who so diligently fulfils his office.

Through unceasing personal study and teaching of that word he will be equipped and will equip his congregation to grow into “the unity of the faith, and into a unity of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, which is the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”.