“He gave some … as pastors and teachers,” (v. 11) … “for the
equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body
of Christ;” (Ephesians 4:12, NASB95)
As we read in verse 11, God gave some as pastors and
teachers and their role as such is to include equipping the saints. “Equipping”
has the meaning of making someone completely adequate or sufficient for
something whether it is through instruction of giving someone the tools or
equipment that they need. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we read that, "All
Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be
adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, NASB95) Both of
these verses focus on the end of being equipped. One speaks to the person who
is charged to oversee and conduct the teaching while the other to the source of
that teaching. Both the person and the source come from God. The pastor-teacher
is called by God to the role, and the Scripture (Bible, Word of God) is given
by God as the true and unfaltering foundation of the teaching. As the man of
God teaches the Word of God the people of God are to be equipped for their
service to God.
In 2 Timothy 3:17 we find the words “adequate” and “equipped”
used together. As the man of God (all believers) is made adequate through being
taught the Word of God, and not is just some detached academic way, but by
speaking to its effectiveness to point out wrong, lead back to right, and then
instruct in following that right, we are made adequate. This word “adequate” is
closely related to the word “equipped.” It might be said that the first refers
to the person being qualified to complete the task and the second to the
complete readiness to go out and do it. Both of them speak to success in doing the
tasks of service set before us as we are made ready from instruction in the
Word of God by men given by God to fill this role.
And as we to these works of service we perform what is
necessary to accomplish an end which is building up the body of Christ. I
remember years ago when I was doing a home loan for a pastor in southern California.
He really didn’t want to put “pastor” as his job description and we joked
together about what other terms He might use. One of those was the term “Body-builder.”
What an apt description of the role given to the pastor-teacher, but someone
given to the role of building up the body of Christ, and doing so in a way that
is highly interactive and not classroom lecture with fancy media presentations.
It is a hands on kind of relationship as the pastor or shepherd of the sheep
given by the Great Shepherd has demonstrated for us with His own disciples.
In this we can take away several things. First of all, we
need to be taught and God has given men to this task. The place for this
teaching is as we gather together as one to hear, consider, and then apply to
our own lives. Second, the teaching needs to be from the Word of God. It is
critical in our choosing a church to attend that it be one given to accurately
and effectively teaching the Word of God and not the opinion of man. There are
many churches out there today who have discarded sound teaching or who do not
emphasize its practical application to our lives. The role of the
pastor-teacher is to make sure that the Word of God is taught in such a way in the
church such that the people of God are equipped in service and moved toward
maturity regardless of what the world around us might say or do.
I have to wonder during this current election cycle as I
look at the so-called “evangelical vote” and find that a man who openly cuts
down his opponents and who has waffled all over the board on biblical moral
issues has garnered so much of the vote when there are others whose positions
more closely align with those of Scripture and who openly profess their faith
in Christ. I understand that there is anger and frustration out there, but is
the way to respond? By giving heed to our anger and the words of anger, are we
really living with hope as a people called to live by faith when the Word
of God has shown us otherwise? The Word of God declares that we are not to be
shaken by the evil one, nor are we to panic and take shortcuts in order to try
to fix things ourselves or to avoid what we might perceive as even worse
circumstances. We are to trust in Him, live according to His Word, and do this
all by faith in our God who is immensely powerful to accomplish all that He
intends in us and in the world. There is generally a separation between politicians and
pastors, but there should not be a separation between the sound Word of God
being taught by pastors leading to how we as Christians listen to, speak about,
and choose our political leaders. One is to affect the other.
So much for the political outworking of this, but let’s also
consider how we also respond to the teaching of God when it comes to walking
right before God and man, as it comes to loving one another and reaching out
with compassion to those in need, and as it pertains to walking beside those who
are struggling and giving the comfort that we have learned from God to those
who need the comfort of God. We are to continually sharpen one another and encourage one another to shy away
from the world’s wisdom and apply the Word of God to all that we do. Lastly, knowing from the Word of God
the great gift that we have been given in Jesus Christ, we can also boldly and
with firm assurance declare this truth of salvation in Christ and Christ alone
to others.
These and so much more all are out-working of the Word of
God being implanted in our hearts, meditated on in our minds, and applied in
our lives. And God has made this such a priority that He has called and gifted
men to carry on this most vital task.
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