Acts 21:27- 36 ”Away with Him!“

It is  providential that we come to this passage   in the book of Acts  on this Palm Sunday. On this day we remember  that time when a  crowd welcomed Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem  with the word ‘Hosanna’ (Save we pray). In the course of the week  they would  shout, 

“away with him- crucify him!”  

The apostle  Paul, having now arrived  in Jerusalem  also  receives a welcome from the church in Jerusalem, but  soon he will be  in trouble. Soon they will shout, 'Away with him!' He  will, like the Lord Jesus whom he loved and served be   falsely accused  and rejected by the mob in the temple, as they shout, ‘away with him’  (21:36 cf. 22:22).

REVIEW

Paul had come to Jerusalem from the gentile territories in Asia and Macedonia and Greece with a generous collection of the gentile churches for the poverty stricken Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.  It was a part of his strategy to unite the hearts of Jewish and Gentile Christians   who had become one family in Christ.  However, upon arrival he faced a problem. The Jewish Christians in the church at Jerusalem were deeply suspicious of Paul, thinking that he was subverting the law and traditions of Israel.  And so instead of gratitude expressed for the thoughtfulness and love and kindness of the gentile churches, and for Paul who initiated this action on behalf of the impoverished church in Jerusalem, we find James and the Jerusalem elders busy with another agenda.

Since it was believed and said that Paul was teaching the converted Jews among the gentiles (i.e. in the province of Asia where he had just come from) to forsake the law of Moses (21:21) they were eager for Paul to clear himself of these charges. They suggest is that   he should   join, and also pay for the expenses of four Jewish Christians, members of the Jerusalem church who had taken a Nazarite vow[1]. The Nazirite vow would last for a specified period and would end by offering a lamb, a ram, grain offerings, and a drink offering.  This would not be a cheap undertaking for an average man on the street. Furthermore you have to imagine what was going through Paul’s mind. His purpose was to be an ambassador for unity between Jew and gentile, for they had indeed become one church.  And for now it seems that all his plans had been derailed, but  we note  that Paul decided not to  protest. He had decided to obey the Jerusalem elders and in vv. 26 – 27 we take note of his submission to them.  We are also reminded that Paul had undertaken such a vow before in Acts 18:18[2].  We must always remember  that  Paul was a true Jew, and  truly committed to his Jewish community, and he did not,  as a rule,  go against the Jewish ceremonies in as far as they did not detract from the centrality of Christ, for  in truth, if  sincerely  undertaken all these OT ceremonies would point the true Jewish believer to Christ. In this case it is shown that Jewish Christians subscribed to OT practises such as the Nazarite vow.  James and the Jerusalem elders subscribed to these practises.  So when James and the elders make this suggestion, Paul did not argue, because he did not see this as a major hill to die on.  Paul   was far more concerned about the greater issues, such as the unity of the church of Jesus, consisting now of Jew and Gentile.

So then in v. 27  we read that  the purification  notice was almost completed when more trouble arose, such as was prophesied  on a number of occasions. It all began when  Jews from Asia saw him and recognised him  in the temple. They obviously had come  for the feast of Pentecost. These Jews  now began to stir  the whole crowd in the temple up against Paul, accusing him (see 21:28,29 for accusations).

They  had previously  seen him in the city company of Trophimus,  a native  of  the city of  Ephesus, and they supposed, they inferred, they guessed  that  Paul had brought him, a gentile  into the temple. The temple was divided into various zones. There was the outer court known as the Court of the Gentiles.  And then there was the inner court, the Court of the Jews.  The two courts were divided by a wall on which warnings in Greek and Latin were posted, indicating that if any gentile was found in the Court of the Jews or anyone  brought a gentile  into the Court of the Jews they would face death.  

It would have been highly unlikely that Paul would have brought Trophimus into the Court of Israel, but that is what he is charged with.   This is the nature of the satanic battle which true believers face so very often. False charges (Note: this is the second false charge in this chapter) are frequently devised against believers. This was the case of the Lord Jesus with the trumped up charges against him. This was the case also of Stephen the first martyr of the Christian church.  In Acts 7:13 we read, ‘they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law.’”  And Paul now finds himself in the same position as Stephen had found himself in.  It is interesting to see how Paul uses the same language in his opening defence as Stephen did (‘Brothers and fathers, hear me…’cf. 7:2 à 22:1).  And Paul could have well been put to death there and then, and we read that they were in fact in the act of killing him (21:31). But he isn’t killed and from now on and for the rest of his life will take a radical turn. He will be imprisoned.  He will never see Jerusalem and the temple again.  He will be taken to Rome.

So then in the midst of this upheaval, and  when he is almost  killed (21:31), word comes to  the Tribune[3]  (Claudius  Lysias  cf.23:26) of the Roman cohort in Jerusalem and  Paul is rescued. He is arrested and taken away in chains whilst the mob shouts many contradictions: ‘some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another (21:34)… and eventually they shouted ‘away with him’! (21:36, 22:22). These are  the  very same words that they had used when Pilate brought out Christ and Barabbas and concerning Christ they said  — “Away with Him!” meaning, kill Him.

How did the Roman troops get there so quickly to rescue Paul?  From the geography and history   of  Jerusalem  we  learn that  adjoining the NW corner of the temple there  was  a  Roman  fortress – the Antonia Fortress[4]. This fortress was actually bordering the Court of the Gentiles of the temple. It had towers from which soldiers could look down and see what was going on in the temple precincts. The Roman soldiers were always on the alert for trouble, for the political times were of such a nature. In 21:38 we shall see that the Roman tribune initially thought that they had arrested  an Egyptian prophet who had stirred up a revolt against the Romans.[5]   In times of chaos Satan thrives and fuels  the fire with misinformation.

21:37-  22:21   PAUL'S  RESPONSE 

Here we see  that  Paul takes this opportunity to correct  the mistaken assumptions:

(i)              In 21: 37-39  he corrects  the Roman tribune’s  false  assumption concerning him.  He says to this military Tribune, “May I say something to you?” The Tribune  realizes that  Paul is not an Egyptian troublemaker. He speaks in Greek, and he finds out that Paul is actually  a Roman citizen.

(ii)         In 21:40 - 22: 1-21  he seeks to clarify his own  position  before the angry mob – his history of conversion and  of his call, and we will  consider this  next time.

SUMMARY AND APPLICATION 

And so we find that everything that was prophesied concerning Paul’s sufferings in Jerusalem comes true. And we know that despite the Holy Spirit’s warnings Paul chose this road of suffering against all counsel and advice. Was he foolish and therefore wrong? Was he stubborn and unteachable? There are many people who have many opinions on this, and I think that such speculations are essentially unfruitful. The fact is that   Paul chose this road and so it stands recorded for us by the Holy Spirit. And the verdict is now  'AWAY WITH HIM!'  

Paul knew what awaited him, and still he trusted God for the ultimate outcome. Paul certainly did not love his life more than he loved the Lord Jesus and the church (made up of converted Jews and Gentiles)  which Jesus died for.

I believe that Paul was ultimately sent by God to test the Jews once again. And again we learn that the Jews (as was the case in the ministry of the Lord Jesus) reject the gospel.  It seems to me  that at this  point in the Acts narrative  Christian Jews  were also  beginning to  turn  away from Christ and they are returning back to the law. James and the Jerusalem elders were in real danger in this regard. There is plenty of internal evidence that Christian Jews  were  turning  back to the law.  Almost 30 years after Christ’s death (the Acts 21 timeline here is AD 59) they were losing their focus on Christ and His work for the global church.

I believe that the letter to the Hebrews was written to Christian Jews such as these. The letter of Hebrews teaches such about the superiority of Christ and His gospel, and it warns backsliding Jewish Christians of the severe consequences of turning away from the salvation which Christ has offered. For reasons such as this I believe that Paul wrote the epistle to the Hebrews. Paul of all apostles  knew the danger that  converted Jews were facing in this regard. 

Others who hold to Pauline authorship  of the letter  to the Hebrews  were the church fathers Clement of Alexandria (c. AD 150 – 215) and Origen (AD 185 – 253). They claimed a Pauline association (i.e. written with the help of Dr Luke) for the book. Augustine (354 AD) held to Pauline authorship. A modern theologian like the well-known Dr R. C. Sproul and a trusted preacher like Stuart Olyott concur.  Professor Eta Linnemann (a former disciple of Rudolph Bultmann and later a  true convert of Jesus)  in her  respected work, “A Call for a Retrial in the Case of the Epistle to the Hebrews,” [6]  is essential reading for those who doubt Pauline authorship. She takes to task many arguments advanced against Pauline authorship and largely demolishes them.

From chapter 22 onwards we shall now enter into Paul’s fruitful last phase of life and ministry and it shall be to the gentiles (cf. 22:21).  And as a representative  of Christ  he shall lay down his life not among the Jews in Jerusalem, but among the gentiles in Rome.

Oh how challenging, despairing and exciting is a committed walk with God. Never a dull moment!

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[1] Numbers 6:  This was a rite that Jews who had been out of the country (and therefore in contact with Gentiles) would have undergone when they came back to Jerusalem,  and when  they intended to take part in the festivals associated with the temple.  

[2] It looks as though Paul  had  taken  a Nazarite vow in  Cenchrea (18:18). He had shaved his head on his way from Corinth. On that occasion he was travelling back  to Antioch. He landed in Caesarea, made his way up to Antioch. It is likely  that  Paul first  went to Jerusalem, to finish the Nazarite vow at  the temple.

[3] A military tribune (Latin tribunus militum, "tribune of the soldiers", Greek chiliarchos, χιλίαρχος) was an officer of the Roman army who ranked below the legate and above the centurion.

[4] built in 35 B.C. by Herod the Great, paid for by a benefactor, Marc Anthony; hence the name, the Antonia Fortress.

[5] This incident is confirmed by Josephus : Jewish Antiquities 20.8.5-6 (War 2.13.5-6 ) “At this time there came out of Egypt to Jerusalem a man who said he was a prophet, and advised the multitude of the common people to go along with him to the mountain called the Mount of Olives, which lay a distance of five furlongs from the city. He said that he would show them that at his command the walls of Jerusalem would fall down, through which he promised that he would procure them an entrance into the city…”

[6]  Faith and Mission, vol. 19, Issue 2, 2002, p.37.

Acts 21:17- 26 "Paul’s Submission to the Jerusalem Elders - A Study in the Nature of Biblical Humility."

Last time we saw  how  Paul had made his way from Miletus along the southwest shore of Asia Minor, taking a ship  across the Mediterranean to the port city of Tyre, Syria where he  had met with the church. The church had urged him not to go to Jerusalem but he sailed on to Ptolemais, and  from there on to Caesarea. Here he met again with the church, and   again the church at Caesarea and even his fellow travellers (at least nine men[1], Luke includes himself) urged him not to go to Jerusalem.  But Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem, and his aim was to be there,  if possible by  Pentecost  (19:21 ; 20:16,22).

Our passage today records  that Paul finally arrives in Jerusalem. His first lodging is at the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple (21:16). The other well-known personality from Cyprus whom we have already met in the book of Acts is Barnabas. We are told that the brothers received us gladly (21:17). This is probably a delegation representative of the whole Jerusalem church. From them news of his coming would filter back to  the rest  of the church (21:22).

The next day there is this official meeting with James the   brother of Jesus along with the other elders of the Jerusalem church. Incidentally, the other influential James mentioned in the book of Acts is found in 12:2. He is the brother of John. We read that he was killed by Herod.

We may safely assume that Paul’s first order of business was to hand the collection from the gentile churches to the Jerusalem elders (see reference to this in 24:17).  This was done once before in Acts 11 for the purpose of relief from the famine (cf. Acts 11) when  a collection had been taken in the church of Antioch for the struggling  saints in Jerusalem. In that instance Barnabas and Paul had delivered this money to the Jerusalem elders in 11:30, and this  fact really  must have impressed the Jewish Christians, knitting their hearts to their gentile  brothers in Christ.    This might have provided further impetus for the idea in Paul's mind that he would gather a collection from the churches in Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia, churches representing largely Gentile congregations, and that he would bring this collection to the church in Jerusalem[2], a largely Jewish Christian congregation, now afflicted with much poverty.  Paul wanted to see the barriers between Jew and Gentile broken down (Eph.2) as he brought this substantial collection to Jerusalem.  So this is ultimately not about money. This  was ultimately  about unity in the gospel, and Paul writes about that in his letter to the Ephesians and Chapter 2.    

So, when the brothers in Caesarea were pleading with him not to go to Jerusalem, Paul said to them,“What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am  ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the sake of the name of the Lord Jesus.”  Why was Paul ready to die in Jerusalem? Was he ready to die over money? No! He was ready to die because of his burden for the whole church of Jesus Christ. Paul is ready to give his life for the sake of the unity of the church of Jesus Christ. What does that say to you? How important is the unity of the   body that Christ died for, to you?

Paul knew that there was always this very real possibility that the Jewish church and the Gentile church could seriously divide. And it would discredit the Name of Jesus who died to unite all things under Him.  Paul had evidently hoped and believed that this collection would be a catalyst to avoid such a potential division. 

V.19. So, how was Paul received? After a customary greeting   with James and the Jerusalem elders, Paul began with  an account of his  recent  ministry in Galatia,  Macedonia, and Achaia. He tells them of the churches in Thessalonica, Philippi, Corinth and Ephesus. He recounts the extraordinary things that the Holy Spirit had done through his ministry to the gentiles. ”He related one by one the things that God (not Paul!) had done among the gentiles  through his ministry” [3]  This is a necessary reminder, for often we are so busy doing our demographics, planning our outreach strategies, preparing our people and materials for our missionary thrust for God that we forget that He must do the work. True ministry for him will always be ministry by him.

V.20 And they glorified God!  However, there was an immediate but!  It goes like this …”Yes Paul, we are glad with you for the great work   that God has done among the gentiles, BUT  remember that there are  also many thousands of Jews, and all zealous for the law...  These  Jews  certainly  included the converted Pharisees of Acts 15:5.  Being literally "zealots for the law," they combined their faith in Jesus  with  a Jewish nationalism along with a strict observance of the whole Mosaic code.  And they were teaching other converts to do the same.  “And Paul, they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake[4] Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.”  OUCH!   PAUL YOU ARE IN TROUBLE!

V. 22: And then the question: “What then is to be done? (They clearly have thought about this).  They will certainly hear that you have come”. Try to imagine that scene. Paul is here to report on his ministry and to hand over the collection from the gentile churches. But instead there is a greater concern about what the Christian Jews in Jerusalem are thinking with respect to his apparent disrespect  of the Jewish law.  It was not true of course what they were thinking,  but there you are. This matter is proving to be a mental block in the mind of the Jerusalem elders.   

Was this in fact what Paul had been doing and teaching?  Well, he would certainly have taught that the ceremonial aspects of the Law, the sacrifices, and the sign of circumcision were mere types that had been fulfilled by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He would have taught that when Christ died and shed His blood, those things had no more significance. There was no further obligation to keep the ceremonial aspects of the law on the part of either Jew or Gentile.  So, in his ministry Paul wasn’t pressing these things upon the consciences of his converts – Jew or gentiles. He left his Jewish brothers their freedom to decide. 

But Paul had certainly not been actively campaigning that Jews no longer had to obey the Law. There is no evidence that Paul had ever instructed Jewish Christians in this way (Rom. 2:25-30; Gal. 5:6; 6:15). He had not opposed the practice of circumcision.  What  Paul did oppose was that if anyone insisted that without circumcision you cannot be saved, then he would  oppose that teaching. But if it was merely a matter of social custom, then that explains why Timothy (a half Jew) was circumcised and Titus (a gentile) was not.  But as I have already  observed  is that the problem is that the Jewish believers   in Jerusalem were made to believe that Paul was undermining their social customs, which he did not.   

Vv. 23-25: So James and the Jerusalem elders  respond (an imagined dialogue):  “Here's a plan.  We have four men in our local church who are undergoing a Nazarite vow” [cf. Numbers 6]. A Nazirite vow could be made for showing thankfulness for past blessings, or earnestness in prayer or as a sign of strong devotion to God. “So Paul, why don't you join them, since you have recently returned from Gentile territories?  Why don't you take part in a ritual purification? Join with them. Pay all of their expenses…the shaving of the head, animal sacrifices  etc.  all that would be necessary in order to complete this vow. Paul, if you do that   this will demonstrate to all the Jewish brothers that you are still with them in practise.”

V. 26 : What did Paul do?  He obliged! He did it, not because he believed that any of these rituals  were  essential or helpful   for  his sanctification, but he did this  because he loved the  church. This obviously wasn’t his spiritual choice.  He humbled himself for the sake of the weaker brothers. Yes, James and the Jerusalem elders were weaker in this regard.  Paul discusses this principle in Romans 14 and in 1 Corinthians 8.  Paul was very careful  not to offend the conscience of the "weaker brother,"  and so  he respected  the Jewish Christian who continued to maintain  the tradition of the elders. And for their sake, as already observed, he even went so far as to have Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3). And since Paul does not violate his own conscience  in this matter he has liberty to oblige. He knows which hill to die on, and this is not one of them. Paul’s heart for Christ and His church is just that much greater. He is truly the apostle of the heart set free, to quote the title of the book with the same name by Professor F.F. Bruce.  

So what can we learn from this as modern Christians  in Namibia   who   are  far removed from all this cultural clutter?

1.     We affirm that the keeping of the Old Testament law, has no relevance for salvation. Forgiveness of sins is not obtained through the blood of sheep and goats, but  through trusting in Christ alone (Acts 13:38-39; 15:10-11).

2.     This does not make the  moral law (the 10 commandments)  irrelevant. It simply put it into it right place. (Lk. 10:25-28; 18:18-23)

3.     Concerning the use of the  ceremonial law there is freedom.  Jewish Christians may find a positive use for the ceremonial laws (circumcision, keeping of festival, food laws) to aid them in the expression of their faith, as we find it in fact the custom in some of  the modern church in  Israel.  It’s simply a cultural choice that damages no one if used in this way.  But we cannot make this binding upon the consciences of non Jewish Christians. Christian Gentiles in the company of Jewish Christians  have the  liberty to observe  such  feasts (e.g. the observation of the Friday night Sabbath meal)   when in their homes, as long as  they know that  no additional merits come to them  as a result of doing these things  etc.  In all of this we learn to be humble and largehearted in accommodating  ourselves  to our brothers in all things non essential. 

4.     According to the Bible there is a large measure of freedom in  the use of all things made by God, but  be sure that  this freedom is to be used to promote

(i)                The advance of the gospel

(ii)                The unity of an ethnically diverse church.

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[1] The nine men have come from Macedonia and Galatia, and Achaia. From Macedonia, Sopater and Aristarchus and Secundus; from Galatia have come Gaius and Timothy; from Asia have come Tychicus and Trophimus. And then there's Luke. And then there's a ninth, who isn't mentioned by Luke. And in all probability he's a representative of the church of Corinth, and his name is Titus. There's a long-standing tradition that Titus is actually Luke's brother.

[2] II Corinthians 8 and II Corinthians 9 is a lengthy discussion about the collection and about principles of giving toward this collection. Romans 15 mentions this collection.

[3] Acts 15:12, 14; also see 14:27; 20:24

[4] This phrase translates apostasia, which refers to either political or spiritual rebellion

Ephesians 4:11-13 THE WORK OF THE PASTOR

Ephesians  4: 11-13

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds  and teachers,  12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,  to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

A few introductory notes….

You will note that Ephesians chapter 4 begins with an appeal to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  

Take note of:

·       the foundational attitudes that underlie this  unity: humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love (the fruit of the Spirit).

·       These foundational attitudes are built on these foundational truths:  There is one body, one Holy Spirit, one hope, one Lord (Jesus Christ), one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.  (Note the Trinity here). Truth primarily governs our relationships and not feelings.

Our constant challenge   as members of a church is to remember the very basics upon which the church is built. We constantly need to remember these and rehearse these, lest we forget... but how shall we remember them? 

‘Ah’, says Paul in  4:8, ‘by the grace of God He has, through the ascended Christ and by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, given gifts[2] to the church. By means of their ministry these things will be remembered in all generations.’ 

The quote here is taken from Psalm 68:18 and it reflects the picture of a conquering king,   who after the victory over his enemies returns home with the spoils of war, and as he returns home he gives these spoils of war as gifts to his people.  Apply this to our King Jesus.  By His victory on the cross He purchased the freedom  of His people from the bondage of slavery, and He has  ushered in the new Kingdom.  He triumphantly ascended back home to His throne at the right  hand of God  in heaven, and from there He sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and with the Holy Spirit  He sent the spoils of war, the gifts  here spoken of. He gave gifts to the church. What gifts? The answer is found in  4:11,  ‘And He gave  the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers…”.   

For what  purpose did the ascended Lord give these gifts to the church? The ascended Lord gave His church these gifts to maintain the unity of  the church - ‘one body’. The Lord Jesus gave His church  a particular gift,  a body of foundational gifts, in the form of people to  preserve  the proper knowledge  and the proper attitudes  of   what the  true church ought to be like  and  look like.

The purpose of these foundational gifts is further explained in v. 12. These foundational gifts  exist for the ‘equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ (the church).’  So, this is where the   work of the pastor/shepherd - teacher fits in. He is a gift from God to the church to help the church to remember the truth as it is in Jesus (4:21). He helps us to remember what Jesus said and  to remind  us what  Jesus was like in person.

The apostles and prophets are at the head of this list because they are the foundation of the foundation.  In Ephesians 2:19,20 the offices of apostles and prophets  are regarded  as ‘foundational’  in the church: “The household of God… is  built  on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets with Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone“. 

Foundations are only laid once.  The building is constructed upon these foundations.   We are no longer building the foundations of the church. These have been laid, and they remain forever valid, and they are forever our reference point, and we build upon this sure foundation.   The prophets and apostles of the Bible continue to live and exercise their ministry among us every time we open our Bibles and read and study and take seriously what they have said.  In that sense  also we no longer have prophets and apostles   in the same way in which we find them in the Bible. In that sense we also do not need new apostles and prophets any more than we need a new cornerstone – the Lord Jesus. Just because Jesus is now not visibly seen among us, we cannot say that He is dead. In the same way, the apostolic and prophetic word which I hold in my hands is not dead, but it is being proclaimed among us. Every time we preach the Scriptures the prophetic and apostolic ministry lives  in the hand of gifted evangelists and pastor- teachers.   With this in mind, I make the  following observations.

1.The Work   of the Pastor- Teacher is a foundational gift to the church: The gift of the evangelist  and the pastor-teacher continues   to build upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets  and the gospels of Jesus Christ. 

2.The work of the Pastor- Teachers  is to equip the saints  for the work  of ministry:The word for equipping   is  the Greek word  katartizo.  It means ‘fixing something that's broken’ (as when nets were torn cf. Matt. 4:21). It can also mean, ‘to supply something that is lacking’ (as in 1 Thess. 3:10)  where Paul speaks to them about his desire to supply what is lacking in your faith.   

So, what is broken, what is lacking that needs to be supplied?

Remember that through the fall, all of us have become broken, leaking vessels.  Through the new birth we are restored  in  our relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, but  it is  through the ‘washing of the Word‘  that we  begin  to have our minds renewed, our hearts restored  and our wills aligned  to the will of God.  This is fundamentally the work of the gifted pastor –teacher.  In this regard one meets many dear believers who have had a conversion experience, but who were never brought under the foundational ministry of an expository pastoral ministry. And they are like those described in Hebrews 5:12-14, and they are not in a good place.    The pastor – teacher’s job is to repair what is broken or  to  supply what is lacking  in the saints  even  while he himself is subject to the same discipline! 

But that is not all. Pastor-teachers are not just there to repair and supply what is lacking.   Eph. 4:12 goes on to say that the goal of the pastoral ministry is to equip and prepare the saints for the work of ministry (literally diaconal service).  The fixing and supplying what is lacking is meant to make the saints into servants, and in this way every member of the church contributes to the wholeness of the entire body.  God has not given pastor-teachers   to do everything in the church.  They are simply repairers of broken vessels. They are simply    those who constantly remind the church of what they ought to be and do. This means that pastor- teachers need to know their calling from God, and their giftedness, and then they need to be sure that their own sinful selves are constantly subjected to the disciplines of the Word and prayer. That requires self- discipline and diligent  study  of the Bible  with  constant  prayer  and with watchful self examination.

The Bible insists that the pastor-teacher must be qualified to lead and teach the flock.  He must possess a true competence from God for the pastoral office (1 Tim 3:1). It must be a willing and not a forced desire (1 Pet. 5:2). He must have the character traits provided in  1 Timothy 3: 1-7.   The discipline of godliness is vital.  2 Timothy 2:15-26 and 1 Peter 5:1-5 describes these disciplines in detail.  The pastor must set an example for his people in speech, lifestyle, love, faith, and purity (1 Tim 4:12).

            .

A pastor is expected to do many things. He must be a counsellor to those who need guidance. He must encourage those who are discouraged. He must comfort those who are distressed. He must mentor leaders and give direction to the eldership team. He must be involved in the leading and administration of the church.  He participates in activities outside the church. He presents a face to the community.   But his main work is that of a preacher. In this he follows the pattern set by the Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles.  He also follows the example of our Lord Himself. Our Lord Himself was firstly a preacher.  When the crowds wanted   more miracles, Jesus said to His disciples, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come" (Mk. 1:38).

"Preach the word!" is  Paul’s  instruction to Timothy. "Be ready in season and out of season.  Reprove rebuke , rebuke, exhort, with  complete patience and teaching" (2 Tim. 4:2) … and here  is part of the agony of preaching . Pastors must preach whether people want to hear or  whether they do not want to hear … "the time is coming when people will not endure sound doctrine, but  having itching ears  they  will accumulate for themselves teachers  to suit their own passions, and will  turn  away from listening to the truth, and wander off into myths." (vv. 3-4).  And he must preach whether they will hear or not hear, and when they will not listen, he continues to walk among them a broken heart, for they do not disobey him but the Lord whom he represents. The ministries by the prophets and apostles bear eloquent testimony to that.

Church members and leaders should take great care to insist that their teaching pastor maintain the work of preaching as the priority of his ministry. The spiritual health of a church ultimately depends upon a sound pulpit. It is the prime means which   God has given for   maintaining a sound church. Look at the Bible and look at the history of the church. When has church and society prospered most? When her pastors were most committed to the exposition of God’s Word! We look back to the days of the apostles, when the Word of God was preached widely and with great effect. By contrast we look back to the dark ages (AD 500 – 1500)  and consider  what happened when the Bible wasn’t preached, but   traded for tradition, mysticism, and pragmatism. We consider the mighty effect that the Protestant Reformation had on the church when the Word of God was preached by men like Martin Luther  of Germany and John Calvin of Switzerland, and John Knox of Scotland  and when the members of the church were equipped and encouraged  to  live  like true believers.   We look at the Puritan era, the 1600’s in England  for examples  of healthy church life. We look at the Great awakening  at the end of the 1700’s and into the 1800’s for examples of church revivals. We note the  Downgrade  Controversy of  the late 1800’s  and into the 1900’s, and we observe  the loss of confidence  in the authority and sufficiency  of the Scriptures and its terrible results upon the life and vitality of the church. Charles Haddon Spurgeon sounded the alarm in his day, but  that  faithful pastor  only could watch with a broken heart  as his own denomination, the Baptist Union of England descended  into coldness and apostasy  from the gospel. 

The life of the church, by God’s own design  depends on  God called, God equipped  pastor-teachers. Pray beloved people that God would continue  to grant us these gifts for the health and maintenance of the church  for the sake of  a future generation.  God have mercy on us if we were  ever  handed over to  ruthless shepherds who do not truly care.

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[1] John 16:12 ;

[2] Greek :  domata