Pastor-Teachers in the Church Age
Because in the present Church Age each and every saint is a Royal-Priest,
it is necessary to outline and comprehend the system that God
has ordained for the spiritual advancement of the saints. There
are two kinds of authority in the present dispensation, the Church
Age: 1) the Word of God as contained in Holy Scripture, and includes
the concept of pastor/teacher; 2) the authority of the free-will
of every saint. And the pastor/teacher brings together these two
forms of authority to the saints.
To do this, the pastor-teacher has had bestowed upon him a spiritual
gift that he does not deserve and cannot earn. The gift of pastor/teacher
provides the individual with the talents and strength necessary
to communicate the Word of God. The gift is given at the point
of salvation and, as already stated, is not based on merit of
any type. The gift is given by God the Holy Spirit, and it would
be presumptuous to attempt to document his criteria for assigning
the gift.
I Timothy 2:11,12 is one of the most controversial passages in
Scripture. The question revolves around this: Does God the Holy
Spirit give the gift of pastor/teacher to females? Opinions abound,
the discussion is endless, and connections too tenuous to be defined
are cited. Based on a grammatical, syntactical and etymological
analysis the passage, the author asserts that the answer to the
question is 'no, God the Holy Spirit does not bestow the gift
of pastor/teacher on women.' The author also asserts that the
question, aside from Scriptural analysis and its acceptance or
dissension, should be directed to God the Holy Spirit, not the
author. As Paul with Philemon, the author refuses to impose his
exegetical conclusions upon others, other than to state that the
tumult that the question arouses is beyond belief.
The concept of 'pastor/teacher' is based on four Greek words from
the New Testament:
1. PRESBUTEROS, which means leader or ruler and stresses the pastor's
spiritual authority.
According to Titus 1:5 and I Peter 5:1 there is one such PRESBUTEROS
per local church.
2. POIMENAS KAI DIDASKALOS, which means "pastor and teacher;"
the pastor part refers to caring for the sheep and the teacher
part refers to communicating the Word of God. The reference is
found in Ephesians 4:11, which says, "It was he who gave
some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists,
and some to be pastors and teachers."
3. EPISKOPOS, which means "overseer or foreman;" this
is the function of the pastor as the spiritual policymaker, which
policy must be based upon Scripture and the concept of grace.
Some Scripture references are Philippians 1:1, I Timothy 3:2,
Titus 1:7.
4. DIAKONOS, which means "minister" but is usually transliterated
'deacon.' Citations are I Corinthians 3:5 and Colossians 1:7,23,
which say, 7 "You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow
minister of Christ on our behalf."
This brings up the next idea: Why does the position/gift of pastor/teacher
exist? The answer is found in Ephesians 4:12,13, which say, "To
prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and
in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining
to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." In other
words, without a pastor/teacher, the saints cannot attain spiritual
maturity. This is a remarkable and, to some, a shocking statement.
Now that we have the 'why' of the pastor/teacher, 'how' does the
pastor/teacher perform this sensitive and vital function? The
answer is found in Ephesians 4:20,21, which say, "You, however,
did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him
and were taught him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus."
In other words, the pastor/teacher is to teach what the Word of
God says; only by doing this may the saints become spiritually
mature. And this 'teaching' presupposes the spiritual gift of
pastor/teacher, human maturity, education and scholarship, self-discipline
manifested in good study habits, academic and spiritual honesty,
and the courage to teach what Scripture says without being afraid
of insulting or offending the saints.
Thus, it may be seen that the pastor/teacher must be careful to
stay within the bounds of the gift. This means not intruding on
the spiritual privacy of the saints, not judging the saints, nor
making private and personal decisions for the saints. This does
not, however, preclude normal social and/or human intercourse
such as friendship, interest, or even love.
According to I Corinthians 12:11,28, pastor/teachers are provided
the gift at the moment of salvation. "All these are the work
of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just
as he determines. 28 And in the church God has appointed first
of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers
of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to
help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking
in different kinds of tongues."
I Peter 5:1,2 outlines the function of the pastor/teacher and
seems to assert that God provides just the right pastor for each
church: "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care,
serving as overseers -- not because you must, but because you
are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but
eager to serve."
Ephesians 3:7, I Corinthians 15:10 and I Timothy 1:12-16 declare
unequivocally that all pastor/teachers are the products of grace;
they have no claim to entitlement. And further documentation concerning
the concept of pastor/teacher may be found in Ephesians 3:7-13;
4:11-13, Colossians 1:23-29, I Timothy 2:24-26, I Timothy 3:1-9,
and Titus 1:6-9.
The pastor/teacher's spiritual sanction is found in the book of
Hebrews, chapter 13, verses 7 and 17, which say, 17 "Obey
your leaders and submit to their authority (in the teaching of
spiritual matters). They keep watch over you (their function as
pastor) as men who must give an account (to Christ). Obey them
so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would
be of no advantage to you. 7 "Remember your leaders, who
spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way
of life and imitate their faith."
And Hebrews 13:17 compared with Hebrews 6:10 tell us that pastor/teachers
are responsible to God, our Lord Jesus Christ, for their correct
and appropriate function: "God is not unjust; he will not
forget you work and the love you have shown him as you have helped
his people and continue to help them." (Heb. 6:10)
Finally, according to Philippians 4:10-20, the saints are to provide
for their pastor/teachers' physical needs and wants. This enables
the pastor/teachers to fulfill their functions without having
to be concerned about food, clothing, shelter, transportation.
Here in verse 10 Paul uses the very delicate word translated "concern
for me;" in the Greek the term is PHRONEO, which is "to
direct one's mind to a thing," i.e., to direct their minds
to Paul's provision. 10 "I rejoice greatly in the Lord that
at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have
been concerned, but you had not opportunity to show it. 17 Not
that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be
credited to your account."