PASTORS AND TEACHERS: TEACHING PASTORS
By: Bishop Albert B. Gran
Speaking the truth in love may lead to spiritual growth and
edification in the doctrine of spiritual gifts in view of progressive
revelation with the truth of the mystery of grace in the dispensation of grace
today.
PASTORS AND TEACHERS IN EPHESIANS
In my previous
article I made an explicit presentation how Pastors today are distinct from
elders who HATH MADE OVERSEERS by the HOLY SPIRIT. It was plain therefore that
these elders in the account of their functions in taking the church of God
connect the Holy Spirit’s operation in giving spiritual gifts to the church in
the early period of the dispensation of grace when Paul sees the glass darkly
which is figurative when the UNITY OF THE FAITH (the body of truth for this
dispensation of grace) has not been completed yet. The phrase HATH MADE BY THE
SPIRIT plainly emphasized the truth or idea that their designation came from
the very source of authority from the third person of the Godhead, the Holy
Spirit knowing it’s the time of the Spirit along with Spirit’s gifts such as
those for healing, working of miracles, speaking in unknown tongues, etc.
There’s a question whether those Pastors and teachers in
Ephesians 4 were really the same as the elders. To be honest elders and Pastors
in Acts 20 and Ephesians were totally different for the following reasons:
1.
The “elders” in Acts 20 indicate the sense that
the Holy Spirit had made them overseers and they were those who would take care
the church the Body of Christ. However, it has been taught traditionally that
those came from the elders of the church would turn out to be ‘wolves’ which
draw away disciples after them. To weigh
such a thought or idea, there would be fallacy for that because the calling
which made them become overseers is a calling which the Holy Spirit himself
designed where they do their function for the flock, the people of God which is
the church. In my previous article I made plain explanation why these elders
were not Pastors whom Christ gave for the church in Eph. 4 after He ascended up
and gave gifts unto men. It’s really a fact that these “Pastors and teachers”
has a conclusive sense of one identity as being gift for the church.
2.
Here’s the explanation as the sense brought in
Ephesians 4. If you have noticed as enumerated in verse 11 and it says: And he
gave some, apostles; some, prophets; some evangelists; some, pastors and
teachers. In the standard of writing following how nouns successively are
enumerated dividing through comma, you can notice that “pastors and teachers”
has only one identity. It means that a pastor is also a teacher and vice versa.
Sometimes the identity of the teaching pastor was clearly set by Paul in his
epistles. Take a look 1 Corinthians 12:27-31.
27. Now ye are the body of Christ, and
members in particular.
28. And God hath set SOME in the church,
first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly TEACHERS, after that miracles,
then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? are
all TEACHERS? Are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? Do all
speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
31. But COVET EARNESTLY THE BEST GIFTS: and
yet SHEW I unto you A MORE EXCELLENT WAY.
As stated above, the word evangelists and
pastors are nowhere stated as set by God in the church however the word TEACHER
is stated. This is the idea that TEACHER and PASTOR is a sense in one identity
and thus, Paul said “PASTOR AND TEACHER” in Eph. 4:11 (teaching Pastor)
To glimpse in matters of God’s operation
during this time when Paul wrote this epistle in 1 Corinthians, we can clearly
understand how these SPIRITUAL GIFTS were in placed in the early church when the
Holy Spirit plays vital role in the delineation of these spiritual gifts. These
are gifts which both include MEN FOR THE SERVICE, AND THE FUNCTIONS OF MEN
DOING FOR THE SERVICE.
Relative to this early delineation of
revelation to Paul, the Spirit’s gifts engaged into diverse supernatural
manifestations which include miracles, healings, speaking in tongues, and many
others. While we can’t deny to include Paul’s charge to the Corinthians to
covet earnestly the best gifts (v. 31) yet the fact when Paul wrote this
epistle proved there’s a progressive revelation when GOD HAD SET HIS OPERATION
FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST. While many ministers today emphasized the understanding
of COVETING THOSE GIFTS MENTIONED as Paul charged to the Corinthian believer
yet majority didn’t understand Paul told them that he’s going to show to them A
MORE EXCELLENT WAY. There are two things we need to understand in the idea that
Paul had explained in verse 31 based on the charge.
EARLY STAGE CHURCH
1. The Godhead directly sets men and the functions
of these men in the church along with sign gifts and supernatural
manifestations. The Holy Spirit Himself acted in order to reveal His word so
that the early church believers might understand what those signs such as those
in tongues meant for.That’s the period when Paul was continuously receiving
further revelation of this dispensation of grace.
2. It’s
the account in view of TRANSITION
wherein the word of God is in process of
completion to mean Paul at this time was still
receiving information to write the body of truth for the UNITY OF THE FAITH in the body of Christ.
3. These
spiritual gifts although is in view of the early church however, there is a
sense to finish its operation when Paul shall reveal to them through Christ’s
revelation the MORE EXCELLENT WAY. The fact of excellent WAY refers to the scheme
when the whole revelation of the mystery and Paul’s epistles with an expressed
plan of God can be totally delivered to Paul until there would be no more
direct revelation left.
THE FULL STATURE CHURCH
Upon completion of the
scripture, Paul made charge how every believer can be fully equipped to stand perfect (mature) in Christ
and how every man could be edified through God’s word itself (2 Timothy
3:16-17). The Holy Spirit today changed it’s operation and manifestation of
communicating to man. The Holy Spirit today acted through the Final Authority
which is God’s word. As the charge Paul made, he challenged every believer to
take the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT which IS THE WORD OF GOD. The utterances of God’s
plan in all His wisdom was purely
revealed by and through HIS WORD. And thus, the setting of qualified men set
through edification also undergo a process of significant change knowing it’s
done through ORDINATION. Those who were ordained are
elders who ruled his own house with his children. They are not single
individuals who were ordained by their Pastors after they graduated from Bible
schools. Those elders as per truth in Scripture particularly in Pauline
epistles possessed AN OFFICE OF A BISHOP. Bishops according to Paul are God’s
stewards and let’s take note that the reason why they became so because they
were ordained and recognized by the church as those who are indeed bishops
possessing right qualifications.
The ordination of elders to
take an office of a Bishop is what lately recognized by others which is designed by God knowing that as per
inspiration God called them as stewards (Titus 1:7-12). When there will be
relative truth recent in our times not practice and applied before through
tradition then let’s bear the full consideration of this issue in full glimpse
of acceptance in view of understanding how to open our eyes and see what change
took place after the completion of the Holy Scriptures. Our belief of physical
intervention, miraculous sign gifts, healing, institution of Lord supper, etc.
were those common doctrines affecting two classification of body believers in
our times. They were categorically considered as those BABES and SPIRITUAL. Your
discernment in this mystery truth in the dispensation of grace matters how you
will take His word and harmonize the sense through rightly dividing principles.
This is the only way you could be approved in the sight of God.
Today we have the complete
word of God enough for us to have the mind of Christ. If thus His word is not
complete then we cannot have idea about His will in all wisdom and
understanding. As the prayer of Paul states,
Colossians 1:8-10
King James Version (KJV)
8 Who also
declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this cause we also, since
the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be FILLED
WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That
ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every
good work, and INCREASING IN THE
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD;
Paul prayed and greatly desiring how
believers might be filled with the knowledge of His will. It’s really impossible
to have without HIS COMPLETE WORD supporting the basis of our stand and be
grounded in FAITH. He also encouraged us aside from being FRUITFUL IN EVERY
GOOD WORK to INCREASE IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. Which means there’s already an available
information how we could get to know God in all His will in which we have to
attain to in order TO INCREASE or level up. The idea of closing minds behind
bars of tradition, philosophy and vain deceits won’t qualify our cause to
INCREASE IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. Satan himself will hinder this desire of God
in us when man succumb to just remain stagnant and NOT INCREASE IN THE
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
Let’s make use his word and be open to each
other to teach and admonish one another in the bond of peace and love.
Grace and peace!
