What is Christian Ministry?
In my daily Bible reading the following verse jumped out at me. It concerns the role of the priests in Israel:
“For the LORD your god has chosen them to and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the LORD’s name always.” Deuteronomy 18:5
The obvious question is what does this mean. What is the role of God’s special representatives? Later in the same book the answer becomes clear:
“So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests . . . you shall read this law before them in their hearing. Assemble the people – men women and children, and the aliens living in your towns – so that they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God . . .” Deuteronomy 31:9-13
Someone may say, ‘Yes, but that teaching was just once in seven years – the rest of their life was ritual!’ This is not true. Everything the priest did involved teaching, even the rituals had a vital meaning that they had to explain. This is made clear when Moses blesses the tribe of Levi and describes their role,
“About Levi he said: . . . but he watched over your word and guarded your covenant. He teaches your precepts to Jacob and your law to Israel.” Deuteronomy 33:9-10
A prophet is someone who passes on what God has to say. The problem of so many is that they do not want to hear what god says even though its truth resonates in their hearts. Moses told the Children of Israel,
“The LORD you God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.” Deuteronomy 18:5
Moses continues to explain what God had told him,
“I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I have commanded him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.” Deuteronomy 18:18-19
The LORD then goes on to say that there will be false teachers but what they say will not happen.
Ezra
The prophet Ezra, a priest, recognised that teaching God’s word was the need of the people. We read,
“For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” Ezra 7:10
No-one can teach the Scriptures well if they have not studied them diligently. Even King Artaxerxes, the great king of Assyria recognised this when he ordered:
“ . . . all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven may ask of you.” Ezra 7:21
What a tragedy it is when church ministers do not see it as their priority to teach people what God. The Bible teaches us what God has to say about our relationship with him. It teaches how this was and is broken and how it can be restored. There is nothing more important. People learn the truths of God by being taught the Scriptures.
Paul
When Paul wrote to Timothy who was continue his work, he reminded him that the character and integrity of his teachers matters as that substantiates the message of Scripture that they taught. The key message is how we sinful people can become right with God, can be saved.
“Continue in what you have learned and become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15
Paul them emphasises the authority of Scripture and what its role is,
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16
The purpose of Scripture is made clear here. The authors wrote with the cultural and scientific understanding of their day but what they teach about God is timeless. Galileo’s was condemned by the church authorities for suggesting that their understanding of science was wrong. Cardinal Baronius, a friend of Galileo, said,
“The intention of the Holy Ghost is to teach us how one goes to heaven, not how heaven goes.”
The urgent need for Scripture to be taught is then made clear in the injunction Paul gives to Timothy,
“I give you this charge: Preach the Word, be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:1-5
A vicar once said in a sermon, ‘Doctrine is divisive!’ Of course it is, it divides those who desire is to follow what God says from those who do not.
If we have any form of Christian leadership, whether in a church, home group or children’s group we must keep reminding ourselves that this, our prime responsibility, has never changed, ‘
‘Teach the Word’
Teach it well, make it interesting, ensure people understand it and can apply it to today’s issues, but still,
‘Teach the Word’
BVP
November 2021
