2 Words in 1

Timothy, the Evangelist
Can YOU Teach?

 

Timothy, the Evangelist

Who is speaking up, for those who should be used, in the work of the Lord? If God has placed certain ministries in the New Testament Church, whose job might it be to bring it up, if they are not being utilized?

I really don’t want to talk about itching ears; it’s not a nice term. Or even an odd term I learned on Facebook; one-fold ministry. If I may, can I insert here, that if you truly desire to follow after the leading of the Spirit, you don’t always get to talk about what you want to talk about. You can be sure you will be called upon to speak things some do not want to hear.

Preach the Word. I heard that a long time ago; and even then, I had to ask myself, what does that mean? Why was it said that way? Did it mean that some might preach things, that were not the Word?

I guess I’ll have to say, as the years went by, that I saw too many, do exactly that. Timothy was a young minister in the beginning, and Paul was trying to teach him how he ought to be doing his job. But it’s the words after that statement, that has been a source of contention among many. Be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. We may have missed the word longsuffering, but I think we got the rest.

Or did we. The elder told this young man, that there was coming a time, when people didn’t want to hear sound doctrine. It’s likely, that some of us do not even know for sure, what the term “sound doctrine” even means.

I would think, it means doctrine, that’s backed up by the Word. Paul did not tell Timothy to preach his personal convictions; he didn’t tell him to preach out of some rule book some group put together. He said, “the Word.”

We know by studying, that Paul and the others, had already spoken about how many would have their own interpretations; their own definitions of things. I think that, even in his time, people were already doing their version of how they thought things oughta be. That’s why he wrote, what he wrote.

This evangelist, was instructed to preach the gospel, and to minister to the churches, wherever he went. Contrary to later opinion and practices, this evangelist, was also supposed to reprove, rebuke and exhort. He was also called, for the perfecting of the saints. In other words, this traveling kind of minister, was to speak and move, as the Holy Ghost led him to do.

When I hear, that evangelists, the ones we have left, are called in the office when they arrive at a certain assembly, and instructed on what they can preach and what they cannot preach at that place, I know the Spirit is grieved. I might lose some Facebook friends, but I suspect, that this is when the Prophet or the Apostle, should walk in next, and speak what God, thinks about all this.

I heard something said once, and I think it deserves comment. It might just be me, but if someone fears that an evangelist can undo in a short time what the pastor has taken years to build up, they need to hear something! It must not have been built on very solid ground.

When people are truly taught to live in the Spirit, and learn the Word for themselves, they are not cast around by every wind of doctrine. If they have matured in God as they are supposed to be, they have spiritual discernment from the Holy Ghost, that does not fail.

Mature saints, are not fooled or knocked down by every sleight of man. An evangelist, must have freedom in the Spirit, in order for them to do the work, God sent them there to do. Edifying, His body.

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Can YOU Teach?

Are God’s people still being destroyed for the lack of knowledge?

Hosea said, the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. “Because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land” Hosea 4:1. The word of the Lord, further added, that because they had rejected knowledge, He would also reject them. Another writer, went on to say, that many had become dull of hearing. The scripture stated, that we should be teaching others; but, we needed someone to teach us, all over again, even the basic principles of God and how He truly operates.

Jesus Christ, was the greatest teacher of the time. Even as a young lad, the elders of that day, were amazed at the wisdom He spoke with. He sat people down and taught them, everywhere He went. He left a promise to those who followed Him: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you ALL things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” John 14:26.

It was clear, that He had been teaching them; but, after He went away, the Holy Ghost would then become their teacher. Even when they were surely brought before others, the Holy Ghost would teach them, in the same hour, what they ought to say. They did not even have to plan ahead of time.

Many have used the writing about the Bishop, as the true qualifications for someone who is called to preach. I’m not sure that is completely right, but if it is, we need to note one particular requirement stated there. They should be “apt to teach;” meaning, a capable and qualified teacher. I wonder why the Apostle put the position of Teacher, among the five-fold ministry?

I also might ask, why so many have taken it out; along with others they also took out? Not everyone can teach. It is a gift; you either have it, or you don’t. It does not matter how smart or well learned one might be; it doesn’t mean that they can teach others what they know. It’s not their gift or calling.

The New Testament Church was not meant to function without the office of Pastor. I have no hesitancy in saying that. But, understand fully, it was not meant to function without the other four offices either. Nowhere, did it say, that the pastor was to do all of the feeding of the sheep. The Teacher, was also for the perfecting of the saints; for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; just as much as the rest of them. They can overlap; we know that, and we can see that.

The Evangelist was also designed for the same thing; the perfecting of the saints etc. When we stop allowing all of these positions that God set in the church, to operate as they were meant to do, knowledge of the true living God, decreases. Food, becomes scarce.
It was the intention of Jesus Christ, that the Holy Ghost step in after He ascended, and continue to teach everyone of us, what we needed to know.

It should have been understood by the entire five-fold ministry, that it was their responsibility to tell the people to follow after the Spirit. When it is all said and done, it is our own individual relationship with Jesus Christ that gives us our ticket to eternity. God was not a novice; and He did not give all knowledge to one person or one authority.

He spread it throughout the body, in order that it might all function and learn of the Spirit together. If we do not follow after the leading of the Spirit, we are only following men.

 

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Robert Blackburn