Equipping God's People

Pastoral ministry is an up close process. I believe that in God’s perfect math, about one in every twelve believers is given a pastor’s heart and burden. This has nothing to do with becoming a professional clergyman, which is a distorted model anyway. This is the burden and call to care for and protect others spiritually, leading them to become like Jesus and to know the Father well.

And Teachers

Teacher, as used in Ephesians 4 comes from the Greek word didaskios, which means an instructor, a master, a doctor. This is the word from which we also get our English word didactic, which refers to the act of line upon line, thorough, and careful teaching of any subject.

The teaching gift can be seen in any number of New Testament individuals. Again I point out that there were certain “teachers” in the church at Antioch. Paul served as one for a year before being sent out as an apostle. His teaching gift continued throughout his years as an apostle too.

The teaching gift equips believers at many levels.

• Many gifted teachers of the Bible have national platforms to teach and equip Christians via radio, in books, on television, on the Internet, and in great gatherings of believers. Many of these teachers are not involved in pastoral responsibilities back home, but have been prayed over and released by their local elders into traveling ministry equipping the Church at large.

• Back in the home churches many elder/pastors are also careful teachers of the Word. These men combine their pastoral function and their teaching gift in ways that help people to live right and learn how to avoid the wolves and thieves that are waiting to deceive and harm them.

• The combination of pastoral gifting and teaching also often works at the level of small groups such as Youth Groups, Home Meetings, Sunday School classes, etc.

Teaching and the gift of the Teacher is essential to the strength and maturity of the people of God. Often, but not always, it is paired in an individual with pastoral function and gifting. Sometimes, the teaching gift stands alone, especially in traveling teaching ministry and the writing of certain types of books.

Conclusion:

It is important to have a solid understanding of the powerful equipping ministry of these five gifts which take the form of people whom the Lord has sent to bless and strengthen us. No believer is an island. No leader in the Body of Christ is complete in himself. God planned this equipping process out in such a way that we need each other in order to be equipped well, and to function with both long term effectiveness and with balance, both doctrinal and practical.

God’s plan to equip his people for works of ministry is therefore, a multi layered and multi faceted tapestry of wonderful gifts; each of which represent a little bit of who Jesus is in His awesome fullness!

I deeply desire that every believer will benefit fully from God’s amazing provision of people who have been raised up and sent to us by Him, for the purpose of bringing us to an ever increasing maturity and effectiveness in knowing and doing His will! Glory to God for his wonderful plan!