THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE ADVANCED BIBLE STUDIES SERIES “THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH”
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The following is an excerpt from the Advanced Bible Studies Series course on The New Testament Church, which is available from Way of Life Literature. (It is best to order them by phone at 866-295-4143, but they can also be ordered from the newly redesigned online order form at the Way of Life web site, http://www.wayofife.org.)

There are currently 20 titles in the series, and any of them can be special ordered in large print and in ring coil binding. We don’t believe that you will find better quality, more truly life-changing Bible courses from any other source. They are based strictly upon the King James Bible and the powerful word studies assist in the understanding of the KJV but never cast doubt upon it. They are thorough and comprehensive. They are very practical and have the objective of producing well-equipped Christian soldiers that have a solid understanding of the Bible. They stress holy and obedient Christian living and separation from worldliness and error, exalt evangelism and the New Testament church, and promote world missions. They emphasize the crucial differences between law and grace and positional and practical sanctification, and they continually fortify the student’s understanding of the life-changing doctrines such as justification, substitutionary atonement, and eternal security. The courses are non-Calvinistic and interpret Bible prophecy literally. The student will be prepared to stand against the wiles of the Devil and to refute the major theological heresies of our day. One pastor said the books “are extremely helpful for any Christian, no matter where they are spiritually; the practical application is extremely helpful and edifying.”

The Advanced Bible Studies Series can be used as private study guides for the individual Christian, as Sunday School lessons, as textbooks in Bible colleges, as part of a home schooling curriculum, as study material in jails and prisons, for discipling new (or older) Christians, and as refresher study material for Bible College graduates.
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THE PASTOR’S TITLE

The terms pastor, elder, and bishop describe the same office in the assembly, referring to three different aspects of the church leader’s work.

Pastor refers to the church leader as the shepherd of the flock, speaking of his work of teaching and nurturing and protecting the assembly (Eph. 4:11). “Pastor” is translated from the Greek word poimen, which 16 times in the N.T. is translated “shepherd” (Mt. 9:36; 25:32; 26:31; Mk. 6:34; 14:27; Lk. 2:8,15,18,20; Jn. 10:2,11,12,14,16; He. 13:20). In the Greek language of the N.T., “feed the flock” (Ac. 20:28; 1 Pe. 5:2) literally means “shepherd the flock”; it is from the same root word translated “pastor” and “shepherd.”

Elder refers to the church leader’s maturity and responsibility and the fact that he is to be an example to the church.

Bishop refers to the church leader’s authority, to the fact that he is to rule the church. The Greek word translated “bishop” is also translated “oversee” (Ac. 20:28; 1 Pe. 5:2). That these terms refer to the same office in the church is seen in their usage. In Tit. 1:5,7, the terms “elders” and “bishops” are used interchangeably. In Acts 20 all three terms are applied to the same office. In v. 17 the church leaders are called “elders.” In v. 28 the Greek words for bishop (“overseers”) and pastor (“feed the flock”) are used. 1 Peter 5 also uses these terms to refer to the same office in the church. Verse 1 speaks of the “elders,” and v. 2 speaks of these elders as overseers (bishops) and shepherds. The fact that these terms are used interchangeably is significant. A pastor is an elder is a bishop. These are not separate offices.

The Pastor’s Calling

The following Bible tests can help a man determine if God is calling him to be a pastor and also help churches examine men who might express interest in this office.

1. THE TEST OF DESIRE (1 Ti. 3:1). This verse speaks of a strong, compelling desire. One of my Bible teachers in the mid-1970s, Mr. Economidis, a native Greek, said this can also be translated “if a man reach out to grasp the office of a bishop.”

Paul speaks of such compulsion in 1 Cor. 9:16 when he says, “...for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” Those in Israel who did the work of building the Tabernacle were men “whose hearts stirred them up, to come unto the work to do it” (Ex. 36:2). Likewise, the men who are to lead the churches must be men whose hearts have been divinely stirred for this great task. The desire spoken of in 1 Timothy 3:1 will be more than a mere interest; it will be a passion, a powerful, divine summons to the ministry. It will not be a passing fad or a brief emotional fantasy but a steadfast burden. It has been said, and rightly so, that if a man can refrain easily from preaching and from church leadership, he should, because God’s call to such a ministry is attended by a powerful, unmistakable summons.

We see this in God’s call to the prophets (consider Jeremiah 1, for example) and in His call to the Apostles (consider Acts 9). A man might say no to God’s call, as Jonah temporarily did, but he will not mistake the call or ignore it lightly!

C.H. Spurgeon, in addressing his men in the Pastor’s College, warned, “If any student in this room could be content to be a newspaper editor, or a grocer, or a farmer, or a doctor, or a lawyer or a senator, or a king, in the name of heaven and earth let him go his way ... If on the other hand, you can say that for all the wealth of both the Indies you could not and dare not espouse any other calling so as to be put aside from preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, then, depend upon it, if other things be equally satisfactory, you have the signs of this apostleship.”

2. THE TEST OF LIFE (1 Ti. 3; Tit. 1). Strong desire is important, but this, in itself, is not enough. The individual’s life must also meet the N.T. requirements for church leadership. Some who desire to be pastors, deacons, or missionaries are deceived about God’s call. They feel God is calling them to that work, but it is obvious that He is not. God would not give detailed standards for elders and deacons, then ignore His own standards. If a woman, for example, feels God is calling her to be a pastor or deacon, there can be no doubt that she is wrong. The Bible says plainly that this is a man’s work. Likewise if a man has a poor reputation in his community, or is given to wine, or has an angry spirit, or loves money, or does not have faithful children and a good home life, or has more than one wife, etc.--he can be certain that God does not want him in church leadership work, at least until he has gotten the victory in these matters.

Let me emphasize here that THE CALL TO PREACH IS NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME AS THE CALL TO THE PASTORATE. A man can preach in many ways--in the highways and byways, in jails and nursing homes, on the street corners and from house to house, in a bus ministry, etc.--without being a pastor. Men who are not qualified to be a pastor can still preach the Word of God in many ways if they are faithful to Jesus Christ.

3. THE TEST OF ABILITY (Tit. 1:9-11; 1 Ti. 3:5; 1 Pe. 5:2). When God calls, He equips. He will not call someone to do something without giving that person the ability to do it. For example, when the Lord wanted the Tabernacle built in Moses’ day, He prepared men for the work. “See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” (Ex. 31:2-3).

Here we see the main aspects of God’s call for special service. First, it was an individual, personal call. Second, it was to a particular work. Third, God’s call was accompanied by the ability to perform the work.

It is true that God loves to use the weak things of this world for His glory. He often calls men to preach who seem unlikely candidates by man’s natural standards. He will not, however, call a man to be a pastor who cannot do the work of a pastor. For instance, a man must be able to teach the Bible and protect Christians from error. He must, therefore, be able to read and study well enough to do this work. He must have doctrinal discernment and a shepherd’s heart for protecting and watching over the sheep. He must have the courage to confront sin and error.

No man without such abilities is qualified to be a pastor, even if he has a strong desire and a good Christian life and testimony. Such a man should heed Romans 12:3 -- “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

4. THE TEST OF RECOGNITION (Ac. 13:1-3; 16:1-3). When God called Paul and Barnabas to a particular missionary work, their church readily recognized that call. This is one of the most important tests. It is true that there will be occasions when a church is controlled by unsaved or carnal men and the church’s judgment will be wrong. There have been instances when God called a man or woman to a certain work, but a church refused to recognize the call or support the ministry. There are examples of this in the Bible. The Lord Jesus was rejected by His own people (Jn. 1:11). Paul was rejected, at least at one point, by the churches in Galatia and by some in the church at Corinth (Gal. 4:15-17; 1 Cor. 9:1; 2 Cor. 6:11-12; 3:1). John and other men of God were rejected by the proud Diotrephes (3 Jn. 9-10).

The normal Bible pattern, though, is for an individual’s call and burden to be recognized by the church which knows him best.

“Considerable weight is to be given to the judgment of men and women who live near to God, and in most instances their verdict will not be a mistaken one. Yet this appeal is not final nor infallible, and is only to be estimated in proportion to the intelligence and piety of those consulted. I remember well how earnestly I was dissuaded from preaching by as godly a Christian matron as ever breathed; the value of her opinion I endeavoured to estimate with candour and patience--but it was outweighed by the judgment of persons of wider experience ... I have noted ... that you, gentlemen, students, as a body, in your judgment of one another, are seldom if ever wrong. There has hardly ever been an instance, take the whole house through, where the general opinion of the entire college concerning a brother has been erroneous. Meeting as you do in class, in prayer-meeting, in conversation, and in various religious engagements, you gauge each other; and a wise man will be slow to set aside the verdict of the house” (C.H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students).

5. THE TEST OF PROVING (1 Ti. 3:10; 2 Co. 8:22). The Scriptures teach that churches must be careful in ordination. Men should demonstrate their zeal and faithfulness before ordination, not by the ordination. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy, “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins. Keep yourself pure” (1 Tim. 5:22). Timothy was warned to be cautious about ordaining men to positions of leadership. The context of 1 Tim. 5:17-26 concerns church leaders. By laying on hands, those performing the ordination are testifying publicly that they are convinced God has called the person being ordained. Ordination is a human recognition of a divine call. Those performing the ordination are identifying themselves with the one being ordained. If the church makes a mistake because of hastiness and failure to prove the individual by God’s standards, it becomes partaker of the sins of the man wrongly ordained.

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The previous is an excerpt from the Advanced Bible Studies Series course on The New Testament Church, which is available from Way of Life Literature. (It is best to order them by phone at 866-295-4143, but they can also be ordered from the newly redesigned online order form at the Way of Life web site, http://www.wayofife.org.)

There are currently 20 titles in the series, and any of them can be special ordered in large print and in ring coil binding. We don’t believe that you will find better quality, more truly life-changing Bible courses from any other source. They are based strictly upon the King James Bible and the powerful word studies assist in the understanding of the KJV but never cast doubt upon it. They are thorough and comprehensive. They are very practical and have the objective of producing well-equipped Christian soldiers that have a solid understanding of the Bible. They stress holy and obedient Christian living and separation from worldliness and error, exalt evangelism and the New Testament church, and promote world missions. They emphasize the crucial differences between law and grace and positional and practical sanctification, and they continually fortify the student’s understanding of the life-changing doctrines such as justification, substitutionary atonement, and eternal security. The courses are non-Calvinistic and interpret Bible prophecy literally. The student will be prepared to stand against the wiles of the Devil and to refute the major theological heresies of our day. One pastor said the books “are extremely helpful for any Christian, no matter where they are spiritually; the practical application is extremely helpful and edifying.”

The Advanced Bible Studies Series can be used as private study guides for the individual Christian, as Sunday School lessons, as textbooks in Bible colleges, as part of a home schooling curriculum, as study material in jails and prisons, for discipling new (or older) Christians, and as refresher study material for Bible College graduates.