“A
bishop then must be…able to teach” (1 Timothy
3:2 NKJV)
If I
shepherd is to feed the flock of God from the Word, he must comprehend the
message himself and be capable of communicating its truth with clarity.
“A pastor must be a careful student
of the Word of God, and of all that assists him in knowing and teaching that
Word. The pastor who is lazy in his
study is a disgrace in the pulpit.”[1]
We cannot
dispense what we do not possess. It is
impossible to lead someone to green pastures unless we have fed there
ourselves.
If we do
not have the passion to prepare and the competence to communicate—and we must
have both—then we have no business mounting the pulpit!
“The
preaching and teaching of God’s Word is the overseer/pastor/elder’s primary
duty (4:6, 11, 13; 5:17; 2Ti
2:15 , 24 ;
Tit 2:1 ).”[2]
John Calvin underscores this:
It is not enough to have profound learning, if it be not
accompanied by talent for teaching. There
are many who, either because their utterance is defective, or because they have
not good mental abilities, or because they do not employ that familiar language
which is adapted to the common people, keep within their own minds the
knowledge which they possess.[3]
The preacher immerses himself in
study, saturates his mind with Scripture, thoughtfully crafts his sermon, and
makes an application to the congregant when he proclaims it. The truth is not presented as information
only—not stopping with inspiration either—but aims at transformation!
A PRAYER
God of
Truth,
Your Word
is Truth. It is the Light we need in
this dark world. We need not “make it
relevant” for the truth is unchanging, and being eternal, it is never
outdated. Help Your preachers to be
diligent students, disciplined speakers and devoted servants of Your church.
In The
Name of the Incarnate Word,
Amen.
[1] Wiersbe,
W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition
commentary. Wheaton , IL
[2] MacArthur,
J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study
Bible: New American Standard Bible. Nashville ,
TN
[3] Calvin,
J., & Pringle, W. (2010). Commentaries
on the Epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (p. 79). Bellingham , WA
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