The Doctrine of Pastor Teacher......

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R.  The Profile of the Pastor Amplified.

            1. God uses prepared men with the spiritual gift of pastor(c)teacher. Such prepared men become a major issue in whether a client nation survives or not. Such prepared men also determine the quality of missionaries in the mission field.

            2. The spiritual gift of pastor(c)teacher is a matter of God’s grace. The function of the spiritual gift of pastor(c)teacher is always a grace factor. Just as you are the beneficiary of God’s grace, so is the pastor. Remember that while the pastor has a spiritual gift whose authority resides in his communication of Bible doctrine, he is basically just another person like you are, and he is grace(c)out just as you are daily.

            3. If God doesn’t promote you, you’re not promoted. If God doesn’t promote a pastor(c)teacher, he is not promoted.

            4. God promotes under two conditions:  the man is prepared, and the man is faithful in studying and teaching.

            5. The Gospel ministry is a matter of God’s grace, more grace, and much more grace. No pastor earns or deserves the privilege and opportunity of communicating Bible doctrine. 6. God does require faithfulness. Faithfulness demands that the pastor(c)teacher become, above all things, a plugger.

            7. Therefore, there are four rules related to the ministry.

                        a. God uses prepared men.

                        b. God uses faithful men.

                        c. God uses doctrinal men.

                        d. God uses mature men.

            8. In finding God’s billet for the communication gifts, the gift of pastor(c)teacher functions under the three P’s

                        a. Preparation is a continual function.

                        b. Patience is a very important teaching aid.

                        c. Perseverance refers to teaching accurately and consistently, and repeating again and again and again. The objective of inculcation demands lots of repetition.

      9. Scripture documents these principles.

                        a. Matt 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in a few things; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the happiness of your Lord.” God demands faithfulness from the pastor. He doesn’t have to be scintillating or some super personality. He must be faithful in studying and teaching and communicating Bible doctrine. It is far better to be a plugger than to be a scintillating rising and falling star.

                        b. 2 Tim 4:2, “Preach the Word. Be ready in season and out of season. Therefore, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all patience and instruction.”

                        c. Eph 4:13(c)16, “Until we all attain the objective because of the system from doctrine and by means of the epignosis knowledge from the Son of God, resulting in a mature believer to the measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ, in order that we no longer be childish and driven out of control by every wind of false teaching..., but by teaching doctrine associated with virtue(c)love, that we may cause them to grow up with reference to the all things with reference to Him who is the head, even Christ, because of Whom the entire body being joined together in one body and being inculcated by every joint of supply [the function of the spiritual gift of pastor(c)teacher] on the basis of the operational power in measure of one pastor(c)teacher for each part [the congregation], resulting in its edification by means of virtue(c)love.”

                                    (1) Some believers are thinkers and some believers are doers. Every pastor must be a thinker and motivate his congregation to become doers. To become a thinker the pastor must become a student of the word of God.

                                    (2) The pastor can motivate doers in two ways: the wrong way and the right way. The wrong way is motivation through the personality of the pastor. The right way is motivation through the faithful teaching of the word of God.

                                    (3) The spiritual leadership of pastor or missionary must be based on the power of the word of God, not on the dynamics of personality. We cannot follow a personality; we can only follow the doctrine.

                                    (4) “The objective” is spiritual maturity, the PLEROMA status (“the fullness of Christ”) of the invisible hero.

                                    (5) The “system from doctrine” is postsalvation epistemological rehabilitation(c)(c)perception, metabolization, and application of New Testament Bible doctrine.

                                    (6) “The all things” refers to the unique characteristics of the Church Age, the protocol plan of God for the Church Age, the unique spiritual life of the Church Age, the manufacture of invisible heroes, the glorification of God as the tactical victory of the Church Age.

                                    (7) The spiritual gift of pastor(c)teacher is not only the means of inculcation of the mystery doctrine of the Church Age, but the vital link in perception, metabolization, and application of doctrine as the only means of spiritual growth and glorification of God. Therefore, the pastor(c)teacher in this analogy is the “joint.” Therefore, the congregation is no stronger than the pastor.

                        d. “He who does not go forward goes backward.” A pastor can only stand in one place and teach. People will come and go. Their interest will rise and fall. People will have different concepts about what is important in their life. The pastor can only stand in one place and be faithful in teaching. God handles the people who come or don’t come; that is not the concern of the pastor.

                        e. 2 Tim 2:15, “Be diligent; study to present yourself approved to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the Word of Truth.” It takes years of study to handle accurately the Word of Truth.

    10. Therefore, the issue is not face(c)to(c)face teaching versus non(c)face¦to(c)face teaching, but the accurate communication of the mystery doctrine of the Church Age, including the protocol plan, our portfolio of invisible assets, the ten problem(c)solving devices, and all the details necessary for the manufacture of invisible heroes.

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S.  The Problem of Christian Fellowship.

            1. The problem of Christian fellowship originates from the trend to emphasize relationship with people over relationship with God. Therefore, people emphasis takes precedence over God emphasis.

            2. Interaction with people becomes the criterion of the Christian way of life instead of the execution of the protocol plan and the glorification of God.

            3. It’s not that Christian fellowship is wrong, but it is overemphasized so that today believers are not growing spiritually. Therefore, the emphasis on Christian fellowship is producing losers.

            4. Christian Fellowship Principles.

                        a. Christian fellowship is never a substitute for fellowship with God.

                        b. Christian fellowship is never a substitute for learning Bible doctrine.

                        c. The execution of the protocol plan and subsequent glorification of God only occurs through the consistent perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine. You should be able to distinguish between learning doctrine and Christian fellowship.

                        d. Execution of the protocol plan and subsequent glorification of God does not occur through Christian fellowship.

                        e. God always provides a right pastor for positive volition.

                        f. No one is everyone’s right pastor.

            5. There are two problems related to the myth of Christian fellowship.

                        a. The problem of unrealistic expectation.

                        b. The problem of role model arrogance. (See point 18.)

            6. Unrealistic expectation is defined by people not being loved the way the want to be loved or treated the way they want to be treated. As a result, they develop an interposing frustration which destroys interaction in human relationship.

            7. Unrealistic expectation becomes the motivation for at least three things.

                        a. Unrealistic expectation becomes the basis for selecting a local church that emphasizes fellowship, young people’s programs, etc.

                        b. Church hopping results as people continue to seek being treated and loved the way they want. In the demand syndrome, they demand that you love them though they are obnoxious.

                        c. They demand attention from a pastor or a group. This demand syndrome from arrogance means any interaction with people will be disastrous.

            8. Unrealistic expectation is a problem in every human relationship, including marriage, friendship, romance, and Christian fellowship.

            9. Role model is defined as the proper or customary function of a person. Society and people in general have assigned certain customary functions to certain activities in life. This includes such people as politicians, ministers, evangelists, husbands, wives, teachers, public servants, police officers, pastors, etc.

       10. When anyone departs from the role model, he becomes the object of public reaction. Hence, he is condemned, judged, criticized, and maligned.

       11. Individuals and society in general like to see everything in its proper place and resent any deviation or lapse.

       12. Therefore, society in its arrogance has developed a double standard:  one standard for the role model, and one standard for self. In this double standard, the individual excuses himself for his own sins, flaws, and failures, but he condemns the role model for these same sins, flaws, and failures. He is shocked because he is so arrogant that he doesn’t consider that he too sins.

     13. Therefore, role model arrogance manufactures hypocrites and legalists, those who gossip, criticize, slander, and malign their victims.

     14. Role model arrogance imposes impossible standards on others, ignoring the point of doctrine that everyone has an old sin nature and uses it, including pastors, evangelists, politicians, police officers, etc.

     15. Role model arrogance manufactures hypocrisy in the clergy and legalism in the congregation.

     16. The combination of unrealistic expectation and role model arrogance intensifies the problem of both the execution of the protocol plan and the problem of Christian fellowship. The intensification is two(c)fold.

                        a. The function of the double standard by which people justify self and condemn others.

                        b. The practice of legalism which distorts Bible doctrine in general, and Christian fellowship specifically.

     17. You cannot change people.

                        a. You cannot change people to conform to your standards and expectations. Such an attempt only makes you miserable. (The exception is in the training of children.)

                        b. You cannot make a role model out of some person without becoming disappointed. Such disappointment will destroy you due to your subjective arrogance. The only true role model we should have is the one we develop in spiritual adulthood in our occupation with Jesus Christ.

                        c. All believers, including pastors and evangelists, are under one standard. Furthermore, all believers continue to possess the old sin nature and continue to sin after salvation and throughout the Christian life. God forgives one person’s sins just as quickly as He forgives another person’s sins, when the rebound technique is used.

                        d. You cannot change other people; you can only change yourself. This is done by the consistent perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine. Only by changing yourself can you avoid unrealistic expectation and role model arrogance.

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e. You cannot change yourself through Christian fellowship, but only through perception of Bible doctrine. Your relationship with God is the major issue. When that is straight, then your relationships with people will fall into line.

                        f. Changing yourself is a matter of consistent postsalvation epistemological rehabilitation, from which comes the consistent use of the ten problem(c)solving devices of the protocol plan of God. There is no problem too great for these devices. The most dramatic change in the life of any believer occurs when he is using all ten of these problem(c)solving devices.

                        g. It is a combination of self(c)righteous arrogance plus crusader arrogance which seeks to change people by imposing on them a double standard. Therefore, frustration comes to the person involved in unrealistic expectation combined with role model arrogance. This combination always creates monsters, too many of which are believers.

     18. Relationship with God must precede relationship with people. Christian fellowship is secondary to perception of doctrine. Christian fellowship is never a substitute for fellowship with God or for learning Bible doctrine. Christian fellowship is not the source of spiritual growth or momentum

     19. Christian fellowship has seven great disadvantages.

                        a. It establishes wrong priorities in the Christian life through the influence of confused believers.

                        b. It is a distraction from Bible doctrine through preoccupation with romance or friendship.

                        c. It is the acquisition of legalism through association with legalistic and arrogant believers.

                        d. It involves anti(c)nomianism, therefore association with promiscuous believers, which is also distracting.

                        e. Using Christian fellowship as a dating bureau or a marriage pool is a distraction from growing in grace.

                        f. Christian fellowship often results in acquiring erroneous views of doctrine, or the ridicule of doctrine in a group of Christian believers.

                        g. Christian fellowship uses people as a crutch rather than learning and using the ten problem(c)solving devices of the Christian way of life.

     20. Christian fellowship does have some advantages.

                        a. Lifetime friendships develop among positive believers while they’re growing in grace.

                        b. Encouragement from conversations among believers of like faith and practice.

                        c. Avoiding the outside problems of peer pressure when your fellowship is with relaxed believers.

 

T.  Volition determines the pastor’s function.

            1. The gift of pastor(c)teacher is designed to communicate the protocol plan of God in this Church Age, specifically, the whole realm of Bible doctrine. This is accomplished through the ICE principles; i.e., isagogics, categories, and exegesis. Learning under the ICE principle of communication is the only way believers can be edified enough to avoid these pitfalls.

            2. Certain generations in the Church Age will be apostate. In these generations, men with the gift of pastor(c)teacher may even prepare thoroughly, but find no pulpit; and evangelists will not be heard.

            3. Nevertheless, the existence of these spiritual gifts unplaced and unheard stand as a condemnation to that generation of apostasy. In such cases, God blesses the gift of pastor(c)teacher and evangelism in other ways. That means such men will find success in other areas of life.

            4. In normal generations where positive volition exists, there are many outlets and many opportunities for the communication gifts:  pastor¦teacher, missionary, evangelism, administration and teaching in Christian schools, or a written ministry.

 

U.  The minister must communicate the mystery doctrine.

            1. The emphasis of the ministry is related to grace. Eph 3:8(c)9, “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace has been given to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make known to all what is the dispensation of the mystery which has been concealed from ages [theocentric dispensations] in the God who created all things.”

                        a. Jesus Christ is the creator; the mystery doctrine was concealed in Jesus Christ until the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union.

                        b. The concealment of the mystery doctrine relates to the royal family of God in the Church Age only. This doctrine was not revealed until Christ received His third royal patent at the right hand of the Father.

            2. Three categories of communication are important in presenting this mystery doctrine.

                        a. Momentum. There is no momentum in the spiritual life without the function of the pastor(c)teacher communicating specifically the mystery doctrine of the Church Age.

                        b. Mechanics. To understand the mechanics of how we live and how we advance and how we glorify God is extremely important.

                        c. Maturity. When we advance to spiritual maturity, we become invisible heroes. 3. The primary responsibility of the gift of pastor(c)teacher is to study and teach, study and teach.

            4. All believers are dependent upon whomever is their right pastor for information about the mystery doctrine of the Church Age. From him they learn how to execute the protocol plan of God, how to become an invisible hero, how to glorify God, and how to meet the problems of life.

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V.  Problems of Ministers.

            1. Many of the frustrations and complaints of ministers are related to lack of spiritual self(c)esteem. This means they have failed to attain spiritual adulthood.

            2. There are three categories of spiritual adulthood.

                        a. Spiritual self(c)esteem is characterized by cognitive self¦confidence.

                        b. Spiritual autonomy is characterized by cognitive independence.

                        c. Spiritual maturity is characterized by cognitive invincibility.

            3. Each stage of spiritual adulthood provides a category of suffering for blessing for the purpose of advancing one’s spiritual growth.

                        a. Providential preventative suffering provides fantastic areas of suffering for blessing to the one in spiritual self(c)esteem.

                        b. Momentum testing is provided for spiritual autonomy to advance to spiritual maturity.

                        c. Evidence testing is provided for spiritual maturity for the maximum glorification of God.

            4. Too many pastors feel threatened and are consumed with inordinate ambition. They are willing to do anything to gather more people.

            5. Some pastors suffer from the malady of the papal syndrome, which combines arrogance with power lust, resulting in ecclesiastical dictatorship instead of being teachers of the Word of God.

            6. Some pastors have no congregation because they have violated a principle related to their spiritual gift. God uses prepared men.

            7. Some pastors are dissatisfied with small congregations and lack of numbers. This gives them an inferiority complex which is nothing more or less than arrogance. A large number of small congregations well taught has a far greater impact than a few large congregations poorly taught.

 

W.  The Common Sense Approach to the Pastor; How to Understand Your Pastor.

            1. The more you know about the mystery doctrine of the Church Age and what it says about the pastor, as in our passage Eph 3:7-13 and 4:11-16, the better your attitude will be toward Bible doctrine and the greater your function in postsalvation epistemological rehabilitation.

                        a. In other words, without cognition of Bible doctrine, you cannot understand your pastor! You cannot understand what he’s doing or why he’s doing it; why he gets tough and hard-nosed; why he spends time explaining technical things which are boring to you, but very important.

            2. The pastor is a male believer who has been graced out by a communication gift. More than anyone else, the pastor is the beneficiary of God’s grace.

            3. The pastor is neither to be worshipped nor despised. He is really to be given a hearing as a teacher of the Word of God. You cannot understand unless you listen to the content and profit from it.

            4. It should be noted that pastors come in all sizes, shapes, and descriptions, as well as multifarious personalities.

            5. You have the option as a believer of accepting or rejecting the Bible teaching of a pastor. But God has not given you the right to malign or judge the pastor.

            6. The pastor is no better or no worse than anyone else at his particular stage of spiritual growth.

            7. The appearance or the personality of the pastor is not the issue. His authority is related to the content of his message; the Bible teaching. When you tamper with the ministry of a pastor, you invite the wrath of God on your life; not because the pastor is any better than you are, but because his spiritual gift is from God.

            8. Any pastor’s ministry belongs to God. Therefore, God deals with his failures through the administration of double discipline.

            9. If for some reason you discover that your pastor is not teaching Bible doctrine and you now realize that he should be, do not criticize him, even though he may be wrong in every possible way. Do not compare him with other Bible teachers, and don’t make trouble for him. It is not your responsibility. If you are led to leave his ministry, do so without making a fuss and without judging him.

     10. However, be sure of two things before you change pastors.

                        a. Be sure that the fault does not lie with you or some arrogant flaw in you which has produced antagonism.

                        b. Do not criticize, malign, or judge any pastor whose ministry you have rejected. You really can’t afford it because the double discipline that was going to him is transferred to you. It isn’t worth it. You postpone God’s direct dealing with that pastor. Furthermore, this is the only way some pastors will ever receive blessing. For when God transfers their discipline to you for interfering (by your judging or maligning), He also increases logistical grace blessing to that pastor, even if he’s wrong. Remember logistical grace doesn’t work on the basis of your merit; it’s all based on the justice of God imputing to God’s perfect righteousness in both winners and losers. Many pastors are losers and they get a lot of blessing when others malign them and don’t let the Lord deal with them.

     11. Every pastor is responsible to God, even if he has a hierarchy in a denomination over him. It is God who will deal with him.

     12. Good doctrinal teaching brings out the best and worst in any congregation. For the mystery doctrine of the Church Age produces either response and spiritual growth or reaction and cosmic involvement.

     13. There is no standard pastoral personality. To benefit from the ministry of any pastor, remember the simple principle:  it’s not the man but the message. Therefore, avoid personality conflict with the pastor, for it is his doctrinal message that produces your spiritual momentum, not his personality.

     14. The more a pastor grows spiritually, the more his congregation will be divided between positive and negative volition.

     15. No pastor can teach what he does not know himself.

     16. To be a faithful teacher, the pastor must have motivational virtue from personal love for God, not motivation from the approbation of the congregation.

    17. The pastor must deal with his congregation professionally through impersonal love. He must never feel threatened by peer pressure. No pastor should ever regard numbers as anything. It is no disgrace to have a small congregation.

     18. A pastor has no right to interfere with the privacy of the believer’s priesthood and tell them they cannot listen to another pastor.

     19. God has called pastors to faithful teaching. This is the life of the pastor. It does not include counselling. The pastor is responsible to protect those being maligned or judged by others.

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20. There is no such thing as a “plurality of elders.” There is one church and one officer at the top who runs the organization. But he is not to be a tyrant. He delegates authority and policy making authority to the deacons. It is not a dictatorship. In certain matters of administration, e.g., finances, the deacons are responsible to the congregation because they represent the congregation.

     21. The pastor should never handle money or property matters of the church.

     22. See the Doctrine of Role Model Arrogance.

 

X.  The Function of the Pastor, Eph 4:20-21.

            “But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus.”

            1. The pastor establishes his authority by teaching. He must have the proper spiritual gift, otherwise he cannot get the meaning out of the original language.

            2. He must have the proper preparation:  academic discipline, self(c) discipline, moral courage, academic honesty, and good study habits.

            3. The royal family must have privacy to learn; therefore, the necessity of monologue in a group. The function of the believer’s soul is to learn. Every pastor teaches within the framework of his own personality. He is a super(c)student of the Word.

            4. Personal time with members of the congregation is an infringement upon their privacy.

 

Y.  Biblical Documentation for the Pastor, Eph 3:7-13, 4:11-13; Col 1:23-29; 2 Tim 2:24-26; 1 Tim 3:1-9; Tit 1:6-9.

Z.  The Reward of the Pastor.

            1. 1 Pet 5:4, “When the Chief Shepherd [Christ] appears [Rapture], you [faithful pastors] will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

            2. Phil 4:1 personalizes this concept, “Therefore, my brethren, loved ones [congregation who is respected for their faithfulness], deeply desired ones, my happiness and my crown, keep on being stabilized [winners of the crow of righteousness].”

            3. 1 Thes 2:19-20, “For who is our hope or happiness or crown of boasting [glory]? Is it not you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? [At the Judgment Seat of Christ, those who have attained spiritual maturity are the crown of glory for the pastor.] “For you are our glory and our happiness.”

            4. Heb 6:10, “God is not unjust to disregard your occupation and the virtue(c)love which you have demonstrated toward His person [occupation with Christ], because you have ministered to the saints and you keep on ministering to them.”

            5. No pastor’s ministry can be evaluated until the Judgment Seat of Christ. The basis for this reward is his faithfulness in studying and teaching Bible doctrine.

            6. The pastor’s boasting or crown of glory is received because certain members of his congregation do two things by listening to his teaching of the Word.

                        a. They reach spiritual self-esteem.

                        b. They take the victory step to spiritual maturity, where they can receive their escrow blessings to glorify God to the maximum.

            7. So the happiness of the pastor comes from the positive response of those faithful to the teaching of the Word of God. The pastor’s happiness is different from that of anyone else.

            8. Protocol believers are the basis for the pastor receiving the crown of glory.

 

AA.   Motivation of the Pastor-Teacher.

            1. The pastor must be motivated by personal love for God. If you are motivated by love of people, you’ll never make it. That motivation may be good for other professions, but not for the ministry. The reason is because it’s very discouraging to watch people fall asleep or advance so slowly. So the pastor must be motivated by his love for Jesus Christ.

            2. Today, most pastors are motivated by ambition and arrogance. Being a minister and doing it right is most difficult. So it requires the greatest love of the Lord; not emotional love, but personal love for God from knowledge of Bible doctrine. This doesn’t make the pastor better than anyone. But of everyone else, he must be the most saturated with Bible doctrine. 

 

BB. Four Approaches or Four Laws of Logic.

            1. Law of Identity or Affirmation. Everything is identical with itself, or is what it is. Therefore, we may affirm this of it. This is consistent with affirmative thinking, with which the Bible begins:  “God is.”

            2. Law of Contradiction or Negation. Everything is not what it is not, and we may affirm this of it. The Bible never confuses opposites. Law and grace are antithetical and always will be. So we learn to rightly divide the Word of Truth under this law.

            3. Law of Excluded Middle. Of two contradictions, one must be true; the other false. If one is affirmed, the other is denied.

            4. Law of Sufficient Reason. All continuous thought must be rationally connected. Therefore, you are to infer nothing without a ground or reason. The starting point in continuous thinking is the affirmation of some knowledge by which the mind is necessitated to affirm or posit. Logical reason must be followed by logical consequences. And the relationship between them is the logical connection consequence. This involves relationship between cause and effect, whole and part.

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CC. More on Preparation. (4/25/76 Phil 2)

            1. Preparation begins at the point of salvation, when the individual male believer receives from God the Holy Spirit the gift of pastor(c)teacher. The gift is given to male believers only. This is not in any way a slight to women, but an honor. As a responder, she cannot possibly be in accord with the principles related to authority for the gift of pastor(c)teacher

            2. First there must be a cognizance of the resident gift to that male believer, sometime after salvation. Obviously, if he is ever going to prepare for the function of that gift, he must become aware of it. Such cognizance comes through the spiritual growth of the one with the gift. It takes doctrine for this awareness to occur. Constant positive volition toward doctrine and the daily function of GAP produces that initial spiritual growth which brings awareness of the gift.

            3. Once awareness takes place, some very definite and specific preparation is called for. Every male who thinks he has the gift ought to consider: his age, his academic discipline potential, his predilection for languages, his family size, etc. The gift of pastor(c)teacher is not of any use to the person who has it, or to anyone else, without its proper exploitation, which means long preparation. The exploitation of the gift is to actually have a congregation, and to be teaching them from your own personal diligent preparation.

            4. So special preparation means to get into a situation where you get treated unjustly and unfairly; and where you are under abusive strict discipline and are able to stick it out. If you do not have a mean cruel boss, you can get this from the military. This is necessary for the inculcation of discipline. And there is no proper exploitation of the gift without this. This special preparation doesn’t refer to academic discipline, but to tough, hard(c)nosed, strict discipline, which you must stay under long enough until it becomes a way of life. Tragically there are very few opportunities for such discipline. Therefore the military is the best place to receive this preparation.

            5. Every pastor(c)teacher is regulated from above by the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that he must be self-regulating with regard to his study habits. This doesn’t just occur overnight, but requires special preparation. (Of course there are exceptions, but this is the general rule.) Large amounts of humiliation is healthy in the preparation of a pastor, and is the only way certain forms of discipline are inculcated. Above all people, the pastor must have humility and its resultant teachability.

            6. Academic training is essential. No man can stand up and teach his students and have compassion for them, without having first been a student himself. It helps him to appreciate some of the problems of being on the receiving end. In addition, academic training prepares the individual to think, to utilize and to exploit the gift of pastor(c)teacher.

                        a. Academic training must not only emphasize the original languages of Scripture, but it must relate its subjects to good exegesis and orthodox systematic theology. You must be academically prepared! God uses prepared men.

                        b. Often many of the normal things in life must be neglected to fulfill the ministry. Seminary should prove to you that you are just beginning, that you must study all day and all night! But you can’t study to teach unless you are academically prepared.

                        c. It is not languages alone that prepare a pastor. The most important academic subject he must learn is systematic theology. For he must understand orthodoxy as it has been developed down through the scenturies for almost 2000 years. This is the most important class you get at seminary. If you have languages without doctrine, you know nothing. Therefore, to stay on the orthodoxy line, you must know the doctrine.

            7. The combination of military training and academic work in the classroom should develop both good self-discipline and those necessary study habits through which the pastor continues his own spiritual growth as well as feeding the congregation. Everything depends upon the pastor’s study. Therefore, a man entering the ministry must recognize that all his life will be spent as a student. There never will be a time he is not a student, and he is constantly taking examinations every time he teaches.

            8. There are two principles a pastor must remember.

                        a. God uses prepared men.

                        b. No pastor can lead his congregation beyond his own spiritual growth.

            9. Preparation also involves inculcation in the field of honor and integrity. There is a special system of professional ethics for the pastor. Professional integrity demands that he continue studying and teaching. He must be faithful in the little things which eventually leads to faithfulness in the big things.

                        a. The pastor must be insulated against approbation lust, especially from the congregation. A pastor who preaches from the motivation to always please the congregation is never going to give them spiritual food. He is going to serve only desserts and lots of hot air. Such men make the mistake of preaching in accord with what would please their congregation. But a pastor must speak and teach to please God, not the congregation.

                        b. A pastor should have a wonderful sense of humor. He must be able to laugh at himself. He must be able to take legitimate criticism, appreciate it and utilize it. He must always do his job as unto the Lord. If God doesn’t promote him, he is not promoted. He must avoid self-promotion.

     10. This concept is a general application to which there are exceptions. A man who doesn’t fit all these requirements need not get discouraged. For if he truly has the gift of pastor(c)teacher and keeps plugging consistently in Bible doctrine, God will use him and put him in the ministry. For if God wants him in the ministry, God will open up the means for his further training and preparation in whatever he lacks, and he will arrive in the ministry in God’s perfect timing.

 

DD. The pastor must be alert against certain techniques used constantly against Bible doctrine.

            1. Name Calling Devices. This is a debater’s technique. If you can’t meet his argument, malign him. This even extends to belittling any doctrine you don’t understand. This is used by liberal theologians to discredit the Blood of Christ. So in this technique, you blaspheme doctrine and malign the pastor-teacher.

            2. The Virtue Word. Here, some generality is used to sidetrack the investigation of Biblical evidence. It is used in speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ in a patronizing manner, e.g., “the wisest of men,” “the flower of humanity,” but still only a man (instead of recognizing Him to be the God-man).

            3. The Transfer of Authority, Sanction, or Prestige. This is used to transfer from something respected or revered to an idea that would not be acceptable on its own merit. This is used to undermine the authority of the Scriptures.

            4. Unwarranted Employment of Testimonials. This is bolstering up or tearing down a shaky idea by the testimony of someone greatly respected. The idea itself won’t stand on its own because it’s false doctrine, so get someone respected to say it’s true.

            5. Unimpeachableness of United Opinion. This is using the opinion of the hoi poloi to bolster a false concept. Just because everyone is for it doesn’t make it right. The majority is rarely right.

            6. Card Stacking. This is the employment of half-truths, mixed with statements of truth, to get a false doctrine accepted as the truth. This includes lifting out of context a partial statement and treating it as a complete statement.

[linssue55]

7. The Band Wagon Theme. This is the trick of getting false doctrine accepted by the statement:  “All scholars agree.” You rarely find two who agree! Or, “everybody is doing it.” This has the connotation of saying, “for the sake of unity, climb on the bandwagon and go with the crowd.” This trick is used by pastors who are more concerned with the program of their church than with the communication of doctrine.

 

The ICE Principle......isogogics, catagories, exegetics.

            Bible doctrine must be taught based on three principles.

            1. Isagogics is the historical setting of the passage.

            2. Categories is the systematic theology developed from combining Scripture with Scripture.

            3. Exegesis is the grammatical and syntactical analysis of the passage from the original languages.

 

FF. Distinctions related to the Authority of the Word of God.

            1. Revelation comes from God.

            2. Inspiration is the divine means employed by which doctrine is accurately transmitted to the writers of the Canon.

            3. Illumination is the Holy Spirit’s enabling ability on the mind of the pastor-teacher, giving him the ability to communicate this doctrine.

            4. Interpretation is the pastor’s verbal expression of Bible doctrine to his congregation. This also requires the filling of the Spirit.

            5. If the pastor studies under the filling of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit provides the power of concentration, organization, and interpretation, provided he is a prepared person.

            6. If the pastor teaches while in the divine dynasphere, the Holy Spirit provides the power of communication within the framework of his own individual personality.

            7. All of this is so important as stage one of Operation Z.

 

GG. Accommodation Versus Communication.

            1. The pastor either accommodates or communicates to his congregation. Like spirituality and carnality, this is a mutually exclusive situation.

            2. Accommodation neutralizes the communication of doctrine, while communication of doctrine destroys the rapport built by accommodation to a congregation. The pastor is mandated by the Bible only to communicate.

            3. Accommodation is patronizing the congregation. Communication is a blessing to the congregation. One hospital call could deprive an entire congregation of understanding a passage.

 

 HH. Categories of Pastors.

            1. There are three categories of pastors who cannot lead their congregation to spiritual maturity.

                        a. The cosmic pastor is distracted by some form of works, crusades, or social action, being very moral, arrogant, and self(c) righteous. He is ignorant of the plan of God, the Word of God, and has no common sense. The cosmic pastor lives in cosmic one and cosmic two and is totally disoriented to reality.

                        b. The baby or immature pastor has never learned Bible doctrine and so spends most of his time in the cosmic system. He does evangelize his congregation weekly, plus giving them little moral lectures and preaching against taboos. He high(c)profiles his own personality while low¦ profiling the Word of God.

            c. The adolescent pastor teaches some truth, but is distracted by various forms of high profile. He is selling his own personality rather than teaching doctrine. This is done by visiting the sick, calling on the congregation, and conducting programs; therefore he doesn’t have the time to study. He has some truth, but it’s buried in his arrogance, inordinate ambition, programs, and gimmicks. He is ambitious for approbation. He can be a pseudo-intellectual, a crusader, a bleeding heart, self-righteous, a pleasing personality, or arrogant. He appeals to those who are negative toward doctrine.

            2. The only pastor eligible is the mature pastor. Through his faithful Bible teaching, personal study, and avoiding high profile distractions, he advances in the divine dynasphere to gate eight and leads his congregation there. He is prepared academically, understands all the major issues in theology, and recognizes that the issue is not his personality but his teaching. He recognizes the principle of Jn 3:30, “He increases . . . I decrease.” 
 

[Satisfied MInd]

 

a. Every local church has only one commander. There’s no such thing as plurality of elders.

Titus 1:5 ASV
(5)  For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge;

Acts 11:30 KJVR
(30)  Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Acts 14:23 ASV
(23)  And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.

1 Timothy 5:17 ASV
(17)  Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.


 These verses, plus others, all show a plurality of elders in each congregation. 

[Soldier4Christ]

And so does a few other verses. The greek word presbuteros is used here which is a plural form of the word presbus (elderly).

Jam 5:14  Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

1Pe 5:1  The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

Rev 4:4  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

[linssue55]

Tit 1:5~~ Because of this grace,
I left you flat in Crete(!)
that you should set in order
the things that are deficient {which is a lot!}, and
ordain elders {synonym for pastors}
according to the standard of every city, as I had appointed you . . .

{Note: Titus is to train Pastors in each city in Crete according to Paul's plan they had earlier agreed to - now Titus was to carry out the plan}.



Acts 14:   {Paul dealing with groups of people - set up a local church each with a trained Pastor teacher to lead them.}
23~~And when they had appointed {authorized, ordained} them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting {means to take time normally used to eat and instead study and learn - crash seminary course}, they deposited {first used to put money in the Temple or later bank} them to the Lord . . . on Whom they believed in the past with the result that they kept on believing.

{Note: 'Elders' is presbuteros in the Greek. It means 'the old man' - the one in charge. It is the Title for the pastor-teacher as the head of the local church. FYI, bishop is episkopos and means overseer. This is the word that describes the functional title of the pastor-teacher. And Pastor-teacher describes the spiritual gift.}



1 Tim 5:   {Royal Family Authority - verses 17-25}
17~~ Those pastor-guardians {one for each church}
who have ruled well with the result that they keep ruling honorably -
they must be considered worthy of DOUBLE HONOR {diplous time}
most of all, those who work hard {to the point of exhaustion - study, teach, study, teach}
in the sphere of the word/doctrine {logos} and
teaching {didaskalia}.

{Note: 'Diplous time' does mean double honor. It refers to giving the pastor teacher REMUNERATION and RESPECT. See the next verse to clarify this. The first obligation of the church is to pay its pastor WELL! And, then, he can be released to study and teach and study and teach! And, also, being a pastor is an honorable occupation worthy of respect - if fulfilled correctly.}



James 5:14~~     Anyone among you sick?
Suffering from hopeless disease?
Let him call to himself the Pastor-teacher {presbuteros}
of the church . . .
and, having received medical therapy to no avail . . .
let them {plural} begin to offer a prayer
  {a specific prayer solely for the reversionist}
over him in the name of the Lord.

{Note: Their right pastor-teacher is the one whose authority they rejected in reversionism. The person in reversionism is so deep in that he is near the sin unto death. At this state, rebound 1 John 1:9 no longer works and he can not pray for himself. He must go to the one he rejected for help.}

{Note: Presbuteros in Greek is often translated 'elders'. It really means the top guy. The one in authority at the church. The reversionists 'right pastor-teacher' whose teaching he has rejected. In Greek it is in the plural because it matches the case of 'anyone among you' which is plural, but concept is one for each one.}



1 Pet 5:
{Message to Pastors then Congregations follow}
1~~ To the elders {pastor/teachers of the various churches}
among you,
I encourage you as a fellow elder
and a judicial witness
of the sufferings of Christ
  {Peter was an actual witness to the crucifixion},
and also a partner in the glory that is about to be revealed:

{Note: Peter knows the disaster about to befall on these people - many of whom will die in the next year. These verses tell the Pastor-teachers what to do in times of adversity.}

Rev 4:    {Angelic Authority in Heaven}
4~~ Also around the throne
I saw twenty four additional thrones
  {reserved for the angelic staff with authority in heaven} and
twenty four angelic staff officers {presbuteros denotes authority}
were sitting on those thrones {sitting is the posture of thinking} having been clothed {denotes award and honor awarded to
  elect angels in prehistory}
with translucent clothing {uniform of glory} and
golden crowns on their heads . . .

[Shammu]

The only pastor eligible is the mature pastor. Through his faithful Bible teaching, personal study, and avoiding high profile distractions, he advances in the divine dynasphere to gate eight and leads his congregation there. He is prepared academically, understands all the major issues in theology, and recognizes that the issue is not his personality but his teaching. He recognizes the principle of Jn 3:30, “He increases . . . I decrease.” 
 

I'm sorry I disagree, some are born natural Pastors. Without any schooling from colleges, who teach the Bible, not the doctrine of man.

[Soldier4Christ]

Mar 13:11  But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

Joh 14:26  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.


One pastor many elders:

1Ti 5:17  Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

This verse shows that there are to be more than one elder that rules and not all of them necessarily to preach. Not all of the Apostles were considered elders and yet they all were also teachers. A degree may make a good theologian but does not necessarily make a good teacher or preacher. The Holy Spirit does.

[Shammu]

Mar 13:11  But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

Joh 14:26  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.


One pastor many elders:

1Ti 5:17  Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

This verse shows that there are to be more than one elder that rules and not all of them necessarily to preach. Not all of the Apostles were considered elders and yet they all were also teachers. A degree may make a good theologian but does not necessarily make a good teacher or preacher. The Holy Spirit does.

AMEN brother, AMEN!!

[linssue55]

I'm sorry I disagree, some are born natural Pastors. Without any schooling from colleges, who teach the Bible, not the doctrine of man.

Some are born with the GIFT of Pastor teacher, yes.....but none are born with KNOWING systematic theology from the originals,...... that must be taught.

[Soldier4Christ]

Some are born with the GIFT of Pastor teacher, yes.....but none are born with KNOWING systematic theology from the originals,...... that must be taught.

And that makes them a theologian not just a pastor. However a pastor does not have to be a theologian.