Omitting the context of spiritual gifts and the gifted men chosen by the Spirit to perfect the saints and equip them for service, we must not seek to push such men on saints today who do not have the gifts of the Spirit as they did in that age.

Ironically, all churches apply only those elements that fit their own prescription and agenda of work.  For example, the evangelists were fellow laborers or traveling companions with Paul who, being taught by the apostle, committed that teaching to other faithful men who would teach, also (2 Tim. 2:2).  These faithful men were responsible to teach what they had been taught by Timothy, who had been taught by Paul, both of whom were inspired by the Holy Spirit.   Remember, Timothy had a gift given to him by the laying on of hands and was told not to neglect that gift. Today, we cannot duplicate that, nor do we need to establish that same arrangement because (1) we do not have inspired and gifted saints who have direct revelation from the Holy Spirit, and (2)  we have the inspired written word that faithful men may read, and teach others what they have come to understand.  We are not dependent on some apostle to lay hands on us to receive some gift so we may all be edified.  That was an age of infancy and division that required the unified working of all the body parts to the building up of itself in love.  Today, the diligence required to be approved by God is required of all disciples of Christ.  Though Timothy taught, the hope was that true disciples (“faithful men”), whom he had taught, would teach others, also (2 Tim. 2:2; cf. 1 Tim.1:3).   Granted, not everyone is “faithful,” but what disciple would admit to not being faithful.  This verse is not describing the extraordinary Bible student in today’s churches who desire to be a preacher.   Timothy is describing those who are responsive to his teaching by internalizing those principles of truth in their heart and conduct (cf., “faithful children”, Titus 1:6).  Such “faithful men” are described as “teaching others, also.”  No Christian is exempt from sharing the Word of God as neither a nominal Christian nor a pew warmer is found in the Scriptures.   No doubt, some of those teachers were the shepherds who were appointed to shepherd souls among them (cf. 1 Tim. 3:2; 2 Tim. 2:24; Tit. 1:9).

Another example from the work of the evangelists that is not applied today because it doesn’t fit the institutional church model is their role in the selection of the shepherds.  Paul’s instruction to Titus and Timothy makes it clear that they were to appoint elders just as Paul and Barnabas had done when returning from their first trip.   Unless an apostle had laid hands on these would-be shepherds, all they had was the oral teaching of Timothy and others who had been taught by an apostle of Jesus Christ.  Of course, it does not necessarily preclude that Paul or another apostle had not previously imparted some spiritual gift to them prior to Timothy or Titus being sent there.   This would certainly have made the evangelist’s work much easier and given the time of the writing of these two evangelists, we would expect gifts to have already been given.   Even so, based on the phrase “setting in order what is lacking”, if you have spiritual gifts, the likelihood of orderliness when exchanging information among men with spiritual gifts would have been similar to Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 12-14.   The evangelists, pastors, and teachers were just as skilled in teaching as were the apostles and prophets because they had guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Now, we have the advantage of the Word of fulfilled prophecy and are responsible to crave for that word of truth and teach it to others.  Preachers do not fulfill that responsibility for you by your invitation to attend a church service.  Your responsibility is not fulfilled by contributing to your church sponsoring a  mission work or hiring a preacher.  There is nothing remotely akin to either practice in the New Testament.

About

I have been a fervent student of the Bible all of my life
Experience: Preacher for 30 years and father of three sons
Education: Florida College and Missouri State University

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