Forward!

Here we are in the home stretch. We're going to wrap up the last two ministers today, the Pastor and the Teacher. Then we will finish up this series by looking closely at exactly what a vision is, how it works, and where it comes from. Don't go away! There's lots more to come!

The Pastor (Gr: poimen) is often viewed as the head of the local body. However, the NT does not appear to ascribe such a pivotal position to this Minister. The word "Pastor" is merely the Latin form of the Greek word, both of which mean "Shepherd." Vine's goes on to expound on the term, "one who tends herds or flocks (not merely one who feeds them)...Pastors guide as well as feed the flock; cp. Acts 20:28, which, with ver. 17, indicates that this was the service committed to elders (overseers or bishops)...this involves tender care and vigilant superintendence." So, according to this perspective, the service of shepherding was given to someone who was already recognized as a leader in the local body. In modern perspective, however, the position has become a vocation. Licensing and ordination are now the path to Shepherdship with a focus on the church as a business enterprise. We even know the break-even point at which the size of a congregation can generate sufficient revenues to adequately support a full-time Pastor and his family. I do not believe this was the case in Paul's mind when he described this element of the fifth level of involvement. Interestingly enough, I recall a source which indicated that "Goat herders drive their flocks, while sheep herders lead theirs." Believers in Christ are always related to sheep in the NT. Therefore, the vision of the Pastor is for believers who are well fed and well cared for, growing into maturity, bearing lambs and producing wool (a protection against predators as well as a commodity).

The Teacher (Gr: didaskalos), the last (and my favorite) of the fivefold ministry gifts, is what I've been doing in this series. Fortunately, I come to it with a natural gift for research. The NT further distinguishes two different types of teachers: kalodidaskalos, a teacher of what is good (Titus 2:3), and pseudodidaskalos, a false teacher (2 Peter 2:1). The function of a Teacher is to share the truth that they have gleaned from diligent study of God's Word. Unfortunately, it can, like any of the other ministry gifts, be perverted and become simply a source of income. I think Paul may have had this in mind when he warned Timothy about the kind of Teachers who have been wrongfully chosen by those who have "itching ears." (2 Tim. 4:3) Because of grammatical structure in the Greek and its English translation, some have combined the ministry gifts of Pastor and Teacher into one. I think it is commonly accepted that a Pastor should be able to teach, especially within the concept of preaching. However, preaching and teaching have some distinct differences, which we will not digress into here. Suffice it to say, not all Teachers are Shepherds. The Teacher's vision is for believers who are enlightened and well equipped for battle with the tools and weapons forged from the knowledge of the Truth in God's Word.

So this is the fifth level of involvement. We began our study with Spectator, Participator, Contributor, and Motivator, and now have culminated the levels of involvement with the level where vision resides, the Minister. We have also broken down this fifth level into the five-fold ministry of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. Next time, we'll look at vision itself. Y'all come back, now, y'hear?