Personal from
Joseph Tkach
Personal from
Joseph TkachIn the July WN we discussed the importance of the ministry of the word--the need for our pastors to study diligently, teach and preach with a biblical foundation.
This month, let's follow up with further evidence from the pastoral epistles, and with thoughts about how we may apply this in the WCG.
Paul had preached the gospel, raised up churches and corrected doctrinal errors. He had trained assistants by having them accompany him on his travels. When the end of his life neared, he gave instructions to the next generation of church leaders.
In these letters to Timothy and Titus, he also tells us an important responsibility that church pastors have:
* "Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching" (1 Timothy 4:13).
* "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (verse 16).
* "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:2-3).
* "You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1).
Clearly, doctrine is important in the church. We need solid teaching, based on accurate study of Scripture. We do not need anyone's pet theories, but teaching that has been tested against the ideas of other faithful Christians. Solid teaching doesn't necessarily make us feel good. Solid teaching sometimes challenges our comfort zones.
As we know, our understanding of Scripture wasn't always right. That is why in-service education for our pastors is so important for our future.
We are using materials produced by well-respected evangelical seminaries. This informs our teaching.
We do not agree with the textbooks and classes on every point, but we are covering the major bases. It is only through study that we can avoid factual mistakes such as saying that Constantine changed the Sabbath to Sunday, or that he was the main supporter of Trinitarian theology.
We don't want to preach errors, and the only way we can stop doing so is by learning--and pastors, like all teachers, have to learn much more than they teach. Pastors have to study a subject for many hours before they can preach one sermon.
They have to ensure that they are speaking from a solid foundation, not one constructed of generalities, personal experience and opinion, what we "have always believed," supported by a few verses taken out of context.
Scripture is the standard of truth. That is why we must strengthen our foundation in Scripture.
We emphasize the value of expository sermons, sermons that stick to one passage of Scripture. Such sermons help ensure that we are doing justice to the context of the verses. They also provide a model members can use in their study of Scripture--to take a passage and study it in depth.
Now some thoughts about the future of the WCG.
Why are we here? Why has God brought us on the journey he has? Where are we now in the body of Christ? What role can we play? What is our niche in the Christian community?
None of us has the complete answer, but I would like to share a thought. On one hand, I see that one of our strengths as a denomination has been a high regard for Scripture, and we have a biblically literate membership.
We have been forced to study doctrines in depth. We went back to the book time and again to see whether these things were so. We wanted to prove all things.
I don't have statistics, but I am confident that WCG members, on the whole, know a lot more of the Bible (especially the Old Testament) than the average American Christian does.
On the other hand, I see that many evangelical Christians are lacking in biblical knowledge--even according to the estimates of evangelical leaders.
Many Christians come to a knowledge of Christ and accept him--and that is good, so far as it goes--but many do not grow much in grace and knowledge. Doctrine is important--and the Christian world's lack of biblical knowledge is a serious need.
So a need in the Christian world is a strength that our church has. This is an area in which we can help the Christian community--indeed, we are already providing an educational service in our publications and resources.
As time goes on, perhaps we will find additional ways to contribute in a meaningful way to the work of God's kingdom. This might be in formats we are used to, such as booklets and Bible study courses, or it might be in other formats, such as audiocassette tapes or computerized lessons. It remains to be seen.
But no matter how we might eventually serve the Christian community and the unsaved world, we already have the responsibility to teach our own members, to preach the gospel, to invite people to accept their Savior and to worship him with joy.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1998