So many people dislike lengthy pastoral ministries. If they are a Church, they want a change every 3 years. If they are an individual they want a change as soon as they feel the pastor has upset them. Personally, I believe in a long term ministry because it takes time to get to know a congregation as it takes time to get to know a pastor. There are some, who under the good hand of God, were privileged to pastor the same Church for 50 and 60 years. Naturally, during the period of so many years, the face of a congregation chances two to three times, but some remain for the full length of such a ministry. I personally pastored a Church for 29 years and even then I could not get through every Book of the Bible. Some folk graciously walked with me throughout that length of time. Jesus says:
Mt 28:20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
Paul informs us of what he did:
Ac 20:27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
In both passages we are reminded that a pastor needs to teach every doctrine and practice found in Scripture to His people. To do this, a long term ministry is required. Sadly short term ministries seldom produce robust, healthy disciples who are able to disciple others. Please read:
Ac 18:11 So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. 12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.” 14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16 So he had them ejected from the court. 17 Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.
1) A longer term ministry for the Lord.
Ac 18:11 So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
In our terms a year and a half does not seem like a long time, but in Paul’s day it was quite long. Notice what he did during this period … teaching them the word of God.
(1) The word “teaching” means to expound, explain or instill doctrine. It is instructing people in doctrine.
(2) The phrase “word of God” is used in many ways in the Bible. As examples it could be used in the context of “counsel, commands, all the Old Testament or doctrine’. Here it is used in this last sense with specific focus on the doctrine of salvation through Jesus Christ and His Kingdom, the Kingdom of God. Paul spent these 18 months unpacking the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of salvation through Christ and the doctrine of the Kingdom of God. His persuasion is that new believers need to understand who Jesus Christ is. He is not just Savior! He is God who became the Godman. So deity, virgin birth and sinlessness would have been taught. The doctrine of salvation would cover man’s lost estate, total depravity and inability to make themselves right with God who is angry with sin. Doctrines like faith, election, substitution, sacrifice, atonement, appeasement, justification, sanctification and adoption would be covered. When it came to the Doctrine of the Kingdom of God, it would cover continual sanctification, security of the soul, Church, gifts, ministry, the scriptures and prayer, Jesus’ second coming, punishment and heaven. Naturally in 18 months he could not cover everything … and on top of this, as we see in his letters to the Corinthians, they lacking understanding many Gospel requirements such as leadership, marriage and singleness, sex, the Lord’s Table, death, life after death, gifts, Jesus’ second coming, etc. On top of this, some in the Church never grasped vital Gospel Doctrines. This was not because Paul was a bad teacher … look at his letters … he was a great teacher. Rather it related to the spiritual lethargy of some who were converted and some who thought they were converted. There are two matters here of great concern.
(a) The first is that those who are clergy, pastor teachers (teaching elders) need to dedicate their ministry to studying the Word to teach it and to pray. Far too often pastors are burdened with things they ought not to do. These things sap their time, energy and emotions and at the same time prevent spiritual growth. Where congregants need to pray for the pastor teacher, they need to make certain their pastor is given the time to fulfil his calling God placed upon him and not the calling people require of him.
(b) The second is spiritual shallowness in the pews. This shallowness also relates to spiritual lethargy. Where the pastor might be responsible for not teaching the Bible properly, the congregants are normally the ones who abuse the privilege of Church, Bible Study, Prayer Meetings, Personal Devotions and Prayer as well as Family Devotions and reading good Christian books on missions, biographies, autobiographies, doctrine, etc. Do you perhaps need to lovingly and carefully help your pastor (church council or session) reflect upon how he uses his time and what the true condition of the congregation is like? At times I followed a teaching schedule to work through the Bible and doctrines. These were times of better spiritual growth in the body and myself.
2) Another attack on the Gospel of the Lord.
Ac 18:12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
This onslaught seems to be towards the end of the 18 months. By this time many more Jews would have been saved as well as their converts and many pagans. When a religious community loses numbers it is a huge matter because, to those who leave and the leaders the message is … there is a better attraction. If this is not stopped we will lose more and have to close down.
(i) Gallio was the son of Seneca. His brother was the younger Senaca, a Stoic philosopher. His birth name was Marcus Annaeus Novatus but was adopted and went by the name Gallio.
(ii) He served a praetorship (magistrate) in Rome before becoming proconsul of Achaia. This was a higher rank than praetorship and normally lasted for one year. His service ended due to suffering with phthisis (Tuberculosis). It seems he was a good man and a servant of Rome. But like many in the Roman Empire (as with those in politics today) he suffered unjust accusations and was forced to commit suicide.
We shall see how he deals with Paul tomorrow. Perhaps our take away today needs to be that of pastoral ministry. There needs to be a teaching ministry if we are to expect Christians to be healthy, stable, maturing and serving people in God’s Kingdom.
Our Father, thank You for the office of pastor teacher. Many are under extreme pressure to neglect their responsibilities of Word and Prayer. Lord, stand by them and see them through their trials by giving them men and women who love You and Your Word, for Jesus sake and cause. Amen.