Pastoral ministry is a unique divine calling bestowed upon Go"d’s elect ministers of His Word and servants of His church. Men called to such a work feel both unworthy (1 Tim. 1:12–17) and unqualified (2 Cor. 3:4–6) for such a precious task. Yet to those set aside for this ministry, the claim of the apostle Paul applies: "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves" (2 Cor. 4:7).
The sinfulness of man and the schemes of the evil one complicate the task of pastoral ministry, but our own ignorance of the basic purposes of the ministry add to the confusion. All too often no awareness exists regarding what the minister is to do in his calling. Such ignorance can lead him to embark on erroneous and dangerous courses.
An understanding of the biblical philosophy of pastoral ministry can serve as a means of helping the minister enter into his vocation properly and in addition can facilitate the proper execution of that vocation. This chapter will deal with two basic tenets: first, the definition and benefits of a basic biblical philosophy of ministry, and second, biblical discussions on the purposes of the church, in the execution of which it is the pastor’s function to lead. Some may wonder why we have a discussion of the purposes of the church in connection with a pastor’s philosophy of ministry. The answer is in the question, how can a pastor minister effectively if he cannot identify, clarify, simplify, and execute the purposes of the church he leads? He will be serving in a fog unless he fully understands the importance of biblical purposes.
A BIBLICAL PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY
Every profession needs a mission statement that answers the questions: "Why am I in this role?" "What am I supposed to be doing?" and, "How am I to accomplish this task?" Like one on a journey, a pastor needs to know where he is going. The formulation of a statement of purpose is another way of referring to a philosophy of ministry. For the pastor, a philosophy of ministry must come from the mandates addressed to Christ’s church.
We need to stress here the importance that every pastor know and own the biblical philosophy of pastoral ministry. No variety in philosophies of ministry exists. There is only one! It comes from the Scriptures and applies to all pastors.
Some today endeavor to have churches adopt a particular purpose, such as "a church for the families," "a church for the poor," etc. These may be proper, but they must be part of a larger context of the overall purpose of the church. As we shall see, the church has a purpose, and every minister is called into service to help accomplish this purpose. We dare not enter His service with our preconceived ideas or our personal agenda or a new theory on church ministry. As God said to Moses, so He says to us: "See … that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain" (Heb. 8:5).
Definition
What then is a philosophy of ministry? As already noted, it is a statement of purpose. It spells out exactly what we are to accomplish in ministry. It identifies the reason for the existence of the church and, thus, the reason for the existence of Christian ministry. The ministry does not exist independent of the church but rather as the means for fulfilling the purpose of the church. Paul reminds Timothy of this when he writes, "I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:14–15). He tells Timothy his role in the purpose of the church.
For this reason, a pastor’s philosophy of ministry becomes a guide for his personal ministry. Once established and understood, it will guide the pastor’s ministry accordingly. It becomes the map to keep him on track, a guide for his course of action—to correct him when blown astray by the hazards of ministry—and an encouragement to his life when the weight of the task burdens and almost overcomes him.
Benefits
Many benefits accrue from having a biblical philosophy of ministry. Five are worthy of emphasis. First, it forces us to be biblical. When we look to the Scriptures themselves for our reasons for ministering, it keeps us on a biblical track. The church drifts from its biblical foundation when its leaders abandon the biblical course. Ministers can apostatize by degrees, hardly noticing the slippage. They need constant reminders of the grave responsibility to keep the church firmly rooted and grounded upon the Word. The biblical writers and founding apostles have made clear the divine instructions as to the church’s pattern, purposes, and practices. Even its power is to be from God. Hence we read of traditions (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6) and practice(s) (1 Cor. 11:16). The earliest churches of God held the same philosophy of ministry (1 Cor. 14:33, 40). Any attempt to abandon that philosophy was a sign of apostasy, either in doctrine or in practice (2 Thess. 3:6; 3 John 9).
A biblical philosophy of ministry includes the means as well as the goals. A shallow and flippant understanding of the divine purposes for the church will lead to pragmatic, carnal, and even sinful approaches to the accomplishment of these ends. The winds of social change, the currents of liberal theology, and the influence of carnal stowaways will surely take the ship off course unless its captain stays faithful to the divine course.
A second advantage to a philosophy of ministry is that it makes practical sense. We must have a definite goal; there must be an aim to what we do. Paul said it best: "Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim" (1 Cor. 9:26). He would not spend his life shadow-boxing (1 Cor. 9:26). Ministerial burn out usually lies at the feet of a lack of direction.
Efficiency is a third reason for a philosophy of ministry. Knowing his course of action will allow the pastor to concentrate his resources on accomplishing those aspects of ministry that are most essential. Too often, issues, programs, and efforts that have little or nothing to do with the church’s overall purpose consume the pastor’s resources as well as the church’s. The temptation to waste its apostolic energies on social issues came to the early church but was averted through the wisdom of church leaders (Acts 6:1–7).
Fourth, the most obvious result of efficiency is effectiveness. He who aims at nothing hits it every time. A clearly delineated battle plan, architectural blueprint, or work detail ensures success. Ministers laboring under the hit-and-miss philosophy will have little to show after a lifetime of faithful service. Even those with meager personal resources and on difficult ground will have something to show for their labors if they toil under the guidance of a divine blueprint. This undoubtedly was the secret to the church’s success in the first century. The church knew what it had to do and went about doing it. In a short while the church had gained a reputation of upsetting the world (Acts 17:6).
The fifth benefit of holding to a biblical philosophy of ministry applies to a minister’s personal call to be faithful (1 Cor. 4:2). We must one day give an account to the Lord for the ministry entrusted to us. How can we stand before Him and plead ignorance and ask for pardon for a blundering ministry? How can we claim a reward when we have not followed the charted course? Faithfulness includes the wise execution of our work. Men do not reward failure, no matter how much effort goes into it. Neither does God. Only those like Paul achieve the prize (Acts 20:24, 27; 1 Cor. 9:24; 2 Tim. 4:7).
Using another framework, Johnson has summarized eight advantages for having a philosophy of ministry.[1] He said that a church that can articulate its philosophical foundations:
can determine the scope of its ministry
can continuously reevaluate its corporate experience in the light of its message
can evaluate its ministry in the light of thoughtful criteria rather than on the basis of a program’s popularity
is more likely to keep its ministry balanced and focused on essentials
can mobilize a greater proportion of its congregation as ministers
can determine the relative merits of a prospective ministry
can be a clear, attractive alternative community to people seeking relief from systematic failure
can choose to cooperate or not cooperate with other churches and parachurch ministries.
THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH
The biblical philosophy of ministry must be rooted in biblical ecclesiology. To understand one’s role as a minister, one needs to understand the role of the church. Getz puts it this way:
Anyone who attempts to formulate a biblical philosophy of the ministry and develop a contemporary strategy, a methodology that stands foursquare on the scriptural foundations, must ask and answer a very fundamental question. Why does the church exist? Put in another way, what is its ultimate purpose? Why has God left it in the world in the first place?[2]
Upon discovering the answers to these questions, the minister can then answer the question, "What is my purpose in the overall purpose of the church?"
Prior to His death, our Lord predicted the establishment of His church, which would be victorious over all foes (Matt. 16:18) and would consist of all believers becoming His body (Eph. 1:22–23). The church replaces Israel as God’s people in the present dispensation and becomes a community of believers, redeemed by Christ’s precious blood, with a threefold function. The church is a worshiping community, a witnessing community, and a working community. In other words, the church is to exalt the Lord, it is to evangelize the world, and it is to edify its members. Everything the New Testament commands the church to do falls under these headings. Only an understanding of these functions can enable an individual believer to fill his or her role in the body of Christ. Only as the minister comprehends the mission of Christ’s church can he properly serve his Lord and execute the pastoral ministry. We shall examine these three purposes in further detail.
A Worshiping Community
The ultimate purpose of mankind is to worship God and to enjoy His creation. The greatest commandment is to love God with your total being and then to love your neighbor as you love yourself (Matt. 22:36–40). The church’s foremost calling is to exalt the Lord, to magnify His character, and to glorify Him before all creation. Saucy states, "Worship is central in the existence of the church. The words of the apostle Paul that God has chosen and predestined sons unto Himself in Christ ‘to the praise of the glory of His grace’ (Eph. 1:4–6) suggests that the ultimate purpose of the church is the worship of the one who called it into being."[3]
Hence we understand the words of Peter as identifying the express purpose of Christ’s church to be the exaltation of God through word and deed:
You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession; that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:4, 9).
The church is a redeemed community of sinners set apart to worship God in Christ. The minister is himself a worshiper of God. He must worship and then assist the community in the worship.
What is worship? "Worship is the honor and adoration directed to God," says MacArthur.[4] Martin says, "Worship is the dramatic celebration of God in His supreme worth in such a manner that his ‘worthiness’ becomes the norm and inspiration of human living."[5] Hence, "to worship God is thus to ascribe Him the supreme worth to which He alone is worthy." We are worshiping God when we give ourselves "completely to God in the actions and attitudes of life."[6]
The New Testament minister must see the clear distinction between worship patterns of Israel and those of the church. A dramatic change transpires between the delineated pattern of worship in Israel and that in the new order in which God is worshiped "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). The church has no prescribed format, no temple or holy place, no sacrificial system, and no priesthood. Any attempt to institute any of these old features into the church faces the danger of trying to turn the church back into Israel.
The church is spiritually a temple in that it is the habitation of God and is called a "spiritual house" (1 Cor. 3:16; 1 Pet. 2:5). The church does not contain a priesthood but rather is a priesthood, which in turn offers up spiritual sacrifices to God (Rom. 12:1–2; 1 Pet. 2:5; Rev. 1:6). The New Testament writers, though employing similar terminology in describing the worshiping function of the church, were careful not to impose upon the church the "old wine" that was intended for the "old wine skins."
The absence of a prescribed order introduces some unique and particular ways in which the church offers worship to God. These spiritual sacrifices become the Christian’s ministry to the Lord. The New Testament speaks of these sacrifices, often employing sacrificial terminology, but with an obvious distinction from the Old Testament system implied. The Christian is to be involved in the ministry of the gospel (Acts 6:5; Rom. 15:16; 2 Tim. 4:6), the ministry of holy living (Rom. 12:1–2; 1 Pet. 1:12–16), the ministry of prayer (Acts 6:6; 13:2–3; 1 Tim. 5:5; Rev. 4:8, 10–11), the ministry of serving others (Rom. 12:1–8; Phil. 2:17, 30; Heb. 13:16), the ministry of gratitude (Eph. 5:19–20; Col. 3:16–17; Heb. 12:28; 13:15), and the ministry of giving (Rom. 15:27; 2 Cor. 9:12; Phil. 2:4.; 4:18; Heb. 13:16).
A casual glance at these aspects of New Testament worship reinforces what has been true since the beginning of time—that all of life is to be an act of worship. Moule offers this distinct summary: "All Christian life is worship, ‘liturgy’ means service, all believers share Christ’s priesthood, and the whole Christian church is the house of God (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:22)."[7]
The New Testament presents but a sketchy picture of any particular type of the actual corporate worship experience in the early church. Here and there, we have a brief glimpse at the meetings of New Testament believers. We know they were "continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). They came together for seasons of prayer (Acts 4:31; 12:5). The best glimpse of a church service is in Paul’s correction of the Corinthian catastrophe over the use of tongues (1 Cor. 12–14). Believers obviously met to exalt God both in prayers and prophecies, as well as in singing (see 1 Cor. 14:26). The intent of all was the worship of God (14:16, 25) and with the purpose that all be edified (14:26).
The function of the pastor is to lead the church in the attainment of this grand design, the worship of God. Obviously, the minister himself must be a true worshiper of God. He must practice in a personal and authentic way the worship of God. Then he must assist the congregation in the worship of God by helping them to understand the New Testament aspects of worship for the believer and to lead in the corporate worship of God during the various gatherings of the Christian community. He must teach the church to worship, lead them in worship, and join them in worship.
A Witnessing Community
It is not unusual to view the second and third grand purposes of the church as extensions of the first. Witnessing and ministering to one another are in a sense individual acts of worship. Hence two more ways to worship God are to win lost people and to help God’s people. At times "only a few things are necessary, really only one" (Luke 10:42), the simple worship of God! Yet we have chosen for the sake of simplicity and development to keep the next two purposes distinct from the first.
The second grand purpose of the church is to evangelize a lost world. The church is to be a community witnessing to the saving grace of Christ. The Gospels are unanimous regarding the Great Commission given to the church by Christ (Matt. 28:18–20; Mark 16:15–16; Luke 24:46–47; John 17:18). The book of Acts not only concurs with this commission (1:8) but records the church’s obedience to the Great Commission, from Jerusalem to the remotest part of the earth.
Evangelism is not an option to be accepted or rejected by the church. Outreach is a command. Evangelism is not limited to the gifted or to the church leadership. It is the mission of the entire church. To the truly faithful, evangelism is not merely a command but a compulsion (Acts 5:42; Rom. 1:14–17; 1 Cor. 9:16–18). Evangelism is the heart and soul of the New Testament church. The mandate is clear "that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47–48).
Carrying out this purpose follows two approaches in Acts. The first is contact with the lost in the immediate surroundings, whether it be the person next to us (Acts 2), the house next door (Acts 5:42), the next town (Acts 8:5), or people of a different ethnic makeup (Acts 10). The early church did not understand the Great Commission as a mandate to do specialty evangelism. There was but one church composed of all peoples (see Rev. 7:9).
The second approach was to reach out to those in the regions beyond (cf. Rom. 15:18–29), which involved commissioning special men with the mission of taking the gospel to the remotest parts of the earth (Acts 13:1–3). The church was not negligent in obeying the Lord’s command, either in soul winning or in planting churches in other communities.
The purpose of the church has not changed today. The Great Commission still stands. Modern technology has not annulled it. Pressing social needs have not abrogated it. Spiritual problems in the church have not surpassed its importance. Neither Christ nor Paul would stay longer than necessary in one particular place. They moved on so that others might hear the gospel.
In our biblical approach to pastoral ministry, the pastor must see his role in leading the congregation in fulfilling the Great Commission. The minister is by Christ’s design himself a missionary. His church is to be a missionary church to those across the street or around the world. He is to be a world-class leader. He must have a vision beyond the pews in his facility. He should lead the way in praying for new fields, praying for God to thrust out laborers (Matt. 9:37–38), praying over the selection of missionaries (Acts 13:1–3), and supporting missionaries and the evangelistic enterprise. If he is a faithful minister, he can do no less and he dare not do otherwise.
A Working Community
The third purpose of the church is to build itself up through the interworking of various members of the Body of Christ. The function of the Christian is to edify or spiritually build up fellow members in the Body of Christ. Getz states, "The church is to become a mature organization through the process of edification so that it will honor and glorify God."[8]
The New Testament contains a number of references to this vital but neglected purpose of the church (Matt. 28:18–20; Acts 20:17–35; Rom. 12:1–8; 1 Cor. 12–14; Eph. 4:7–16; Col. 1:24–29; 1 Pet. 4:10–11). A summary of these texts is that God expects the church, which is a living organism, to grow spiritually in Christlikeness and that God has given every believer a unique spiritual gift that is intended not for self-growth but to enhance the spiritual development of fellow Christians. The role of the pastor, himself gifted for his task, is to help believers discover and utilize their gifts for the growth of the Body of Christ. A mature church can thus remain united, firm in its devotion to Christ, functioning according to the purpose of God, and able to stand against the attacks of Satan.
Paul understood his pastoral ministry well, as he states in Col. 1:28–29: "And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works with me." This passage serves well in pointing out the express purpose of a Christian minister. Consider these observations from this text:
The purpose—"That we may present every man complete in Christ." Paul makes clear that the purpose of every pastor is not to fill the auditorium with people, nor is it to preach wonderful sermons or entertain a congregation or collect a salary. The minister’s task is to help every believer become Christlike, to prepare every child of God for meeting the Lord and Savior on that great day (see 1:22). "A glorious aim," states Eadie, "… the noblest that can stimulate enthusiasm, or sustain perseverance in suffering or toil."[9]
The plan—"We proclaim Him, admonishing every man, … teaching … with all wisdom" (1:28). Paul’s plan was simple, direct, complete, and effective. Paul preached Christ and Christ alone! (See 1 Cor. 1:23; 2:2.) His goal was to present Christ to every man, exhorting men to repent from their sins and to understand the totality of what a believer has in Christ. Paul felt "the necessity of employing the highest skill and precedence in discharging the duties of his office."[10] By warning and teaching Paul sought to bring about this maturity.[11]
The pain—"For this purpose also I labor, striving …" (1:29). Paul’s purpose was all-consuming, taxing. As an athlete, he strove for a perfect mission.[12] "It was no light work, no pastime; it made a de-mand upon every faculty and every moment," explains Eadie.[13] The work of winning and discipling believers is not easy, nor is it for the fainthearted. The motivation must be the all-consuming goal of presenting mature believers to Christ (see. Eph. 5:26–27).
The power—"According to His power, which mightily works …" (1:29). No minister is adequate for such a task. There must be absolute dependence upon the strength that only Christ can and will supply to those whom He calls and who humbly depend upon His strength, grace, and effective power. Paul elsewhere states that "our adequacy is from God" (2 Cor. 3:5).
Thus we see that Paul saw his role as a minister of the Word to bring about the maturity of every person. His was not an exclusive gospel, but an all-encompassing message.
Another text to consider in discussing the purpose of the church as a working community is Eph. 4:11–16. This passage is important not only in understanding the purpose of the church, but also because it is one of the few places that explicitly tells the role of the pastor in relation to that purpose.
Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians is the epistle on ecclesiology. Chapter 4 treats the relationship believers should have with one another, namely harmonious loving unity. A means of promoting unity in the church is the gracious giving and exercise of these gifts. Paul proceeds in verses 7–16 to expound on this truth. Four observations are apropos.
The distribution of gifts (vv. 7–11). Paul first speaks of the divine distribution of gifts whereby each member of Christ’s church receives a spiritual gift. The gifts vary in nature and effect but have one goal: the benefit or the common good, that is, the building up of one another (see 1 Cor. 12:1–11; Rom. 12:3–8). The distribution of these gifts to the church in general (v. 7) also includes gifts to a particular group of people who fill the offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers (or pastor-teacher).[14] The intent of the apostle Paul is to highlight the specific nature of these gifts so as to indicate the part they play among the rest of the gifted brethren.
The destination of the gifts. Paul states that the purpose of the gifted men is "the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (v. 12). The plain order of the phrases and the arrangement of the prepositions yield the simple sense "for the perfecting of the saints unto all that variety of service which is essential unto the edification of the church."[15] The role of the pastor-teacher is to mature the saints, to mend them, to instruct them in the Word of God. These matured saints are then duly qualified and fit to perform the work of ministry, to exercise their spiritual gifts to serve one another. The purpose of the work of the minister to the saints is that the body of Christ be built up. Eadie states, "The spiritual advancement of the church is the ultimate design of the Christian pastorate."[16]
God did not design the pastor to be the church’s errand boy. Nor is the pastor the only one gifted to do the ministry. In fact, he does not possess all the gifts necessary for the proper and complete building up of the body. His gifts are equipping gifts, whereas the other members of the body have the useful gifts for a well-rounded ministry to the whole body. It is foolish for a church to expect its pastor to do all the ministry, as it is equally foolish for a minister to see himself as the only one capable of serving the saints. His job is to equip. Theirs is to minister to one another. The end result is an edified church.
The description of edification. Paul goes on to explain what building up the body means by giving three parallel descriptions (v. 13). The goal of the church is to be united in the faith and in the full knowledge of the Lord Jesus. A partial comprehension of Christ obviously breeds disunity as history so well testifies. The church is to grow in stature, to move from infancy to manhood, from childhood to maturity. Finally, it is to fill up the measure of Christ’s fullness, to be all that Christ is and that Christ expects the church to be.
No doubt, this is a big order for the pastor. No one can expect to accomplish this goal fully this side of heaven. Yet we are to strive to bring Christ’s church to maturity. Hendriksen comforts the minister with this thought: "Marvelous growth in maturity, nevertheless, is certainly obtainable through human effort springing forth from, and sustained from start to finish by, the Holy Spirit."[17]
The designs of edification. Paul shows what will be the ultimate result of a mature church (vv. 14–16). It will no longer be a church resembling an easily deceived child with an unstable personality. The church will not be carried about by differing doctrines and glaring error. Nor will it be susceptible to the tricks of Satan, but because of its full knowledge of Christ, it will detect, deter, and defend itself against the wiles of the devil.
While upholding the truth in love, the church will grow into all the aspects of Christ. It will become like Christ, or as Hodge states, "We are to grow so as to be conformed to him.… We are to be conformed to our head—because he is our head, i.e. because of the intimate union between him and us."[18]
Christ is really the ultimate source of all power and energy for the accomplishment of the growth of the body (see 4:16). The ultimate goal is a loving community united by the strongest bond of all—God’s divine love.
The pastor, then, has the special duty of equipping the members of his congregation so that they will discover and utilize their respective gifts for the spiritual maturity of one another. Some use the analogy of a coach and his team. The coach teaches the team the fundamentals of the game, and the team plays the game. The church is designed to be a working community where each individual member is faithfully serving the Lord by ministering to the rest.
The apostle Peter concurs with Paul and exhorts the pilgrims in his Epistle:
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Pet. 4:10–11).
The New Testament picture of a shepherd and his sheep provides an excellent model for the church and its leadership. Just as the shepherd leads, feeds, equips, encourages, protects, and multiplies the flock, so the pastor is to view his role with his flock. The parallels are marvelous and illustrative. In modern terms, the church’s leaders must provide direction to Christians by pointing them toward the truth. The leader is to teach the congregation the whole counsel of God as it is revealed in Scripture by a faithful exposition of the whole Bible (see Acts 20:27; 2 Tim. 4:1–5). The pastor must see to it that every member of his flock is growing in Christlikeness by providing the necessary means for the fulfillment of this goal. He is to encourage the sheep as the flock moves through a harsh environment. Because of many dangers from the world, the flesh, and the devil, the minister must protect the flock (Acts 20:28). His watchfulness for wolves and snares ensures a safe and maturing flock. The obvious goal of the pastor is that the church grows both in numbers and in Christlikeness. He will not be content with a few sheep or with a flock so decimated by sin and Satan that they resemble "sheep without a shepherd" (Matt. 9:36).
The pastor plays a vital role in the establishment of a working community. Although the church is an organism, God sees to it that the church has direction and protection by providing a godly leadership for Christ’s body. The minister’s task is obviously never done, but he can see his flock progressing in maturity as it functions together, ministering to the needs of one another.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Having proposed a definition and suggested some benefits for a biblical philosophy of pastoral ministry, and having summarized the basic purpose of the church, we can now offer a general statement of the biblical purpose of Christian leadership: The role of the pastoral leadership, composed of a select group of men from the church of redeemed believers, is to provide guidance, care, and oversight for the church so that it fulfills its Christ-ordained mandate of evangelizing the entire world, growing into the likeness of Christ, and existing for the exaltation and worship of God.
The question remains as to how this biblical philosophy fleshes out in the practical ministry of the local church. What programs or practices should the pastor implement in his church to bring about the fulfillment of the church’s purpose? Again, the New Testament is silent on rigidly specifying regulations, rituals, and practices that are to be the pattern for every congregation. The early churches were not clones of one another. Rather than precise patterns, the Lord gave the purpose of the church and the basic means by which the purpose was to be accomplished. We should look for principles rather than patterns. In some instances the apostles are specific (see 1 Cor. 14.); in most cases, they present the ministry of the church in generalities, thus leaving room for each church to adapt its ministry in its own culture and context.
Though the New Testament does not furnish specific programs to implement, it is not lacking in illustrations of how the early church functioned so as to accomplish its goal. Some concepts and practices are quite adaptable and furnish a bare minimum by way of New Testament examples of what should be taking place in every local assembly. The Scriptures indicate seven ministries for accomplishing the three basic purposes of the church: exaltation, evangelism, and edification.
The Ministry of the Word
Acts 2:41–42 provides the first hint of the practice of the early disciples: "So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
Entrance into the church came through repentance and baptism accompanied by the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). The newly formed church then devoted itself to a number of activities that resulted in numerical and spiritual growth (see 2:47; 4:32–35). First on the list of practices was continuance in the apostles’ teaching. The Christians learned the Word of God or doctrine of the apostles, and they not only heard it but put the Word into practice. The preaching and teaching of the Word was central to the ministry of the apostles. The Word is the primary means of bringing a Christian to maturity (2 Tim. 3:16–17; cf. Ps. 19:7–11) and must not be neglected (Acts 6:2).
The pastor, then, is responsible for the teaching of the Word of God to the local church. Whether this is done through a preaching service, a Sunday school class, a discipleship group, cell groups, or home Bible studies does not matter ultimately. What is important, however, is that the Word of God be taught. If the Word of God is taught, the church will grow in faith and love (Rom. 10:17). Yet to introduce innovative programs for the sake of change and excitement without actually concentrating on teaching the Word of God is to change dinner plates without concern for the actual food that is served on those plates. The church leader must see to it that God’s people continually devote themselves to the study and practice of the Word of God.
The Ministry of Fellowship
Luke mentions a second practice of the church. They devoted themselves to the fellowship—to the oneness and the commonality of the body of Christ. Rackham states,
This fellowship was begun by our Lord, when he called the apostles to leave all and follow Him. So they formed a fellowship, living a common life and sharing a common purse. When the Lord was taken up, the common life continued: and the most characteristic words in the early chapters of the Acts are all, with one accord, together.[19]
The job of the leadership is to incorporate new believers into the local body of Christ by visible acceptance into the membership of the church, to develop the use of their spiritual gifts, to place them in a useful spiritual function in the church, and to care for their spiritual welfare (see Acts 2:44–45; 4:32–37; 6:1). The focus of the Christian community is a continual devotion to caring for one another. "Christians," adds Getz, "cannot grow effectively in isolation! They need to experience each other."[20]
Leaders need to get Christians involved with one another. They should create meetings, occasions, ministry opportunities, and structures and funnel social patterns so that Christians are involved with one another. The church is not to be a theater, a lecture hall, or a spectator event. Rather, it is to be a community, a body, a mutual sharing of lives (see 1 Cor. 12:14–27). MacArthur gives these insights into fellowship:
Fellowship involves being together, loving each other, and communing together. Fellowship includes listening to someone who has a concern, praying with someone who has a need, visiting someone in the hospital, sitting in a class or a Bible study, even singing a hymn with someone you’ve never met. Fellowship also involves sharing prayer requests.[21]
There are no gimmicks to fellowship, nor can it be artificially maintained. Either Christians care for one another or they do not. They have a sense of belonging or they do not. True maturity in Christlikeness does not develop adequately in assemblies filled with anonymous, noncommitted spectators. Pastors must strive for the opposite and look for ways to make it happen.
The Ministry of the Lord’s Supper[22]
The early church participated regularly in "the breaking of bread," which may be taken in the general sense of eating meals together or in the specific sense of partaking of the Lord’s Supper. We take it as the latter, although there is evidence that the Lord’s Supper as practiced by the early church was accompanied by a common meal (see 1 Cor. 11:17–34).[23]
The Lord’s Supper, like the ordinance of baptism, is no trivial practice, but is one that lies at the heart of the Christian message (1 Cor. 11:23–26). The symbolism, solemnity with celebration, and the sanctity required by all participants makes it one of the most inspirational and worshipful services of the Christian community. Lindsay, speaking of the early church and its practice of observing the Lord’s Supper, recalls its importance as an act of worship: "And the Holy Supper, the very apex and crown of all Christian public worship, where Christ gives Himself to His people, and where His people dedicate themselves to Him in body, soul and spirit, was always a sacrifice as prayers, praising and alms-giving were."[24]
If the church’s worship service never or seldom includes the Lord’s Supper, it falls short of the intentions of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:23) and the practices of the early church (Acts 2:42). Great spiritual benefit comes to the church when the Lord’s Supper is properly observed and is not trivialized as an appendix to a sermon or musical celebration. Pastors must teach and encourage the congregation to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in a way that will be meaningful, uplifting, and edifying to the soul.
The Ministry of Prayer
We observe in Acts 2:42 that the church was devoted not just to prayer, but to "the prayers."[25] The expression probably refers "to their own appointed seasons for united prayer within the new community."[26] Rackham says that "the expression the Prayers almost implies that there were regular hours of prayer, corresponding to the Jewish synagogue prayers, but we have no information on the subject."[27] Prayer was an important part of the church’s life (Acts 1:14; 3:1; 4:23–31; 6:4; 10:9; 12:5, etc.). The church prayed for its leaders (6:6), its missionaries (13:3), its sick (James 5:14–18), governing authorities (1 Tim. 2:1–2), and just about anything one could think of (Phil. 4:5–7).
Prayer moves God; prayer changes things. Effective prayer accomplishes much. A praying church will be a victorious, growing, maturing community. The wonder of today’s church is that so much goes on with so little praying. The answer to many of the church’s problems is not more seminars, programs, and promotional gimmicks but more intercession on the part of God’s people, both as a group and in the closet.
The Ministry of Outreach
Another aspect of the ministry that needs incorporation into the life of the church is educating, involving, and motivating the church to reach out to the lost community around them. Early believers were concerned for the unsaved and made it a lifestyle to testify about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Luke makes this observation about the church’s leadership: "And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ" (Acts 5:42). The record of the Acts of the Apostles is a description of the spread of the gospel as Christ had commanded.
Evangelism is expected of the believer, and especially of the local church. The church today commits two grave errors when it comes to evangelism. The first is the notion that the pastor’s role is to teach the people and then the church will naturally go about the business of evangelism. The other fallacy is that evangelism is the task of the pastor or church leadership. They are the "hired ones," paid to do evangelism. More recently, some have suggested that evangelism is a gift held by some who in turn are to do the work of evangelism for the church.
We contend that evangelism is both caught and taught. Pastors must practice personal soul winning as well as teach evangelism to their congregations. A church that does not know how to reproduce and does not reproduce is in reality an immature congregation, regardless of its intellectual comprehension of Scripture or the sophistication of its corporate programs. (The matter of outreach is addressed in more detail in chapter 18, "Outreaching.")
The Ministry of Missions
The obvious result of attempting to fulfill the Great Commission will be the incorporation of a missions program into the local church. Faithfulness to the Lord’s command to disciple all the nations will include a directed effort, regardless of the magnitude, at reaching the regions beyond the local church’s immediate locality. The local church will have a missions program where they participate in selecting, sending, supporting, and interceding for special Christians who are sent out from them to reach the lost in other places.
The pastor will lead the way in establishing and maintaining the missions program. It is not a task to leave to the women’s missionary society or the missions committee. Missions is world-class work and needs top-level guidance and support. The early church considered missions a matter of extreme importance (Acts 13:1–3; 14:27; 15:36–40). It was not a secondary or minor program. Every church, large or small, should have its own involvement in the great missionary enterprise of the body of Christ.
The Ministry of Interchurch Fellowship
New Testament churches were autonomous congregations under the supervision of their own eldership or leadership. They shared in similar traditions and practices, while being distinct congregations. Yet there was a great amount of interdependence. They shared in discipleship efforts (Acts 11:26), in common relief efforts (Acts 11:27–30), and in general ecclesiastical decisions (Acts 15:1–31; 16:4). They maintained an active relationship with one another so that each church saw itself as a part of the whole.
The same needs to be true today; churches should belong to a larger group of churches for mutual support and cooperative efforts. This may be done by belonging to a denomination, an association of churches, or a fellowship of like-minded ministries. The result will be the same.
The pastor should be careful not to become the proverbial lone ranger, isolating himself and his congregation from the rest of the body of Christ. This will result in his own loss and the diminished ministry of his congregation. The minister must lead the church in these cooperative efforts and implement the programs that will sustain and invigorate these fellowships.
As one can see, there is no end to specific ways that the pastor can flesh out the purposes of the biblical church in his particular congregation. Yet he must make sure that he begins with the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit in His sovereign wisdom gave biblical principles that can be applied during all ages to all cultures. The rest is up to Christian ministers.
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