Tag Archives: Service

Ministry in the Local Church

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The scriptural teaching concerning the mission of the body of Christ is most clearly given in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in chapter 4. Mention has been made of this text often. Ephesians 4:11–12 reads: “And he [i.e., Christ] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” A direct rendering of the Greek of 4:12 reads: “For the equipping of the saints for the work of service-ministry for the building up of the body of Christ.”

The Value of a Seminary Education

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Is seminary education valuable for those entering ministry? Two verses in the epistle of Paul to the Colossians concisely describe what ministry is all about: the Word, people, and a goal. Ministry involves a capacity to work with all types of people, an ability to communicate God’s Word, and a determination to labor to the point of exhaustion. An analysis of these verses teaches us that ministry demands certain qualifications, and an application of this learned truth reminds us that meeting these qualifications requires training.

Ministering in the Spirit

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Romans 8:4 “…who walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 3:3 “…are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” 2 Corinthians 10:3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.” Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” The New Testament etches a mark between the old nature and the new, between the flesh and the spirit (John 3:5,6).

Helping Your Local Church to Prosper

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Often when church growth issues are discussed, they are looked at from the perspective of the pastor. The responsibility for a church’s prosperity, however, rests with each church member as well, and we want to look at ways that all of us can be of help to our local churches. Actually, church growth is not the ultimate goal—having a spiritually healthy church should be our focus. Growth is often the result of a church being in good spiritual condition so that God can bless it.