A Church Full of Ministers

The church at Antioch was a church full of ministers. There were many prophets and teachers in that congregation according to Acts 13:1-3. In fact, there are five that are specifically named including Barnabas and Paul.
In the first century church, there were traveling evangelists who took their teaching efforts on the road. Although Paul did locate his ministry for a period of three years in Ephesus (Acts 20:31), generally Paul was a traveling evangelist. Yet, there were also located preachers that spent their time preaching for a specific congregation of believers. Philip apparently set up his residence in Caesarea and was the evangelist in that city for many years (cf. Acts 8:40; 21:8). It is God’s will that preachers of the gospel make their living from the gospel (1 Cor. 9:14). Evangelists are supported by churches to go forth doing the “work of the evangelist” by preaching, teaching, and publicly reading Scripture (2 Tim. 4:5; 1 Tim. 4:13). Preachers of the gospel are to devote all their time to prayer and “ministry of the word” (1 Tim. 4:13, 15; cf. Acts 6:2-4). Study, preparation, and presentation of the word of God is “the” ministry of the evangelist.
It is unfortunate that many people in the church today refer to the preacher as “the minister.” This is misleading and frankly, unbiblical. It is true that the preacher should be a minister of the word, but he is not THE minister. When we refer to the preacher at the minister, it implies that he is the only one who is ministering to others. The church is not to have only one minister. The church should be full of ministers.
The word translated “minister” in our Bibles is a Greek word that simply means “a servant.” Certainly there is a specific use of this term that refers to the service (ministry) offered by a preacher (cf. Col. 1:23; Eph. 6:21). Also, there is a specific group of men that are to be servants (ministers) of the church—these are the deacons (1 Tim. 3:8). However, the same word is used in a generic way of all Christians (Matt. 20:26; John 12:26; Rom. 16:1).
God designed the church as a living organism. The church is called “the body” in Scripture (Eph. 1:22-23). The church is not compared to organizational structures in the New Testament (like a business, cooperation, or bank). Instead, the church is a living organism that depends upon each of the individual parts functioning and working to survive. Paul puts it this way, “For the body does not consist of one member but of many” (1 Cor. 12:14). The church is not an organization with one minister. Instead the church is an organism of many ministers using their talents and abilities together to make the body function properly.
To have the mentality that a single man (or a few men) should be doing the “ministry” of a congregation is contrary to the will of God. God calls all Christians to examine themselves and discover what each ones “ministry” is. What is your ministry? If you can’t answer this question, you need to spend time in reflection, prayer, and study to discover the ministry that God has equipped you to do for his cause.
Over the past few weeks I have been away from Spring Hill. I preached a gospel meeting, went on vacation, and have another speaking engagement next week. It is extremely encouraging to me that we have so many men in this congregation who are blessed with the “ministry” of preaching and teaching. It is so satisfying to know that when I am away that there is quality preaching and teaching being done by men of this congregation in my absence. I want to say a heart-felt thank you to Mike Boggs, Jeremy Burleson, Steve Donahoo, Brandon Nutt, David Dukes, and Timothy Goode for using their talents of preaching and teaching on the days when I’m gone.
Let me encourage you to be supportive of the men who are willing to preach and teach. Your presence and kind words can be a ministry in itself as you are fulfilling the very command of God by giving these men the experience of learning to preach and teach (2 Tim. 2:2). Also, find your own ministry and let us become a church full of ministers.