Musing on Ministry

"Oh, that's not my job!" or "That's why we pay him." These are two common expressions made by the average church member when asked to do something. The first is well-meaning--implied in this statement may be that the individual may not be gifted for a particular task. The second is unbiblical and is an unhealthy view of ministry.

Ephesiahs 4:11-16 describes the leadership gifts that Jesus gave to his church. What's often not practiced is the REASON why he gave these gifted individuals to his people--to prepare them for ministry. As they grow to maturity and become servants themselves, the church is built up--according to verse 16, by the "member" and not the "minister."

The translators of the King James Version unintentionally limited the work to what we would call "clergy" by putting a comma between a couple of clauses in verse 12 so that it reads "[leaders are to] prepare God's people, for works of ministry.... Take out the comma, and you have a more biblical and balanced view of ministry.

Expecting one or a few to do the work of all is unhealthy--no one person is spiritually capable to do it all, nor does he have all the necessary spiritual gifts. That's why team ministry and plural leadership is the New Testament norm. It's also unbalanced, because it means that the many are not functioning, and are being served instead of serving.

Even Jesus--God in the flesh--couldn't, and wouldn't, do it all. Physically he couldn't, and choosing and equipping the Twelve for ministry means he wouldn't. And, after all, the church is his body, equipped by him to each part would serve as one.

Later, all!