Equipping the Saints

Paul writes in Ephesians that the role of the four support offices in the church is “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph 4:12 NKJV). The one office that we are concerned with here is that of the ‘pastor/teacher.’ These teaching shepherds in the church have “equipping” responsibility as one of their specific job descriptions. The work of the ministry belongs to the entire body. Every saved church member is a minister of the local church. However, the shepherds (elders, pastors) have the additional task of equipping everyone for the ministry Christ Himself has given them. This is how the HEAD, King Jesus, has set up His church to operate. He gives gifted men to the church. They are the in-house trainers (equippers) of God’s people. Every Christian has the task of being a minister of the Church in their area of giftedness and interests. When we follow the orders from headquarters, it is clear what every person’s role in the local church should be. Pastors are to equip Christians to do their ministry. Members are to do the ministry.

But what is equipping? This term was used for restoring something to its original condition or making something fit or complete. To equip a camper for a trip means to give them the necessary resources to survive in the wilderness. They would receive bug spray, matches, lights, tents, sleeping bags, and other necessary equipment to do well on their trip. Christians, when equipped, receive training in the character qualities, integrity, information, and skills they need to worship Jesus, edify other believers, and share Jesus with those around them who are not yet in submission to the King. The reason that teaching shepherds never work themselves out of a job is that the need of being equipped is a lifelong process. The leaders are to seek those who are feeding themselves spiritually and who are growing in their relationship with both Jesus and His church. These are to be given special and extra training to do their tasks. They are to be instructed on how to share with others what they are learning. Paul put it like this in his command to the young pastor, Timothy: “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2 NKJV).

When we do God’s work according to the blueprint, then our ministries multiply rather than add. One man alone can only burn himself out and get run out of town.  But if each teaching shepherd equips five new men each year, and they equip five other men, then the multiplication goes on and on. These equipped and edified men evangelize, equip and edify their wives and children. They also reach out to other men. Their wives reach out to other women and their children to other children. Proper edification and equipping produce excited people who share Jesus with others (evangelism). 

Therefore, the shepherds must protect their equipping time and not let the urgent steal it all away.  They do have to give an answer to the Chief Shepherd of how they cared for his flock according to the apostle Peter. “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed. Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” (1 Peter 5:1-4)

The church stands or falls with leadership. A group of godly men who will make equipping, edifying, and evangelizing their intentional focus and vision of a biblically driven church will bring about reformation and revival. These are the vital commitments that let us know who we are and what we do. Every true church should have edification, equipping, and encouraging believers, evangelizing the lost, exalting Christ, and establishing and expanding the church as part of their vision of what God’s purposes are for them as a local body of believers. Let’s follow our Head, the Lord Christ. Let’s follow His Word and His ways.

Established in the Faith

^“These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Tim. 3:14-15). According to Paul, the Church is God’s House. As an Apostle of Christ sent to the Gentiles, Paul was commissioned to reveal the “house-order” for God’s house with each new group of believers he met (Eph. 3:8-10). It is in fulfilling this personal mission given to Paul by God that we see the apostle establishing the churches in the faith (Acts 15:36 - 16:5).

The original NT term for "church," eklesia, simply means an "assembly of people" rather than the popular abuse of the parts by translating the parts of the Greek term instead of the entire term. The use of this term in both the Septuagint and secular literature makes this clear. Look it up in a solid Greek Lexicon. You won't find 'a called-out group' in these works, even though this sounds cool. In English, 'butterfly" is not a regular fly that sits in butter (interpreting the parts of the term). Conservatives give liberal scholars ammunition when they don't do careful word studies and properly consider a term's etymology. This term means an "assembly." However, a New Testament church has certain characteristics that make it a unique assembly, the Bride of Christ.

Likewise, we need to consider another important term found in Acts 14. What do the words ‘establish’ or ‘strengthen’ mean in the New Testament? It means to prop something up. To give something weak new strength. A tomato stake has the job of strengthening the vine so that it can safely produce fruit. “And when they [Paul and Barnabas] had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’ So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:21-23).   

1 Timothy 3 teaches that the Church is God’s house. Christ has a house-order He wants implemented in His house. A church is a family of saved families. Timothy, in his office of evangelist (church planter) was sent to the recent work at Thessalonica. The Bible says: “Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this” (1 Thess 3:1-3).  

 An evangelist (a modern-day church planter) takes a group of disciples and strengthens them in the faith by setting in place the marks of a church. Establishing the group of disciples must happen before they are ready for a pastor-teacher. Thus, the evangelist (church planter) sets things in order by establishing or strengthening two households: (1) God’s household and (2) individual family households. The church planter’s work with these households involves teaching the role and responsibilities for each member of both households by the biblical house-order. He can’t just make it up. He must follow the blueprint from God.  

Who are the members of God’s household? These are teaching shepherds, ruling shepherds, deacons, older men, younger men, older women, younger women, and widows. Who are the members of an individual family household? These are: husbands and/or fathers, wives and/or mothers, children, and slaves (today they would be in-house employees). According to the Bible, God's house and the saved families within it must function according to the biblical house-order before a group can establish itself as a church. The Bible requires that all positions be filled and that each function operate as Scripture teaches. This means that everyone should know and be fulfilling their roles and responsibilities in the assembly, which is a family of saved families.  

The book of Titus, Ephesians 5:22-6:9, Colossians 3:18-4:1, and 1 and 2 Timothy were written to teach us what these roles and responsibilities are in both God’s household and individual family households. We sing, “I am so glad to be part of the family of God,” and indeed we should be. Let us also strive to have our family and the church, which is our family of saved families, follow the Head of the church's orders on how to order these two households. We will then be re-established in the faith. Let the church be the church right where King Jesus has placed her!  

 A group that settles for anything less than having all the marks of the church in place has become a simple society and not a church. However, a church has the Word of God (the Bible) preached correctly, the two ordinances administered properly, practices church discipline, has the government functions that are listed in the New Testament operating by biblical standards, has biblically qualified leaders, believes the essentials of orthodox doctrine, and is actively fulfilling the great commission. This is the kind of church that Charles Spurgeon said, "is the sweetest place on all the earth."