On Being Honored…
Believe it or not, I am a pastor. No, not that kind of pastor. I don’t preach every Sunday. In fact, I usually don’t even wear a coat and tie. I don’t get paid by the church. But, for some reason, the church has recognized me as one of their pastors. (We currently have two. We have had as many as four. We are currently praying for guidance from the Holy Spirit in order to recognize one or two others.)
Recently, we have been discussing “vocational pastors” or paying pastors. As almost everyone that is a part of our church knows, I am not for paying pastors a salary. However, I do believe it is biblical for those who are taught and those who are led to honor/hold in high esteem/share all good things with those who teach them and those who lead them. This should certainly include pastors.
Anyway, the purpose of this post is to describe how I have recently been honored. Perhaps this will help others see that “honor” does not necessarily mean paying a salary, and that paying a salary does not remove the individual’s responsibility of honoring.
First, some background information. My family moved out of seminary housing and into a “real” house last July. We love our house! We have had an extraordinary amount of help from those within the church. They helped us move in. They helped us arrange the furniture. They helped us install appliances. They helped us hang ceiling fans. Hopefully, you get the idea.
However, there is one thing that we’ve wanted to do that we have not been able to do yet. Our house has a gas fireplace. But, it did not have the propane tank necessary to fuel the fire. Because of some unexpected medical expenses (when are medical expenses expected?) we have not been able to afford the tank and fuel yet.
So, yesterday, my wife received a phone call from the local propane distributor. Someone had called them and paid for us to have a propane tank installed and paid for the first fill-up. Wow! We were overwhelmed! I still do not know who did this for us (But, I do have some ideas).
Think about this for a moment. In order for someone to honor us in this way, they had to spend time with us. We did not make it known publicly that we wanted a propane tank but had not been able to afford it yet. So, someone spent time with us and got to know us beyond the stage of, “Hi. How are you? Fine.” Then, instead of hoping that we can one day afford the propane, they acted on what they knew about us.
Now, I have been honored in many, many, many ways. Many people have brought us food and spent time with us, especially over the last few weeks as my wife recovers from ankle surgery. Many people have given us gifts and taken us to dinner. Many people have encouraged us and listened to us. We have been honored in many ways, and I appreciate every instance of being honored. In fact, I feel that I am honored above and beyond anything that I deserve.
When I think about the possibility of receiving a salary… I think I would prefer to be honored in these small, but very personal ways instead.
Gifting vs. Office 6…
This is the sixth post in a series concerning Spiritual Gifts and Church Offices. This series was inspired by Harold Hoehner’s ETS presentation, “Can a Woman be a Pastor-Teacher?”
If Scripture intends apostles, elders/overseers, and deacons to be offices within the church, then those positions exist apart from the person or persons holding the office. For example, there is a governmental office called “President of the United States.” When a president dies, the office still exists.
Furthermore, if apostles, elders/overseers, and deacons represent offices, then people who take those offices begin functioning differently and carrying out different responsibilities once they begin to hold those offices. For example, the person who takes the office of “President of the United States” begins to function differently and to have different responsibilities once that person takes the oath of office.
However, Scripture always focuses on the person, not the position. Looking specifically at elders/overseers, Scripture always describes a person, not an office. The church is instructed to identify persons who meet certain expectations – those who are good examples to the church – and recognize them as their leaders. The church is not to choose people to place in an office, as if the office-holder now has new responsibilities and functions because he or she now holds an office. Instead, the church is supposed to recognize that some people are ALREADY living as examples to the church. The church is then to follow their examples.
Gifting vs. Office 5…
So far, I have attempted to explain Harold Hoehner’s view as he presented it in this paper given at ETS: “Can a Woman be a Pastor-Teacher?” I discussed his argument in part 1, part 2, and part 3 of this series, and I summarized his argument and discussed by understanding of spiritual gifts in part 4.
In this part, I am going to begin discussing the idea of church “offices.” I have mentioned several times that I do not like the term “office.” Here are some of the reasons that I do not like this term:
1. “Office” signifies leadership and authority. However, Jesus consistently taught us not to seek leadership. Instead, we should seek to serve others.
2. “Office” signifies different requirements. Scripture does not require anything of those holding “offices” than of those who do not hold “offices.”
3. “Office” signifies different functions. Again, Scripture does not limit certain functions to those who hold “offices.”
4. “Office” lends credence to the idea of a clergy/laity distinction that is not found in Scripture.
Are these valid concerns? Do you have other concerns about using the term “office”?
Do titles matter?
(I’ll get back to my series on Gifting vs. Office soon…) These are the words of Jesus:
But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. (Matthew 23:8-10)
Are titles bad? Which titles? Teacher? Doctor? Professor? Pastor? Reverend?
Gifting vs. Office 4…
So far, I have attempted to explain Harold Hoehner’s view as he presented it in this paper given at ETS: “Can a Woman be a Pastor-Teacher?” Here is his argument in summary:
- Many misunderstandings (his estimate was 95%, I think) about women in ministry are caused by a blurring of the distinctions between spiritual gifts and offices.
- Scripture gives qualifications for offices. Qualifications are given for apostles, elder/ bishops, and deacons/deaconesses.
- Scripture does not give qualifications for gifts. Gifts are given according to the will of God through the Holy Spirit.
- Since there are no qualifications given for the list in Ephesians 4:11 (apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers), pastor-teachers are individuals endowed with spiritual gifts, not offices.
- Therefore, even if women cannot hold a certain office, they can be pastor-teachers if they are so gifted.
To be honest, I have no desire to discuss women in ministry. Instead, I would like to discuss his distinction between spiritual gifts and offices.
First, my understanding of spiritual gifts seems to differ slightly from Hoehner’s understanding. Spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit, through believers, for the benefit of others (1 Cor. 12:7). Scripture does not indicate that believers are endowed with gifts for life, or that believers can recognize their particular gifts. The “name” of the gifts (i.e. serving, leading, teaching), seem to come from the benefit given to others. In other words, someone has the gift of teaching because what the Spirit does through them teaches others. It is possible that the Spirit could use the exact same actions/words to encourage others at the same time. Therefore, the gift is recognized as teaching for group 1, while it is recognized as encouragment for group 2. Yet, the Spirit is working through the same person’s words.
If this view is correct, then we should not emphasize that a person is “exercising” a certain spiritual gift. The person does not control whether or not, or how, the Spirit decides to work through them. Instead, as Peter says, the person should speak and/or act according to the will of God, and allow the Spirit to use those words/actions as He chooses.
I do recognize that there are people within Scripture that are called “teachers,” “prophets,” “servants,” etc. However, in my view, this is the recognition of others that these are the primary ways that the Spirit works through those individuals. Thus, for one known as a “teacher,” the Spirit normally uses that person’s words to teach others; therefore, other people recognize this and refer to him/her as a “teacher.”
This is illustrated in 1 Cor. 12-14. In 1 Cor. 12:29, Paul asks the question, “Are all prophets?”, expecting a negative answer: No, all are not prophets. Thus, Paul recognizes that, for certain believers, the Spirit regularly uses their words as words of prophecy. But, the Spirit does not normally work this way through everyone. Then, in 1 Cor. 14:31, Paul states, “For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged.” In this verse, Paul recognizes that, even though the Spirit may not normally use someone’s words as prophecy, that potential is always there, because the Spirit chooses how He will endow gifts according to His will.
I realize that this may seem pedantic. However, I think the distinction is important. Which is important: 1) I should teach others, or 2) I should speak as the Spirit leads me, even if no one “learns” from my words. I am not responsible for how others receive my words or actions; however, I am responsible for obeying God is everything that I do and say.
Gifting vs. Office 3…
At ETS this year, Harold Hoehner presented a paper titled “Can a Woman be a Pastor-Teacher?” He argued that there is a difference between gifting and office. Scripture designates an “office” (Remember, I do not like that term. I am using it because Hoehner used it.) by listing qualifications for the office. He recognizes apostle, elder/bishop, and deacon (possibly deaconness) as scriptural offices.
On the other hand, Hoehner argued that gifts are not given based on qualifications. Instead, gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to all believers. He recognizes all of items listed in Eph 4:11, 1 Cor 12, and Romans 12 to be spiritual gifts. Any believer may exercise his or her spiritual gift as sovereignly endowed by the Holy Spirit. According to Hoehner, Eph 4:11 lists individuals who are exercising their spiritual gifts, not offices. Therefore, any believer may have the gifting to operate as an apostle (not as the office of an apostle though), a prophet, an evangelist, or a pastor-teacher (not as the office of an elder/bishop though).
Is Hoehner correct that there is a difference between gifting and office? Could any believer possess any spiritual gifts? Is there any scriptural evidence that some categories of believers (women, for instance) will never be granted certain spiritual gifts (pastoring/teaching, for instance)?
Gifting vs. Office 2…
Office
In Hoehner’s presentation at ETS (“Can a Woman Be a Pastor-Teacher”), he made a distinction between gifting by the Holy Spirit and holding an office in the church (Remember, I do not like the term “office”, but I’m using it here because Dr. Hoehner used it in his presentation.)
Hoehner suggested that an office can be recognized in Scripture when there are qualifications for holding that office. Therefore, he sees three distinct offices:
1. Apostle (qualifications given in Acts 1:15-26)
2. Elder/Bishop-overseer (qualifications given in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9)
3. Deacon (possibly deaconess) (qualifications given in 1 Timothy 3:8-13)
Hoehner did not like to use the term “pastor” for the office of elder/bishop, because he says that “pastoring” is a Spiritual gift, not an office. However, it is interesting to note that he sees “apostle” as both an office and a gift, and “deacon” as an office and a gift (since “deacon” acutally means “servant”).
Are these “offices” in the church? Are there other “offices”? Is there a better term than “office”?
Gifting vs. Office…
This is the first series of posts inspired by papers or conversations at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting this year. One of the first presentations that I heard was Harold W. Hoehner’s “Can a Woman be a Pastor-Teacher?” (If you can find this paper online, please let me know.) Apart from the provocative title, the content provided many opportunities for discussion. Hoehner’s premise was that we must not confuse spiritual gifting with office. Now, while I do not like the term “office”, I will use it for this discussion. His conclusion was that pastoring and teaching are both spiritual gifts, not offices. Since the Holy Spirit gifts different believers with different gifts, He may – and probably does – endow women with the gift of pastoring-teaching.
This series will center around the differences between gifting by the Spirit and office within the church. Is there a difference? Should someone holding a certain office always have certain gifts? Should someone with certain gifts always hold a certain office? If you think of other questions, please add them in the comments.