Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20120527.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
1 Timothy: God's Ministry Roles For Church Leaders And The Local Church
Part XV: Understanding The Pastor's Role In The Local Church's Ministry Of God's Truth
(1 Timothy 4:6-16)
  1. Introduction
    1. 1 Timothy 3:15 teaches the local church is the pillar and foundation of God's truth in a world of darkness.
    2. This fact sets a distinct role for the local church's teaching elder(s), or what we today call "the Pastor," and 1 Timothy 4:6-16 clarifies it as truth we all do well to know for blessing in the local church:
  2. Understanding The Pastor's Role In The Local Church's Ministry Of God's Truth, 1 Tim. 4:6-16.
    1. In the context of his stating that the local church is the pillar and foundation of God's truth in the world (1 Timothy 3:15), Paul claimed that some in the Christian Church would one day depart from the true faith, giving heed to deceiving demons and their evil doctrines, 1 Timothy 4:1-5.
    2. This spiritual conflict with the local church's ministry of being the pillar and foundation of God's truth on earth puts a special burden of responsibility on the teaching elders or the pastor, 1 Timothy 4:6-16:
      1. The pastor is to "advise" (hupotithemi, Moulton & Milligan, The Vocab. of the Greek N. T., 1972, p. 660-661) the body on Paul's warning of false teaching and teachers influenced by demons, 1 Tim. 4:6a, 1-5. Doing so will count him as a good servant of Christ Jesus who is "trained up" (entrepho, Ibid., p. 269) in the words of the true Christian faith, 1 Timothy 4:6b.
      2. This advising work is to be accompanied by "rejecting, avoiding" (paraiteomai, Ibid., p. 621-622) "godless myths and old wives' tales" (NIV), the Jewish "man-made supplements" to Scripture Paul opposed back in 1 Timothy 1:4 (Wm. Hendriksen, Expos. of the Pastoral Epistles (NIC), 1974, p. 58).
      3. In such discriminating teaching, the pastor must exercise himself unto "operative piety" (U. B. S. Greek N. T., 1966, p. 725; Ibid., Moult. & Mill., p. 265), that is, "godliness in ministry" even amid personal persecution for doing so, 1 Timothy 4:7-10.
      4. Now, to accomplish all of this, the pastor is to command and to teach these things (1 Timothy 4:11), and 1 Timothy 4:12-16 details the methodology of this activity (as follows):
        1. First, the pastor must counter the effort of others to "scorn" or "treat him with contempt" (kataphroneo, Ibid., U. B. S. Greek N. T.; Arndt & Gingrich, A Greek-English Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 421) by living an exemplary life in word, conduct, love, faith and purity, 1 Tim. 4:12 ESV.
        2. Second, he must give his attention to the "public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching," 1 Timothy 4:13 NIV; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to 1 Timothy 4:13.
        3. Third, the pastor must stop "neglecting" (ameleo in the present indicative imperative with the subjunctive negative adverb, me, "not," Ibid., p. 44; Ibid., U. B. S. Greek N. T.) the spiritual gift God gave him for ministry, which gift other godly leaders have acknowledged, 1 Timothy 4:14.
        4. Fourth, the pastor is to keep on intently focusing on these matters, 1 Timothy 4:15-16: (1) he is "to take pains, practice, cultivate" (meletao, Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 501) good actions relative to his life, his preaching, his teaching and his spiritual gifting, 1 Tim. 4:15a. (2) He is (literally) to "exist" (isthi , second person singular imperative; Ibid., U. B. S. Greek N. T.) in them, (3) that the prosperity of his ministry efforts (prokope, Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 714) might become evident to the entire church body, 1 Timothy 4:15b,c. (4) The pastor is to "fix his attention on" (epecho, Ibid., p. 285) his personal life and doctrine, 1 Timothy 4:16a NIV. (5) He must "remain, persist, persevere" (epimeno, Ibid., p. 296) to save himself and those who hear him from the influence of demonic doctrines and demonic influence about which Paul warned in 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 1 Timothy 4:16b!
Lesson: In view of the opposition that Satan's spiritual forces present to the local church's key ministry of being the pillar and foundation of God's truth on the earth, the teaching elders or pastor must advise the body on the threat of demonic influence and errant teaching while himself rejecting and avoiding extrabiblical teaching that gives opportunity for such demonic error to enter the local church, being careful to watch over his own life's godliness. He is to achieve this by a careful, constant attention to his personal life and ministry, with a constant, intense focus on the use of his gift to minister Scripture.

Application: May we pastors heed this instruction, and may the congregation support his need to do so.