“… AND HE GAVE … PASTORS AND TEACHERS”
Eph. 4:11-15

The title of this article is taken from chapter four of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians where he lists the ministry gifts that the Lord Jesus Christ has given to the Church. He states the reasons for these gifts, i.e. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. He then establishes the time limit on how long these ministries are to function and the goal to  be obtained; Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Paul goes on to tell us that the desired result is that we would be adults concerning doctrine and wise concerning deceitful false teachers. That we would speak the truth in Christ and in love.

This need for men that are called to interpret and explain the Word of God is not something that began with the New Testament. Back in the days of Nehemiah we find that the people had become unfamiliar with the “Book” for a number of reasons. These same reasons often hinder contemporary Christians from progressing as well as they should. Starting in Nehemiah Chapter eight, let us see why we need qualified Pastors and Teachers.

In the first place, concerning the need for the Word, I am happy to report that the people in Nehemiah’s day realized this necessity. Neh. 8:1 tells us  that; all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. Ezra responded to their request by standing on a raised platform so that all the people could see as he began to read to the men, women and anyone else that could understand what was being said. Ezra, like most preachers got carried away, reading from early morning until midday. And yet we are told that the audience was “attentive unto the book of the law.”

There is a multitude of reasons why the Israelites needed to have the Word of God explained to them. There was the problem of the differences in language. Most of those listening had been many years in captivity and recently returned from Babylon where they spoke Chaldean (also called Aramean or Aramaic), the dialect of that kingdom. Perhaps Ezra was reading from the Hebrew text and the Levites translated and explained it in Chaldean. Perhaps some of the people were simply ignorant of that which Moses had written and needed to be informed. In any case, we are in a similar situation today. 

We know that our Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and our New Testament in Greek.  We know that the Bible in any other language is a translation. But there are some today who are of the opinion that there is no longer a need for teaching from the original languages because of the many reliable translations such as the NEW King James, The NEW International Version, The Contemporary English Translation, The Revised Version, The NEW Revised Version, The American Standard Version, The NEW American Standard Version, The Amplified Bible, The Living Bible, etc. etc. And I could add fifty some odd more. Refuting the idea that translations, however good they may be, are sufficient to eliminate the need for reference to the original language would require a separate article in itself. Let me simply comment here that no person competent in the Bible languages will be heard making such a statement.

In Daniel chapter five King Belshazzar is deeply troubled by the handwriting that is inscribed on the wall by the fingers of a man’s hand. (Who wouldn’t be?) Anyway, the queen tells the king about Daniel’s knowledge, understanding and wisdom and his ability to interpret what is written. Even though the words MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN are in the Kings tongue, he does not understand what they mean. Daniel of course tells the king that they indicate that he has been “weighed in the balance and found wanting.”

The N.T. also has a number of verses that show a similar need for interpretation from one language to another.  At John 1:38 for example certain folks address Jesus as “Rabbi”.  John wants those reading the Greek text to understand what rabbi means. That is why we have in parenthesis (which is to say, being interpreted, Master). For your information, but not to confuse you, the word “master” as found in the English text is a translation of the Greek word DIDASKALOS which is usually translated as “teacher”. Similar explanations are offered by John in 1: 41,42 about the words Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. and Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone ( notice that the NIV does not translate the Greek word PETROS, “stone”, but simply anglicizes the Greek to “Peter”)

Translation of the Bible into the mother tongue of any person is good if it leads to receiving of the truth in Christ and appropriation of eternal life by that person! We have entire missions organizations dedicated to this very work. It would be foolish to think that we must teach everyone Hebrew and Greek in order for them to understand what God hath said. But the other side of the coin is also important, namely that translation must be conditioned upon accurate interpretation and correct  representation of the original. The practice of looking at 25 translations of a verse and picking out the one that suits you is not the best way. It is difficult to be certain about what the Word says in any given verse using this method. Again, translation into the vernacular is good, but do not disparage those who excel in knowledge of the original languages. You should rejoice if by the grace of God you have an able Hebrew and Greek scholar who can rightly divide the word of Truth for you (II Tim. 2:15)

Another reason that we need interpreters and those that explain the Bible is the difference in cultures. There are customs and practices common to one people that are totally foreign and maybe even offensive to another. Idioms also are often very different.  I am reminded of how foolish the Book of Mormon appears in their use of the word “Compass”.  They thought that when the KJV said  we fetched a compass in Acts 28:13 that it was speaking about the navigational aid, which had not yet been invented.

We also need teaching because of the difference in dimensions. We must distinguish between the earthly and the heavenly, the physical and the spiritual, and between the temporal and the eternal. All things must be tested by the Scriptures as given by God in the autographs as best we can determine them. (i.e. penned by the original author)  Neh. 8:8 illustrates this point when it says So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

Let me point out a few of the fallacies of those who deny the need to be taught. One problem is that some folks think that all knowledge is limited to their own level of  achievement. In Job 12:2 Job answers Zophar the Naamathite, with the proposition that; No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. It is a dangerous frame of mind to think that one knows all that there is to learn. There are sincere people of God who declare that they have received their doctrine by way of a direct revelation from God, and are offended when the Bible is found to be at odds with what they believe. More than once I have heard a person say “I don’t care what the Bible says, this is what God told me!” Unfortunately, such deception can result from placing emotion or feeling above knowledge and instruction. 

Let me be clear dear reader about what I am not saying! I am NOT saying that one must have superior knowledge to understand the Gospel! Not at all. The Apostles startled the educated men of the first century precisely because they were unlearned and ignorant men, and their antagonists took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13. But I AM saying that sincere folks can be confused according to II Peter 3:16, where Peter, speaking of Paul’s writings says; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Finally, let us see the joy that comes when we have a proper appreciation of the pure Word of God. In Neh. 8:6 we find Ezra blessing the LORD, i.e. Jehovah, the great God.  And this is followed by all the people when they … answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. And Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites, said to the people … This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. They were quick to follow this advice also …And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. Neh. 8:10. 

This reminds me of the saints at Scullville Bible Church heading for Memorial Hall after service to partake of the periodic fellowship luncheons! May our motivation for joy indeed be because we understand the words that are declared to us from the pulpit.

Let me conclude with a word of caution. Although what I have said above is accurate, and we should learn from the “gifted” ministries, we are not absolved from personal responsibility in the matter of “knowing for sure” what the Scripture says! That obligation is confirmed in the book of Acts 17:10,11 where reference is made to the saints at Berea who … “were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” They did not just accept apostolic teaching at face value, but involved themselves in confirming the truth spoken by consulting the Scriptures available to them, i.e. the Old Testament. 

We are constantly quoting John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. This does not include “Near Truth”, or “Half Truth”, or “My Churches Truth”, or even “The Truth as I know it”, but the Truth that is found in Jesus Christ.

Pastor Hayden

Notes:  

The word “PULPIT”, found only once in the Bible (at Nehemiah 8) is the translation of the Hebrew word MIGDAL which is Strong’s concordance dictionary #4026. and can mean anything from a raised platform to a high tower. It would apply more to the platform upon which the modern preacher stands, than to the rostrum upon which he usually rests his Bible.

The word “Interpreted” as found in John 1:41,42 is formed from the Greek word HERMENEUO and is word #2059 in Strong’s dictionary. Presumably from “HERMES”, the god of language.  It means “to translate” “to interpret”.