In a world of conflicting values, where questions are more common than answers, God's Word provides everything we need to live a God-centered, truth-driven life. Join us now for The Word for Life, brought to you by Brookside Baptist Church and hosted by Pastor Greg Huffman, as he shares the truth for the day. Good morning and welcome. This is Pastor John Fallahee, and we are in the middle of our series on spiritual gifts. Today's session is part four, and we left off talking about the role of pastor-teacher, and I'd like to take a little more time to dig a little bit deeper on this office of the pastor and teacher. And as we said last time, this is a single office. It's not two separate offices, pastor-teacher, but it's a single office. Now it's not to say there aren't teachers, but this is specifically a unique role in the church, the pastor teacher. Now, there's actually five functions, but it's really one office, and this has created a lot of confusion. In fact, if you look at other denominations, they have broken these functions into specific roles, and that may have been necessary due to the size of the particular denomination. But originally, in the New Testament, this was one office that had five different functions. So, let's walk through those. First in the Greek, it's called episkopos, and it's translated in English as the overseer or bishop. We see this in Philippians 1.1, overseers and deacons, okay? King James says bishops and deacons. And that was their role, to be an overseer, to watch over. Then we have the presbyteros, that's the Greek word for elder. We see this in Titus 1.5. Titus was to appoint elders in every city, so this is another role of leading and shepherding. Then we have poimen, which is the Greek word for pastor or shepherd, Ephesians 4.11, and he gave some as pastors. Then we have the kerux or kerux, that's the Greek word for preacher. 1 Timothy 2.7, I was appointed a preacher. This refers to the Apostle Paul in context, but there is an abundant evidence that preaching, keruso is the Greek word, or the thing preached, kerugma, was the province of the overseer, though not confined to them. And you can check out 1 Timothy 5.17. So that's talking about the content of what he's doing. Then we have didaskalos, which is the Greek word for teacher, 1 Timothy 3.2. able to teach. The overseer is not called a teacher technically, like 1 Timothy 5.17, those who work hard at teaching, Ephesians 4.11. So you see these five roles, the overseer, the bishop, the elder, the pastor, the preacher, the teacher, all of those functions are wrapped up in this pastor-teacher role. Now, to show you how these five functions are really part of one office, I'm going to take you through several passages where sometimes we see two of the offices or two of these functions in the same verse, thus equating them, making them equal. For example, in Acts chapter 20, verse 28, Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. There it is. to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood. So we see overseer and shepherd, two different functions but with a single role. Let's go to another passage, Titus 1.5. For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I command you. If a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of dissipation or insubordination, for a bishop must be blameless as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, and self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict." So in this passage we see bishops and elders being equated. Then we have 1 Timothy 3.2. Let me jump over there real quick. And here we have bishops and teaching combined in the same office. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach, not given a whine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous, one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence. For if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God? Not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride, he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover, he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall in the reproach of the devil." So again, we see this whole idea of bishops and teaching combined into those two functions combined into one office. And by the way, Titus 1.5 and 1 Timothy 3 are the qualifications for the elder in the church, the shepherd teacher, the pastor teacher. So, the fact that they're using different words also helps us see that these are different functions of the same office. Let's go to Ephesians 4.11, and he himself gave some to apostles, prophets, evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work and the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. So there's another example where pastors and teachers are combined into one office. And lastly is 1 Timothy 2.7, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle, I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. So there we see preacher and teacher combined in a single office. So, what's really helpful to understand is that when you look at pastor-teacher in Ephesians 4.11, it's a single office, and this office has a multitude of functions, and all of those are needed to properly shepherd the church. Now, this next category is the miracles, and these are the sensational gifts. I take these as temporary gifts because we just don't see them manifesting today, not because people lack faith, but they have served their purpose. The purpose was to authenticate the message and to authenticate the messenger. That this change, this New Testament, this revelation of Jesus Christ is, is now clearly articulated in the Scriptures and has been shown by these specially gifted men. So, we have the Apostle, men directly commissioned by the risen Christ and sent out to found and establish the church. 1 Corinthians 12.28 and Ephesians 4.11 help us on this. They also had this ability to distinguish between spirits, 1 Corinthians 12.10, the divine enablement. This gift is to discern true from false statements made by people who deceptively claim that their words were prophetic revelations from God. Then we had the healing miracle. 1 Corinthians 12.9, 28, 30, Acts 20, 9-10. Eutychus was a great example I mentioned in a previous session. the divine enablement to restore the sick to immediate health without a necessary faith response by the one being healed. And it's a complete healing, not a partial healing. And then the miracles, 1 Corinthians 12.28, the divine enablement to perform works of power that contravene or exacerbate the normal processes of nature. These are just unexplained phenomena that they accomplish. Then there's prophecy. Again, this is future telling. 1 Corinthians 12.10, Ephesians 4.11 speaks of this. It's the divine enablement of receiving and communicating direct verbal revelation from God to man, and it's revelation not previously known. Then we have the gift of tongues, the ability to speak in a real human language that has not been previously learned. Now, Paul mentioned that he spoke in more tongues than anyone, and it makes sense because he was traveling more than anyone. He was speaking with different people groups. He had had the gift of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12.10.28.13.1 speaks to this gift. But with the speaking of tongues, you have the interpretation of tongues so that someone can understand what they're saying. 1 Corinthians 12.10 verse 30. Also see chapter 14.26 through 28. And this is the divine enablement to interpret the words of one speaking in tongues. Then there's the utterance of knowledge 1 Corinthians 12.8, 13.2 and verse 8 of chapter 13. This is a divine enablement to communicate a direct word of insight from the Lord to guide the local church in understanding the prophecy. This is deemed a revelatory gift because it linked it with prophecy in 1 Corinthians 13. And then there's the utterance of wisdom, 1 Corinthians 12. This is divine enablement to give a direct word from the Lord to skillfully guide the local church in a specific decision, deemed a revelatory gift because it's connected with the word of knowledge, which is linked to prophecy in 1 Corinthians 13. So these are nine temporary gifts that we just don't see manifested today. Now, why do we believe that these miracle gifts are temporary? Well, as I've been saying earlier, these gifts authenticated the message and they authenticated the messenger. This is huge. And why was this? Because there was a change. There's a new revelation was coming on. Now, this is interesting because this happened before. For example, you have this Moses and Joshua and the giving of the law. And by the way, this is really fascinating, between Moses and Joshua and the law, about 60 years happened, Exodus 4.30. And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses, then he did the signs in the sight of the people. So you have Moses comes on the scene, amazing gifts, amazing miracles, Joshua comes on the scene, and then within about 60 years, all that kind of disappears. The next significant event of miracles was the Elijah and Elisha around 860 to 800 BC. And interesting, their ministry combined lasts about 60 years. Now, this was happening around the apostasy and the divided kingdom. So in this case, it wasn't a change. It was a call to repentance. No new revelation, so to speak, other than judgments coming. Then we come to Jesus and the apostles, and this too lasted about 60 years. So I find this fascinating that Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and the apostle all have this period, about 60 years, where this incredible signs and miracles happen and then they disappear. Acts 2.22, men of Israel hear the words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know." So Jesus comes on the scene, and then 2 Corinthians 12, 12, "...truly the signs of an apostle were accompanying among you with all perseverance in signs and wonders and mighty deeds." And so they did these things, and then it ceased. So three major significant signs and miracle eras in the Bible, Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Jesus and the apostles, each one lasting 60 years. So we see this pattern and it makes sense, doesn't it? The foundation is being laid, the scriptures are revealed, and then God continues on. Also, there's this shift from a specific gifted person to general godly prayer. This is significant because you and I can play a role now in God working providentially, doing great things. James 5.14, is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And that person may end up being healed. But also there's this practical test. I like to call it a practical test. For example, 1 Timothy 5.23, no longer Paul writes, drink water only, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities. So Paul's not doing miracles to heal Timothy of his infirmities. He's saying, hey, take some wine. 2 Timothy 4.20, Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick. These are significant people involved in church ministry. You would think that if Paul had the ability to do miracles and healings, he would heal the workers. But notice he doesn't, because that was not the purpose of these miracles, to give people instant healing every time they had a cold or a flu. No, they were serving a greater purpose to authenticate the message and the messengers. If we had tongues today, then we wouldn't need translators. If we had healing today, then we wouldn't need hospitals. And if the Bible is complete and sufficient, then we don't need new revelation. And this is why I believe the miracle gifts are temporary. This is a controversial issue, and it's something you should spend much time studying and praying through. Well, it's been an exciting time, and our series will continue in our next session, so be sure to return and listen to us. If you want our show notes, email us at wfl at brooksidebc.org. Have a blessed day, and we'll talk to you soon. We hope you enjoyed today's broadcast. If you would like a copy of today's program, have a question we can answer, please contact us at The Word for Life, 4470 North Pilgrim Road, Brookfield, Wisconsin, 53005. For more info about The Word for Life, to make a donation to help us continue this broadcast, as well as other resources for your Christian walk, Visit us at www.thewordforlife.org. Thanks for listening today. Tune in again next time as we bring the Word of God to your life.