The Equipping Ministry, Student Workbook, SW15

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T H E E Q U I P P I N G M I N I S T R Y

6. How does the teaching ministry relate to the promise and righteousness of the Kingdom of God, and how is the teacher to relate this revelation to his or her students? 7. What is the meaning of the phrase apostolic tradition (Jude 3)? How does the teacher relate to the historic orthodox faith, and how ought this to function in their ongoing ministry in the Church? 8. Why is it necessary for teachers to seek to master the faith once delivered to the saints? Why can’t teachers establish and defend others in the truth if they themselves have neither mastery nor knowledge of it (cf. Luke 6.40)? 9. How are teachers to help make the apostolic tradition vital and alive for the disciples in relation to their life and witness? What does it take to accomplish this high task? This lesson focuses upon the various dimensions and understanding connected to the fulfillment of the teaching ministry in the Church. As one of the offices associated with equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4.12), it is essential to fully grasp the elements of this ministry, and seek to fulfill this ministry under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. Review the key insights related to this important ministry below. The NT defines the teaching ministry through a number of terms, all of which highlight the role of the teacher as an instructor and builder of others. Various models of the teaching ministry may be inferred from the NT, including the model of the teacher as a scribe of the Kingdom (one who teaches or instructs in the revelation of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom), the teacher as a master builder (one who builds on the teaching of Jesus, the apostles and prophets to make their meaning clear for others to teach others), the teacher as a master craftsman (one who equips apprentices who will be able to train others also), and the teacher as seer (in modern terms, a color commentator on the game of the Lord, one explaining the working of God in the world, and our response to it).

Summary of Key Concepts

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The teaching ministry possesses its own major distinctives in the Church, especially its focus on building up disciples in Jesus Christ to maturity, the