David Anguish
Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:1-4, NASB). And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12)
Few passages on the subject of ministry deserve more study today than these (see Acts 6:1, 4; Eph 4:12 for diakonia, and Eph 4:12; Acts 6:2 for diakone). We say this, in part, due to our restoration heritage. For example, in a series of articles on restoration in the Christian Baptist, his earliest paper (1823-30), Alexander Campbell was often critical in his rebuke of the unbiblical clergy system so prevalent in denominations from which he was calling people to New Testament Christianity.
In theory at least, that attitude has generally characterized us ever since. For example, a friend visiting with me prior to a funeral I recently conducted jokingly called me "Rev," alluding to the way the funeral home had listed my name on the order of service. Not having had a chance to talk with them in advance, I was not surprised by the listing it's so common that they would have likely been uncomprehending had I been able to mention it. But the reaction of my friend, a longtime Christian, illustrates how well the principle has been ingrained into most of us. Unlike those around us, we do not refer to preachers as "Reverend" or "Pastor" (though, as noted in a previous article, we often use the word "Minister" in a similar way). So, generally speaking, our terminology reflects an emphasis to call Bible preachers by Bible names.
We are not as sure, however, that our practice is always as biblically aligned as our terminology. In too many cases, we have witnessed Christians who would never think of using the terms "Reverend" or "Pastor" to refer to the preacher nevertheless treat the man the same way those who use such terms do. We contend that one is as unbiblical as the other. Space permits only a few comments on the matter, but consider these things by way of introduction.
First, the New Testament authorizes a church to support a man or men financially so that they can devote full time to ministry (see Paul's argument in 1 Corinthians 9). Based on 1 Timothy 5:17, where the phrase "double honor" has a financial connotation, we know that a church is also authorized to support elders where it is expedient. And, based on the fact that "evangelists" are among those mentioned in Ephesians 4:11- 12, we are convinced that, should a church choose to do so, those who labor in other areas of ministry are also authorized to receive financial support for their work (something we implicitly understand when we employ a church secretary).
Second, from Acts 6, it is clear that there was a distinction between "the ministry of the word" and "serving tables," and that those devoted to the one were not expected to do the other. The question was not whether the apostles could serve tables, but whether the church would be better served if their focus was elsewhere.
Third, from Ephesians 4:11-12, it is evident that a primary function of "evangelists, pastors and teachers" is not to do the work, but to "equip the saints for the work of service (diakonia)."
Fourth, those who have been commissioned to pursue "the ministry of the word" sometimes find themselves struggling to perform their primary task because of the expectations of believers who treat them as "pastors" whether they call them that or not. In some cases, the expectations include tasks which Scripture explicitly assigns to the elders (cf. James 5:14).
The challenge to surrender to the world's standards often comes in ways that catch us off guard. The question is whether we are committed to resisting it from wherever it comes.