Read Ephesians 4:14
Questions from the Scripture text: What is the ministry of our pastor-teacher given to us by Jesus to stop us from being? Otherwise, what would various ‘winds’ of doctrine do to us? What else would do this to us? What do some men practice to unsettle believers’ doctrine?
This week’s Ephesians text is one little verse, but it is a hugely important and overlooked point.
We desperately need theological stability.
We want to be united! We want to know Christ! We want to be filled with Christ! These are the praiseworthy goals of Ephesians 4:13, at which each of us aim in our ministry to all the others (Ephesians 4:12b), and for which we need the constant mending by the ministry of faithful shepherd-teachers (Ephesians 4:11-12a).
But why do we need this constant mending?
Because without it, we are like unstable toddlers. We’ve all seen a wobbly little one, just learning to walk. But the wobbler in this picture has an additional problem: he’s in a boat on a wavy sea during a storm!
This is how the apostle likened the doctrinal instability of believers who did not avail themselves of the ministry of faithful shepherd-teachers, and things have certainly not improved in the 21st century!
Unified Christians are theologically stable. Christ-like Christians are theologically stable. Christ-filled Christians are theologically stable. Here is a value of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament that is rejected and contradicted by many in the church today. But, when the two are at odds, a believer knows with whom to agree.
How are you availing yourself of the theologically-stabilizing ministry of faithful shepherd-teachers? Can you identify a sound and stable summary of the doctrine that you believe?
Suggested songs: ARP23B “The Lord’s My Shepherd” or TPH23A “The Lord’s My Shepherd”
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