“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honourable use, some for dishonourable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable, he will be a vessel for honourable, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:20).
No Christian minister should boast of being better, greater and useful than another. And no professional theologian should boast of being an authority of the Bible because no man is repository of scriptural knowledge and wisdom as it is written “we all know in part…”
Faithful Christian theologians who serve by the grace of God must resist the temptation of following worldly academic traditions which includes describing a scholar as an authority in a particular field of study. The Bible is the inspired Word of God with only one authority who is the Spirit of God. Everyone else no matter their level of education is but a student of the Holy Spirit.
A true Christian who serves God, His Church and all of humanity is but a finite minister who performs his duties by the grace of God. He thus refuses to take credit for his success story in order not to give the impression that his achievements were based on his personal abilities.
In his letter to the church of Corinth, Paul, the apostle, wrote, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”
The apostle was informed about the dangers of being boastful, so he did not go about boasting about his academic capabilities and ministry achievements. Having been a student of Gamaliel and trained as a devout Pharisee and receiving knowledge in the philosophies of the ancient Greeks, Paul could minister to stoic and epicurean philosophers (Acts 17:18).
Paul worked harder as an itinerant and roving minister with an innate desire to fulfill his apostolic ministry, planting churches and appointing pastors or elders to oversee those churches. Yet, he would not attribute his successes to his personal abilities. He noted that neither he nor Apollos was responsible for their great ministry accomplishments.
“…by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and you believed” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Paul would not be lured by his ministry successes and be boastful after labouring exceptionally as a foundational apostle with grace to establish doctrines and written about 13 books in the New Testament. He would not thus confer on himself lofty ecclesiastical titles which Jesus Christ, his Master, did not give or permit him to use. He was content with his ministry office and its designation – apostle.
Throughout the Pauline epistles, one will come across words which point believers to a day called ‘That Day when all Christians including apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers will give account unto God’. The Gentile-sent apostle knew that on that day everyone will be held responsible for the things they have done or said.
The first century Christians reminded themselves of impending accountability of their stewardship. Christians are saved by grace of God and not by their works of righteousness or morality. Charles H. Spurgeon wrote that, “Morality may keep you out of jail, but it takes the blood of Jesus Christ to keep you out of hell.”
Yes, every child of God is saved by grace, but they are required to participate in the work of ministry after they have been equipped for it (Ephesians 4:11). The Holy Spirit who is the only true vicar of Christ dispenses ministry gifts to every born again Christian.
Thus Peter, the apostle, was right in writing that “as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace”. This means that every Christian is called to participate in the ministry of Christ, who is the author and sustainer of Christian service on earth.
However, the works Christians do for God and humanity will be marked on the day they will be required to give account to God. Accountability to God is inevitable in Christian service. Everyone will give it on the Day of Judgment. There shall be no excuse for ignorance or explanation for exoneration.
Students of the gospels are aware of the parable Jesus Christ gave concerning the gifts He gives to His servants and the subsequent accountability He demands from them. No one works for God without eventual accountability. Jesus will mark every believer’s ministry to God, the Church and the world based on the gift. This gift of God to a believer must be used profitably.
In Matthew 25:15-30, Jesus Christ tells a parable of a man travelling to a far country; the man called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. To one servant he gave five talents, to another two talents and to another one. Each of them was given the talents according to their own ability. The servants were expected to work with the talents received and give account to the master later. This is what will happen on the Last Day.
By James Quansah
jamesquansah@yahoo.com