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Philosophy of Ministry
A. Purpose of Ministry
The purpose of ministry is to glorify God by making disciples.[1] This is done through caring for those made in the image of God, sharing the Gospel to bring them to Christ, educating them to
understand their faith and by mentoring them so that they can go forth and minister to others. True ministry is not the activity of a person or organization, but is the perpetual existence of all
true believers in Christ. Ministry takes place wherever a Christian encounters other people.
understand their faith and by mentoring them so that they can go forth and minister to others. True ministry is not the activity of a person or organization, but is the perpetual existence of all
true believers in Christ. Ministry takes place wherever a Christian encounters other people.
B. Purpose of the Minister
New Testament pastors are not priests, nor prophets, but shepherds. A shepherd leads, guides and cares for those under his responsibility. A prophet speaks authoritatively as God’s representative. A priest speaks to God as the people’s representative. People need leadership, guidance and care, which should be given in an attitude of seeking the best for the flock.
The task of shepherd is defined in several scriptural passages. In Paul’s Damascus Road experience, he is told that Christ is setting him aside to be
“16 ‘… a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’” (Acts 26:16-18)
This passage explains three tasks of a minister. A minister is to 1) witness the things they have seen God do, 2) point out the things that He is doing and 3) open the eyes of those to whom the minister is sent. A minister cannot in his own strength open the eyes of those who are in darkness. The minister acts as a reflector to shine the light of God’s truth and grace into
the dark places of the world.
the dark places of the world.
Colossians 1:25[2] emphasizes that a minister must preach the word of God. This means that when I preach, I must not only use the word of God, but that my sermon must come directly from God’s word. For this reason, I preach section by section in an expository manner and only preach topical sermons on select special occasions. Even when preaching topically, I choose a passage that speaks on the topic and then exposit that passage.
Ephesians 4:11-16[3] gives two final purposes of ministry. A minister is to equip the saints for service and build up the body. Equipping the saints for service indicates that ministry is not best done by a preacher who is a “hired gun.” In other words, if the church expects all aspects of ministry to be done by the pastor while they do nothing but pay him, then the church is wrong in its expectations and the pastor is wrong if he allows it to happen. The pastor must seek to give the congregation the tools they need to serve. The congregation must be equipped to share their faith, disciple new believers and help those in need. Obviously not everyone will have the same level of skills, but the pastor must strive to give the people the tools they need.
Besides giving people tools to serve, the pastor must build up the body in six characteristics: unity of the faith, knowledge of the Son, maturity in Christ, steadfast adherence to God’s ways, speaking truth and proper working of each aspect of the body. Unity of faith requires a common standard around which to unify; therefore it is imperative that the minister focus attention on the triune God through His Word. Knowledge of the Son cannot be caught, but must be learned, so the minister must teach truth.[4] People learn to be mature by imitating others. Ultimately they must learn to imitate Christ, but begin by imitating others. The minister must, like Paul, live a life worthy of imitation.[5]
The congregation must learn steadfast adherence to God’s ways. This not only refers to avoiding sin, but also to seeking God’s wisdom in dealing with issues and problems that arise. The minister must help the congregation be steadfast by holding them accountable, in word and deed,[6] to living single minded lives focused on God’s glory.[7]
The congregation is to learn to speak truth. This not only indicates that they avoid deception, it also means that they know God’s truth and let God’s truth be known. In today’s culture, the very concept of truth must be defended and taught to people before they begin to understand the truth of scripture. Only after they understand and accept truth can the members of the church fully speak truth.
Only when the minister has helped the congregation to grow in each of these areas will the body function with each part in its proper aspect. Helping the body to work in proper aspect means the minister looks for the gifts, which God gives to members of the congregation, that people can use to minister. A gifted groundskeeper should not be forced to teach Sunday school and a gifted teacher should not be forced to regularly serve in the nursery.
C. Qualifications as a Minister
Qualifications for a minister are spelled out in I Timothy 3:1-7,[8] Titus 1:5-9[9] and 1 Peter 5:1-4.[10] It is common to apply these standards to pastors, but in reality, they should apply to any ministry leader, because they are, in some regard, the overseer or elder of that group. I believe these qualifications should apply to me as a minister, but also to youth leaders, Sunday school teachers, worship leaders and other leaders in the church. The qualifications of a minister from these passages are listed and briefly explained below:
1. Aspire to work (Timothy) / with eagerness (I Peter) – this may be one of the most overlooked aspects of choosing non-ministerial leaders. Sometimes it is necessary to draft a person to a task for a short period of time, but normally the person appointed to a task should desire to do that task. A minister should desire to care for people, not feel that it is the only task they are qualified to do. I desire to see people brought into knowledge and understanding of Jesus.
2. Above reproach (Timothy, Titus) – two similar Greek words are used to indicate that the person does not have any misdeeds for which to account. In many ways, the rest of the requirements expand on this one. I have no knowledge of anything I have done leaving me open to accusation.
3. Husband of one wife (Timothy, Titus) –this translates as “one woman man.” The requirement is higher than never divorced; it is a requirement that the man’s heart is steadfast and faithful to only his spouse. The person should not be looking at other women, flirting “innocently” with other women or allowing his heart to in any way neglect his wife. I chose to love my wife before I fell in love with her and chose to never consider any other. These choices will hold, even if emotion should temporarily wane.
4. Temperate (Timothy) / Not addicted to wine (Timothy, Titus) – self explanatory. The easiest way to avoid addiction to wine is to never drink alcohol. I have knowingly taken non-medicinal alcohol only once in my life. After this event, I chose to never drink alcohol again.
5. Prudent (Timothy) / Sensible (Titus) – one of safe understanding. A minister should seek God’s wisdom in the situations that face him. Rather than experimenting with fringe or modern theology, the minister should support the sound doctrine which was taught by Christ and the apostles. It is my continual quest to seek God’s wisdom in all situations and to hold fast to the historic Christian faith.
6. Respectable (Timothy) – behaving in harmonious ways, modest. It is a modern trend for pastors to regularly preach in shorts and a tee shirt. While there may be times that this is appropriate, a minister should normally dress in such a way that visitors to the church can tell he is the minister. He may not need to wear a suit every week, but should be well
dressed. Modesty is more than the way a minister dresses. The minister should be
respectful in attitude and speech, avoiding all coarse joking and off color humor. The minister should not cheat others or take unfair advantage. While not being improperly used by other people, the minister should be more interested in the welfare of others than their own welfare. It is my goal to live a life that is respectable to all people.
dressed. Modesty is more than the way a minister dresses. The minister should be
respectful in attitude and speech, avoiding all coarse joking and off color humor. The minister should not cheat others or take unfair advantage. While not being improperly used by other people, the minister should be more interested in the welfare of others than their own welfare. It is my goal to live a life that is respectable to all people.
7. Hospitable (Timothy, Titus) – friendly to those outside. The pastor should welcome those outside the church into fellowship and friendship. The pastor should be willing to host people
and serve them. I desire to make others comfortable in church, my home and anywhere I am present.
and serve them. I desire to make others comfortable in church, my home and anywhere I am present.
8. Able to teach (Timothy) / Able to exhort in sound doctrine (Titus) / Holding fast the faithful word (Titus) / Able to refute those who contradict sound doctrine (Titus) – All of these refer to aspects of teaching. Teaching must not only be biblical and truthful, but also taught in a way that helps people to learn. Preaching should be in line with the word, not just using the word to prove concepts that the minister appreciates. I have extensive background in teaching and am known by many for my resolute adherence to scripture as the source of my sermons and lessons.
9. Not pugnacious, (Timothy, Titus) / Gentle (Timothy) / Peaceable (Timothy) / Not quick tempered (Titus) / Self-Controlled (Titus) – self explanatory. I am known to keep a level head even in tense situations. I have often been complemented for my ability to resolve conflicts with people in a way that is beneficial to all involved.
10. Free from the love of money (Timothy) / Not fond of sordid gain (Titus, Peter) / Not accused of dissipation (Titus) –self explanatory. I gave up a highly paid computer career to enter ministry. I desire financially to receive an income that allows me to provide for my family’s needs, without my wife needing to work, but I have no desire to get rich through ministry. My attitude toward wealth is typified by Proverbs 30:7-9.[11]
11. Managing his own household well (Timothy) – Referring to the economy of the home. The pastor should not be enslaved by debt. The minister should keep his home and possessions well repaired and maintained. My wife and I are debt free with the exception of a home payment and auto loans. It is our intent to pay off these debts as soon as possible.
12. Keeping children under control with all dignity (Timothy) / Children who believe (Titus) – self explanatory. This aspect of my life is yet to be determined. My child is a newborn. My wife and I intend to raise our children in a well disciplined manner. We desire our children to never be known as “preacher’s kids” who are terrors in the church.
13. Not a new convert (Timothy) / Devout (Titus) / Witness of the sufferings of Christ (I Peter) / Partaker of the glory that is to be revealed (I Peter) –these indicate the person is a committed disciple who has shared the gospel with others, taken up his cross,[12] and is secured in his salvation. The minister should be a mature believer. I was saved in 1975 and called to ministry in 1990. My wife accepted the Lord 1990 and has been involved in ministry for most of her Christian walk.
14. Not conceited (Timothy) / Not self-willed (Titus) – an attitude of humility as in Philippians 2:5-11.[13] I request that you enquire of my references on this issue.
15. Not accused of rebellion (Titus) – under proper control. I am accountable to Rev. Scott Hanson and Rev. Justin Miller. I also make myself accountable to any group that the church deems proper.
16. Loving what is good (Titus) – The things that are good are explained in Philippians 4:8.[14] The minister should cleanse his mind regularly by studying scripture.[15] It is my goal to spend regular time reading scripture beyond time spent studying for a sermon or lesson. I am not perfect, but God is aiding me through His grace.
17. Just (Titus) – rendering to each his due, whether expressed in words or in the manner of dealing with them. A minister should express an evaluation of people around him based on reality, not on prejudice or malice. I strive to evaluate people by their actions, not by appearances or others’ opinions.
18. Shepherd the flock of God (I Peter) – the Greek word indicates feeding, caring and managing. In a spiritual sense, it indicates supplying the requisites for the soul’s need. The pastor should supply what is needed for the people of the church to grow spiritually and guide them toward those things that are for their good. The best way to feed the flock is to provide them with God’s word and the tools they need to discover His word for themselves. It is then my privilege to guide people into the actions and habits which will be most beneficial for them.
19. Exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily according to the will of God, not lording it over those allotted to your charge (I Peter) –the pastor holds members of the church accountable to God’s word. This applies directly to members and not to others because of the requirement that they are voluntarily under oversight. (See below for more details.) Even when someone is accountable to the church and its ministers, it is to be a relationship of grace and not of dogmatic authority. I guide people to correct their ways and avoid compulsion. In circumstances where church discipline must be invoked (see below), the goal is to come to a cooperative solution.
20. Examples to the flock (I Peter) – self explanatory. I cannot expect any member of the church to do what I am unwilling to do. If I wish to encourage evangelism, I evangelize. To encourage visitation, I visit.
D. Style of Ministry
2 Timothy 2:2[16] sets forth the discipleship mandate. The most effective ministries are based on growing spiritually more than growing numerically. As members grow in Christ likeness and share their faith, numerical growth is a natural side effect of spiritual growth.
Initially, growing a church spiritually is a much slower proposition than growing it numerically. A pastor or other mature believer can only invest in the lives of a limited number of people at a time, and it often takes between one and two years of investing in a disciple before they are ready to invest in the lives of others. When a person has been discipled, they are able to invest in others and begin an expanding network of reaching and teaching people.
This method of ministry will often take three to five years before the church realizes much numerical growth. When the growth does occur, it is lasting growth. People added to the church are added as assets to church ministries, rather than non-contributing “pew potatoes”.
E. Specifics
1. Marriage
I will only marry those individuals who are equally yoked.[17] Within church guidelines, I will marry two believers or two non-believers, but will not marry a believer to a non-believer. In the spirit of 2 Corinthians 6:14, I will not marry a mature believer with an obviously immature
believer until there has been evidence that the immature believer is actively growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord. For any marriage I agree to perform, there will be at least 16 weeks of premarital counseling. In addition, the couple will be asked to place a significant financial deposit for the counseling ($300-$500), to be fully refunded when the couple completes an additional two to three sessions of counseling in the six to twelve months after their wedding.
believer until there has been evidence that the immature believer is actively growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord. For any marriage I agree to perform, there will be at least 16 weeks of premarital counseling. In addition, the couple will be asked to place a significant financial deposit for the counseling ($300-$500), to be fully refunded when the couple completes an additional two to three sessions of counseling in the six to twelve months after their wedding.
2. Funerals
I will perform funerals for any person, so long as I am given the right to share any message that God lays on my heart. At any funeral, I will tastefully share the gospel and will present a tactful opportunity for those present at the funeral to find salvation.
3. Baptism
I will only baptize believers who are old enough to understand the significance of their public identification with Christ’s death and resurrection. Before baptism, I will meet with the candidate for a counseling session to help them understand the importance of their decision and to confirm that they are truly followers of Christ. Baptism must be by immersion, except in those extremely rare circumstances where medical conditions make immersion inadvisable or dangerous. In these rare cases, I will, with church permission, baptize by effusion or anointing. Making these rare exceptions is in the full spirit of scripture’s prescription for baptism. Baptism is an indication of the convert’s willingness to follow Christ’s commands and to identify with Him as His follower.
4. Church Membership
Scripture does not define church membership; it is the result of a beneficial human tradition.
Only believers who have been biblically baptized are eligible for church membership. Baptism should not, however, automatically confer membership.
Only believers who have been biblically baptized are eligible for church membership. Baptism should not, however, automatically confer membership.
A person joins the church as an indication that they wish to be held accountable by the church and to hold the church accountable. Membership is an indication that the member agrees with the church’s major doctrines. Before joining the church, there should be an education or discipleship process (see catechism) that ensures the new member understands the church’s
beliefs and is willing to be held accountable. The new member should understand that membership implies commitment to minister within the church and to support the ministries of the church through financial and other means. Church membership is a prerequisite for any leadership or teaching roles in the church, it confers the right to vote in church elections and to give input into the ministries of the church.
beliefs and is willing to be held accountable. The new member should understand that membership implies commitment to minister within the church and to support the ministries of the church through financial and other means. Church membership is a prerequisite for any leadership or teaching roles in the church, it confers the right to vote in church elections and to give input into the ministries of the church.
5. Baby Dedications
According to Luke 2:22,[18] Jesus was brought to the temple to be presented before the Lord. The action of presenting something before the Lord is dedicating it. In a baby dedication, the parents come to dedicate their child by presenting them as sacred to the Lord. The Hebrew term for dedicate means to set them apart. The parents also come to dedicate themselves to raising the child in fear and admonition of the Lord. Since the only way a parent can commit to raising a child who serves the Lord is if they serve the Lord, I will not perform a baby dedication unless at least one parent is a believer.
6. Catechism
The term catechism is normally connected to liturgical denominations and not to Baptists or evangelicals. This is unfortunate. A catechism is a list of standard questions and answers about the faith. Both children and adults would understand their faith better if they were introduced to
doctrine through a catechism. I recommend that the church adopt a standard catechism by modifying A Baptist Catechism,[19] to reflect the church’s own understandings of scripture.
doctrine through a catechism. I recommend that the church adopt a standard catechism by modifying A Baptist Catechism,[19] to reflect the church’s own understandings of scripture.
7. Counseling
Pastoral counseling is an essential duty of the pastor. All who wish scriptural counsel should receive it without charge. There should be no requirement of church membership or attendance for receiving counsel; proper counsel often leads the unchurched to attend. If an issue is beyond what I am equipped to handle, I will refer the person to a professional Christian Counselor who not only is a Christian, but has techniques compatible with and (where possible) derived from scripture. I will refer to a professional if the problem is going to take more than about five visits to resolve. Any time I refer to a professional, I make the offer to accompany the person to such
visits for moral support. All pastoral counsel is scripturally based in accordance with 2 Timothy 3:16-17.[20]
visits for moral support. All pastoral counsel is scripturally based in accordance with 2 Timothy 3:16-17.[20]
8. Visitation
Visitation is usually done for one of three reasons: evangelism, outreach and care of the members. While visitation is a privilege of the pastor, it is not the pastor’s exclusive duty or domain. Members of the church should participate in visitation with the pastor or by themselves. At all times the minister should be willing and ready to participate in visitation with those who are not equipped to do it themselves.
For outreach purposes, visitation is used to get to know people in the community. During the visit, it may be determined if the person is a Christian or not, and the gospel shared as needed. Visitation finds out what a person is looking for in a church and how the local body can invite them in. Generally this type of visitation is done as a brief visit to drop off a gift and information about the church, but becomes more extensive if those being visited invite further discussion. This type of visitation is best accomplished by teams of 2-3 people who have been trained in evangelism and follow-up techniques.
Visitation for member care often involves visiting the homebound, ill or absent members of the church. While it is good for the pastor to do this, as a church grows larger, the task may become impractical for one person. The duties of deacons should include visitation of those under their
care so that everyone who needs a visit gets one. The duty of visiting should also be extended
to Sunday school or small group leaders who should be visiting attendees of their class.
care so that everyone who needs a visit gets one. The duty of visiting should also be extended
to Sunday school or small group leaders who should be visiting attendees of their class.
9. Evangelism/Witnessing
A healthy church is a growing church. Church growth should be primarily by incorporating new converts into the church. As converts mature, are baptized and understand the significance of
membership, they should join as members of the church.
membership, they should join as members of the church.
While the gospel is regularly as part of my sermons, bringing people to church should not be the primary evangelistic activity of the church. Church evangelism should be done with an attitude of “go and tell,” not one of “come and see.” Members of the church should evangelize through friendships, cold-contacts, events and service projects. Evangelistic activities may be incorporated with other outreaches and/or mission activities of the church.
10. Missions
Matthew 28:18-20[21] commissions the church to do missions. The scope of missions is local (Jerusalem ), regional (Judea), national (Samaria
Giving to missions is effectively the church’s tithe and should be a minimum of 10% of the church’s undesignated income. A healthy church will be actively involved in missions. This may include activities like helping the homeless shelter, aiding another church with Vacation Bible School
Missions should be highlighted by the church. The church should regularly report on missionaries. The church should participate in events such as On Mission Celebrations. The church should invite missionaries to join in church activities on a regular basis.
11. Church Discipline
Church discipline has been neglected in many churches, usually as an overreaction to the abuse of discipline in other churches. Church discipline is not an option but an obligation presented by Christ himself in Matthew 18:15-20.[22] Discipline should be kept private as long as possible and held to the rigorous standards in 1 Timothy 5:19-22.[23] By practicing discipline the church preserves a right attitude before the world (1 Corinthians 6:1-3[24]). The goal of discipline is to pull straying members back to the truth (James 5:19-20[25]). Ultimately church discipline is part of the redemptive role that Christ ordained for the church (1 Corinthians 5:1-5[26]).
12. Boards, Councils or Committees
In general usage, a board sits in judgment over something, a committee talks about something, a council plans for something and then implements that plan. For this reason, I believe that all such church organizations should be functioning as councils, regardless of what they are called. Members of a council should be actively involved in the ministry the council oversees (members
of the facilities council should regularly help with facilities upkeep, members of the missions council should be actively involved in missions and promoting missions, etc.).
of the facilities council should regularly help with facilities upkeep, members of the missions council should be actively involved in missions and promoting missions, etc.).
13. Small Groups / Sunday School
Statistically, the best way to grow and expand a church, without sacrificing spiritual growth, is to add more small groups and Sunday school classes. It is irrelevant if the class meets on campus or in a home, on Sunday or another day. Ironically, it is nearly irrelevant if the new class/group succeeds or not. In this spirit, it would be my intention to start a new class or small group at least once every quarter.
[1] “18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."” (Matthew 28:18-20)
[2] “Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,” (Colossians 1:25)
[3] “11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:11-16)
[4] “14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"” (Romans 10:14-15)
[5] “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.” (1 Corinthians 4:16)
[6] “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,” (Romans 15:18)
[7] “1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)
[8] “1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:1-7)
[9] “5 For this reason I left you in Crete , that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” (Titus 1:5-9)
[10] “1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1 Peter 5:1-4)
[11] “7 Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: 8 Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, 9 That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:7-9)
[12] “Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)
[13] “5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)
[14] “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
[15] “so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,” (Ephesians 5:26)
[16] “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
[17] “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
[18] “And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem
[19] by C. H. Spurgeon, October 14, 1855.
[20] “16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
[21] “18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."” (Matthew 28:18-20)
[22] “15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."” (Matthew 18:15-20)
[23] “19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. 20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. 21 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. 22 Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.” (1 Timothy 5:19-22)
[24] “1 Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?” (1 Corinthians 6:1-3)
[25] “19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20)
[26] “1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. 3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 5:1-5)
