The Core and the Means

It is probable that you already know this, but it may be prudent to remind you of the core of what is presented in this blog.  First, it is my conviction that men are commissioned by the Lord to lead.  They are to lead themselves, their families, and their communities of faith.  Women also are to lead, if married, in submission to their husband, in the same three areas, with the caveat that in their communities of faith they are in submission to their husbands and the leadership, elders, of that local body.  Titus 2:3-5 (Here at Bible Gateway) outlines some of the areas in which women are to lead.

Second, it is impossible for men or women to lead if they are not consistently, engaging in, abiding in, the Word of God.  The clear message of 2 Timothy does not just support this but fairly screams it as us.  

Most of us, if not all, have 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 memorized:
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.
Here, the exhortation is focused on leading oneself consider the context 3:10 – 4:4 (Here at Bible Gateway)

What you may not notice is that notion is repeated twice in the letter, in 2:24 – 26 to false teachers and unbelievers:
24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. 

To believers in 2 Timothy 4:1 – 2:
1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
2 proclaim (my translation) the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 

Notice that the four ministries of the Word are repeated in the passages in 2 and 4 using slightly different words:

2:24-26	Teach	Correcting	Repentance	Knowledge of the Truth
3:16 – 17	Teach	Reproof	Correction	Training in righteousness
4:1 – 2	Proclaim	Reprove	Rebuke	Exhort

The Word of God, the Scripture, is central to any ministry.  All ministry, all leading, is the overflow of the Scripture from one life to another.  If one is not in the Word intentionally, consistently, one is not going to be effective in either leading or ministry.

There is a bit more here to consider.  But, I will leave that until tomorrow.